Goodbye to Strattera - Experiences with Strattera

[tiggwin]

I could sit here and write up a detailed synopsis of my 5 week Strattera trial from scratch, "but that could take years and cost millions of lives". (sorry--Animal House quote ). Instead, I'm going to paste in my pseudo-journal entries from my palm pilot. Before we get to that, the Doc had said I should ramp up to 80mgs in 2 weeks, but my system couldn't take that much that quickly so I increased much more slowly, ending up at 80mg/day.

ADDer's version: Strattera had some benefits, but the side effects that didn't go away were too bad to continue with it.

Detailed version:

Started taking on 7/31/03
Week 1 -
Side-effects:
~little nauseous for first couple days
~little dizzy for a few hour after taking. still day 5
~occasional pain in the [let's just say "my boys down south"]
~some fatigue

Positives:
noticibly better concentration/focus
fewer extraneous thoughts, mind wandering less

Week 2
~nausea, diziness basically gone
~still feel a little drugged
~less tendency to socialize --due to fogginess?
~constant dull feeling in the [see week 1]
~no improvement to short term memory or ability to handle lots of detail at once (since Strat does nothing for dopamine?)
~no improvement to impulsive speech (talking before thinking)

Positives:
same as week 1 - continue to notice:
~ability to focus and
~feeling like mind is quieter
~but still feel a trouble REfocusing


Week 3 - same as week 2
~improvement to focus less obvious
~noticing mood swings
~short-term memory issues

Week 4
Started taking 50mgs - 25mgs twice/day 8/25 (yesterday)
~extreme fatigue in evening first day
8/28
~slight nausea, diziness is back
~soreness in [see week 1]
~short term memory - still no improvement
~organization skills - still no improvement
~organizing of thoughts while talking challenging at times due to fogginess
~increase in drugged or hungover feeling with increase in focus
~light seems brighter
~mood swings

Week 5
9/3 started taking 65 mgs - 40mg am and 25 mg pm
~feel too adrenalin-pumped
~lungs feel over-used or just like after "fight or flight" stimulus even at rest.
~occasional unpleasant feeling to take deep breaths, like after swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool for too long.

9/5 started taking 75mgs - 25mg am, 25mg noon 25mg pm
9/7 40mgs am 40mg pm
~Sleeplessness and wake up in middle of night for longer periods
~lungs feel tired

Summary
~Short Attention Span/Distractibility >HELPS
~Impulsivity >DOES NOT HELP
~Poor Organization >DOES NOT HELP
~Problems Getting Started and Following Through >DOES NOT HELP
~Communication, expressing thoughts clearly >WORSE?
~Where'd I put those frickin' sunglasses 8 days ago?

Visited Doc yesterday
~Goodbye Strattera
~Hello Adderol - Much better so far (day 1)

[Andrew]

I'm sorry strattera didnt work out for you, but I'm glad you've decided to try something else. Have patience As I am often seen posting in here, not every person will respond the same to the same meds.

and thank you for posting your med journal entries!

[joanrdtobe]

Tiggwin: Thanks from me too for your med journal....very organized....I should be so organized...sigh......

And I too am sorry that the Strattera did not work for you....Would it make you feel better if I told you that I had basically the same exact results as you on the med?? Terrible side effects....many that you mention, plus a few others.....and some ability to focus better was the best positive effect....but not worth the side effects.....

Well now you are that much closer to finding the med/combo that works just right for you....It really is a trial and error thing sometimes....unfortunately....I hope the Adderal works out better for you

[tiggwin]

You're welcome, Big and Joan. Pasting in the journal was a lot easier than trying to rehash it from memory, but I'm also hoping to lead by example. Just the idea of keeping a journal during a med trial helped to give the doc a better recommendation. And actually by the time i got to 65mg, I was starting to sense that Strat wasn't for me, and it became an exercise in collecting evidence for the doc.

I've been on an antidepressant since i was diagnosed 6 years ago, and my first doc never had me take a "med vacation" so i have forgotten what my thinking process is like without meds. Even with Strat, I transitioned from Wellbutrin straight over to it. That's why I am really looking forward to trying Adderol. (Day 2-(WOW so far very encouraged). What many on stimulants see as a negative, I see as a positive: the period when it wears off will allow me to really disinguish from the real brain and the stimulated brain.

one last thing: I really learned something important from trying Strattera (by the way how come I still can't remember if there are 3 "t"s or 3 "r"s in "Strattera". I have to check every time I write it ). That is that MY ADD BRAIN NEEDS MORE DOPAMINE. How do I know? Strattera does very little for dopamine and focuses on norepinephrine, and Adderol already seems to fill in that gap (pun intended).

[nnamelet]

Strattera worked for me but I didn't need to check out all the other reported side effects. I'm an older male and though I normally have the t ypical enlarged prostate problem under control with nutrient supplements - Strattera gave my prostate fits.

Had a younger friend and it affected him too in a minor way but he ignored it.

So goodbye, Strattera. It's only real advantage seem s to be that it's not a class 2 drug though it behaves like one.

Warrior

[Gregster]

Strattera - You love it or you hate it
It's one more tool to use to help, which is great (and a godsend for ADHDers who can't take stimulants due to bad reactions or contraindications), but I think some Drs are using it first since it is not controlled and therefore less worry and hassle for them, even though stimulants help a larger percentage of people.
BTW, most drug side effects go away, or get much less severe after about 4 or 5 weeks - if you can stand them for that long!

[Sunni]

I took Stattera for about six months. I got much better results from Concerta. I think maybe I wasn't at a high enough dosage, not sure, but I got very little affects from it (few side effects too).

[turbo]

What was your dosage Sunni? and are you small, medium, or large framed? (How do I politely inquire about weight?)

I was really hoping for some big changes, but I'm pretty much maxed on my dosage and after 2-3 weeks, I'm thinking i should be looking at something else too.

The Strat makes some difference, but I certainly wouldn't call it a miracle drug. I realize its a very individual thing, but has anyone here found their Holy Grail?

[nnamelet]

You can't have ADD and do things so systematically! Get out of this forum.(joke).

This is an absolutely superb analysis of drug effects. I had the same bad experience with Strattera, only my problem was with its riling up my prostate (older male).

Regard

[timh]

I am I correct in stating, Strattera will not help you :

• organize - This is a learned process, a pill can not make you more organized. The pill will help you stay on track once you prioritze and start to organize your desk, cupboards, room ...
• communication - this is also learned, a coach or therapist can help with these skills
• getting started on projects - again this goes back to prioritization, a learned skill (The Covey System - Franklin Covey can teach you these skills)
• remembering - this is also related back to a system. When you get in the house put your keys on the hook, put your shoes in your closet, put your wallet on your dresser. Stick with it and it will be come a habit.

The medicine should calm you and make you less impulsive. The main benefit is lengthening you attention span and reducing your distractibility. This is more than half the battle.

Your journal was outstanding and I can relate to many of your entries. I am glad you were given the opportunity to try Adderall. Unfortunately, since this is a controlled substance, you will have to go back to your doctor every month for refills.

I started on Adderal XR (6-8 hour half-life) as a sure fire test if I had ADD/HD. The doctor said within 15 min of taking your first pill you will be uneffected (ADD) or bouncing off the walls (Non-ADD). Then I started to introduce Strattera (10mg, 16mg, 20mg, 40mg, 60mg, now 80mg). I am still taking Adderall XR in the morning and Strattera (40mg) in the afternoon and night. I am going to switch over to all Strattera within the next couple months.

Good luck with your plan and please journal any additional med trials.

- Tim