I'm a 41 year old male underachiever. Never finished college but somehow ended up in investment banking. Got fired many times but was somehow able to get a new job. Able to do big "glamour" tasks but never the small tasks. Procrastination killed me. Concentration second.

I started Strattera yesterday. Never saw a doc b/f for ADD. I feel it, no appetite and strangely an increased sex drive. But I feel more confused, unable to juggle a few things in my head and forgetting where I put things, which wasn't really a problem before.

I really wanted to try adderall but went with what my doc said. Should I stick it out or is the increased confusion problem?

Please try and stick it out i have been on strattera for a few months now and the effects for me are un-believable.

It takes at least 6 weeks to kick in fully, so try to put up with it for a bit longer.
It could just be side effects and they might ease or go away.

If it becomes a real big problem then re-think it. but at least give it a little while longer.

thanks xstarchildx. do the anti-add effects gradually appear or is it somewhat sudden?

I'll probably stick it out, since its not terrible. but i do feel a little off my game, especially verbally and with memory, which never used to be a problem.

try to stick it out but not to long change meds as soon as you feel truly your meds arent up to par

I've been taking Strattera (18 mg) for about 10 days. The first week my ADD was definitely worse than usual. I seemed incapable of making decisions, getting things done,. and I was tired all the time. But the last 24 hours the benefits have started to kick in. It's been amazing - I've tackled the jobs I dreaded the most and stuck with them, I have more energy and am getting things done faster and more efficiently than before. There seems to be a lot more time in the day! I make decisions more easily, and they are good ones. And I am noticing a big difference in social anxiety, I don't try to avoid picking up the phone, and I am actually looking forward to a party tomorrow that I was anxious about. I seem to stay in the present and not worry about future events. Let's hope it lasts and keeps on getting better!

Like you, FredHart, I wanted a stimulant but got what the doctor was willing to prescribe... and now I am very happy with it. Everyone's experience is different, but hopefully you will see benefits in a couple of weeks too. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. Its now the 2nd night and the confusion and frazzleness has disappeared. Since I've never had a problem with memory or organization, I feel normal again, albeit slightly euphoric. My appetite seems to be coming back as well.

Now, my issues are extreme, bizarre procrastination and an inability to pay attention and complete tasks...so time will tell if this is the drug for me.

Either way, it feels kinda good just to have addressed this problem after all these years.

My appetite disappeared a bit but has certainly come back now, i wish i had an increased sex drive lol, cannot comment on that, the forgetting where you put things, this was a problem for me anyway lol but then i started doing stuff and forgot i had already done it, but that has disappeared aswell and at last i'm feeling on top of the world.

My partner does'nt agree but he has no idea as he's not in my body.
I feel like i work again after so so many years.

Hope this helps, let me know how you get on!!


I started Strattera yesterday. Never saw a doc b/f for ADD. I feel it, no appetite and strangely an increased sex drive. But I feel more confused, unable to juggle a few things in my head and forgetting where I put things, which wasn't really a problem before.

I had my reservations about taking medicine for my ADHD but started out on Strattera as an experiment after i bombed in school last semester. I'm on week four.. the load up period took some adjustment. I had to give myself lots of breathing room and "me" time. In my house that's pretty hard to do.

I notice that I'm able to do tasks without daydreaming or going into autopilot. Which was my problem.

My doctor tells me that the effects of the medicine should kick in by next week. I'll keep you posted.

yes please do keep us posted, i'm intrested to hear everybody's expierence on strattera. :)



I had my reservations about taking medicine for my ADHD but started out on Strattera as an experiment after i bombed in school last semester. I'm on week four.. the load up period took some adjustment. I had to give myself lots of breathing room and "me" time. In my house that's pretty hard to do.

I notice that I'm able to do tasks without daydreaming or going into autopilot. Which was my problem.

My doctor tells me that the effects of the medicine should kick in by next week. I'll keep you posted.

Well I'm on day 4 now, and during the day my memory is worse than normal. I feel a bit stoned and scatterbrained. But by evening time I'm clear headed (normal) and slightly euphoric.

Its interesting, even pleasant...and i can see how it would tackle anxiety. I feel the drug and I'm just waiting for it to tackle the ADD. My doc wants to give it a week at least, so we'll see.

on a positive note, I'm losing weight and feeling mellow and don't have a desire to drink alcohol which is good...but that's not why I went to the doc.

