I am just starting the process of getting tested. I am a 40 year old female and always wondered what was wrong with me until my 8 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADD this past January.

My fear is that I have episodes of Tachcardia and I am afraid that ADD meds would trigger an episode.

I was told that Ritilan is a stimulant and I am to avoid any stimulants that would increase my heart rate.

My daughter is on Ritilan and it has helped her tremendously

Any feedback?

Thanks, Denise

Hmmmmm well, I'd have to ask, do they know exactly what's the cause of your tachycardia? Is it an actual heart defect, possible fluid and electrolyte imbalance, or just stress/anxiety? Here's why I ask....

I used to have really bad spells of heart palpatations (form of tachycardia)...so bad that I had to end up seeing a cardiologist (also had high blood pressure)....they did all sorts of tests on me. BUT, they couldn't find anything physically wrong with me, so the doc chalked it up to mitral valve prolapse (even though there was no evidence of it with an EEG, etc)

OK fast forward to when I was diagnosed with ADD and put on concerta (think long acting time released ritalin)....ever since then, I have had NO heart palpatations, and my blood pressure has been fine. "I" chalk it up to constant anxiety, etc.....

That was almost 2 years ago, and I've had no heart troubles since. I think it all boils down to the actual cause of the heart troubles......

Thanks for your reply,

Well, My cardiologist said it's a type of electrical problem. It's not MVP, we ruled that out, It's a malfunction so to speak.

He said that I would someday need the ablation procedure (where they go in and find the area that is malfunctioning and zap it ) . That's the laymens explanation.

My last episode (in may) sent me to the emergency room EKG, showed sinus tachycardia with marked PVCs. Abnormal ECG.

So, it's not stress related


I know the strattera is a non-stimulant, but my doctor told me it's in the SSRI family and I have bad reactions to the SSRI's, so strattera is out of the question.

I'll keep researching and hopefully come up with something.

Thanks again,

Denise

Hi Denise,


I am sorry to hear of your condition. I suggest that you strongly speak with your doctors concerning this and get a professional opinion. They should probably speak with each other to work on medications that be healthy for you.

As far as Strattera and any other medication for that matter, all meds react differently to every individual. Strattera is not an SSRI medication, but an SNRI.

I also have problems with SSRI Drugs. However, I have found one I can somewhat tolerate.

Sherry

Hi Denise,


I am sorry to hear of your condition. I suggest that you strongly speak with your doctors concerning this and get a professional opinion. They should probably speak with each other to work on medications that be healthy for you.

As far as Strattera and any other medication for that matter, all meds react differently to every individual. Strattera is not an SSRI medication, but an SNRI.

I also have problems with SSRI Drugs. However, I have found one I can somewhat tolerate.

Sherry
Do the SNRI's deal with seratonan like the SSRI's? Not sure why my doctor said that Ritilan was part of the SSRI family and therefor could not take it. hmmmm.

What is the difference between SNRI and SSRI?

SNRI is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor - basically, keeps more norepinephrine in your system. Norepinephrine is the counter substance to epinephrine (adrenaline). So in essence, when you take an SNRI, your body is kept in a more relaxed state (opposite of the state it would be if there was too much epinephrine/adrenaline) in it. This could be helpful to folks who are hyperactive due to excess adrenaline, etc....

SSRI is a selective seratonin reuptake inhibitor - basically keeps more seratonin in your body. Seratonin is the "feel good" neurotransmitter. So in essence, when you take an SSRI, you should feel happier....i. e. anti-depressants.

Triple E said...."I know the strattera is a non-stimulant, but my doctor told me it's in the SSRI family and I have bad reactions to the SSRI's, so strattera is out of the question." AND "Not sure why my doctor said that Ritilan was part of the SSRI family and therefor could not take it. hmmmm."
So your doctor told you that BOTH strattera and ritalin are SSRI's? Think it's time to find a doc who knows something about medicine! NO offense.

Strattera, as we said, is an SNRI, and Ritalin is a CNS stimulant.

Triple E said....
So your doctor told you that BOTH strattera and ritalin are SSRI's? Think it's time to find a doc who knows something about medicine! NO offense.

Strattera, as we said, is an SNRI, and Ritalin is a CNS stimulant.
My mistake,, I meant to say, that my doctor said "strattera" was in the SSRI family. Sorry for the confusion.

My mind was still thinking about ritalin. :)

LOL no problemo!