Reviews/Feedback:
zippity -do-da It is very hard to tell this is not a stimulant because with my brain and body straightened out and both headed in the same direction and the energy level still up there, I run both like crazy; I just get more done. The clarity it effects is amazing.
However, I rarely take it. It does make me shakey at even the smallest dosage and of course I am and forever will be coffee-addicted.
Please, you tell me if the jittery effects (reminiscent of allergy shots) subside with regular usage.
I can only take the very lowest dosage, possibly due to magnification of neural effects related to Fibromyalgia. doctor's feel free to address this.
Worth it in time Initially I started on 20mg and had horrible side effects - more than I'd ever had for any medication, including some that aren't warned such as very vivid nightmares (night terrors for a full week), large loss of appetite and everything listed.
However, I continued with it up to 40mg and started to notice some real changes. Including some that weren't even completely related to ADHD (such as strong negative intrusive thought) and I soon felt I had a chance at really doing something with my life where this problem wouldn't interfere to an extreme.
By now the side effects are non-existant, I suppose I just had to adjust, and while I don't feel quite as good as I did months ago it is still working better than anything else I have been on.
Works better than coaching for me.... I've been suffering from what I now know to be ADHD for most of my life. Only sharp senses and a quick wit have compensated for some of my disorganization and lack of focus, and yet I've muddled through...but now, Strattera! I've tried coaches, talk therapy, meditation, and avoiding food additives, but nothing has been as affective as my happy 100 mg/day. I can't say it works for everybody, since everyone has somewhat different physiology. I also take Wellbutrin for depression, which works on a similar principle. For my particular wiring, this works! I just seem more present. Since going on Strattera, I've been able to dump the talk therapy with no ill effects, and I've gotten my paperwork to the point where I'm no longer drowning. Life isn't perfect. But it's now functional. Thanks, Glaxo Smith Kline! :-)
Worked Initially, but caused pupil dilation Recently diagnosed with ADD, I wanted to try a medication, but chose Straterra since my insurance company covered it, and I thought it would be better to try non-stimulant vs. it amphetamine options.
Started at 25 mg 1x per day. At first, it was awesome. I could do things I never could do before -- do a crossword puzzle on the Metro, study somewhere other than a tiny room in the library (I'm very sensitive to distractions from sight/sound). I did have a dry mouth side effect, but that abated in about a week - ten days.
But, after a week, the effects seemed to wane. So, I bumped up to 50 mg. I found that 50mg 1x per day was good for concentrating at work, but was too much for studying (I'm in school too). On 50 mg, I couldn't switch my focus from one subject to the next when studying--I would get stuck on one idea/concept. I was overfocused.
But, I could decide when to take 1 pill or 2, and be able to handle work/study that way.
However, the medication blew my pupils way over dilated. I started to get bad eye pain as I work all day on a computer. At first, I thought it was just eye strain, but it seemed to get worse by the end of the week. Finally, on a Friday, with my vision out of wack (focus, lack of peripheral vision), and my pupils differents size (known as anisocoria), I went to the ER.
They checked the pressure in my eyes and found them to be normal (so they thought it wasn't narrow angle glaucoma), and had me follow up with a opthamologist the next day. The opthamologist checked my vision and found nothing wrong and said it was likely the Straterra. I discontinued taking the straterra at that point.
I followed up with a neurologist, but the eye dilation had abated almost entirely since then, and he found nothing wrong too.
So, my psychiatrist switched me to Effexor, but that too blew my pupils.
Now, I am on generic adderall, at 15 mgs 2x per day and am increasing the doseage until I get to a
While on this drug I first listened to my doctor and for 3 days just took one after three I had to step up to two pills unfortunately the day I stepped up to two pills I was throwing up about an half a hour afterwards, I now know that I should of went up even slower than what my doctor told me.
very positive I have had ADHD since childhood but never followed up on treatment until the age of 43. What a change it made for for me! Very few people knew of the treatment, but many noticed the change after a month or so. Especially my family, close friends and coworkers. I can actually sit "still" for periods of time, stay in conversations and reading is more of a joy;-)
Understanding the Drug & the Disease Many people are flocking to Strattera because it's a nonstimulant without fully understanding the neurological effects of ADHD or the drugs involved in treating it. Many doctors don't fully understand the drugs or ADHD.
My son, 7, has been on Strattera (40mg 1xday) since March and is doing well. He has mainly been afflicted with impulsivity and hyperactivity which through most studies are affected by the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Strattera works for him because it is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. I also take Strattera (100 mg 60/40-1xday) and have since May. I too, a 29yr old female, score high in the impulsivity/hyperactivity side. Strattera has worked GREAT for me.
