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ADHD meds and seizures

Sat, 09/16/2006 - 07:35
Hi, Have you seen the new report on ADHD drug warning and increase in seizures? I happened to do a search because my daughter had been on Strattera around the time she had her first noticeable seizure. A Brittish report came out in Feb. 2006, stating there has been a link with Strattera and an increase in seizure activity. So, I dug deeper. In August 2006, the FDA approved to add seizures as a side affect to all ADHD drugs. They recommend that if you have a history of seizures, or uncontrolled seizures, that these drug be used in caution. After seeing my daughter's seizure, I realized she had had them before. The others were before taking Strattera, but she had a really large one and the frequency has increased after Strattera. I don't know if that is what definately caused the increase, but it sure is interesting. Lori

Comments

Re: ADHD meds and seizures

Submitted by angelbear617 on Fri, 2011-07-22 - 00:02
My son has Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD and was treated with several other ADHD meds before finally settling on Strattera, we felt it would be best because it's non stimulant. He is 17 now and has been on Strattera for at least a few years now,and at one time was on Adderall XR and Strattera together. This past year, just two months after he turned 17 he had his first major seizure while he was asleep. He may have had others that we were unaware of because he was having them during the night while everyone was asleep. They did an MRI and EEG and that such, and he was referred to a neuro after all the tests at the hospital. They said they observed seizure activity during the EEG. He was put on Keppra, but kept having seizures and they kept upping the dose, but it was making him very very very aggitated and irritable. They switched him to Zonegran, and he hasn't had a seizure since then which was this past Oct 2010. However, the Zonegran causes him to be so forgetful and confused acting. He was taking welding the semester in high school that he started having seizures so I am not sure if that triggered it or not. He ran out of his strattera and we didn't get it refilled. He goes back to the neuro in a couple of weeks and I'd love to get him off all his meds. The neuro never seemed concerned that he was taking Strattera and never even suggested the possibility of it causing seizures, but I've talked to other moms of Asperger's kids, and ADHD kids who had seizures after taking Strattera.  He graduated May 2011 from high school and since he isn't in school right now I don't see why he needs it anyway. I'm just wondering if Strattera is the reason he started seizing in the first place.

Re: ADHD meds and seizures

Submitted by Jess 68 on Fri, 2007-02-09 - 21:53
Hi Lori, I was on Strattera for ADD, and my neurologist was happy when I was taken out it. I was taking 40mg, in the morning. I suffer from SP, CP, and T-C seizures. I don't think that she ever saw any connection to the medication, but when taken out the meds regimen, she was extremely happy. For seizures I take Topamax 600mg, and Trileptal 1350mg. Take care, Jess

Re: ADHD meds and seizures

Submitted by cmarbrown on Fri, 2007-02-23 - 21:34
Hi Lori, My son takes strattera as well. He started getting seizures around the same time he started taking strattera. (3 years ago) He has BRE, and I wasn't too concerned until last month when he started getting more frequent and intense seizures. His doc doesn't think there's a connection, but I think the strattera may lower the seizure threshold. I use to give my son his 40 mg dose at bedtime (taking it in the morning made him feel tired and sick). Since my son gets seizures only when he fall asleep, I tried giving him the medication at dinnertime rather than bedtime and he has not had a seizure since. I haven't found anyone else who had any thoughts on this. Let me know if you've tried any changes with the strattera and if it helped. Take care, Cheryl

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