Starting Strattera-- Should I be worried?

Hi, I was diagnosed with ADD yesterday. My doc is putting me on Strattera next week. I am a little concerned because all I see are negative posts about it. Has anyone had any success with it? I would like to also hear any negative results also. My family doc suggested it. I am assuming he wanted me on Strattera because I suffer from depression also. He told me Strattera was originally inteneded to treat depresstion. I am on Wellbutrin for depression and doing well on it. I took Prozac for years and wanted to sleep all the time. I didn't have to go through any long tests, (a little concerned, does a family doc have enough experience with ADD to treat) I just told him how I felt and took in the quiz on this site. I thought it would be a little more complicated than that. He said this was one of the only ADD meds that you could get samples of. I guess he wants me to try it out before I get the RX filled. I would love to hear your input.

Cool we can compare our progress. I should be starting Strattera Monday. I am presently on Adderall, but it does not appear to be helping much. My doctor likes the idea of strattera for the depression part as well. I have yet to find a med. that treats my depression.

There are many sites you can go to that will horrify you when it comes to some drugs. I do my best to stay away from them and trust my doctor.

As far as whether a family doctor has enough experience to treat you, ask him about experience.

Is the Adderall all you have tried for your depression? Like I said the prozac was wonderful for the depression but made me very tired all the time. It isn't very practical when you have two small children, who has time to sleep? It also killed the libido. I found with the Wellbutrin 150 mg (small dose) I never need naps and isn't so bad on the other. I figure I'll try the trattera. If it doesn't work I'll try something else. I'll still take the Wellbutrin with it. It is a very good idea that I don't stop taking it, I HAVE to have it. I go into horrible depression. I've even tried accupuncture twice a week for about two months. I had to drive 45 minuits each way and was $60 a session. Not to mention I hate needles. It worked pretty good but as soon as I started tapering off and eventually stopped going the depression came back. The only reason I got off Wellbutrin is because of the whole libido thing. My husband was getting a little frustrated. Anyway, we'll definitely have to compare notes. I'll start the Strattera probably on Wednesday. Keep me posted.

Over the years, I have tried most medications used for depression.
Right now I am on Zoloft (it seems to work the best) and risperdal. I have other diagnosis, but right now my focus is depression and ADD. Fixing these things will help my self esteem and maybe I can tackle the rest. The panic attacks appear to be under control.

That's good to hear. Let me know how the Strattera works.

My doctor gave me the samples you mentioned today. This was a good thing as I was too tired to deal with the pharmacy today. There was also some confusion with my insurance. Some prescriptions require preapproval. After my doctor went through the approval process, it turns out it didn't need to be approved after all. I despise insurance companies, but do not know what I would do without one.

My doctor was going to start me at 40mg, but the sample pack starts you on 25. I will definitely let you know how things go.

Hi, I got the Strattera samples today also. The Strattera sample my doc gave me is for 40 mg. It has 24 pills in it. He said take one pill a day for four days then two a day. I'm tempted to start taking them tomorrow, I feel really desperate. Now that I know what's wrong with me I want to hurry up and fix it. I'll let you know how it goes.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Now that I know what's wrong with me I want to hurry up and fix it

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">You sound just like me. When my doctor brought up ADD, it was like Finally i think someone may be right. Everything I have read since then has made so much sense. Although I still think I am lazy, I now know why I have such an issue with clutter. I have been asking for help from my husband to keep me focused when I am cleaning. My mother helps with other aspects of ADD as well. She helps with focus as well, but pertaining to social stuff.

We must have different sample packs. My script starts me at 40, but the freebie starts you at 25 for 4 days.

Ok, I couldn't wait, I stated taking the samples yesterday (Wednesday). Well, no firecrackers went off. I'm not sure what to expect. I don't seem to have any kind of great clarity or urge to clean up my messes. I did go to the grocery store yesterday and I wasn't paniced about which isle to go down first. I am pretty tired today though. It might have a little to do with getting hardly any sleep last night. I am so afraid it's not going to work and I'm gonna be stuck with my brain fog, clutter, and my tendency to be overwhelmed by decision making (or lack there of). My next door neighbor is a nurse at an elementry school (her son also has add and is on Adderall) and says she sees lots of kids at school taking medicine for add (since she has to give it to them to take) and out of the kids that were on Strattera about 50% of them got better with that particular prescription (I know not everyone needs the same medicine) and the Adderall was about 80% successful. Again this is just what she has observed. I also feel very lazy. I just don't seem to have any energy. By about 1:00 I am wiped out. Then of coarse at bedtime I seem to wake up. Maybe the tiredness with go away with time. Anyway, still looking for something that will work for me. We'll see.

I was taking 60 mg of adderall when my doctor switched me to strattera. The adderall made little difference in my thinking. I have been falling asleep at odd times. I even missed the first three runs of the Red Sox/Cardinals last game. That is a sin in my book. I have always had trouble sleeping at night, so I wouldn't notice if the strattera was affecting my sleep. I started on the 40 mg today. We shall see.... One thing I would like to know is does it take time for this med to work or should it help right away if it will help at all.

Hi, I know it's been a while but with 2 small children I'm lucky if I get a bath let alone get on the computer. Well, I didn't notice any difference on the Strattera (except my insomnia is even worse). My doc suggested I try Concerta (?) on Friday. Hope this works, we'll see. How are you doing?

Ick! that scares me, I suffer from insomnia too!

Not me I don’t suffer from insomnia, I do have bad mood swings.

strattera is not a stimulant so it shouldn't really do anything to affect your sleep like adderall and ritalin will....... and straterra takes a day or two to get into your system and start working, because it works by blocking reabsorption instead of stimulating release of neurotransmitters