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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by jrbecker on January 14, 2003, at 12:42:09
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved-JODIE, posted by nmk on January 14, 2003, at 11:47:50
I agree with Nicole. Start low and the side effects won't be so overwhelming. I am a 6'1'' 180 lb male and I have started at 18mg dosing. I am already feeling an effect. I plan on titrating up only every 3-4 days to find the window that's appropriate for me.
If you have a mood disorder dx and take other meds along with the Strattera, it's more likley you're going to be all the more susceptible to all the SEs involved. Equally, having a borderline ADHD diagnosis means that you might not need the 80 mg as your final dosage level.
Too many doctors are too eagar to get you up there too fast. Start low, take it slow, and reserve making any conclusions until a week or two down the line.
Good luck
Posted by ZeeZee on January 14, 2003, at 13:44:14
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved ZeeZee, posted by jrbecker on January 14, 2003, at 10:29:08
Thank you so much for all your help!
We did a test to see if my son's b/p goes up after taking his dose of Dex and in fact it did not. But his pulse shoots up from the 70's to the high 90's and above 100. He complains of severe muscle tension in his jaw after days of continuous use, but has never experienced the sweating. He hates the overall effect of the Dex; the flattening of his personality, sleep disturbance, anorexia and sex. dysfunction.
I will definitly inquire about the Strattera and I too thought a beta blocker would be helpful in addition.I just really worry, he's so young to be bothered with "middle age" health problems. As a college sudent he doesn't take the best care of himself so I worry about him damaging his health even futher.
Thank you again. Hope this drug works well for you and I'll keep you posted on my son.
Regards,
ZeeZee
Posted by Noa on January 14, 2003, at 15:35:32
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved » zenclear, posted by jodie on January 14, 2003, at 9:24:20
I agree with the others about starting slow. No matter what the insert says, my experience for myself is that it is often a good idea to start slower, because some people (like myself) need time to adjust to the med. Also, since this med is so new and doctors don't have experience with it, it would make sense to start slow, in case someone had a reaction to it.
A second possibility, as you've mentioned is that at the same time you are adjusting to a new med, you are also adjusting to not being on your previous AD. It could be hard to separate out the effects.
But also (and I am not sure how much it matters), but when I saw the weight info, I had to pull out my calculator because it didn't look right to me--I believe 120 lbs is the equivalent of about 54 kilos, which puts you well under 70 kilos. 70 kilos is equivalent to more than 150 lbs.
Posted by Jim Boardman on January 15, 2003, at 8:26:42
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by Noa on January 14, 2003, at 15:35:32
I'm on the 14th day of Straterra, 80 mg in the morning along with 12mg per day gabitril, lexapro 10 mg and remeron (one at night). I am feeling better and am more focused than I have in years. The side effects aren't bothersome enough to outweigh the way I feel. Dry eyes, a bit of constipation, dry throat... all I can handle. This stuff is so much better than the stims.
Posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 9:37:25
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by Jim Boardman on January 15, 2003, at 8:26:42
Well this morning I only took my 40 mg pill. I think that is all I will take for today, and call my pdoc. If she still says I should continue w/ the 80, then maybe I should get a 2nd opinion. I actually started out on 40, then on my 3rd day, I started taking 80. Thanks for all of the input. I was diagnosed as being bipolar in the past, I tried many mood stabilizers, including depakote and lithium, but had awful side effects. My new pdoc believes I have ADHD. I have an 8 yr old son who was diagnosed with it almost 3 yrs ago. He has tried Dex, adderall, and now on Ritalin, which seems to be working best for him. But "best" does not mean I'm pleased with it. He has several tics, aggitation, and severe bouts of depression. He is on Wellbutrin for the depression, and clonodine as needed for sleep. I would really like to try Strattera on him, but I wanted to see if I had any probs with it first. I want to get him off of the stimulants. Well I'm getting ready to call my doc, once again, thanks. Oh, one more thing, a little off the subject, but has anyone read books by Dr. Amen? I recently read his book about the 6 different types of ADD. It's I book I would recommend to everyone!!!
Posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 10:27:45
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 9:37:25
Well, I just spoke with my pdoc. She said the dosage I am taking is ok for me. She stated the "over 70 kg" applies to the children and adolescents only. She said a typical adult dosage on the 3rd day and after is 80 mg, and if not working after 2 to 4 weeks, the norm would be to bump up to 100 mg. I told her I just don't feel comfortable taking the 80. She said maybe I should go back down to 40, for a few days, then back to 80. If I am still having probs with it after a week or so, she is taking me off of Strattera.
Posted by cybercafe on January 15, 2003, at 11:32:45
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 10:27:45
Posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 12:24:12
In reply to anyone know if straterra can cause mania ? (nm), posted by cybercafe on January 15, 2003, at 11:32:45
I don't know about mania, but heard it can cause severe mood swings. I have had lots of probs w/ mood swings. Lots of highs and lows, impulsive behavior, aggitation, guess thats how they came up with a diagnosis of BP in the past with me. So far I haven't noticed any "highs" mainly just lows, I have been lethargic and crying for no reason often. I looked up adverse reactions for Strattera, and read only "mood swings" nothing about mania.
Posted by Jim Boardman on January 15, 2003, at 13:18:34
In reply to Re: anyone know if straterra can cause mania ?, posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 12:24:12
but Jodie, you QUIT taking lots of other meds. I don't understand why the pdoc took you off the others, which were also anti-depression meds. My doc does meds one at a time, but when he tries something new, he doesn't just quit me on everything else. He fine tunes... took me off the Concerta and added the Straterra, while maintaining me on the gabitril, remeron and lexapro. Having you QUIT everything but the Straterra seems to be a pretty Machiavellian move. But again, I'm an attorney, not a pdoc.
Posted by jodie on January 15, 2003, at 13:51:30
In reply to Re: anyone know if straterra can cause mania ?, posted by Jim Boardman on January 15, 2003, at 13:18:34
> but Jodie, you QUIT taking lots of other meds. I don't understand why the pdoc took you off the others, which were also anti-depression meds. My doc does meds one at a time, but when he tries something new, he doesn't just quit me on everything else. He fine tunes... took me off the Concerta and added the Straterra, while maintaining me on the gabitril, remeron and lexapro. Having you QUIT everything but the Straterra seems to be a pretty Machiavellian move. But again, I'm an attorney, not a pdoc.
>
>
Jim, I completely agree. I don't understand it either. When I went in for my appointment last week, my pdoc asked how my lexapro was working. I told her that I haven't noticed any benefits from it so far, but I was only on 10 mg a day for a month. So she said since I haven't noticed anything, she would just take me off it, and the Klonopin. She said that since I may have ADD, the Klonopin can actually make it worse. She said she likes to try one med at a time, period. But like I had stated b4, I've been on Klonopin for a little while, so I think I should have been tapered off it. Actually I did this myself since I had Klonopin left, but according to her, I was supposed to just stop cold turkey. Since I have probs with severe depression, I don't understand why she stopped the lexapro. It should have been increased in my opinion. My doc said that Strattera should help with the depression, since it has antiD properties in it. I was her first patient to get Strattera samples, so I kind of feel like a lab animal or something. Oh well I guess in a way, we all are.
Posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by zenclear on January 13, 2003, at 21:19:08
So no one else in all of PB land is taking Strattera?
Come now, others, please report in on your experience, no matter if it's early in the game.
As for me, I did give it a couple more tries; the stuff is murder on my skin, and now I'm broken out all over. It's not an allergy, but rather, an irritation rash from the dryness that it causes me.
This makes my Ritalin rash look tame!
Posted by Ritch on January 15, 2003, at 23:09:19
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
> So no one else in all of PB land is taking Strattera?
>
> Come now, others, please report in on your experience, no matter if it's early in the game.
