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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 714 to 738 of 1242. Go back in thread:
Posted by gouda on June 15, 2003, at 18:08:33
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » EasilyDistracted, posted by Lasagne on June 14, 2003, at 16:04:36
To All,
I just marvel at how almost ALL of us STRATTERA-takers are ALSO on SSRIs! Lexapro, Celexa, Wellbutrin, etc.
Does anyone know what's the significance of this ADD & DEPRESSION connection?
Gouda
Posted by zeugma on June 15, 2003, at 21:35:53
In reply to Why are so many of us ADDers also depressed?, posted by gouda on June 15, 2003, at 18:08:33
> To All,
>
> I just marvel at how almost ALL of us STRATTERA-takers are ALSO on SSRIs! Lexapro, Celexa, Wellbutrin, etc.
>
> Does anyone know what's the significance of this ADD & DEPRESSION connection?
>
> Gouda
ADHD is a lot more serious (at least the kind that I have) than a lot of people commonly supposed. It has made my entire life a shambles. Plus, it commonly comes with comorbidities, particularly the more severe varieties. If I didn't suffer from some form of endogeneous depression, I would be depressed anyway at the havoc these disorders have wreaked on my life.
Posted by reba on June 15, 2003, at 22:34:59
In reply to Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by Viridis on June 10, 2003, at 20:26:41
Ok, so here is my deal. I'm 20 years old, and i was diagnosed with ADHD in the begining of february. Since then I decided to take Strattera. I tried my hardest to keep an open mind since i had never tried any type of meds before this, and my doc didn't know much at all about it. So heres for everyone getting frusterated with Strattera; it took me almost 2 months to really notice ANYTHING! Also it was hard because never having been on any other meds i didn't know what to expect. Advise for anyone trying Strattera for the first time, hang in there, and really keep an eye on changes to yourself, they were very hard for me at first to really see myself. Another point of advise i want to give is that meds don't fix everything, you really have to learn better skills on your own or through a ADD coach type thing. I personally read everything on ADD i could get my hands on. lol. But I have been reading all your posts and i too have had side effects such as dry mouth, daytime tiredness, hot flashes, and moodiness if i dont eat enough durring the day. I also lost weight and I am not used to that AT ALL. I'm not that big to begin with so it was weird.
Ok, I have a couple questions for whoever.
1st about the day time tiredness. I take 80mg at about midnight. But I am tired from when I wake up about 10, or 11 am till almost 5:00 pm. This is a huge problem for me. I drink lots of coffee to help this and I want to find a better way to deal, weather it be changing the time I take the meds or the dose I need to take.
2nd That brings up my 2nd question of what about using stimulant meds with Strattera. i want to hear anything anyone knows about this. I have never taken any sort of ritalin or anything so I want some input please. Maybe this is what I need to not be tired in the day?
ok so I suppose this is all for now!
Posted by cybercafe on June 15, 2003, at 23:38:45
In reply to Why are so many of us ADDers also depressed?, posted by gouda on June 15, 2003, at 18:08:33
> To All,
>
> I just marvel at how almost ALL of us STRATTERA-takers are ALSO on SSRIs! Lexapro, Celexa, Wellbutrin, etc.
>
> Does anyone know what's the significance of this ADD & DEPRESSION connection?i find both depression and ADD have to do a lot with feelings of boredom
and they are both related to pleasure centers of the brain no?
ritalin = makes stuff you're doing seem more interesting
serotonin = makes other stuff seem more interesting
Posted by gouda on June 16, 2003, at 6:30:29
In reply to Re: Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by reba on June 15, 2003, at 22:34:59
Thanks for your post, I am also in my 20s and just got diagnosed with ADD as well as mild depression (which I agree with others that ADD maybe the cause of depression). I am a newbie to the psych meds too, it's been a year. Basically, as you stated, it takes a long long time to adjust. There is really no science to this psych med stuff, and is super frustrating b/c it's so much trial and error.
Before Strattera, I took Ritalin. Even though I should be taking Ritalin daily, I only took it when I believed it was really necessary (like a month before finals ... hehe, I just goofed off for the 1st 2 months of the semester). It's basically like taking Speed, so I consciously felt really really uncomfortable. 1 Ritalin = 3 Venti Starbucks ... which was the really nice benefit. Ritalin definitely works; I think it is more of personal ethics issue.
I don't know much about other drugs in particular, but I've heard that Concerta is a non-stimulant ... others please correct me if I am wrong in telling Reba this! So if you're like me, Concerta might be something to consider.
