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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by BrettMan on April 11, 2003, at 17:49:17
In reply to Straterra approval., posted by scoper on December 28, 2002, at 2:19:34
I started about 11 days ago. For the first 3-4 days I used it in conjunction with Dexedrine in order to "wing" myself off the stimulant.
My first week has been OK. I notice that I get very hungry now, all the time. I think because I get bored so I just eat. I'm thin anyway so its not that big a deal. I feel I have lost some of the motivation I used to get with the Dexedrine. I still find myself yawning alot and a bit sleepy. That is the bad part because when I feel that way I don't feel like doing much and don't tend to stay on task. I'm thinking that it may also be because I have not been exercising regularly. So I want to start exercising and see how it goes after that. I do get the dry mouth on occasion.
Since many people here have recommended staying on it for at least a month before giving up I will do the same.
Another good part is that I with Dexedrine I almost get too caught up in the things that I do. With Straerra I feel more like myself. With Dexedrine I tended to over work and forget about doing the things that make me happy. Sometime I found it hard to sit still and do nothing. Although strange enough I was able to meditate very well while taking Dexedrine. If I go back on someday I will reduce the amount I take.
Brett
Posted by Hattree on April 11, 2003, at 18:53:41
In reply to Straterra Update, posted by BrettMan on April 11, 2003, at 17:49:17
I definitely know that Dex hyperfocus. I can do one thing at a time really well, but transitions are still hard and I lose my keys just as often. I can sit still on it though (airplanes are hell for me without a stimulant).
I started Strattera and then decided to give it a rest because giving up Dexedrine was more than I bargained for, and I wanted to know what was causing what. Turns out the Strattera was not what was making me ravenous. I've been exercising regularly but too weeks later I'm still low-energy and extremely unmovitated. Nice to be able to sleep, though.
I'm waiting till I'm sure I'm past the Dex withdrawal to see whats up. Most people here say getting off stimulants isn't a big deal but its a bear for me, and I can't taper.
Hence, I am glued to the Strattera posts, praying for something that will help my ADD without making me strung out.
> I started about 11 days ago. For the first 3-4 days I used it in conjunction with Dexedrine in order to "wing" myself off the stimulant.
>
> My first week has been OK. I notice that I get very hungry now, all the time. I think because I get bored so I just eat. I'm thin anyway so its not that big a deal. I feel I have lost some of the motivation I used to get with the Dexedrine. I still find myself yawning alot and a bit sleepy. That is the bad part because when I feel that way I don't feel like doing much and don't tend to stay on task. I'm thinking that it may also be because I have not been exercising regularly. So I want to start exercising and see how it goes after that. I do get the dry mouth on occasion.
>
> Since many people here have recommended staying on it for at least a month before giving up I will do the same.
>
> Another good part is that I with Dexedrine I almost get too caught up in the things that I do. With Straerra I feel more like myself. With Dexedrine I tended to over work and forget about doing the things that make me happy. Sometime I found it hard to sit still and do nothing. Although strange enough I was able to meditate very well while taking Dexedrine. If I go back on someday I will reduce the amount I take.
>
> Brett
Posted by Hattree on April 11, 2003, at 18:54:50
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee, posted by Lexxey on April 11, 2003, at 13:50:30
Lexxey,
How's it going with your ADD symptoms?
Thanks
Posted by carlyb on April 11, 2003, at 20:39:54
In reply to Please keep the Strattera updates coming! (nm), posted by Hattree on April 10, 2003, at 13:51:40
i took strattera for 1 month while i weaned myself of serzone i felt alright on about 20 mg when i went up to 40 mg it made my head feel tight and i could barely sleep at night. i stopped taking it, think i'll try 5 htp an amino acid that is supposed to be good for depression good luch carly
Posted by oops...trythatbutton on April 11, 2003, at 21:25:48
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee, posted by Lexxey on April 11, 2003, at 13:50:30
It also increase your blood pressure. This also has a way of making one a bit cranky. I don't notice headaches after drinking anything with caffeine while on the Straterra. The headache is usually in the afternoon. Has anyone been able to get the 10mg Straterra?