>
> As for me, I did give it a couple more tries; the stuff is murder on my skin, and now I'm broken out all over. It's not an allergy, but rather, an irritation rash from the dryness that it causes me.
>
> This makes my Ritalin rash look tame!Hi, when I see my pdoc soon I will try it IF I get a bag of samples to play with (that will last me a month). I am not spending the $$$ without a *dramatic* response to it (and knowing it before I lay out any money to find out).
Posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 0:35:32
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
I have been on Strattera now for almost a week, and I have noticed dry everything. Dry skin, eyes, mouth, you name it, and its dry!!! I'm going through lotion like crazy. Thats not helping. My face is really dry. Around my eyes are really dry and irritated. I hope it goes away soon. Does anyone know, can Strattera cause acne? I'm not usually one to break out, but I've had a few blemishes since I've started it. What about taste perversion? I've noticed everything I eat and drink has been really bland.
Posted by zenclear on January 16, 2003, at 8:01:09
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 0:35:32
My verdict is -- due to MY side effects -- low-dose Wellbutrin is a more favorable option. Effects are somewhat similar, for me, but Wellbutrin is easier for me to tolerate.
Unfortunately, Wellbutrin makes my hair fall out, so it's not really an option.
Posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 11:26:09
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 16, 2003, at 8:01:09
I was on wellbutrin for about a year b4 for depression. That was b4 I was ever diagnosed w/ ADD (just diagnosed last week), even though I had self diagnosed myself with it a couple of yrs ago. When I was on Wellbutrin, I didn't notice it do much for my ADD symptoms. It helped w/ depression, but also caused severe insomnia, which wouldn't go away. So I don't think Wellbutrin would be an option for my ADD. If this Strattera doesn't do the trick, then I may have to go on a true psycho-stimulant. I have also notice severe itching all over with strattera, no rash just itching. Probably because of the dry skin. All I know is, I'm getting really frustrated w/ this drug!!!
Posted by nmk on January 16, 2003, at 12:27:15
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
> So no one else in all of PB land is taking Strattera?
>
Hi All,I am still here. It is day 10 for me and I can't believe I am feeling this well. After 7 months of depression, I no longer dread facing the day. I am still waking up earlier than I would like, but find that I don't miss the sleep. IMO, whomever developed this med should win the Nobel prize.
Nicole
Posted by Jim Boardman on January 16, 2003, at 13:46:35
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by nmk on January 16, 2003, at 12:27:15
I'm with you Nicole. I'm on my third week and I feel top notch. I saw my pdoc yesterday and he suggested that I drop to 40 mg per day to see what happens. I'm not sure I want to try that, but I guess if I stay feeling this way and can lessen the dryness, that would be good. He also put my 31 son on the gabitril/straterra cocktail and took him off the Adderall. I will be interested to see if my son has good luck with this combo.
Jim
Posted by nmk on January 16, 2003, at 14:54:27
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by Jim Boardman on January 16, 2003, at 13:46:35
> I'm with you Nicole. I'm on my third week and I feel top notch. I saw my pdoc yesterday and he suggested that I drop to 40 mg per day to see what happens. I'm not sure I want to try that, but I guess if I stay feeling this way and can lessen the dryness, that would be good. He also put my 31 son on the gabitril/straterra cocktail and took him off the Adderall. I will be interested to see if my son has good luck with this combo.
>
> Jim
Jim,I am so glad you are still feeling well and I hope we will soon hear the new that it has helped your son. Keep us posted!
PS I would try the 40 mg...you can always go back up.
Nicole
Posted by RAR on January 16, 2003, at 16:41:42
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?- Jim, posted by nmk on January 16, 2003, at 14:54:27
Nice to see the Straterra conversation continuing. I'm on day 7 here at 25 mg. per day...with the exception of yesterday, where I took a second 25 mg. in the afternoon. That proved much too much in terms of discomfort re: dryness. It's bad enough here with this cold dry winter let alone adding this medication's drawback to the mix. My throat my mouth, my nasal passages -- miserable. Wish there was a simple way to counteract this. Humidifiers, drinking lots of water, lotion, etc. doesn't seem to help. On the plus side, the burning sensation from dry eyes has subsided so perhaps the rest of this will let up as well.
