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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JustDewIt on February 7, 2003, at 13:32:04
Hi,
My son has ADHD and we've been medicating him for the past 3 years or so. We started on the Adderall tablets which he had to take twice a day and that was a drag for school. We've been focusing on Adderall XR and Concerta as treatment for now. The Adderall XR works great for him for a while, then he builds up some kind of immunuity to it. When that happens, we've tried Concerta, which helps him for about a week, but then he becomes very aggressive and almost mean on the Concerta. When we put him on the Adderall XR again, he's great again for a while. I can't keep doing this to him though. The reason we're trying to get him with Concerta, is that he's so skinny with the Adderall XR. When he's on the Concerta, he tends to gain weight more readily. We just got a prescription of the Straterra, but I'm wondering if this will continue to affect his body weight the way the Adderall XR does. Any knowledge anyone could provide, whether personal or professional, would be greatly appreciated.
GF
Posted by utopizen on February 7, 2003, at 19:09:47
In reply to Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by JustDewIt on February 7, 2003, at 13:32:04
Did he ever try regular Adderall once a day instead of twice a day?
Or why not just dexedrine spansules??
> Hi,
>
> My son has ADHD and we've been medicating him for the past 3 years or so. We started on the Adderall tablets which he had to take twice a day and that was a drag for school. We've been focusing on Adderall XR and Concerta as treatment for now. The Adderall XR works great for him for a while, then he builds up some kind of immunuity to it. When that happens, we've tried Concerta, which helps him for about a week, but then he becomes very aggressive and almost mean on the Concerta. When we put him on the Adderall XR again, he's great again for a while. I can't keep doing this to him though. The reason we're trying to get him with Concerta, is that he's so skinny with the Adderall XR. When he's on the Concerta, he tends to gain weight more readily. We just got a prescription of the Straterra, but I'm wondering if this will continue to affect his body weight the way the Adderall XR does. Any knowledge anyone could provide, whether personal or professional, would be greatly appreciated.
>
> GF
Posted by JustDewIt on February 8, 2003, at 8:37:08
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by utopizen on February 7, 2003, at 19:09:47
Nope, did the regular Adderall twice a day, otherwise, afternoons were very difficult. As for the Dexadrine spansules, Dr. never mentioned it for my son...
Posted by fairnymph on February 8, 2003, at 16:10:50
In reply to Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by JustDewIt on February 7, 2003, at 13:32:04
Strattera should have almost no effects on your son's body weight -- and certainly less than either Concerta or Adderall would have.
I definitely think your son should give Strattera a go. It will be much more difficult for him to build up an immunity to it, therefore making it a much better long term ADD/ADHD drug.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Posted by jodie on February 8, 2003, at 18:39:48
In reply to Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by JustDewIt on February 7, 2003, at 13:32:04
Hi,
My son just turned 8, he was diagnosed with ADHD a little over 3 years ago, and has also been taking medication ever since.
My son started out on Dexedrine, it seemed to work for just a little while, but became very moody, sensitive, and started getting aggressive. I have heard others say the same.
My son then went to Adderall, first he was on the regular, where he took it a couple of times a day, it seemed to be too much, and had major insomnia. We tried just giving it to him once a day, but the evenings were a nightmare. So we tried the XR instead, it seemed to work for a little while, he started losing a LOT of weight, not wanting to eat. We actually had to go out and buy him smaller pants, and boxers. He started getting moody, overly sensitive (cried a lot) and aggressive, it was impossible to get him to sleep at night. We finally took him off of that. Of course he has tried several different anti-deppresants, including Prozac, & Lexapro. Now he is on Wellbutin and Ritalin.
With the Ritalin, we give him a larger dose in the morning, and two smaller doses throughout the day. His second dose is at noon, then the last at 4 pm. Of course, he has to take a dose of it at school, thats a drag, but its worth it, he has asthma also, so he has to take his inhaler and use it at school anyway. He's been on this for a couple of months. His appetite has returned, he is actually gaining weight, he is starting to grow upward too (not saying the other meds were causing this, but they all can cause slowered growth). He is so much more calm. His grades are improving significantly. The teacher was getting extremely fed up with him before the ritalin. She said she was spending much of the day just trying to keep our son calm and listen. She wasn't rude about it, just didn't know what to do. She seems to really like my son, and he likes her. We (me and my ex husband & his wife) love the Ritalin. I was so hesitant to try it, because I always heard horror stories about it. But after reading a book by Dr. Amen (a psychiatrist who specializes in ADD/ADHD, and has a facility in California just for ADD/HD) we decided to give Ritalin a try. By the way, if you haven't already, you should check into Dr. Amen, he has a web site and some great books. Anyway... our son still has problems getting to sleep (he would stay up all night if you let him), but the Dr. has him on Clonidine (I think that is spelled right). He takes that about an hour before bedtime, and it WORKS!!! He sleeps well, all night.
