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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Ritch on March 6, 2003, at 9:36:25
In reply to Re: Help! It has been weeks on Straterra!, posted by dancingdp on March 6, 2003, at 8:47:45
> Hi all,
> Just wanted your imput on my sons current situation on Straterra. Stats: 10 yr. old boy...59lbs...ADD/OCD. Since he was 3 he has ADD. We started with the stims in grade 1. It has been 7 yrs. of all kinds of stims. Because he has OCD, the stims brought out the worst and he also got ticks as well as some awful side effects. We Started as guinea pigs as the pdoc was one of his first to try Strat. Doc was very hopeful. He has been currently taking risperdal for his OCD which has helped a lot. Doc started him off on a starter pac 18mg for 4 days then 25mg. along with 5mg of Adderal in the am. He stayed on 25mg. for 22 days. We saw no results on his abiltiy to focus and no change in him. He had minimal side effects so the pdoc uped him to 35 mg. and stoped the Adderal. He has been on 35 mg. for 16 days and still no changes. I give him 35 mg. in the am with food. His doc is away for 3 weeks. I am still waiting for something good to happen and I am getting very discouraged. Any thoughts would be really helpful. Howlong does this med take??? I will honor your suggestions. We have tried everything from Homeopathy, Chiropractors, allergy testing. Thanks, dancing
From what I read he has been on the Straterra for about six weeks? The mode of action of Strat. is similar to antidepressants like desipramine and they can take up to eight weeks for some people to kickin. However, the lack of response may have more to do with coming off of stimulants. It may also take awhile for his body to adjust to the absence of the stimulants. Has his tics stopped since he has stopped the Adderall?
Posted by reif5 on March 7, 2003, at 9:45:32
In reply to Re: Straterra approval-Day 6, posted by nmk on January 12, 2003, at 16:08:08
My son has been on Straterra for 1 week. He started with a 40mg 4 pack then switched to 60mg. He has had a significant lose of appetite to the tune of a 15lb weight loss. The first few days he had a head rush everytime he stood up, but those have now subsided. He is still having upset stomachs at different times of the day and is very tired. We have experimented with different times of day to take the medication so that he can have a normal sleep pattern...still working on that. I am wondering how long do we allow these
systems to continue until we call the doctor to have his dosage decreased or are these normal and will eventually disapate in time.
Posted by HADD Enough on March 7, 2003, at 19:49:43
In reply to Re: Straterra approval-Day 6, posted by reif5 on March 7, 2003, at 9:45:32
> My son has been on Straterra for 1 week. He started with a 40mg 4 pack then switched to 60mg. He has had a significant lose of appetite to the tune of a 15lb weight loss. The first few days he had a head rush everytime he stood up, but those have now subsided. He is still having upset stomachs at different times of the day and is very tired. We have experimented with different times of day to take the medication so that he can have a normal sleep pattern...still working on that. I am wondering how long do we allow these
> systems to continue until we call the doctor to have his dosage decreased or are these normal and will eventually disapate in time.
You might want to let your son's Dr. know, if you haven't already, about the side effects he is having. I don't know how often your son gets a med check, but if you've got one coming up soon, you could discuss whether or not to change to dosage or the time he takes his meds then.For me, the first week was the worst by far as far as side effects go. I also started with the sample pack, 40Mg/day for four days, then 60Mg/day for two weeks. I'm now on 80Mg/day. My body was still adjusting to the new drug, and the dose change. I stuck with it though and most of the side effects have either gone away or have become manageable.
In my case, the stomach upset mostly went away after about a week or so, BUT, I still find that I get beter results if I eat small amounts during the day. If I let my stomach get too empty, I'm more prone to get the slightly nauseated/upset stomach feeling than I was before I started Strattera.
I've lost between 8 and 10lbs. in the five weeks I've been on Strattera. It may be due to the fact that Strattera has depressed my appetite also. It looks as though I've stablized at my new weight though, and I'm hoping that I won't get too much more dramatic weight loss.
I had some daytime tiredness for the first week or so, but it seems to have completely gone away.
As far as sleep, I'm sleeping, on average, about 2 to 3 hours less per night than I was without Strattera, 6 to 7 hours now vs. 9 to 11 before. I have no trouble falling asleep but I wake up earlier. So far this has not changed and I'm not sure it will, but for me it's not a problem.
