Strattera | ADHD Information




	Strattera My 15 year old son was just diagnosed with ADHD along with low self-esteem. He is doing poorly in 9th grade and we had a complete work-up with a psychologist. The psychologist suggested he see is pediatrician for a recommendation on medication. His pediatrician recommended that he start with Strattera. My son was very disappointed because he wanted something which would work right away. He has finals coming up and he is looking for a quick fix. He seems very disillusioned with this entire process. He needs help more for focus and attentiveness at school, rather than clowning around. I have suspected for quite a while that he might have ADD, but he never seemed to fit the entire profile whenever I brought it up with his peciatrician. I have tremendous guilt feelings because I now feel that I should have advocated much more forcibly for him. In any case, does anyone have any experience with Strattera? How long beforre you noticed any changes in behavior, etc. I also want to take my son to a psychiatrist and he has informed me that he will not go. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you deal with it? I am feeling very overwhelmed at this point and would appreciate advice. Kat46 - It might be best for your son to see the psychiatrist as they are better able to determine the correct medication and dosage than your pediatrician. He needs to understand that he won't be laying on a couch and telling the guy his life history. He will be able to talk with the Dr. (with you there) about how he feels and what his goals are. I'm willing to bet they will try something before they do Strattera, or maybe something along with the Strattera. Some of the medications do work right away, but my understanding is that Strattera takes longer and doesn't have as much impact on attention as some of the others. Your son must be very frustrated, but encourage him to see the psychiatrist in order to get the best medication for his situation. Also - if you review other posts in this forum, there was a teen girl who set up her own website for other kids with ADD. He might benefit from talking with other kids with the same experiences, and see how they feel about going to various doctors. Much luck to you. My 14-year-old son has been on various meds for ADHD since second grade. Most recently he was switched to Strattera (in March). I found this forum moments ago in my search for other people's experience with Strattera, which I am suspecting is the source of negative changes in my son's behavior. Kat46 - I agree with Krobb that you should find a way to convince your son to consult a psychiatrist. I understand the negative reaction of many (perhaps most) people at the thought of seeing a psychiatrist - it is a loaded phrase in our society. But the fact of the matter is, there is no way a pediatrician can have the necessary experience to adequately diagnose and prescribe for ADHD or other neurological disorders. There are simply too many different meds and they all seem to work differently for different kids. In my experience, it is not even easy to find "the right" psychiatrist. When we lost confidence in the one we had worked with for 4 years, we were very lucky to get a quick appointment with someone at Children's Hospital in Boston. Just as a personal note, I am about to call our pdoc and ask about switching back to concerta. My son is doing less well with impulse control (and therefore is constantly in trouble, which has not been a problem for years) and is having serious problems with mood swings since going on Strattera. Good luck to you.	Enter Your Email below to claim your Free Book

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