Ds was on Strattera from Dec till 2 weeks ago. I know that Strattera can have a side effect of stomach aches. My ds started having stomach aches here and there about a month or so ago. Now, even though he is no longer on it, he still has them. It usually occurs when eating. He will start dinner, or whatever meal he is eating, then he will get a stomache ache and will not want to eat anymore. He will try again a little later then the same thing. At first I thought it was a way to get out of eating what he does not like, but this is happening with foods he does like too. Any ideas? Can these meds be the issue?

Ginger

I just realized I should have posted this in the forum on eating disorders and weight issues. Sorry. Move it if you need to.

Ginger

Sounds like gas or heartburn to me.

Ginger talk to his doctor. It may be that he has the idea that it's going to keep making him sick... or it may be because there is still some of the med left in his system. Either way the best thing to do is consult with the doctor.

Strattera is a reuptake inhibitor for norepinephrine. It's sort of like the SSRI's but for norepinephrine instead of serotonin. Because of this it takes weeks to build up in your system and it can take weeks to get out too.

So, depending on how long he was on it, it may be that long before the stomache aches end. I would encourage you strongly to speak with a doctor.

One of the measures the websites that have sprung up about strattera encourage is taking it with peanut butter or other protein rich foods to ease the stomach discomfort. Try feeding him a peanut butter sandwich or something similar. Even if this works, I would still take him to see a doctor. You just can't be too careful.

He has seen the doc. Whew, he gained 6 pounds since he has been back on the Rit and he still has a stomach ache once in a hwile(maybe once or twice a week, but mostly gone. The doc said to bring him back in if it continues much longer. Thanks for the thoughts.

Ginger

My guess as to a possible cause of the stomach aches would be anxiety. The Strattera wouldn't cause pains once he stopped taking the pills.
My gut is very much ruled by stress and anxiety - if I have a confrontation with someone, or a particularly stressful day, my stomach/gut reacts to this by causing pain, gas, and multiple trips to the bathroom - but this happens about 8 hours after the incident. Because of the time delay, It took me a long time to figure this out. Most people aren't aware of how strong the link is between their gut and their brain!
The fact that he is gaining weight on Ritalin illustrates how bad the stomach problem must have been for him.
I'd make a point of charting his stomach problems and see if they co-relate to stress, school problems, etc.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is quite common and even more common in ADHD people.
Good luck,
Greg

Greg,

I hadn't actually thought of that! DUH! *Pounds forehead with heel of hand*

I was never sure if the stomach irritation caused by strattera was due to the pill itself in the lining of your stomach, or the bodies natural reaction to excess epinephrine (stomach and other non-essential organs lose circulation). I suppose the peanut butter suggestion should have clued me in... SIGH!

Strattera did necessitate me upping my dose of anti-anxiety meds while I was on it. My anxiety has resulted in permanent digestive tract damage for the same reason I listed above. Fight or flight response does that. No circulation = no oxygen to these parts of your body. In my case that resulted in the nerves of the sphincter valve at the top of my stomach becoming damaged to the point of non-functionality. IBS is a common problem with anxiety as Greg says. Strattera, is known to increase anxiety issues, and anxiety issues are common among ADDers (which is probably why IBS is common among ADDers, as is GERD, and other digestive issues).

Good call Greg!

Ginger, I am very glad to hear about the weight gain! :-) Stimulants can also affect anxiety adversely, but for me Strattera was far worse for this than any stimulant. In fact, for me stimulants have no impact on my anxiety whatever. It might be worth having your son screened for anxiety issues if he seems to have unusually high levels of stress. This may have been covered in his ADHD screening (truthfully, it should have been as this is a common co-morbid to the tune of 50% of ADDers having some form of anxiety issue), but depending on how his diagnosis happened it may not have been. Besides, on strattera, nearly anyone can experience that level of stress, so it may not mean anything beyond a bad reaction to that specific med. Probably not, unless he has a pattern of high stress and general fearfulness and worry, or other anxiety related behaviors above and beyond what you'd expect.

I remember when I was three, I was inconsolably worried for several weeks over what I was going to do about paying taxes when I got older. No joke. I was a very weird little boy.

E-boy, you sound like me. I am a type A to the max. I worry and stress about everything. My first memorable stress was when I was about 5. A girl at my school was kidnapped, I was smart enough to know what that meant. I was terrified of going anywhere with out my mom close by after that. I used to also worry about how my parents were going to pay the bills even though they never discussed their finances with me. I guess my son gets it from me. Also there is marital discontent going on right now and that definitely appears to be affecting my son. He has even said sometimes he wishes we would divorce and get it over with :(

As for the meds and anxiety, he is more anxious without the meds. He is still anxious on them, but not as bad. These behaviors(shirt chewing, face picking etc) have actually only been going on for the last 2 1/2 years. It only seems longer. The births of his siblings brought family issues to the front that he is having a hard time dealing with. We have been going to family counseling for about 2 years now. I will bring up the anxiety screening at our next session. Thanks.

Ginger