I am a 50yr old male and, once again, I take 80Mg/day of Strattera once in the AM.
Hope this helps. These are my results, your son's may vary.
Good luck,
HADD Enough
Posted by jones on March 7, 2003, at 23:34:49
In reply to Anybody else sedated on Straterra? Please respond, posted by Cindylou on February 7, 2003, at 7:13:57
I was on 18mg and I was very tired! I felt like there was cement around my feet and I couldn't wait to get home and take a nap. I'm sorry that it didn't work for you, but, I am happy that I'm not alone.
Posted by james on March 8, 2003, at 22:15:04
In reply to Re: Anybody else sedated on Straterra? Please respond, posted by jones on March 7, 2003, at 23:34:49
I started Strattera about a week or two ago and titrated up to my current dose of 50mgs a day. No adverse effects, truthfully, I haven't noticed any effects at all.
--James
Posted by Hattree on March 9, 2003, at 21:09:16
In reply to Re: Anybody else sedated on Straterra? Please respond, posted by jones on March 7, 2003, at 23:34:49
Cindy,
I understand you are a med-sensitive person like me. I think 18mg is too much. I'm experiencing a little sleepiness on 5-10mg (I'm splitting a 40mg capsule so its hard to be sure). That is tolerable in the short run but unfortunately I think its also making me depressed.
Posted by Hattree on March 10, 2003, at 10:45:02
In reply to Re: Anybody else sedated on Straterra? Please respond, posted by Hattree on March 9, 2003, at 21:09:16
Anybody know how long strattera sticks around in the body?
Posted by Ritch on March 10, 2003, at 13:52:52
In reply to Re: Strattera half life, posted by Hattree on March 10, 2003, at 10:45:02
> Anybody know how long strattera sticks around in the body?
From what I remember from the monograph I think it is 5-8hrs for normal metabolizers. If you are a poor metabolizer or take an SSRI like Paxil or Zoloft or Prozac that will inhibit CYPIID6 liver enzymes and extend the half-life and increase the blood level. I think the half-life for the Poor Metabolizers was around 20hrs or so.
Posted by Kashusha on March 10, 2003, at 14:02:07
In reply to Re: Help! It has been weeks on Straterra! » dancingdp, posted by Ritch on March 6, 2003, at 9:36:25
Hi all. I'm researching Straterra for myself and my 13yo daughter. She is on Paxil for "depression" (is it really?) and clonidine for tics. She has never taking stims because of her tics and so far has had no relief of ADD symptoms. I have taken Paxil and now Effexor Xr for depression. The depression is gone, but my ADD is becoming problematic. Tried Wellbutrin (made me hungry and anxious). I'm hoping our pdoc will be open to trying Straterra soon on one or both of us. Any imput would be appreciated!
Posted by Hattree on March 10, 2003, at 20:59:25
In reply to Re: Strattera half life » Hattree, posted by Ritch on March 10, 2003, at 13:52:52
How long is Prozac's half life? Seems like on me it was about three months.
>
> From what I remember from the monograph I think it is 5-8hrs for normal metabolizers. If you are a poor metabolizer or take an SSRI like Paxil or Zoloft or Prozac that will inhibit CYPIID6 liver enzymes and extend the half-life and increase the blood level. I think the half-life for the Poor Metabolizers was around 20hrs or so.
Posted by Ritch on March 10, 2003, at 23:03:41
In reply to Re: Strattera half life, posted by Hattree on March 10, 2003, at 20:59:25
I think 3-5 days. I quit it once and didn't notice much difference for about a week, and didn't feel any withdrawal until about the end of the 2nd week.
> How long is Prozac's half life? Seems like on me it was about three months.
> >
> > From what I remember from the monograph I think it is 5-8hrs for normal metabolizers. If you are a poor metabolizer or take an SSRI like Paxil or Zoloft or Prozac that will inhibit CYPIID6 liver enzymes and extend the half-life and increase the blood level. I think the half-life for the Poor Metabolizers was around 20hrs or so.
>
>
Posted by Kashusha on March 11, 2003, at 0:34:24
In reply to Re: Straterra and depression, posted by Kashusha on March 10, 2003, at 14:02:07
It's me again, wanting to make sure my main point was made. I'm most concerned about my 13yo daughter who has not been successfully treated for her ADD. She has a tic disorder and cannot take stimulants.
