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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Mid- Life Crisis on November 30, 2003, at 9:20:25
In reply to Re: strattera WITHDRAWL?, posted by narnett on November 30, 2003, at 1:26:59
Narnet, I am just curious...why are you trying to get off the Strattera?? Is it not working anymore??
As to the "hangover" effect, perhaps you can help this with drinking coffee until the Strattera side effects go away. (I'm on 75 mg. of Strattera per day but STILL like to drink tons of coffee.) I hope you get rid of this symptom completely.
Posted by narnett on November 30, 2003, at 11:21:19
In reply to Re: strattera WITHDRAWL?, posted by Mid- Life Crisis on November 30, 2003, at 9:20:25
The main reason I'm not taking Strattera right now is Kaiser's ridiculous shortage of psychiatrists. I called for an appointment in mid-September and it is scheduled for mid-January! I only have a couple of weeks of Strattera, so I figured I'd see how I do with out it, since there's not much change of seeing a doctor sooner. And I'm not even sure if Kaiser will prescribe it -- they tend not to make new meds available unless there's solid evidence that the older, less expensive ones aren't as good.
In other words, I'm preparing myself to do battle with the HMO... ;-)
If I were certain that Strattera made a big difference for me, I'd be saying "bad faith" to someone at Kaiser right now. I think I need to see how things are without it for a while in order to convince myself that it's really helping enough to be worth it. I'm doing other things that are lowering my overall anxiety, etc., which I'm thinking probably reduce my need for it.
Or I'll have to just go full-goose bozo so that Kaiser will see something serious in me... ;-)
We'll see.
Nick
Posted by dms777smd on November 30, 2003, at 23:57:56
In reply to Re: strattera WITHDRAWL?, posted by reba on July 30, 2003, at 17:34:27
Ya know, any kind of drug is going to make you feel weird when you get off of it.Your body gets used to whatever you're taking and it can't handle it when you stop.Just hang in there,,,the withdrawals can last a while,but you can get through it.
Posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 19:53:30
In reply to Re: strattera WITHDRAWL? » reba, posted by dms777smd on November 30, 2003, at 23:57:56
Where do i start..My son starting taking Strattera Oct 1st at 40 mill. then 60..then 80 milligrams.He had previously taken Adderall and was having horrible mood swings that he couldn't control.All i know is i wanted him off of it!We then switched to Strattera. He also became very depressed with the Adderall. I was told Strattera is not an overnight process to help ADD.He is not hyper.. but the opposite, spacey, unable to focus and drifts away during classes unable to complete assignments. While on the 80 milligrams of Strattera he became violent again with the mood swings. I lowered the strattera back to 40 cuz frankly..it scared the heck out of me how he was acting.At the same time he was diagnosed with depression and place on Zoloft which he started at 25 milligrams and is now at 50.He's only been on Zoloft for 2 weeks. I can't give it to him at night cuz he can't sleep. The zoloft has the same effect on him so he takes both in the A.M. before school. Honestly, i think he is doing worse on Strattera. The only improvement his teachers and i have seen is that he is more social at school but still unable to do his classwork and still unorganized. Still spacing out as well just as if he wasnt taking anything. I just don't know what to do now. Does anyone have the same situation or in the past with their child? BTW he weighs 180 lbs so i know according to the charts for dosing..he should take the 80 milligrams of Strattera but i'm afraid to raise it because of the reaction we had before and he is now on Zoloft.. HELP !
Posted by frustratedmom on December 5, 2003, at 20:10:15
In reply to Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far, posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 19:53:30
I have a 15 year old son who weighs almost 170. He is presently taking Adderall for ADD and lexapro for depression. He also has the spacey/can't stay focused type of ADD, not hyper at all. We had him on 30mg of ADDERALL for about 10 months with great success but decided to try Straterra last summer. We were just concerned about the fact that ADDERALL was a stimulant and thought if we could get the same results with a non stimulant, it would be great. He was on the Straterra for about 4 months with no results. We had his dosage as high as 80mg and he was very frustrated, as he could see the difference in lack of focus compared to when he was taking the Adderall. His grades began to slip and we went back to the Adderall again. Forunately, he has not experienced the mood swings or anger you speak of with his medication. He also takes 30mg of the lexapro and he takes both meds in the morning. I have read a lot of peoples comments about Straterra at this site and have not heard too many success stories. I know we were very disappointed in it but am thankful we had success with the Adderall. I wish you had a better experience, as I don't have any other alternatives to share success stories with you. Good luck, I know how frustrating life can be.
Posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 21:49:10
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far, posted by frustratedmom on December 5, 2003, at 20:10:15
Thanks for the response. I've tried Concerta before and it did nothing. He had taken Adderall since the first grade and then went to the XP Adderall which is when we noticed the irritability in him. This is the first year we ever had the mood swings and aggresive behavior. His next appointment will be in January with his doctor and next week with his therapist. I've copied all the teachers emails about his progress which has been none,so all the doctors can see......Strattera is not working. I just wish we hadn't lost all this time trying this new drug cuz we're half way through the year without anything promising to speak of with Strattera.
Posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 21:52:03
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far » frustratedmom, posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 21:49:10
LOL i keep wanting to say Adderall XP ... my brain hurts...... XR ! grrrrrrr
Posted by DSCH on December 6, 2003, at 19:38:01
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far, posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 21:52:03
You may want to ask about a mood stabilizer/anti-convulsant like Depakote.
Hyperactivity in various places in the brain (such as the temporal lobes) combined with inactivity in the pre-frontal cortex can present a problem: stimulants can improve the latter but will tend to worsen the former.
I recommend checking out Dr. Amen's book "Healing ADD" and his websites, http://www.brainplace.com and http://www.amenclinic.com
Posted by Palbella on December 6, 2003, at 20:46:07
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far » Palbella, posted by DSCH on December 6, 2003, at 19:38:01
Thank you for the links and info. Very helpful information.....Thanks so much and I will get the book for sure. I have reading alot about which herbs and vitamins are best for ADD and Depression. I just started my son on vitamins too. I was glad to see on the Doctors website after taking one of the test...that i was right cooking him a good old fashion breakfast and not giving him processed fast foods. I think the Strattera will come to an end as I am not happy with it at all. I feel 2 and 1\2 months is long enough to tell. Thanks again *S*
Posted by DSCH on December 6, 2003, at 21:45:29
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far » DSCH, posted by Palbella on December 6, 2003, at 20:46:07
Posted by Snowie on December 7, 2003, at 19:28:12
In reply to Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far, posted by Palbella on December 5, 2003, at 19:53:30
Palbella,
I'm an adult with possible ADD but I may have outgrown most of it, so the most I took was 40 mgs. I did better at the lower level that pdocs start you out on. When I was raised to 40 mgs. I became easily irritated, had constipation, some depression, headaches, and no libido. However, I was getting more work done around the house, and my appetite greatly diminished, which was a good side effect. I went off of it because of the negative side effects and the high price.
Snowie
> Where do i start..My son starting taking Strattera Oct 1st at 40 mill. then 60..then 80 milligrams.He had previously taken Adderall and was having horrible mood swings that he couldn't control.All i know is i wanted him off of it!We then switched to Strattera. He also became very depressed with the Adderall. I was told Strattera is not an overnight process to help ADD.He is not hyper.. but the opposite, spacey, unable to focus and drifts away during classes unable to complete assignments. While on the 80 milligrams of Strattera he became violent again with the mood swings. I lowered the strattera back to 40 cuz frankly..it scared the heck out of me how he was acting.At the same time he was diagnosed with depression and place on Zoloft which he started at 25 milligrams and is now at 50.He's only been on Zoloft for 2 weeks. I can't give it to him at night cuz he can't sleep. The zoloft has the same effect on him so he takes both in the A.M. before school. Honestly, i think he is doing worse on Strattera. The only improvement his teachers and i have seen is that he is more social at school but still unable to do his classwork and still unorganized. Still spacing out as well just as if he wasnt taking anything. I just don't know what to do now. Does anyone have the same situation or in the past with their child? BTW he weighs 180 lbs so i know according to the charts for dosing..he should take the 80 milligrams of Strattera but i'm afraid to raise it because of the reaction we had before and he is now on Zoloft.. HELP !
Posted by DaveInSATx on December 8, 2003, at 16:39:30
In reply to Re: Strattera- My 12 year olds experience so far » Palbella, posted by Snowie on December 7, 2003, at 19:28:12
I have been taking Stratera for my ADD for about 6 days. The doctor started me off on 40mG starter pack, and now I'm up to 60mG. Since taking Strattera, I have had strange things happen. Since take the 60's, I have been extremely fatigued around noon. I take it around 9 AM, and after reading some of the other posts, I realize I should probably take it in the evening. One of the side effects that really bothers me, is the chills, and like today, suddenly becoming hot and sweating. I didn't really notice the hot spells until today while I was shopping, I noticed I was getting really hot, and my forehead was beginning to sweat. I got in my car, turn the A/C on high, and it slowly cooled me down, then I got the chills again. Another thing, this started when I began taking the 60's, when it gets dark and I start winding down and watching TV/reading, I notice my feet and toes get extremely cold. I put them on a heat pad and it doesn't seem to help. I never had problems like this before the Strattera. Does anyone else get these symptoms? Will they go away? Should i contact my doctor?
