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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
I have ADHD pretty bad. However as some of you may have read, stimulants do not agree with me. I'm hypersensitive to them, and even the smallest available dose puts me in a depressed mood, etc. I tried staterra, and after getting through the startup period which included nasty nausea, it worked for about 2 weeks then completely stopped working. I also tried ....forget the name but the other drug that's supposedly different, intended for narcolepsy I believe, but used on ADD patients. That also had the same effect as a stimulant. Is anything else like straterra in the works that anybody knows of?
Thanks
Posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2008, at 12:44:33
In reply to Non-Stim ADD meds in the works??, posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
Did you mean providgil as it's used in narcolepsy. Phillipa
Posted by Racer on February 10, 2008, at 13:20:14
In reply to Non-Stim ADD meds in the works??, posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
There are a couple of medications out there now which are related to Strattera and Provigil, and may be helpful for you. Adrafinil is an older TCA, related to Provigil, and indicated for "vigilance." It would certainly be worth trying, since it's very effective for many people with various anxiety and depressive disorders. (It can apparently be hugely helpful for autistic spectrum disorders, by the way, although that has nothing to do with your question.)
Other TCAs are also indicated for ADD and ADHD, including desipramine which is considered to have among the fewest side effects of the TCAs. That would probably be about the first place I'd try, if adrafinil doesn't work out. Clonidine is also an option, as are imipramine and Effexor.
I know this isn't a perfect answer, but if you can't tolerate the medications for ADD, there are still behavioral interventions you could try. They'll be very different from medications in terms of effort and result, but if medications aren't options, they're out there and worth trying.
Good luck.
Posted by saturn on February 10, 2008, at 13:20:56
In reply to Non-Stim ADD meds in the works??, posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
According to http://www.neurotransmitter.net/newdrugs.html
Tenex (guanfacine) is awaiting final FDA approval. It is already available as a blood pressure medication. The sense I've gotten is that it is more effective for hyperactivity than inattention, but I could be incorrect.There also appears to be a few drugs working on acetylcholine in Phase II trials.
I too am eager for an effective non-stimulant for ADHD.
Posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 14:29:14
In reply to Re: Non-Stim ADD meds in the works?? » becksFLA, posted by saturn on February 10, 2008, at 13:20:56
Thanks a lot, and yeah, Philippa Provigil is what I was thinking of. Did not work. I will ask my doc about Adafranil....
thanks
Posted by cumulative on February 10, 2008, at 22:19:26
In reply to Non-Stim ADD meds in the works??, posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
You may want to consider a psychostimulant COMBINED with an alpha-2 agonist like Tenex (guanfacine, preferable) or clonidine. The idea is that these reduce the side effects, and I think some people are seeing success with such a combination. Do some research.
I have similar issues and am going to try high-dose Daytrana combined with a dopamine agonist, most of which seem to be inherently also alpha-2 agonists, sedating. My hope is to reduce adrenergic side effects and the "locked-in" focus, but preserve a general improvement of focus and functioning.
Posted by zatar on February 20, 2008, at 20:34:55
In reply to Non-Stim ADD meds in the works??, posted by becksFLA on February 10, 2008, at 12:26:21
Psychostimulants cause anxiety in my daughter, so we've tried imipramine (no effect on attention), Strattera (caused depression), and Provigil (helps with alertness, but not attention as such). So far we've stuck with Provigil, but it's really not enough.
Another option is to combine a stimulant with an antidepressant. And have you tried various stimulants? Every individual reacts differently to each one. Even the delivery system (eg. long-acting) can make a difference.
Neurofeedback helps some ADHDers, but it didn't do anything for my daughter.
Good luck.
-zatar
> I have ADHD pretty bad. However as some of you may have read, stimulants do not agree with me. I'm hypersensitive to them, and even the smallest available dose puts me in a depressed mood, etc. I tried staterra, and after getting through the startup period which included nasty nausea, it worked for about 2 weeks then completely stopped working. I also tried ....forget the name but the other drug that's supposedly different, intended for narcolepsy I believe, but used on ADD patients. That also had the same effect as a stimulant. Is anything else like straterra in the works that anybody knows of?
>
> Thanks
This is the end of the thread.
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