Strattera, any thoughts?? | ADHD Information
Hi, my name is Christopher and I have ADD. "Hi, Christopher". Well, I've been self diagnosed for about 6 weeks now. My family doc gave me a trial of Strattera 40mg and instructed me to take one a day for 2 weeks and then take 2 a day for 2 weeks. After that we'll see how it affects you. Well, I did it and I didn't like the way it made me feel. In a nutshell, it seemed it would be best suited for someone with ADHD with the emphasis on the "H". It made me very lethargic and somber. My wife loved it but I found myself heading into a depression. I went off it and now I don't know what to do. I'm not necessarily hyperactive. My brain often works faster than my mouth or hands. I have a very hard time finishing tasks I have already started. I have no motivation. Right now I have a TON of work to do and it's staring me in the face but I would wrather go hang out on other message boards or watch tv or SLEEP! I plan on seeing a more qualified psych or someone better suited and knows the treatments a bit better.
Any thoughts? Who knows or is on Strattera?
I've been on strattera for about 3 weeks now and I really like it. I was super tired all the time and felt really wierd but after about the first week it seemed to kick in properly and I felt great. For the first time ever I could have a conversation with someone and stay focused enough to listen to what they were saying and actually come up with a response. I'm taking a 3- week summer class right now so I have class for 3 hours every day and I can pay attention through almost the whole thing. I would almost never talk in class because by the time I came up with the answer to a question we had moved on, but now I'm talking more than most people in the class. I'm still having problems with motivation and focus with my homework, but I think a lot of that might be due to the fact that it's nice out and I have the whole afternoon free. Who in their right mind would go to the library under those circumstances? Writing come a lot easier to me now too, and my notes aren't a mess with lots of gaps in the information.
I'm currently taking 40 mg in the morning and again in the evening when I remember the evening dose. I've heard a lot of people say that they get really irritable when it wears off, but I mostly just get really bouncy and hyper.
I think it's great, but the real test will be when I go home for the summer to see if my family notices any changes in my behavior because they're the ones who know me the best.
every medication effects every person different. and each one is worth the shot of trying it. also, they definately take some time to kick in and work as they should. Sometimes the side effects in the beginning are tougher than they will eventually be. and last but not least I believe that most medications are for either ADD or ADHD, I don't believe that one can work for either, I think it's trial and error. It can be hard, just know that we are all here to helpwell, i just stopped strattera after 3 days. i got cranky
first. then....
the 3rd night, after impulse spending 0 ['never' happens] i got incredibly tired while driving ['never' happens]. once home, i got so dizzy i fell off the sofa. i could no longer sit up, much less walk. i didn't make sense on the phone. i giggled or cried, or both, for hours. i had aspergers' - like arm flapping. and my blood pressure spiked by 30 points. 
i stopped. i so wanted this to work; not sure ritalin will help me. but my goddess, the 'cure' was *way* worse than the disease. my partners begged me not to keep trying it. i won't.
i wish everyone luck who tries it, but for those slogging thru bad side effects, do be careful how hard you try and if you ought to stop. i could have harmed myself.
Hey Chris. So far I figure most people can feel results from ritalin, adderal etc, but Strattera only seems to work for some people, not others.
It's a very weird drug I think, you have to build it up, whereas the usual stimulants work straight away. Think about how you feel after a good cup of coffee. I often feel jittery, but I feel a bit more focused and enthusiastic about doing some work.
I take Strattera because I have Tourettes. Strattera doesn't make tics worse as often as Ritalin does. I've finally grown out of having severe tics and I don't want them back again!
Actually, people used to only ever notice I was a weird kid with weird tics. Now they notice the ADD more. I can be a ditzy airhead some of the time - forgetful, lose things etc.
Doctors can give free samples of Strattera out, so that's probably why you got some. It doesn't work for everyone. I don't think it gives maximum results for me. I think Ritalin would be better, but worried about the tics.
Strattera makes you very calm and even tempered, 'think before you shout'. That can be a weird feeling to get used to. I don't laugh as much as I used to, but I also don't get argumentative. I'm more thoughtful and serious. I miss my old happy silly self a bit.
