afraid of my doctor's next recommendations... help!

[marajade]

ok, normally i see people on 80mg of strattera and no one seems to be going much over 80mg.

my doctor apparently wants to overdose me on medication that really isn't working for me.

i take 2 40mg pills at night, and wake up at least a few times during the night.. nothing bad, but it's enough to annoy me. i have dry mouth all the time now.. and no real increase in focus/concentration. a litlte light increase every once in a while, but for the side effects it should be 24/7.

i also have extremely vivid nightmares...

anyway.. my doctor now says to take 3 pills, at 3 different times per day. that would take me up to 120mg...

honestly, is this doctor even worth it? i've made an appointment with another doctor for a second opinion, because obviously this strattera is not working for me enough to the point where i'm willingly happy to take 3 pills of it.

michelle

[Buzz]

I saw a formula for the max prescription which I believe it to be "divide your weight by 2.2, then mutliply that # by 1.2 and thats the most mg's your supposed to take per day" (someone correct me if I am wrong).

[Andrew]

I haven't seen that formula (though I'm not doubting you).

Severina, I hate to say this, but, not all ADD meds work for all ADDers. You may very well be in the small percentage that might benefit from a higher than 80mg dosage of Strattera, or you may likely be in the larger percentage of the ADD population that Strattera just doesnt work well for.

How long have you been on Strattera? Longer than 2 weeks? That's typically the average amount of time that doctor's want you to stay on Strattera, to see the full benefit of the med.

Dry mouth is a pretty common initial side effect of Strattera, and goes away after the first couple of weeks (for most). Strattera acts as a diuretic, so make sure you drink more fluids than you usually do.

You might also try taking your meds in the morning, as opposed to at night time. Or you can try them at mid-day.

I take one 40mg at night. and 36mg (2x18mg) at lunch time.

What other meds have you tried?

[biker]

I second Andrew advice. I was on 120mg of Strattera for a while and it did not affect me much differently than 80mg. I did have some plumbing side affects. I am a male so that may be different for you. I has some vivd dreams on Strattera the 1st couple of weeks and then they stopped. they were not nightmares. I now no longer take Strattera. I am on Adderall XR and it really works for me. Just remember all meds work differently on each person. So what works for you might not work for me. Good luck to you and keep us posted.
Jim

[Gregster]

The physician information sheet indicates that for children and adolescents up to 70kg the max dose is 1.2 mg/Kg (no benefit shown above that level) - the formula Buzz gave above would calculate this amount from your weight in pounds. The max recommended dose for adults is 100mg. You may see benefits above that, but if it's not working after a couple of weeks at 80mg, it wouldn't make a lot of sense for it to all of the sudden start working at 120mg! Plus the side effects you are suffering are enough to stop, I should think. I'd ask the Dr for his rationelle for the increase!
Good Luck,
Greg

[Nucking_Futs]

Please, Keep in mind that you alway's have the right to say NO that does not make sense to me and you alway's have the right to seek another proffessional's help or advice when you are uncomfortable with your doctor's dx or tx.

[Andrew]

Amen. Just because a doctor wants to try something with you, doesnt mean you have to agree with it. Remember, you're the one that has to take the meds, not the doctor.

[Sunni]

I was on Stattera for six months at about 80mg waiting for it to "kick in." I finally switched to Concerta--SSSOOOOOO much better. My problem was concentration-- I discussed with my doctor what the difference was between the Stattera and Concerta (I was trying to stay away from stimulants). Basically, they affect your brain in different ways (of course, they are different drugs). I believe that Concerta is more on the "concentration" pathways--dopamine receptors of the brain. Stattera works here also but to a lesser extent--it distributes to other aspects that ADDers have. (I can't remember it exactly, of course) It was a nice little ven diagram--quite helpful. So I switched to concerta, other than wierd sleep issues (just during finals) I have had no problems with it. You may want to look this stuff up, learning the specific effects of medication might be helpful!

[da89165]

I wouldn't hesitate to contact the maker of Strattera to ask them about the dosage as well as trying something like taking it 3x's a day. I believe they have a consumer hotline that's 1-800-Lilly-Rx.

It's so hard to patient when you're trying to get the right medicine at the right dose for yourself. Hang in there...you're worth it!!! Try to remember to treat yourself with AT LEAST as much kindness as you would show to your best friend.