I'm very curious about adderall, but I'll give this some time.

My doc wants to give it a week at least

I think most people take longer than 1 week to see any improvement in ADD. I started to see some improvement in ADD after about one and a half weeks (faster than I thought), but 1 week is far too soon to judge that it won't work. I don't think it is worth starting Strattera if you don't intend to wait for at least 3 weeks to see effects.

This time frame is the same as for antidepressants such as SSRIs (Strattera is an NRI). As I understand it, all of these drugs actually DO start working to change the balance of nuerotransmitters in the brain straight away, but initially our bodies react as if something is going wrong and succeed in undoing their effect (in this case by producing less norepinephrine). The waiting time is just the time we have to wait for our own bodies to give up trying to compensate for what the drug is doing and accept a new status quo (with a higher level of norepinephrine).

I figure I have had ADD for 40+ years, a few more weeks of patiently waiting is no big deal!

Well, day 5 is interesting. I'm not scatterbrained and forgetful, though as I mentioned, I never really was b/f taking the medication.

Now, I just feel good, moderately euphoric. relaxed and in a good mood. I can definitely see how this would be a good drug for someone debilitated by anxiety.

But I am still procrastinating. I'm able to work but I still have to organize my desk. I'm going to try to read something later in the evening to see if there's a difference.

I sense its getting there though.

Oh trust me it hasn't helped with organization lol

i'm recovering opiate addict, so naturally when I was diagnosed my physciatrist decided to put me on Strattera first. when I got my script I was really happy until I tried to pick it up at my pharmacy lol they didn't have it they had to special order it which took 2 days it cost a fortune $153 + $7 dispencer fee didn't even come in a pill bottle, 28 sample pack + (2) refill. first 2 days I had Euphoria, Tickling Sensation, Music Appreciation and Severe Drowsiness not the go to sleep kind more like when you get out of bed and it takes you 20 minutes or so to really wake up that feeling but all day long. for the next 28 days I had Burning Sensation in my Temples and Drowsiness.

First 6 days it worked great I was very attenative it literally felt like I had a new set of eyes but after that it stopped I thought I had a tolerance to it so the last 6 days I decided to take 80mg and nothing happend.

anyways before my physciatrist printed my script he leaned back in his chair and said out loud "concerta.....strattera" so it's safe to say i'll be on concerta soon not sure if I put any hopes into it.

hope this info helps.

- Christine

FredHart - I am a 47 year old Registered Investment Advisor/CPA and I've been taking Straterra for almost 4 years. I don't have time to type a long history right now(actually have work to focus on!), but if you search my posts you will find a detailed post about my experience which has been positive. If you can't find the post, let me know and I'll try to fill you in later.

I have been on Strattera since March. I was about ready to ask my doc for something different when I gradually began noticing small changes; my procrastination lessened, time didn't seem to fly by without me getting any work done, and the cloudy thinking began going away. The symptoms didn't disappear overnight, and it was more like, "Hey! I just noticed that I was able to concentrate more than usual."

So give it a while if possible. For me, it was about two and a half months before I started seeing changes, and like I said, they were gradual and still seem to be improving bit by bit.

Hey flipflops i totally agree with everything you have said, only today i have phoned my psych to try and come off strattera 80mg.
Reason being for the past couple of weeks my partner has noticed a change in me, being irratability, mood swings and my anger levels have just gone off the scale.

The past few day's i have actually listened to myself and he's right i'm actually scared to death that i might snap and hurt one of my babies.
I am so disappointed because the strattera was working for everything, it felt like i was living for once and i have never felt so "normal" in all my life.

And like you said it's taken about 2 and a half months that's when i noticed hey this drug is great and it works fantastic.

But i can't be selfish, it's my happiness or the children's and they will alway's come first in my eyes.

Tonight i am going to wean myself off them and drop to 40 mg tonight. :(

I wish everyone the best of luck with this drug, as we all know it effects different people in different way's. :)




I have been on Strattera since March. I was about ready to ask my doc for something different when I gradually began noticing small changes; my procrastination lessened, time didn't seem to fly by without me getting any work done, and the cloudy thinking began going away. The symptoms didn't disappear overnight, and it was more like, "Hey! I just noticed that I was able to concentrate more than usual."

So give it a while if possible. For me, it was about two and a half months before I started seeing changes, and like I said, they were gradual and still seem to be improving bit by bit.