So far, I'm still at 25 mg Strattera, so I'm not at your level yet, but crossing my fingers!
Posted by gouda on June 16, 2003, at 6:38:26
In reply to Re: Q A to Froggyanna: CPAP and sleep apnea? (nm), posted by gouda on June 15, 2003, at 18:05:44
Froggyanna,
Sorry, I dunno how I lost the message, rats! And I typed a lot for the reply!
In any case, I'll be brief the 2nd time around.
First, thanks for the info on sleep disorders fee. Too expensive for me! But I'll ask my pdoc about it!
Yes, I am taking Celexa (dropped the Wellbutrin) b/c I am extremely sensitive to meds and metabolize meds too quickly ... so that's why I get those weird sensations (shaking, tingling, hyper calm). Celexa has been great! Wellbutrin was a little too calming for me ... I am emotional, but I felt that Wellbutrin was making me a drone!
Glad to hear your irritability dropped out through your other med reduction!
gouda
Posted by teacherkris on June 16, 2003, at 9:44:33
In reply to Re: Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by gouda on June 16, 2003, at 6:30:29
FYI Concerta is a long acting form of methyphenidate (Ritalin). It is a stimulant. Strattera is the first non-stimulant designed to treat ADHD which is why everyone is so excited about it.
Posted by Old-ADD-Guy on June 16, 2003, at 10:19:36
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » EasilyDistracted, posted by Lasagne on June 14, 2003, at 16:04:36
Hello -
I am not sure if you are male of female - but I wanted to ask you...
I am also 33 years old and have recently tried Strattera for ADD - like you, it helped me a great deal and it helped me to sleep.
However, it also made me impotent so I needed to stop taking it. I mean it made me 100% impotent - which has never happened to me before... Have you have any bad sexual side effects from Strattera?
And - have you ever taken Wellbutrin? I may want to try Wellbutrin since it also works on norepinophrine but is not connected to hardcore sexual side effects...
Thanks
Posted by Old-ADD-Guy on June 16, 2003, at 10:23:07
In reply to Re: Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by gouda on June 16, 2003, at 6:30:29
Concerta IS a stimulant. It is form of amphetamine... like Ritalin and Adderall etc...
I beleive Concerta is acutally kind of Ritalin in a time-release form...
Posted by Lasagne on June 16, 2003, at 14:38:05
In reply to Re: new on Straterra, posted by Old-ADD-Guy on June 16, 2003, at 10:19:36
> Hello -
>
> I am not sure if you are male of female - but I wanted to ask you...
>
> I am also 33 years old and have recently tried Strattera for ADD - like you, it helped me a great deal and it helped me to sleep.
>
> However, it also made me impotent so I needed to stop taking it. I mean it made me 100% impotent - which has never happened to me before... Have you have any bad sexual side effects from Strattera?
>
> And - have you ever taken Wellbutrin? I may want to try Wellbutrin since it also works on norepinophrine but is not connected to hardcore sexual side effects...
>
> Thanks*****Reply: I am actually female, but my husband who is 40 years old also recently tried the Strattera for ADHD. He also experienced sexual side effects (sustaining erection) and so the doctor switched him to Concerta (time release Ritalin). My husband also takes Wellbutrin SR 300 mgs. daily. He has been on the Wellbutrin for over six months now with no impotence problems. It would probably be a good idea to try the Wellbutrin before going on to try stimulant medicaions. The Wellbutrin might be enough to relieve your symptoms and it is more maneagable to refill than the stimulants are. For example, our insurance will give us a 3 month supply of Wellbutrin at a time, but only a 1 month supply of any of the stimulant medications at a time. In case you aren't already familiar with triplicate prescriptions, they are strictly controlled. They can't be mailed to you or faxed over to a pharmacy. You have to have the original prescription from your doctor's office each time you fill/refill a controlled substance.
Good luck!
Posted by Lasagne on June 16, 2003, at 15:02:54
In reply to Re: Why are so many of us ADDers also depressed?, posted by cybercafe on June 15, 2003, at 23:38:45
To Everybody who has ADD and depression:
I recently read two books that explain this correlation very well.
They basically say that sometimes the depression co-exists with the attentional problems, but that a lot of the time, the depression is a secondary effect caused by the years of having to cope with your ADD/ADHD symptoms without any knowledge of why you struggle so much to do things that other people seem to do so much easier.
