Hi everyone!

I just got back from the psychiatrist . . . she wants me to try the Strattera (no surprise there). She said to start at 40 mg for 4 days, then increase by 10 mg every 2 days up to 80 mg.

First off, any caveats or things to watch out for upon first starting these things? I've read all the posts about the side effects and all. I'm worried about the fatigue and tiredness. Heck - they think I'm not motivated now - wait till I'm tired all the time!

Is it best to take at night or in the morning? Trying to decide if I'll start tonight or wait until morning. Any advice on that?

Heck, any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated at this time!!! I'm very nervous about this for some reason . . . course, that's probably just my anxiety kicking in! ;)

The doc was concerned about my anxiety and thought that Adderal would make it worse. So we'll see.

Please wish me luck! I'm trying to look at this as an adventure on modern chemisty! :bowl:

Wish I could help, Kimo, but I just was prescribed Strattera today too. However, my Psychiatrist told me to take it when I got home sooooo... I will let you know if I start seeing flying monkeys or I actually start a project.

As I was only diagnosed as ADD today, I have no other drug history. My Doc wants to treat the ADD before she addresses anything else. She thinks I could have anxiety issues but wants to be sure that they aren't just the result of ADD fears.

I am hoping the best for us both, Kimo! It will be nice to concentrate on something else for a change besides ADD...

Arbuck

LOL Arbuck! Yeah, let me know if it makes you sleepy. But I guess if I don't hear from you, it means you fell asleep and couldn't respond! ;)

hey guys, i'm in the same boat! I started strattera last thursday (so it's been 5 days)

So far I havne't seen too much except the tiredness (which was mild for me, and only lasted 2 days) but I'm on a low dose - 20mg
until thursday, when I go up to 40 mg. I'm a little scared since I have a final exam on friday morning! LOL - if it works, then FANTASTIC, but if i'm super tired... well... heh!

I asked my doctor if I could go to 40 mg tommorrow since the side effects weren't bad, but no response yet.

BTW I tried concerta and adderall with very bad effects on each. (dizziness/headaches, mood swings and became very overfocused) I've heard that strattera works more on noropinephrine while the others work more on dopamine - and this is probably the difference. some people have one problem... others have another... I've also heard that strattera seems to help more with concentration itself, and organization, rather than just motivation - although i'm sure that varies from person to person too.

I'm so excited - i swear, if this WORKS then when I graduate I'm applying for a job with Eli Lilley. LOL

You should all know that it can take weeks for the full benefits of the medication to be realized. Along the way, you may experience one or more side effects from Strattera. Some may be temporary, while others will be persistent. Please stay in touch with your doctor, as your body becomes accustomed to the medication.

As for best time to take it? Late at nite, immediately before bed, works for me. Others swear by taking it in the morning. Trial and error, my friends. :)

thanks BIG, i'll keep that in mind. I like the idea of taking it at night - if tiredness becomes an issue i'll try that!

Keep us posted Christiana! And I will do the same. BTW, do you take yours morning or night? Still trying to decide if I'm taking it tonight or waiting till morning. I ended up having and anxiety attack tonight so I took a very small dose of Xanax. So I don't know if I want to take the Strattera now. I have to teach classes tomorrow and Wednesday at work so I don't want to be up all night when I need to be functioning well for the next couple of days. Ugh. But I don't want to wait to start the meds either. I mean, I have to start taking them sometime and there is never a "good time" to feel like crap I gues. ;)

Hi,
I have been taking Strattera for about 3 weeks now, and have only got progressively worse. At first (the first couple of days), I felt more in tune with things, but since have gone downhill so much, it has cost me having to drop one class, and now another. I have three classes left and if things don't make a 100% turnaround quickly, I will be dropping another class.

I am getting absolutely NOTHING done. I go to class and can barely keep up. I have a home buisness that has literally ceased to function at all. I get home and crash out for hours, then come to in the middle of the night and sit there in a daze for 5,6 or 7 hours, and then all the sudden I come to again, and realize it's time to get rolling for class again...AT 9:00AM IN THE MORNING...notice I didn't say any homework or studying got done, or anything else.

