cacaeb
04-24-05, 10:49 AM
(forgive the cross-posting from parents' board-trying to generate responses)
Hi, All:
We are having very good success with the Catapres (clonidine) patch and wondered if there are other parents experienced in this apparently uncommon treatment.
The short version: Our son is 4.5, ADHD, with significant impulsive aggression
and the typical never-stopping-never quiet-always into something- never listening thing.
He had a really thorough evaluation, and we now work with a child psychiatrist, a therapist, and the early intervention unit through his school district.
He was initially on Ritalin, but developed several complex tics which slowly resolved several weeks after we d/c'd the meds.
We started clonidine in January, slowly titrated the oral doses, and switched to the patch for consistent release and no-hassle administration. Thus far, we see virtually no side-effects- we monitor his BP regularly and know to keep him well-hydrated. He had very signifiicant sedation when we first started the oral doses, but is no longer sedated at all. He is currently on the Catapres .3 patch.
He is doing really well - way less hyperactive, much better task-compliance, better peer relations, etc. He does begin to fall apart as he approaches day 6 of this 7-day patch. Usuallly, he becomes impulsively aggressive toward peers and his hyperactivity returns.
This is the best we've seen him since starting the great medication serach in December, but we're frustrated at how little information seems to be out there regarding clonidine tx of ADHD kids (except for 2 or 3 pages in Taking Charge of ADHD).
I'd love to hear how others with similar situations are faring.
Thanks and take care,
Amy in PA
Hi, All:
We are having very good success with the Catapres (clonidine) patch and wondered if there are other parents experienced in this apparently uncommon treatment.
The short version: Our son is 4.5, ADHD, with significant impulsive aggression
and the typical never-stopping-never quiet-always into something- never listening thing.
He had a really thorough evaluation, and we now work with a child psychiatrist, a therapist, and the early intervention unit through his school district.
He was initially on Ritalin, but developed several complex tics which slowly resolved several weeks after we d/c'd the meds.
We started clonidine in January, slowly titrated the oral doses, and switched to the patch for consistent release and no-hassle administration. Thus far, we see virtually no side-effects- we monitor his BP regularly and know to keep him well-hydrated. He had very signifiicant sedation when we first started the oral doses, but is no longer sedated at all. He is currently on the Catapres .3 patch.
He is doing really well - way less hyperactive, much better task-compliance, better peer relations, etc. He does begin to fall apart as he approaches day 6 of this 7-day patch. Usuallly, he becomes impulsively aggressive toward peers and his hyperactivity returns.
This is the best we've seen him since starting the great medication serach in December, but we're frustrated at how little information seems to be out there regarding clonidine tx of ADHD kids (except for 2 or 3 pages in Taking Charge of ADHD).
I'd love to hear how others with similar situations are faring.
Thanks and take care,
Amy in PA