I don't really have any experience with Strattera. My family does better on Concerta and Adderall, but I have students who take Strattera.

Do doctors really have you take strattera at night and if so Why? And how long is the general coverage that it gives?Does it last 10-12 hrs or more?

Strattera doesn't function the way most ADHD medicines do. It is, contrary to their advertising, a stimulant, but it's different in that it's not a psychomotor stimulant. More accurately, it's a Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor.

Because of this, Strattera, like other Reuptake Inhibitors, doesn't work situationally, but after repeated dosage, builds up to a peak level in the bloodstream and brain and then remains in action all the time.

Strattera's actual success is debatable, however. It is marketted as "the only medicine proven to work for Adult ADD," but "Adult ADD" is not a clinical condition (ADHD covers both children and adults, and ADD isn't a diagnosis anymore, having been replaced with ADHD Inattentive Type with DSM-IV). It seems to be effective mainly in populations with Inattentive Type ADHD, though not in Hyperactive or Combined Type ADHD. This may be because of poor research and a lack of longterm monitoring in patients.

Basically, it lasts 24/7, so long as the dose is maintained. As for why it's being taken at night, many doctors prefer patients to take medicines at night, to avoid effects the drug may have on diet and eating patterns, among other reasons. Being an SNRI, however, it doesn't matter when the drug is taken, so long as it is taken at roughly the same time every day, and it's taken daily.

Thanks for the info. I even went to the school nurse and she was unsure as to why it was taken at night, and it's indurance but this makes sense.

So basically, if my student is still having attention problems (which he brought up to me) he needs to see the doctor for either a dosage change or a total change in meds.

More or less, but Strattera, because of the way it works, takes a good 3-4 weeks to reach full effect, so keep that in mind before changing things.