Strattera and a stimulant

[rogerj1]

I heard a local doctor speak at the local meeting of ADD resources. After the meeting I asked him how Strattera was working for his patients. He said he's found that it's helpful to add a stimulant along with the Strattera prescription. Anyone else heard this or is anyone else currently taking Strattera with a stimulant?

[Andrew]

My doc actually tried it with me..but it was at my suggestion. I didn't like it. The stimulant I tried with Strattera was my old friend, Ritalin. My body just doesnt like Ritalin anymore. I took Strattera in the morning and ritalin in the afternoon. All the same side effects (that I have detailed at length in other posts in this forum) came back.

So, I'll just stick with Strattera, which seems to be working fine.

[joanrdtobe]

Roger: That's interesting....Strattera taken with a stimulant...I mean that sounds like it sort of defeats the purpose of taking Strattera in the first place...since Strattera is so known for its non stimulant properties...and then to take a stimulant with it...what was the doctor's rationale?

Also what are "ADD resources" meetings?

[rogerj1]

It's a support group/education resource for parents who have children with ADD. It was recommended by the counselor at our elementary school. They also have a group that meets for adults with ADD. They have monthly meetings with speakers or a taped presentation. There's a loaner library for media on ADD as well. Last night was our first meeting and we enthusiastically signed up to become members.

[healthwiz]

I have adderal to take with strattera and welbutrin but i have not taken the adderal much. I have tried small doses of adderal with the other two drugs, and that is fine, but the larger doses didnt work for me. I also reduced the straterra to 40 mg, which for me works better than the higher doses. My body is sensitive to drugs, so I do better on smaller doses for many scripts. My doctor told me recently that he does not see strattera as becoming the replacement drug they hoped. He sees it as filling a role of being an add-on drug for people taking other scripts for the ADD. I think the straterra does help. I feel better, more together, with the straterra. I still take the welbutrin too, which has always helped.

Anyway, life is good!!!

Take care

Jon

[Wheel1975]

I had to cut my Adderal from 30 mg / day to 5 mg with the Strattera. Other wise all I get are jittery side effects and quessy stomach, like way too much cafine.

It keeps me from nodding off, but I am not always "awake enough" to do any productive work at all.

[Energizer_Bunny]

I am presently taking both Strattera at 40 mgs and Metadate CD at 20 mgs. I tried it, liked it and the doc approved it even though no studies have been done on it. I had to lower both of the original doses and cut them in half. But so far, so good, even though depending on how the perscritpion is written, it could cost a little bit money However, my doctor writes the perscitpion for 2 a day of each which is 60 pills, which will last 2 months.

[tiggwin]

Originally posted by joanrdtobe
That's interesting....Strattera taken with a stimulant...I mean that sounds like it sort of defeats the purpose of taking Strattera in the first place...since Strattera is so known for its non stimulant properties...and then to take a stimulant with it...what was the doctor's rationale?

It makes sense to me now that I've discovered that Strattera works on norepinephrine and stimulants work on dopamine. After surfing for the last hour, it seems many so-called experts think ADD/ADHD is caused more by lack of dopamine than the former. Others disagree of course.

[InattentiveType]

It seems to me that Wellbutrin should work even better by itself than Straterra by it self, since Wellbutrin works by inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

I guess Straterra would work better if you didn't need the extra serotonin?

[Wheel1975]

I find that drugs make us more palitable to others, occaisionally to ourselves, and do NOTHING to address central issues of difference, disability, accomodation, learning, acknowledgement, acceptance, action, etc.

Life outcomes for those medicated through school and those not medicated through school are NOT DIFFERENT. Med's don't "help."(CHADD 2002 speaker.)

Meeting needs works. Not meeting needs fails. Those who get their needs met, whether on drugs or not, do better. Those who don't, whether on drugs or not, do worse.

Drugs have, on occasion, given me different experience, from which I have learned, and which have informed, changed, my reactions to my world.

They are always debilitating if effective, and stopping th edrugs for "real" life has always been requried, in my personal experieince.

Those whom I have observed on drugs, professionals in the field and in other fields, are more paliable, but no more EFFECTIVE.

They continue to be plagued by the exact same behaviors and behavior's impacts as before, albeit in a greatly more palitable form. The bottom line is continued struggle with attending to things outside one's focus, either too much or to little, or both, a failure to be productive... classic under acheivement.

People on drugs who are clearly successful, were clearly successful BEFORE what ever drug they are currently on and praising. They misattribute their current success to their current drug.

These rampant and common errors in analysis push all my buttons. (I'm not drugged currently) On Strattera I would be "able" to "choose" to let this pass me by. Nice for those around me not getting their boats ricked, but really, in terms of "progress" for the world, a non-participating position to take and hold... non-contributing, and ultimately, unhelpful.

[joanrdtobe]

Originally posted by InattentiveType


I guess Straterra would work better if you didn't need the extra serotonin?

True....but don't we all need the extra serotonin since the serotonin (in SSRI'S) seems to help with depression....and who of us with ADD has not at some point struggled with depression as a comorbidity......

[Wheel1975]

Clinical depression and episodic depression are fundamentally different in cause and treatment. So, no, not every ADHDer needs an anti-depressant. IMHO

[tiggwin]

Originally posted by Wheel1975
not every ADHDer needs an anti-depressant. IMHO

I agree. However, I've never had clinical depression, but I do take an anti-depressant for ADD, and it helps without question. The name "anti-depressant" is not accurate; it is not "depression medicine". It's medicine for symptoms caused by relatively low levels of dopamine/epinephrine/seratonin, including depression, ADD/ ADHD or anxiety or whatever IMHO.

[joanrdtobe]

Originally posted by Wheel1975
So, no, not every ADHDer needs an anti-depressant. IMHO

Please read my post again Wheel1975. I didn't claim every ADD'er needs an anti-depressant. (and I wouldn't as who am I to make such a claim?). I was talking about low serotonin levels....which anti-depressants address....and most of us have low serotonin levels at some point....IMHO

[InattentiveType]

tiggwin,

I do take an anti-depressant for ADD, and it helps without question.

Could you please elaborate? Which anti-depressant are you taking for ADD and how exactly has it helped you?

Thanks!