Should I stop my Strattera...info inside. | ADHD Information
Hi shock,
I know exactly what you mean about the 'buzzy edge'. I could probably work well anytime if I made more of an effort to force myself, but I'm so used to waiting for the buzzy feeling to strike and then working feverishly, so I sort of need it to feel like I'm in the mood for working/creating.
I worked at a magazine until recently (got fired for being too disorganised). I really loved the stimulation of the magazine office, I felt buzzy all the time. I just had trouble channeling it into sitting at my desk and completing things.
Too many distractions and I was buzzing around like a bee from flower to flower.
I could have done with something to help focus all that energy and glue me to my seat.
food for thought... if you didn't know, I'll tell you, Strattera is a med that was originally given to bipolar patient that would not take anything stronger. it was also used (forgive my spelling) for schizophrenia. Well, at least that's what my son's psy said. so, please if that is wrong....TELL ME!!! It would make me feel better. I have no reason to doubt the dr, but sometimes i think the dr's a blowing smoke. if you know what i mean. I have chronic pancreatitis and gastroprysis and i know they like to play it up and over prescribe meds. Do the dr's get perks from the drug companies? I hope this doesn't offend anyone. Seems like these day people get offended REAL easy when it come to info on drugs and such. I truly am just hoping the dr is wrong. (it's been known to happen, they took my gallbladder out and then realized i was having a pancreatic attach.) lol go figure, i live in a small town and resources are limited.
yeah, mommychat, we are very luck. My parents just had to suffer and go nuts when I was young. lolI've been on Straterra since April first and now I take Straterra and caffine. Lot's of it. Coffee in the AM Ice tea all day. I know I should talk to my Dr. but it works. I'm paying attention and don't have the sluggishness. I stop drinking tea around 7:00pm and take my Straterra around 8 or 9...lights out by 10.
I would ask about adderall (i had a post about trying my daughter's meds) but while it worked and I wasn't sleepy, I felt like I was "On something"...hard to explain. Also, I have a heart murmur and irregular heartbeat. I heard there is speculation about the children that died causing Adderall to be banned in Canada had pre-existing heart conditions. I'm not exactly "dying" to concentrate...
[QUOTE=flwrbunni]Both strattera and adderall are really good meds for ADD and ADHD. With stattera you sleep better and have a better appetite and with adderall if you take it long term(over a year)some people get mood swings. let me know how it goes. my son has been on strattera for about 2 years now.it works great for him.[/QUOTE]Just literally stopped taking Strattera today and just started Adderall...HUUUUUUGE difference! I'm no longer sleepy all dang day!
Ogram - my son 6 1/2 year old son also has severe ADHD and the Strattera only magnified things. He was just nutty, all over the place. He was on 40mg 1x/day at bedtime for close to 3 months. He's actually better when he's on nothing.
It's so strange how it can work for some and not for others, especially in equally severe ADHD kids. I'm so glad it works for your child. At least we gave it a try.
We're back to Concerta 36 mg and I guess it's going o.k. He doesn't get as emotional as he did on Adderall. But we are considering trying Adderall XR over the summer. Trying to determine if he's got real issues with learning/processing or if he's just not focusing. It's so hard!!
[QUOTE=PPAR]I HAVE A 9 YEAR OLD GRAND SON ON STRATTERA WHO IS RIGHT NOW COMPLAINING A LOT WITH HIS STOMACH. WE HAVE HAD UPPER GI AND ULTRA SOULD AND NOW HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE LIGHT DOWN INTO HIS STOMACH. COULD THIS BE THE MEDICINE?
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Make sure he eats good BEFORE he takes Strattera. My psychiatrist told me that you can get an upset stomach if you don't eat well enough before you take the med.
Strattera made me pass out. I really wanted the doctor to give me adderall1 I took it in college. I bought it thru friends. It worked great. No doctor will give it to me. They gave me ritalin extened release. I will take it tommorow for the first time. I hope it works.
I HAVE A 9 YEAR OLD GRAND SON ON STRATTERA WHO IS RIGHT NOW COMPLAINING A LOT WITH HIS STOMACH. WE HAVE HAD UPPER GI AND ULTRA SOULD AND NOW HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE LIGHT DOWN INTO HIS STOMACH. COULD THIS BE THE MEDICINE?
shock: thanks for the info. I will ask more specific question. [QUOTE=ogram]
[QUOTE=shock]
I am asking my Psych if I can switch to Adderall because I do not like the Strattera, it makes me foggy and sluggy. Should I stop taking my Strattera a few days before I switch to the Adderall? [/QUOTE]
Hi. I have a 7 and a half year old son that has been on Strattera. He complains with stomach aches. Please explain the"foggy and sluggy". I am just wondering and would like to know for my son's sake. With him being so young, if I ask him how he feels, he says fine or tries to tell me what he thinks I want to know. I would like to be able to ask him specific and precise questions, it would be a great help.
and, i hate to ask this, but your age might help too. But if you're like me, that's a bad subject!!!lol
No problem! I'm 33.
The "sluggy" feeling for me is a bad thing because I work in a creative field and I need that "edge" to keep me going. If I feel tired and sluggy all the time then I don't feel motivated at all, I just feel like I am going along, doing my job and not really getting into my work. This all started once I took Strattera. Now, if I was in school or worked in a library or something like that, then Strattera would be great for me I suppose. Then again, I do feel tired all the time and I don't like that. This side effect doesn't happen with everyone though.