At any rate, I would highly recommend the following books. They have really helped me to understand so many things that have happened to me in my life. The books have really given me a sense of peace about my lifelong struggles.
1. Women with Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden
2. Driven to Distraction by Drs. Hallowell and Ratey.
I was able to find both books at my local library and they are also available for sale on the Internet. They both were easy to read, something that I have struggled with my whole life. Somehow the pertinance of the subject matter held my attention. All the other authors of the above mentioned books also suffer with ADD/ADHD so they bring an interesting perspective to their writing.
Posted by Lasagne on June 16, 2003, at 15:13:06
In reply to Re: Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by reba on June 15, 2003, at 22:34:59
Feedback to questions:
1st: I take my 80 mgs. of Strattera at 7 p.m. at night. It helps me get to sleep and I don't have the problem with the daytime sleepiness like I did when I took the medication at two different times daily (morning, late afternoon).
2nd: My 10 year old son wasn't getting sufficient results from the Strattera alone so our doctor suggested we try Metadate (controlled release Ritalin, stimulant)in combination with the Strattera. The combination seems to work fine.
Final comment: I too have been on the Strattera for about 6 weeks or so. It wasn't until this last week that I felt a tremendous improvement in my functioning. At first I couldn't really see how it was helping me, but now I could write down a list of the improvements and also, over time my side effects have diminished making me more hopeful about this treatment. It is definitely a medication that you have to be patient with. With other SSRI's or antidepressants I got quicker results than with the Strattera, so I was a bit frustrated in the beginning as to why I wasn't responding quickly. All I can say is that doing the medication treatments is a lot of trial and error. I have done it for several years for my son and I would say he has been the most difficult case to keep stabilized with his ADHD symptoms and other co-existing problems.
Posted by glaciergirl on June 17, 2003, at 9:15:33
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » Old-ADD-Guy, posted by Lasagne on June 16, 2003, at 14:38:05
Would you mind telling me how much concerta your husband takes? I am on 36 mg, but don't feel like it is enough, I almost feel like it doesn't last all day...I have read that the best dose is 54mg, do you know?
Thanks,
Brooke
Posted by Lasagne on June 17, 2003, at 10:13:56
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » Lasagne, posted by glaciergirl on June 17, 2003, at 9:15:33
> Would you mind telling me how much concerta your husband takes? I am on 36 mg, but don't feel like it is enough, I almost feel like it doesn't last all day...I have read that the best dose is 54mg, do you know?
> Thanks,
> BrookeREPLY: My husband first started on 54 mgs., but it wasn't effective enough, but he is a big man (240 lbs) which may be part of the problem. A week ago the doctor started him on two 36 mgs tablets daily for a total of 72 mgs daily. So far I have noticed a big difference on the higher dose. He was an organizing fool over the weekend and he has a new desire to complete tasks at work. You should call your doctor and see if they can give you a prescription for the 54 mg tablets first and see if that does the trick. We have a 10 year old son with ADHD and it has been a process of trial and error to get the right dosing with him. Everybody is so different and sometimes people won't respond very well to Ritalin based prescriptions but may do better on Adderall. Adderall also comes in a time release formula now. Another thing we have tried in combination with the time release stimulants is to give a small dose of the fast acting stimulant around 3 in the afternoon to give the boost needed to make it through the rest of the afternoon and early evening.
Good luck!
Posted by glaciergirl on June 17, 2003, at 10:57:57
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » glaciergirl, posted by Lasagne on June 17, 2003, at 10:13:56
Thanks for the info! My month's supply or Concerta is almost up (4 more days) and I have a dr.'s appt. Thursday! I was really beginning to wonder if the Concerta was working at all. Hopefully a higher dose will help. I am a little discouraged that it hasn't helped me more. I don't know if my doc will put me on adderall, or if she is trying every other possible option first..in the last 5 months I have gone thru Paxil CR, Topomax, Strattera, and now Concerta....I am hoping for a miracle, lol!
Brooke
Posted by beppe3 on June 17, 2003, at 12:56:54
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » Lasagne, posted by glaciergirl on June 17, 2003, at 10:57:57
Hi. I'm new to this chat room and Strattera. I've been taking 10mg of Lexapro for 2 mo. with little improvement. I've been struggling with fatigue and depression for the past 5 years.
My doc prescribed Strattera with great enthusiasm and I've been a non compliant patient. I was more tired, unmotivated, foggy, bloated, bitter taste in mouth and stopped taking it due to the impact it was having on my daily functioning. He said all the side effects I was experiencing were psychosomatic.