Posted by Rachel2 on March 11, 2003, at 2:33:15
In reply to Re: Strattera half life » Hattree, posted by Ritch on March 10, 2003, at 23:03:41
Prozac has a pretty long half life. When I quit it the withdrawal didn't set in for a month. Then I think I went into a severe rebound depression for 3 months.
Again, if anyone out there has quit strattera could you let me know if you experienced any withdrawal symptoms. I'm still trying to decide if I want to try it.
Thanks
Posted by Barbie57 on March 11, 2003, at 8:24:24
In reply to Re: Straterra - patience involved, posted by jrbecker on January 13, 2003, at 13:29:36
My doc and I are trying to figure out how to best medicate anxiety and ADD. I have taken Buspar for four years and it has improved my quality of life tremendously, but it doesn't help with ADD distraction and lack of follow through. I'm currently taking Metadate ER and like the mental results but seem to have tightness in chest and some physical agitation with it. One tack we're trying is to divide up my Buspar throughout the day so that it seems to coincide with the timerelease of the Metadate. I wonder about Straterra since I read that it has some anti-anxiety effects as well. Anyone have experience with Buspar and Straterra? Or related experiences treating anxiety and ADD?
Posted by Ed on March 12, 2003, at 9:12:38
In reply to Buspar and meds for ADD, posted by Barbie57 on March 11, 2003, at 8:24:24
> My doc and I are trying to figure out how to best medicate anxiety and ADD.
***********
I find that 18 mgs of Straterra in the AM helps with my particular combination of anxiety and ADD, in that it induces a little peace of mind. But if I take more Straterra that 18 mgs, I find that I get muscle tension and headache. Buspar didn't do anything for me when I tried it a few years ago.
Posted by mshyper on March 12, 2003, at 10:37:45
In reply to Re: Strattera half life, posted by Rachel2 on March 11, 2003, at 2:33:15
Hi,
I'll answer all three for you from my exp. I am on 18 in am and 18 in mid afternoon. Have been on Strattera since Jan. 28. Control of my ADD like I never had on Ritalin. Even when a dose is winding down, don't have the "falling off a cliff" feeling I had with stims.
Half life for me-4.5-5 hours
Tics-none at all
Withdrawals-none at all. Can miss a dose with no adverse affects. Does not require tapering off like antidepressants
Posted by Kashusha on March 12, 2003, at 11:28:28
In reply to Strattera half life/tics/withdrawal, posted by mshyper on March 12, 2003, at 10:37:45
> Hi,
>
> I'll answer all three for you from my exp. I am on 18 in am and 18 in mid afternoon. Have been on Strattera since Jan. 28. Control of my ADD like I never had on Ritalin. Even when a dose is winding down, don't have the "falling off a cliff" feeling I had with stims.
>
> Half life for me-4.5-5 hours
> Tics-none at all
> Withdrawals-none at all. Can miss a dose with no adverse affects. Does not require tapering off like antidepressantsThank you for your response! My daughter and I are both seeing our dr. this week, and I hope she will consider strattera for us.
Posted by zenclear on March 12, 2003, at 16:26:31
In reply to Strattera half life/tics/withdrawal, posted by mshyper on March 12, 2003, at 10:37:45
> Hi,
>
> I'll answer all three for you from my exp. I am on 18 in am and 18 in mid afternoon. Have been on Strattera since Jan. 28. Control of my ADD like I never had on Ritalin. Even when a dose is winding down, don't have the "falling off a cliff" feeling I had with stims.
>
> Half life for me-4.5-5 hours
> Tics-none at all
> Withdrawals-none at all. Can miss a dose with no adverse affects. Does not require tapering off like antidepressantsDo you have any skin side effects? Dryness, itching, redness, etc? Any hint of potential hairloss issues (a Wellbutrin problem!!).
Many thanks.
Posted by mshyper on March 13, 2003, at 12:35:09
In reply to Re: Strattera half life/tics/withdrawal » mshyper, posted by zenclear on March 12, 2003, at 16:26:31
> Do you have any skin side effects? Dryness, itching, redness, etc? Any hint of potential hairloss issues (a Wellbutrin problem!!).