Most of the stimulants (Ritalin, Concerta, etc.) work on interacting with the neurotransmitter dopamine which is for the attention side of ADHD. Adderall is supposed to work on both neurotransmitters.
Not all medicines work the same on every person. Most doctors don't understand ADHD much less can accurately prescribe medication or treat it. And for most adults who are diagnosed and treated in adulthood, we are going to experience more changes or things viewed as side effects. We've lived our lives "coping" with ADHD traits that once medicated then stop and suddenly we're relearning and managing without coping. Things like excessive talking and constant moving are traits that suddenly stop on the medicine. You aren't doped -- your brain is slowed. It takes a bit to get used to but socially, it becomes a help. Like any medication tells you, you should ALWAYS eat or drink milk while taking medicine.
I did experience extreme tiredness. So, I started taking the meds right before I went to sleep for a month until my body got used to the medication. Then I switched to taking it in the morning again, and no tiredness.
Just remember a few things. Many doctors don't have time or desire to learn about the drugs they prescri
Tried wellbutrin & desipramine as after cycling for a while I would end up in deep depression. Other drugs would stop depression, but left me numb and never felt like myself or happy. Doc realized I needed mood stabilizing approach, & suggested strattera as an off-label treatment. Trick was to use a low dose, starting with 10mg and not go higer than 18mg to avoid more severe side effects that ADD patients get at higher does. After being in a depression for over a month, unable to care for myself or leave the house, 2 weeks on a low dose not only activated me, but allowed me to feel happy again with no hypomania. Sensitivity to the way people treated me and associated mood swings also disappeard. Major side effect - sleepiness/lethargy which lasted about 2 weeks, but faded quickly after that. Haven't felt this normal, happy, and stabilized in years.
Treated for ADD only. No hyperactivity. Saw marked improvement in focus and grades. Remained disorganized. After about 5 months began to suffer more frequent nausia and vomiting. The Vomiting would onset at 4 am and last until 7 or 8 am. My 12 year old son has become more resistant to taking the drug as a result. We are seeking an alternative.
too nauseated to continue treatment I don't have ADHD, but as a side effect of Lamictal, have lost the ability to concentrate. My rating shows that I took Strattera for a year, but really I took it sporadically. It helped somewhat, but even after taking the med for a while, the nausea was too bad, and I had to stop taking it. No mania.
This should not be a medication for children, but other than that, it seems to work well.
Starting at an 18mg dose, I felt a significant effect, as if I was undergoing a neurotransmitter cascade in my brain. The feeling was similar to the initial "buzz" after taking a shot or two of booze on an empty stomach. Profound, but for a mid-thirties 170 pound man, not too bad or unmanageable. Quite a pleasurable "high," really. The feeling in one's privates was quite odd, and I would worry about the "climax without orgasm" side effect if a higher dose was used to start with. I cannot imagine what a child's body would go through on a 40 mg does off the bat. That seems irresponsible.
After a week at 18mg, I have started the 40 mg, after noticing a decreased effectiveness toward the end of the 18mg cycle. Head/scalp chills and an upset stomach are the main side effects, aside from the buzz in the head.
One is more tired on the drug, and that is exacerbated--counterintuitively--after getting a full night's sleep. The drug IS supposed to slow you down, though, so that's to be expected. Again, I can't imagine a kid dealing with this intensity. I've noticed myself being a little short or cranky at times (more so than usual), but I have been able to recognize and control it.
As for effectiveness, I was at the point where work was all but impossible, with an inability to focus on anything once even a minor roadblock occurred. A bad condition for someone who writes analytically for a living. Now, focusing is less of a problem and getting better daily.
My guess is that the neurotransmitter cascade is designed to exhaust the adult ADHD mind that flies off on wild tangents and cannot stay concentrated. It is not for a normal, rambunctious child or someone who is bi-polar/dissociative. Its use should be tailored to specific conditions of the ADHD-PI spectrum, and not given merely as another option in kids who are pigeonholed as "hyper" by in-school clockpunchers.
This medicine is a great alternative to stimulant ADHD meds. As an adult with ADHD, it has helped me get through my days and focus immensely. No crashing, no bad side effects. Occasionally if the pill doesn't get all the way to my stomach, it can cause some burning indigestion, but that's rare. All in all, i rate it as a great drug. I can actually focus now!