I have been on Strattera for 7 months now along with Wellbutrin and Abilify. I have been having major naucous and hot flashes . Being 67 years old, I attributed to menopause .
Friends are saying it is from the meds . Has anyone had these side effects on strattera? Thank you!
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Musiclover56
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I've been on a generic of Strattera (atomoxetine) for a little over two years.
Early on, I discovered that it makes me feel nauseous if I do not take it with food. So, I always take it with breakfast.
I am on a low dose at 40mg, which works well for me. I was on 60mg for 6 months, but experienced mild nausea about every other day even when I took my meds with food. (It was nowhere near the level of nausea that I would get if I take it on an empty stomach.) The difference in treatment was so slight that I asked my doctor to reduce my dosage, so that I wouldn't experience the nausea anymore. (I believe adult dosage range it typically between 40mg and 100mg, with many patients on Strattera at 80mg.)
I'm a male in my late 40s, and I do not experience hot flashes. However, Strattera acts on norepinephrine reuptake, and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) has various effects on the body, not just on the attention system.
I'm not aware of hot flashes being a known side effect of Strattera, but I wouldn't be surprised if it affects some people in this way.
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Some people experience unpleasant side effects from Strattera initially, some for a while, and some on an ongoing basis. I count myself as fortunate that 1) it helps my ADHD symptoms so much, and 2) my side effects have been so minimal and tolerable.
Strattera and buprenorphine both affect norepinephrine and can cause hot flashes. Both of those drugs also interact, so a normal dose of strattera can feel like a higher dose (up to 5x higher) and be more likely to cause side effects. I started strattera when I was on bupropion and had horrible insomnia and hot flashes, so I had to stop strattera.
I was offered Strattera and refused because it's a SNRI - I just can't tolerate wither SNRI or SSRIs - aside from physical side effects I find that they make feel as if I'm sitting outside of myself and observing - this tends to lead to me saying what I actually think to people when just about all the time it was hurtful and damaging to relationships. I also can't sleep on either drug. Trust what you're feeling, be honest with your doctor, and be honest with yourself about what you can tolerate. Anything that makes hot flashes worse would be out the door for me! Hopefully your doc can help you find the right med - not everything is about menopause.
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