On the upside, I'm very impressed with what this last week has brought in terms of improvement on symptoms. Absolutely more calm, more methodical.I'm a photographer for a newspaper but also cover key positions when folks take vacations. This week I covered for the production manager. Lots of paperwork, lots of details. lots of stress. It went incredibly smoothly - much more than times past. Less effort to accomplish more. I'm also feeling less impulsive, less compelled to finish people's sentences or jump in and interupt. A pleasant change for those around me, no doubt!
I figure I'm a good test case for you guys as I've never taken meds for depression, ADD or anything else. Is there a change? Absolutely. I'm sleeping better, less likely to hit the usual wall in the afternoon where I want a nap and am generally more orderly and thoughtful in how I approach tasks. .
Thanks to those that have been keeping the rest of us informed....
Ruth
Posted by tia on January 16, 2003, at 20:28:21
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?- Jim, posted by RAR on January 16, 2003, at 16:41:42
I am going to start taking straterra tomorrow (1/17) for anxiety/depression. I am a little scared because of trying a new medicine. Has any one felt they have eaten more, less or stayed the same? I have had a lot of medicines and have gained some weight. I am trying to lose it but dont need something that is going to add to it. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sex drive? or having orgasms? I am worried about the problem of urinating because i have a bladder disease and sometimes its a problem and dont need another problem on top. Just wondering how everyone is doing on straterra.
Thanks
Tia
Posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 23:21:01
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 16, 2003, at 20:28:21
> I am going to start taking straterra tomorrow (1/17) for anxiety/depression. I am a little scared because of trying a new medicine. Has any one felt they have eaten more, less or stayed the same? I have had a lot of medicines and have gained some weight. I am trying to lose it but dont need something that is going to add to it. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sex drive? or having orgasms? I am worried about the problem of urinating because i have a bladder disease and sometimes its a problem and dont need another problem on top. Just wondering how everyone is doing on straterra.
>
> Thanks
> Tia
Hi Tia, I was really concerned about the "urinary" side effects too. I have had problems w/ urinary retention in the past. So far I haven't noticed anything urinary related being on Strattera. As far as eating is concerned, I have noticed my appetite has decreased a little. I don't find myself hungry very often. I don't really need to lose weight, so I make sure I eat a good breakfast b4 I take my morning dose. My pdoc is supposed to call me tomorrow (well, I guess today since its after midnight) because of other side effects though, severe dryness everywhere. I have been feeling pretty depressed too. For some odd reason my pdoc took me off my lexapro. I have been having lots of crying spells in the past week since I've been taking Strattera. As far as the sex drive, orgasm thing goes, I haven't noticed any changes there. How much is your daily dosage? I started out on 40, then on the 3rd day to 80 mg, I brought myself back down to 40 after a couple of days, I just think 80 was too much. I have heard a lot of good things so far here about the drug. I just don't think its going to work for me. Good luck, hope it works for you!!! Keep us posted!!!
Posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 6:43:22
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 23:21:01
Thank you jodie. I will keep everyone posted. I am starting on 40mg today. So i will give it some time to see what happens.
Tia
Posted by jrbecker on January 17, 2003, at 10:43:27
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 6:43:22
Well it's been 5 days on Strattera and I feel guilty already for not having provided more frequent updates, but I didn't want to report back to hastily. So here goes...
First of all, I just want to stress that I am defintely an exception to the rule as it goes in terms of reacting to medication. I suffer from severe atypical depression and am very senstive to meds. I am only taking 18 mg of Strattera right now for starters. Also, I take only 2.5 mg daily of Lexapro for AD treatment. Likewise, in past treatments, I have taken only 10mg of Celexa, 37.5 mg of Effexor, and a half of the 2.5 mg tablets of Focalin per dose. Anything higher, is very jarring to me. So as you can see, I am VERY sensitive to meds. Ironically enough, I am a 6'1" 180 lb. male.