I have told the Doctor this, and have got the same thing i have gotten for the last 20 years... "It'll get better, just give it time".

I'm 37 years old, I don't have time like that to waste, and everytime I do I lose something that took me months or years to get. This time it's 16 weeks of work at a college WASTED! I'm beyond sick of hearing it.

I'm ill, I don't have the patience for it anymore, and I don't know how to deal with it. It's the S.O.S. I've heard over and over again and it has cost me literally everything I've worked for my entire life. Through there misdiagnoses, and their continual telling me "It's gonna get better" I have lost everything. I have no house anymore, no car, no family, no freinds, and the only thing left is college which has now been ruined.

I hope and pray this stuff works for somebody...it sure screwed me up royally! :sad:

kimo,
I take mine in the morning(40mg). I noticed Stratterra's effects within a day and experienced VERY mild side effects about 7-10days in. (the most annoying>> waking up several mornings at 3-4am for an hour). My body has since adjusted and my over all experience with Stratterra has been excellent.

Please update us on your experience!

Im sorry to hear of your experience with Strattera. Unfortunately, not every med will work for everyone.

I was diagnosed with ADD this morning and took my first Stratteraa at 1pm. So far, I feel ok. A little dry. Peripheral vision a little fuzzy. Otherwise, I am fine. Don't notice any change in concentration but haven't had much to concentrate on. I took the day off to get acclimated.

As it is now bedtime, I will see how I sleep. My prayers go out to you all as you search for the right meds and the right methods. I look forward to the day that I can say that I "use" my ADD to my advantage.

Arbuck

Well, day 1. Feel like I have a cold and have taken cold medication but it hasn't helped the cold symptoms. Gee, I hope that made sense! Quite tired. Sweating. Cold nose. Headache. Just feel "weird" I guess. I usually drink lots of water during the day all the time so not too much problem with dehydration. Had a bit of time there where I was really cranky and irritable. I was working on something here at work and someone was trying to talk to me and it was really making me mad!

I'm really interested in seeing how I will sleep tonight.

Oh, and no appetite. Really had to force myself to eat today.

Some heart palpitations too. But I have Mitral Valve Prolapse so sometime I get palpitations for no reason.

So we'll see how it goes. Better living through modern chemistry, right?? :D

i went up to 40 mg today, and so far havne't seen any difference (or at least not noticable), I can tell i'm on medicine, but it's just sort of a very slight tiredness, slight headache. hardly a problem...

I think my appitite is a little decreased but not too much

haven't seen much improvement in concentration yet but I'm only on my 5th day so we'll see

Well, had a really lousy nights sleep last night. I was dead tired, fell asleep on couch at 9:30. Woke at 11:30. Dozed back off. Woke up at 12:30. Watched TV till 2 am. Went to bed. Tossed and turned all night. Dozed on and off. No dreams that I can remember.

Today - don't feel as drowsy as I did yesterday. And especially with the little bit of sleep I got, I thought I was going to be really hurting today! But not too bad. Mild headache. Will probably take a couple aspirin.

Also had "night sweats" all night too. Was still really warm and "clammy" this morning. Seems to have stopped now and I actually fell a bit chilled.

My heart rate has gone up. It's usually 60 and now it's 76.

Okay, that's todays update! :D

Changing the time of day you take Strattera might help your sleep. I think a lot of people take it right when they get up in the morning.
Side effects take a few weeks to go away, but they should wane slowly as your body gets used to them.
Good luck,
Greg

Well, I slept MUCH better last night! Still woke up a few times but fell back to sleep right away. So I feel much better today.

The sweating part is a killer! Going through from being really chilled to being extremely hot to being chilled again. Weird. At least *I* have control of the thermostat where I work! :D

I hit the wall yesterday at 2 pm where I was completely wiped out. Could be a combo of both the meds and only getting a couple hours sleep.