Hey flipflops i totally agree with everything you have said, only today i have phoned my psych to try and come off strattera 80mg.
Reason being for the past couple of weeks my partner has noticed a change in me, being irratability, mood swings and my anger levels have just gone off the scale.

The past few day's i have actually listened to myself and he's right i'm actually scared to death that i might snap and hurt one of my babies.
I am so disappointed because the strattera was working for everything, it felt like i was living for once and i have never felt so "normal" in all my life.

And like you said it's taken about 2 and a half months that's when i noticed hey this drug is great and it works fantastic.

But i can't be selfish, it's my happiness or the children's and they will alway's come first in my eyes.

Tonight i am going to wean myself off them and drop to 40 mg tonight. :(

I wish everyone the best of luck with this drug, as we all know it effects different people in different way's. :)

what did your doc say XSC?

Huh, he didn't phone back, so iv'e took it upon myself to de-medicate lol if there is such a word, i know there isn't but it sounds good.

So yeah as from tonight i'm dropping to 40mg give it a week and stop alltogether.
Then i'll be back to the same old Jo.............Arrrghhhhhhhhh..................... .........
hopefully not, psych might save me by then lol

Just wanted to drop a quick note that I noticed something interesting. Lifting weights is very easy. I have strength, energy, and don't get bored. Usually I get bored and stop at 8 reps instead of 10. Now this boring, monotonous routine is bearable. correct that. enjoyable.

its really noticeable. I'm sure it's the strattera.

xstarchildx:

I'm a newbie so maybe this has been addressed, but what about other medications, like adderall? seems to me that there are a lot of ADD drugs out there that show efficacy. So once one drug overstays its welcome, perhaps its just time to switch.

Yes i'm going to ask to try something else, thanks fredhart :)

Probably is your strattera working for you, it's weird how all of a sudden you start to notice subtle differences, then you realise everything is working really well.

Yes i'm going to ask to try something else, thanks fredhart :)

Probably is your strattera working for you, it's weird how all of a sudden you start to notice subtle differences, then you realise everything is working really well.

I wouldn't say its working yet, but its evolving so I'm giving it a chance. The undoing effect, as explained cogently by farpung in #11, is in the rearview mirror, but I'm still looking forward to the positive effects.

Obviously, Strattera doesn't have the instant viagra-like effect that Adderall apparently does, but I suspect it may be superior in the long ruin. So, a little patience...

I wouldn't say its working yet, but its evolving so I'm giving it a chance. The undoing effect, as explained cogently by farpung in #11, is in the rearview mirror, but I'm still looking forward to the positive effects.

Obviously, Strattera doesn't have the instant viagra-like effect that Adderall apparently does, but I suspect it may be superior in the long ruin. So, a little patience...

Have you taken Adderall before? Which type of ADD do you have? Do you have depression or bipolar disorder or anxiety? Do you drink heavily? Do you smoke?

Hi. Been on Strattera for about ten days. Did a week at 25 mgs and am now taking 40 mgs. Supposed to go up to 60 mgs in a week in a half.

Feel yucky. I was switched to this because the Ritalin was only lasting 45 minutes and resulting in anxiety and chest pain when it wore off (but when it was working - oh! what a difference, it was like a religious awakening! Like, this is what the Functioning People produce naturally in their brains!)

I was skeptical about this stuff since I'd read such bad reviews, so I'm wondering if it's just my attitude but....

I feel depressed. Like teenage, high school, throw my clothes on, wanna lay in bed and watch "House" depressed. Bukowski, Nick Cave and David Letterman, please. My apt is dissheveled again and I don't care. I am hard pressed to think of something that makes me happy. My head actually feels thick. But the interested-in-the-world feeling that Ritalin gave me is definitely not going on.

I seem to have a decrease in appetite - but not in the stimulant way. More like in the "not even food is that interesting" depressed way.

I notice I do have a some ability to execute tasks IN SPITE of my bad mood and internal chatter and narrow perception of the world - so perhaps this stuff is slowly working and I just need to boost it with an anti-depressant? Maybe the depression is due to my not taking the Ritalin anymore, which instantly made everything eaiser?

I dunno, I don't really like the thought of taking another medication to help this one.

I do sort of wanna stick it out for a month though, just to totally write it off so I don't have one more thought repeating in my head: "Maybe you should have given it more time, maybe it would have worked it you'd taken it with an anti-depressant, what if you'd stuck with it for 6 months, maybe....."

Peace.