Anger and Strattera

I personally have never put my son on strattera. I perfer Concerta. My 15 year old son has a major case of ADHD and is on concerta x54 mg. twice a day 9at the same time. With this dosage, (even though i thought it was high and started him out with 1 pill a day), he is actaully like a normal person, he can have a converstation with me and is very mild mannered. When he doesnt take it, he tends to pick fights with his sister and is bouncing off the walls, and does get irriated and hot tempered very easily. Adderall worked very well for him too, but after a few years, it didn't effect him the same way ... his body must have gotten used to it. I do not in any way recommend Ritialin. Too much up and down, that you can physcially see. Adderall and Concerta were both the all day pill (slow release).

it's probably the meds you should take him off the strattera immediately. I know when I was younger I was diagnosed with AHAD and they put me on meds. my mother ened up taking me off the meds because it altered my behavior too much and she just found other ways of dealing with me.

My son also has a severe case of ADHD also diagnosed as ODD and BiPolar. He has been on meds since the age of 3 and he is now 10. The doctor had tried the strattera and he also had the anger and agression and terrible outburts. I immediately told the doctor that I did not want the strattera anymore. Since I have become a Nurse I have been more of an advocate for my child. I told the doctor that they really needed to look into something else because this was not working. Some children do not respond to the strattera, especially the more severe cases, because it is not a stimulant. My opinion on researching the medication that I feel strattera works more the inattenitive ones that are not hyper. I know that sounds weird that you would give an already hyper child a stimulant, but that is how the medication works for a child. It works just the opposite. My son is on Ritalin and Concerta and they are working wonders. I know that every child is different and that not all the same meds work on each child. It is basically trial and error but I have dealt with this for over 7 years now. If things don't seem to get better maybe you should suggest to the doctor to try something different. You are the parent and ultimately it is your decision and you can tell the doctor no. The concerta is an extended release and works all day long with the morning dose. Hope this helps.

My 12 yr. daughter is ADHD, ODD and Bipolar. We tried Strattera for about 4 months and it was like she wasn't on anything at all. She is now back on 20mg of Adderall and I think it works great. She still has her moments, but they are better controlled. My 7 yr. old daughter is also ADHD and she is on 5mg of Adderall and it works great for her also. Yes, she is still hyper, but not as bad as she was before.

I also have a son with ADHD. He was taking Ritalin but I recently had a change from that due to his outburst and lack of attention at school. The doctor prescribed Strattera he only has been taking it for a week and I and everyone else can see he is even more unattentive and extremely emotional. Once again we are switching meds. I looked up info on strattera and emotional changes are a side effect. Hope this helps. I am also looking for answers for ADHD.

i will talk to my teacher about this medication. email me your email address and i will let you know when i talk to her, i am going to school to be a pharmacy technician so i will call her tomorrow and ask her for you. my email is ____@____.com

Irritability and mood swings are some of the main side effects of Strattera. In my opinion, Strattera is a nasty drug. I know hat people want to stay away from stimulants like Ritalin and Adderal, but Strattera actually has more dramatic effects on childrens' brains than the other drugs.

I am one year away from earning my doctorate in pharmacy, and I've worked in community pharmacies for awhile, and i have never heard anything positive from a patient about this drug. Also, since it is so new there is always a risk that long term effects will be found years from now. Also, according to the package info, this drug is not even indicated in 5 year olds.

My advice? Get the therapist on the phone and start exploring other options immediately. I doubt that 2 more weeks of this sort of behavior is good for anyone.

K., we had our daughter on Strattera, but it mellowed her out completely. She was almost like a zombie. When it came to dealing with ADHD in our son, we went a completely different route and decided to find natural remedies as much as possible (i.e. dealing with foods and nutrition, as well as homeopathic remedies). I definitely recommend changing his diet by removing white flours and sugars, and giving him as much fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. I also encourage increasing water intake, freshly juiced fruit juices, and fruit & veggie smoothies for beverages. It was a HUGE change in our lifestyle, but our son was out of control too and it was the only thing that got him stable. I'm not sure what your situation requires, but I have the name of a Naturopathic Doctor in the Canton, Michigan area if you're interested in seeing her. She works with this type of thing on a holistic level and is WONDERFUL! Best of luck to you and God bless, B. J.

Hi,
It sounds like you need help now! Please call the prescribing Dr. and tell him it is imperative that you are seen now! I take Adderall which is also for ADHD and I have never (even in the beginning) had emotional ups and downs or anger. This sounds like a seriously bad reaction and I would suggest that you take care of it ASAP. Good Luck.
T.

I just read the other responses and agree....call the physician that prescribed the Strattera IMMEDIATELY! These types of side effects need to be addressed and I'm sure your doctor will gladly welcome your phone call.

Also, your son could very well have a different type of disorder such as bi-polar, anxiety etc... Not that I'm trying to alarm you. Just be careful when you see negative side effects when starting new meds. I'd go for a second opinion to be certain this therapist and/or physician has diagnosed your 5 year old properly.

I have a son that is ADHD, was diagnosed Bi-Polar at one point and is now properly diagnosed with PTSD, Anxiety, Learning Disabled and Depression. Taking meds for ADHD threw him into severe mood swings, which is what lead to the Bi-Polar diagnosis. Once he was taken off those meds and started on Zoloft and Remeron for the anxiety, sleep issues and depression his swings stopped. If you want to talk more, please send me a private message.