No headache yet today. Took the dose 1 1/2 hours ago.

Nauseous but pretzels helped that go away.

Will update more later!

My day 4 on Strattera. Have minor side effects. Little slower urinating. Decreased appetite. Changes in concentration minor but present. Dosage is only at 25mg so not expecting great things in the beginning.

So far so good. Tomorrow, I go to 40mg. I have high hopes.

I like the journal-like aspect of this thread. Keep posting. It will give the newbys-to-come some idea of what to expect day-to-day.

Can anyone tell me why my nose is bright red and hot?? And my chin too, but not as much. Weird. I noticed it for a bit yesterday as well.

It is a side effect of putting your nose to the grindstone!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

ROFLOL!!!

I love your little avitar! Very cute!

I went over to the medical center here at work and had my blood pressure taken . . . it is 150 over 90. When I had it checked a couple weeks ago it was 130 over 80. My heart rate is up to 88 as well. It was 60. But hopefully it's just my body adjusting and will go back down.

Hey, this stuff must be working. I just did 2 jobs here at work that I very easily could have put off till tomorrow. And I did one right after the other without hesitation. And I even sat down and planned what I'm going to do tomorrow! :D Of course, we'll see if I really do what I planned . . . but it's a step in the right direction! ;)

Sorry about the "red nose" humor. My wife asked me if I had sunburn on my nose last night. I checked a mirror and I, too, had the "rudolph" syndrom. You are not alone, Kimo.

Ramped up this morning to 40mg. Will see how today goes. Yesterday proved to be productive and I believe I stayed comparatively focused however focused for me is objective.

Arbuck - oh don't apologize - I cracked up laughing when I read that!!

I think this stuff is kicking in today. I was only 15 minutes late for work :) and I usually don't really "get going" until 10. I usually read mail, read e-mails, etc till I "wake up." Today I was getting going by 9 already. And it was a very productive morning. I had this one job to do that is VERY boring - but I actually stuck with it, didn't get up and wander away like I usually do.

Slept pretty good last night. Appetite is coming back.

I did notice,however, that I'm a bit irratible (sp?) when something goes wrong. I've said a lot more 4 letter words than I usually do. :) So my anger level appears to be a bit lower (or would that be higher?)

This is my last day on 40 mg, tomorrow I go to 50 mg for 2 days.

Up to 50 mg for the next 2 days.

Well, it's Saturday which is house cleaning day. I have to say, todays cleaning went really well! I was able to stay on track, and pretty much kept going until I was done. No stopping to read, no stopping to check e-mail, watch TV, etc.

Yesterday I had a very productive day at work. I left there feeling good about what I had accomplished. I haven't felt like that in a very long time.

Had a fairly easy time getting up this morning. In fact, was up before 8 am (unusual for a weekend morning), made a fresh pot of coffee, fed my parrots, fed the outside birds and took the dog for a walk all before 8:30 am!! Well, I was impressed. :D

Slept pretty good last night.

Heart palpitations have subsided. Except after I finished washing the floor my heart was thumping really bad. Had to lay down for a bit to calm myself down.

But my pulse was down into the 70's (from the high 80's and low 90's the other day) so I think that side effect is going away.

I've started eating raisin bran this morning as I haven't gone to the bathroom since I started these meds. Not necessarily unusual for me but since I have heard constipation can be a problem on these meds . .. that's one problem I don't need!

So so far, I'm impressed with the results of this med. I have to say I'm surprised as it seems quite a few people don't have luck with it. We'll see how things progress.

The effectiveness of Strattera does seem, from anicdotal evidence, to be very "black or white" - it either works very well, or not at all, depending on the person's brain chemistry I guess.
I'm glad it works for you Kimo, especially since I'd imagine that your MVP prevents you from taking stimulants, which would limit your treatment options.
Regards,
Greg

I've been up to 80 mgs for about a week now and the results so far have been great!

