*New* Strattera Side Effects Poll

[Andrew]

Please discuss the details of any negative side effects you or your child/spouse experience(d) with Strattera.

[joanrdtobe]

This would be me: biggest thing was I could not pee....and so generalized pain in the overall pelvic area.....Increased sex drive to a point that it was not okay, tingling in my mouth, overall feeling of lethargy and malaise....The tingling, buzzing, itching, etc. as described above would be me too.....

So came off it....

[tiggwin]

I had...
~Tingling in the scalp, usually when urinating
~Nausea (never vomited)
~Lethargy after work
~Insomnia - woke up every night around 3:00 am for an hour or so
~Pain in genitals - this was by far the most annoying. It was not constant; it would come and go every few days. Sometimes it felt like I was kicked there, and other times it was mild.

I switched to Adderall after a month or so.

[Wheel1975]

I also notice a change in percieved sound.

I already have a great sense of holophonic sound. i orient to sounds in space well.

But while on Straterra, especially, specific instruments in complex peices stood out with independence in recorded music that had blended into the background before.

also, everything i looked at had a "wow" difference to it for a while. just more dimesional somehow.

My scalp tinggled, i wondered if i were having a stroke. so did my arms sometimes. Intensely.

I coasted to a halt. If I got going on something i would perseverate until it was finished. But i had stereo typical difficulty CHANGING what I was doing. The differeence, under ADHD I didn't get "mundane" things done. Under Straterra I could only do mundane things. Then i'd grind to a halt. And sit. motionless. Disgusted that i couldn't get going again. by any means. No "passing interest' was enough to get me moving. I used that under ADHD to get motion started and hen divert myself to things i needed to do. that tool was GONE with straterra.

I came to beleive that I'd have to set my goals while off the drug and then take it to get them done.

But there were several levels of drug that produced severe dispondency and depression with suicidal ideation, while gong on the drug,

and severe crankiness when coming off, or maintaining at low levels to avoid sleepiness without sleep.

Once I'd getting going in "sexual activity" nothing was the time to quit. It was impossible to get satisfaction regardless of orgasm, need for food, sleep, etc. How FRUSTRATING! It was drug induced perseveration to the max.

[healthwiz]

neg effects - pain in groin, apparently called prostate; difficulty urinating, basically could not feel/sense when I needed to urinate, and had a difficult time starting.

solution: reduced dose to 40 mg / day, and taking sawgrass supplements.

result: very infrequent slight mild pain in prostate/groin, and considerable ease in urination - almost completely normal.

positive effects:
much improvement in planning,
waking at 630 am and getting to sleep comparitively early, on a predictable schedule, tonight being the exception, oddly enough,
thinking things through much better,
less sensation of panic or freaking out from disorder in life,
more orderly living,
better results on organizing my life,
feel comfortable in social setttings,
feeling comfortable about myself

how long have i been taking it? since it came on the market, I had it 2 weeks later.

Jonathan

[Wheel1975]

Originally posted by healthwiz

how long have i been taking it? since it came on the market, I had it 2 weeks later.

Jonathan

Rather than a proportion of an unknow period, could you specify a date or number of standard unit? days, weeks, or months?

[healthwiz]

sorry...i dont do dates well...remember 'm ADD!

If you look at the date it came on the market, wasn't it around January, or was it longer ago? then you will be able to determine the exact months if that is necessary. It has been several months, not weeks. Hope that helps.

Jon

[healthwiz]

wheel...I'm not an expert, but it sounds like you were going through a manic depressive type of experience on the Straterra, and I recall reading that Straterra can have negative effects on people with bi-polar disorder. Its something to take or leave, because, as I said, I'm not well read in that area.

Jon

[Wheel1975]

Originally posted by healthwiz
sorry...i dont do dates well...remember 'm ADD!

If you look at the date it came on the market, wasn't it around January, or was it longer ago? then you will be able to determine the exact months if that is necessary. It has been several months, not weeks. Hope that helps.

Jon

"I don't do dates well" I suspected as much. But, of course, none of your readers HERE do any better with dates than you do! : )

January 2003? Ok. Thanks.

[healthwiz]

lol... i just read this one....true...good response..

J

[aforceforgood]

Met an ADD woman who was a pharma rep, and she informed me that Strattera actually has the MOST side effects of any of the ADD drugs, it's just that they're different side effects than the other drugs, so that somewhat explains why they use it.

Also she said it was kind of rushed to market to make a profit with without as much testing as usually happens. I believe the FDA is loosening up their standards, though I could be wrong about that...

[Wheel1975]

Originally posted by healthwiz
wheel...I'm not an expert, but it sounds like you were going through a manic depressive type of experience on the Straterra, and I recall reading that Straterra can have negative effects on people with bi-polar disorder.
Jon

Thanks... actually, I didn't feel I had the manic half of that while on Strattera... but i sure got the short pointy end of the stick!

It could still relate.

[odiin]

i feel crazy the emotion is unexplainable this is the worst drug ive ever been prescribed and i feel like i could be having more of a life on a bad trip off a heavy dose of lsd. i have all the listed side effects except cotton mouth and hives from strattera.

i had been diagnosed with adhd in 7th grade and was started on ritalin which was pretty bad too but a friend of mine who was diagnosed was taking dexedrine and i talked to my doctor about getting that and it worked the best. i would take the medicine school year only and when i would go off it i would get into much trouble with the law, have horrible communication and basically just suffer from adhd all over again.

i am 22 and the same thing is still happening except i am more tired now. i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and after 6-8 months of zoloft, ambien and ativan the same adhd symptoms were going on except i didnt care about them (panic) as much. my doctor is telling me its a spiritual issue and refuses to put me on dexedrine..what a fool...prescribe me the freaking bible, he should lose his job.

what is the deal i had dexedrine re-prescribed when i was in college and i was an adult then but there is all this damn hype out now about stimulants, my liver is fine, my thyroid has been tested, i have had a whole damn mri of my body done, ive been to a neruo surgeon, ive had hours and hours of blood tests done ITS JUST ADHD AND I WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL FREAKING WORK AND IM NOT GOING TO ABUSE THE DAMN DRUG IM GOING TO RESPECT IT AND HAVE A NORMAL LIFE I WANT IT BACKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why have stimulants on the market when doctors can prescribe you such wonderous things as STRATTERA (INSANITY HCL), THE BIBLE, OH AND CAN I GET A MIRACLE AMEN. i am a damn adult and i work as a registered nurse with a license to pass controlled substances i think i can handle giving myself dexedrine, probably better off than a parent giving the meds to their child, who is to say the parent isnt stealing the kids meds some times and handing them an aspirin? mom has to get the chores done and dad has a big presentation at the end of the week....this is just foolish and i am going to stop rambling now but i just want to know if anyone else feels the way i do!!!

[Wheel1975]

odiin

Strattera was very hard for me too...

And then it made me feel worse that useless and suicidal.

You know everything you need too...

wait until you adjust to this drug or it is well out of your system, then find different doctor.

[Andrew]

I agree with Wheel...Sure sounds like you need to find a new doctor.

Welcome to the ADD Forums, odiin