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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by snarley on February 24, 2004, at 13:31:06
I am a 23 yr old who was finally dx'd with ADD after years of struggling with school. After an unsuccessful try raising my effexor to help the ADD (i'm now back down to 150mg/day which was what i was on for depression beforehand), my pdoc has put me on strattera 40mg/day for a week now and is upping me to 60mg/day starting tomorrow (i'll get the script filled sometime this afternoon).
I've seen no positive effects on the 40mg thus far. if anything i'm as i usually am for most of the day, and then a little more spacy in waves here and there (which helped me to pooch a midterm yesterday, ugh). Most side effects went away within a few days of starting the stuff (dry mouth, vomit burps, etc.), and i've found that my sleep is much more regulated now (i wake up every morning at 8:30am like clockwork now). I do have to keep my thermostat cranked up to about 70 at night though (whereas i always liked to sleep cold before) or i tend to wake up halfway through the night--at night now i seem to get cold easily. I also have found i'm eating less during the day so i try to get a big breakfast before i take the stuff in the morning.
I've read a lot of old threads about how this dosage scale, though it's what is recommended by the drug manufacturer, may be high for most people? Some adult posters seemed to swear by lower doses of strattera, saying they worked really well over time. Should i suggest to my pdoc that maybe we just stick to the 40mg and wait a while since it seems the stuff takes 4-6 weeks to kick in from what i've read? Or taper back down to 40 and keep waiting it out if the 60 doesnt work? or just give up and try something else if the 60mg starts making me feel funky? the pdoc said that if i feel increased pulse on the dosage increase--i felt like my pulse was increased for the first few days on the 40mg but then it went away--then we will probably stop the strattera. he seemed really worried about that.
I'll post more once i try the 60mg for a few days.
Any feedback or experiences folks can share with me in the meantime that might help me out?
Snarley
Posted by B2chica on February 24, 2004, at 14:36:47
In reply to STRATTERA side-effects and dosages?, posted by snarley on February 24, 2004, at 13:31:06
> I am a 23 yr old who was finally dx'd with ADD after years of struggling with school. After an unsuccessful try raising my effexor to help the ADD (i'm now back down to 150mg/day which was what i was on for depression beforehand), my pdoc has put me on strattera 40mg/day for a week now and is upping me to 60mg/day starting tomorrow (i'll get the script filled sometime this afternoon).
>
> I've seen no positive effects on the 40mg thus far. if anything i'm as i usually am for most of the day, and then a little more spacy in waves here and there (which helped me to pooch a midterm yesterday, ugh). Most side effects went away within a few days of starting the stuff (dry mouth, vomit burps, etc.), and i've found that my sleep is much more regulated now (i wake up every morning at 8:30am like clockwork now). I do have to keep my thermostat cranked up to about 70 at night though (whereas i always liked to sleep cold before) or i tend to wake up halfway through the night--at night now i seem to get cold easily. I also have found i'm eating less during the day so i try to get a big breakfast before i take the stuff in the morning.
>
> I've read a lot of old threads about how this dosage scale, though it's what is recommended by the drug manufacturer, may be high for most people? Some adult posters seemed to swear by lower doses of strattera, saying they worked really well over time. Should i suggest to my pdoc that maybe we just stick to the 40mg and wait a while since it seems the stuff takes 4-6 weeks to kick in from what i've read? Or taper back down to 40 and keep waiting it out if the 60 doesnt work? or just give up and try something else if the 60mg starts making me feel funky? the pdoc said that if i feel increased pulse on the dosage increase--i felt like my pulse was increased for the first few days on the 40mg but then it went away--then we will probably stop the strattera. he seemed really worried about that.
>
> I'll post more once i try the 60mg for a few days.
>
> Any feedback or experiences folks can share with me in the meantime that might help me out?
>
> SnarleyDon't know if i'll be much help, but i was Dx with BP2 last oct. and additional ADHD last week.
