Moms of ADHD kids: Any luck with Stratera?

[pinkmomagain]

We are about to try it for dd2 and I was wondering other's experiences with it.

Way back in the day, dd's first med was FocalinXR which was very effective for the ADHD but due to the fact it was a stimulant gave us some unwanted effects. So we stopped and dd went on Intuniv. It has not been bad, but not been great. DD is very concerned now that she is entering HS and has asked the dr to try to address her attentional issues so dr suggested Stratera.

Any feedback?

[Indianamom2]

We tried it with DD last year (I think). I noticed absolutely no difference, but we aren't sure if her issues are mainly anxiety or ADHD or both (my vote) and what is causing the most symptoms. The physchologist that we last saw told me that Straterra usually didn't work in his experience, but I wouldn't be afraid to try it.

[egoldber]

The physchologist that we last saw told me that Straterra usually didn't work in his experience, but I wouldn't be afraid to try it.

:yeahthat: That's what our provider said as well. It can also take several weeks to work since it is somewhat similar to an SSRI. I was more interested in fast results. :o

I think your DD is inattentive type and not hyperactive? Did you ever try a regular release vs. extended release? I found that to work very well for younger DD. Of course, it doesn't last all day, but it may get a HSer over the hump for homework or if there is a particular time of day she needs help. And the short acting meds tend not to have the same issues with side effects as the extended release meds.

[pinkmomagain]

Yes, Beth. DD is inattentive type. We are really trying to stay away from stimulants (regular or extended) as they will likely aggravate dd's trich. And since we can't seem to get it eliminated, we definitely don't want it worse. However, it's good to know about the regular release and less side effects. Definitely info I will mentally file away.

Now that dd has been off the intuniv for a couple of weeks, I definitely have seen some impulsivity and silliness return so I guess it has had some beneficial effect. I do know that the Strattera takes a while to ramp up and I've read that some find no benefit. Our psych said that in theory it is perfect for inattentive/anxiety which matches our dd to a T. So I guess we'll give it a go and see what happens.