How does Strattera Work?

Hi Susan,
The first answer to you question is: speak to your son’s doctor about whether strattera is an option.
It sounds like he has had bad reactions or limited benefit with multiple stimulant medicines. It is certainly logical - if his symptoms merit medication treatment - to try strattera, as it may work differently for him. As it is from a completely different medication class, it just may work.
Again, talk to his doctor.

What can I say/ Its a fine drug. I have been on it well over a year, We (My Doctor and I) gradually increased dosage until now I am on 105 mg per day taken 80 first thing in morning and 25 at noon. The prev. writer is right, it needs to be taken on a regular schedule for best results. No, one cannot skip a day. The nausea and upset stomach are a side-effect which I found recurs with any change in dosage but disappears in a day or two. Give it time. It also affects appetite which I count a benefit as it has helped me lose needed weight.This, too, levels off after a few days but comes back (for me) if dosage is increased.

Its a great med and I find it produces better results than anything else I have tried. I formerly took it in conjunction wih Alertec.(sp?) (Modifinal) as a stimulant. When ODB stopped my special allotment for it, I was surprised to find that I can function quite well without it, although we did increase the dosage of Strattera. While I don’t think my concentration is quite as sharp as before, it seems adequate for me. I read a lot and mostly rather heavy stuff plus newspapers and periodicals (no novels). Here I should tell you that I am one of those GERIATRIC ADHDers. I was not diagnosed officially until I was 68 or 69, (that is a story in itself) and I started Strattera well over a year ago when I was 78. I turn 80 the day after tomorrow! Oh how I wish I had been diagnosed when I was 6 or 7 and could have been saved a lot of grief and trouble and led a more productive life (though I haven’t done badly in spite of the undiagnosed condition).(another story)

I think Strattera is a fine agent and would not hesitate to recommend it. I have had less side effects and more positive results with it than any other agent.

Along with the previous respondant I am horrified at the expense. We have tried to get “Sect. l allowance for it but without success so far. Dr. Handelman, what have you been able to do to get this drug approved on ODB? It must be made available to all segments of the population at reasonable rates. Parents who have more than one child on it must have a terrible struggle. When there is a parent with ADHD and a child, then it is prohibitive. I hope you are actively pursuing this issue. I would also suggest that all readers of this Blog who face this problem are working through their physician to change Ontario Gov’mnt policy as well as Health Canada.

You may be interested to know that I have a daughter with ADHD and she now has a son with it. My mother had it and I suspect she had a brother with it as well. The genetic factor is very strong with this condition. I have one brother whose Son, now 50, has had it all his life and sufered terribly because no one caught on to it. He diagnosed himself and then sought help and his father still will not acknowledge it. This “young man” cannot hold a steady job and cannot afford the expense of any medications, He lives in the USA without insurance. I have two other brothers whom I suspect are also affected, one is deceased and the other ridicules any mention of the condition, even when he has a grandson who is severely affected. My daughter, mentioned above, is doing a new Masters in Adult Education and as a part of her study is researching familial patterns of ADHD and how affected individuals are parented and how they, themselves, parent their own affected children. She is a 3rd generation and her son is 4th generation. She is a teacher and already has a M.Ed. from OISE. She has written a paper on this subject from her own experience and research and hopes to present it at a major consultation in the coming year. I mention this because parents of children with ADHD are often without resources to help them cope with this issue as well as their need for support groups with others who are in the same situation with one or more of their children.

I trust that this contribution will be of some help.

John B. Duncan, B.Sc., B.D., C.S.W.(retd)

Hi ,
I read all the postings, because my son, 11, has been on 36mg of Concerta for 7 months now, and it has helped him with his concentration in a structured environment. However, in an unstructured environment, he is still very hyper and initiates a lot of chaos with his little brother. It is at these times that I think, is the medication working? Yet, in school and one on one, there has been a significant improvement since being on Concertal. Decrease in appetite concerns us a lot, as he has gotten very very skinny, and it is a fight to get him to eat. In reading about the stratera, there is not much mentioned about appetite, except for the older gentleman, and he said it “bounces back”, what does that mean, that the appetite decrease is only temporary when beginning the medication? I am quite interested in changing my son to Stratera, any comments?

My son is still symptomatic in unstructured environments, but better when there is structure of a camp setting, school setting, etc. It’s the constant uncooperativeness - not liking what we prepare for meals, always complaining, fighting about why he has to do things, wanting everything done for him. My nephew is here this week, and he and my other son listen to me non stop, I say it’s time to eat, they are in the kitchen within 1 minute, no questions asked, they sit and they eat, when my adhd son comes to the table, last , after several callings, the complaining starts usually before he gets to the table.

I do have an appt. with his doctor/therapist on Friday.

There has got to be more I can do for him to help him, he is angry that he has to take the meds.