You should go see the doctor and ask if you can try something else.
eliza38482.7726967593I just switched from adderall to strattera last week. I didn't like it at all at first, all I wanted to do was sleep, and I did because I was on break from school, but now I'm back and I think it's starting to work like it should because I feel great. Maybe you just have to adjust to it?Perhaps. I really didn't give it my all. When the doc said to take 80mg all at once in the morning I tried it and it totally blew me away. I felt like a sloth. Eliza, you hit the nail on teh head when you said "Think before you shout". That's exactly how I was feeling when I was on 40mg a day, The problem was it wore off around 4:00 or so. I could have taken another 40mg at 3:00 and let it get me through the evening. The thing is it really didn't do anything for my depression. I was nowhere near suicidal or homocidal. I just don't really like where I am or who I am. I don't like my wife. The only good thing in my life right now is my 8 month old son. He is the only one capable of getting me through the day, even though he doesn't know it. I still gotta go see a shrink. I think it would be best.Hi Christopher. You say you self diagnosed?Have you had attention problems all your life? The reason I ask is because a lot of the symptoms you describe sound like depression. You may well have adhd,especialy if you had symptoms since childhood,but I would also concider depression.I would see a doctor who would give you a more thorough eval.I was evaluated by a Neuropsychologist who was refered to me by my neurologist, whom I found by opening up my insurance book to see wich neurologists were prefered providers.What ever you do don't give up so easy. It takes many of us many tries on many diffrent meds to find the right ones. Hang in there.
I just stopped Strattera this week and switched to Adderall. Strattera
turned me into a slug, I hated it. Adderall turns me into a ball of
focused energy and I love it!
I started on 40 mg. Strattera 6 weeks ago. Like you say Chris, I felt terrible, very withdrawn and would just sit and stare sometimes. I also take 10 mg. Lexapro, an antidepressant that I had already been taking for about a year. The last week I have been opening the capsule of strattera and dumping out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the powder. I didn't feel so withdrawn but still didn't feel quite right. Today, a weekend and no work (have desk job) I thought I would try the 40 mg. again. So far I feel ok and not as tired and withdrawn as it had been making me feel in the beginning but I still can't get motivated to do anything. I go back to the psychiatrist in a week for reevaluation.
Hi Chris.
In the last 2 weeks I've realised I have mild depression, and I think I have had it for 15 years. Nothing major, just that nagging feeling since I was little that I've never known where my life was heading, or why everything is so difficult for me.
overcome the negative thoughts and learn to congratulate myself for a job well done.
Perhaps that's what you need too, to lift your spirits, so you can appreciate what you have and find ways to achieve some of your goals.
Def go and see a shrink, you might do really well on Ritalin or Adderal with an antidepressant as well.
eliza38485.8427199074Unfortunately, for me, it caused me to feel extremely sick to the point of throwing up. However, I wanted to see what it might do and hoped the side affects I was experiencing would go away. They didn't.
What other drugs are available for people with ADD? I don't have the hyperactivity type of ADHD, but more along the lines of the inattentive, quiet type. I hate it because I get chewed out by my wife regularly because I'll be watching TV and she'll say something and I'll totally not even hear it.
Sorry I've been out for so long. I only work weekends but I still get my 40 hours in. That and the fact I'm a stay-at-home dad to an 8 month old son is a job all in itself.
Wow, lots of questions... First off, I do think I may be depressed as well as ADHD. I plan on seeing a psych this week. I have to look through the med book to see who is on our plan. Right now I'm battling a ton of different emotions including a bit of depression. Most of my symptoms I have traced back since early childhood. I'm 33 now and I can still point out certain instances in my childhood that could be triggers or now subconscience roadblocks to happiness. Blah, blah, blah. It's hard to focus right now. I will write more after my appt with the shrink.
Another joke...
How many kids with ADD does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Wanna go ride bikes? 
First day of Strattera and I was higher than a kite. Like I had 7 rum and cokes. Next day I calmed down and found myself wanting to take a couple of naps throughout the day. Today is better with just one 15 minute nap. Sometimes naps are a sign of beginning depression. I'm told it can take 6-8 weeks to see any real results with Strattera so we shall wait and see. A couple of cranky incidents today but I'm not sure they would have made anyone cranky (dealing with computer problems!)
It's harder to for me to tell since I'm on so many other drugs but so far so good.
I took Strattera and it worked wonders. However after about two weeks I couldn't pee and believe me that hurts. Warm baths for several hours after dropping them was a life-saver.Stratera made my son very depressed. His friends all noticed so he stopped taking it with out telling me. On vacation I had him take it and for the first time I wittneesed it myself. He was a completely different person. His love for life totally gone, short temper, and zombi ish.
Illhtac,
How much were you taking? I started on 40mg and it made me very lethargic and withdrawn. I was thinking of asking the psych. to cut me down to 20. Do you only take in once in the morning or in the evening?
Dhart,
What other drugs are you on? Just curious as I haven't found the right combination. Maybe I am bipolar or something because Adderal seemed to act like a stimulant for me too and so did Dexedrine, but I haven't tried extended release or slow release, whatever you call it. Thanks.