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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kharis on September 21, 2003, at 4:28:18
Hi there. My son who is 12 was recently diagnosed as being borderline ADHD. He has severe mood swings that dont last long so his psychiatrist says he dosent fit into any particular category nice and neatly. My son only weighs 89 pounds but doc prescribed a Straterra starter pack of 40mg and then on 5th day it will increase to 60mg. This has proven to be way too much, he is almost lethargic and needs water constantly. Isnt this dosage too high, esp. for being only "borderline ADHD"? Also, I had his prescription filled for the 60mg but dont think I will use it as I want to get a lower dose, will pharmacy let me exchange it? Thanks so much!!!
Posted by HenryO on September 21, 2003, at 7:20:43
In reply to your opinions please...I'm new, posted by kharis on September 21, 2003, at 4:28:18
Trust your gut. 12 is pretty young. If the effect of the med is worse than the malady, what's the point. There are many different meds and they effect everyone differently. There are plenty of doctors with different opinions too. I'd ask around a bit.
To answer your question I have no idea about getting a lower dose of Straterra. But starting at a very low dose with any med is a really good idea, for anybody at any age.
I believe Straterra is mostly a stimulant. Ritalin comes in tablets which can easily be broken into tiny pieces. It is the classic ADD med. I like Ritalin for both my depression and ADD but I was hyper sensitive to it as a child and couldn't tolerate it. At least not the way it was administered then. I wish that it had been introduced to my system a mg at a time, just to find out. There are so many other meds these days. But the child brain is not the same as an adults. It is sort of scary to mess with. Yet my whole academic career would have been vastly different with the right med.
These moods swings, are they anger or depression? both or something else? How is his behavior? Are the mood swings causing social and school problems?
One thing that occurs to me, have you considered if this could be a variation of anxiety? Anxiety can be scary depressing distracting and difficult to articulate. It can even be hard sometimes to know that that is what's going on inside you.
I think that in my case as a kid it was the depression and fear which made it hard to concentate. When you hurt it's difficult to focus. As a kid I don't think I knew that I was in mental pain. I thought I was stupid, or just trying to be difficult like they said I was.
The pain masquerades as thought. Even today I have to deduce my moods by my behavior at times. It sounds weird but I often don't spot a mood swing for several days. It can take a bit of hindsight to realize I'm sliding into a funk. A Mom can see it immediately though. Your brain makes sense of what you feel even when what you feel doesn't make sense. Maybe something for his mood would be better than something for the ADD.
Lastly I'd like to emphisize that I have no medical training at all.
Posted by Sebastian on September 21, 2003, at 10:36:07
In reply to your opinions please...I'm new, posted by kharis on September 21, 2003, at 4:28:18
Cut the pills?
Posted by kharis on September 23, 2003, at 0:51:06
In reply to your opinions please...I'm new, posted by kharis on September 21, 2003, at 4:28:18
>Thank you HenryO. YOu have some valid points about possible "mental pain", etc. My son was suffering all weeekned from stomach pains so this mornining I took him to a regular doctor who weighed him and got out her guidebook and sure enough, my son had been given a much too high dosage adn the stomach pains were the result. He weighs 87 pounds and his starter pack was for 40mg then to move to 60mg. Doctor gave me a new kit, start on 18 then go to 25mg. I will try that before giving up. My son was "diagnosed" and prescribed after only 2 thrirty minute visits to a psychiatrist. is this normal? Its all new to me. And no, the pills cant be cut as they are capsules and too fragile. I knwo he is young to be on pills but I have waited years, trying everything else. His moods are so up and down and his incesstant (sp?) talking will soon affect relations with his peers, it certainly has negatively affected his school work. I am still confused, dont know what is wrong, is it ADHD, ADHD AND ADD, ADHD and clinical depression....AGH! Agaian, thanks for responding, I appreciate any advice I can get.
Posted by HenryO on September 23, 2003, at 4:16:08
In reply to Re: your opinions please...I'm new, posted by kharis on September 23, 2003, at 0:51:06
You know him better than anybody ever will, including himself. You're going to be the best person to gauge the effect the meds have on his behavior and feelings. He'll tell you if they help. Psychoactive meds are a bizarre phenomenon, the response to the med is part of the diagnosis. If a med isn't working try another. These meds effect everybody differently. There is no typical response, no matter what doctors say. It usually takes a good deal of time and experimentation to find the right med and the right dose.
This is the end of the thread.
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