ADHD Meds

[KatieMumToThree]

Does anyone have any positive experiences of Atomoxetine? Have tried Concerta but that made my DD very anxious so stopped in order to have CBT to help. Now they have put her on Atomoxetine and its been 8 days. First 2 days she was exhausted and now she just seems to be sad. She has lost all interest in everything - school, seeing friends, sport, hobbies and it just feels she is on a downward spiral. She refuses to speak to us about it and I am really struggling to help her. Not sure whether we should pull her off it straight away (DH thinks so) or whether we need to give it more of a go. Anyone had any experience? Would love to know. AND if we do take her off it does the effect wear off immediately. Just worrying she is losing self belief and motivation and hope that doesnt become too hard to undo.

I have t got any experience sorry @KatieMumToThree

Have you tried posting in the SN children section? You might get a few replies in there

Atomoxetine made my boy very upset with life - he cried daily. What dose she on? It's supposed to be a wean up and a wean down. However, I did just stop with my boy due to the crying and it made his skin so itchy.

Does she have ASD too? As you say anxious - maybe something to think about plus with shutting down a bit ..... overwhelmed?

Any stimulants with have a side effect of anxiety .....

Intuniv is another non stim which works better - but like everything what suits one doesn't suit another person.

Suppose it's trying to weigh up why you need the adhd med and if it's beneficial vs side effects.

Also, you haven't said her age - as things get tricky so bear that in your thoughts

Good luck not easy finding the best fit adhd med

Thank you so much for your comments. She is 14 so a difficult age. She seems a bit happier but def still no interest in hobbies/sport etc like she used to have. Sorry to hear about your boy @Ilovechoc12 Did you find a med that suits him? Yes its a hard call whether the meds are worth it.

Intuniv has been the best one for him.... but he's put on 1.5 stone with it

I can't remember what medications my son tried, but unfortunately all of them made him feel low and down. He decided himself that it just wasn't worth it.

He's had to learn to manage his issues (or not, at times!) himself - for exams, he found the combination of extra time and rest breaks helped as he didn't have to focus for 2 hours straight. I'm not sure how his concentration in lessons is now, but his impulsivity/hyperactivity has improved with age. What are your daughter's main issues?

@KatieMumToThree I’m late to this post but just wanted to say that your daughter’s experience of Atomexetine mirrors my 13 year old son’s. He became so depressed and anxious on it he couldn’t go to school. We took him off it (doctor said it was fine to stop it completely) and within a week he was like a different child. He is currently unmedicated and studying is a challenge but at least he is happy and himself.

My DC took Atomoxetine for a couple of years. Like your DC, it made them very depressed and they were crying a lot. I had a look through some forums and several people suggested taking it at night instead of in the morning. It actually worked. DC's mood improved significantly within a week if I remember rightly. Might be worth a try if you haven't already stopped it. The psychiatrist said she'd never had anyone take it at night before but agreed to try it.