After reading some of your experiences I'm thinking I didn't give it a full trial. I only remained on 20mg. a.m. for 1 week.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I won't be able to read replys until this evening.
Posted by Lasagne on June 17, 2003, at 14:50:40
In reply to Re: new on Straterra, posted by beppe3 on June 17, 2003, at 12:56:54
> Hi. I'm new to this chat room and Strattera. I've been taking 10mg of Lexapro for 2 mo. with little improvement. I've been struggling with fatigue and depression for the past 5 years.
> My doc prescribed Strattera with great enthusiasm and I've been a non compliant patient. I was more tired, unmotivated, foggy, bloated, bitter taste in mouth and stopped taking it due to the impact it was having on my daily functioning. He said all the side effects I was experiencing were psychosomatic.
> After reading some of your experiences I'm thinking I didn't give it a full trial. I only remained on 20mg. a.m. for 1 week.
> Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks!
> I won't be able to read replys until this evening.****REPLY: First of all, I think 20 mgs. is a small dose. Then again, I don't know how much you weigh. I weight 158 lbs and on 80 mgs. daily. I first started on 40 mgs. and then after 4 days I increased to 80 mgs. My son who weights 80 lbs. is on 40 mgs. daily.
I would suggest that you give the medication at least 6 weeks. At first I experienced the fatigue and fogginess amongst a bunch of other side effects. Now that I am past the 6 week mark and switched to taking all 80 mgs. at 7 p.m., I am noticing a big decrease in the side effects and I have more energy. I don't need to nap for as long as I used to and I am ready to wake up by 7 a.m. Before the Strattera I used to want to go back to bed after getting my kids off to school and then I had to take at least a 1 1/2-2 hour nap everyday after lunch. In the beginning the doctors recommend that you take half of your dose in the morning and then the other half in the late afternoon. I found this made me way too sleepy during the day. Once I switched to taking it all at 7 p.m. I slept better at night and then I woke up with more energy.
Have you also been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD? For years I suffered with depression and anxiety and just recently my doctor did an evaluation on me and came up with the diagnosis of ADD. He thinks that the source of my depression and anxiety is due to the years of trying to cope with my ADD symptoms. In combination with the above problems I have also had chronic problems with fatigue and fibromyalgia.
You might like to read a book called:
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden (I found it at our local library) and see if the scenarios presented in the book hit home for you and if so, then you can talk to your doctor about doing a formal ADD/ADHD evaluation.
Prior to the Strattera I was already taking Prozac and Buspar. I still continue to take them with the Strattera and I am amazed at the improvements that have happened over the last 6 weeks. I went from being in a depressive episode with thoughts of wanting to die and now I feel like I am out of the cloud and can function so much better. Now that I know that I have ADD and have learned more about it, I see life differently and somehow have more peace about the struggles I have had during my life. I have gone through various times where I would get so frustrated as to why I couldn't do things the way other people do. So many times I felt buried by the bare minimum of life's requirements, while others were forging ahead. This was very discouraging because I am a very talented person and intelligent yet for a long time this was not readily apparent because of my ADD. It was difficult for me to focus on the good qualities that I have, despite the fact that many people have told me that they admire my talents. All I could see is that I couldn't keep up with the day to day stuff like others and since that is what the majority of our time is spent on, I felt so inadequate.
Lastly, it alarms me that your doctor would tell you that your claimed side effects are psychosomatic. You might want to consider finding somebody who is more compassionate than that. My doctor who is a family practitioner has always listened to me and validates whatever experiences I share with him. It's not easy taking medication and generally there are side effects, especially in the beginning of treatment. You need a doctor that you can work with closely and feel comfortable sharing with him/her without feeling like he/she is judging you as a crazy person who is making up side effects.
I asked my doctor if any of his other patients had experienced some of the side effects I was having, and he said no, but he didn't discount them either. That is when I went on Psycho Babble to post my experience to see if anybody else had the same things happen. Sure enough I got back replies with people claiming similar experiences. So, I guess the thing to take from this is that doctors don't know every single side effect that can happen. Everybody's body is different and responds differently. Thus, he shouldn't be suggesting that you have psychosomatic tendencies. Maybe I am over reacting to this, but from my years of experience with my own mental illness, one thing I do know is that negative unbelieving people in your life only make the situation worse. You can't expect to make positive progress under such conditions. It's important that you be heard and validated.
