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I currently have two foster to adopt children. One is male 10, taking Zoloft 100mg. Other girl 8 taking Strattera 40mg AM, 25mg PM. They were on these meds when they came to me. The boy supposedly "worries" a lot. The girl supposedly is ADHD.
These kids have been here about 6 weeks now. This last week their sister was sent to residential (couldn't handle her picking on these two, etc). The only thing I noticed is that the boy seems to have had anxiety when he came, a little bit of worrying, but nothing I thought was really extreme especially where he came from. The 8 year old girl, does not seem ADHD at all. She can sit down and watch a movie without having to jump around, etc.,
The boy does seem to have some laziness to him, but we are working on that.
Since their sister has been gone this last week, they are both much more relaxed and telling me they are "so glad".
My question; I am not a doctor obviously, nor a therapist, however, I don't thinks these kids are on the right medications. Not to mention they both have a warning about suicide, depression, etc in children and teens.
Everyone I have known that is an "adult" that has taken Zoloft has gotten off of it saying that it does not help anxiety. What does everyone ? The sister leaving seems to have relieved these kids more than the drugs. There anxiety seems to stem from this being their fifth placement because of sister. The only real thing I've noticed about them which is also lessening is that they want to be on top of me constantly, talking and hugging. I think this is a result of the neglect etc., they have had all their lives. ???? Thanks!
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It is possible that neither child is currently symptomatic because the medication is working well for them. If you do decide to discontinue their meds, be sure to consult with their doctors first. They'll probably want to follow a weaning schedule...
As far as the girl not acting physically hyper, that's not unusual. A lot of kids with ADHD and ADD don't jump all over the place. Also, Zoloft, like the other SSRI's, is very effective with some forms of anxiety, as well as OCD.
My dd is on Zoloft. You wouldn't think of her as anxious because the medication is working. Without the medication it is a different story. 100 mg of Zoloft is a lot. Do not just stop that medication. It has to be decreased slowly. Talk to the doctor who prescribed it. Maybe he doesn't need it, but maybe you aren't seeing symptoms because the medication is working. I'm not as familiar with Stattera, other then it is a non-stimulant ADHD medication. It is not usually a first line med for ADD/ADHD. I wonder what was tried first. If the medication is working you might not see symptoms of ADHD. Some ADHD meds can be taken on days you need them, and skipped on other days. For example, taken on school days and not on weekends. Talk with the doctor to see if Stattera works this way. If it does, you might be able to give her a day off to see if the symptoms appear without the medication. I understand not wanting kids on medications and these kids are on some pretty heavy does of medications. It is possible that the being in a stable environment might eliminate the need for medication. It is also possible that they really need these medications and the medications are working really well.
blminter
hard to know. zoloft can help anxiety and strattera can help inattention. she may not have hyperactivity. i would work closely with the psychiatrist or other person who has prescribed them.
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As far as the hyperactivity goes, my DD is fidgety, but not really all that hyper. The biggest difference I have noticed for her on the meds is that she is able to focus, process speech and pay attention better. The second day on her meds she sat down at the table and wrote her #s 1-100 perfectly and with ease. We worked on that all last year. She never made it past 50, it was illegible, and she usually ended up in tears. Watching her beam with pride, I knew I had done the right thing.
As a foster/adoptive parent, I can understand that many feel the children are either misdiagnosed or over medicated.
But let me speak as a nurse, who has worked in an adolecent psych/behavorial facility. DO NOT just stop meds. These kids have most likely been on a range of medications, till the correct ones/doses have been found to treat the disorder/issue they may have. Please be sure to speak with and work closely with the doctor to either decrease medications/stop or possibly try another medication if necessary. By stopping a medication cold turkey, can actually cause more harm than good. I know that in one of the previous posts, the original poster stated she was going to discuss with the doctor. I am glad that she understands the importance of that. Good luck.:woohoo: :thankyou:
A common problem though is ADHD is overly diagnosed. I have yet to hear PTSD even though my 2 youngest had 4 previous placements.
Strattera if great for focus. You can tell if your child has this by watching him/her read. Look at the eyes. L, my 12 yo, can't focus without meds. His eyes are all over the place. His first med was Ritalin which was a disaster. Strattera works great for him.
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Strattera is generally used on children when stimulant medications prove ineffective, also, there is a very low abuse rate for this medication (it is not considered a controlled substance) It does have a 24 hour coverage, which is what previous posters were referring to saying it could be taken 'as needed' or 'not on the weekends'. I would question when you go to the psychiatrist why she was given 2 doses a day instead of a single dose in the morning, possibly they gave her a lower dose of it because she was having difficulty falling asleep?
I would be a little bit more inquisitive about the zoloft though. Zoloft is the highest selling drug on the market! Generally in adults it is used for major depressive disorders. In children it is effective for PTSD, Obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorders, and im guessing where this is where it comes to play for your little guy SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDERS...all of which cognitive therapy could used to either assist or replace it. Zoloft is a pretty heavy duty drug to be used for mild anxiety. I would question the psychiatrist to see his history on psycotropic drugs, and whether or not he has every recieved cognitive therapy on its own to help him with his anxiety. Also, I noticed you said he is "Lazy"...a side effect of zoloft is drowsiness and "tired feelings"
helpfula
I would question the psychiatrist to see his history on psycotropic drugs, and whether or not he has every recieved cognitive therapy on its own to help him with his anxiety.
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Strattera is a good drug for an ADHD kid who doesn't eat well on the other meds as it has the least effect on appetite. But it is one that doesn't need to be taken only on school days or "as needed". Strattera takes time, a month or so, to build up a therapeutic level in the blood. So you won't see it's full effect unless the child has taken it daily for that long. The stimulant type ADHD meds CAN be taken only on days needed, which is one way to help with appetite issues.
Look for ways you can help your kids boost attention span other than meds. Have them listen to stories on CD or tapes. Put them in a chess class. Karate is often very helpful. There are numerous computer programs that help train the brain. There is so much you can do to help them heal before you try to take the meds away. These meds may be very important for them in coping right now, much more than you realize. Many of us have been in your shoes and been very anxious to do away with the psych meds, and it's not always the right thing to do.
Thank you so much to everyone! Very good advice. Especially about video games. :) I know that with the new narcotics rules, it's a real pain to have to get refills for the kids. They can no longer give a prescription with two refills attached. At least not here! You have to come in every month and usually during school hours. I hate having to take them out of school just for a refill (thanks to the addicts). My pediatrician won't even give refills on Strattera anymore. However, this is not my reason for wanting to take him off zoloft. I just don't think thats the right med for him. They did give him another med now that I know nothing about; vyvanse? I read up on the internet about it, but it don't seem much difference. Now he takes 50mg of zoloft at night and 30 mg of vyvanse. ?