My pdoc started me on 25mg strattera for four days, up to 40mg now and in 17days i'll be up to the 60. Had similar side efffects Real thirsty, and little bloating but better today. i haven't noticed the cold thing but i have noticed better sleep and not real hungary. (but that's good for me 1)i'm overweight and 2)taking symbyax which could cause weight gain. i'm hoping the two counteact eachother.
-you should try to stick it out with the 60 since it sounds like it's the norm. but if it makes you feel icky than go back to 40 to see if that works.
*but i'm no doctor...
B2c.
Posted by snarley on February 24, 2004, at 15:22:44
In reply to Re: STRATTERA side-effects and dosages?, posted by B2chica on February 24, 2004, at 14:36:47
Has the strattera been helping with your ADD symptoms at all since you started taking it? or no progress yet? If anything i find i'm the same or a little more spacy on it so far.
Posted by utopizen on February 24, 2004, at 18:18:14
In reply to Re: STRATTERA side-effects and dosages?, posted by B2chica on February 24, 2004, at 14:36:47
Okay, that's two posts RE: Sleep effects. By "better" sleep, do you mean you're sleeping on a normal cycle, or you're less tired after having the normal amount of sleep (7-9 hours) each night? Or a reduced insomnia if you had it?
As someone who's got ADD and pretty bad sleepiness and have seen tons of sleep experts and been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and tried CPAP and BiPAP and still do and also am toLd I may have "Atypical Narcolepsy" or "Idiopathic Hypersomnolence" to boot, I'm wondering if augmenting Straterra with an amphetamine like my current Desoxyn or returning to Adderall would help keep me more alert?!?!?!
Also, my ADD could be better... I think I need to go back to Adderall. I think my mind works better when I switch stims after prolonged times (6-12 months).
Posted by snarley on February 24, 2004, at 18:47:25
In reply to Re: STRATTERA and sleep?? » B2chica, posted by utopizen on February 24, 2004, at 18:18:14
utopizen,
i know you're mainly asking B2chica, but i thought i'd clarify my sleep effects on strattera for ya too. It used to take me 1 or 2 hours and several alarm clocks to wake up every morning if i had to get up by a specified time (usually 9 or 10 am for classes). Now even without an alarm clock i am just naturally waking up at 8:30 every morning. It's pretty wierd, hehe. Unfortunately, now i can't really sleep in on weekends, but i suppose having a regular sleep cycle is a healthy/good thing.
Posted by B2chica on February 25, 2004, at 9:38:53
In reply to Re: STRATTERA side-effects and dosages? » B2chica, posted by snarley on February 24, 2004, at 15:22:44
> Has the strattera been helping with your ADD symptoms at all since you started taking it? or no progress yet? If anything i find i'm the same or a little more spacy on it so far.
i haven't noticed anything yet, but it's been only one week, the pdoc said it would take 3-4 weeks to really kick in. I have definately noticed being spacy but i'm also on symbyax also and not sure if it's one or the other or both. real tired (which i think is zyprexa part since i was on that before).
but it is gradually getting better, each day not as tired.
Posted by B2chica on February 25, 2004, at 9:46:27
In reply to Re: STRATTERA and sleep?? » B2chica, posted by utopizen on February 24, 2004, at 18:18:14
> Okay, that's two posts RE: Sleep effects. By "better" sleep, do you mean you're sleeping on a normal cycle, or you're less tired after having the normal amount of sleep (7-9 hours) each night? Or a reduced insomnia if you had it?
>noticed same as snarley. I typically have Major difficulty even getting to sleep (usually took 2 or three gin&tonics to get there, then either i would wake up at 4:00 or i couldn't wake up on time (snooze button for at least an hour). now i'm tired at night in fact last night was great i went to bet at 10:30!! (normally 12-2) and i woke up at 7:30 and only hit snooze once. Also slept through the night no nightmares or weird dreams.
c.
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