Time for me to add some more detail on our experiences with using Atomoxetine (marketed as Strattera) as a drug therapy for children with ADHD and Autism (trying to make this as easy to find as possible for other parents in the same boat).

We started Alex on a daily 10mg dose of Strattera just after Christmas this year. We were expecting it to take a little while to kick - as I understand it, Strattera is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor or SSRI (and therefore related to Prozac). This means that it would take 4 weeks plus to get into his system.

We started him taking it in the evening, because there was a possibility it would make him drowsy. We didn't want this affecting him in school, and we hoped it might allow us to take him off his nightly dose of melatonin to get him to sleep. This didn't work at all, he was no drowsier than normal. We therefore switched to giving him the capsule in the morning.

The capsule itself was easy enough for him to take. Alex is used to taking EyeQ Omega 3, and Strattera is a little smaller. So no problems there.

OK, onto what happened. The information sheet mentioned that there may be side effects - including mood swings and irritability. We began to notice a change in Alex's behaviour within probably about a week of starting him on the new medication. Over the course of the following weeks he became more and more touchy. The slightest thing out of place would make him shout and stamp his feet - much more so than previously. When this happened his whole body would tense - you could see the muscles in his neck straining, his face going red.

In school, his one to one support, teachers, and classmates noticed that he had a very short temper. There were a couple of occasions when he hit other pupils, which he's never done before. They commented that he hadn't been this angry and unsettled since Reception 2 years earlier.

Needless to say, after about 4 or 5 weeks on this medication we stopped using it. We ascribe the changes in Alex's behaviour to the side effects of Strattera. At our last meeting with his school, his one to one commented that within a couple of weeks he began to return to normal.

So the outcome of our experiences with Strattera? It didn't work for us. In fact it made things worse. That's not to say it might not work for you, but watch for those side effects and be aware it will take 2-3 months to get through if it goes wrong.

Autism Research Centre - Current Research:

Getting interested all of a sudden in research into autism. Thinking about whether we can get involved as a volunteer in research in this country. Will let you know how we get on.

OK, second thoughts about the fatty acids story. How similar is this to the Omega 3 supplement that he's been taking for 2 years now? What kind of difference can it really make?

Everyone who's claimed so far to have found the 'cause' of autism has been dead wrong.

I've emailed the author and asked her to put me in touch with the University to see if we can get some more info.

Me and probably 2 million other parents of children with autism...

NJ.com's Printer-Friendly Page:

Is this a possible cure for autism? Both Deb and I nearly fell off our chairs when we read this. All we need now is to find a way of doing this now, in this country. Answers on a post card. This is the first time I have seen anything that suggests a believable underlying cause holding out the possibility of an eventual cure - or even just to understand it better.

If your child has autism, go and ask your doctor about it! Let's start a campaign to get some research going in this country!

We'll keep you posted.

BBC NEWS | UK | Bird flu farm resumes production



Crumbs. Feels a little close for this to restart now. Can't see it exactly building confidence in the official process being followed.

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