Strattera

Caroline, I have been doing a lot of research on Strattera in consideration of putting our 13-year-old son on it. In my research I found that many people found the medication to be more affective when it was given in the evening after dinner, or after bedtime snack. This would help the child sleep during the time they are usually lethargic, and by the time they wake up, they are in a good mood and ready for the day.

I was diagnosed with adult ADD, and was given a prescription for Straterra. I was so wiped out by it that I stopped taking it after the fourth day. I am a shift worker, and my doctor prescribed it knowing my hours. This medication was not only dangerous for me to take, it was irresponsible for my doctor to give it to me. I was falling asleep at the wheel. I am taking Wellbutrin at the moment, and have little to say about that. Tired of being a guinnea pig ...

My doctor did tell us that it makes children tired. Well, how can they concentrate in school if they are tired! I am concerned that my 10 year old acts tired, slow to speech. I highly recommend taking it at night especially if they have trouble sleeping anyway. I will not be contining this Stratera if I do not see the tiredness go away in the next few weeks because it seems painful for my son to stay upbeat enough to function.

I highly recommend the book "Below Grade, Wrong Grade " if you have beginner students. This might keep them from being on medications when they are older.

Yes. I find it more difficult to remain on task ot do tackle demmanding work while on Strattera. I have been on 40/day, 80/day and now on 60/day. I am male, 52 and otherwise in good health.

We asked my nephew's pediatrician about Strattera after his psychiatrist put him through a "lets try this" list of meds. It has changed his life. He is more focused, energetic, and happy. He also has his appetite back!

Straterra was initially energizing for me, but now, a month later, it's _very_ sedating.

My dose is(was) 25mg/day, BTW. My doctor has tried increasing to 50mg/day, but it's not helping. I will be discontinuing it soon if this doesn't go away.

I have been taking Strattera for 2 months. I am a 46 year old female. I started out on 40mgs. for the first week. During this time I became sleepy 2 hours after taking the medication. However, I was taking the medication in the evening so I did not affect work.Also I did interrupt my sleeping pattern at night. The 2nd week the dose was doubled to 80mgs. By the end of the second week I was no longer feeling sleepy after taking it. By the 3rd week my sleeping pattern was back to normal. So far I have found the medication very helpful with concentration. Other benefits for me include elimination of anxiousness and negative feedback loops in my thinking. I am currently experiencing no negative effects from the medication.

I'm not Adhd. However, depressed, due to chronic levels of high stress I am veeery disorganized. My little girl's doc. just supplemented her depakote with adderall. She is acting like baby Hitler- brought out her ocd and project oriented side. I NEED to be alert in this combative environment otherwise known as home sweet home. I am SOOOO sleepy. (age 28) Is this an unusual side effect for adults? Does it go away? Nodding off now, Sleepy lady

I am a 33 year old male a recently diagnosed with ADHD. I took 40mg for the first four days and started on 60mg today, after a few weeks the dosage goes up to 80mg. I take it in the morning, the first few days I was incredibly tired. The first day I actually left work a couple hours early and went home to sleep. The next day was a little better, I made it through the day, then the third day it was normal and I managed to get eight hours of sleep, the other nights I did not and figured that was why I was tired. I have seen a number of other side effects as well and my concentration has not improved at all. I am willing to give this medication about a month to improve. I am highly intellectual so I have managed to build quite a few coping skills over the years to deal with my inability to concentrate while reading, etc. While I spend a good majority of my time reading at work I can do my job without medication, I am also pursuing another degree so my off hours are spent reading as well. I hope some of these side effects diminish or disappear.

Being 'highly intellectual' has little to do with ones ability to cope with ADD/ADHD. In fact, based upon what you said in your post, it sounds as if you 'cope' and function well enough without medication. However, if you feel you need drugs for your condition there are quite a few other alternatives you could try that won't cause lethargy. You should discuss these alternatives with your doctor.

I asked my doctor what to take because i felt un-focused on menial tasks at work and I've had ADD as far back as i can remember. I took Ritalin as a child but was able to do without it after a while.

When my doctor put me on Strattera, at first, i was drowsy, then i would be wide awake for a while. after a couple weeks though, it evened out and I found that taking it right before bed worked for me. I slept well and woke up at a decent hour feeling refreshed and motivated. And I've ALWAYS had trouble getting out of bed in the morning (SNOOZE button's are a curse).