Hi Brenda,
Thanks for your comments.
No need to worry about ‘rambling’ a little.
If you can’t do it on a blog regarding ADD/ADHD, where can you do it?

I admire you for your strength in taking care of yourself and your kids with ADD/ADHD.
Keep well.
Kenny Handelman

I come from a family rich in ADHD history. It comes from my mother’s side of the family and there are so many of the grandchildren and their children that have it. My mother is ADHD and she is just now accepting it. Depression also runs along with it and most often in the females. I come from a family of two children and we both are ADHD. I have two children and they too have it. My brother’s son and my son both have learning disabilities and are very hyper.

My son has to be in motion all the time and is gifted mechanically. At 17 he can completely put together motors of all kinds, weld and on and on. He has the hardest time reading, writing and his soft skills are very week.

I have had to learn much on my own about ADHD but was finally glad to learn why I was the way I am. My daughter said she would like to be normal for one week and see what life is like without being ADHD. I never understood as a child why I was so gifted in many ways but sometimes could not keep all the balls up in the air. Now I know.

I have opted to take medication where my brother will not. His one son like mine has been on Ritalin since they were in grade school. I have taken Ritalin and had to take an anti-depressant with it. I did not find the combination good. I was thrilled to hear about Strattera. I had mixed results with Ritalin, I use to use it when I wanted to read and do paperwork. My depression seemed to be worse when I was taking it though. I have taken the Strattera twice now. I did notice an improvement but had mixed results and now I know because I was not taking it correctly to be honest. I would not take it on weekends and it effectiveness was reduced. My worst side effect with Strattera is the bitter aftertaste. I have just recently started taking it again and I do strive to take it on a schedule. I have really noticed it helps so much in my compulsiveness.

My daughter is also ADHD and she is so unorganized that it really affects her success at school. She does work she neglects to turn in. She hated the side effects of stimulants and I think she would benefit from the Strattera. She runs Cross Country and plays soccer so I am unsure how that will affect her as an athlete. I am excited about my use with Strattera this time around now having more information at hand to understand the importance of timing and how the drug works. I now know it has long lasting results if taken correctly. I appreciate the insight.

Melody

HI, ITS NICE TO HEAR SOME OTHER PEOPLES STORYS ABOUT ADULT ADHD, I LIVE IN A LITTLE PLACE CALLED TASSIE,AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE LOTS OF CASES OF CHILDHOOD ADHD THE INCIDENCE OF DIAGNOSED ADULT ADHD IS UNMNETIONABLE, AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF STRUGGLING WITH ALL THE THINGS I THOUGHT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, I AM GOING TO FIND SOME HELP SO I CAN BE ALL I CAN BE (I ALWAYS FELT AS THOUGH I WAS MISSING SOMETHING FROM MY LIFE), TO BE HONEST WITH YOU I AM RELIEVED I WAS STARTING TO THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FLY TO THE USA AND HAVE A LONG MEETING WITH YOUR DR PHIL. SO THANKS AGAIN

Thanks for the good information here doc. I am 24 years old and just started taking Strattera. I was diagnosed with ADHD early in my childhood and given Ritalin to help the symptoms. At the highest dosage I was taking 25mg Sustained Release along with a 10mg tablet in the morning and another 10mg tablet at lunch. Sometime in junior high I refused to take the medication anymore. I was tired of how I always felt ‘medicated’ and ‘in slow motion’. I tried to tell my mother this and also my doctor. However, the more I complained the more they wanted to up the dosage. So I just quite taking any medication whatsoever and decided that I was just going to ‘muscle through it’ and carry on with my life. In public school this wasn’t really too hard. Just coming to school and getting through the day without getting into too much trouble is all thats required to pass.

Jumping ahead to the present, Now i’m attending my third college working on my fourth major and I have been in college now since 2001 with not a single degree to show for it. This semester I finally decided that maybe my academic troubles along with my relationship troubles might have something to do with the ADHD I was diagnosed with so long ago. I asked around campus until I figured out where our clinic was. Asked them about what kind of treatment was available and they didn’t have any idea. So I started searching the internet and found a place to call. The following friday I had an appointment and after talking to the nurse practitioner for about an hour or so he decided that I should give Strattera a try.

He gave me alot of samples and instructed me to start off taking a weeks worth of the 18mg, then a weeks worth of the 25mg, then the 40mg, then 60, and finally taking an 80mg dose once per day on the 5th week. The 80mg dose is my target dosage from what I’m told. Tomorrow I will complete the last of the 18mg tablets. Obviously, I haven’t really noticed anything yet. I am however aware that it will take some time before I get any benifit from the medication. Of course, I really don’t know what to expect — Don’t really know what it will be like when it does start working.

