Straterra (Vent)

[singnmommy]

My ss has been on adderrall xr since October. The doctor gave some weird reason for switching him to straterra. He has been on it for a week and we have taken 100 steps backward. I am at the end of my rope again. He screams so loud, I sometimes wonder if my ear drums are about to bust. He is bouncing off the walls and spit on me the other day. His dad went off about that. His teacher said he was writing on her rug with permanent marker and was smashing other people's easter eggs. His attention is ok but he is being sneaky and spiteful. He is sleeping better on strattera but I think I would take a few times waking up at night than the screaming, yelling, fits all the time. He is getting rechecked next Friday. How long does it take for Staterra to kick in? We know that ss's ADHD/ODD is hereditary, it comes from his mother. Does anyone think the lack of stimulants may be the problem?

[Dad2Brooke]

Wow, I am sorry the little guy is having such a tough time of it.

What does your son weigh? Strattera is entirely weight dependent.

Most peds start you off around 1.2mg per 2.2lbs of body weight. But the formula can go as high as 1.8mgs per 2.2lbs.

As an example, my daughter Brooke weighs 65 lbs and takes 40mg.

65 / 2.2 = 29.545454545 * 1.2 = 35.45454545

By that formula Brooke should take about 35mg. She is on 40 and doing great. Which breaks out to 1.35 mg per 2.2lb.

Strattera is not like a stim in that it wears off in a number of hours. It stays in your system for 24 or more, so the level of medicine is constant in your system.

Giving too high or too little a dose can result in some of the behavior you are seeing.

Usually, there is a ramp up period. A low dose of Strattera and, in this case, Adderall are given in conjunction for about 4 days, then the Adderall is dropped and the Strattera is increased.

After about two weeks the Strattera is increased again to the target dose. At the target dosage, it usually takes about 6 full weeks to see all of the benefits.

For Brooke, Strattera really calmed her down. But it doesn't seem to do much with her impulsiveness or her focus. After about six months on Strattera, we added to it a low dose of Concerta (18mg), and now she is doing the best she ever has on any medication.

Definately talk to his pediatrician about this and find out what the dose should be for his weight.

Keep us posted.

[camismom]

I reiterate everything Ralph said. Strattera is very weight dependent so if he is not getting the right dose, then you will see this behavior. Too much makes them mean, aggressive, etc., too little, down and depressed. It takes a full four to six weeks for this med to fully get in your system and start working. During that time it's like you're on nothing at all. That is why so many keep their child on a stimulant during this "ramp up" time. Strattera is a med I would recommend starting on Summer break. Talk to your doctor about, better yet demand it. You know your child best and you are the one that has to live with it. Youpay the doctor and he can't tell you what to do. Tell him you want the stims back until the end of the school year.

[shardstar]

ITA with the previous two posts!!! Starting on summer break might be a much better deal for your ss. If your dr. just doesn't want to wait that long, I see nothing wrong with staying on the adderal, maybe at a lower dose or whatever he prescribes, until you have reached your target dose with the strat. That way you wont have this bad behavoir during the ramp up period. You should see the full benefits of the strat by 6 weeks from now and then you could either stop the adderal, or lower the dose and just use it during school.

It's a good thing that he is being rechecked on Friday. If your dr. listens to you, then you've got it made. You have to be firm and know what you're talking about when you go in there. Doctors seem to listen better if you give them all the facts and tell them what YOU want. Good luck!