I have certainly had severe bouts of lethargy while on Strattera. I also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, but this is being treated with a CPAP machine and predates my Strattera intake. There may be other explanations as I take other medications which could be causal, either on their own, or in combination. I also have gut problems which could also cause lethargy and sleepiness.

In my case, the lethargy ocurs in recurrent bouts rather than being a stable condition. This suggests that Strattera, if involved, is not the only cause.

My solution is to take methlypenidate during this time. It generally helps to buck up my system if I take it for three or four days. After that time, it has the reverse effect. The tendency to fall asleep as soon as I lie down and doze off when sitting upright, is magnified dramatically.Very odd. It's as if there is a limited reservoir of whatever brain chemical is being released. (Does anyone else have this kind of reverse effect from methylphenidate (rather than Strattera), well before the drug wears off?)

I starting taking Stratter two weeks ago after being on Adderall. Adderall made me hyper and i could go a whole day without sleep. But, even being on Stattera for 2 weeks, I still feel sleepy. I have been taking it in the morning. I have been reading so many posts that say to try taking it in the evening. I am going to try it tonight. I did not take it this morning and I feel wide awake!

My son has been taking Strattera at night but he is very lethargic during the day. Does anyone else have this effect?

Not to good when I'm feeling the side effect of drowsiness. When I don't feel that effect I guess I feel the same as I did before I started taking it. I've been taking it for nearly a month now by the way.

100mg

i took it for one day and already had 2 strange dreams. the first was something about bill from King of the Hill, which is weird cuz usually i am myself in my dreams. In the second i was standing up from my bed (i thought i was awake, but i was unable to open my right eye. meanwhile my left eye kept blinking on and off.

I started Strattera last August, as i went into my sophomore year in college. It was an amazing drug for me. Although it gave no kick or intensity, it subtly made me calmer, happier, more attentive, and helped me wake up in the morning. Although, after a few months i started getting really intense nightmares, i would wake up and not know what was real and what wasn't. It progressively got worse to the point that i would wake up screaming, covered in sweat, and be so confused as to what was real. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what time of day to take the strattera to avoid night frights?

I started taking Strattera about a week ago and noticed the strange and remarkably vivid dreams right away. Normally I do not remember my dreams, but since taking Strattera I have been waking up with fairly vivid memories of parts of what I dreamed. Also, my dreams seem to be somehow different than usual...sometimes it seems like I'm just reenacting memories of what happened earlier in the day.

I've heard from others who have experienced this same effect from Strattera -- so I think it's safe to say that it's nothing to be concerned about. :)

I have taken ADHD medications for a number of years now (I'm 20) and I've always found that dreams are more vivid, even lucid, when under the influence of ADHD meds. Not as much with Strattera, but if I happen to fall back asleep after taking dexadrine (current med) I experience very vivd, detailed dreams that I can remember really well.

I think it has something to do with the natural process of dreaming. Perhaps a normally inactive portion of the brain that is responsible for consciousness and awareness is artificially stimulated by the drugs. I think this allows it to register the goings-on of the rest of the brain which is always firing away as we sleep (to reenforce memories, and whatever else it does.) When we wake up, we've been paying more attention to the internal stuff and we experience richer dreams as a result. They may not make much sense because it's like a raw feed that hasn't been formatted.

eh, just a theory, but I usually enjoy the effect

I just started taking Straterra a couple days ago and have experienced the same effect. Very vivid, very disturbing dreams.

My Son is 8 years old and has been taking Straterra for about 6 months. Last month he had too terrible dreams in the same week and woke up while My husband & I were still awake and came out to us shaking and his little heart pounding like he had been running and telling us that he had the worst dream of hislife and that he loved us with all his heart.....then a second later he would say get away.......get away......then hold his fist together and look so scared. It scares me and my Husband so badly. He did this again tonight which is now the tird time in a month. We are making an appt. with his Dr. and I am insisting on a CT scan just to make sure that something else isin't wrong........It really scares me and I HATE givng him anything......Especially new meds that they don't know what the long term effect will be.