I don’t guess I really have any specific questions for you. Just thought I would throw out my story in a nutshell and see if it sounds familiar to anyone. Perhaps see if anyone else is taking the medication in the stairstep fashion that I am taking it. I was happy to hear that a medication for ADHD existed that wasn’t a stimulant - however I am somewhat sceptical about its efficiency at treating the symptoms. I do hope it works though. It will be a month and a half before I can get an appointment with someone who can prescribe a stimulant if thats what it comes down to. (although I really hope it doesn’t - I hate stuff like that.)

Sorry for the long post
and thanks for listening,

Justin

Thank you, I will do my best keep you guys updated on what happens as I continue to take Strattera

Week 2 with the 25mg dosage has completed. Today I started my first dose of 40mg. i’ve noticed little in the way of side effects thus far. I haven’t really felt any differant either. I guess it’ll take a couple more weeks before it kicks in.

Justin

I have a question regarding developing a tolerance to Strattera. I began taking Strattera about four years ago. After a little calibration with the dose, 80mg daily taken in the morning, the benefits seemed tremendous. However, about two years ago the benefits seemed to wane.

I’d like to get back to a place where I experienced that level of benefit, but I have not been successful.

Is there any research in this specific area that would shed some light on why the benefits diminished?

Does anyone have/know of any similar experiences? Are there any regiments in terms of different dose levels, different times of day and any meds that helped boost the positive Strattera effect for ADHD?

I’d appreciate any suggestions or information.

Many thanks

Generally speaking, any medication which helps with ADHD helps with ODD.
There are studies for the methylphenidate medicines (i.e Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD, etc), the amphetamine medicines (i.e. Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine), as well as the non-stimulant, Strattera.
Of course, behavioral treatments are very important as well for ODD.
To learn more about ODD, visit here:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/oppositional-defiant-disorder-odd-and-adhd/
All the best,
Dr. Kenny

Hi,
Some people can feel ‘happy’ with their ritalin.
1) The longer acting forms of this medicine - i.e. concerta and others are not really abusable, so they are pretty darn safe.
2) Yes, you can have ADHD and still get a happy or high feeling from Ritalin. Not very common, but possible.
3) Straterra is a good option - and has a higher chance of working than wellbutrin.
4) 4 weeks is when the wellbutrin should just be starting to work. Talk to your doctor about considering more time.
Of course - talk to your doctor about any treatment decisions. My goal is to educate and support you.
To learn about the most comprehensive course on medication for ADD/ADHD, visit: http://www.medicationmastery.com
All the best,
Dr. Kenny

Hi Dr. Handelman,

I was on Strattera for about 6mos a couple summers ago. It made an amazing difference in my ability to focus on and complete tasks, but some of the side effects were a little unsettling.

During the adjustment period, my heart raced and i felt generally off. This lasted for about 3 weeks, and then subsided for the most part. A new and very strange sexual side effect arose after that, decoupling of orgasm and ejaculation. I always seems to get the rare side effects

My question is, i would like to start taking Strattera again but i’m worried about the seriousness of that side effect. Why does Strattera cause that side effect? is it doing any damage?

I’m also interested in Mark’s concerns. I also do endurance exercises and noticed the same effect. Any comment?

Thanks!

We just started my 7 year old on Straterra. We had a lot of testing done by his school counselor and a district occupational therapist. His doctor agreed with all the testing (especially after my son ran circles around the doctor’s office).

I’m having some difficulties finding positive children experiences on the internet. But, I have seen quite a few long term concerns - two concerns being a child’s growth (specifically height) and liver damage. Are these things I should be really concerned about? Or is it more of a few cases being very vocal.

My son is on week 7 with Strattera but only on week 3 of what is probably is correct dose. Neither he nor I have noticed any benefit whatsoever. What he does seem to notice is flu-like symptoms after vigorous exercise. Any suggestions anyone?

I think that Hitler used this stuff to get the Jewish people to just walk in the showers,like they didn’t know what the heck was going on!My child is now either a zombie or at other times,he’s an SS officer.I don’t know when I can speak to him or not.10 years old and I feel so sorry for him.In my opinion,this stuff will be off the market within a year!

Is there any literature regarding steps for overcoming Strattera tolerance? Strattera worked great for approximately 2 years, but fizzled out after that. Either discontinuing for a period of time or increasing the dose?

I’m afraid my son (18 years old) hasn’t had any luck with Strattera after almost 7 weeks. There weren’t any benefits at all. I feel like we’ve given everything a try: Concerta, Ritalin (both long and short-acting), Wellbutrin and Strattera. He had a real problem with mood swings from Concerta and the short-acting Ritalin was almost addictive for him. I don’t know what to do. He needs help. Our very supportive family physician feels somewhat out of his league since he’s not an expert on ADHD and I respect that he doesn’t want to prescribe stimulants again without my son seeing a psychiatrist. This process takes so long. He starts college in the Fall and I really fear for him. I’m wondering about Adderall.

