Just given Strattera to try

[kimo]

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:

[Arbuck]

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

[kimo]

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!

[Christiana]

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

[Andrew]

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.

[Christiana]

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!

[kimo]

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.

[ADDrastic]

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:

[ADDthis]

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!

[Andrew]

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

[Arbuck]

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

[kimo]

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??

[Christiana]

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

[kimo]

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!

[Gregster]

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