IT1967

Member
We had the second opinion appointment with a different psychiatrist today. She suggested 2 options. Currently difficult child 2 is on Concerta, Intuniv, Celexa 10 mg. and Risperdal .25 mg. She suggests we first try to baby step the Celexa up because the biggest issue currently for difficult child 2 is the anxiety. However, I've mentioned this before, both my difficult child's had terrible reactions when I tried upping previous SSRI's that we tried. That's how we ended up on Risperdal in the first place and I'm thrilled that we've been able to back difficult child 2 down to .25 of the Risperdal from a high of 1.5 mg. She had a term for rage induced by SSRI's that I can't recall. She said it happens to kids sometimes. So, I'm petrified at the thought of upping the Celexa. She feels that when it's baby-stepped up, it decreases the chance for the rage issue, and that at a higher dose, his anxiety might improve and then we could drop the Risperdal completely, which is my goal. I just don't know if I can do this.

However, she also suggested that we could come off the Concerta and the Celexa (and the Intuniv too, maybe - not sure about that one) and try Strattera because it's an ADHD medication that has been shown to improve anxiety too. Personally I'd like to try this route. The 2nd opinion psychiatrist felt we should try the first treatment route before trying the Strattera for a few reasons, a main one being that we've had a lot of life stressors recently (mother in law passed away and a few other things), and that bc of that, we should stay the course we are on but up the Celexa because she feels difficult child 2 is undermedicated for the anxiety. The 2nd opinion psychiatrist also concurred with-the neuropsychologist's recommendation of weekly therapy which I'm pursuing aggressively.

Would love to hear from people about their experience on Strattera. This board has been so helpful in my information gathering efforts. Thank you!!
 

IT1967

Member
Yikes!! I just looked Strattera up on Drugs.com, and it sounds frightening, although I'm sure that's how I'd feel about all the medications my difficult child's are taking if I looked at them on Drugs.com. Off to go scare myself some more :(
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
OK, here's our psychiatrist's take on Strattera: she says it's a great baseline medication for ADHD, and that it typically works well for adults, or in conjunction with a stimulant. We've used it combined with both major classes of stims, with good results.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Strattera worked for about two years for Miss KT, but it was a disaster for my Hubby (diagnosis'd in his 40's). He had previously been diagnosis'd unipolar depressive and Strattera really took him for a roller coaster ride on emotions even after we got up to the correct dose for his weight. It helped Miss KT's focus at school but didn't really address her hyperactivity.
 

justour2boys

Momto2Boys
My oldest is on Straterra, so here is my 2 cents as a Mom... not a doctor.

This drug needs time to work, so you have to build up the dosage over time. You won't see results right away like you do with a stimulant, but "things" get better slowly over a few weeks.

The medications are expensive since it is brand name with no generic. So when up-dosing, ask for a smaller quantity.

My son had stomach issues when he took it in the morning, so we changed to taking it right after dinner and all is well.

We have since added a small dose (10 mg) stimulant for school hours and the combination works well.
 
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Malika

Well-Known Member
Okay, so I have read a fairly enormous amount about Strattera :) The response is completely individual so you cannot know whether it will work for your boy until you try it - and reducing the amount of medications he is on seems like a good idea?
The side effects can be pretty awful for the first weeks but you have to plough on past that until the medication starts taking effect - 3 to 4 weeks or even longer. The advantage is that the child usually eats and sleeps without problems, unlike with the stimulants. A lot of people seem to report that the side effects are reduced by taking the medication at night.
This thread might give you some information/encouragement:
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22435
 
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