I'm going in to see my med doc this week. I'd like to find out if I can add something to my Strattera prescription that might fine tune what I'm not getting from the Strattera any more. The Strattera used to help me to feel energized through the day. I don't feel like it does that anymore. I've tried taking 20 mg of adderall several times. One day I felt just great. Another time, I found myself having trouble putting my thoughts into words later in the afternoon. This may have been complicated by drinking coffee earlier in the day. Before I was on Strattera I was taking Wellbutrin, 300 mg split up twice a day. I stopped taking it when I went on Strattera because I was needing to take sleeping pills to get any sleep. Anyone had any success supplementing Strattera?

What a surprise when my med doc suggested adding provigil to strattera. I told him I'd been feeling sleepy later in the day. I took 100 mg this morning and felt quite energetic today. It's around 6pm and it's wearing off. I think I'll try the 200 mg dose tomorrow. After a 3-4 week trial with the strattera/provigil combo, we'll try adding welbutrin to affect some mood issues I've been having. I hope this rx soup isn't too much!

Rogerj1: Once you've added the Wellbutrin back....that will be three meds....do you need that many? Do you feel "overmedicated"? Or not really? Perhaps eventually just the Provigil and Wellbutrin?? JUST A THOUGHT....:)

Provigil is a funny med. It helps to keep you alert if you are tired, but if you are already awake, it doesn't do much. It is a alpha-1 agonist as opposed to Wellbutrin which is some sort of dopamine/noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor.

If you end up on all three meds, and you think that is too many, you always try dropping just one of the tree for a while, just to see the effect.

Maybe Provigil and Wellbutrin may work without Staterra??

Sleepz.

Three drugs would be a lot at once. I'm still not sure what to make of the provigil. I took the first full 200 mg dose today. It has had an impact on me. My med doc was drawn to provigil for me since I already have sleep issues having sleep apnea. I use a cpap machine to treat that. I really appreciate the thoughtful feedback. The Strattera has been such a wonder drug for me, I hate to give it up.

I have been on Wellbutrin for three years --- best antidepressant I have ever taken, and believe me I've taken quite a few! Three days ago my psychiatrist started me on Strattera. So far I have been a bit more alert, but today is the first day I have not had vague nausea and profuse sweating. The sweating occured about two hours after taking the Strattera.
I take 200 mgm of Welbutrin twice a day, and 40 mgm of Strattera once a day. I am to boost the Strattera to 80mgm after a week. I'll keep you posted.;)

Mairia, you're right where I was 9 mos. ago. I eventually quit taking the wellbutrin as I couldn't get to sleep at night. It turns out I was taking my 2nd dose too late in the day. If I were to take a 2nd dose of Wellbutrin now, it would be after lunch. You may find you can go to one dose of Wellbutrin as you increase the Strattera. I may add a morning dose of Wellbutrin, we'll see. One of the effects Strattera has had on me is that it feels like my "system" is heating up. I feel slightly feverish, somewhat dehydrated and I sweat more. That hasn't gone away. The nausea has been infrequent and helped by taking with food. The fact that my brain is more switched on has compensated for the side effects. I hope you get some benefit as well, Mairia. Strattera was a huge help for me. Wellbutrin is the most energizing of the antidepressants which is why I believe those of us with ADD find it so helpful. My version of ADD is the inattentive, low energy version.

Well, the provigil wasn't for me. There was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't make me feel great. I'm taking 100 mg of Wellbutrin in the am along with the Strattera. I've been taking it for 4 days now. Last night, I could not get to sleep. This is why I discontinued Wellbutrin initially. Unfortunately, I really like how I feel combining Strattera and Wellbutrin. We'll see if the sleeping problem continues. Has anyone had this problem? I was wondering today whether it would help to switch to the non-extended release version of wellbutrin.

Strattera too late made me have "restless leg syndrom
' at night... full body though. Everything felt antisy and would twich!
Provigil kept me from sleeping AT ALL. I'd lie down, relax my muscles, melt into the matress, and still be awake forever later at 5 am!
Do whatever cmbos works for you for however long it works for you! Good luck!

Yep...once again, the adage appears to be true:

What works for some will not work for others.

Have patience while you try and figure out the right combination of meds/dosage that work for YOU.

Well, I'm on the OZ equivalent of Provigil and Strattera and my concentration over the last 4 days is greater than the last year.

I'm crashing tonight, as after being a usual 9-12 hours a night sleeper and vegging the rest; I've been down to 6 hours per night for the last 5 days.