Posted by Lexxey on April 11, 2003, at 23:16:47
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee » Lexxey, posted by Hattree on April 11, 2003, at 18:54:50
I feel like I normally do with no meds only more hungry!!! I forgot to take the 4pm Strattera and took it at 7 so here I am after midnight checking email. I don't see how folks can take this at night and sleep.
Thanks for asking...I'm still thinking positive and wondering whether to take 60mg in the am instead of 40 to make it kick in. Accg to the info, it couldn't hurt.
Posted by rickgee on April 12, 2003, at 11:26:18
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee, posted by Lexxey on April 11, 2003, at 23:16:47
I have now been completely off of Effexor for 6 weeks, really didn't like the withdrawal. Started Straterra 18mg AM only ten days ago, didn't really notice anything except the headaches and vertigo were completely gone, Thursday started 18mg AM & PM, notice my ability to focus on a single task has improved and my wife says she notices an improvement to listen to her (???Selective Hearing) Next thursday I will go to two 18mg AM 1PM and see what changes. So no real side effects except some good dreams very vivid. Will post with changes!
Posted by teacherkris on April 14, 2003, at 21:37:34
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee, posted by rickgee on April 12, 2003, at 11:26:18
Well, I've made the switch from 40 mg 2x a day to 80 mg in the am, still taking half dose of concerta (36 mg). So far I seem more tired than normal but that could be because I just moved (moving and ADD not a good combination!). I have noticed more appetite in the evenings but no noticeable change in the ADD symptoms good or bad. In two weeks I go off the Concerta totally and I'll also be back in school teaching so then we'll finally get to see how well it works. I'll keep you all updated.
Posted by Patt on April 15, 2003, at 16:33:24
In reply to update 80 mg 1x day, posted by teacherkris on April 14, 2003, at 21:37:34
> Well, I've made the switch from 40 mg 2x a day to 80 mg in the am, still taking half dose of concerta (36 mg). So far I seem more tired than normal but that could be because I just moved (moving and ADD not a good combination!). I have noticed more appetite in the evenings but no noticeable change in the ADD symptoms good or bad. In two weeks I go off the Concerta totally and I'll also be back in school teaching so then we'll finally get to see how well it works. I'll keep you all updated.
I started at 40 mg. in the morning about 2 1/2 weeks ago; and am currently taking 80 mg. daily. I can see only slight improvement in ADD symptoms, but this is the first drug I have taken for this. I am soooooooo tired and starving, that I can barely stand it. I still wake up in the night sometimes with my stomach growling. I'm going to give it a full 30 days, but if this does not improve, I plan to ask for something else. I am overweight to begin with, so this starving feeling just can't go on much longer. I have already added a few extra pounds, even though I am trying to be very careful.
Posted by Ritchie on April 15, 2003, at 18:05:44
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) weight gain » Patt, posted by paulk on April 1, 2003, at 15:11:27
i started 18 mg for 4 days then 25 mg for a week for depression, now they bumped me up to 40 mg. i am not eating at all. i have lost an entire size in 2 weeks. still having trouble eating plus i get the funky headache in the afternoon but i also have high blood pressure. Depression has not really been alievated as of yet but i am trying to be patient.
Posted by blondegirl47 on April 16, 2003, at 8:09:49
In reply to Re: Atomoxetine (Straterra) weight gain, posted by Ritchie on April 15, 2003, at 18:05:44
Strattera can make your blood pressure go up.
Posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 9:58:08
In reply to Re: update 80 mg 1x day, posted by Patt on April 15, 2003, at 16:33:24
Well I went ahead and went to 100mg...60 in am and 40 at 3-4 and it made a big difference. I finally felt improvement in attention and appetite decrease...yea!!!
