![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 15:32:40
I am switching to Strattera from Zoloft (and an aborted switch to Serzone.).
I wanted to try it out because my biggest complaints have been low motivation and troubles concentrating. Also, having to sign the informed consent for Serzone (liver thing) made me nervous.
My dx is not ADD; it is now severe anxiety. So I can let you all know how it works for pure depressive/anxious symptoms.
I'm starting 40 mgs/week 1, have been advised to add 40 mgs next week or stay at 40, depending on how I feel. So far I don't feel anything unusual. (Not surprised.)
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 19:21:39
In reply to jumping ship to Strattera from an SSRI, posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 15:32:40
Blagh! I'm feeling zombied out, like I'm doing things that I would normally do but not having even the slightest sensations of enjoyment that I normally would. (from listening to music, etc.)
Plus, I'm feeling a little agitated _and_ my concentration is worse!
Is this from maybe just too many meds going on? (got off Zoloft a week ago, started Serzone this for couple days, backed off, now on Straterra day 1.)
My p.doc warned me to ride things out, so I'll try. But I have a friend coming to visit on Saturday! Will I feel able to concentrate and less agitated by the time he's here? Hope so!
Posted by PhoenixGirl on May 13, 2003, at 22:08:55
In reply to blagh! agitated zombie. day 1 straterra, posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 19:21:39
bookgurl, please try to ride it out! It feels awful, I know because I've been there too. I can tell you that when I started Wellbutrin for my extreme fatigue, the side effects were so awful, I was a hair away from giving up on Wellbutrin. But the side effects eased after I rode out the first couple of weeks, and now Wellbutrin is responsible for helping me stay awake enough to work. Strattera may or may not help you, but it will take time to see. And if it does help you, the benefits will far outweigh this yucky beginning part. Hold on, you will make it!
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 9:10:57
In reply to jumping ship to Strattera from an SSRI, posted by bookgurl99 on May 13, 2003, at 15:32:40
Felt very sleepy early in the evening after taking Strat last night, but then became insomniac. Finally fell back asleep and had vivid, pleasant dreams. (As opposed to the vivid, grotesque dreams I had on Zoloft.)
Feel dopey today. I am more organized, though -- placebo effect? Normally I dwawdle getting ready in the morning, and this morning I did everything to plan.
Took a 75 mg serzone, which seemed to burn off some of the dopey feeling.
Overall, I feel like I'm in a good mood, but not as driven or focused as I would normally be. Nor do I feel very talkative. This dopey feeling concerns me.
I'm also kinda nervous about playing around with so many neurotransmitters. Are my dopamine receptors gonna pop off if they become overloaded?
Posted by glaciergirl on May 14, 2003, at 9:51:14
In reply to Day 2 Strat -- feel like dopey dwarf » bookgurl99, posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 9:10:57
Today is my 8th day on Strattera. For the first 4 days (on 18mg) I was a zombie, too. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. I had no emotion, in fact, my husband and I went on vacation to celebrate my birthday and during the ride up he kept asking my why I wasn't excited??? I noticed I was just sitting there looking straight ahead with no emotions. Inside I was somewhat excited, but I had no desire to goof around or let my emotions out. (It was almost like I was to shy to talk) I also noticed on day 1 and 2 that I would be sitting at my desk at work with my arms crossed just staring at my computer. I had to snap out of it!! I have also distanced myself from others, not going to work luncheons, making excuses to get away from people. And as far as better focus or attention, it is lacking! I haven't even attempted to finish up any projects at work, my bills are sitting on my coffee table untouched. I am not very happy with strattera right now. I am on it for ADHD, and it is the first med I've tried. I go back to the dr. May 20 so we'll see what she says.
Posted by zeugma on May 14, 2003, at 20:43:24
In reply to Re: Day 2 Strat -- feel like dopey dwarf » bookgurl99, posted by glaciergirl on May 14, 2003, at 9:51:14
I got a sample pack for Strattera this morning. My dr. told me to take the first dose at the soonest opportunity with food, so I found a diner to pop into and force-fed myself two pancakes- I had had a rough night and had bad dreams, nausea, etc.
