Concerta or Strattera for ADHD?

[rszdtrvl]

We took our teenage son off his meds this summer, but now that school has started we are starting to think he needs to go back on them.

He is having a lot of trouble focusing at school.

He was on Strattera, but it always made him so tired. He would go to bed at 8pm, and still be exhausted when he got up at 7am.

I am considering asking the doctor about Concerta, as it is more of a stimulant, and I think that may help with the "I'm tired" that he gets.

Anyone care to share their ADHD medication experiences?

 

[ShockMonkey3]

Hi,

I have a lot of experience with ADHD meds. My daughter is combined ADHD and currently takes Concerta. My son is PDD-NOS/ADHD combined/development delays and is taking Concerta as well.

But, my kids are not yet teenagers, so my experience my not necessarly be beneficial to you.

What I can tell you is Concerta is stimulant and the effects are quick, but they wear off just as quick. Once given, the dose begins to work within 20 - 30 minutes. Concerta is basically the same med as Ritalin, what is different is it's delivery. Concerta is a slow delivery over 12 hours, where Ritalin delivers the full dose at once (extended doses deliver a second dose 4 hours later).

Side effects I have noticed:
Decreased appetite
Increased anxiety
Rebound (when meds wear off, hyper activity is really noticable)
I haven't noticed any tiredness, but my kids are extra hyper, so this may be why

I really recommend researching any meds on the CHADD website. Putting your child on medication is a tough decision and one which you should take seriously. My son was enrolled in a leading ABA program at a hospital for 2 years before we decided to take the developmental peds advice and try medication as well. I waited until the leading psychologist in the program told me she could go no further and suggest I try meds too. The results for him were instant and remarkable. My daughter struggled for years through school with private tutoring and behavior management with no progress. When we started meds in 2nd grade, the teachers were astounded with the change in her abilities.

HTH,

 

[rszdtrvl]

I hear you!

My son has been to numerous specialists and doctors, including the Childrens Hospitals.

He has had multiple diagnosis : PDD ODD ADHD Aspergers DSI and more.

He has done great off meds all summer, but now that he is in school, he has admitted he is having trouble focusing.

While on Strattera he was always tired, so I was thinking of trying Concerta (I believe he tried it once upon a time when he was in kindergarten or so - he is in 8th grade now) because it is more of a stimulant, and I am hoping it would help to wake him up a bit.

I willl peek on that site you recommended. Thanks!

 

[tweedlemom]

My DS8 uses Concerta. He had Autism PDD-NOS. Really helps him focus in school. It does repress his appetite and he gets antsy and "picks" at his fingers occasionally throughout the day. He had been on Daytrana (the patch) for a year and a half, but one day it just stopped working. We've been using the Concerta for almost 2 years and we really like its results.