We never tried Concerta, the Dr. never suggested it. I have thought about Strattera. I like the idea of being able to control his ADHD without a stimulant, its's not a controlled substance, so we would be able to get refills instead of going to the Dr. avery month to get a new prescription. But right now things are working out so well, that I almost hate even trying something else. Yes he has his good and bad days, but don't we all..lol. Everyone is different though, Ritalin may not work for your son.
I had mentioned that he is on Wellbutrin (for depression), he started that about the same time as the Ritalin. Since Wellbutrin has mild stimulating effects, maybe it and the Ritalin are working together just perfect. I am so happy to see him actually want to eat lunch, and dinner and sometimes want seconds.
We have found that sugar really affects him in a horrible way. If he has candy, or drinks with sugar, he gets this sugar high. It is horrible, he bounces off the walls. So we give him sugar free things most of the time, but he is a kid and loves to have treats once in a while :-). We don't let him have caffeine either (well..rarely).
I myself was recently diagnosed with ADD, my previous diagnosis was Bipolar. I still believe I have both. Anyway I take Lexapro, which seems to work. I was on Strattera for almost two weeks, didn't really notice that much difference, but I could sit down and focus on one thing at a time a little better. I suddenly broke out in this awful rash, I had to go to the ER. They told me it was a delayed allergic reaction to the Strattera. I had to stop taking it. Oh, and I did lose my appetite when taking it.
My pdoc is now having me try Adderall. I asked her about Ritalin instead. She said she hasn't had much success with adults on Ritalin, but she thinks Adderall has worked well for adults, and vice versa. She said she rarely puts a child on Adderall. Sorry this post has become so long, but I understand your situation completely. I have also been doing some research on Strattera in children. It seems to work better for adults, and for children who have very mild ADHD (just what I've read, and have heard from some others, including pdocs) Just thought you may talk to your sons Dr. about Ritalin and possibly Wellbutrin.
I took my first dose of Adderall XR this morning....whoa, I don't know how kids can tolerate this stuff. I have had lots of motivation and concentration, but I feel like I'm on cocaine or something, I'm speeding. My pdoc said I would feel like this until my body gets used to it. Actually I feel really good, almost too good. Don't know if I'm going to get to sleep tonight! My appointment for my pdoc was originally on the 17th, but they called yesterday to reschedule. They got me right in.
Anyway enough about me, your son is the focus here.
Hope I helped a little. I hope the Strattera does work, that would be wonderful. If it doesn't :-( ...maybe you could give Ritalin a try.Once again sorry this post is soooo long, I told you I felt like I'm taking speed :-) I could type forever and not get bored!!!
Lots of luck, please keep me posted , I'm interested to hear how the Strattera works on your son. My son may one day have to give it a try.
Jodie
Posted by SLynn on February 8, 2003, at 19:37:45
In reply to Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by JustDewIt on February 7, 2003, at 13:32:04
Hello...
My son just started the Strattera...he is 9. He cannot take the stims. We tried for 3 years and kept switching to different things...similar to your situtation, they would wear off or he would have a bad side effect. The latest were tics from the Adderall. He started on a dose pack of Strattera...18mg a day for 4 days then went to 25mg a day. All I can say is Strattera has worked GREAT! Before, my son could not sleep and was never hungry. Now, he is asleep every night by 8:30pm and is always "starving to death". I know that meds work differently with every person, but I have not seen a negative side effect yet. He has been thirsty and his eyes have been a little dry, but this is nothing we cannot handle. We are keeping him on the 25mg for another week before we decide to "up his dose". Actually, he is doing great on 25mg, his focus and attention are good at school and at home. Just be prepared, your son might have some withdrawal from the stimulants. My son was VERY tired for the first 3-4 days and it did not really seem like the Strattera was helping. Then, on the 5th day we gave him the 25mg and there was a big change. He is much more awake during the day, but is still a little "groggy". This medication takes time to work, but it has been worth every bit of waiting. I will never put my son back on stimulants again! My reccomendation would be TRY IT! You have nothing to lose at this point. I really hope that it works as well for you as it has for us. Good luck!
