[Calico_91]

My psych nurse prac put me on Straterra. I just started it. It doesn't screw with my heart like Adderal and Ritalin did. Both sent me to the hospital with cardiac arrhythmia.

I have a job that involves multitasking and I want to be on top of my game.

Are any of you on it? How did it work for you?

[unr3achable1tch]

I wish I could help ...I just started Strattera too a few days ago, my first meds. I'm sorry to hear about the arythmia, I hope you are well.

There are a couple of improvements I've noticed so far...the first day i took it I felt like my mind chatter quieted down a bit. It felt clearer and less cluttered.

Today on day 6 I woke up and actually wrote a task list...with reminders and everything and I've actually completed most of them. I've rarey been able to do that before. I hope I see more inprovements.

Looking forward to other replies by strattera users. But from my brief research online it isn't that popular among ADHDers due to it's side effects or lack of effect but it seems to work more for ADHD inattentive types.

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[Miswimmy1]

I was on Strattera for a little over a year. I had previously tried both Concerta and Ritalin and both had too many side effects as they were wearing off - I would get massive headaches and irritability. I have now been on Focalin XR for about three years but here's what I remember about being on Strattera:

- It takes a while to start working. Because it's not a stimulant, it takes a few weeks to build up. I've heard that it can take up to three months to feel the full effect. Because of this, it's sometimes hard to realize that it is actually working. I remember one day sort of out of the blue realizing that I had just accomplished a work load that I would never have otherwise been able to. For me, it took about a week for me to realize its effectiveness. Definitely isn't as immediate as a stimulant.
- I had very few side effects, which was what I liked about it. The only thing was that if I missed a dose, I would feel a little bit off. Not completely ADD, because since its built up in your system, it takes a while to fully leave. But definitely felt more on edge and more anxious.
- For me, the biggest issue was that it wasn't strong enough for me. It worked but I was at the highest dose - 100mg - and I felt that I still wasn't seeing the results that I needed in order to fully function in school (I was in high school at the time).

[sugahorse1]

I found that the body gets used to the dose very quickly, and you end up having to increase the dose soon.
For me it ended up not being an option as it was too expensive for me to stay on. I also eventually found that there was not much benefit to me. While it does take time to build up in the system, I found that the initial improvements (Over the first month) were the greatest.
It's meant to have anti-anxiety properties too.

[Miswimmy1]

The above poster mentioned something that is worth highlighting again. As of now, I don't think that a generic version has come onto the market. For me, a month's worth of pills cost over $100, and that was with my insurance (which was pretty generous, I think).

I also remembered something else. Most people try the non-stimulant approach if they already have anxiety and do not want to exacerbate it, which is something that stimulants are known to do. This is the reason I tried Strattera. However, I am now on Focalin XR, which is a stimulant medication, and do not get nearly the increase in anxiety that I did on say, Concerta or Ritalin. So if you are trying Strattera as a way to stay away from the possible anxiety-producing side effects of stimulants, but don't get the results you desire after being on it for a while, don't give up hope. Different meds effect people differently. And just because one med didn't work doesn't mean that another won't.

[unr3achable1tch]

This thread makes me more hopeful of strattera's effectiveness. It seemed there were only bad things written about it on this forum and others and that really bummed me out since my doctor says its the only ADHD medication available in Egypt where I live, at least until who knows when.

I'm lucky I have a history of anxiety and I lean more towards the Inattentive type which from what I've read does better on straterra than others.

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