For those of you who are taking Strattera, how much are you taking? Are you taking it in one dose, or are you spiltting it throughout the day? Right now I'm on 60 mg and I take it in the morning, although I think my dr. wants me to go up to 70 mg. Kind of nervous to go up because I found the 60 mg to be quite brutal on my stomach :P

And are you finding it's working? Is it just me or does this stuff take awhile to really build up? I'm on dexedrine and when I don't take my dose, I am super tired. The focus is kind of there, but with the strattera it's more bang on. But I stopped taking it for awhile, and now I think I have to build it back up.

Is that just me?

I'll just copy/paste what I posted in another thread (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32855), since it's related to your question:

I've been steadily increasing my dose (as per doctor's directions), and now I'm at 140mg in the morning. To be honest, I haven't really noticed much of a difference the last few times I've upped the dose. I recently moved up from 120mg to 140mg and only had a slight urination problem but that was the only difference.

I did think it was strange, since I had read 120mg was the max. But I clearly remember the doctor saying to go up to 140mg, and he even wrote it down on a slip of paper where he wrote the other ramp-up dosages.

I'd been taking Strattera for a week and a half and told him I wasn't sure it was doing anything. I think his rationale is to get me to the highest possible dose to see if Strattera is really for me.

In any case, I don't feel much from the 140mg, even though I take it all in one dose (in the morning). At times I think I'm organizing my day better but I think I've just been getting more done because a big deadline is coming up and I always tend to get a lot more done at the last moment :D Though the Strattera might be helping, I don't know... Actually, my anxiety levels might be lower than before, especially consider the big deadline that's coming up and all.

At the same time, I haven't really had any side effects. I think my dreams are more vivid, and I think my sense of smell has become more powerful. When I first started, I was a bit emotional (for about 3 days) and felt very tired during the day (for about a week). But that's all gone. Other than that, I've had a little bit of constipation but lately it's been almost no problem. I had urination problems one time, but other than that one day, nothing else. No headaches, sweating, pains, mood problems, etc.

BTW I'm in my 20's and weight about 70kg = 154lb.

Michiko74: Are you taking the pills with water? I really recommend taking them with milk.

At the beginning I was taking them with water, and I felt pretty bad stomach discomfort for about 1/2 an hour. But then I started taking the pills w/ a glass of milk and the discomfort eventually went away completely.

I take 100mg a day-- 40 in the AM, 60 in the PM. No side effects anymore (I took the whole dose at night when it used to make me sleepy). I just split it up now because I went up in doses. I would take it all in the AM in case it gave me a peak effect during the day, but 100mg seems like a lot to take all at once. I haven't had the stomach issues. I seem to burn through strattera like it's nothing. My doc says this is the max dose I can take. I think it's working, but like everyone says, it can be so subtle. I really feel more in control and more capable though. I can imagine if I went off it, it would be a rude surprise, because I have felt so even-tempered and able, the return to the old me would suck!

60mg in the AM.

I went up to 80mg, but I got headaches so I'm back down to 60mg.

I'll probably try going back up to 80mg after I have been on 60mgs for a couple of months or so.

Have you guys experienced any changes in memory? I agree that Strattera is very subtle (even though I take 140mg!), but if I were pressed to point at something different I would say I can remember things much more easily.

I remember the things I am supposed to do alot easier.

I also can keep track of time better.

But, I don't believe I necessarily recall facts any better. However, I'll let you know when I return to school in a few months! :)

This is where I am at: The doctor started me on 25mg for the first week and from there I was supposed to take 40mg for the next week. (I started that on Tuesday of this week)

The directions on the bottle said take 40mg twice per day.

I made the mistake of taking the two 40 mg capsules ( am & pm) as directed instead of checking his note that clearly said take one 40 mg for the next week and then bump up to 80 mg Impulsivity is one of my worst ADD symptoms.

Well yesterday morning I felt horrible, spaced out and crying all day really messed up. That wore off by about 2 pm (Just in time for my son to come home from school)

I haven't taken my morning dose. I'm going to call the doc. I think I need to stay on a lower dose for awhile.

I have to say that I did feel a new sense of clarity by the end of the first week on 25mg. I felt a littke more calm and not so racy in my head like usual. It was really subtle

I've tried other meds in the past and it can take up to two months for you to really feel any significant changes. It depends on the person and his/her biological makeup.

This is where I am at: The doctor started me on 25mg for the first week and from there I was supposed to take 40mg for the next week. (I started that on Tuesday of this week)

The directions on the bottle said take 40mg twice per day.

I made the mistake of taking the two 40 mg capsules ( am & pm) as directed instead of checking his note that clearly said take one 40 mg for the next week and then bump up to 80 mg Impulsivity is one of my worst ADD symptoms.

Well yesterday morning I felt horrible, spaced out and crying all day really messed up. That wore off by about 2 pm (Just in time for my son to come home from school)

I haven't taken my morning dose. I'm going to call the doc. I think I need to stay on a lower dose for awhile.

I have to say that I did feel a new sense of clarity by the end of the first week on 25mg. I felt a littke more calm and not so racy in my head like usual. It was really subtle

I've tried other meds in the past and it can take up to two months for you to really feel any significant changes. It depends on the person and his/her biological makeup.Yeah, I agree Strattera is really subtle! It will only make you feel "Normal", and nothing more. The only way I know that Strattera is working for me is that I am no longer late to work anymore which has been a chronic problem my entire life and when I wake up no matter what time of day it is, I feel wide awake, which is incredible for me because I have never been a morning person.