Some dryness of my skin, but no worse than I've had all my life from my eczema. No flaking. And, actually the eczema is better, maybe from the anxiety reduction. (Aveeno body lotion helps any dryness for me).
My eyes itch occasionally in the corners, which is a side effect of the drug, but it may happen twice a week or so now. Happened first few days of drug more often. Visine AC helps.
When I first started drug, I had little stinging itchy hot spots here and there, about 5 minutes at a time, but that went away after 4 or 5 days or so and I haven't had it since. They only turned red if I clawed them. :-)
Actually, as far as hair loss goes, mine is better now. My anxiety/stress level dropped dramatically on the strattera so my hair loss stopped. As far as I know, hair loss is not a side effect of strattera. My blood pressure dropped, too, as a result of the lowered anxiety level- 20 pts on top and 10 on the bottom-in spite of the fact that the prescribing info says it can increase bp a point or two.
There is one wierd side effect, however. From time to time (5 or 6 times since I started med), I have funky hiccups, but it never lasts more than an hour or so alltogether. Not the kind where you have them at a regular interval, you know, just kind of one now, one later. Sometimes a couple minutes apart. Sometimes one now, then in 5 minutes, then in 10 minutes. Nothing bad, just mildly annoying.
Good luck if you start on the medication. :-)
Posted by Lexxey on March 14, 2003, at 11:26:21
I have read many of the posts on Straterra but couldn't make it thru all of them.
I am on my 4th day at 40 mg and will take another 40 this pm as my do suggests. I took Ritalin for 19 years very successfully but wanted to try and see if this could help me lose weight. I'm 59 and still 30+ pounds overweight.
I would like some suggestions for help with sleep problems and constipation.
Fiber, water, appricots, huge salads, oatmeal, flax seed, yogurt, exercise all don't seem to help and I don't want to take laxitives. Can anyone suggest something safe?[middle aged body is a sluggish pain]
About the sleep problems...I wonder how this drug mixes with antihistamines like benedryl or Unisom to help. They used to make me sleepy but I thought I would ask first. Has anyone taken zyrtec with it? That usually knocks me out.
I took Topamax [lost 36 pounds on that...kept it off] for a while and found that these drugs that usually made me sleepy would make me hyper with it so I wanted to get some opinions before trying it. If I was just going to stay home I would stick it out but I am going on vacation in one week and always find it hard to sleep in a different bed even with no meds.
I also found taking melatonin made me sleepless with the Topamax which felt just like this drug at first. I also lost hair with Topamax and hope it doesn't happen with this. But Topamax had a diuretic effect and washed zinc out of the system, or so I was told, and that could lead to hair problems.
I really appreciate all the info here after being referred by someone who reads it.
Posted by jrbecker on March 14, 2003, at 12:02:19
In reply to Request Straterra side effects solutions?, posted by Lexxey on March 14, 2003, at 11:26:21
Many people who have taken Strattera definitely notice an appetite decrease, with a milder rebound effect at the end of the day in comparison to the stims, so you won't be running for the fridge. Contrastingly, there is also a minority of individuals who have an increased appetite while on the med. I myself fell into this category, and it is most likely due to exacerbating my atypical symptoms.
Sorry, no advice on the sleep problem. Some have experienced insomnia while on Strattera, but many said that the effect waned over the first few weeks.
As for the constipation, I would recommend a mangesium supplement. Best time to take might be in the morning. In some individuals, it can make you feel sleepy, but it will most likely help to balance out any sense of excitation you get from the strattera. If one dose daily doesn't work, try taking 2-3 doses throughout the day. Magnesium usually works wonders in keeping people regular and gives people more energy as well. A word of warning though, taking too much at once can give you bouts of diarrhea, so start low. Maybe try 150-250mg per dose at first. Taking it at night in combo with calcium might also account for a better night's sleep as well.
Good luck.
JRB
> I have read many of the posts on Straterra but couldn't make it thru all of them.
>
> I am on my 4th day at 40 mg and will take another 40 this pm as my do suggests. I took Ritalin for 19 years very successfully but wanted to try and see if this could help me lose weight. I'm 59 and still 30+ pounds overweight.
>
> I would like some suggestions for help with sleep problems and constipation.
