Update to: Anyone had success with Strat | ADHD Information

was this after increasing to the 50? You need to talk to your doctor for sure. Strattera doesnt combine well with some meds.

Just a thought, not sure why you are taking the Strattera? Inattention? My daughter doesnt do well on stimulants so we use other meds for the most part to treat her. She did very well on Desipramine. It's a tricylcic antidepressant and helped tremndously with her impulsiveness and "hyperactivity", fidgeting, getting out of her seat...etc. It also helped enough with  distractability and ability to stay on task for everything she needed to do. Her mood was GREAT! This is a 13 year old, mid puberty also. The only reason we stopped it was it didnt give her enough help with inattention and distractability for school. It took more than that to get her to pay attention to 7th grade social studies . Maybe you could use one of the TCA's in place of both meds?

Thanks for the replies. I haven't read the actual warnings but am aware of
them.

I did not increase to 50 mgs yet. I spoke with the doctor on Tuesday (I
was feeling ok again) and he said to hold off on increasing until our appt
next Tuesday.

I do not have the hyperactive component of adhd. I have a lot of
problems with initiating tasks and completing them, distractibility and
depression. I'm 36 years old, married with a 2 y.o. daughter, work part-
time. Everything has really gotten more difficult for me once I became a
mom. I feel torn in 10 different directions and like I'm trying so hard but
doing a sucky job at every responsibility i have.

I decided to try medication because I want to be the best mom and wife I
can be. I have every reason to be happy and just can't seem to pull it
together.

Thanks for your help. I have another call into my psych doc. My husband
came home early from a trip because he's so worried about me.
Strattera can have this side effect, more than the other ADHD meds.  Call your doc today and tell them what is going on so that they can ramp you down before Tuesday, if needed.  The psychiatrists we have dealt with are more than willing to talk on the phone to help with medications, especially in a serious situation such as this one.
Original Post:
http://www.adhdnews.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29923&PN=2

I'm now about 8 wks into taking Strattera. I was so happy that things
were going so well. I was started at 25mg/day (very low because I'm also
on 20 mg of Prozac) and was supposed to go to twice a day but put it off
because of the holidays. I was afraid I would be really groggy again for a
few days.

THEN as my period approached I went absolutely crazy for a day. It was
really terrifying. I have always had terrible pms which is one of the
reasons I was put on Prozac. But this was way beyond PMS or PMDD. I
wanted to kill myself. I really was besides myself. After 3 hours of crying
and fighting with my husband I decided to take a drive. I made it to the
end of the street and turned around. All I could think about was driving
my car into a wall.

Today was another terrible day but not as severe. I was so calm and
relaxed when I first started strat and now I feel like i have no control over
my emotions.

I'm going back to my pdoc on Tuesday but am desperate for some
feedback.

Thanks in advance


There's a "suicidal thoughts" warning in the paperwork that comes with it. You should read it.well you should talk about ALL your options. The dose of Strattera you are taking is not thr proper adult dose. I am not positive, but do believe the nalck box warnings were for children and teens, but you should find out the how it applies to adults. You are not at the proper adult dose at 25mg. No matter what the combination at the current dose obviously is not right. So research Strattera maybe alone, no Prozac, or look at the Tricyclic antidepressants, Desipramine, Nortryptiline, Norpramin. Or maybe something like Wellbutrin which can be prescribed both for depression AND off label for ADHD. Please dont wait until Tuesday to call him if you need him.

Thanks again for your feedback. A psychiatrist is prescribing the meds. My husband and I went to see him last night. He thinks that if the Strattera was causing my crankiness it would have shown up by day 10 or so. I was feeling great until week 7 right before my period.

Also said he kept me on such a low dose for awhile as a precaution b.c. I have a family history of depression and bipolar disorder.

So the game plan now is to increase my prozac from 20 mgs (same dose for the last 5 years) to 30 mgs and increase strattera to 40 mgs. He's speculating that the prozac dosage "pooped-out" over the years and when I'm hormonal it's not strong enough.

It makes sense to me. I haven't had pms for the last 2 years because I was pregnant then nursing. My normal periods are kicking in and the pms is intensifying.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm hoping this solves the irritability problem. Other than problems staying asleep and some dry mouth, I have been happy with my general mood and ability to get things done.

many thanks!

Too low of a  dose causes irritability and emotional issues...what kind of doctor is prescribing?Yes- he is ramping me. I'm 120 lbs. My understanding is that Prozac intensifies the effectiveness of Strattera so I'm not sure if I'll ever go up to the target dosage. My doc also said he did not believe those ranges were reliable. Said it's all dependent on how my liver metabolizes the drug. We'll see. Right now everything is ok. I go back to see him in 3 wks. What a roller coaster ride! There's a mathematical calculation for the target Strattera dosage. I assume that he's ramping you? Is that the plan. Adults are usually in the 80-100 mg range at target dosage. How much do you weigh?NoTellin39459.8806828704