Someone please let me know...-Dave
Posted by Palbella on December 8, 2003, at 20:57:59
In reply to Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 8, 2003, at 16:39:30
Hi ...Well my son had originally started on Strattera Oct 1st. He started at 40 milligrams then several weeks later went to 60 milligrams for another 2 weeks. He was then increased to 80 milligrams which according to his body weight is the amount he should be at....but he began to have horriable, uncontrollable mood swings which thats how he put it.. he was out of control over the smallest things that got him upset. This was right before he was placed on Zoloft for depression. Zoloft helped alot with the mood swings..but i backed him to 40 milligrams of Strattera cuz it scared the hell out of me! He orignally took Strattera in the morning before school. The pdoc said my lowering his dose was ok and that he could even divide it into 2 dosages instead of the 1 pill. I now have him taking it at night which i slowly moved the time closer and closer to bedtime. It does make him sleepy just like you experienced which defeated the whole purpose of taking Strattera for ADD at school. The teachers said he was out of it sitting at his desk trying to do class assignments. He hasn't said anything about sweats nor getting hot but he gets a little lightheaded. But wow are you right on it....about the feet getting cold! I just started noticing that same thing. His feet get so cold and he can't warm them up. I didn't think about it being the Strattera but you have something there. It must be.....All i can say is the Zoloft does him more good than the Strattera and the bad thing is.. you have to slowly get it out of your system or it can really mess you up. I don't like it and have seen no benefits at all from it. It's made things worse from what i can tell. I was told by the doctors that it has to build up and level off before it works like it should and that can take several months. I've seen nothing positive about it yet. All i can say is go with your instincts...if it's too wierd feeling for you then try something else before you're on it too long. Remember too that some people can't sleep when they take it at night....but some it zonks out so bad during the AM that you have to change to PM. It takes about 2 hours for it to reach its peak after you take it.. so take it when you get in bed and not several hours before or you might have problems falling asleep...Good Luck *S*
Posted by MamaB on December 9, 2003, at 6:06:17
In reply to Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 8, 2003, at 16:39:30
> I have been taking Stratera for my ADD for about 6 days. The doctor started me off on 40mG starter pack, and now I'm up to 60mG. Since taking Strattera, I have had strange things happen. Since take the 60's, I have been extremely fatigued around noon. I take it around 9 AM, and after reading some of the other posts, I realize I should probably take it in the evening. One of the side effects that really bothers me, is the chills, and like today, suddenly becoming hot and sweating. I didn't really notice the hot spells until today while I was shopping, I noticed I was getting really hot, and my forehead was beginning to sweat. I got in my car, turn the A/C on high, and it slowly cooled me down, then I got the chills again. Another thing, this started when I began taking the 60's, when it gets dark and I start winding down and watching TV/reading, I notice my feet and toes get extremely cold. I put them on a heat pad and it doesn't seem to help. I never had problems like this before the Strattera. Does anyone else get these symptoms? Will they go away? Should i contact my doctor?