>
> Fiber, water, appricots, huge salads, oatmeal, flax seed, yogurt, exercise all don't seem to help and I don't want to take laxitives. Can anyone suggest something safe?[middle aged body is a sluggish pain]
>
> About the sleep problems...I wonder how this drug mixes with antihistamines like benedryl or Unisom to help. They used to make me sleepy but I thought I would ask first. Has anyone taken zyrtec with it? That usually knocks me out.
>
> I took Topamax [lost 36 pounds on that...kept it off] for a while and found that these drugs that usually made me sleepy would make me hyper with it so I wanted to get some opinions before trying it. If I was just going to stay home I would stick it out but I am going on vacation in one week and always find it hard to sleep in a different bed even with no meds.
>
> I also found taking melatonin made me sleepless with the Topamax which felt just like this drug at first. I also lost hair with Topamax and hope it doesn't happen with this. But Topamax had a diuretic effect and washed zinc out of the system, or so I was told, and that could lead to hair problems.
>
> I really appreciate all the info here after being referred by someone who reads it.
Posted by macaroni on March 15, 2003, at 1:06:46
In reply to Started Strattera Yesterday Woo-Hoo!, posted by HADD Enough on February 2, 2003, at 8:32:26
My 11 year old son started Strattera 16 days ago, and I want to tell anyone who's discouraged with the phase-in period to hang in there. We've had a rough couple of weeks but the last two days have been worth it. My son is off Adderall and is eating better, and more significantly, he seems to be more himself but with the impulse control he needs.
We had him on 25mg until 7 days ago when we started giving him his target dose of 40mg. No problems whatsoever with sleep or appetite. The first two weeks he was very active, impulsive and kind of goofy at times. I was beginning to think this drug was nothing but sugar pills!!!
Dea
Posted by juanantoniod on March 15, 2003, at 1:51:23
In reply to Re: Started Strattera Yesterday Woo-Hoo!, posted by macaroni on March 15, 2003, at 1:06:46
I started taking Strattera 40mg a couple of weeks ago and did not notice a bit of change, except for my body developed these random muscle tics. Can I gather from the word 'tic' in some of these message headers that I have not been alone in this problem.
Also, my understanding was that Strattera could show effectiveness almost immediately, so I gave up hope when I didn't have any relief in the first few weeks, even after doubling my dosage. Does anyone have any advice as to whether I should stick with this drug for a few more weeks to see if the SNRI aspect of it does any good, or, as I believe, that since I got nothing from the the get-go, I will probably have no benefit from the drug after taking it longer either.
Any advice you can give is greatly valued.
Thanks!
Antonio
Posted by Lexxey on March 15, 2003, at 8:50:39
In reply to Strattera Tics and Time to Work, posted by juanantoniod on March 15, 2003, at 1:51:23
Antonio
My doc said that 1/3 of folks don't see any improvement at all so don't feel excluded.
I'm only on my 5th day at 40mg but I definitely feel a little something....I mentioned in another post that I can judge effectiveness in myself by an improvement in my typing and handwriting.
I tried it with a positive attitude since Ritalin and Dex worked so well for me...I think I have the kind of ADHD that can respond to drugs more easily and I don't have stomach problems or other side effects.
I gotta mention the strangest effect of Strat on my sleep...each of the 4 nights on it I have awaken consecutively at 3, 3:30,4, 4;30. Exactly... to the minute when I looked at the clock. It's giving me an extra half hour as I get used to it...but the internal clock is weird. I just had to tell someone else who has taken this stuff. Brain meds are weird stuff!!!
Each night I have gone back to sleep and I got 8 hours total, last night. But after the wake-up I have the most fun dreams...I'm starting to look forward to them!!! It's like a "trip" from the 60's, I imagine....cuz I never did drugs then!!!
Posted by Lexxey on March 15, 2003, at 9:01:30
In reply to Re: Request Straterra side effects solutions?, posted by jrbecker on March 14, 2003, at 12:02:19
JRB
I ran out and got the mag and mag/cal as you suggested and will take it like a religion. thanks for suggesting it. I just knew there had to be some natural help rather than rely on stuff that can be habit forming.
I was off the Topamax [8 months] I was taking for 2 weeks before starting this Strat and my body was so normal...it was nice not to worry about it. Each of these drugs cause this problem but also my hair fell out with the other. I'm also taking some supplements that are supposed to help that.
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