Just Started Strattera | ADHD Information

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Is anyone else on Strattera.  I took it acouple of hours ago and Its making me jittery.  I was hopeing that some one could tell me if that is normal and if it start to taper off over time.

 

 

Hi Huui.

I'm just past 2 weeks on 25mg of Strattera and went up to 40mg yesterday. The first 4 days I felt really spaced and dizzy, nauseous...felt a bit stoned or something, but that wore off gradually. Other days I have felt a bit nauseous or tired but that may depend on what I have eaten or if I had a late night. Have felt quieter than normal. Haven't felt too much worse upping the dose but I do have a rotten neck and headache this morning, from not sleeping too well.

I had a couple of days of feeling irritable but on the whole feel calmer. I did have a bit of rage 2 days ago after an argument with parents, probably because I'm feeling different and trying to get used to the new me. I do feel my temper is reduced, like Jake, and I also feel like I might be more capable of rational discussion and maybe even considering the other persons point of view once in a while.

One interesting thing is that I started to seriously think about the future yesterday. Normally it's too scary to think about whether I should work, or do more study etc. Plus as well as thinking about the future I feel capable of talking to some people about it and getting advice. Not sure if I'm thinking more clearly, or it's because I now have a problem to address rather than a vague sense of failure. It's given me confidence either way.

Let us know how you go.

My doctor staggered my dosage:
18mg for a few day 25mg for a few more then 40 mg for a week and finally 40 mg twice a day
I found that at first it spaced me out at times where I would blank out and all the background noise in my head would be gone and my vision would be as if I were trying to see one of those 3D images that used to be popular (the ones you had to stare at a long time to see)  That went away.

I also found that I could actually take hand written notes and I could read my own handwriting.  I was startled by this at first, but now I'm really liking it.  It used to be that if I wanted notes I had to type them, but not I can easily jot things down and don't have a problem reading them for full comprehension later.

As far as negative side effects go, I am experiencing some sexual side effects.  I'm a 30 year old male and after taking stattera, I found that my labido went down.  I normally have a very high labido so this wasn't such a bad thing and my wife isn't complaining either :)  There are some other details too that I'll leave out, but nothing all that serious.  (I took wellbutrin once for depression - bad time in my life - and stattera's sexual side effects are very minor to wellbutrin's)

I used to take adderall and it worked very well, but found that I would completely loose my appetite and at times forget to each lunch and when I did eat, I hardly at anything.  That  caused more problems because I wasn't giving my mind the nutrition it needed and that would only further my ADD related problems.

I started on Strattera about 3 weeks ago. The jittery side effect went away very quickly for me, within a couple of days, until I upped my dose and then it started again but went away again after a few days. I don't really have many side effects now except nausea, but as long as I take it on a full stomach it's not bad. My husband says I'm very quiet now, and my Mom says I'm spaced out- I was always spaced out, so what's the difference??????  haha

I have noticed that it's not so hard for me to do the things I NEED to do. I'm a little obsessive about  WANTING my house to be clean, so it's not a total disaster, it's usually mostly strewn stuff that could be picked up in a matter of minutes, but now I find that I am picking up things before I go to bed, and waking up to a mostly clean house.......I notice I'm getting on the phone more,  I own my own business and am horrible about returning phone calls. I'm just not a "phone" person. That is getting easier......

Huui- I wish you luck and hope you do well, although there are other meds out there if this doesn't work. There are lots of caring people here that can offer lots of support, and they know how you feel , which I think is incredible!!!!!!

KIM

I've been on Strattera for over a month now. As far as jittery its hard to say cause I'm always like that. I'm currently at 60mg a day and it seems to be making a difference. I've been more responsible at work and able to focus a bit more. I'm still a bit off though and have had some of my old stress habits returning(may need a little bit of a higher dose), but one thing I did notice is my temper has been reduced greatly-I think becuase I haven't been on edge or as distracted as normal. So far I like it-the only side effect is a bit of appetite loss-but thats no biggie.
Good luck

I have been taking Strattera for a few months now and it has helped tremendously.

I didn't get the jittery feeling at all. I still get a bit of nausea in the morning with the first pill though.

I started at 40mg/day for the first 3 days, then twice a day. I am now taking it 3 times a day.

I have lost a total of 25 pounds in the last 2 months and I am a little more focused at work and home.... i am still terrible at calling friends and family back.

 

Yes, Strattera really is an interesting experience.

Daniel's Mum, you are right. Strattera on an empty stomach I feel terrible all day, like a bad hangover. Now I have a proper breakfast as early as I can, then tablet straight after. Feel fine.

I've noticed subtle positive effects in my behaviour, I've been turning up to everything lately, instead of being late leaving home and then deciding not to bother going. Still a bit late to things, but that is improving.

I do feel calmer and more focused, Strattera has given me a lot of perspective on the things around me. 

One thing I miss is that I don't laugh at everything anymore. I used to laugh all day long and everything was funny to me, but I don't have big mood swings either, so I guess I am on a level calm all the time instead of wildly happy one minute and depressed or enraged the next. This means I don't take everything anyone says as a personal assault.

As Martindale says, it's a mildly reassuring drug, though perhaps not with the very obvious result of Ritalin or Adderal.

I was on strattera for 1 1/2 weeks and was so dizzy and light-headed my doc took me off. I just started adderall yesterday and am feeling dizzy again.I felt nothing on Strattera for several days and then only mild changes. never jittery one time. I was under the impression that feeling or noticing NO effect for several days is the norm??? Does anyone notice any pressure at the back of the head with strattera? I thought it was clamping down the chaos but after 7 days on 40mg woke to a familiar fog, realizing that I am a week out of sync, (even though I've been writing in 3 calandars), and made a rediculous mistake on a traffic court date that put my family through hell.
Something about Strattera is reassureing though. I've been on Wellbutrin for 10 years and never could accomplish scheduling, goal setting and planning, in the very rudimentary way I have begun to do now, misteps included. Also I had the most enthusiastic, unrealistic ideas that kept me spinning.  Now I'm wondering  how I could have been so deluded. Of course Strattera has a nausea problem, a sort of dizziness, and early wakening, and tired dullness. Still i hate to get back on the whirlwind of Wellbutrin and worse, the grey fog of no meds.
RECOMMEND STRATTERA TAKEN AFTER EATING ONLY. OUR SON HAS BEEN ON SINCE NOV. DOING BETTER,EXCEPT AT HOME. WE ARE STARTING 18 MG 2 TIMES A DAY INPLACE OF 25 MG 1 TIME DAILY.Strattera - after about 2 weeks it was like having a paint set with two thirds of thew colours [sic] missing. I assume that's focus.