The side effects which I initially encountered (head aches, nausea, etc) have gone away. In fact, I am no longer experiencing any side effects whatsoever.

Motivation: High

Organization: Better than it's been my entire life

This is the first time I have ever been medicated for ADD so I really didn't know what to expect, but I was optimistic upon beginning Strattera.

Before I was medicated I use to make "To Do" lists. Of course, nothing on the to do lists would ever get done. Now however, I'm looking at my To Do list and things are getting crossed off left and right! :)

I guess the jury is still out, but it seems that, for me at least, things are beginning to fall into place.

Best of luck to all of you ADDers out there!

Immortalist

Hmmm, I think I took a turn for the worse or something. Second day on 50 mg. Took pills around 9:30. Was doing okay. Then hubby and I went out shopping and I drove. Man, I wish I knew how to explain this but I was having a very hard time negotiating things on the rode and in the parking lot. Like my brain was way too slowed down maybe? Like, oh heck, I don't know. It was just weird.

And now I'm feeling extremely nervous and jittery. And cranky. I just told my husband to please forgive me if I snap at him or anything, I don't mean too.

Poor dog, I was making some apple crunch stuff and the dog was at my feet trying to get what fell on the floor and I snapped and kicked her out of the way and yelled at her. Boy did I feel bad. And now here she is, laying at my feet in total forgiveness. :)

And I feel like I want to curl up on the couch and cry or something. It's not PMS but it sure sounds like it is.

Wonder if taking a Xanax would help? I'll wait it out and see how I feel. Between the Lexapro and Strattera, I think I have enough chemistry going on in my head. :sick:

Forgot to mention, the motivation I had yesterday seems to be gone too. Although I think the focus is still there. Actually sat on the couch this morning and watched a movie.

My day six is similar to yours, Kimo. Started out ok but found myself easily angered. I didn't have trouble driving but have spaced out several things that I usually do without thinking.

There are aspects of ADD that Strattera is helping quite a bit and other things, that I expected to get better, have not changed. This could have to do with which symptoms are low grade and which will require longer term medication before I see improvement. My day is still greatly improved over last week at this time.

I am in this for the long haul. The alternatives are much less attractive so it is in my best interest that Strattera works!

Yeah, I'm not giving up yet. I guess I'm just disappointed or something. I was assuming incremental improvements each day and I feel today is a step or 2 backward. Right now I feel like I always have. You know, like before I started the Strattera. Like it has abandoned me or something. Maybe tomorrow with be better. :) But right now I feel quite depressed.

Okay, no one ever said it would be easy, right? Growing pains, right? :)

I have to say, though, that I am greatful for this site! At least I don't feel so "alone" in all of this. And know that you, Arbuck, are going through the same thing at the same time is quite comforting as well. It's great having someone to compare notes with.

Stopped taking the Strattera. Sunday was very depressed and very irratable, short tempered, etc.

Did not take Monday's dose. I was afraid to. I was supposed to go up to 60 mg on Monday but after having my BP and pulse checked, I was frightened. My BP was 148/84 and my pulse was 106. Called the doc. She said that since I had not taken my dose on Monday that the BP could not be caused by the Straterra. She told me to have it checked Tuesday and call her.

So I went to the med center this morning . . . BP 118/80. Coincidence? I don't know. Called the doc. She told me to monitor BP the rest of the week. If it's still low, restart Strattera. Then monitor BP. If it goes up, stop taking it.

Oh, pulse is now 84. Last night it was 76.

I asked her about Wellbutrin but for some reason she's really pushing this Strattera and wants me to give it a try.

Oh, and I finally had to take a laxative last night after not going for over a week!

I don't know . . . is it really worth all this?

I am sorry that your results on Strattera isn't good yet. I started a 25mg, am at 40mg for 2 weeks, then I ramp up to 80. Today is day 8. I think now I am glad that I am taking it this slow. It will give my body more time to get accustomed to the meds.