I hope something I have said here can help you out. Good Luck!
Posted by Viridis on June 17, 2003, at 19:51:51
In reply to Re: new on Straterra, posted by beppe3 on June 17, 2003, at 12:56:54
I wouldn't trust any doctor who says your side effects are "psychosomatic', especially if they're ones you don't normally have. Mild nausea, headache...OK, I could see that being coincidental. But I've been through this nonsense with doctors before, most recently with Wellbutrin, which my GP claimed "can't" have side effects. Well, I had a bizarre reaction (for weeks) that involved (among other things) severe dizziness, sudden anger, sensitivity to light, shaking, etc. My GP said these effects were "imaginary" -- strange, since I've never had them before, they coincided precisely with use of the drug, and stopped as soon as I discontinued it. The psychiatrist I saw subsequently said that these are all pretty well-known side effects and not particularly rare, especially for someone with an existing anxiety disorder.
Since this is a Strattera thread, I'll add that I started it today (at 25 mg) and feel very calm, mellow, and focused. One day is certainly not enough to base any judgements on, but I am encouraged. I doubt it's placebo effect, since if anything I was expecting an initial negative reaction. We'll see...I'll keep you posted.
Good luck!
Posted by beppe3 on June 17, 2003, at 20:38:02
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » beppe3, posted by Lasagne on June 17, 2003, at 14:50:40
Thank you Viridis and Lasagne for your feedback!
Major thanks to you, Lasagne for sharing your experience with me. My struggles seem very similar to yours. I have knocked myself down and have been fairly self destructive due to feeling inadequate and unable to keep up with day to day responsibilities. I am getting help now, but have continued to lack tremendous hope that I will find a medication or combination of meds which will allow me to participate in life, due to my past experience with medication. Despite my sKepticism I am willing to try different medication due to having a couple of people in my life pushing my to forge forward.
Anyway, I do agree that having a doctor negate my bodies physical reaction to a medication is inappropriate and I will look into seeing another doc. It is very annoying when a doc tells you're creating the symptoms in your mind.
I will also try another trial on the Strattera and take it at night and see if the foggy and tiredness is less severe during the day. I will also check out that book you mentioned and learn more about ADD.
Your suggestions have been very helpful and sharing your experience with me has been given me tremendous relief.
Thanks again!
Posted by Gale Fox on June 18, 2003, at 19:06:08
In reply to Re: new on Straterra, posted by beppe3 on June 17, 2003, at 12:56:54
Lasgne, I too think you should get a new doctor. Strattera has several well known side effects -dry mouth and bitter taste is one, and even though it gives me insomnia, I've seen enough respondents here to know that it makes a lot of people sleepy.
And I learned the hard way that you have to give it a longer trial. I did great after a month on 25 mg, but the bottom fell out when I didn't go up to the therapeutic dose over time. I'm now at 80 and am getting some good effect.
gale
Posted by paulk on June 18, 2003, at 19:30:36
In reply to Re: new on Straterra, posted by Gale Fox on June 18, 2003, at 19:06:08
I had been taking Straterra for a couple of months – worked fine at first – but pooped out at 6 weeks or so – increasing the dosage just made me worse (very sleepy). I also had problems with gaining weight – it would kill my appetite in the AM but by 5pm I would eat anything not labeled as poison.
I stopped taking it about 2 weeks ago – felt bad – almost like the flue – similar to Efexor withdrawals for 10 days. This was no walk in the park – Might have been better to taper, but I just wanted to get it over with.
I’m now trying a low dose of deprenyl (Selegiline, Eldepryl) – it should not poop out as it is a MOAI that is selective for dopamine and norepinephrine.
Posted by Lasagne on June 18, 2003, at 20:22:41
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) Stopping, posted by paulk on June 18, 2003, at 19:30:36
Wow, you are brave to go cold turkey on the Strattera. You must have a high tolerance to endure ten days of that!
I tried about 8 months ago to reduce my Prozac dose and the withdrawl was terrible. My doctor then had me do a slow tapering program and still I was only able to reduce from 60 mgs. to 40 mgs. My goal was to get off it completely in order to try and get pregnant, but that obviously did not go well and now I am back on the full 60 mgs. of Prozac and have given up on having another baby. I finally surrendered to the fact that I needed to take care of my mental health first and going through another pregnancy just wasn't going to work out.
I never want to experience the withdrawl symptoms again. I have accepted that Prozac will be my companion for life. Once you body gets used to a medication it's hard to get your body to function without it.
