Home
>
Parenting
>
What Should I Know About Strattera for ADHD?

What Should I Know About Strattera for ADHD?

Strattera came out around January of 2003, and is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD. Strattera is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that came on the market in 2003. It is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD and is available nationally. Strattera is a type of ADHD treatment that works differently from the other ADHD medications available.

Strattera works by selectively blocking the reuptake of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine by certain nerve cells in the brain. This increases the availability of norepinephrine, which is thought to be essential in regulating impulse control, organization and attention.

In clinical trials, some patients discontinued their stimulant medications within one or two days of beginning Strattera. But our reports are that ADHD kids who had been treated successfully with stimulants do not seem to respond as well to the Strattera as those ADHD kids who had never been treated with stimulants. This is probably true, as we have seen this happen with children and teens being treated with ATTEND. We think this is because even small doses of stimulants can be so effective that they "spoil" both the kids and the parents, and they want to keep taking at least a tiny dose of stimulant along with either their ATTEND or Strattera. Learn more information on Ritalin, and ATTEND at the ADHD Information Library.

Please take Strattera exactly as directed by your doctor. Strattera offers flexible dosing, once or twice daily. Discuss a convenient schedule for taking Strattera with your doctor.

Do not take Strattera with any other medications, even over-the-counter medications! You must talk with your doctor first! Talk to the Pharmacist too! Our reports indicate that there may be serious problems taking anti-depressants with Strattera. In fact, our reports indicate that there can be serious problems taking even Benedryl with Strattera. But our reports indicate that small doses of stimulants may be OK with Strattera, and may even enhance treatment.

Strattera may be taken with or without food. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible, but do not take more than your total daily dose in any 24-hour period. If possible, take Strattera at the same time every day to keep on schedule. Strattera capsules should never be broken and sprinkled on food. They must be taken whole.

Our reports indicate that it takes 4 to 6 weeks for Strattera to work well (to reach therapeutic levels). We believe that Lilly will experience the same problems that VAXA has in getting people to stick with ATTEND, which also takes 4 to 6 weeks to work well. The problem is that parents usually only give an intervention 2 weeks to work, and move on to something else if they haven't already seen the results they expect.

Stimulants, when prescribed with the correct dose, work in about 20 minutes, so parents tend to go back to using them, even with their harsher side-effects. After all, the parents don't experience the unpleasant side-effects -- their kids do. But the parents do enjoy the benefits of the medication around the home.

Our reports also indicate that Strattera, like Attend, has fewer "ups and downs" than stimulants. There can be some stomach problems, but there is less of a "rebound" effect. By the way, for reducing the "rebound" effect of stimulants, try drinking a Mountain Dew at the 3 hour mark (for Ritalin). This seems to help a great deal to eliminate the "crashing" off a dose of Ritalin, and make a smooth landing.

In one of the Strattera studies the researchers reported that adverse events did occur in some patients, including rhinitis (33.3%), headache (20%), anorexia (16.7%), and dizziness (16.7%). No serious side effects were observed and no patients stopped medication or discontinued the study due to adverse events.

There have been reports of prostate problems in men with ADHD from various sources, so men should be careful.

In each of six clinical trials, Strattera was better than placebo in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in children, adolescents and adults. The positive effects of Strattera were seen for overall ADHD symptoms including hyperactive /impulsive symptoms and inattentive symptoms. But we are not convinced that this statement is very powerful. Even coffee is better than placebo. Would you take a medication that was not better than placebo? ATTEND, which is a nutritional product, makes statistically significant improvements on the computerized TOVA CPT test in 70% of subjects, and 80% improve on Parent Rating Scales; Ritalin makes statistically significant improvements on the computerized TOVA CPT test in 80% of subjects. Is Strattera better than these?

So far, parents love the fact that this is not a triplicate prescription. Doctors love this too. Ritalin is a hassle to prescribe, and a hassle to get from the pharmacy. However, the bottom line needs to be seen in the real world. Does Strattera work better than Attend? Does Strattera work better than stimulants? Will there be any long-term side-effects? How long will families pay $200 a month before they switch to another treatment option?

You can learn more about strattera at the ADHD Information Library.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including more about strattera , helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

What Should I Know About Strattera for ADHD?

Parenting