venlafaxine. Has anyone had experiense with this med for ADHD?

[Mmariottini]

hey guys ! My 15 year old son, with anxiety and ADHD, has not adapted to stimulants. initially he did very well with venvanse but later he became intolerant and very nervousThe doctor prescribed venlafaxine. Has anyone had experience with this medication? Thank you always!

[Mamamichl]

I haven’t heard of that one. One med can raise blood pressure and the other 2 I’ve seen can lower it. Guanfacine was a no go for my family (lowered pressure too much). Stimulants are known to raise anxieties, so non stimulants have been best for me and my daughter.

[HCStymie]

Never heard of it till I just looked it up when I saw your post. Norepinephrine and Serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Reading online, does have higher potential for withdrawal issues than many other options. But, that is what Google shows me.

Have you tried Strattera? Also a non stimulant, but actually an ADHD medication, not an off label option. Qelbree is supposed to be similar to Strattera. Selective Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

I really don't know about anxiety and its mechanisms so can't give any opinion on that aspect. But, if venlafaxine does not work out, Strattera or Qelbree, in combination with something for anxiety may be an option down the road.

Was there any determination as to the cause of the Anxiety? Like is it comorbid with ADHD, caused by ADHD? Like does the therapist suspect a neurological cause, or an external driver like a situational cause or getting into a negative thought patterns over time? etc.

Either way, I would hope that they are getting non-medication therapy as well?

[Mmariottini in reply to HCStymie]

thanks ! Yes, my son used atomoxetine. He had used for 15 to 20 days and complained that he was very sleepy and discouraged. He didn't want to take it anymore. At this time, he returned to venvanse, however, during a tennis tournament (he plays high performance), he became very nervous, unusual for him. he screamed, he screamed. From then on, he said he wouldn't take it anymore. He is insecure about medication. School hasn't been a big problem, as it's online, American (we're from Brazil) and he finds teaching easier. However, discipline, consistency and routine are being very difficult, in addition to humor. I'm sad because I see Dua giving little and I realize how much he wants. I'm passionate about understanding everything about ADHD and helping my children. Thank you for helping me with the information. the fight continues! I don't know what happens to doctors in Brazil, because they don't pass the genetic test, even though I asked for it.

[Mmariottini in reply to HCStymie]

I Will Start with terapist.

They just said his anxiety is coused by ADHD. The doctors in Brasil dont usually explain , they just give medications. Today I Will try find a terapist. Thank you so much!

I am reading more to try to Help more!!’

[HCStymie in reply to Mmariottini]

Don't forget to use the tools on the chadd.org website. They have a section for parents, and another for teens. And other resources. I am not a doctor and have no professional credentials. Just a mix of facts and opinions the best that I can recall. So, take what I say with a grain of salt so to speak.

ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInform...

This guy is one of the top ADHD researchers and educators. He has a massive amount of information to consume on the subject. Including things that address the issues you mentioned. You can sort videos on the videos tab, or view an entire playlist of videos on a specific topic on the playlists tab.

youtube.com/@russellbarkley...

Try searching for any support groups for ADHD teens in Brazil. Can help to have people who can relate to their experience.

Don't worry about genetic testing. It is over rated. It is not advanced enough yet to get out of it what people expect from it. Most things, if they do or don't have a particular gene mutation, it only indicates a higher or lower propensity for something. Doesn't make it true or false. And the rare gene mutations that are an actual disorder of their own, they are rare and more than likely not going to show up. The consensus is that it hasn't really been proven useful enough yet. Some of the results are based on animal studies and may not even be accurate for people. Simply put, you may or may not get lucky. Other factors such as diet, how much sleep they get, etc. is more of a factor.

Taking a multi-vitamin made for someone their age can help make up for nutritional shortcomings on any particular day. Making sure they get enough protein, fiber, etc. in their diet can help. I don't know what Brazil does about recommended daily nutrition. You can use this link to get an idea about target values each day and what, if any, supplement they may need to take based on their eating habits. See the "DRI Tables". down the page. Pay attention to the units. g, mg, mcg. If they do end up taking supplements, check the tolerable upper limit tables too. Somethings you don't want too much of.

Anxiety being caused by ADHD is actually good news. Much harder to manage if it is a disorder they are born with. Growing up I suffered depression, low self esteem, fear of failure, fear of being judged, etc. Which all turned out to be due to unmanaged ADHD/SCT. I internalized my issues and got into very negative thought patterns. Basically because the extra attention I needed to give to a task made me feel stupid, inferior, etc. Took a midlife crisis at 23 to not care about the BS and not be afraid to try anymore, and to accept failure instead of being afraid of it if it happened. 4 college degrees and a 6 figure salary make getting over my childhood issues very easy. Actually, depression and several other issues were solved my very first semester.

