I just started taking ADD medications for the first time in my life, I'm 21 and the psychiatrist decided to start me on Strattera. I just started taking it today and physically I feel good but its made me really short tempered and angry about every little irritation. I've become real impatient with everyone especially kids because they seem to irritate me the most asking me stupid questions. I'm usually not like this at all. I was also real drowsy for the first 5 hours after it kicked in and I musta slept about 2 hours.

I hear it can take up to 6 weeks to accumulate in your system before you feel the full effects of it. Will this depression and short temper pass or am I going to have to deal with this **** every day? Should I ask me doctor to change my prescription to Ritalin? I've never taken Ritalin before but I've tried methamphetamine and it solved all my concentration problems and the only side effect was a mild headache the next day.

This Strattera stuff is ridiculous. It hasn't solved my concentration problem at all because I'm so sleepy while I'm on it I can't read anything. Should I just wait a few weeks and see how it goes.

I'm really not liking this Strattera crap. Are psychiatrists obliged to change your prescription if you tell them its having negative effects and you would rather be on something else? I'm worried he might take me off medication altogether thinking that if Strattera doesn't work nothing will. The problem is I'm slightly autistic and thats whats causing the ADHD symptoms and unfortunately theres a much lower chance that ADHD drugs will help people with autism. Either way though its worth giving the Ritalin a shot.

This atomoxetine stuff seems to have more downsides than benefits. I've started abusing people around me because all it takes is a simple question to **** me off now. Like I said I was never like this before it usually takes a lot to get me angry but now it takes nothing.

What I'm wondering is if the psychiatrist is the one that ultimately decides whether he will change my prescription or not or do I have any say in it? If I tell him the negative things its doing in my life already and I want to change is he obliged to write me a different prescription?

Hopefully, someone who's been on Strattera will answer you. My nephew didn't do well with it.

Some people take it at night.. so the side effect of drowsiness isn't so noticible.

If the first dose makes you this irritable though... it may just not be the right med. You can always call the doc and ask a few questions.

Keep us posted.

See your doctor asap to discuss the agitation. I was on strattera for a short period but I didn't develop agitation/panic until a few weeks into treatment. When the agitation/panic first surfaced I ignored it hoping that it would be transient but I landed in hospital for the night. Please see your doctor.

Thanks for the replies I'm definitely gonna ring the psychiatrist in the next few days. Day 2 and I was drowsy all morning and now I'm depressed and just feel like going to sleep. Its the psychiatrist that wrote the prescription not my doctor. I'm gonna ring him up and hopefully he'll change the script.

My mother just offered to ring him herself because she doesn't like the way I've suddenly turned short tempered and angry since I started taking this stuff. That is probably the best thing to do because if he heres it from her he'll take it seriously because she can objectively see how I've changed for the worse. I could tough it out but I'd rather not put up with these side effects for 6 weeks until the full effects kick in. I'll probably end up getting kicked out of my house before then because my mother isn't going to put up with this kinda anger.

I think this drug might be helpful for emotionally unstable people who have trouble with extreme emotions because it seems to make it impossible to experience any extreme emotions good or bad no matter what the situation but I happen to be naturally emotionally stable as it is so this drug doesn't help at all its actually made things 5 times worse so far. Not only can I not concentrate but now I have a really pessimistic view of life, I'm losing ambition because of that pessimism and I'm so short tempered I get angry with people just asking me questions. It comes and goes in waves the first 5 or so hours I'm really drowsy but not angry at all but once the drowsiness starts wearing off I get real angry and intolerant of other people. I'm not gonna put up with this bull**** for 6 weeks when I could be taking Ritalin instead which is 5 times cheaper, gives me energy and doesn't have half the side effects.

I think this drug might be helpful for emotionally unstable people who have trouble with extreme emotions because it seems to make it impossible to experience any extreme emotions good or bad no matter what the situation....

Personally doesnt sound like the medication for you, I've never been emotionally unstable....with strattera I feel more ME, more often...i did get the moodyness in the beginnin but afta say a month it was like a switch had been flipped on.I'm pretty laid back but im more calm with things things that are outta my control, Motivation is great and it kind of stimulates me more than dexamphetamine or ritalin ever did. I soo happy with it....

Just have a wee word with your doctor, be upfront and honest and he/she should work with u to get the best solution.

Hope u get things sorted out :)

I know this is a really late response. But I just want to tell you I know what you're going through/ were going through with the irritability.

I'm 20 and I've tried taking strattera twice. I have mild anxiety/ depression along with ADD, and I think the strattera definitiely aggravated my symptoms. The first time I tried strattera, after a few weeks, I just felt very sad and wound up for no appararent reason. So I stopped taking it and switched to one of the newer stimulants, vyvanse.

Fast forward a few months later...I had no problems with the stimulant until I stopped taking it for the summer. I figured I didn't need to take it while I was out of school for the summer. But once I stopped taking it my mild depression got much worse. So I ended up switching antidepressants because my doctor thought that maybe part of the problem was that my old one stopped working, and it took a long time, but after a while I finially started feeling normal again.

But then I made a mistake and started taking strattera again. I thought that this time I might have a better reaction to it since I was on a different antidepressant. But it tricked me. For the first two weeks, I felt really good and I thought that the strattera might even be helping the antidepressant to work even better. But then two weeks into taking the strattera, I was very irritable and had the worst crying spell I've ever had in my life. So, yeah, I think that strattera can definitely screw with your emotions, especially if you have other mood/ anxiety symptoms aside from ADD. I'm ready to give it up.

BogWarrier, can I ask you, what ended up happening with the doctor? Did you switch to ritalin? I hope things are working out better for you now.

I emailed my doctor yesterday but he hasn't replied so if he hasn't replied by monday im gonna ring him. I've been taking it for about 3 weeks now and its gone from giving me bad side effects to doing nothing. It does absolutely nothing to me anymore apart from make my memory much worse. I nearly have to make a list before I go to the kitchen to get a drink because by the time I get to the kitchen I cant remember why I'm there anymore.

I thought the strattera was giving me a sore throat but I'm actually sick. First time I've been sick in about 5 years just so happens to be 3 weeks after I started taking Strattera. Nothing serious just real bad sore throats every morning and that feeling you get when you have a cold or the flu.

I'm not gonna take no for an answer when I talk to the psychiatrist on monday. All the harm this bull****s caused and it hasn't even helped at all theres no point in taking the stuff at all.

Yeah, I agree. I hope you find something better!