My doc thought I might need to so he gave me a sample pack of 14 60mg. The research said that many folks need this amt to get anything out of it. The first day I felt wiped out for 2 hours after taking the first dose but today was really ok at the second day. I slept ok last night but for now I am taking OTC Unisom to help.
I'd say try the 100mg before giving up...it's within the recommended amount. I am skeptakle [sp?]when folks say they notice something on 25mg or the other lower doses...none of the research says that did anything to the test group except power of suggestion. All of it says that it needs month OR TWO for maximum benefits and the lower doses during the fist period is just getting you body used to it.
And how many of us are know for our patience??? Certainly not me!!!
I see my doc next monday and I will tell him I will try this for 2 more months [since I see him every 2 months] and if I'm not any more impressed I will go back to ritalin...and do so disappointed...I really wanted this to work for me.
Posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 10:03:29
In reply to Re: Atomoxetine (Straterra) weight gain, posted by Ritchie on April 15, 2003, at 18:05:44
About the blood pressure...I started taking magnesium 4 times a day 133mg-200 each time for constipation but it really lowered my BP. Read up on it on the net. I was really inpressed. one time when I took 400mg accidently my BP went down 25% to 90/60 and it's usually 135-140/70 or so. I wonder why doctors don't try this. The info on the net was really thorough.
I wish I had your trouble eating. At 100mg I have noticed some help...I sorta feel queasey tho.
Posted by teacherkris on April 16, 2003, at 10:04:58
In reply to Re: update to 100mg, posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 9:58:08
Thanks sooo much for your post! Yesterday was rough, I've been on 80 mg just in the am for the past three days and as of yesterday I was sick of the nausea and tiredness I was getting every afternoon and was willing to give up. After reading your post I'm reminded that I need to hang in there a little longer.
I'm still on Concerta for five more days so it's hard to tell the impact in terms of ADD symptoms but I've waited too long for this drug to give up yet. As you said, we're definitely not known for our patience. I've always found it humorous that they give peopel who have trouble remembering a drug that lasts four hours and once it wears off they're supposed to remember to take another one! Now we have a great new med that takes up to two months for us to feel the impact! As my doctor keeps saying, keep your hat on (or at least in your hand). So your post is encouraging. I'll finish the week at 80 mg in just the am and if I'm still having side effects I'll ask my doc to try the 60/40 combo you're on and see how that works with side effects.
Well, I'm rambling (hmmmm meds not working ;-)) Thanks again for the post and the encouragement!
Posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 10:35:11
In reply to Re: update to 100mg » Lexxey, posted by teacherkris on April 16, 2003, at 10:04:58
wow...I can see why you are having side effects if you are taking it all at once...try dividing it like I do...we can do that...there is no reason to take it all at once. I think you will feel better. Try first one at 8-9 and second at 3-4. That worked fine with me....unless all you have ar 80mg pills...in that case I would call the doc and get 40mg due to the side effects.
This stuff really does make us feel weird but I notice that in a fee days the body gets used to it and it's not so bad.
I'm going to get some L-tyrosine that is supposed to help with dopamine production and maybe that will help my spastic coordination problem. Dopamine affects the movement and it was helped by Ritalin.
Posted by paulk on April 16, 2003, at 10:44:45
In reply to Re: update to 100mg, posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 9:58:08
>I am skeptakle [sp?]when folks say they notice something on 25mg or the other lower doses...none of the research says that did anything to the test group except power of suggestion. All of it says that it needs month OR TWO for maximum benefits and the lower doses during the fist period is just getting you body used to it.
