Post by ple on Nov 10, 2003 17:04:11 GMT -5
My son DG is 9.5, 4th grade, started on Concerta 18 mg last Fall, switched to Strattera 25 mg in April '03 b/c of sleeplessness.
Took him off Strattera after 6 months due to the occurrence (within the last 3 months) of an increased LACK of appetite, sleeplessness (which had never been a problem with Strattera for him up to that time), periods of teariness, mild obsessiveness, and frequent complaints of headache, stomachache, general bodily aches -- to the point of his starting to not enjoy daily activities he usually loves (roller hockey practice, birthday parties). He has had full check-ups and nothing seems to be physically wrong with him. Also, his teacher has noted a general increase in lack of attention, and his grades began to drop just during the past month.
It looked like depression and anxiety, and I was not sure if the Strattera was causing it. Thought it better to have him totally off the med before he went in for psychiatric evaluation.
I have seen D experience an almost "rebound" effect from being taken off 25 mg dose without weaning (both the Strattera labeling and his ped said it was okay to do). After the Strattera wore off (about 4 days), things got pretty wacky at home. WILD mood swings, up and down; one moment happy, singing, etc. -- the next moment arguing about homework, then playing, anxious, crying, all within hours, sometimes minutes of eachother.
Things are starting to level off (it has been 13 days since going off med), but the ADHD is back full force. His teacher is going crazy trying to deal with him and his grades are dropping still. The other symptoms/reasons we took him off in the first place have diminished mostly, though, and he is starting to gain a little weight finally.
We had first pdoc appt last week, and he wants us to track his moods until next appt (too far away, in my opinion, but we cannot get in sooner -- he's booked), and he has mentioned possible early onset bipolar as a possibility. From what I've read on that disorder, I see a lot of the same symptoms ADHD presents, and I have not seen the giant mood swing symptoms they described until I took him off the Strattera!
Has anyone else seen either similar side effects while their child was on the Strattera (after a few months of being on it), or similar "withdrawl" symptoms after taking them off? Is it possible the Strattera was masking the "mania" if he does in fact have early BPD? Or is this possible diagnosis just the in thing these days?
Lots of questions, huh?
Took him off Strattera after 6 months due to the occurrence (within the last 3 months) of an increased LACK of appetite, sleeplessness (which had never been a problem with Strattera for him up to that time), periods of teariness, mild obsessiveness, and frequent complaints of headache, stomachache, general bodily aches -- to the point of his starting to not enjoy daily activities he usually loves (roller hockey practice, birthday parties). He has had full check-ups and nothing seems to be physically wrong with him. Also, his teacher has noted a general increase in lack of attention, and his grades began to drop just during the past month.
It looked like depression and anxiety, and I was not sure if the Strattera was causing it. Thought it better to have him totally off the med before he went in for psychiatric evaluation.
I have seen D experience an almost "rebound" effect from being taken off 25 mg dose without weaning (both the Strattera labeling and his ped said it was okay to do). After the Strattera wore off (about 4 days), things got pretty wacky at home. WILD mood swings, up and down; one moment happy, singing, etc. -- the next moment arguing about homework, then playing, anxious, crying, all within hours, sometimes minutes of eachother.
Things are starting to level off (it has been 13 days since going off med), but the ADHD is back full force. His teacher is going crazy trying to deal with him and his grades are dropping still. The other symptoms/reasons we took him off in the first place have diminished mostly, though, and he is starting to gain a little weight finally.We had first pdoc appt last week, and he wants us to track his moods until next appt (too far away, in my opinion, but we cannot get in sooner -- he's booked), and he has mentioned possible early onset bipolar as a possibility. From what I've read on that disorder, I see a lot of the same symptoms ADHD presents, and I have not seen the giant mood swing symptoms they described until I took him off the Strattera!
Has anyone else seen either similar side effects while their child was on the Strattera (after a few months of being on it), or similar "withdrawl" symptoms after taking them off? Is it possible the Strattera was masking the "mania" if he does in fact have early BPD? Or is this possible diagnosis just the in thing these days?
Lots of questions, huh?
Firstly, 25mgs is a terribly low dose for a 4th grader of average size. If he is not of average size, I appologize, but, unless your son is between 40-48 lbs, he was being underdosed. Strattera has antidepressent properties, and most doctors know that too low of a dose of an anti d can cause depression. Perhaps that is all it was? You don't say his weight. You should take his weight, divide it by 2.2 and then multiply that # by 1.2. That will give you the minimal effective and shouldn't cause changes to personality or moods at all. This is Eli Lilly's formula for accurate dosing, your doctor should know this. Its in the med spects you get from the pharmacey.
Increasing dose had never been mentioned by his ped, and I figured I wouldn't push my luck as I was afraid that increasing dose would kick in some side effects, and he had been doing so well on it for the first few months -- ironic, isn't it, that the too low dose may be the culprit re: the recent depression/loss of appetite/sleeplessnes. 