Hi,
>
> My son has ADHD and we've been medicating him for the past 3 years or so. We started on the Adderall tablets which he had to take twice a day and that was a drag for school. We've been focusing on Adderall XR and Concerta as treatment for now. The Adderall XR works great for him for a while, then he builds up some kind of immunuity to it. When that happens, we've tried Concerta, which helps him for about a week, but then he becomes very aggressive and almost mean on the Concerta. When we put him on the Adderall XR again, he's great again for a while. I can't keep doing this to him though. The reason we're trying to get him with Concerta, is that he's so skinny with the Adderall XR. When he's on the Concerta, he tends to gain weight more readily. We just got a prescription of the Straterra, but I'm wondering if this will continue to affect his body weight the way the Adderall XR does. Any knowledge anyone could provide, whether personal or professional, would be greatly appreciated.
>
> GF
Posted by zenclear on February 13, 2003, at 21:44:03
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ??? » JustDewIt, posted by jodie on February 8, 2003, at 18:39:48
Now that you've tried both Strattera and Adderall, do you find that the Adderall is kinder (in regard to dryness) on you skin?
I'm wondering how the Strattera Dryness Factor is panning out for those who managed to stay on Strattera for a reasonable length of time. Does it go away, or get milder? And I wonder why some of experience terribel dryness at low doses, and others report no problem with it?
Posted by jodie on February 14, 2003, at 15:46:52
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ??? » jodie, posted by zenclear on February 13, 2003, at 21:44:03
Actually, I haven't had much problems with dry skin since starting the Adderall XR. Strattera gave me dry skin quickly, and just kept getting worse. Of course I only took it for less than 2 weeks. I have slight dry skin now, but its very cold and dry right now where I live. I always get mild dry skin in the winter. I haven't noticed any skin problems so far with Adderall.
I'm having a quick crash (regarging my mood) late in the evening when the Adderall wears off, but I see my pdoc Monday. I will talk to her about that.
Jodie
Posted by devin on March 8, 2003, at 20:26:11
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ??? » zenclear, posted by jodie on February 14, 2003, at 15:46:52
> Actually, I haven't had much problems with dry skin since starting the Adderall XR. Strattera gave me dry skin quickly, and just kept getting worse. Of course I only took it for less than 2 weeks. I have slight dry skin now, but its very cold and dry right now where I live. I always get mild dry skin in the winter. I haven't noticed any skin problems so far with Adderall.
>
> I'm having a quick crash (regarging my mood) late in the evening when the Adderall wears off, but I see my pdoc Monday. I will talk to her about that.
>
> Jodie
My son who is 6yrs. was diagnosed at 3 with adhd AND put on adderall and then later doc added risperdal for moodiness. We later took him off the risperdal and he did fine. He has been on adderall for 2yrs and just this Aug. went to adderallXR. Doing okay, still some aggressiveness and moodiness. Went to just strattera in Feb for 6 weeks. Moodiness was gone, but the inattention and impulsivity was causing major problems at school. My husband accidentally gave him an adderall XR by mistake one morning and WOW what a dramatic improvement. Spoke with the teacher at noon and she wondered why such a dramatic change: finished all his work, went up one reading level, was teaching his classmates how to behave and be good listeners! Have since had him on both (2wks now). Success is unbelieveable. Our doc went to a strattera conference three days ago and reported that others are using both with great success. I would like to just stay with one drug, but with success like this I'm not complaining. Sorry this is so long, but lots to cover . . .
I am researching possible side effects of both. Will write more if I find out more.
Devin
Posted by JustDewIt on March 9, 2003, at 11:52:06
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ??? » jodie, posted by devin on March 8, 2003, at 20:26:11
Hi, I read your post regarding the use of both Adderall XR and Straterra!!! Wow, fits my son to a "T". About a month ago, we moved to Straterra in an effort to combat his slowness of growth and lack of weight gain...Like your post, he's having a rough time at school on the Straterra but is gaining weight, so I'm leary to go back to the Adderall XR...But if you are have such success with the use of both, I think we're gonna try it!! What are the dosages you are using of each??? We're thinking of trying the 25 mg Straterra with 20 mg of Adderall XR...Could you let me know what you think ASAP??? Thank you!!
