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Straterra - The Promising New ADHD Medication?
Nearly six months has passed since
Straterra, the newest ADHD
medication, became available for "real world" testing. Comments
received by the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center in the
recent months from parents of children using Straterra vary
widely. Some report "disastrous" Straterra results with many side
effects experienced. Others note no difference in behavior or
performance while on Straterra and still others report favorable
Straterra results.
The Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center maintains its health
and safety stance of trying any and all available
alternatives to ADHD medication
before resorting to drug therapy. Attend, a nutritional
neurological support supplement, is a highly effective alternative
to conventional ADHD drug medication. Studies performed on the
effectiveness of Attend show that Attend is as effective in
addressing ADHD symptoms as traditional ADHD medication but does
not have side effects like ADHD medications.
Although Straterra is a non-stimulant ADHD drug, Straterra is
not necessarily better or even safer than stimulants. Many people
trying to avoid ADHD drug side effects find that Straterra side
effects mimic many side effects common in traditional ADHD
medications.
Straterra side effects include dizziness, dry mouth, decreased
appetite and weight loss. Depression, tics, mood swings and
irritability are also side effects shared by Straterra and other
ADHD drug medication. Straterra can increase heart rate and blood
pressure like other ADHD drug medications. Though rare, some
patients have reported hives and allergic reactions to Straterra.
The two most common reported side effects of Straterra are
nausea/ vomiting and tiredness/ drowsiness/ sleepiness, with
sleepiness the most prevalent.
The sleepiness side effect of Straterra can decrease the
child’s ability to stay focused in the classroom. If sleepiness is
a side effect experienced with Straterra, the treating physician
might recommend evening dosing of the Straterra medication.
Traditional ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and
Concerta are stimulant medications that work through the
neurotransmitter dopamine. Straterra is believed to effect the
central nervous system neurotransmitter norepinephrine.
Because Straterra affects a different neurochemical mechanism
than traditional ADHD medication, people that do not respond well
to stimulant ADHD medication might find benefit from this new ADHD
drug. Many physicians suggest waiting at least a month before
deciding whether Straterra works. Traditional ADHD drug
medications work within a very short amount of time, usually
within an hour of dosing but Straterra can take weeks and even a
month to reach optimal levels in the body.
Double-blind studies conducted on Straterra to date show that
Straterra works better at addressing ADHD symptoms than no
medication at all. Studies are still underway to determine if
Straterra will work at the same level of effectiveness as
traditional stimulant ADHD drug medication.
At this early date, the manufacturers of
Attend have not
performed side-by-side studies of Attend and Straterra. We do
expect Attend to work as well, if not better than Straterra -
again, without the side effects.
The newness of Straterra - and any drug for that matter -
presents definite drawbacks. First and foremost, the long-term
side effects of Straterra are completely unknown. The newness of
this new ADHD drug also means that Straterra has not had ample
time to prove its effectiveness in the real world.
Many physicians are taking a "wait and see" approach with
Straterra and refrain from prescribing Straterra until more time
has passed and further testing has been conducted.
Some insurance companies still have not included Straterra on
their list of covered drugs and Straterra is not cheap. Depending
on the Straterra dosage, you can expect to pay anywhere from $70
to over $200 out of pocket if your insurance company does not yet
cover Straterra. It is advisable to check on insurance coverage if
choosing Straterra.
Another downfall of Straterra is that it may be necessary to
supplement Straterra with stimulant medication, which defeats the
purpose of using Straterra to avoid stimulant medication.
It is interesting to note a recent observational study that
indicated that parents of children using ADHD medication reported
no significant improvement in behavior or performance after one
year. This comes as no surprise to parents who have already worked
through ADHD medications to no success. Although this study was
conducted before Straterra was available to the public, it is
important to note that no ADHD drug comes with a "magic pill"
promise as the wonder cure-all.
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