Is Strattera addicting and is it right for a 10 year old?

Answer 1

I would defiantly ask a doctor. I am 23 years old and recently got prescribed Strattera. I will share my experience with it thus far. The main problem I'm having will most likely not even be applicable for a ten year old (read: highly unlikely).

I've actually had it prescribed before. Probably because of the ADHD I've had a problem taking pills successfully before. This has been an expensive and annoying habit. The first time I had it prescribed, I stopped taking it a week or two after receiving my prescription. Obviously I didn't get to see if it really worked as it takes time to build up in the system. I believe this is partially due to the ADHD itself, but also because of the side effects I had.

I take another medication that is important for me to take everyday and have no problem and definiately never forget.

After switching doctors for another reason altogether, I decided to try Strattera again. I have only been on it for 2 weeks and this time I might stop for the side effects.

There are three main side effects I am having, only two bother me to the point of thinking about quitting. The first one isn't so bad. The second two can drive me crazy.

1. I seem to get tired really easily during certain times of the day regardless of the amount of sleep I have had. It seems to be around early afternoon. It can be hard to stay awake sometime but you get used to it and after a while I didn't notice it on such a regular basis
2. I almost always have the urge to urinate. It's not constant, but close enough. I will go to the restroom and urinate. After I am finished and leave, almost immediately I feel like I have to go again. It is the strangest sensation. It doesn't feel like my bladder has completely emptied, but it doesn't hurt either. It actually sort of.. tickles.. I don't know how to explain it. It's really similar to the feeling you have when urine is passing through your urethra. I can almost feel the flow of it even though I'm not urinating at all. It causes me to feel like it could come out any second. Also, I have never had an STD in my life and also have never had a discharge. Both times that I have been prescribed Strattera I have noticed that a few seconds into my urinating the urine will change into a frothy, semen-like substance will come out. It doesn't hurt at all, it almost feels 'softer' coming out than the urine itself. I'm positive I don't have an infection, nor do I have an STD as I have been tested for both after discussing this with my doctor. He actually suggested that it's probably semen, which sounded strange to me. Regardless, it scared the hell out of me as I've urinated every day of my life and never once had this happen. It's the kind of thing you read about.
3. This drives me crazy, for obvious reasons as you will see. If I didn't have such an amazing understanding girlfriend, this drug would nearly ruin my sex life. I have no ability gaining an erection or maintaining it, however, it has caused a sort of pre-mature ejaculation type symptom to occur. It's not normal pre-mature ejaculation as, from what I've heard, read, and researched. Pre-mature ejaculation is the inability to basically prevent yourself from stopping yourself at the 'point of no return.' This 'point of no return' occurs really fast for people who experience this on a regular basis. A short period of time into the act they find themselves way too excited and can't seem to help it. I, and any other honest guy, has probably had this happen before when they a) haven't had sex in a while or b) during their first experience with a new girlfriend and is usually A and B. The type I am having is unique to Strattera. I will be in the act with the girlfriend .. and literally under a minute most of time (sadly) I will feel that sensation that I'm about to finish. There is no build up however like there would be before regular or even pre-mature ejaculation. With the pre-mature it's just really intense and quick. With Strattera, there can be none. IF you have the ability to stop this from occurring, you can have a normal orgasm with a normal build up but you literally have to perform a short-form tantric sex act of stopping every 10 or so seconds. It literally happens before you can even get excited at all. I would put it in the same room as being in the dentist office and spontaneously having an orgasm, i.e. doesn't make sense.

I'm sorry you have to read all about these symptoms in such detail. It's just important to me that you know, not just the side effects but the severity of them so you can make the proper decision. As the child you mention is only ten years old, the last one is probably not going to be a problem. However, I have heard quite a few people who have the problem with the first and the second. These, I have heard, go away after your body adjusts to a new substance and this might be the case. If they subside I will update this to let you know.

As with any parent potentially prescribing a drug to a child there is the problem of deciding is the benefits will outweigh any potential adverse effects, especially on the child's development and growth. You don't want to turn your kid into a zombie. From what I can tell, this wouldn't do that. The only way to really know would be to have the kid take it and have them tell you how they feel. Closely monitor the effects with them together with your doctor.

Honestly, while not being against medicating children, I do believe that ten is probably too young. I've heard that medicating children at all is bad but I think this is sort of a stretch. I honestly think I would have highly benefited from something like Strattera if I were to be given it in my mid teens. Like everything in life, it's not a black or white issue. The solution that tends to work most is looking for a gray middle ground. I would say to try it, but to wait a few years to let the kid develop a bit.

Hope this helps you a bit, sorry for the long read. I've needed answers before and lots of times I get a single sentence. I'm sure I could have improved this by editing it but have decided to just let you read it and pick out the important details instead of me trying to figure out what the important details would be to you.

If you have any specific questions about it, just reply and I will do my best to do the same.