Hi - there is a lot of very helpful information here but I have a couple of questions I can’t seem to find answers for.

I have a 6 year old son with Fragile X who started taking Strattera 2 weeks ago and is currently at about 60% of his optimum dose for his weight. He is in a mainstream class/school and has been keeping up academically with the help of a shadow who accompanies him at school all day ( for motivation-focusing attention and behavioral problems). Since starting Strattera both his teacher and shadow have said there is no point in sending him to school. His normal enthusiastic (albeit nutty) personality is gone and for the days I’ve sent him all he’s done is put his head on his desk from the time he arrives and ask ” Is it time to go home yet?” He’s very well behaved and sedate since starting the medication but all the academic gains he’s made in the past 5 months have disappeared (he no longer wants to write, read, add, substract, do Phys ed - not even free play time.) He’s dopey and tired despite my efforts to go very slowly on increases (more conservative even than his psychiatrist recommended). I’ve seen that fatigue is a potential side affect but what I haven’t been able to find out is whether this is temporary ( while adjusting to the dose) or a permanent side-effect. If it’s permanent this can’t be the right medication for him. Has anyone had any experience with this?

The other concern I have is that I’m not sure if his fatigue is related to the fact that so far I’ve had to break the strattera capsule and mix it into diluted honey to get him to swallow it. I’ve read and tried everything out there (m&ms tic tacs, put it food, big rewards etc.) to try to get him to swallow a capsule - with no joy yet but he is trying and we might still get there some day. I tasted the stuff - and he has my full sympathy and respect for continuing with this. I’m wondering if the fact that he’s getting the contents into his stomach without a capsule to potentially slow down the metabolism could have something to do with his drowsiness. I spoke to a pharmacist who admitted he knew nothing about strattera but said that breaking the capsule would result in the capsule being broken down prematurely in the stomach instead or the intestine. This makes no sense to me but I haven’t been able to find any more information to confirm or dispute this idea. Plus I live in the United Arab Emirates where sensible informed support is in short supply. So I really would appreciate if anyone on this blog or you Dr Kenny has any advice.

Thanks so much for getting back to me Dr. Kenny. I just wanted to let you know that since switching to evening administration, things have improved dramatically. My son is no longer drowsy and the past four days have been his best days ever in school. He’s doing things (participating in an entire phys - ed and music class ) that he’s never done before. He’s also independently noticing things he’s never paid attention to before (that the size and spacing of written letters is important too, and that you can find help for your math work on the teachers display boards). His shadow reports that he’s back to his own self but a lot calmer and hasn’t had any behaviour issues for the past 4 days either. I was worried about sleep disturbance and have to admit that since changing to evening administration he’s been waking about once a night which he doesn’t normally do. But it hasn’t been a huge hassle as he’s quite happy to be tucked in again and goes right back to sleep. The other wonderful thing is that today he swallowed a capsule for the first time. It has taken almost three weeks but my nanny has been working on helping him swallow (m &ms, tic tacks, and even empty capsules that I saved after giving him the contents with honey) and he did it for the first time today. Luckily he’s had a good attitude towards the whole thing and we haven’t had any huge battles over it. We’re thrilled with the results so far. He’s now on 25 mg which is 5 mg less than the optimum dose for his weight (at a ratio of 1.2 mg /kilo) but his doctor ( who finally returned my call today - after over two weeks ) says that I should stick with 25 mg if it’s working. So far it seems to be so we’re thrilled.

Thanks so much for your help and hope this is helpful for someone else. Practising with m&ms and tic tacs really helped. Also practising with empty capsules coated in olive oil (so they don’t stick to his throat and because he likes olive oil) also helped to get over the psychological barrier he had against swallowing.

Thanks again
BB

My son is 10 and has been taking Geodon for mood disorder for approx 2 years with some benefit. He also takes Clonodine for a sleep disorder. He has auditory processing disorder and ADHA. The psychiatrist added Strattera about 4 weeks ago starting with 20 mg then 40 mg and now to 60mg. So far we are seeing wonderful improvements in his anxiety and depression and some with focus and attention. My question is - He has been taking 60 for one week and I see improvements but we do not seem to be there yet. How long does it take before you really know if it is going to be effective at this dose. Has anyone changed from taking it at night to morning? My son takes other sleep medications and he is sleeping but since taking this at night he seems very restless. Has anyone gone to Wellbutrin from Strattera for anxiety, depression and ADD. I currently take Wellbutrin successfully and wonder if Strattera is not strong enough if Wellbutrin would be the next logical choice. Any input would be appreciated

Hi Sue,
Speak to your own doctor to ask specific questions regarding your daughter.
I am not aware of any research which shows that Strattera helps OCD.
There are studies which show that Strattera helps Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Social Anxiety when it is co-existing with ADHD. As a treatment for these disorders without ADHD, there are no data.
One other medicine that you haven’t mentioned is: chlomipramine. This is an older tricyclic antidepressant which works well for OCD.
As I say, ask your doctor about specific treatment issues for your doctor.
All the best,
Dr. Kenny

Hi….My 9 year old son Jayde will be starting Straterra tomorrow…I am very concerned…as I have read good things…..as well….many bad things…he is currently on ritalin and stopped working. However..the issues I’ve been hearing with no appetite goes for alot of medications these days. for my son…he has the drink boost…that really helps with not losing so much weight!

