Raine
New Member
:.I am my own worst enemy.:
Posts: 6
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Post by Raine on Mar 29, 2004 14:08:07 GMT -5
My 9 year old son is having alot of stomach cramps...i thought it was from switching from concerta to adderall, and we ended up having to take him to the hospital because it was so severe...they gave him an enema...cleaned him out...and he was better for a little bit...we started him on strattera and hes been on it about 4-5 weeks but the stomach pains are coming back and its really bad--as im sitting here typing this hes crying and saying "why me...is my stomach gunna hurt forever?" He wants to go just one week without his stomach hurting. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if so what was the culprit--im thinking maybe it has nothing to do with his meds--maybe there is something else going on like an ulcer or something...its terrible watching your child go thru this and not being able to tell him why or to help him.
any feedback is greatly appreciated.
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Post by AnneM on Mar 29, 2004 15:32:16 GMT -5
Hi Raine ... Oh ... your poor son..... stomach aches are horrible! ...
Personally I would not really think that the meds would be the culprit here ... or at least I certainly haven't come across this as a side effect except perhaps in mild, quick to disappear stomach pains ....but this sounds a lot more painful than that!
Have you seen the doctor and what does he/she think? It could be caused by so many things - it really sounds to me like it should be thoroughly checked out ....
In my opinion meds should certainly not cause this sort of discomfort and if they do they should be withdrawn ...
Please give him a big hug from me ... {{{Raine's son}}}}
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Post by AustinsMom on Mar 29, 2004 22:22:52 GMT -5
Raine, Strattera was really hard on my son's stomach. We were on it for 6 months, and it was manageable as long as the dose was low, but when we tried to up it to get it to the right dose for his weight, it didn't work. He had cramps, complained of nausea (especially when he had to have a b m.) He would get very constipated too. We tried splitting the dose, and it still didn't work. It was a relief for us to stop. It took a couple of weeks for his stomach to settle down to normal though. He also had the "mood fluctuations" side effects, which were actually very angry episodes. It took us awhile to connect it to the strattera, cause we were thinking of it as a very mild med compared to stims.
What is your son's weight and what is his dose of strattera? Did the cramps start after you started it? I don't know if this is the culprit for your son, but it might be worth a call to your dr. to see about tapering off and stopping it for awhile to see. Good luck.
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Post by Honeysmom on Mar 29, 2004 22:34:34 GMT -5
Is it possible that he is having a problem with constipation? Honey used to, and it was to the point that in order to go to the bathroom he had to be standing up b/c sitting hurt his belly so much. For about 2 years we thought he had something wrong mentally since he insisted on wearing a diaper to have a BM, but then after x-rays were done they found it was constipation. He was put on Miralax and it fixed the problem within one week.
The doctor also told me that he would only go potty until his belly no longer hurt and then stop, so that contributed to making the constipation worse. I don't know if Strattera can cause constipation, but it may be worth looking in to.
Hope he starts to feel better soon. Becky
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Post by shelli on Mar 30, 2004 0:14:11 GMT -5
My daughter had stomach problems and it was due to constipation. She was put on mirlax and they went away. Unfortunately alot of the meds our children take are constipating. I would monitor bowel movements and see what is going on and talk with your doctor.
Shelli
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Post by Mayleng on Mar 30, 2004 9:25:46 GMT -5
Raine, if it is not the medication causing the pain. You should have your doctor look up on HSP - Henoch Scholein Purpura. 5% of kids in the country gets it and not many doctors know about it.
My son at age 5 started with stomach pains, and we had many visits to the hospital emergency room. After about 2 weeks, he started getting little red spots all over his body, then if you just press his leg or hands, it will turn into a bruise immediately.
I am not saying that your son has this, but it is better to have him checked out for it. HSP can be serious if not treated early (the treatment is just Prednisone) it could end up with renal failure.
Also if you are giving the strattera, make sure he gets it with food. My son has been on strattera 7 months now, and if he does not take it with food he still gets the stomach pains and nausea feeling.
Good Luck and I hope he feels better soon.
Mayleng
PS if the stomach pains doesn't go away, I suggest you bring him the a Pediatric Gastrointestinal Specialist.
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Post by StrugglingAgain on Mar 30, 2004 9:44:14 GMT -5
My son also had/has stomach cramps. I'm convinced ALL the meds he's ever been on cause him to be constipated. Most of the doctors we went to think it's a minor problem and work it out yourself. It's NOT a minor problem. He was going in his pants all the time and I'm sure it was only a little (it didn't seem little to me), but enough to relieve the pressure, then it would build up again. I finally got one of the doctors to prescribe Miralax and it helped...lots! Now we've moved (again) and the new doctors want a zillion appointments before they prescribe it again. SO, I bought Citrucel (unflavored) and he's getting it in his milk. Now that he's a little older (8), I'm bribing him with money (that never worked before). Each time he has a bowel movement (a good one), and it isn't ME who has to remind him to go, and he washes his hands, I give him a dollar. BUT if he goes in his pants, he has to give ME a dollar. The stakes are high, but I was spending more than that on pull-ups. For now it's working and I'm hoping if we can REtrain his bowels we might get this problem licked after doing this for years! I know it's a real problem and the doctor's should not make light of it!
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Post by Mayleng on Mar 30, 2004 10:04:42 GMT -5
Benefibre is also very good for constipation. It is tasteless and is not lumpy. It can be added to milk, water and also cereal. The kids will never know it is in their drink or food.
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Post by shardstar on Mar 30, 2004 14:31:36 GMT -5
My daughter and I both take Strattera and I can say from first hand experience, that it IS constipating. As everyone has said, you have to make sure that your son gets something that helps keep him regular. You should aslo make sure that he drinks A LOT of water. He needs to keep himself hydrated. That will help keep him regular and help with the cramps.
Sometimes constipation can become a viscious cycle. Some kids don't want to experience the pain of pushing out a hard bowel movement, and hold it in longer than they should, and the longer it stays in, the more water leaves the bowel and the harder it becomes to go.
Good Luck!
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