# anyone try strattera?



## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

I'm weaning off ritalin right now because it made me tired and did nothing to help my DR. My doc wants to try Strattera. I have not mentioned to him that I think I have DP/DR because I get the vibe that he will poo poo it. I live in a small town and I HIGHLY doubt they are up on something like this that not a lot of people are up on. But I know that I can pursue the ADHD path a little more with him, since he thinks that's what I have.

Has anyone tried Strattera? I know it was mentioned in Feeling Unreal as a possible med to try. Just wondering if there are any personal stories of people who've tried it.

thanks.


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Classified as a norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine is approved for use in children, adolescents, and adults. However, its efficacy has not been studied in children under six years old. Its advantage over stimulants for the treatment of ADHD is that it has less abuse potential than stimulants, is not scheduled as a controlled substance and has proven in clinical trials to offer 24 hour coverage of symptoms associated with ADHD in adults and children.



> Although the drug can be "felt" right away, it does not start "working properly" for 3-4 weeks time. Users should expect to feel tired and groggy for a few weeks. Eventually, the system adapts to the drug and the benefits can be felt. Users are recommended to continue taking the drug for at least three weeks before deciding to discontinue its use.
> 
> Strattera was originally intended to be a new antidepressant drug; however, in clinical trials, no such benefits could be proven. Since norepinephrine is believed to play a role in ADHD, Strattera was tested?and subsequently approved?as an ADHD treatment.
> 
> Though approved for ADHD, many doctors prescribe it off-label as an anti-psychotic in cases of certain disorders of thought and less serious mental problems, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia (clumsiness), and schizoaffective disorder. This is due to its help in 'calming down' and steadying of thought processes, improving symptoms associated with less serious types and degrees of schizophrenia. In this case, atomoxetine has great potential in the treatment of schizophrenia and the Predominantly Inattentive subtype of ADHD (once separately designated Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), now often referred to as the subtype ADD-PI). In many cases of the above-mentioned disorders of thought, it is said to work seamlessly better and with less negative side-effects than any of the available (approved) anti-psychotics.


Looks like you are going to be tired again for a while.
Good luck.
Interesting that is not a stimulant,
It might have the opposite effect the way Ritalin did an stimulate you.
Who knows.


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## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

wow, thanks for digging up all that info for me. I really hate the idea of taking something and, of course, taking something that's going to make me tired. But it looks like hopefully that will subside. I highly doubt that strattera's going to just POP me out of the DR/DP because if it were that effective, wouldn't more people on this board be talking about it? I dunno. But I still have that hope that I'll try just about anything to change things. I'm just SO happy that I know what this thing is now.


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

goldengirlz said:


> wow, thanks for digging up all that info for me. I really hate the idea of taking something and, of course, taking something that's going to make me tired. But it looks like hopefully that will subside. I highly doubt that strattera's going to just POP me out of the DR/DP because if it were that effective, wouldn't more people on this board be talking about it? I dunno. But I still have that hope that I'll try just about anything to change things. I'm just SO happy that I know what this thing is now.


No digging. I just looked it up in wickpedia.
I talked to my shrink about you today.
I used to take Ritalin as a child.
We talked about how it had the opposite reaction on you and that you doctor said that that was proof that you had ADHD.
We both had a good laugh because it could be true.
Why not.
One shrink I had insisted that I had it.
Completely ignored what I realty had.
Just like you.
My doctor was going to prescribe me 2 Ritalin pills just to see what happened.
We decided not to do it.
I am going to bug him again.


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## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow, you were talking about me today? My ears weren't even burning. Ringing, yes, burning no.

Strange that he was going to give you 2 pills. What's the point in that? My doc says that you have to take it for about 7 days before you feel full effect. Plus it takes a while to build up to a dose that will do anything to you at all. (start low, then go up to a high of 60 mg)

I'm not sure how I feel about the "paradoxical effect" being a clue that I do in fact have ADHD. To me, I wonder if I really do have anxiety induced DR/DP and that maybe being "hyped up or sped up" by the ritalin, actually makes my anxiety worse, which in turn clicks up my DP/DR to a higher notch and makes me TIRED because of the effort? That is a VERY complicated thought, but I kinda understand it in my own head.

Good luck with your treatment....


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Who Knows.
I thought Ritalin worked right away?


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