Straterra takes away my focus!

September 29, 2005 3:26 PM

Temporary Strattera-induced burnout?

Yes, I know about the other thread. Leave the lecturing and philisophy over there. I've actually been meaning to ask this for a while:

I've been on Strattera for a few months for anxiety and adult ADD. Its done wonders for the anxiety part and just enough for the rest.

However, about an hour or so after I take it, I start to zone out and get really sluggish. Sometimes a little queasy also. Doing anything becomes a real chore, all I can think about is how tired I am and how crappy I feel. This happens most every day. Sometimes I feel like it causes me to get behind at work. At home, I can't motivate myself to do anything during that part.

I can't really come up with a pattern on what works and doesn't for avoiding this feeling. I try and eat a little something, drink plenty of water and then take the med about an hour later.

The crappy part eventually wears off around 2 hours later.

Otherwise my response the medication has been pretty good - I haven't had any of the other side affects mentioned, 'specially with regards to the plumbing. I'm more than happy to discuss the medications' benefits.

Soooo, does this happen to anyone else? Am I getting off easy?

I also think this has raised my HR a bit. As an active cyclist/mtb'er, I pay strict attention to my ticker and have had to taper things down a bit since I'm riding quite a bit higher lately.

posted by neilkod to health & fitness (9 comments total)

I haven't noticed that. ABout an hour or 2 after I take it I get the typical "nausea" feeling, but then i usually end up quite mellow.

It's very pleasant to me.. Not necessarily slugish or zoned, just calm..

that goes away after an hour or 2, and I'm fine for lunch..
posted by Lord_Pall at 3:48 PM on September 29, 2005

Lord_pall - do you have a job?

Just kidding. I dont feel too pleasant, i feel too crappy to even work. Sometimes a walk shakes it off but not always.
posted by neilkod at 4:15 PM on September 29, 2005

Yah.. I have a job..

My wife asked how much you are taking.. We're both doign 2 40mg pills a day, in the morning.

She suggested splititng the pills up or take them in the evening. That should help.
posted by Lord_Pall at 5:10 PM on September 29, 2005

What's your quality of sleep like?

Do you not get this lethargy if you skip a day?
posted by Zed_Lopez at 5:29 PM on September 29, 2005

I can't actually skip a day. It makes me absolutely loopy if i even forget to take it.

Quality of sleep is quite good.. WAAAY better than wellbutrin..

I haven't tried taking them in the evening though, or even splitting them up.. Mostly because i sorta dig the mellow feeling i get with the double 40mg dose..
posted by Lord_Pall at 7:06 PM on September 29, 2005

I take the double 40mg. I sleep pretty well. The Strattera has definitely helped with the sleep. I've thought about trying them at night - is the medication any less effective later the next day if i take it the night before?
posted by neilkod at 7:34 PM on September 29, 2005

I feel like offering my opinion about this, but I can't figure out a way to do it that isn't essentially giving you medical advice, which I don't do over the internet.

Talk with the person who described it about this symptom. It can probably be ironed out.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:14 PM on September 29, 2005

Er. Prescribed, not described.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:14 PM on September 29, 2005

There's a great website called CrazyMeds. The author has collected quite a bit of information on many meds, including Straterra.
posted by Serena at 9:52 PM on September 29, 2005