I know for sure I have had ADD all my life. I’m 46 now and because my job changed from high intensity to administrative I nearly died. I started Strattera this week and within two days started to notice a big difference. I am amazed! My only concern is my liver.
I don’t drink but take tylenol every day for pain related to my high intensity job. I also take vytorin for cholesterol. With the three medications hitting my liver I’m a little concerned.

I’m 64 and have been cursed with this problem (ADD) all my life.

(1) Are there varying degrees of ADD, and does the condition vary over time?

(2) Is it hereditary.

Thanks for this site.

To Whom it May Concern,

Would anyone know any sources of free strattera samples?

Regards,

Gil

Hello,

I am 22 years old and have recently been diagnosed with generalized anxiety, depression, and ADD (to name a few). My psychiatrist believes that my anxiety and depression might offset the hyperactivity of what would otherwise be ADHD.

The plan is to start me on Strattera. As a university student, I am concerned about my lack of focus and the often paralyzing anxiety I feel surrounding my studies, which is what brought me to a psychiatrist. However, I have also been plagued with sleeplessness, headaches, and heart palpitations.

I am concerned as to what sort of effects Strattera could have on these anxiety-triggered symptoms, as I have read elsewhere that Strattera is known to augment them. (I did read above that it treats depression and anxiety, but I have come across opposing information.) I am also greatly concerned with any personality changes that will affect my ability to have a positive outlook or my outgoing sense of humour (which, albeit, is often suppressed by anxiety, but still has its moments).

I am anxious about taking medication in general, based on my beliefs and that I have come to learn much about the history and commercialization of treatments for mental disorders. I have heard of some great alternatives, and some recent changes I have made in my sleep and eating schedule has helped a lot. However, the change is slow, and I fear I may need a boost to deal with the pressures of this school year, and to get me on track for a healthier future. Is there any advice you could offer me that might help me make my decision?

Strattera makes me so drowsy i had to start taking it at night and now i feel like i am using it as a sleep aid.
Am i limiting the effects of the drug by taking it at night?

Hi again,

I’m on my second week of Strattera. During my first week, I was taking 18mg each morning. I felt incredibly drowsy and would often fall asleep in the middle of the day, sometimes for hours.

This last week, I started taking 40mg each evening instead, thinking it would help me sleep at night and stay awake during the day. I was wrong - now I suffer from insomnia which has only fueled my anxiety and made focusing even harder than it was before.

Has anyone else had this problem with Strattera? Can anyone advise me on the best time of day to take it?

Thank you

Hi Billy,
Firstly - it’s no surprise that when you took concerta it felt the same way as when you took ritalin - it has the same medicine in it!
Regarding your back - it’s best to see your doctor to review your symptoms and get a proper assessment of what is going on.
While I can’t assure you online - generally the kidneys are not a concern with ADHD medicines.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
p.s. check out my new video podcast on ADHD - http://www.adhd.tv

One I thing I forgot to mention:
Could this just be a result of treating hyperactivity? If so, then any medication for ADHD would cause it, and guanfacine/tricyclics/strattera would also make it worse. Not sure, just throwing the idea out there.

Diagnosed first with bp, then ADD was the final diagnose since symptoms for both run parallel , 40 yr old, Strattera (36.mg a day), has been taken with resiperidol 0.5 mg, each day, works great, i am able to focus on task and think before responding to situations, tasks are being acomplished and mood swings have disapated, before trying strattera I was on several other meds that made me tired, sick, with mood swings, this combination at low dose has been very benificial, i think if these meds are taken at low dose and given time to work i believe they are very benificial, staging these doses to quickly can be the reason why some encounter issues.

