My 13 year old was on 72mg of Concerta and the results were quiet good up until 12 hours later. He was awake at night and constantly up. His appetite was not the best and would eat more often but smaller meals. I spoke with his doctor and we decided to try Strattera 20mg and see what the effects are, well 2 weeks later it is really having an effect on all of us. during the day for about 9 hours it is wonderful then all of a sudden it is like Jekyll and Hyde. The last half of the day he is “wild”. He is screaming at everyone and is bouncing off the walls. However he is sleeping better and eating better. Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? What medications have you tried and how did they work? I realize that I need to call the doctor and probably need to change the medication but would like to hear from others with some suggestions….Thank you
Re: changing meds
Catapress works well with Ritalin to combat the sleeplessness.
I haven’t figured out the temper rages.
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No, don’t change the medication yet. Strattera needs time to ramp up and build up, you need (4 to 6 weeks) at the target dose before you see really good results. This med needs to build up on the system. It is common for these kinds of side effects initially, especially if the kids has been on stimulants.
Please go to the forum on medication in www.ADHD.com and check out posts by Millermom - “thinking of trying strattera this summer” or something like that. There are lots of posts on Strattera there and many people have tried or are trying it right now. There is abundance of info there, on their experiences - what works and what doesn’t.
Make sure also that your son is getting the right dose for his weight. This is a Med whose dosage is weight dependent. If the dose is too low, it can cause the side-effect you are talking about. Your son’s target dose should be 1.2mgs for every 2.2 lbs of body weight, so divide his weight by 2.2 and then multiply that number by 1.2, and that should give you his target dose. He needs to be on this dose for at least 4 weeks before you see really good results. If his dose fall between the dosage the pills comes in then go up to the higher one.
Also they found it effective to divide the target dose into 2, one to be given in the morning and one in the afternoon (afterschool ie. 4pm). So for example if your son weighs 58lbs, the target dose is around 35 mgs, you give 25 mgs in the morning and 10 mgs in the afternoon. Don’t give the afternoon dose too late or it might cause sleep problems.
Please go to the netsite I recommended and you will be able to figure this out. Oh, one more thing, since this meds’ dosage is weight related, you have to make sure that the dosage keeps up with your son’s weight. So if he puts on weight and he will if he has good appetite now, you need to adjust his dosage as he grows.
Lots of people give up before they really see the benefits, so please don’t give up. Give your son this chance. I know it is hard but it is worthwhile when he can sleep and eat better.
By the way eating smaller meals and more often is actually a better way to do it.