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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 23:21:01
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 16, 2003, at 20:28:21
> I am going to start taking straterra tomorrow (1/17) for anxiety/depression. I am a little scared because of trying a new medicine. Has any one felt they have eaten more, less or stayed the same? I have had a lot of medicines and have gained some weight. I am trying to lose it but dont need something that is going to add to it. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sex drive? or having orgasms? I am worried about the problem of urinating because i have a bladder disease and sometimes its a problem and dont need another problem on top. Just wondering how everyone is doing on straterra.
>
> Thanks
> Tia
Hi Tia, I was really concerned about the "urinary" side effects too. I have had problems w/ urinary retention in the past. So far I haven't noticed anything urinary related being on Strattera. As far as eating is concerned, I have noticed my appetite has decreased a little. I don't find myself hungry very often. I don't really need to lose weight, so I make sure I eat a good breakfast b4 I take my morning dose. My pdoc is supposed to call me tomorrow (well, I guess today since its after midnight) because of other side effects though, severe dryness everywhere. I have been feeling pretty depressed too. For some odd reason my pdoc took me off my lexapro. I have been having lots of crying spells in the past week since I've been taking Strattera. As far as the sex drive, orgasm thing goes, I haven't noticed any changes there. How much is your daily dosage? I started out on 40, then on the 3rd day to 80 mg, I brought myself back down to 40 after a couple of days, I just think 80 was too much. I have heard a lot of good things so far here about the drug. I just don't think its going to work for me. Good luck, hope it works for you!!! Keep us posted!!!
Posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 6:43:22
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by jodie on January 16, 2003, at 23:21:01
Thank you jodie. I will keep everyone posted. I am starting on 40mg today. So i will give it some time to see what happens.
Tia
Posted by jrbecker on January 17, 2003, at 10:43:27
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 6:43:22
Well it's been 5 days on Strattera and I feel guilty already for not having provided more frequent updates, but I didn't want to report back to hastily. So here goes...
First of all, I just want to stress that I am defintely an exception to the rule as it goes in terms of reacting to medication. I suffer from severe atypical depression and am very senstive to meds. I am only taking 18 mg of Strattera right now for starters. Also, I take only 2.5 mg daily of Lexapro for AD treatment. Likewise, in past treatments, I have taken only 10mg of Celexa, 37.5 mg of Effexor, and a half of the 2.5 mg tablets of Focalin per dose. Anything higher, is very jarring to me. So as you can see, I am VERY sensitive to meds. Ironically enough, I am a 6'1" 180 lb. male.
So here's the skinny on Strattera:
PRO: great mood effect. I am definitely feeling more cheery and alert. Motivation has increased. Not a problem getting up in the morning. More alert and more *mentally* calm. Stimulants seem to give my thought process "tunnel vision" while Strattera is not as harsh. I am much more alert, but not as hyperfocused than when I am on the stims. There are no rebound effects late in the day. Another big plus, is that I don't get irritable like I did on the stims, but more the opposite, I am much more pliable and adaptive to stress. Socially, it is definitely a help, not only in being more social but wanting to seek out conversation (the latter being more my problem).
All in all, the efficacy seems to be increasing every day more that I am on it even though I haven't increased the dose yet.THE FOLLOWING ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS, WHICH HAVE FADED MORE WITH EVERYDAY ON THE MED:
CON: During the early hours of the med's peak absorption, I have a lot of peripheral effects, such as racing heart, high blood pressure and slight muscle tension. I have also had some restless periods of sleep, though this is getting better everyday. Sexually, it has caused some pretty bad issues with anorgasmia, although this is a problem with every drug I have been on -- others will probably find this effect very minor. AS many others have reported, I have experienced a slight drying of the skin as well as some constipation, but nothing bad. As I mentioned, these effects are fading. Since I have only been on it 5 days, I can assume that these will be minimized in the week to follow. My biggest complaint out of all of them is the increased heart rate (which I have to begin with). My doc and I have already discussed the option of a beta-blocker if this doesn't go away on its own.
OK, so there it is. Hope this helps. Sorry I can't be like the others and report in every day. But I hope I can give you another update in less than a week's time to see if there is any more improvement.
Posted by nmk on January 17, 2003, at 11:28:45
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 16, 2003, at 20:28:21
> I am going to start taking straterra tomorrow (1/17) for anxiety/depression. I am a little scared because of trying a new medicine. Has any one felt they have eaten more, less or stayed the same? I have had a lot of medicines and have gained some weight. I am trying to lose it but dont need something that is going to add to it. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sex drive? or having orgasms? I am worried about the problem of urinating because i have a bladder disease and sometimes its a problem and dont need another problem on top. Just wondering how everyone is doing on straterra.