So here's the skinny on Strattera:
PRO: great mood effect. I am definitely feeling more cheery and alert. Motivation has increased. Not a problem getting up in the morning. More alert and more *mentally* calm. Stimulants seem to give my thought process "tunnel vision" while Strattera is not as harsh. I am much more alert, but not as hyperfocused than when I am on the stims. There are no rebound effects late in the day. Another big plus, is that I don't get irritable like I did on the stims, but more the opposite, I am much more pliable and adaptive to stress. Socially, it is definitely a help, not only in being more social but wanting to seek out conversation (the latter being more my problem).
All in all, the efficacy seems to be increasing every day more that I am on it even though I haven't increased the dose yet.THE FOLLOWING ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS, WHICH HAVE FADED MORE WITH EVERYDAY ON THE MED:
CON: During the early hours of the med's peak absorption, I have a lot of peripheral effects, such as racing heart, high blood pressure and slight muscle tension. I have also had some restless periods of sleep, though this is getting better everyday. Sexually, it has caused some pretty bad issues with anorgasmia, although this is a problem with every drug I have been on -- others will probably find this effect very minor. AS many others have reported, I have experienced a slight drying of the skin as well as some constipation, but nothing bad. As I mentioned, these effects are fading. Since I have only been on it 5 days, I can assume that these will be minimized in the week to follow. My biggest complaint out of all of them is the increased heart rate (which I have to begin with). My doc and I have already discussed the option of a beta-blocker if this doesn't go away on its own.
OK, so there it is. Hope this helps. Sorry I can't be like the others and report in every day. But I hope I can give you another update in less than a week's time to see if there is any more improvement.
Posted by nmk on January 17, 2003, at 11:28:45
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 16, 2003, at 20:28:21
> I am going to start taking straterra tomorrow (1/17) for anxiety/depression. I am a little scared because of trying a new medicine. Has any one felt they have eaten more, less or stayed the same? I have had a lot of medicines and have gained some weight. I am trying to lose it but dont need something that is going to add to it. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sex drive? or having orgasms? I am worried about the problem of urinating because i have a bladder disease and sometimes its a problem and dont need another problem on top. Just wondering how everyone is doing on straterra.
>
> Thanks
> Tia
Hi Tia,I am also taking Strattera for anxiety/depression. Just curious, what dosage did your doctor prescribe?? Regarding the appetite, I have noticed a decrease in appetite and an increase in energy. A good combo for me since I need to lose a few baby pounds. I am on 18 mg per day and haven't noticed any symtoms related to urination, dry mouth, etc., etc. Keep us posted!
Nicole
Posted by sydney on January 17, 2003, at 12:26:56
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
I just started Straterra at 40 mg. I weigh 240. For my ADD/OCD/Anxiety/Depression I take 1200mg Neurontin (primarily for neuropathic pain, secondarily for anxiety) 200mg Zoloft, 2.5 mg Zyprexa and 20 mg Adderall. The above combination, without the Straterra, worked fine for almost a year. But I started having intense anxiety and anger. Pdoc and I thought we would taper off the Adderall and replace it Strattera.
The first day I took Strattera on top of my normal dose of Adderall. I felt the Strattera within an hour. Combined with the Adderall, I felt "good" but way too racy until the end of the day. However, at the end of the day I felt "solid" and composed.
I backed off my Adderall on day 2 and felt less racy.
Today is day three. I got up without feeling like I "needed" Adderall to get going. I'm a little sluggish but believe its because I stopped the Adderall.
Tonight, I will take a second 40 mg Strattera and see how it goes at 80 mg total. After the first two and half days, I am extremely hopeful.
Side effects I have noticed include racing heart one hour after taking Strattera on the first day. Since then, my heart has been normal. My mouth and eyes are a little dry, but not remarkably. My appetite has been a little off. No problems, yet, with sex, sleeping or urination.
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