My 5 yr old daughter started Straterra last week. She became scared to sleep in her own bed so now she sleeps with me. The bad thing is she has these dreams all night long and I know I'm not getting any sleep and I question how restful her sleep could possibly be with these dreams. She's always crying about someone she knows as if those people are hurt or something. Last night she was asleep and I was in bed reading. She would start talking in her sleep and sometimes she would get upset. She would open her eyes while still talking in her sleep. Eventually her eyes would meet mine and it was like she started to wake up (perhaps I didn't fit in with the dream?) and then she would say "nevermind" and then roll over and go back to sleep. This just seems really strange to me.

I am 23 years old and I have been taking stimulant medication to treat my ADHD for six years following my diagnosis. Three weeks ago I started taking Strattera. Since beginning the medication I have experienced vivid, lucid, and often disturbing dreams every night. They sometimes become so real that I will wake up and be unable to distinguish between my dream and reality This is disturbing, however it is not disturbing enough for me to stop taking the medication. I have been able to get out of bed without hitting the snooze button 7 times; my apartment is more neat than ever; and I have been able to focus at work and actively participate in conversations.

I started Strattera about 4 months ago, within the last month I have started to remember my dreams. Sometimes I can remember "all" the dreams I had the night before. The interesting thing is that I can remember them for hours, sometimes all day if I focus on them after waking and attempt to 'think them through'. I haven't had any scary dreams (violence) but I must admit remembering my dreams is kind of cool after waking up and having no clue what I dreamt (sp?) for so many years. The dreams are always vivid, lucid and I often want to go back to bed to continue them. Good luck & best of health to all.

Very vivid dreams since taking Straterra. Strange this didn't happen when I took it a year ago. Kind of freaking me out that these dreams are so real and sometimes I feel relieved upon waking. Wife likes me on the Strattera moreso than Adderall - more calm and more "yourself" she says.

I definitely noticed a difference, I've been on it for 1 1/2 yrs and the dreams are so real! real wierd, too. Disturbing more often than not.

I have been taking stattera for about 7 weeks now. Doctor told me I could take the 40mg 2x a day. She suggested starting out 1x a day for a couple weeks and move to 2x if I wanted. The strongest side effect I have had by far are scarey, very vivid and often reoccuring dreams. It's as if I'm awake when I have these dreams because I seem very aware of my surroundings and am aware that I am dreaming. These dreams only occur when I take strattera 2x a day.

i am not on strattera I'm on adderall, but I've been remembering my dreams like woah. i have never been one to remember my dreams at all but recently they've jsut been really weird. not like CRAZY but just kinda weird. the strangest part about it is that i seem to remember every little detail. colors, sizes, locations... etc. i could tell you the furniture arrangement of a room i was in in my dream. it's really bizarre. I've been on it for about 4 months now and the dreams started like 2 months ago. I've been searching desperately trying to find out if adderall causes vivid dreams and this thread is the closest thing to an answer I've found all night.

I was on Ritalin SR for the past 8 years or so, but found that the effectiveness was diminishing. My doctor suggested trying Strattera, and I've been on it for about a week. I too have noticed strange dreams involving violence, which are totally out of the norm for me. In fact it's the only reason I am out researching the drugs. On Ritalin, I never noticed any side effects other than hunger-suppression. On Strattera this is the only side effect I've noticed so far. I am being eased on to it right now though, so I hope the effects don't get worse. Thus far, I have had dreams every night that are either weird or involve me being violent. I have never been a violent person by any stretch of the imagination, so these dreams are a little disturbing. I haven't noticed any carryover in to waking hours, but if I do I will probably tell my doctor that I'm not prepared to continue with the drug. At any rate, I thought I would add my story here, because this is the only side effect of the drug I've experienced and I think it must be an effect of the drug since I have never experienced anything like this before.

Wow, glad I'm not the only one. Vivid? Try downright lucid! I hadn't remembered a dream in almost 10 years. I started this stuff and it's like taking a weird vacation every night, with plenty of memories when I wake. So far, only one nightmare.

However, the sexual side effects are a total downer. I NEVER in my life thought I could become a person uninterested in sex, but on this stuff the whole process seems completely uninteresting to me. Before, I was the type to have sex daily even after masturbating a few times.