>
> Thanks
> Tia
Hi Tia,I am also taking Strattera for anxiety/depression. Just curious, what dosage did your doctor prescribe?? Regarding the appetite, I have noticed a decrease in appetite and an increase in energy. A good combo for me since I need to lose a few baby pounds. I am on 18 mg per day and haven't noticed any symtoms related to urination, dry mouth, etc., etc. Keep us posted!
Nicole
Posted by sydney on January 17, 2003, at 12:26:56
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 15, 2003, at 21:40:31
I just started Straterra at 40 mg. I weigh 240. For my ADD/OCD/Anxiety/Depression I take 1200mg Neurontin (primarily for neuropathic pain, secondarily for anxiety) 200mg Zoloft, 2.5 mg Zyprexa and 20 mg Adderall. The above combination, without the Straterra, worked fine for almost a year. But I started having intense anxiety and anger. Pdoc and I thought we would taper off the Adderall and replace it Strattera.
The first day I took Strattera on top of my normal dose of Adderall. I felt the Strattera within an hour. Combined with the Adderall, I felt "good" but way too racy until the end of the day. However, at the end of the day I felt "solid" and composed.
I backed off my Adderall on day 2 and felt less racy.
Today is day three. I got up without feeling like I "needed" Adderall to get going. I'm a little sluggish but believe its because I stopped the Adderall.
Tonight, I will take a second 40 mg Strattera and see how it goes at 80 mg total. After the first two and half days, I am extremely hopeful.
Side effects I have noticed include racing heart one hour after taking Strattera on the first day. Since then, my heart has been normal. My mouth and eyes are a little dry, but not remarkably. My appetite has been a little off. No problems, yet, with sex, sleeping or urination.
Posted by Nat'sMom on January 17, 2003, at 12:27:40
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by Noa on January 14, 2003, at 15:35:32
My 14y/o son has been taking Ritalin for about 4 years with minimal success. Adderall was too strong for him. His child psychiatrist jsut started him on Wellbutrin (150mg bid) about 10 days ago at my prompting. I became aware of symptoms that looked like depression - extreme irritability, tearfulness etc. Does anyone have info on Straterra with kids?
Posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 18:58:17
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?-Tia, posted by nmk on January 17, 2003, at 11:28:45
Hi,
I started 40mg of straterra today and the only thing i noticed was that i was nervous about taking it and the anxiety started kicking in. I have been feeling ok but i still think the wellbutrin is still in my system. I am also on 100mg of anafranil. My doc wants me to take 40mg for the next 4 days and then move to the 80mg. I probably will see how i feel first before taking the 80mg. As for my anafranil i might taper off and see what happens.
I will let you know of any other side effects i counter with straterra.
Tia
Posted by zenclear on January 17, 2003, at 20:59:27
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by tia on January 17, 2003, at 18:58:17
I hope those experiencing success will continue to report on the progress of the DRYness factor. It was totally prohibitive for me to continue. Even at 10 mg/day.
So please let me know if this stays the same, gets better, gets worse, or you merely get use to it.
Thanks.
Zen
Posted by jodie on January 17, 2003, at 23:49:53
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by zenclear on January 17, 2003, at 20:59:27
So far, all of my previous posts about Srattera were negative. Today for the first time since being on the strattera, I noticed lots of energy, and a feeling of wanting to organize some drawers, closets, etc. I'm kind of excited. I talked to my pdoc early this morning on the phone. I conned her into putting me back on my lexapro. I'm excited about that too. Maybe Strattera will work after all. I really need to learn how to have some patience. The DRY everything is still dry, I just hope that goes away soon. My lips are so chapped, my eyes burn, and my sinuses are killing me. I'm definetely having a strange menstrual cycle right now (don't worry guys, I won't go into detail :-) I think its caused from the strattera too. I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks to all of you, It's nice to have others that are taking strattera to talk with!!!
Posted by tia on January 18, 2003, at 17:09:31
In reply to Re: Straterra - No other takers?, posted by jodie on January 17, 2003, at 23:49:53
I started my second day on straterra taking 40mg. I dont know if its in my head or what but i feel like the anxiety is back again. I think its just the medicine change, because it says on the package sheet that it is one of the side effects so i hope it goes away. I am not giving up yet. I havent had to many dry things, just my mouth. I drink lots of water so its not to bad. I do have a lot of energy but this afternoon i had to lay down for awhile i just felt like my body needed some rest. It could be from the anafranil i take at night.