From the Drug monograph:
"A fraction of the population (about 7% of Caucasians and 2% of African Americans) are
poor metabolizers (PMs) of CYP2D6 metabolized drugs. These individuals have reduced activity
in this pathway resulting in 10-fold higher AUCs, 5-fold higher peak plasma concentrations, and
slower elimination (plasma half-life of about 24 hours) of atomoxetine compared with people
with normal activity [extensive metabolizers (EMs)]."That means that for poor metabolizers it is like taking 5 TIMES as much medicine. Not everyone is the same. our metobolic differences are probably more varied thatn our faces - and we don't all look alike. How do you think you would have fared if your doctor started you out on 300mg/day? That would have been equivelent to a poor metabolizer taking 60mg.
Beign a poor metabalizer has the upside of saving money. The message is not that everyone should take a low dosage, but until you know how well you metabolize the med you should start slowly.
Posted by teacherkris on April 16, 2003, at 11:30:40
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) dsage » Lexxey, posted by paulk on April 16, 2003, at 10:44:45
I see what you're saying about poor metabolizers but look at the percentages you also posted those are fairly low. I agree with what Lexxy's saying in that we've had a lot of people on the board who seem to feel that they're getting great benefits from 25 mg or less and I too am skeptical about that based on the double-blind drug trials. I think it is always hard to tell with something like ADHD, where symptoms often worsen and improve without any rhyme or reason even without meds, whether the meds are really working. I know Concerta worked great for me but there were those days when I felt like I hadn't even taken it, and others when I'd forget to take it and think that I had. Basically I'm just saying what I say to parents at the training workshops I do "ADD is consistently inconsistent." So I think the caveat is to be careful if you're at a dose that is lower than that which is even considered therapeutic for a child to watch and make sure it lasts.
That being said I think both Lexxy and I would agree with starting slowly. If you've read my previous posts, I've been slowly increasing for the last two months and have finally made it to 80 mg. I'm very glad my doctor made me go up only 10 mg per week as I read about people who started much more quickly, had horrible side effects and quit.
Finally, Lexxy, I agree about taking it twice a day. I had been taking 40/40 in the am and again at 3 but had whined to my doctor that I only wanted to take meds once a day :-) so he said to go ahead and try it! As you say, we all know by now that the side effects seem to lessen as the days pass so I'm going to hang in for the rest of the week and then go back to 40/40 until I see my doc and ask for 60/40 for a trial without the Concerta.
We'll see what happens. Thank you all for being here and all the support and shared experiences. This board has been a lifesaver!
Posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 12:06:30
In reply to Re: Atomoxetine (Straterra) dsage, posted by teacherkris on April 16, 2003, at 11:30:40
Having to do with the slow metabolizers...I'm not sure I grasp the explanation but maybe other folks are smarter than I am and do. If a person isn't metabolizing a drug how would it be available in the body to induce an effect? It seems like they would notice little or no effects. I have heard of drug sensitive folks who need less but this drug takes a while to do the work it's supposed to do. I didn't invent the info on it...only repeat it. And I never called anyone a liar or anything.
I'm skeptical [thanks TKris, for the right spelling] about a whole lot of things. I'm just not real easily influenced and there must be a lot of folks who also do a lot of research into how these drugs work in our bodies or there wouldn't be so many folks on the net!!! For something to stick in my head I have to read a lot about it and internalize the info...took me a while to finish college...what a pain! Wish I'd had Ritalin then.
I was the one who also said that I noticed a difference in my handwriting and typing right off...just a few days after starting it and I knew that wasn't expected....but that's all I got from it until now....and actually I feel better today than I have in a whole long time...yea!!! Again!!!
Posted by paulk on April 16, 2003, at 12:28:27
In reply to Re: Atomoxetine (Straterra) dsage, posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 12:06:30
> Having to do with the slow metabolizers...I'm not sure I grasp the explanation but maybe other folks are smarter than I am and do. If a person isn't metabolizing a drug how would it be available in the body to induce an effect? It seems like they would notice little or no effects. I have heard of drug sensitive folks who need less but this drug takes a while to do the work it's supposed to do.