Some say this side effect wears off after you've been on it a while. I hope so.

I am also not on Strattera but Adderall. I have only been on Adderall for about two weeks now and these side effects only really occur when I take a larger dose. In addition to vivid dreams I find myself daydream about old memories. Often times these are horrible memories of me doing something stupid that got me into a great deal trouble or just overall bad memories of something gone wrong. They can be pretty disturbing because of how clear they are. They aren't really just thoughts about the memory, it's almost as if I was reliving the memory with all the feelings associated with it. They seem to come up when I am really concentrating on working on something like an assignment for class. I don't understand why the memories come up at all because the assignment would be completely unrelated.

last night was the first time took strattera and earlier in the day i had watched the movie "Insidious" i woke up at 4 A.M and sat and stared into 1 corner of my room thinking the demon from that movie was standing there staring back at me saying "there is nothing you can do"...but in my head at the same time i felt like i was in a movie and was talking to the director who was me and the rest of the actors were close friends and me. i normally sleep through the night and never wake up i will see if anything like this happens again.

Ask your pharmacist to be sure. I would not leave this medical question up to anyone but someone whom you know is qualified to give you the correct answer as it may or could be life threatening,

Yes, 40mg of Strattera is a lot to start out with because you're body may not be able to handle that big of a dosage. I'm no doctor, but I've been on Strattera now for a week and my dosage is 18mg, and it makes me feel ugh! If 18mg is a lot, then of course 40mg is a lot to start out with. I hope this somewhat makes sense and helps.

Its one of the stronger amounts but I don't think its A LOT. Im starting at 40 and tomorrow I start taking 80 so clearly it cant be too bad if im doubling it

For some children, it is just a learning phase. For others, like our family, it is genetic and a life-long situation. The Stuttering Foundation has information on causes, what to do about stuttering with different ages, and referrals to speech therapists who specialize in working with those who stutter.

Some serious side effects that come from taking the medication Strattera include chest pain, nausea, increased blood pressure, numbness, burning pain, and fast or uneven heartbeats. If you experience any of these side effects stop taking the medication at once and contact your doctor as soon as possible.

I dont´t know if it is absolutley safe, but I take 40 mg Starttera and wehn my teath hurts i oftentake 3000 mg per day, and i have know shorttime disfunction.

No, but ADHD can cause impulsivity, which can be expressed as combativeness.

You have to ask yourself whether you are seeing the age of the child, the ADHD in the child, or a combination.

And pick your battles wisely. You don't really "win" with teenagers.

If you still feel this is an issue, discuss it with your doctor--you are your child's best advocate.

Yes, anything that works on the brain itself is considered psychotropic or psychoactive, including alcohol, nicotine, antidepressants, and the like.

Wow, give Strattera a chance. My son also had really bad headaches, but after a while, maybe a week or so, he got over the headaches. I always gave it to him right before bed because I had also heard that it can cause nausea. Also, it is very important that you give Strattera the FULL amount of time to work. If you want an instant cure to ADD, this is NOT the drug. It takes 2 - 4 weeks to even start to show results.

- I don't know what your doctor told you, but you shouldn't be giving it to him at night. Not only can it cause trouble sleeping, but it is a 12-hour time release medication so you are wasting about 8 hours of the effective time of the medication by making him try to sleep right after taking it.

my son is 10 years old and has been on strattera for only three days he has for the last 2 days, complained of severe headaches i have searched the web for information on headaches as a possible side effect for this drug to no avail. I also would like any info on this subject

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/strattera_ad.htm This is the web page I found that shows a trial study of Strattera and it shows that 27% of those in the trial experienced headache. I started researching this because my daughter who has a history of migraine headaches started complaining more frequently of more severe headaches after she started the strattera. I noticed about 3 to 4 hrs after she takes the medicine the headache kicks in, 6 out of 7 days a week. She has been on the Strattera 3 weeks now. I hope this side effect will subside.

My son is 12. He has been on Straterra for 1 year. He has had a headache almost everyday since he started taking it. It has worked wonders though and he does not wan to stop taking it.