[QUOTE=shock]
I am asking my Psych if I can switch to Adderall because I do not like the Strattera, it makes me foggy and sluggy. Should I stop taking my Strattera a few days before I switch to the Adderall? [/QUOTE]
Hi. I have a 7 and a half year old son that has been on Strattera. He complains with stomach aches. Please explain the"foggy and sluggy". I am just wondering and would like to know for my son's sake. With him being so young, if I ask him how he feels, he says fine or tries to tell me what he thinks I want to know. I would like to be able to ask him specific and precise questions, it would be a great help.
and, i hate to ask this, but your age might help too. But if you're like me, that's a bad subject!!!lol
yep.
SOME medication changes take months because of lasting effects, no idea on those two...
flwrbunni: i don't know why i hadn't thought about that!!! My husband uses it for going on and off shift. Good idea. Hopefully I won't need it.Strattera made me feel "dopey". I went off it about 3 weeks ago and am still recovering from the effects. I, too, want to switch meds but don't knwo where to turn. Strattera would be good for ADHD but not for my ADD.Both strattera and adderall are really good meds for ADD and ADHD. With stattera you sleep better and have a better appetite and with adderall if you take it long term(over a year)some people get mood swings. let me know how it goes. my son has been on strattera for about 2 years now.it works great for him.
[QUOTE=ogram]
yeah, flwrbunni, my 71/2 year old son is on Strattera too. He is the child I always knew he could be. he's funny, sweet and happy. He has made friends which is very hard for adhd kids to do. People that meet my son they have no idea that he is SEVERE adhd. But, at night you can tell, after 7:30 he does get alittle grumpy. But, so does my husband, my mother, my mother-in-law, and my sister and my sisters son...all of these family members are not add or adhd or have any l.d. i think that he is tired from school and playing hard and it has nothing to do with his adhd. We have meds to give him at night to help him sleep. I don't think he needs them anymore, so I'm going to try taking off the night meds gradually. I'll keep you all posted on how he does.
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Something that might also help him sleep,is Melatonin. I use it with both kids and it is all natural.you give the child or adult a pill about an hour before they should be going to bed and it makes them sleepy within an hour. and it is a small milligram dosae,3mg.
[QUOTE=flwrbunni]Both strattera and adderall are really good meds for ADD and ADHD. With stattera you sleep better and have a better appetite and with adderall if you take it long term(over a year)some people get mood swings. let me know how it goes. my son has been on strattera for about 2 years now.it works great for him.[/QUOTE]My Psychiatrist just prescribed me Adderall XR. I will let you know how it goes.
yeah, flwrbunni, my 71/2 year old son is on Strattera too. He is the child I always knew he could be. he's funny, sweet and happy. He has made friends which is very hard for adhd kids to do. People that meet my son they have no idea that he is SEVERE adhd. But, at night you can tell, after 7:30 he does get alittle grumpy. But, so does my husband, my mother, my mother-in-law, and my sister and my sisters son...all of these family members are not add or adhd or have any l.d. i think that he is tired from school and playing hard and it has nothing to do with his adhd. We have meds to give him at night to help him sleep. I don't think he needs them anymore, so I'm going to try taking off the night meds gradually. I'll keep you all posted on how he does.
[QUOTE=eliza]Hey Shock, what kind of work do you do?
I used to feel best at work when I was buzzing a bit, either with happiness or caffeine. If I didn't feel that I would sit there like a zombie waiting for home time.
I'm on Strattera too, I feel ok, a bit fuzzy sometimes, but I feel more focused. I'm a bit more capable of sticking to one task.
I've noticed I don't laugh much anymore, perhaps this is similar to the sluggish feeling you have. It makes me feel calmer, which is great for avoiding arguments, but I don't find myself skipping along the corridor on a natural high, smiling at the world like I used to do.
I'm 26, too old to skip at work anyway, some would say!
I'd talk to the doctor, you might have bad side effects if you go off strattera suddenly
[/QUOTE]I am a graphic designer and I need that creative, buzzy edge, however, I don't need the "crazy head" and all the distractability. I need a med that keeps me feeling alert instead of about to fall asleep and physically tired all the time.
I go today to find out about going on a different med.
Hey Shock, what kind of work do you do?
I used to feel best at work when I was buzzing a bit, either with happiness or caffeine. If I didn't feel that I would sit there like a zombie waiting for home time.
I'm on Strattera too, I feel ok, a bit fuzzy sometimes, but I feel more focused. I'm a bit more capable of sticking to one task.
I've noticed I don't laugh much anymore, perhaps this is similar to the sluggish feeling you have. It makes me feel calmer, which is great for avoiding arguments, but I don't find myself skipping along the corridor on a natural high, smiling at the world like I used to do.
I'm 26, too old to skip at work anyway, some would say!
I'd talk to the doctor, you might have bad side effects if you go off strattera suddenly
I would like to switch to Aderrall. My friend is on it and she really likes it. shock, what are you going to switch to? I took adderall and I didn't get fuzzy, I just didn't feel "right". It might just be that I'm soooo used to being hyperactive, I didn't like the "normal" feelings. go figure. I'm 32 and don't know what normal is. I'm starting to think there is not such thing!!!!!!!