Your son, already being aware of his disorder puts them way ahead of me as a kid. Was 32 by the time I was diagnosed. Point being, ADHD is not as big a deal as they may be making it in their head. Many people with ADHD are very successful. And some even give ADHD credit for their success. Like being able to "think outside the box". Or for making them more creative. Estimates are something like 6% of the population may have ADHD.

I'm not a doctor, but one thing I am pretty sure I recall right. You do need to keep in mind their disorder when assessing their behavior, actions, forgetfulness, etc. But, you can't let them use it as an excuse, They have to be responsible for their own actions. They need to understand that they may need to put forth more effort. Whether it is focusing on studying or managing their emotions. In the end, they are responsible for their actions and how they handle things.

Also, don't get flustered or come up to their levels of excitement. Even if they are having a tantrum or just going too fast and not thinking before the next step. Stay calm, talk to them in a normal calm manner as if they are not on edge or wound up. If they are frustrated with something and struggling. Tell them to take a deep breath, relax. And say their thoughts out loud. You may be able to guide them. "Ok, what is the next step or thing you have to do?" ..."Ok, good. let's do that."..."That is out of the way, what is next?"...or guide them if they missed something. "Did you skip a step?", ,,"What are you missing?" , etc. Don't just give them answers. Help them find the answer. I've always found that writing an outline helped me see the steps and organize my thoughts. Which I should probably start doing when I get going on a long reply LOL.

Speaking for myself, one thing I find empowering is accepting me for me, the good and the bad. I have some disorders I have to manage every day. So what? People without perfect eyesight wear glasses. Someone with asthma carries an inhaler. Someone with back problems may wear a back brace, take pain pills, buy an ergonomic chair, etc. People with ADHD have tools to manage their particular issues too. 1 out of 5 kids has some kind of mental health disorder. It is not uncommon.

I don't know the Brazilian cultural views on mental health or disorders. In the U.S. there was a push for awareness a while back and helping to reduce the perceived stigma of it that some people carry. If your son expresses anxiety about having ADHD, ask him what he is worried about. Have him express what is on his mind. Sometimes verbalizing it, and allowing someone else to know what you think or feel, can expose how warped their view may be. If they are afraid of what others might think of them, ask why they care what they may think of them? Why do they think it is a big deal?

Realizing that someone can only hold something against if you let them, is empowering. They have control of how it makes them feel if they just realize it. Kids, immaturity etc. They can easily make bad choices. And picking on someone is too common a thing. Tell your son, if someone made fun of them for having ADHD, just look at the person doing it and say "So What?". If your son reacts, they give them what they want. If they address the behavior, they can turn it back on the other kid. "Ok, are you done yet? Anything else you want to add? Can you speed things up? I don't have all day." Make the other person feel like an idiot for making fun of them. Just simply by not reacting and taking the high road.

Me, I wouldn't do the right thing. I'm too much of an instigator. Not recommended. But I might say something like "So I have ADHD. May take me a little longer, may have to focus harder. But you're just a $#@!& moron. At least I have an excuse." Or "I have ADHD, so what? You are so desperate for attention that you have to act like a fool just to get others to look at you. You might want to talk to a therapist to find out what you are desperately trying to make up for"

[HCStymie in reply to Mmariottini]

In addition to that long response I just posted. A quick tidbit on ADHD and sports.

We can sometimes focus too hard and negatively impact our performance. If they get frustrated, or think too hard about something, it can get in the way, dividing attention. We can end up "thinking" and "monitoring" more than "doing, which is what we really want our attention on.

We perform best when we are having fun. In which we are not over concentrating on some aspect of our performance. When things are fun, they are stimulating and fun focuses our attention and improves our performance.

How we frame things can also help. Instead of being mad for making a mistake or not getting something we think we should have. Instead of internalizing and blaming ourselves, we can externalize it and tell the opponent "Nice shot", "Really got me that time". Instead of framing things as a negative performance for ourselves, frame it as a positive performance of the opponent, Not, "I did a bad job", but "they did a good job". Negative thought patterns about ourselves is a performance inhibitor and reduces confidence, and belief in ourselves.

If they are serious enough about sports, there is a field of study called "sports psychology" which you can research on the net.