I am not sure how long the wellburtrin takes to get out of my system so i am sure the two medicines are clashing.
I will let you all know how tomorrow goes.
Bye!
Tia
Posted by BekkaH on January 18, 2003, at 21:44:17
In reply to Re: Straterra -Second Day, posted by tia on January 18, 2003, at 17:09:31
>I dont know if its in my head or what but i feel >like the anxiety is back again. I think its just >the medicine change, because it says on the >package sheet that it is one of the side effects >so i hope it goes away. I am not giving up yet.
> I am not sure how long the wellburtrin takes to >get out of my system so i am sure the two >medicines are clashing.
**********************************************
Regarding Wellbutrin: The AVERAGE half-life of bupropion (the generic name of Wellbutrin) is about 14 hours; HOWEVER, bupropion has several metabolites (substances it is broken down into in the body) that have much longer half-lives. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me at the moment, but if I remember correctly, one of the metabolites has an average half-life of approximately 37 hours. Since these are averages, there is a wide range that can vary according to a number of factors, including concomitant medications and the liver's ability to metabolize the medications. As you probably know, the half-life is the time it takes for HALF of the substance to leave your body. I don't know how Strattera interacts with Wellbutrin, but since they both block the reuptake of norepinephrine, which can cause anxiety, I believe the likelihood of each one potentiating the other's anxiogenic effects is quite high. I hope you do well on Strattera. Medicines like this are long overdue.
Posted by Jim Boardman on January 19, 2003, at 10:02:33
WEEK THREE STRATERRA: Just visited my pdoc last Wednesday. He has asked me to reduce the dose of Straterra to 40 mg per day to see if some of the side effects taper off. He gave me a full script, but wants me to try the lesser dose. He didn't change the lexapro, remeron or gabitril. I still feel good after three days of the reduction. Not quite as high, but good. I'll keep you posted.
Posted by zenclear on January 19, 2003, at 11:45:10
In reply to Straterra after three weeks, posted by Jim Boardman on January 19, 2003, at 10:02:33
> WEEK THREE STRATERRA: Just visited my pdoc last Wednesday. He has asked me to reduce the dose of Straterra to 40 mg per day to see if some of the side effects taper off. He gave me a full script, but wants me to try the lesser dose. He didn't change the lexapro, remeron or gabitril. I still feel good after three days of the reduction. Not quite as high, but good. I'll keep you posted.
What side effects at 3 weeks? Thanks for your updates!
Posted by hildi on January 19, 2003, at 11:51:01
In reply to Re: Straterra after three weeks » Jim Boardman, posted by zenclear on January 19, 2003, at 11:45:10
Posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 12:06:30
In reply to Straterra after three weeks, posted by Jim Boardman on January 19, 2003, at 10:02:33
Since Strattera is so new and there are so few threads on it, is it possible for this new Strattera thread to be attached to the one above (i.e., the one with Jim Boardman's other posts)?
Posted by Peter S. on January 19, 2003, at 13:15:51
In reply to Dr. Bob, can this thread be attached to one above?, posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 12:06:30
I took my first dose (40mg) of Straterra this am. An hour later I threw it up. I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll try dividing the doses over the day. Does anyone know if your stomach eventually adapts to a particular drug? Any other ideas? I know people on chemotherapy deal with this kind of thing.
I'm out of options and I'm determined to try Straterra.
Peter S.
Posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 13:34:32
In reply to STRATERRA- Throwing up, posted by Peter S. on January 19, 2003, at 13:15:51
Could you ask your doctor to prescribe it in a much lower strength? 40mg seems like a very high starting dose. I read that it is available in much lower strengths, like 10, 18 and 25 mg. Lilly has a website for Strattera at http://www.strattera.com. The PDF contains a lot of useful information.
Posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 13:48:56
In reply to Re: STRATERRA- Throwing up - Peter, posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 13:34:32
Peter,
The PDF is accessed by clicking on the Prescribing Information link on the website I mentioned above. If you go to the website, then click on Home, then scroll down to the bottom of the photograph, you will see the link for prescribing information. I hope you feel better soon.
Posted by Peter S. on January 19, 2003, at 14:26:30
In reply to Prescribing Information, posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 13:48:56
Thanks for the link Bekka
It looks like vomiting is a somewhat common side effect. I'm going to try reducing the dose to 10mg- hopefully I'll start adjusting to it and I can work my way up.
