My psychiatrist put me on Strattera back in August 2022 and has been working up the dosage VERY slowly - starting at 10mg and gradually increasing usually every 3-5 weeks. I start 80mg tomorrow. I can't really tell that it is helping much if at all... he said if I don't have a "robust" response to the 80mg he would like to add Wellbutrin to the Strattera so it can hopefully make it more effective. Has anyone here found the combination did it for them?
Sometimes I thought Strattera might be helping a little but then the thing I noticed improvement in didn't last... so maybe it wasn't the Strattera helping... it's possible I'm having less "brain fog" but it was sporadic and not constant (at least not at it's worse levels) even before I started medicine so it's hard to say...
I want to KNOW it is helping me in order for it to be worth it to even take it - I don't want to be on medicine that isn't helping me in a significant way. I'm not to the top dose yet - he said it can go as high as 120mg... I'm tolerating the 60mg... but I'd like to know it's making a meaningful difference in my life... ideally helping me do better at work and home too... but at least work...
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Chickadee1
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Hi. I was given Strattera a long time ago. I don’t remember the dosage, but it didn’t work. So I called the Dr and he said to take 2 pills. And doubling the dosage didn’t work either. I was given Adderall later, which did work tremendously for me.
From all that I’ve read, is that which Rx, at what dosage will work for you is all dependent on your unique body/brain chemistry. They can’t base it on anything. Not by sex, age, weight. It’s all trial and error. I believe a Dr will start with an Rx that he’s had good results with (or again, afraid to prescribe a stimulant?) at a certain dosage and go from there.
Strattera my not work for you, but a stimulant might. The 2 most common are Adderall and Ritalin. And they’re chemically different (Ritalin doesn’t work for me either). I would think you would have noticed some obvious response by now-but I’m not a Dr. Again some Drs are afraid to give someone a stimulant. I’m in Chicago and I have yet to meet a Dr that I feel really knows about ADHD. I’ve googled ADHD specialist Drs in Chicago, and the ones that I’ve seen said ADHD wasn’t their specialty, but it is something they treat.
This 5 month round of Hell you’re going thru has got to be aggravating your ADHD and other parts of your Emotional Health (I dislike the term Mental Health). You want some relief. Best I can say is you may have to push your Dr. The obvious thing is ‘Hey, I’ve been on this Rx for 5 months with NO improvement! Is it working? I don’t think so!’ Of course you got to phrase it your way.
You’ve also been paying this guy for at least 5 months-and what have you gotten from it? You probably can’t tell, but I have some (anger) issues with psychiatrists. About 1/3 of psychiatrists and psychologists are F’n Wack jobs. You may have to try another Dr. I know that’s probably the last thing you want to hear- but that’s been my experience.
The Mental Health Pros have a long way to go as to getting better in treating ADHD (and to me, they’ve got an even bigger problem in treating the connection of ADHD and emotions).
All the being said, don’t give up. You’re trying. Keep trying. But you deserve better than what this guy is doing for you. If you’re up to it and feel it’s appropriate, you may have to give him a kick in the A$$.
Also the more you educate yourself could be to your advantage as well.
I wish you Peace of Mind and RELIEF. Hang in there
I'm seeing my psychiatrist on an online platform - and the platform does not allow doctors to prescribe stimulants over their platform so his hands are tied. I don't know if he prescribes stimulants to people in a local practice. I was a little scared of stimulants but the main reason I went the online route was that it worked with my insurance and I could get in quickly after I was diagnosed - plus they have schedule options that work around my work schedule easily - maybe not the best reasons for choosing that route. Sometimes I go for the "easy" sounding route because the effort of scheduling appointments locally and working it around my work schedule is something I tend to procrastinate on or be overwhelmed by sometimes... online is a little easier... but if it doesn't work it is a waste of time I guess... the thing is he said Strattera takes a long time to build up in your system and if you quit too early you won't know if it would have worked... I thought maybe it was working a little early on which he said was a good sign I would be a responder to the medicine - but maybe it was placebo effect because it didn't last... I like my doctor - but if it doesn't work it doesn't work...
Thanks for your advice. I was trying to give it time to see if it worked - I've been unmedicated for ADHD all my life - didn't know I had it - so I figured I could take time... maybe I'm too laid back... The work stress isn't good for me though - thankfully my boss has been patient...
Even without a stimulant trial, you could give bupropion a try, because it does have a stimulant like effect/profile.
But don’t really understand why they want you to start a combination of these 2, if you don’t notice effects from Strattera.
But I’ve been in the same boat, wondering if it improved my functionality.
**Welcome to the world of psychopharmacology…. **
I did start with ritalin, gave me headaches, stomach pain … then dex… no side-effects, things did get better, but duration was an issue and kept increasing my dose, and it wasn’t ‘that’ improvement that I was hoping for.
Then I tried bupropion (24hours) which I liked, cause no worries of taking a second dose and not knowing/ having to figure out ‘when’. I did get to 450mg // 300mg morning , and 150mg evening
Then guanfacine was added. For me this was the first time, I felt different and at peace…. I knew right away that this was exactly what I was hoping for. I could concentrate, and it decreased my restlessness and irritability.
I eventually had to stop taking bupropion, because I did get unwanted side-effects.
But like a said, bupropion can be a good choice for ADHD, for me it did improve focus, mood and libido 🤭 but it also decreased my ability to feel my emotions.
I took Strattera, but I felt like it affected my balance which isn't that great. Is balance an issue because of my ADHD? I just thought of that, any way I stopped taking it because it also made me some what out of it. My uncle had to come get me, because I was afraid to cross the street in the park, because bikers are crazy fast.
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