My sister and aunt have had the same problems with Paxil.
I figure if the medication continues to work then don't mess with it.
Posted by gouda on June 19, 2003, at 0:21:37
In reply to Re: new on Straterra » beppe3, posted by Lasagne on June 17, 2003, at 14:50:40
Lasagne and Beppe
First of all thank you so much for sharing your experience, I really felt I connected with many of your struggles, and I am so glad you shared with us your books, I'm put a hold at my local library today!
Beppe, I agree with Lasagne: you need to find a good pdoc! I am with you on the "non-compliant" attitude! I gave so many of my prior docs problems, challenging their authority, refusing to try meds for the required duration, etc.
My best advice to you and all other new ADDers is to find the best "psychiatrist - specializing in AD/HD patients". Why? B/c they have lots of experience cocktailing the right meds, they are very good at dealing with us "non-conventionals" who get a kick out of challenging authority! Most of us ADDers are extremely bright, so you need to see a good pdoc who's good with "out" arguing you and your unintelligible "but intelligent" ADD logic!
How:
(1) get a recommendation from another ADDer --> go find people resources at your local CHADD chapter (if you're in the Bay Area: Kitty Petty Institute is awesome!)
(2) (how I found my ADD pdoc) if you're really tight with your PCP, ask him to get a referral from his buddy psychiatrists that he usually refers to. Psychiatrists naturally will know who's the "ADD psychiatrist" in your area, so it is good to get a candid recommendation from someone within the circle. (my story: My PCP's buddy is a psychiatrist who specializes in domestic family violence. He knew he would not be the best pdoc for me. However, he knew 4 psychiatrists in my city that worked with ADD or intelligent patient types, so that's how I got my references)
Hope this helps beppe and don't give up on the meds!
I'm on Celexa (the older version of Lexapro) and I went up to 40 mg before getting any positive results on depression, no longer in the deep dark world of hopelessness, and things are much brighter in my life, even started cooking again. I'm on Strattera @ 25 mg, and moving up, so far, I am very excited b/c I'm getting more things done on my to-do list!
Gouda
> > Hi. I'm new to this chat room and Strattera. I've been taking 10mg of Lexapro for 2 mo. with little improvement. I've been struggling with fatigue and depression for the past 5 years.
Posted by Jonsey on June 19, 2003, at 10:11:42
In reply to Strattera AND Adderall?, posted by Viridis on June 10, 2003, at 20:26:41
I also use a low dose of Adderall. I started Strattera about 3 weeks ago slowly increasing dosage (currently 40 mg). My doc recommended I keep using the Adderall until I start to notice significant changes...which hasn't happened yet. This seems to be working well for me. I usually take a weekend day without the Adderall which lets me know immediately whether I still need it or not (I do). A big benefit of the Adderall is that it helps with the extreme sleepiness I experience whenever I increase the Strattera dose.
Hope this helps!
Posted by MomofBoys on June 19, 2003, at 18:03:39
In reply to Re: ...Strattera updates!-appetite/heart trouble » froggyanna, posted by Lasagne on June 14, 2003, at 16:13:55
My Strattera side effect is still just tiredness if taken in the daytime, awakeness if taken in the nighttime (however, I am sleeping better now and not such an early riser any longer). And also, I have been able to take 25 mg in the morning and not keep over with sleep, so my body is slowly adjusting.
I have lost the total energy surge that I used to get from taking it and I have also lost my ability to concentrate and focus. I think that varies from day to day, however.
My doc just increased me to 120 mg daily, increased my a.m. Lexapro to 20 mg. If I still feel tiredness in the daytime, she is talking about adding Adderall next week. I really don't know. She keeps changing her mind when I talk to her. We'll see! I do like the Lexapro. It just makes things "smooth" I don't know how else to explain it.
When I took the MMPI-II, it showed very high depression, very high anxiety, and very high anti-socialization. Well, I don't feel depressed, but she said I don't have to "feel" depressed to be depressed. I used to feel the high anxiety and have panic attacks before the Lexapro. And I have always been a shy, nontrusting person. I am not anti-social and I don't fear going out in public, in fact I am out in public constantly! With two boys, it's a must! I just have very few close friends as I have been burned by so-called "close" friends so much in the past that I just distance myself...like I hang out with my friends but never would I talk to them about problems and such, I pretty much keep it bottled inside, talk to my mom a little.....
Anyway, that's how my meds are working up 'til today!
Kim
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