Greg
> > Actually, I haven't had much problems with dry skin since starting the Adderall XR. Strattera gave me dry skin quickly, and just kept getting worse. Of course I only took it for less than 2 weeks. I have slight dry skin now, but its very cold and dry right now where I live. I always get mild dry skin in the winter. I haven't noticed any skin problems so far with Adderall.
> >
> > I'm having a quick crash (regarging my mood) late in the evening when the Adderall wears off, but I see my pdoc Monday. I will talk to her about that.
> >
> > Jodie
> My son who is 6yrs. was diagnosed at 3 with adhd AND put on adderall and then later doc added risperdal for moodiness. We later took him off the risperdal and he did fine. He has been on adderall for 2yrs and just this Aug. went to adderallXR. Doing okay, still some aggressiveness and moodiness. Went to just strattera in Feb for 6 weeks. Moodiness was gone, but the inattention and impulsivity was causing major problems at school. My husband accidentally gave him an adderall XR by mistake one morning and WOW what a dramatic improvement. Spoke with the teacher at noon and she wondered why such a dramatic change: finished all his work, went up one reading level, was teaching his classmates how to behave and be good listeners! Have since had him on both (2wks now). Success is unbelieveable. Our doc went to a strattera conference three days ago and reported that others are using both with great success. I would like to just stay with one drug, but with success like this I'm not complaining. Sorry this is so long, but lots to cover . . .
> I am researching possible side effects of both. Will write more if I find out more.
> Devin
>
>
Posted by devin on March 11, 2003, at 20:09:26
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by JustDewIt on March 9, 2003, at 11:52:06
Hi Greg,
My son started on 25mg/day of Strattera for 3 days then to 40 mg/day. He also takes 10mg/day Adderall XR, this was his previous dose. I have gotten a call from my pediatrician and he doesn't agree with using both. He heard from somoeone (won't say who) that using both may increase BP. I checked with two other docs(one of whom takes Strattera, has their 10 yr old son on both, and has attended two conferences on this new drug)who are giving support on this issue. I will probably be changing docs so we can all be on the same page with these meds. Good luck, keep me posted on your son's progress and your doc's thoughts about using both.
Devin
Posted by radley a berner on November 4, 2003, at 20:18:35
In reply to Re: Straterra vs. Adderall XR ???, posted by devin on March 11, 2003, at 20:09:26
Actually Concerta IS Ritalin, just in an extended release form which can be purchased much cheaper in a generic form called ritalin SR or other similar Methylphenidate hydrochloride substitutes. Some of these include: Concerta, Metadate, Methylin generic and a more potent ritalin known by the brand name of Focalin, pronounced: FOKE-ah-lin, its generic name; Dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride, however; they are all in the same Ritalin or Methylphenidate hydrochloride family.
Any MD or DO should make this clear and not try to "sell" or "bias" what these meds are by using their "white-coat rank" to talk down to their patients with complicated medical terms.
Adderall is in the amphetamine family which is basically a cocktail of inert and active amphetamines (d & l type.) Dexedrine:
Pronounced: DEX-eh-dreen, Generic name: Dextroamphetamine sulfate is the d-amphetamine only form of Adderall. Another effective ADD/ADHD amphetamine, known by its brand name; Desoxyn, pronounced: des-OK-sin and its generic name; Methamphetamine hydrochloride.
A lot of MD's/DO's frown on amphetamines and in most cases push the ritalin types or worse yet try to push meds such as Strattera and Wellbutrin. There are several reasons for this but usually it's because the drug companies "teach" doctor's to be marketer's of their "new" meds or the fact that many physicians are still afraid or pretend they can not write for stimulants because of their fear that the DEA will investigate them more, which is wrong.
The bottom line is do your research before the visit, have a list of questions ready and remember your physician is only one tool to your total well-being and not a "god" or superhuman.
I suggest for further reading a book called "Doctor Shopping." It is very useful at helping the average patient achieve effective treatment and teaches people how to directly ask physicians the difficult but necessary questions.
This is the end of the thread.
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