Hi Barb,
Strattera treats ADHD, and many people have anger as a symptom of their ADHD.
So, sometimes, strattera treats anger.
I don’t know the specifics of your step-son’s condition or treatment. If you want to know more, i suggest you ask if you can attend one of his doctor appointments (or maybe his dad can). That way, you can ask the doctor the questions that you need to ask.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
http://www.medicationmastery.com

I am 41 and after working with my 7 year old son for a couple of years. He has a reaction to the stimulant meds so his Dr. started him on Strattera. He inherited his ADHD from me and seeing how it helped him, I spoke to my doctor and started Strattera. I was on it for for approx. a month an a half and gradually things began to get much better. I didn’t realize it until I had to stop due to prostrate side effects. Two days after stopping it, I found myself forgetting little things, tapping my foot much more, worrying about things and my desk was again covered with papers and books.
My dr isworried about stimulant meds due to my BP, which is medically controlled normally at 128/88. I am currently on no meds. Do you know if there is any way to get around the side effects or if there could be any permanent damage if I ignore the prostrate side effects. I miss the control that I had on the Strattera.
Are stimulants out of the question with BP problems? I can live with ADHD, I have for all my life, but I had a glimpse of control and would like to go back.
Thanks for your website and blogs!
LK

Thanks for the reply,
I just finished at the doc’s and after a review of everything again, we looked at Vyvanse and Concerta and decided to go with Concerta after checking the side-effects.
I really enjoy the blogs and they have helped put a lot of things in perspective.
Thanks again!
Larry

Hi Dr. Handelman!
I have an 8 year old daughter who has been treated for severe ADHD sicne she was in Kindergarten. We had great success in the beginning with Metadate CD, however we quickly realize she is a super fast metabolizer, so we added a second dose of the same. Last fall we were noticing a lot of increase in anger, emotional outbursts, etc, and we added Strattera to the mix. It helped tremendously! We recently saw another increase in her lack of emotional control, and her Psychiatrist increased her Strattera to a total of 40 mg twice a day, in addition to her 20 mg of Metadate cd 20 mg twice a day. She is worse! I have a call in, but am so afraid we are overmedicating and causing these issues..wodnering if it is true that metabolism makes such a difference, and if that is a reason to have her on such a high dose twice a day, or if it may be time to try another med entirely.
FYI, she is only 44 lbs…
Thanks…
Kim

I just came across this site doing a google search for how strattera might help with ODD. my son is a very extreme ODD child, 9 years old, with tourette’s as well. his tantruming, rudeness, constant arguing and becoming violent at home is about to tear our family apart. he has only been on the medicine for 3 days, but i am going to lose my mind. i’m sorry to be dramatic, but this child has gotten completely out of control and i feel very out of control lately when i’m with him and he is throwing a tantrum for over an hour solid, screaming like a monster for an HOUR. i don’t know if he needs to be hospitalized or if it’s something that is going to improve with this medicine. thank you so much.
erika

Rebecca, thank you!! My gut feeling was right…we ended up taking my daughter completely off. The Strattera, an she very quickly returned to her happy little self. The change was quite dramatic! No more anger issues, and her emotions are much more in control. She has slipped some in her focus and organization, but it is a good trade off for where we were. Her appetite has gotten better as well, and she is sleeping SO much more peacefully. Her psychiatrist wants to increase her Metadate CD now, but I think we are going to wait a bit before tring that, to just give her a rest. For some reason, even though it helped in the beginning, the Strattera just went south on her! Thank you for sharing your eperiences…it gave me the courage to follow my heart!

I am noticing over the last week that he’s been on it that he is throwing tantrums like a 4 year old would - anyone else experience this?

Hello Dr.

I am a current college student taking strattera and i started recently. My Dr. and I started on 40mg for a month then 60mg and now for the past 10 days or so i`ve begun 80mg a day. i felt a change each time and felt better but with this dose i`m feeling angry and side affects but i want to know if it is possible that these symptoms are side effects of going to a higher dose because i had them with the other doses to at the start. Is it possible to get side effects each time you highten the dose and even take 2-4 weeks for it to fully kick in properly each time?

Hi Josh,
Thanks for the comment, Larry.
I’m sorry to say that time is going to tell you.
It could be that at 80 mg (which is the right dose for most adults), you are getting a new side effect of anger/moodiness. Or it could be that you are in fact just getting a few days of side effects and it’ll resolve.
Ultimately, contact your doctor if it is a real problem.
If it is a problem, you can probably just go back down to the lower dose and get the benefit you had before. Or you could have an intermediate dose - i.e. 70 mg - by taking a 60 mg and a 10 mg.
Best,
Dr. Kenny

After struggling with school for years I was finally diagnosed with ADD my sophomore year in college. I was put on Adderall, 20 mg twice a day, and for the first year it really seemed to help me. After that, however, I had some serious problems.

I became miserably dependant on the medication. In the beginning, it was just a matter of being extremely fatigued and scatterbrained when the medicine wore off or if I skipped a dose. If I didn’t take my pill my ADD symptoms would be worse than they had ever been before I started taking it in the first place. Instead of being honest with my doctor, I compensated by taking increasingly larger doses. This only made things worse.