Kimo, it sounds like while your head may improve with Strattera, the other body systems do not like it. I have been drinking a mildly laxative tea regularly for weight. I have continued to use it with the meds and haven't had the long-term constipation.

Maybe you should ask your doctor if you can ramp up a bit slower when you go back on the Strattera. Yesterday, I had a follow-up to my yearly physical which was the week before I started Strattera. All the blood work shows I am in excellent health, all functions. The doctor was quite happy with the results and the fact that after a week of taking Strattera, I showed no changes. Actually, my BP was down from the pre-Strattera physical.

So far, my concentration is a better and I am not near as excitable. I will keep this thread updated.

Long story short, my BP and pulse were very high while on the Strattera so my doc asked me to stop taking it for a week, monitor my BP and see if it goes down. And if it does, start on it again and check BP again.

So my BP was around 120/80 all week. So today I started again. Only this time instead of starting with the 40 mg I started with 20 (she had given me a bunch of 10 mg pills to ramp up from 40 into 50 and 60 mg).

Well, what a huge difference a lower dose makes! I feel great today! I got my house cleaned today in literally half the time it normally takes me. I didn't get distracted by anything and I stayed right on task moving from one chore to another without hesitation or goofing off for awhile in between chores.

And I actually feel happy! I always hate cleaning the house, but today I was actually happy while cleaning! This is unheard of.

All I can say is a pray this lasts and that it only gets better from here.

I have enough 10's for 4 days at 20 mg. Then I guess I'll go back to the 40's and see what happens.

BTW, I've always been a lightweight when it comes to medications. So I'm wondering if maybe my body just requires a much lower dose than most people?

Anyways, I'm feeling very encouraged right now!!! Just wanted to share . . . :bowl:

Kimo that is great!

I also have always been sensitive to meds and have only worked up to 20mm- I really noticed a change even at 10mm!!!

Strattera has helped me most with exactly what you described- taking the agony out of house work. When I was diagnosed w/ ADD I realized what I hate about housework is that I never really know what to do. I think that is why I have always like cleaning- like moping the floor more than sorting through all of my crap.

I am just finishing my 1st week of Strattera and hope it continues to help us both!!!

Lauren

my son has been taking straterra for about a month now. My advice is to find the time of day that works best for you and then stick to it. We give him his right away in the am and the few times we have waited until mid day were horrible. he was depressed and winey all afternoon. He is only 5 so he can't realy verbalize how he feels inside. But i can so notice a difference if it's not taken at the same time every day.

Well, all week I have been on a low dose (since Saturday). Took 20 mg for 4 days, then 25 mg for the last 2 days. Not feeling too many side effects. I do hit the wall between 3 and 4 pm and feel very tired (taking my meds between 8 and 8:30 am each day). About the only real side effect I seem to have is the constipation. I'm gonna give it one more day before I take the Milk of Magnesia.

I am feeling benefits for sure. Concentration, focus and motivation are better. Not great, but better for sure.

I'm going to start 40 mg tomorrow (Friday) and see how it goes. I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow to get some spring cleaning done. Actually, I'm trying to "unclutter" my life per the book "You mean I'm not lazy, stupid, or crazy?" in which the authors recommend simplifying and uncluttering. So that is what I have been doing. And boy does it feel good! :D

So anyways, I'm feeling encouraged and am thinking this med may work for me after all. Only time will tell.

My psychiatrist today was happy with my progress on Strattera as was I. I have been on 40mg for two weeks. She is ramping me up to the next level. 40 in the morning and 18 in the afternoon for 4 days, then 25 in the afternoon for four days, then 40mgs twice a day. I must say that I was really ready for this. I, too, hit a ceiling in the afternoon. It is not like a stimulant crash but I get lethargic and my ability to focus plummets. It will be great to get an afternoon booster so I can continue thinking after I get done working.

Stattera may not be a cure for ADD but it is giving me enough focus to see what the problems are and the drive to do something about it.

Now, if only the people in my life would cooperate.

