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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 canadagirl on August 4, 2006, at 19:25:09
Here goes another home clinical trial again...Ugh! Focalin is not available in Canada yet so this is the next thing we are trying. Ritalin, concerta, Ritalin SR etc. are causing a ton of rebound effects. Anyone out there had any luck with Strattera for their kids? How about Strattera/concerta in combination, which was something else he suggested (and I'm not trying it).
Posted by alohashirt on August 4, 2006, at 23:34:54
In reply to Starting my son on Strattera for ADHD, posted by canadagirl on August 4, 2006, at 19:25:09
I'm not a kid by a long shot. I was taking Concerta & Stratetra for a while. It improved my distraction and the Strattera continued to work in the evening as the Concerta wore off. Despite what teh ads say I had to take Concerta in the morning with an afternoon dose of Metadate CD. Concerta seemed tow ork for about 7 to 8 hours for me. The Strattera made me sad, though I didn't realize this at first. Depending on your lcoation you could consider seeing a NYC pediatrican and getting scripted Focalin XR in the US. For me, Focalin XR == Concerta w/o side effects. Specifically what kind of rebound do you see?
> Here goes another home clinical trial again...Ugh! Focalin is not available in Canada yet so this is the next thing we are trying. Ritalin, concerta, Ritalin SR etc. are causing a ton of rebound effects. Anyone out there had any luck with Strattera for their kids? How about Strattera/concerta in combination, which was something else he suggested (and I'm not trying it).
Posted by canadagirl on August 5, 2006, at 10:24:47
In reply to Re: Starting my son on Strattera for ADHD, posted by alohashirt on August 4, 2006, at 23:34:54
Thanks for the idea of going to the US for focalin! Never thought of that! I've heard about the sadness or depression from strattera (little worried about trying it on him, because that's the BIG side effect he gets from Concerta, ritalin etc.) Besides the rebound, of crying, screaming, punching, aggressive behaviour etc. NOrmally (not on meds) he is a happy go lucky kid who has a fantastic temperment. On the meds...different kid other than a short window of opportunity (about 3 hours) during the day when he's actually focused and normal for some of the school day.
Thanks for your response.
Posted by linkadge on August 6, 2006, at 1:26:16
In reply to Re: Starting my son on Strattera for ADHD » alohashirt, posted by canadagirl on August 5, 2006, at 10:24:47
Have you tried omega-3 fatty acids? They are one of the alternative treaments for AD/HD whos mechanism of action is undergoing increasing investigation. They appear to increase the content of serotonin and dopamine in the frontal cortex, similar to stimulants like ritalin.
There are many reports of these substances helping improve concentration (and improving depression). DHA, and EPA in omega-3 are also critical components for the developing mind.
Even if they don't completely eliminate the need for ADHD meds, can can reduce the need for them.
When I was on ritalin, I found my need for it dropped from 20mg to 10mg with the addition of omega-3.
Just another option.
Take Care.
Linkadge
Posted by fairywings on August 7, 2006, at 16:20:29
In reply to Starting my son on Strattera for ADHD, posted by canadagirl on August 4, 2006, at 19:25:09
Hi CG,
I wish you good luck with this. I react to meds more like kids do, and I've had very bad reactions to meds, so I understand first hand how rebound feels, and I have ADD, so I understand that too.
I tried Strattera, and I did well with some things at 40 mg, but then had depression at 80, thankfully it wasn't the deep dark depression like I've had with some of the other meds.
It seems to me that sometimes the titration is just too darned fast, and if the response is good, maybe keeping it at the lower level longer would be better. When I try a new med., I start with 1/2 a low initial dose, and stay on it longer than you normally would. If it's working, then go up after the initial time, and if I have rebound I go back down for a time, then try again. If I can't get to a therapeutic level, and the benefit isn't worth it, then I dump it. It's worked for me, but everyone's different.
It's hard with kids cause they can't tell you what it is they're feeling, and you can't feel how awful it is to them. Your child is lucky to have a mom who cares, and knows to pull them off if they're feeling poorly.
fw
This is the end of the thread.
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