I would come down harder and faster, then drink alcohol in the evenings to balance out the side effects. This led to me eventually drinking heavily every single night. School became harder than ever, my relationships were on the rocks, my family knew something was terribly wrong. I continued to take more and more adderall at a time to “get through the days.” Naturally, I would run out of my subscription before my monthly refill appointments. Afraid to come clean to my doctor about my little habbit, I suffered through the “time off,” dragging myself through classes and work and counting down the days until my scrip could be refilled. I was progressively taking more and more, faster and faster, so the periods of time when I’d be off my meds got longer but not any easier.

I am ashamed to say, 4 years later I was so out of control that I would take 60 20 mg pills over the course of a week. Of course I was miserable when this happened. I wouldn’t eat or sleep. My mouth would swell up and I would spin out of control. There were several times when my heart would beat so fast that I thought I was going to die. My boyfriend knew I had a serious problem (but not to the full extent, he would find my rapidly decreasing pill bottle and I would lie and say I had sold my pills or thrown them out so I wouldn’t be tempted to take them all). He urged me to get help. I wanted to. I didn’t want to live like that. I finally stopped this horrible cycle last year when I found out I was pregnant. The day I learned the news I promised myself I would never take adderall again.

It was so hard to quit all at once, but that’s what I did. It took me months to feel like myself again. The tired, scatter brained feeling didn’t go away completely until after my baby was born (but that was probably partly normal pregnancy symptoms too). I am so glad to be off of that stuff. I can’t believe I lived like that for so long. I can’t believe I let that happen. I have never been the type of person to use drugs or lie. I am really lucky I didn’t die. I know my experience is not typical. I am not saying that this will necessarily happen to other people. I made a series of unfortunate decisions and was not honest with my doctor or myself.

I am currently not taking any medications and am doing very well going to school half time and raising my 4 month old daughter. I am also now engaged to my boyfriend, who stayed by my side through this whole fiasco. I am planning on going back to school full time in the fall. I went to (my new) doctor today and got a scrip for strattera. I am starting at 25 mg and slowly moving up to 80 mg/day. I told her that I had a terrible experience with Adderall and didn’t want to take it or anything like it again,but I didn’t go into detail.

What can I expect from Strattera? Will it help my energy level, which is still fairly low and inconsistant? Do you have any advice for me?

It is embaressing to admit how out of control my life got, but I wanted to share my story. If anyone out there is having dependency issues with their ADD meds talk to someone about it. Your doctor is there to help you. Has anyone else struggled with stimulant meds and gone on the have success with Stratera? Please let me know.

Wow. That was really long winded. Sorry guys, I needed to vent.

I think all of you have very interesting stories that all of us with ADHD can relate to. I live in Texas and was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age (about 6 I think). My parents started me on ritalin, but due to adverse side effects, I had to quit taking it. They then put me on another drug, cylert. When Adderal finally came out in 1996, I started taking it. One thing I can honestly look back and remember(as a child, about 12) was, when I started taking a new drug, or my dose was changed, I had bad behavior. I was a good kid, until my dose went up, then I got mean, then it leveled out. As I got older, into Jr high, I think my dose remained fairly consistent, because I don’t remember many bad mood swings at that point in my life. But I was always the kid that acted differant, and was picked on constantly until my senior year of HS. At home, my stepdad would always remind me about my ADHD (and he did this since I was little) and how I used to always try to talk first, finish sentences, and do the usual ADHD jazz. His son, my stepbrother, was also very critical, was in the same grade as I was. He was constantly reminding me that he scored higher than me on tests (usually by atleast 20%) and was always insulting me the same way my stepdad would. The turning point in my life came my freshman year of HS(in 2001), I met a girl, and she changed my life. But at the same time, my mom and stepdad were constantly getting into fights, and their separation was imminent. At 16 (yes I was a year behind in HS) my love for my girlfriend at the time seemed to help me though school (along with the adderal lol). My first semester of school, I made 1 C, and the rest D’s, my second, I made 1 B, and the rest A’s. But we soon discovered that my GF and I didnt have anything in common, she dumped me. Meanwhile, at home, my stepdad started to ridicule me more about my ADHD, and, in an act of defiance, I quit taking my adderal cold turkey(I believed he was using it to control me). Even though I quit taking my meds, I still kicked ass in school, but the social problems with my ADHD still lingered. I eventually finished HS with a 3.5 GPA, and I started at a community college. But when I got to college, I noticed that the ADHD was still there, and when I finished there and went to the university, I noticed it in full. I managed to graduate last year with a BS degree in biochemistry, but my GPA sucked, and my social life in college wasnt the best either. I found it very hard to concentrate in subjects which I did not like (such as english), and very easy to concentrate in subjects such as physical chemistry. Because of this, my grade in Physical chem was much better than my grade in english. In addition to this, studying was nearly impossible for me, unless I liked the subject. In interesting classes, I was always the one who knew the answers to the questions that the teacher was asking, people would ask me for help. But when test time came, they made the A, and I made the C. My Sr year of college, I managed to find friends to study with. My friends noticed that I was smart, and helped me focus enough to study. This helped my grades out tremendously, and I graduated last dec. But when I entered the real world workforce, my ADHD became a problem because I was too slow at my job. I eventually had to quit because of this. Today was the first day that I started straterra. I did notice some of the effects of already. I have the combined type adult ADHD, which include hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattentiveness. The first thing I noticed (and am still noticing) is that my mind is not like a pinball machine. Secondly, earlier today I was watching TV with my mom. I am generally talking my head off, I was not today. And lastly, I noticed for the first time, some impulse control, I was able to keep my opinion to myself. While I wasn’t able to completely stay on task today, I am noticing some change, and hopefully it will only get better. Oh well, I hope I didn’t bore yall with my story. Thanks for the stories, they let me know im not the only one out there with ADHD.

