A whole new world?

April 28, 2005 11:49 AM

So I'm about to embark on the journey that is Strattera - What can I expect?

Tomorrow I begin on Strattera. I have already read the usual information and would love to hear your experiences. I'm looking to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Despite the strange url this site offers an accurate (and more real-world oriented) picture of most medications, including strattera.
posted by jeremias at 12:29 PM on April 28, 2005

Be very careful. There are new warnings out about Strattera - see here for more information.

My 13 y.o. son was on it briefly last winter. While it was an undeniable help with the ADD, it also made him severely depressed with bonus terrible mood swings and after a month I took him off it. He's been fine since. Mood swings are an acknowledged possible side effect, but we didn't realize they would be so strong. The psychiatrist who prescribed it seemed to think that there might be some correlation with my own bad reaction (panic attacks and mood swings) to Wellbutrin. Obviously, YMMV - but she was interested enough in it that I would say if you have had a similar reaction to Wellbutrin you might want to think twice before starting Straterra.

The other thing about Straterra is that it is more like Prozac or one of those than Ritalin - it has to ramp up and ramp down; doesn't work immediately, and it stays in your system for a fairly long time. So if you do decide it isn't working for whatever reason be aware that it will take a week to 10 days before you feel "normal" again.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:10 PM on April 28, 2005

ditto on the crazymeds site. I just came off taking Strattera. I did encounter the problem with urination. I peed all over myself after leaving the bathroom several times. I did not feel the drug helped me so I discontinued taking it. If you do have ADD I would certainly give it a shot as I have heard it work wonders for some. Important thing is dosing.
posted by thimk at 1:15 PM on April 28, 2005

Both me and my wife take strattera.

I quite like it. I was taking an older drug called pamelor for adhd.

I quit smoking, and felt very stupid and had trouble focusing. I tried wellbutrin but it just made me angry.

The strattera has been great for me and my wife.. The rist few weeks i was veeeery mellow.. I felt almost doped up. It was pleasant, but a little disconcerting. It soon passed.

It helps me focus and doesn't dork up my heart rate. I've definitely experienced the side effects above.

The biggest for me is that it just kills my appetite. (My wife loves this part). I have to take it with food or it tears up my stomach, and whatever i eat i associate with the vaguely nauseaus feeling from taking the pills.. NOthing major, but a definite negative.

Beyond that i quite like it.. I don't get the emotional rollercoaster i got from the wellbutrin, and I'm fairly focused and the like..
posted by Lord_Pall at 1:41 PM on April 28, 2005

I've been considering a return to ADD meds for a while now, primarily because of a possible return to school. I had good experiences with ritalin, and more than likely will ask my psychiatrist to prescribe that, but i am interested in your and others experiences with strattera. I guess that I am most concerned with sexual side effects though...

I also had a VERY emotional response to wellbutrin (alternately enraged/couldn't stop crying) and adderall induced manic episodes.
posted by schyler523 at 2:58 PM on April 28, 2005

The poster's first link ["usual"] was to http://www.crazymeds.org/strattera.html, so obviously he knows about that site already.
posted by ChasFile at 3:47 PM on April 28, 2005

I took it for a few weeks, but I had to stop taking because it was so hard to urinate (which is an UNBELIEVABLY frustrating side effect. seriously.)

I also didn't feel like it was helping me, but the urination thing wouold have made me stop even if I felt like I was getting something positive from it.
posted by ilovebicuspids at 6:58 PM on April 28, 2005

So that's interesting.. I've had a similiar problem, but I wasn't aware that it was a strattera specific side effect. (I genuinely thought it was simply prostatitis, or some variant thereof).
I'm only 30,and I was immature and afraid of doctors. and simply shrugged it off, much to my wifes chagrin. At least I know it's something else (hopefully).

But honestly, for me,clarity of mind is better than being able to pee.

Given the 3 that i've tried, it's the one i'm the most happy with. I'm not depressed or angry from it, I'm not bouncing off the walls, I'm just calm and feel smart(ish).

Sexually it doesn't seem any worse than previous meds. It might soften my overall libido, but everything seems to be in working order and I still find my wife much attractive..

I'd be lying if i said i wasn't worried about the long term effects. Apparently they don't really know how it works, which is sorta scary.

Give it a shot. Worst case scenario it'll ruin your liver.
posted by Lord_Pall at 8:48 PM on April 28, 2005