Lets see what else did you mention in your post..... Oh yeah, my doctor had me stay at each dose level for 3 weeks before going up to the next dose level. I found that much easier for me to handle, so I don't blame you for not wanting to jump up to the next dose level after only a week. However, as you said "It depends on the person and his/her biological makeup."

The last thing I wanted to mention is that I also have felt overly emotional at times while starting Strattera. In fact, moodiness is listed as a side-effect of Strattera. We have been discussing this in another thread here on our forums. Anyway etmom, start low and go up slow is the best advice I have to offer from my experience taking Strattera.

Best of luck! :)

[QUOTE=*~ §EEK ~*]Yeah, I agree Strattera is really subtle! It will only make you feel "Normal", and nothing more.


That's a really good point to make. All I really want to do is to feel normal and that to me means functioning well in my day to day tasks and the ability to plan and follow through on future events, tasks, work whatever. That's my idea of normal it would be such a relief for me. So if the results of the drug are subtle and effective rather than coming on strong then that would be fine with me.

How do you insert another persons quote so that it is in the purple box as opposed to what I just did? I wanted to comment on that particular part of your post.

How do you insert another persons quote so that it is in the purple box as opposed to what I just did? I wanted to comment on that particular part of your post.I'll send you a PM (Private Message) and explain how to properly quote there.

That's a really good point to make. All I really want to do is to feel normal and that to me means functioning well in my day to day tasks and the ability to plan and follow through on future events, tasks, work whatever. That's my idea of normal it would be such a relief for me. So if the results of the drug are subtle and effective rather than coming on strong then that would be fine with me. The problem is, I think a lot of people with ADD expect to have that mild "Driven" feeling that you get with stimulants. Strattera doesn't have that effect at all, and so many people with ADD think that it's not doing anything.

However, if you were to test them, I would bet that 90% of them would benefit from Strattera in some form or another.

As I said, the only way I can tell that Strattera is working is that I am no longer late anywhere and I wake up "Wide awake". Oh yeah and I feel calmer and get goose bumps easy too. (I forgot about those last milder effects)

I take 80mg/day - rtight now in one dose in the morning when I get up. As soon as my new prescription comes from mail order (ya know they actually come faster when you remember to order them? ;)) I'll be trying 40mg in the AM and 40mg in the PM. My pdoc wanted me to split it up to see if I can get rid of the urinary hesitation side-effect that I've been saddled with since I started.

Between that and still not feeling or noticing any improvement since I started Strattera a few months ago, it's a little frustrating for me right now.

I just went up to 100 mg last week. I've been taking 80 mg for about 3 months. I take mine all in one dose in the morning. I tried splitting up the 80 mg, but I felt more tired.

The best way for me describe the effect of Strattera is that it smooths out my day. Seems to make everything run better. It probably took a month or more before I started to see any difference at all.

Strattera has helped my memory in some ways. I still can't memorize long poems or anything (never could no matter what I did). But when I meet people now I usually remember their names without even trying. In the past, IF I remembered, it was because I said the name to myself twenty times after someone introduced themselves. Of course, then I missed the whole start of the conversation and I still looked stupid. When we meet a big group of people, my husband (non ADD and always on top of things) now checks with me on what everyone's names are. I think I'm just less overwhelmed so it's easier to pay attention.

I take 40 mgs at about 7 a.m. and 40 mgs again at about 3:30PM. I remember early on that I was also shocked about being awake in the morning...it wouldn't take me hours to get myself moving and awake. Also, I could just think clearer....it was like I didn't give myself as many options to choose from in any given situation...I was better able to zero in on the best course of action. I felt the effects almost immediately...it was amazing...

I am upping my dose by 10 mgs starting this week (because after years of taking Strattera I don't feel it is quite as effective as before). I'm not really feeling any big change w/the extra 10 mg...I'm wondering if it will take a little longer to have an effect this time.

I started at 80mg a day about 3 weeks ago or so. One 40mg at about 9AM and one 40mg at about 6PM. At first it was a pretty rough on me, but the rough and bad times of beginning seem to be going away. You really just have to see what works for you, and do some experimentation.

later

I reached 80mg but the nausea was really bad, I lost a lot of weight. I went down to 60 and I've been on that for a while. I still have to take it with a good meal. My focus is improved, and my temper calmed.

120mg here. So so results. Luckily not experiencing any side effects.

For how long have you been at that dosage? Have you taken other meds for adhd?

120mg here. So so results. Luckily not experiencing any side effects.

100 mg. I take it once a day in the morning. I concur with the description of subtle effects. I haven't had an overwhelming response by any means, but perhaps a little better with thinking more clearly at times.

For how long have you been at that dosage? Have you taken other meds for adhd?
I changed from 80mg to 120mg in somewhere around July. I was on Adderall, which worked well when I used it for its intended purpose, for a while from '02-'04 but became "irresponsible" with it so the meds got changed to Strattera. Other than that I was on Ritalin for a short period of time when I was like 4 or 5 years old.

Chris