I am exhausted; but in lots of ways; feel at last like there might actually be light at the end of the tunnel. What an amazing week so far. Sooo much done at work; being awake at home....incredible.

And this was just by adding the Stattera by my local Doc whilst waiting for my psych to see me again. We figured that as I was going to wait a few weeks; trying another med wasn't going to go to waste as better than trying nothing.

Beers for my local doc!!

Sleepzalttlelessnow

I'm switching to the nonextended release Wellbutrin today. It stays in the system 10 hrs vs. 20 hrs. for the longer version. Hopefully I'll get to sleep tonight. Last night was hell.

I haae been on Stattrera on for two weeks -- , at first I felt energized but now I just feel sleepy .. went from 40 mgn to 80 mgm a week ago -- how long must I wait for this stuff too "kick in"? Any help would be welcomed. Mairia:confused:

Each person is different, mairia, but my personal experience was less than a week to realize the full benefit.

Perhaps Strattera isn't the med for you?

Andrew,
You may be right, but I so desperatly wanted this to work, now I am nosediving into a depression thinking that it may not!
Thanks for replying. Mairia
:(

To understand how effective these two medications will be for an individual you have to look at the mechanism of action. Both products are norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, potentially normalizing levels of the neurotransmitter in the pre-synpatic space. Many say the two medications are virtually identical in effect on ADHD. Those same people contend that Wellbutrin could have received an indication for ADHD has it been sought.

That aside, too often, people will more willingly add another medication to their treatment regimine before optimizing therapy on their initial product. As a result, the full benefit of either medication is not achieved. It sounds like you were having some success with Adderall XR. But you mentioned that it caused problems in the afternoon. It sounds like those problems were not necessarily side effects, but may be caused by the medication wearing off ("rebound effect"). The good news is that by increasing the dose of amphetamine based products like Adderall XR, you can increase both the efficacy and the duration of action. Ask you physician about increasing your dose by 10mgs on a weekly basis.

Originally posted by mairia
Andrew,
You may be right, but I so desperatly wanted this to work, now I am nosediving into a depression thinking that it may not!
Thanks for replying. Mairia
:(

Mairia,

Please don't get despondent over this! Finding the right medication & dosage balance is one of the most challenging for ADDers. Unfortunately, there is no "magic bullet" that addresses everyone's ADD symptoms. Have faith! There is very likely a medication out there that will work for you. If Strattera isn't the one, then it could be the very next one you try that will be the winner!

What other meds have you looked into?

remember the number if drugs that is right is the ones that work, there is no moral number that is right. that is a societal hangup, like add being just lazyness or severe clinical depression something you can pull yourself out of.

would you ask if someone were eating to many types or kinds of food?
or listening to to many genres of music?

now if you liver or kidneys were over loaded that would be a question but a regular physical will tell one that.

i take adderal, wellbrutrin, cozaar, zyrtec, prilosec, urocid, and am starting provigil today hopefully to help excecutive function which i still have problems with, and adafinal helped some so modifinal (provigil) should help. i also use a acetylcholine nasal spray sometimes but have to be careful as it can induce depression. and vasopressin as well. i drink tea sometimes, nicer analoge than coffee. i take more drugs than my father who is 84.

is it too many? or not enough?
i do not get any real sideffects so it is not too many. and i still need help so it is probably not enough
though i will let people know about the provigil
which seems to work great or not at all for add.

we should get a separate thread for it like the other drugs.

oh yeh and it has taken ten years and about 15 other drugs to get this far
including a bunch of european drugs which produced interesting side effects but not much help.

I was glad to read all the posts. I too take Wellbutrin (300) and Strattera (120) in the AM. I am worried about my sleep. I really haven't had a good night sleepthis week. May need to conder reducing both med (Maybe 300 of W ever other day?) Today I am short on breath and waiting to hear back from the doc, if I don't I thought I would reduce the Strattera as it has more side effects listed than W and I suspect is affecting my sleep. Tried Trazadone this week (50mg) on two nights. One night it worked and the other it did'nt plus I really don't want to be taken so many meds, was hoping for one...frustrating.

Strattera seems to help but the I question if it is for me becasue of two particular side effects (urinating with less force and "male" problem- although not completely)

It was reassuring to know other people have trouble sleeping because based no my reaction to different meds so far (dextroamphetamine too) I was beggining to wonder if I have been missed diagnosed- although give me a list of symptoms and I have 90% of them. Again frustrating and expensive- justr bought a bottle of W 300mg and if the doc says cut back then I mind as well flush the 300 pills (you cant bite them in half).

Anyone take Wellbutrin every other day?