Strattera and Adderall | ADHD Information

Has anyone been given Strattera and adderall combination? [QUOTE=rhondateri]Has anyone been given Strattera and adderall combination?[/QUOTE]

Yes ... (First off ... I have ADD )

This summer, I was faced with the good ole fashioned "I'm maxed out at 60 mg of Adderall, what do I do now ?" situation. I spoke to the doctor about what other medication I could take to counter the ADD symptoms - she wouldnt prescribe me a higher dosage than 60 mg. My doctor wanted me to go completely off of Adderall and onto Straterra, however, I was weary about the decision she had made based on the fact that Adderall has always worked wonders with my ADD symptoms. Straterra does NOT take effect for a FULL MONTH - BS !!! Unless you're a millionaire who has a month to play around with and/or you dont have a full time job, this should be a no-brainer as to what you should do if your doctor prescribes you Straterra.

The doctor prescribed me 10 mg of Adderall XR for 3 weeks while taking Straterra 40 mg in the innerum. At the end of the three weeks, I was to quit taking Adderall altogether and begin taking only the Straterra medication.

I began taking the Straterra medication, while taking Adderall for several days and noticed no results whatsoever ! My boss was yelling at me for not completing my tasks that were assigned to me in a timely manner - this is NOT good ! I immediately called my doctor and notified her that the medications were not working and that I would be fired from my job should I not get my head out of the twilight zone - If I cant focus and concentrate on performing my job, it wont be long before Im unemployed and wont be able to pay the doctor bill. At this point, I found a new doctor and have been trying Focalin XR, however, have yet to see a whole lot of benefits with the medication - I truely believe Adderall and only Adderall is the best of the best.

I'm not certain how long you have to "play around" with the medication combo, however, if it means your job, and your not finding any benefits with the meds, I recommend finding a new doctor, IMMEDIATELY.

Were you originally on just one of the medicines ?

In the end, all I have to say is that this is one of those illnesses that we wish mankind could disinvent.
MSkiles_23_ATX39046.7647800926I take 30mgs of Adderall EX and 30 mgs of pure amphetimine salts in the afternoon and I still can't concentrate. It used to work and now I feel like that guy in the book "Flowers For Algernon". It isn't working anymore. I was able to actually concentrate for the first itme in my life without getting distracted by a hummingbird flying by and now I feel that same way again.

The Adderall made me slow right down at first. It was amazing! Now I am back to where I was. I am so disheartened.
Hi,
It can be a side effects of adderall - it may be one that will go away as you get used to it - or it may be one that sticks around. You will need to watch and see. It may also be related to the dose.
Monitor it and let your doctor know.

thanks for your insight.

So is the idea that the Strattera and the stimulant can offset each other's negative side effects?  For example, Adderall's stimulation counteracting the sleepiness of Strattera, and Strattera's slightly antidepressant aspect counteracting the crankiness/sadness that can result from Adderall?

Would this also work with Strattera + Concerta?
The strattera seems to not work as well in the afternoon.  The adderall is supposed to help keep focused, but hasn't worked so far.  All it's done is make me very jittery.thanks for your response.  I am interested in the initial side effects of the adderall.  Had elevated crankiness...is this just part of the ramp up for the mediction or is it a side effect?This is a very good question and an important discussion.

It is OK to be on both a stimulant and strattera.

I first came across it when one of my patients was on dexedrine and was doing OK, but not great. I added Strattera (and left the dexedrine there, becuase, as you say, it takes strattera a month to start working).

After one month, I saw him back. He was doing fantastic!

I then started to taper the dexedrine. I saw him after one month.

Well, he was doing poorly again. The combination was the best for him.

These medicines do not have drug interactions with each other, and they work in different ways.

I had the opportunity to approach Dr. Spencer from Harvard (a top medicine researcher in ADHD), and I asked him about the combo. He said that 30% of his patients are on a combination of strattera and a stimulant.

So, check wtih your doctor. There are limited studies published on it, but leaders in the field are doing it.

Kenny

I've been on Adderall and Strattera for a week now, and I have to say that it's just been an amazing combination.  Strattera only takes me a few days to kick in for some reason (I took it once on its own a while back, and I was getting effects around day 4).  I currently take between 60-65mg of Adderall XR and Adderall SR (2 25mg XRs with up to 3 5mg SRs) and now 20mg of Strattera (will likely increase to 30 or maybe 40 next month). 

For me Adderall did much more for my hyperactivity/impulsivity than my focus and motivation.  It can keep a thousand intruding thoughts from coming at me from all sides while I try to do one thing, and it helps me avoid late-night hyperfocus (and even helps me sleep), but it doesn't do a great job of helping me to stay on one task long enough to do it.  Strattera always did a lot for motivation and concentration, but it did virtually nothing for my hyperactivity and impulsivity.

 

The combination leaves me ultra calm and focused when on the Adderall, and I'm still much better off when/if it wears off before the end of the night.  And since I'm on both meds, I can get away with a lower dose of strattera than I would normally take (and, who knows, maybe I can start tapering my adderall dosage a bit too!). 

 

Big fan here!  Does anyone have any links to information about this combination, however?  I *have* had some depression anxiety issues that have sprung up on me quickly in the last week, but I also went through a traumatic event the weekend I started strattera, and I had a post traumatic stress reaction afterwards- so more than likely the anxiety and depression are both stemming directly from that.  I'd like to be sure, however, as the flashbacks have stopped but the depression has continued to sink in.