Posted by Lasagne on October 24, 2003, at 14:12:24
In reply to Re: Straterra approval., posted by trying to help on October 23, 2003, at 14:09:52
> Reply to below message:
I have a 11 year old son who has problems with the emotions, anger, etc. The difference is that he wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until he was in 3rd grade and at the same time our doctor diagnosed him as having a mood disorder and a sleep disorder. For a long time just taking Celexa (an antidepressant) did the trick combined with the ADD stimulant treatment. But during the last year he has become even more emotional now that his body is beginning the puberty stuff. Around last March we tried the Strattera instead of the stimulants. It didn't work well alone. From my own personal experience Strattera takes 5-6 weeks to hit it's true effectiveness. Finally we did the Strattera with the stimulants so he wouldn't flunk out of 5th grade while we waited for the Strattera to kick in all the way. During this last summer we upped his Strattera dose and stopped the Adderall. He did great during the summer and it improved his mood greatly and gave him good control over his ADHD. Toward the end of summer he was having a difficult time sleeping and was becoming more angry and combative so the doctor added a small dose of Zyprexa which worked wonders for him. Once 6th grade/junior high school started the crying and frustration began all over again. We also had to put him back on the Adderall XR while continuing the Strattera. I finally realized that he just doesn't do well in the normal school environment due to the number of students per classroom and ongoing social conflicts. I even tried sending him to a private school that had a small teacher to student ratio and he still struggled because he had so much homework to do. So now I am home schooling him and he is doing much better. Once we are done with the curriculum for the day, then he is done and doesn't have any homework. This makes him so much happier and easier to live with. He is still bummed at times about not having friends, but I know if I sent him to regular school that he would be bullied, teased, etc. For now I have determined that it is in his best interest to be at home with me where I can monitor his social experiences as he plays with the neighborhood children. We have dealt with years of self-esteem issues with him and I know by keeping him home he has a better chance of keeping the small amount of self esteem he has, intact. From talking to lots of other mothers, the junior high school age is a real rough time. There are a lot of bad peer experiences. Pressure to have sex or oral sex, do drugs, and be popular. My son has had too much on his plate during the last few years and is not ready to deal with all that bologne. I don't know what your career situation is like (working or stay at home mom), but if it is possible I would highly recommend doing the independent/home school option that your school district offers.
Also, I would recommend trying the Strattera. I started taking it back in May for my own ADD and it has made me more functional than I have ever been. Hopefully your son will be one of those who will function fine on the Strattera alone and won't have to do the combo with a stimulant. It's hard to know if you don't try. Just remember that it does take a while to kick in all the way. If your son experiences uncomfortable side effects in the beginning, increase his dose to the max amount recommended by your doctor slowly.
Good luck!
Lasagna
Hi - my son just turned 11 and has been on I Ritalin since 1st grade (diagnosed with ADD). He seemed fine for the last few years. Now, he started 5th grade and is suddendly very anxious, angry, nervous and hyper-emotional. He'll start crying in school for no reason, has no friends, is depressed, etc. He's tall, good looking, smart, and should be one of those kids who just breezes through school. Now suddenly he's sad, crying and friendless.
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> His pediatrician has suggested Straterra -- any throughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
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> I just want to help my son be happy and successful.
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> Thanks.
poster:Lasagne
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031021/msgs/272787.html