I killed a few hours in the park after that then when to work. I was doing paperwork when WHAM! I suddenly felt awake and alert. And my hands were shaking, the words I was writing were becoming illegible, etc. I stopped sipping my Starbuck's coffee and eventually poured it down the drain. I should add that I am a HARDCORE coffee drinker who has basically gotten thru life (such as it is) on massive amounts of caffeine, constantly. And what else? I became furiously hungry! I ran across the street to the pizza place soon after this powerful hunger hit me, I should add that normally I have to FORCE myself to eat (as I had this morning). And I got thru my work with an alacrity I've rarely if ever possessed. I'm hoping this effect persists, cause it would be most helpful!I should add also that I take 75 mg nortriptyline and 30 mg buspirone, and it was an 18 mg capsule of Strattera I took. It definitely felt stimulating to me, totally unlike the other meds I take. The only thing I can say to explain why my experience has been favorable while others' hasn't been is because I knew I tolerate noradrenergic meds well (nortriptyline is a noradrenergic med like Strattera). I just was afraid the Strat would FEEL just like nortrip, which it doesn't at all; it seems very alerting to me.
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 23:01:18
In reply to Day 2 Strat -- feel like dopey dwarf » bookgurl99, posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 9:10:57
I have never felt so stupid. I spent the whole day not 'getting it,' not being all the way there, thinking it was Friday most of the day. (It's Wed!) Overall, I was stupid.
The one positive effect of strat; despite being 'out of it,' I was quite decisive. I had to take a grammar/spelling test for work, and sped that thing out in no time. I was the fastest completer and had the highest score of my group.
I _was_ a good listener, but mostly because I was too dumb to come up with my own thing.
I had no appetite.
Thinking of giving up. . on Straterra.
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 23:54:04
In reply to day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert, posted by zeugma on May 14, 2003, at 20:43:24
Hey, what's your dx? Is it ADD? I wonder if you're responding better due to being actually ADD, while I'm just 'anxious.' ?
Posted by zeugma on May 15, 2003, at 6:17:41
In reply to Re: day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert » zeugma, posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 23:54:04
> Hey, what's your dx? Is it ADD? I wonder if you're responding better due to being actually ADD, while I'm just 'anxious.' ?
Hi,
My dx is ADHD, plus depression and GAD (and NVLD, though I don't think that's in the DSM yet :). I would say that the ADD is the primary problem- it started disrupting my school career long before the depression set in. So I always regarded the depression as having been at least in part induced by troubles caused by the ADHD.
Posted by oops...trythatbutton on May 15, 2003, at 6:32:53
In reply to Re: day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert, posted by zeugma on May 15, 2003, at 6:17:41
I had lots bad side effects but after I got the right dose... and actually kept on it ....wow... and as a double check...I stopped for a few days...oops...back on and my head cleared up....I'm the opposite, I always had an appetite and now I don't stuff my face...and I'm one size down now...but its slooowww...patiences... :)
3 months plus and counting
Posted by fallsfall on May 15, 2003, at 7:35:59
In reply to Day 2 Strat redux -- never felt so dumb, posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 23:01:18
Hang in there. It takes a little while to get used to it. It will be worth it if it works for you, and if not you will know you gave it a fair trial.
Posted by zeugma on May 15, 2003, at 10:10:19
In reply to Re: day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert » zeugma, posted by bookgurl99 on May 14, 2003, at 23:54:04
> Hey, what's your dx? Is it ADD? I wonder if you're responding better due to being actually ADD, while I'm just 'anxious.' ?
Also, I've been taking a med that shares a mechanism of action with Strattera (nortriptyline), so the effect was like a sudden dose increase instead of start-up. I think NE-active drugs can be good for anxiety... the TCA's are proven to work well for GAD as well as depression. They just work very differently from serotonin-active drugs (SSRI's and for the most part Effexor). Whereas those drugs tend to restrict emotion, generating apathy as part of the therapeutic effect, NE-active drugs might INCREASE emotion as part of a normalizing process. This is probably why TCA's have a bad reputation among atypicals and bipolars. The two classes of drugs seem to work for different populations (though there is probably some overlap and shared mechanisms among the drugs too). By the way, you might not be as 'dumb' as you think you are if you scored so well on your test!
Posted by Hattree on May 15, 2003, at 14:58:46
In reply to Re: day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert » zeugma, posted by oops...trythatbutton on May 15, 2003, at 6:32:53
> I had lots bad side effects but after I got the right dose...
what did the right dose turn out to be? where did you start?
thanks
Posted by oops...trythatbutton on May 15, 2003, at 17:30:46
In reply to Re: day 1 Strattera: ravenous and alert » oops...trythatbutton, posted by Hattree on May 15, 2003, at 14:58:46
I started at 40 for 2 weeks. The first week I was focused but a bit out of it. Second week went straight down hill... Then my pdr restarted me at 18...From there I was at 20 then 25. The 25 seens to work the best for me
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.