>
> Someone please let me know...-DaveDave,
I have been on Strattera for about three months now and the "hot cold" thing has on occasion drivin me crazy too. I am very active physically (run, bike ski swim etc, and never have I sweat as much as I do now. The other night when my husband came to bed I had to have him switch on my side of the electric blanket as I was too cold to even reach out from under the covers !! I am on 80 mgm/day
The hot cold thing seems at it's worst if I forget a dose and then after the next dose it hits. I must say hwever this is getting better albiet gradually. MamaB
Posted by DaveInSATx on December 9, 2003, at 11:58:44
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by MamaB on December 9, 2003, at 6:06:17
Thank you both for replying, I really appreciate it :)
I took my Strattera last night as I was going to bed around midnight. I woke up around 6:00 and it took me about 45 minutes to fall back asleep. But to tell you the truth, I actually feel rested for a change. I think I'll stick to taking it at night :)
I haven't had much of a problem with the cold feet the past few nights. The two nights that I had the problem were on night when the temperatures fell into the high 30's, low 40's. Being that it's Texas, our weather changes constantly. Now the temperatues are in the 60's at night. So, I haven't had the problem. Though, today a cold front came through and it's supposed to be 35 degrees, so it'll be interesting to see if I get the cold feel syndrome :-P
Haven't had any hot flashes yet today. Hopefully take the medication at night has alleviated that problem.Thanks for the input :-)
-Dave
Posted by Palbella on December 9, 2003, at 19:51:00
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 9, 2003, at 11:58:44
That's what is so nice about sharing info with each other. Makes ya feel like you're not the ONLY one experiencing how drugs act. Everyone is different...but if my experiences help you then i'm glad to give any insight.Taking new drugs can be a scary thing too.Hope Strattera works for you..Take care *S*
Posted by lessismore on December 9, 2003, at 22:17:55
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 9, 2003, at 11:58:44
I have been on Strattera for 4 months now, and it has been a life saver. Or at least a sanity saver. I pay out of pocket for it, $6 a day. I didn't have chills, but I did have sweats for the first couple months. It was also summer though. I quickly saw a difference in my ability to focus. I have noticed that most of the people who post about out of control mood swings are parents of adolescents. I did feel some irritability, but not irrationally. I also wonder whether people with more or worse side effects are more likely to post here. I told 2 friends about Strattera, and they both started it and have been thrilled. One was very tired at first, and the other lost his appetite at first, but both leveled out in a month. I have been off it now for 3 days, because I'm broke, and God do I miss it. I'm wandering around like an idiot again, forgetting what I was doing. Maybe I should have everyone who hates it send theirs to me!
Posted by DaveInSATx on December 9, 2003, at 22:52:48
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by lessismore on December 9, 2003, at 22:17:55
Lessismore,
I know how you feel. Before taking Strattera, I was on NUMEROUS antidepressants. After getting off all of them, I felt as if I was going crazy. It was the WORST with the Effexor. It was like a hangover feeling. My sister and I referred to them as "Effexor headaches". Everything felt as if it were pushing down on me. It took about 2 days before the withdrawals came one. Also, I would twitch from time to time
The anti-depressants I took, In order, were Celexa, Effexor, Effexor XR, Xanax, Paxil, Lexapro, and Zyprexa. I never felt depressed, but I just could NOT focus, etc. So the doctor tried me on those. None of them worked. I still have panic attacks from time to time. Then I saw the Adult ADD commercial, and it prompted me to go back to the doctor.
I don't take medication for the panic attacks anymore, but I have found ways to get around the panic attacks. When I feel one coming on, I take a huge breath, hold it in and focus on something else. I got them mostly when I would go out to eat with friends/relatives and then it would happen in the car. Strange, huh? When I have the panic attacks it feels like I'm going to vomit.
So anyway, I'm curious, anyone have any coping mechanisms for their panic attacks? Any medication get rid of them completely?Thanks everyone! :)
Dave
Posted by MamaB on December 10, 2003, at 9:05:13
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 9, 2003, at 22:52:48
Dave,
Again we sound as though our situations may be similar. I am SO GLAD to hear that someone else has learned how to handle anxiety and panic without medication!! I taught myself that many years ago as most physicians refused to give me anything (I am an ex-alcoholic)
Today I try and teach those with whom I work, but it is VERY TOUGH. There have been a number of successes, but in so many cases I find people unwilling or unable to invest the time and create the new mind-set that is required to overcome anxiety. Please, those of you who take meds, I mean nothing negative toward you!
I find that some days the Strattera works better than others. I absolutely cannot take it at night-- tried it and all I did was toss and turn. You are fortunate that you can. Blessings, MamaB
Posted by squids on December 10, 2003, at 16:57:15
In reply to Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by DaveInSATx on December 8, 2003, at 16:39:30
I took 40mg Strattera for 2 weeks before discontinuing. I felt warmer than usual and sweated all of the time. But that wasn't bad. The stuff made me drowsy during the day, then at night I would wake up every 2 hours or so. Also I was in a really bad irritable mood all of the time. In 2 weeks these effects had not gone away and it was intolerable taking Strattera any more. I quit that and am taking Provigil and Wellbutrin - with small but definite improvements on my ADD (inattentive type).
