Posted by Mike Oxsbig on August 12, 2003, at 9:42:53
In reply to Re: promises, promises, posted by Nachoman on August 11, 2003, at 21:03:16
Nachoman
I understand the frustration with waiting on Straterra. I couldn't wait any longer. I just started back on Concerta this morning. One of the biggest differnces is the energy level that I have on Concerta which makes sense because it's a stimulant. But it's different than being wired. It's the difference between being lathargic and normal. I don't recall much of a crash in the evening when the Concerta wears off.
I too gave up alcohol when I started on stimulants (Concerta), basically a week after I started on it. After I switched to Straterra I started drinking a little here and there on weekends. Not much because a glass of wine can now give me a headache the next day. Prior to quiting last December, it would be common for me to finish off a bottle of wine with dinner on the weekend.
One of the things that I noticed while on Concerta before straterra was the number of projects started around the house. While on Concerta I had one project which I would see to completion. Right now I have about 10 unfinished projects laying around. It drives me nuts. Now that I'm back on Concerta I will see if I can knock them all out.
I still have a bunch of straterra left and am considering taking it with the Concerta. Straterra was not on the list with my Health Insurance so it was costing me about $85 per month. My sister is a pharmaceutical rep and got a couple of months worth of samples from a lily rep.
Good luck and let us know how it goes
> > Lots of people are telling me to be patient with
> > Strattera, and it's probably good advise. I'm
> > worried about struggling through school when I
> > start in September, though. There's quite a bit
> > of pressure to find a medicine that works ASAP.
> >
> > If there's anyone out there who has the
> > inattentive type of ADD - feeling spacey,
> > disorganized, and tired all the time. I'd like
> > to hear what medicine, if any, is working for
> > you.
>
> **** REPLY ****
>
> I was diagnosed with ADD just over a year ago -- I believe the inattentive type.
>
> I started on Adderall 20mg and the improvement was dramatic and immediate. Literally the day I started taking it I was able to focus on one thing for a long period of time. Actually, it was a little scary how focused I was -- I've never before been so productive. I also stopped drinking alcohol (used to have 1 or 2 drinks/day), stopped drinking coffee (4-5 cups/day) and stopped smoking (only ~5/day) -- all cold-turkey. I just didn't crave them anymore. Now instead of going out for a smoke and pacing to help think through a problem, I could just think about it at my desk and get things done.
>
> The next 6 months were great. I was taking 10mg in the morning and 10mg at noon. The problem was that it wore off by 5pm or so, and so I was back to my regular ADD-self (sans the cravings) by the time I got home from work. I didn't *feel* a difference -- I just had a hard time concentrating again.
>
> I then switched to Adderall XR 20mg (10 in the morning, 10 at noon) in an attempt to extend the effects into the evening. It generally worked, but overall I didn't notice as much of an improvement as with the regular Adderall. It was a little frustrating, so even though I didn't like the idea of it, I started to think about asking my doc if I could increase the dose to 30mg.
>
> Before I did, however, my doc told me about Strattera. I did a bunch of research on it, including reading through all the posts in this thread (thank you everyone) and it sounded great. I started with a sample pack (25mg for 4 days, then 40mg for a week, then 80mg) while continuing to take Adderall XR, 10mg only.
>
> It's been about 2 months with Strattera 80mg (once in morning) and over a month since I stopped Adderall altogether.
>
> As far as I can tell, the Strattera is having no (or very little) positive effect on me. I'm back to my old-self, constantly flipping between various things and never really concentrating on one thing at a time. There are some times when it feels like my ADD symptoms are lessened, but it usually only lasts for a couple of hours. The good majority of the time, I feel like it's doing almost nothing for me. The one exception is that I don't feel incredibly tired in the afternoon like I used to before I started Adderall.
>
> I had some side effects when I first started (insomnia, dry-mouth/eyes, itchy scalp) but those were short-lived and are pretty much gone now. I still have two side effects: no appetite and a sexual side effect, but I'm willing to live with those to see if Strattera can work for me eventually.
>
> It's quite frustrating having to deal with my ADD symptoms after knowing what it's like without them, but I really want to give Strattera a chance. I've heard that in some cases it can take 3 or more months for it to really take effect. I'm also going to ask my doc if I can increase the dose to 100 or 120. I don't weigh a lot, but I have a very high metabolism, so perhaps my effective dose is higher than the average. I'm willing to give Strattera up to 3 months before I decide to go back to Adderall.
>
> Anyways, I just wanted to share my experience with you. The quick fix for me was Adderall -- I'm hoping Strattera can work just as well, but it sure is taking a lot longer, if it ends up working at all.
poster:Mike Oxsbig
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030812/msgs/250229.html