Once the drug is in your system it does not stay forever. Most drugs get borken-down(metabolized) into simpler parts that mostly have no effect.If someone is a poor metabalizer, the drug stays around longer and build up to higher levels.
The big point is that people don't know how well they metabalize, so it is a good idea to start slow so that they won't reach too high a level.
The trade off is that it will take longer to get a good reaction for normal metabolizers as they slowly increase the dosage. On the other hand if people start off at a higher doseage and get a lot of side-effects, these people often won't even try again at a lower dosage.
Posted by fallsfall on April 16, 2003, at 13:33:18
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) dosage » Lexxey, posted by paulk on April 16, 2003, at 12:28:27
People who take Prozac (and Paxil, I think) are also slow metabolizers. I take Prozac, but I had to go to 80mg of Straterra to have any impact on my depression (and it is quite effective). I take all 80mg in the morning because if I take it at night, I can't sleep (even with the Sonata I take for the insomnia due to the Prozac...). The side effects do seem to keep going down over time (10 weeks for me, I think).
Posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 15:03:57
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) dosage » Lexxey, posted by paulk on April 16, 2003, at 12:28:27
thanks...I think I see what you are getting at. I only know about what I have read and how this drug affects me and that is keeping me busy enough.
Posted by fairnymph on April 16, 2003, at 23:51:52
In reply to Re: Strattera headaches and coffee, posted by Lexxey on April 11, 2003, at 12:54:32
When I was taking reboxetine, a drug that works in the same way as strattera/reboxetine, I found that drinking coffee gave me bad headahces! I had to give up coffee basically.
> See if those headaches take place after drinking coffee. I sent the post on the throbbing feeling about an hour after my first dose and I had decided that it's due to coffee and strattera. It's not recommended but I'm not ready to give up my one cup in the am....it just smells like morning.
>
> I have always been able to sleep on coffee and even ritalin...lots of ADHD folks can.
Posted by PuraVida on April 17, 2003, at 1:46:26
In reply to Re: Atomoxetine (Straterra) dsage, posted by Lexxey on April 16, 2003, at 12:06:30
Lexxey,
The whole metabolizing thing is like the rest of what we are dealing with - looking for answers through science, and no one knows for sure. I did look it up "on the net" and basically there are a lot of guesses on how and why it is that people react differently at different times, but we do. Some of the research I saw said that people could react differently from week to week, or month to month. I know from experience that I can react differently depending on circumstances - I don't need a monograph to tell me that. Have you ever had just one drink and felt really tipsy, when usually it takes two to feel the same way? You're not less smart than anyone else is - listen to your body and intuition - do what feels right.
PV
> Having to do with the slow metabolizers...I'm not sure I grasp the explanation but maybe other folks are smarter than I am and do.
Posted by Hattree on April 17, 2003, at 9:42:10
In reply to Re: Metabolizing » Lexxey, posted by PuraVida on April 17, 2003, at 1:46:26
I'm one of those slow metabolizers--I used to take prozac for a few days and be covered for a month. Tiny bits of some drugs do it for me when standard doses just make me feel bad. (Not so others. Immediate action meds seem to be different.)
I'm on day 3 of Strattera for the second time around. Gave up the first time because I couldn't sort out the Strattera effects from stimulant withdrawal. I feel alternately sedated and then energetic and nicely focused...possibly at onset it sedates me and then the more positive effect kicks in (including appetite supression). Sleep is definitely weird, though.
Maybe the reason some people feel an almost immediate response is something like what commonly happens with Lamictal—an initial improvement after a few days which levels off or decreases but kicks back in when the theraputic dose is reached.
Posted by Ritchie on April 17, 2003, at 11:58:43
In reply to Re: Please keep the Strattera updates coming!, posted by carlyb on April 11, 2003, at 20:39:54
If you are having trouble sleeping on the Strattera I find that taking the 5 HTP 200 mg at night helps extremely well. It also reduces carbohydrate cravings.
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