Posted by Palbella on December 10, 2003, at 18:43:17
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by lessismore on December 9, 2003, at 22:17:55
I really really wanted to see good results with Strattera. I found this board to see if there was anything positive about the medication because I wasn't sure I had given it enough time to let it do its thing like it's suppose to. Is 3 months long enough? I do believe it should be but maybe i'm wrong. Trust me I want it to work for my son. He started slowly on it and increased it just like his doctor/doctors said but......the emails i get from his teachers say that it is not doing anything so far. Made him more sociable but as far as classwork ..it hasn't helped at all. Worse according to them. The Zoloft has smoothed his irritabilty from Strattera but I did have to decrease the dosage from 80 back to 40 milligrams a day of *S*. I prayed Strattera would be the right med for ADD but i don't see it nor the school and 3 months is plenty of time.I guess it works for some but not all. Yes it is expensive....! Glad to see it helps you. *S*
Posted by Palbella on December 10, 2003, at 18:56:30
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by MamaB on December 10, 2003, at 9:05:13
Well my son tried it in the AM but it's worse as far as the lesser of two evils. At first taking it at night did make him toss and turn as you said. When he took it in the AM, between 1 and 2 hours later is when it hit him.. made him like in a daze in school. The teachers said he just sits up like he's asleep with his eyes wide open. I just recently switched him to night right before bed and i mean right when he jumps in bed so it doesnt give it time to hit him cuz he falls asleep before that 2 hour time factor. He wakes up much better too. I switched the Zoloft to AM to take the edge off of Strattera mood swings... so things are better that way but still Strattera hasn't helped him with focusing and getting things done. He has to see 1 of his doctors this Friday and i guess we'll go from there. I had such hopes for this drug but i just don't see any benefits at all for him on it. He is in therapy as well and i would love nothing better than for him to be drug free...That would be a blessing.. Take Care *S*
Posted by Palbella on December 10, 2003, at 19:03:17
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by squids on December 10, 2003, at 16:57:15
> I took 40mg Strattera for 2 weeks before discontinuing. I felt warmer than usual and sweated all of the time. But that wasn't bad. The stuff made me drowsy during the day, then at night I would wake up every 2 hours or so. Also I was in a really bad irritable mood all of the time. In 2 weeks these effects had not gone away and it was intolerable taking Strattera any more. I quit that and am taking Provigil and Wellbutrin - with small but definite improvements on my ADD (inattentive type).
That is exactly how it affects him..fortunatly the Zoloft helps with the irritability We started out taking my son off of Adderall because of mood swings and were only working on his ADD for school then the doctors after therapy said he suffered with depression too. I don't know what we will do to help with the ADD situation but that is still a big problem. Good Luck yourself *S*
Posted by Mid-Life Crisis on December 11, 2003, at 0:25:06
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by Palbella on December 10, 2003, at 19:03:17
I keep reading here about primarily bad experiences with Strattera, and my 15 yr. old son is also one who it hasn't helped, possibly because his pediatrician wouldn't allow him to be on more than 60 mg. daily. However, I guess he should've noticed some improvement by now anyway, after 2 months of 60 mg. So it's back to Dexadrine for him, I guess.
However...I've been on Strattera (now 75 mg. per day) for nearly 3 months, and somewhere around 6-8 weeks I stopped having the sleepiness and sweats from it and could finally stop taking it at night instead of in the a.m. Now I take it several times (25 mg. each) throughout the day and it allows me to get away from the roller-coaster caused by Adderall, ritalin, Concerta, in other words, all the stimulants. In addition, it does not increase my anxiety like they do, and best of all, I can now go through a whole day without alternating between states of being hyper and then a few hours later, comatose. I now have a "middle" (normal) state of consciousness, and can function the whole day without "crashing". This allows me to maintain my focus and attention level throughout the day. I hope I never have to be without Strattera, it is a huge help. So, I would definitely recommend a trial of it for at least 2 months, if you can stand it, before deciding that it doesn't work. It may end up being the most helpful drug you've ever taken, but also the longest to "kick in".
Posted by squids on December 11, 2003, at 14:19:55
In reply to Re: Strange Strattera side-effects, posted by Palbella on December 10, 2003, at 19:03:17
> That is exactly how it affects him..fortunatly the Zoloft helps with the irritability We started out taking my son off of Adderall because of mood swings and were only working on his ADD for school then the doctors after therapy said he suffered with depression too. I don't know what we will do to help with the ADD situation but that is still a big problem. Good Luck yourself *S*
>I should have mentioned that I had been on zoloft for depression prior to adding the strattera. Zoloft worked OK for depression, my mood was better; but it didn't do anything noticable for ADD. As soon as strattera was added I was irritable and in a bad mood all of the time. 2 weeks was all I could endure before stopping - and even then it took another week before I got out of those moods. If the stratter did anything for my ADD (I didn't notice anything), the disrupted sleep and irritability offset any positive effects.
My pdoc has a pretty low opinion of strattera for adult add. He thinks it's OK for children (I don't know what the cutoff age is) but apparently none of his adult patients, including me, has had any success with it. Individual biological factors are different for everyone, so it was worth a try at any rate.
Best of luck.
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