Does Strattera cause easy bruising because your son started Strattera a few months ago and he has multiple bruises that come as easily such as he will get a huge bruise from bumping his leg on a table?

Answer 1

I have really researched this and find that Strattera has no indication of causing bruising. Strattera can cause weight loss when first used and perhaps because of this your son simply bruises easier. Many children who knock themselves on something will bruise and it's normal. However, although I am not a doctor I suggest to you that you get a second opinion on your son's condition because Strattera has bad side effects (will explain below) and the FDA has a warning on this drug which Eli Lily distributes. I would like to add that when you get a second opinion you discuss with the doctor if you can gradually get your son off this drug and then try a good solution that works for many parents. NO SUGAR! I have had friends with children treated for ADD/ADHD and once they took their children off ALL SUGAR (read your labels carefully when shopping) the children improved by 85% or more. Ritalin was abused by doctors and they were handed out to children's parents like candy from a Pez dispenser when some children were just energetic. We so often trust our doctors to give us the right medications and in most cases they do, but it's trial and error and we have become a society of "pill poppers." Drug companies make billions of dollars and salesmen for these companies give free samples to doctors to try on their patients. We all have to be extremely alert as to what we are taking and if we don't like something about the drug then it's best to discuss it with the doctor and decide whether you are going to take it or not. Before having the prescription filled asked the pharmacist to give you a print-out and also go over this medication with you. They are most happy to oblige. Here is some important information for you (sorry, I don't mean to scare you, but you need to know because I know your son means everything to you.) Common Side Effects in Children and Teens It is important to share your concerns about the benefits and risks of treating ADHD vs. not treating it with your healthcare professional. All therapies for ADHD, including Strattera, have potential benefits and risks that should be understood. Common side effects with Strattera may include: Nausea�A common side effect may be nausea.To possibly minimize nausea, your doctor may advise your child to take Strattera with food. Tiredness�Another common side effect can be problems with tiredness.To possibly minimize tiredness, your doctor may advise you to adjust the time of day your child takes the medication. Every medicine offers benefits for many patients, along with the possibility of undesired effects. For additional risk information, see the Important Safety Information for Strattera and the FDA Medication Guide. Some rare, but important, risks to consider with Strattera are: Suicidal thoughts�An analysis of clinical trial data conducted by Lilly has indicated that suicidal thoughts were more frequently observed among children and teens treated with Strattera (4 out of every 1,000 patients, or about � of 1%).There were no suicides in patients taking Strattera during clinical trials.There was no indication of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors among adult Strattera patients. Parents should monitor their child carefully to see if they appear more subdued, withdrawn, or have persistent feelings of being hopeless, helpless, or worthless, or show expressions of self-harm. Children may also act out, so watch for signs of irritability, agitation, anger, or aggression. While none of these signals alone means your child is feeling suicidal, they may be signs to talk with and listen to your child about his or her thoughts and feelings. Pay close attention to changes in his or her moods or actions, especially if the changes occur suddenly. If your child has thoughts of suicide or sudden changes in mood or behavior, contact your child's doctor right away. Liver damage�Strattera can cause liver damage in rare cases. During the first two years on the market there were 2 reported cases of severe liver injury out of more than 2 million patients who had taken Strattera. In both of these cases, the patients' liver function recovered after discontinuing Strattera. Call your doctor right away if your child has itching, dark urine, yellow skin/eyes, upper right-side abdominal tenderness, or unexplained "flu-like" symptoms. .... FDA WARNING .... Lilly to Put Suicide Warning on Strattera Label Thursday, September 29, 2005 from Reuters News - Foxnews.com Chicago � Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) Thursday said it will add strong warnings to its label for Strattera (search), used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including the risk of suicidal thoughts among children and adolescents. Strattera will now carry a "black box" warning (search), the strongest required by U.S. regulators. Such warnings typically hurt sales of products by raising concern among doctors and patients about the safety of a drug. The Indianapolis drugmaker said a review of clinical trials data identified a small but statistically significant increased risk of suicidal thoughts among Strattera-treated children and adolescents.