Good luck!!
M. M.

hi K.,
I hope you and yours are well today. My name is Rev. M. Pittaway, I am 50 years old, and I have raised 3 kids. I am convinced the Medical Profession is way to quick to prescribe drugs to adults and kids. I would be willing to bet that drugs are not what your son needs at all. Our youngest son Justin spent his short life in and out of hospitals and the drugs the doctors gave him killed him when he was 10. Had I known 5 years ago what I know now he would be alive and well.

Children need a LOT of TIME with both MOM and DAD together AND individually. This is parents' #1 priority in life; not making money or being a success or any other thing! Until one of your children dies you have to take my word for it.

Parents of ADHD kids I have worked with over the years have seen "miraculous" improvement in their children when they simply did this: spend much more time with your kid. Pray with them, study Jesus' teachings with them, do homeowrk with them, play videogames with them, go shopping; whatever you both like to do. Don't preach or teach; just live; they have a lot ot teach us too.

With God's real intimate presence in your home every day there is hope. Do you have a close relationship with God? Do you talk to Jesus all day in your heart and actually listen and obey His Spirit of love? Take the time for God to minister to YOU first every day; to be a parent is the biggest hardest job in life and nobody can do it alone.

Blessings,
Rev. M. Pittaway
www.HisHouseMedia.com
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Dear K.,
I would say you have to go to the doc right now. Your son may have been diagnosed wrong. My son has an autism spectrum and a major anxiety disorder. When I took him to U of M were he was diognosed they said never ever give him meds that are for ADHD or ADD. Because his autism is pretty mild it would have been easy for him to be diognosed with ADHD or ADD. Those meds can have an oppisite affect. I dont want you to think that it might be as serious as autism but please get a second oppinion. U of M in Ann Arbor has a great behavioral health clinic for kids. Take Care I know what it is like to deal with an angry aggressive kid. Hopefully you can get some help dont be afraid to ask questions.. And I am here too I know Mich law pretty good on getting him help in school. M. d

K.,

His mg could be too high and it does take time for people to get use to a new med. I would call the doctor and tell him whats happening and maybe reduce his mgs.
Good luck
C. S

You need to go back to the psychiatrist and tell him/her that he has gotten worse on the meds. It will take time to find the right meds for him. My oldest daughter has ADHD. She ended up on a combo of meds. It took us 4 years to get it right. If the psychiatrist won't do anything find one that will. Don't take no for an answer. Try to find a support group in your area for ADHD, I think it is called CHAD or somthing like that, it will help.

Hello K.!

I know of women who were going through the same thing with their children. What type of cleaning products are you using in your home? If they contain harsh ingredients this can have a negative effect on behavior epsecially if the child has something like ADHD. All of you are inhaling the fumes this is called outgasing. If you would like more information just let me know.

i don't have any personal experience with prescribed drugs, but i have read some on drugs for ADD and so on. a book i have recently been reading called "how to care for your indigo child" (or something similar) has helped me to understand the behaviors of special children. my son also is very head strong and energtic, highly emotional and doesn't seem to have the longest of attention spans... but then again he's 4. i think one thing we do as parents is forget that our babies are just that, babies. we look at thier problems like they are adult problems. every child is different, as i'm sure you well know, and some kids take extra special attention to make them feel complete. is your son in school? is he doing well there? if not, it could be because he's bored... not getting the stimulation his brilliant mind needs. my oppinion on five year olds on scrips is not a favorable one, but please know i'm not judging. this spastic behavior started after you put him on this drug? probably a way of his body telling you "this is not the answer". please take a look at the book i told you about. children don't need drugs to control thier behavior, they need more stimulation. my bet is you have a genious on your hands!

I don't have a direct answer to your question (I need to see situations like this in person to give good advice), but I was wondering if you have made any changes in your son's diet to try to help. The connection between food additives and ADHD is well established. Here is one article http://www.all-natural.com/add.html you'll be able to find lots more too. Hope this helps.

A. Stuart, LBSW, CLC
Breastfeeding Support Home Visits
Grand Rapids, MI and surrounding area
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"...if nature had wanted human beings to be raised on that, she would have made women's breasts capable of secreting it."
--Isabel Allende

Sometimes theier are children with this but MOST of the time especilaly that young NO. My chiropractic office specializes in children and they can treat your son with no meds!!!!!! now unfortantly they are in Shelby Twp. but if you called them they would find someone in your area that could help. They are called "Touch of Life" the number is ###-###-#### or website www.chirolife.com. They are a husband and wife practice and after going to other places they have helped me more in less then 1 year then the others I have gone to for years. Good luck

K.,
You should probley call your therapist and try to get in asap. Make sure the therapist knows whats going on they probley will bring him in earlier. I would really question the medication with your therapist also, Those medications sometimes do cause reactions like that they may have to switch him to something else. I don't know about stattera but I know there have been others that have caused side affects like that. L. O'neil

A few years ago my son was put on Strattera (for 1st grade) and he had the same reaction (this sweet, docile kid became violent). My pediatrician took him off immediately (before he hurt himself or others). I'd suggest calling your pediatrician. K.

I know how you are feeling my Step son is on Strattera. I think that if his behaviors have started since the start of the medication than by all means stop giving it to him. The dosage could be too high!! Stratera is a new drug. It has only been out for 5 yrs. There are alot of side effects. DO NOT allow the phychiatrist to put him on another med to counteract the behavior!!!! That is what they did to my stepson. The effects of long term use is questionable. I am against medicating children.!!!! These doctors are pill happy. If he were my child I would discontinue the use of this drug until you can get into the phychiatrists. Have them find something else like concerta. Go to www.rxlist.com type in straterra and see what side effects go with the drug. There are so many different kinds of non stimulating adhd drugs out there. Sometimes it is trial and error until you find the right one. Good luck