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 19, 2003, at 18:53:57
In reply to Dr. Bob, can this thread be attached to one above?, posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 12:06:30
> is it possible for this new Strattera thread to be attached to the one above
Jim,
Would that be OK with you?
Bob
Posted by jodie on January 19, 2003, at 19:51:40
In reply to Re: Straterra -Second Day -tia, posted by BekkaH on January 18, 2003, at 21:44:17
Well I've been on Strattera for several days now. Yesterday I started breaking out with little red itchy bumps on my legs. It spread to my arms, back, belly, chest, and neck. Today the rash started getting worse. It was burning and itching so bad, I was going insane. I finally went to the ER, they believe it was a delayed allergic reaction to the Strattera. They gave me shots of benadryl, epinepherine, and a steroid. My face is also getting a little puffy. They released me with a prescription of Medrol Pak ( a steroid), and told me to take benadryl on a regular basis. I haven't taken any other meds that could have caused it. I took the sample bottle of strattera with the paper insert to the ER with me. The Dr. looked it over. They do believe the Strattera caused this. I still have a horrible rash. I itch, but the meds have helped a little. They told me to stop taking my strattera, and call my pdoc. Well I'm heading into the bathtub to take a cool Aveeno oatmeal bath. I'll keep everyone updated.
Posted by jodie on January 19, 2003, at 19:57:46
In reply to Re: can this thread be attached » Jim Boardman, posted by Dr. Bob on January 19, 2003, at 18:53:57
I have a post above about my allergic reaction. Thought I would let everyone know in case they don't see it way up there.
Posted by BekkaH on January 19, 2003, at 20:20:02
In reply to Re: Strattera Allergic Reaction, posted by jodie on January 19, 2003, at 19:51:40
Hi Jodie,
Oh! What a nuisance! Your rash started just when things seemed to be improving. I wonder whether it might have been the Lexapro? The other day you said you were going to resume the Lexapro. And if it wasn't that, perhaps it was some interaction between Strattera and Lexapro. Some doctors like to have a patient on one drug at a time, at least for a while, so they can see what's doing what. Introducing too many new variables just complicates matters. I hope your rash goes away soon. Maybe you can resume Strattera at a later date and proceed more slowly. When the rash appeared, were you on any medicines others than Strattera and Lexapro?
Posted by tia on January 19, 2003, at 20:21:16
In reply to Re: Straterra -Second Day, posted by tia on January 18, 2003, at 17:09:31
Well today was different then the first two. I didnt have a lot of energy. I didnt have anxiety attacks either. My bladder is still acting up. I have interstitial cystitis and i am thinking that the straterra is not helping. I am still taking 40mg until tuesday then i move up to 60mg.I have another question: I was on zoloft years ago and did great on it. The only thing was i had to go off of it because of financial reasons. I tried it again about a year ago but had a serious problem with yawning. Has anyone experienced this before?
Tia
Posted by zenclear on January 19, 2003, at 20:44:08
In reply to Re: Strattera Allergic Reaction, posted by jodie on January 19, 2003, at 19:51:40
> Well I've been on Strattera for several days now. Yesterday I started breaking out with little red itchy bumps on my legs. It spread to my arms, back, belly, chest, and neck. Today the rash started getting worse. It was burning and itching so bad, I was going insane. I finally went to the ER, they believe it was a delayed allergic reaction to the Strattera. They gave me shots of benadryl, epinepherine, and a steroid. My face is also getting a little puffy. They released me with a prescription of Medrol Pak ( a steroid), and told me to take benadryl on a regular basis. I haven't taken any other meds that could have caused it. I took the sample bottle of strattera with the paper insert to the ER with me. The Dr. looked it over. They do believe the Strattera caused this. I still have a horrible rash. I itch, but the meds have helped a little. They told me to stop taking my strattera, and call my pdoc. Well I'm heading into the bathtub to take a cool Aveeno oatmeal bath. I'll keep everyone updated.
Geeez, I am glad you got some medical attention on this! This happens to me a lot, and with me, more often than not, it's not an allelrgic reaction but more of a chemical sensitivity. There's a technical difference, but the effects have the same implications: the med is not an option, etc.
With this one, the overall drying effects manifest in me across several domains, from skin rashes to dermatitis etc. In fact, it made my scalp bleed, due to sore-like eruptions. I did not notice this until a day or so after I stopped.
Take care, and do the right thing for yourself! Listen to your own instincts.
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