Hi, I have an 8yo son that has been on conceta 18 for 6 mnths, then changed to concerta 27 about 3 weeks ago…he has been having a very hard time going to sleep at night then wakes up in the morning very cranky. I call our doc and he wants to start him on strattera. I am looking for info from real people, not the statistics. What should I watch for, what should I worry about, what are some of the differences in these meds. how soon will i know if it is working. Also, he is a very small child. he is 4’3.5” and weighs 56 pounds. all skin and bones, what kind of changes might i see in his eating habits. He already eats like a horse but never gains any weight. any help would be great. thanks all. jodi
Re: strattera
Straterra has to build up in their system, so you won’t see instant results as you would on the stimulant medications. You’ll have a pretty good idea what it can do in about 2-3 weeks. You won’t see the full effect before a month or more. My son has been on it since February and has had excellent results. He had been on Adderall, but it didn’t last long enough for homework. His appetite improved on Straterra, but he is still thin. He is active and growing, and burns off everything he eats. The only negative side effect of Straterra he had was that for the first two days, he was very sleepy. After that, he was fine. The big plus of Straterra for him is that the effect is 24 hours a day. He is so exicted to be able to do things in the evening that he couldn’t do before because he simply didn’t have the concentration. Yet, it doesn’t interfere with his sleep.
He had such good luck with it that I wanted it too. I switched from Adderall XR to Straterra and have had the same experience with it that he did. It’s so wonderful to be able to do thngs in the evening that I can’t imagine going back to the way it was. It’s like having my life back.
Not all people have had such positive experiences. It’s like any of the ADD drugs— you have to try it and do what you think is best. Everyone is different.
Hi Jodi, My son is 11 and started taking Straterra late Feb. It took a couple of months to actually see any difference to me. My son says it helps him concentrate. I’ll be honest it doesn’t work like a stimulant so you really don’t see that instant type of reaction. When we put him on Ritalin it was amazing how he could actually follow through on a task, You won’t see that with Straterra.As long as it helps him concentrate and he isn’t having all the terrible side effects then it is worth taking.The only symptom I saw when we first started it was that he was nauseated a couple of times that first week. He is happier and more organized now.He is eating well and gaining weight now. He too is skin and bones. Hope this helps. Jan