25mg 4 days, 40mg 4 days, then 60mg. All kinds of side effects which all eased except for when I went to 60mg. Urinary problems were too great and Doc sent me back to 25mg where I'll stay for 2 weeks until I see him again. I've only been on 12 days and really want to give the drug a fair shake.

Early on I had an "awakenings" period where things were clicking. Clarity, focus, follow-thru, motivation, linear thinking and I suddenly had that switch that let my impulsive thoughts stay in my brain rather than come out my mouth! Has anyone else had the "awakenings" feeling that went away but HOPEFULLY returned later during treatment? I've also seen other posts describing Stratt as a "lights on" drug where you know right away if it works for you or not. Anyone out there that has been on the drug for awhile and did not see any improvement until further along in treatment?

Well, I ramped up to 40 mg this past Friday. And I cannot believe how much stuff I got done over the weekend! We're talking some major spring cleaning I've been wanting to get done for years! I just can't believe how much this drug is helping me!

I told my husband that I wish I had this drug 20 years ago. He said, yeah, you could be a rocket scientist by now, or, at least the house would have been clean! :rolleyes: Ha. ha. ha. He said it in good fun.

And I've been way more productive at work as well. I'm motivated, I'm staying on task, I'm getting things done. Not getting too terribly distracted. Absolutely amazing that a drug can do this!

My BP is still acceptable . . . this morning it was 130/80. Pulse was 80.

Only thing I noticed was that after my lunchtime walk (we walk 2 miles a day on our lunch hour at work) that I was having heart palpitations for about 45 minutes afterwards. Now while I do get palpitations due to the Mitral Valve Prolapse, they usually don't last any longer than 5 or 10 minutes. So that concerned me a bit. But I haven't had any since.

I can't wait to see what I will be like in a couple of weeks since it's supposed to take 4 weeks to see the full effects. Maybe I *will* become a rocket scientist! :eek:

One thing I noticed is between 3 and 4 the effects definitely wear off. I take the pill around 8:30 in the morning. Between 3 and 4 it's almost like someone flicks a switch on me and I'm back to my "normal" self. I feel a bit blue and a bit irritable but other than that, it's not like a bad "crash" or anything.

So needless to say, I am feeling extremely encouraged now. No real side effects . . . the constipation is gone.

I only pray that this lasts and this drug doesn't poop out on me as I've heard can happen to some people.

Kimo-

I am only up to 30 mg. I was having the same 3 o'clock problem that you did. It was unbearable because I pick my daughter up from kindergarten at 3:00 and was so cranky with her. Now I take 2, 10 mg pills in the morning and one around 2:30-3:00. (I was worried about not being able sleep but so far so good.)

I have found the same thing about being able to get stuff done around the house. Amazing. It is nice to really feel validated about what a impediment ADD really is. It is really true- I am not LAZY!

Keeping the house clean is probably my #1 marrital problem. I really hope this makes our home a little more peaceful. Already I really think it is helping. My hubby really has noticed the difference. He always said he believed the ADD stuff- but I could tell he was a little skeptical. This has really shown him how much of a problem it really was for me.

Lets hope it keeps working for both of us!!!

Just wanted to post an update.

Looks like Strattera is not the med for me. To make a very long story short, week 3 and 4 on it was causing severe depression, anger, rage, agitation, etc. Not good. And the longer I was on it, the worse it got.

So now I'm on Wellbutrin. Took first dose today. I'll give this a couple weeks. But the doc said that Wellbutrin has a 50% success rate alleviating ADD symptoms. She said that Strattera was 85 - 90% effective. I find that hard to believe with what I've read on this forum and others. But maybe that's been her experience.

If the Wellbutrin doesn't work she will try me on Adderal. But she is concerned my anxiety will just go through the roof. She said she would up my dose of Lexapro if that is the case.

Like the Grateful Dead song says . . . "what a long, strange trip it's been!"

Kimo, try not to let the statistics influence your thinking, after all, when it comes right down to it, it's either 100% or 0% for you. :)

Good point da! :D