Medication for J

[Malika]

I'm not talking about outbursts, though. When I say that the Strattera is wearing off, what I mean is that he is suddenly hyperactive plus and talking 19 to the dozen and more quarrelsome and agitated, having been not at all hyperactive, etc, all day.

 

[InsaneCdn]

That doesn't make sense. Literally. Unless he's metabolizing this medication at a much higher rate than normal? You know, kind of like Buddy's Q, where medications either last too long in the system or are burned through real fast?

 

[Malika]

Well, that's what I'm thinking, or wondering. That he is metabolizing very fast.

 

[Malika]

Thanks, TeDo. You are absolutely right about the food, I think. Today J ate a much better than normal lunch, despite feeling nauseous (he said) and tonight after school he was, for the first time since we started on this, pleasant, amenable, calm, not exploding with hyperactivity and impulsivity as he usually is.
I'm sure you're also right about it being better to split the dose. Unfortunately, it is a cost question. If we split the dose (he is currently on 25mg), that means twice the cost, which is not feasible for me. Maybe things will pan out on the 25mg. I feel sad that I have to give J a strong medical product to see him living an ordinaryish life along with his peers but hey.... this is the name of the game, right? I think the medication is having subtle benefits, such as improving his relationships and his focus. At a cost, of course... nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness and constipation all continue, though they are not severe.
Merry Christmas to all. Christmas is entirely absent here in Morocco but we did listen to "A Christmas Carol" and have some Christmas cake for lunch

 

[TeDo]

difficult child 1 metabolizes it very differently. His did wear off so we had to split his maximum dosage into twice a day. I spent a whole summer getting the exact timing figured out and found that if I gave the doses 6 hours apart, he did beautifully all day. You might want to check into that possibility. The afternoon dose is smaller than the morning dose. Not having food in his stomach makes it worse also. I have gotten to where I allow difficult child 1 to pretty much eat whatever he wants (even if unhealthy) when he's not hungry just to entice him to eat something. That seems to help trigger his hunger a little. When he's hungry, it's time to break out the special treats (things I don't typically keep on hand so they remain special to him). Good luck. Overall, it sounds like the medication is working. Now it's time to work out the kinks.

 

[Malika]

At the moment, Strattera seems to be offering a trade-off. It is making J calmer, less hyperactive, generally more co-operative and amenable in exchange for... removing his joie de vivre, exuberance and the essence of himself, in a way. He is irritable and low-key for much of the time, albeit easier to handle.

I feel somewhat backed into a corner. I feel I can no longer leave J unmedicated - the cost of his impulsiveness is just too high and potentially dangerous to him and to others. At the same time, the joyousness and fun that gave him such spirit have disappeared. For the moment.

So it seems I have to accept the trade-off, but I don't like the terms.