Yes, my son has been on Strattera for 4 months now, he is taking 40mg now. His headaches appeared soon thereafter. He is 12 and complains of top center pain on a daily basis. We thought they were due to sinus infection but after antibiotic treatment he is still getting the same pain in the same spot, an uncommon place for sinus pain. His concentration has greatly improved though, how much longer will he resist, I do not know.

I frequently get headaches while on 40 mg once daily Strattera. I'm 16 years old and have been taking Strattera for nearly 2 weeks now. After upping my dosage from 25mg to 40 mg, the tension headaches at the top center got worse, but the increased focus and concentration help so much that the benefits outweigh the detracting side effects. If necessary, I balance out the Strattera with Tylenol or Excedrin, and that seems to fix the problem.

No, it won't hurt you, but drinking while taking strattera can intoxicate you much quicker off of a smaller amount of alcohol. I advise strong caution. Now about the weed, quit doing it.

hey... i was wondering the same. so i tried it. haha um i drank a little and i felt like i was run over by a truck. My head hurt bad and so did my stomach. The weed was good tho... it was a clearer high.

Pills blow. I'm happy now that I've left the prescription drug world. Yoga, Tai Chi, Prayer, and Love will cure all ailments. Ditch that pill! The cannabis is much less harmful.

Atomoxetine (Strattera) should not be mixed with other SNRI (Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) medications. It should also not be combined SSRI's such as Fluoextine.

You should not take Straterra with medications such as Albuterol before contacting your Primary care physician as the combination of Atomoxetine can increase heart rates (fibrillation) and blood pressure.

However, Strattera can be taken with over-the-counter medication that has no effect on heart rate or blood pressure. You should avoid decongestant or some natural products without the approbation of your doctor.

They shouldn't. There's nothing in a vitamin tablet that should affect wakefulness.

Consult a doctor or medical professional. It is not recommended. Again, consult the prescribing doctor or medical professional. "http://psyweb.com/Drughtm/DrughtmAdv/jsp/AdvXanax.jsp" states "Narcotic analgesics of any kind, like Darvon (propoxyphene), Darvocet (propoxyphene, acetaminophen), Demerol (meperidine), Codeine, Percocet (oxycodone, acetaminophen), Vicodin (hydrocodone, acetaminophen), Vicoprofen (hydrocodone and ibuprofen) or OxyContin (oxycodone) may accelerate central nervous system or respiratory depression when taken with Xanax. Also, Xanax may decrease the effectiveness of these medications as pain relievers." and recommends asking your doctor's advice before combining these drugs.

According to drug data on Strattera, there is no problem taking standard vitamin supplements with this drug. If you want to take large doses or to take other types of supplements, check with your doctor first.

I don't know what will happen if you take the two together. however i do know by experience that prednisone, solumedrol, or any other steroid significantly affects bi- polar disorder. Steroids can make your moods fluctuate very quickly and can sometimes lead to hospitilization. If you are taking steroids and are bi polar be aware that the steroids will play havoc with your emotions.

The most common side effects associated with anticoagulant therapy are itching, rashes, easy bruising, increased bleeding from injuries and purplish spots on the skin. Purplish skin spots are caused by small amounts of bleeding under the skin. Bruising tends to be more severe when taking anticoagulants, and bleeding from wounds can be difficult to stop.

Side effects caused by taking anticoagulants can be dangerous. This is especially true if your gastrointestinal system begins to bleed while you are on anticoagulant therapy. For example, a stomach ulcer that would normally bleed only tiny amounts may begin to bleed heavily, causing you to vomit up a material that resembles coffee grounds. This material is actually partially digested blood and indicates potentially dangerous blood loss. Other side effects that require prompt medical attention include black, tarry stool, blood in the urine and uncontrollable bleeding from an injury.

I would not advise taking this combo. and if it was all from the same doc. then i would use caution. All three meds deal with the blocking of the reuptake of norepinephrine.

Each capsule contains atomoxetine HCl equivalent to 10, 18, 25, 40, or 60 mg of atomoxetine. The capsules also contain pregelatinized starch and dimethicone. The capsule shells contain gelatin, sodium lauryl sulfate, and other inactive ingredients. The capsule shells also contain one or more of the following: FD&C Blue No. 2, synthetic yellow iron oxide, titanium dioxide. The capsules are imprinted with edible black ink.

yes