Just a thought, but the fact that Strattera is not classified as a stimulant might not be that important:

-it raises heart rate
-it raises blood pressure
-etc, etc.

If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck...

I think the "non-stimulant" advertizing feature gives it a more positive aura than currently warranted. Many docs and patients like it because they can use multiple refills, since it is not a schedule II medication.

Only time will tell if that convenience is worth it.

DON'T TAKE IT JUST BECAUSE IT IS NOT A STIMULANT.

Yea, the convienence thing for doctors and not having to worry about being audited for writing prescriptions for stimulents is a big deal. My doctor was willing to give me Strattera without much ta do at all other than my saying I think I have ADHD. To get Concerta, I had to see a clinical psychologist which is that way to go anyway, IMHO.

Stimulants at theraputic levels are proven and safe. You will find out if it works quickly and it also leaves the body fairly soon after you take it. I'd be more afraid of the Strattera.

Just completed my first week on Strattera. Initial dosage is 25mg at night with no intention at this point to increase it until after a month of monitoring. The first night I had some sweats which did not reoccur. I did not experience dry mouth or any kind of euphoria. As of today the only side effects are:
1 - Interrupted sleep but I immediately fall back asleep.
2 - Sexual abnormalities ( I am Male 58 years old) such as pre-ejaculation which I haven't had a problem with in years.
3 - Sleepiness during the day but not able to nap. Sleeping better after 3 days.
4 - Some nausea the first couple of days but went away. I took it both on empty stomach and with meals.
That's about it. Oh, I don't feel any change yet except a little mellow.

I would like to know if this med is on anyone's insurance and if not how they pay for it regularly. I have samples so far.
Also, if anyone has had this sexual problem and does it go away after awhile. One more thing, I have no problem urinating but it is kind of acrid, or bad odor. Does this go away to?

Thanks, Bill

I find that most of the sleep side effects went away after a couple of weeks, and that the sexual ones got better after about a month...:S

Strattera, in my experience, dehydrates me a lot, so I have to drink a lot more water than I did before to stay healthy. Water also helped with the urine issue. Try to stay away from caffeine as well. I find that I need much less caffeine now than when I was unmedicated.

And remember: Strattera takes a couple of weeks to build up in your system, so you might just feel more "mellow" now, but wait a few weeks and THEN see how you feel. I just finished my first full day back at University, and I managed to take 8 pages of notes in 2 classes. To give you an idea: That's about the number of pages of notes I took in my last SEMESTER of university. So ya, I'd say there's a difference. It takes a while to see though.

I know for me,, I am a recovering addict and speed was my drug of choice. Ritalin and I got along too good especially when I started snorting it and then later I decided maybe that wasn't such a good idea so I got clean. Few years later the Dr. put me on Adderall and guess what,,,, that was wayyyyy tooo close to feeling too good. I made the right choice and stopped taking it after spending an entire day thinking ,,,, i will only take this when I need to clean the house. No No No,,,, that is what I ended up trying to do with the ritalin and then later meth and well,,,, I didn't want to go there again. So my point is, a medication that helps my problem without making me feel like I just got done doing a rail of meth is a dream come true for me. So i guess that for me is the differance between stimulants and the "non-stimulant" Straterra. We will see.

How did My shrink, make the decision, to choose Stattera as a first choice of medication for My ADHD?
Was it because it was the Cheapest medication?
Or, was it because, Doctors prescribe a Non stimulant first?

It may not of been a Stimulant, but Strattera caused, palpatations of my heart...Anxiety attacks and shakes to only mention a few of the many side-effects i suffered, whilst taking Strattera... and that was only for 3 weeks!

I know we're all different and Strattera works for many...
Obviously, i was greatly dissapointed, that i couldn't handle the side-effects, to get to the 3 months stage, which, i'm led to believe the maximum effect of Strattera are shown in full.

Can anyone explain to me, why my doctor prescribed a Non stimulant first?
And in simple easy to understand terms, the difference the two sorts of medications work...'stimulants & Non-Stimulants'

I have tried to get My ADDer head around the information in the books i have on ADHD (One being the AD/HD FOR DUMMIES).. and i'm still in the dark.

Karen :)

Doctors may prefer to prescribe non-stimulant medications first because they are non-controlled substances. That means a lot less paperwork for everyone involved. Further, Strattera has done a huge amount of marketting in order to try and make it popular. This is because it appears to be effective in only about 30% of the ADHD population, primarily those with Primarily Inattentive Type ADHD. This is also the reason they use the line "the only medication approved for Adult ADD." Nevermind the fact that there is no such thing as "adult ADD" (by which I mean there is no separate diagnosis, ADHD exists into adulthood, it doesn't need to be called Adult ADD and is not called that in clinical work.)

The difference is that the stimulants are psychomotor stimulants, their mechanism of action is not known...but Strattera is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It works in the brain to increase the amount of norepinephrine, which is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in attention.

Strattera, in fact, is not the cheapest medication. The chances are the doctor prescribed it first because it's easier to work with than stimulants, and he can write refills. For stimulants, he can't write refills, he has to write a script monthly. Further, I believe that he has to keep a log of the prescriptions he writes, and duplicates...I'm not 100% certain on that, but we have to keep logs in the pharmacy, I can't see the doctor not needing to keep logs.

Thank You KMiller... That was put so clearly...No..really!

The strange thing about the Doctor prescribing me Strattera, was ; The Doctor asked me, if i had tried my sons medication of Concerta.. I was honest (as always)... Said yes...He asked what reaction i got...I told him, it made me feel calmer...
Yet he still prescribed me with Strattera LOL

I have to admit, i've am a bit wary of taking any other Medication for ADHD, after suffering so badly with Strattera ; And that wasn't a Stimulant!
I don't want to be dissapointed again with Medication.. but i need it, to help me focus and sort out my impulsive behavior!

Anyway.. Thanks again KMiller...

Something strange about the letters in your nickname, that i keep reading it, as MKiller LOL *I think that's an ADDer trait of getting things mixed up in the head*


Karen:)

Hi Karen, My doc also started me on Strattera first. She told me to try the non-stimulant first and we'd move on from there if I wasn't happy with it. I hated it. The few weeks I was on it I had trouble sleeping and then the headaches began. I'm not one to have headaches and I had one that sent me home from work to sleep on the couch the rest of the afternoon. I'm never one to nap either. It also bumped up anxiety that I already deal with on a daily basis. I stopped taking it and was going to give up. I thought a stimulant would cause worse problems for me so I was very afraid to try something else. My doc started me on Adderall and I've been on it for about a week now. I'm very happy with it so far and am not having any negative side effects. The only thing I found is I need to drink a lot of water during the day otherwise I'll start feeling a headache coming on.

Strattera is much less likely to work if you've tried a stimulant first, even if it would have worked had you not tried the stimulant. It's kinda weird like that.

Of course, if they're writing notes with an Eli Lilly pen, you might have your answer right there...