Mark: Thank you again for sharing. Maybe this will give some of us parents insight to our childs thinking and behavior moods. We don’t undrstand sometimes when we have not gone through it ourselves so it is good to hear from someone and what they have gone through.

I am on Straterra. I can’t take any of the ADHD meds. They cause bad side effects. Lately I’m having trouble with retention. I’m in college. I’m on the one a day pill. It seems to give out at 1pm. 120mg gives me mood liability and 100mg doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. What is your advice?

Well I am officially on day 15 of 40 mg of strattera. I did notice substantial improvement in the first day, but now it seems non-existant. From what I read on the strattera website dosing information, it seems that I am supposed to now be taking an 80 mg tablet now instead of a 40. I asked my doctor about this, and informed him that this is what the dosing information (as stated from the strattera website) says. He told me he wants me to continue another 15 days taking the 40 mg, and then come back, and we will “talk about upping your dose”. Not to be insulting to him, but I don’t believe that he knows anything about this drug, and I don’t think he has read anything about it. I played hell trying to get him to prescribe me the drug, even though I had a diagnosis from a psychologist. He was very reluctant to do so, and before he called in my script to the pharmacy, he made me go home and read all about the drug on the Strattera website. Two days after I called his office and told him that I had read it, and that I was interested, he called me and told me he would start me on the 40 mg. But it wasn’t until 2 days after that when he actually called it into the pharmacy.
I’m currently in the process of being hired now, and I had to take a DOT physical. Before I took the DOT physical, I had to fill out the usual paperwork which asked about your medical conditions, and what drugs you are currently taking. Well, on the questionaire, it asked if you had any “psychiatric conditions, eg. Severe depression” and I just put down “no”. Well, when I was called back, the nurse asked verbally what medications I was taking and what they were for. When I told her that I took strattera for ADHD, she went back to my paperwork, scribbled out my “no” answer and wrote ADHD. In addition to this, she told me I had to go to my general practitioner physician (the one who prescribed me straterra) and get him to say that I have ADHD and that I was being treated for it with Straterra. I never realized that ADHD was a disease as severe as say “severe depression” or anything like that. I understand very well from personal experience that being impulsive, hyperactive, and off task all the time does limit you. But I had no idea that a disorder (which many people do not even believe exists) is in the same category as severe depression. I have been driving now for 9 years. I have a clean driving record, and have never been issued a citation. But oh well, I think im just venting now. Has anyone else on here had the same type of problems I am having now (with regards to ignorant physicians and issues with pre-employment physicals)?

I have 2 sons (16 and 11) the 16 yo was dx at age 6 BUT we were never informed from the pediatrician about the neurologists report till we moved 3 yrs later and got a new Ped Dr. We have been trying everything. I mean EVERYTHING…. including meds. The concerta made him a zombie, the adderall made him more angry, then methylin seemed to be working…that is until we increased the dose, he began having chest pains immediately. So we lowered the dose and it didn’t help just made him angrier and more destructive. Meanwhile the 11 yo has been struggling in school and his behaviors are getting worse, not knowing if they stem from academics, have him tested and am told he is doesn’t qualify as LD (learning disabled)despite low scores since his IQ says he’s capable…ugh so no help, just more frustration. Yesterday, our Dr. dx the 11 yo with ADD since he has trouble concentrating and staying on task, doesn’t complete assignments etc.. He prescribed him with Strattera and after reading all the above comments I am wondering why we don’t try the 16 yo on it? Could it help? His dx is ADHD & ODD, the ODD is the true crux, he always argues and challenges authority. My biggest concern is the antidepressant nature of this drug, when you have a child who has little to no self esteem I don’t want to give him anything that will make him more down or suicidal and yet the Dr. prescribed Prozac ugh!!!

Dr. Kenny,

Thank you for your response. I will speak with his Doctor since it was prescribed for the 11 yo and not the 16 yo. He prescribed Prozac for him. Again thank you for this site.

Jennifer