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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Patt on March 28, 2003, at 12:09:51
In reply to Atomoxetine (Straterra) splitting capsuls » Patt, posted by paulk on March 28, 2003, at 12:05:32
Now, I understand. We do this with some of the "scored" medications that we have taken. However, how do you split capsules? Since we were given an adult sample package, they came in capsules, so I was not aware of the pill form. Thanks for explaining!!!!!
Posted by Rachel2 on March 29, 2003, at 2:07:27
In reply to Re: Straterra approval., posted by Proud2B-ADD on March 27, 2003, at 20:58:42
I'm wondering what the success rate is with straterra and depression. Could anyone who's specifically taking it for that give us an update?
Posted by LibbyH on March 29, 2003, at 12:37:31
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR-Libby, posted by Spinning on March 26, 2003, at 11:45:53
Spinning, YES! Made me very impuslisive & irritable. "Aggitated" (SP?) was the word my pdoc used. I actually had to be hospitalized for a week because I was having suicidal impulses that really scared me. I have Major Depression in addition to ADD but I was never the suicidal type...
After 3-4 days back on the Ritalin SR (20 mg 2X/day) I feel great. So I guess the Wellbutrin "poop out" was all that needed to be addressed. He replaced my Wellbutrin SR (300 mg/day)& Prozac (20mg/day) with Lexapro at just 20 mg/day & I feel great. I am also adding Topamax for migraines & it also seems to be helping with mood. I'm currently at 75 mg/day titrating up to 100.
Good luck to all...
L.
Posted by AS Mom on March 29, 2003, at 17:46:23
In reply to Re: Straterra - Starting this new drug with my son, posted by Msanjelpie on March 26, 2003, at 3:52:07
My son also has AS and ADHD. He just started Strattera. He took 25mg for 4 days and today he took 40mg, which the doc said would be his therapeutic dose. He's 11 y/o, 75lbs.
I SEE NO CHANGE! He's hyper and out of control! Nothing like ritalin! Does this med take time to kick in? I don't know how long I can wait!!!
AS Mom
Posted by not exactly on March 29, 2003, at 18:17:14
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR spinning, posted by LibbyH on March 29, 2003, at 12:37:31
Sorry, but I am completely confused by your message.
> Spinning, YES! Made me very impuslisive & irritable. "Aggitated" (SP?) was the word my pdoc used. I actually had to be hospitalized for a week because I was having suicidal impulses that really scared me. I have Major Depression in addition to ADD but I was never the suicidal type...
What drug are you referring to that caused this? Strattera? Wellbutrin? Ritalin? Other? A combination?
> So I guess the Wellbutrin "poop out" was all that needed to be addressed.
How long had you been taking Wellbutrin? What (if anything) were you taking with it? What was the evidence of "poop out"?
I used to take Wellbutrin, and it helped me a lot. But after about a year, I started to notice a "flattening" of my emotions. My pdoc added (rather than substituted) Ritalin, and it "fixed" the problem within a few days. A very effective combo for me, far better than either drug had ever been by itself.
> He replaced my Wellbutrin SR (300 mg/day)& Prozac (20mg/day) with Lexapro at just 20 mg/day & I feel great.
So you discontinued BOTH Wellbutrin & Prozac, and are now taking Lexapro + Ritalin? Glad it's working well for you now.
- Bob
Posted by snowflake on March 29, 2003, at 20:20:49
In reply to Re: Strattera and children, posted by concernedaunt on March 25, 2003, at 13:57:59
My son is 11 with ADD/anxiety/depression. He was taken off Adderall XR 6wks ago and started on Strattera. 18mg, then to 36mg. Due to feeling very tired his doctor cut back to 28mg, then after 10 days back up to his 36mg. WELL!!!! Monday will be a week that he was back to 36mg and it has been the week from hell. First of all the Strattera never helped his ADD, it seemed to help his mood slightly, but this week the mood swings and irritability have caused him problems at school with his teacher, peers, today his baseball coach I think was ready to kick him out and finally 3 days straight here at home of crying and saying things like "nobody cares for him", "he hates his life" and "he hates himself". It's the weekend and I don't want to wait until Monday to call his doctor. Can someone please tell me if he has to be taken off slowly or if I can just stop giving it him. We have had enough and he is miserable. When he was on Adderall this didn't happen, in fact starting Jan/03 he was the best he had been in a while, he was on 40mg a day,plus 30mg a day of Buspar, 20mg Lexapro and 40mg Celexa. This combination was finally proving to help. He is still on everything else. We are so sorry we decided to try Strattera. Someone out there, or Dr. Bob, please write back with helpful words.
Posted by Msanjelpie on March 29, 2003, at 20:59:12
In reply to Re: Strattera and children, posted by snowflake on March 29, 2003, at 20:20:49
Well my son has been on Straterra for 5 days now. The main side effect is still no eating for a long time and then binging.
Today he was emotionally out of control, yelling at me and about to throw some stuff over something very trivial. My first instinct was to yank him off the Straterra.
But I recall an earlier post that said the first two weeks are very iffy with emotional outbursts and I'm just thinking since his meds increased to 25 last night from 18 that it was too quick of an increase for him.
I've committed myself to leaving him on this med for a month, because that seems to be the magic time when the medication is supposed to start doing what it is meant to do.
I am seeing glimpses of a new person in there, it's just hidden right now behind this wall of frustration and aggravation. As long as he is not barfing or having a rash, I'm going to play the wait and see game...
He's almost 14, so we are pretty used to his volatile displays of emotionalism.
From everything I've read, Straterra can be stopped at any time without any side effects. He has never been on Ritalin because I was always concerned about his growth, (already small for his age and didn't want him to stop growing all together.) So I have nothing to compare the Straterra to on that front.
Jeannie
Posted by snowflake on March 30, 2003, at 0:49:29
In reply to Re: Strattera and children, posted by Msanjelpie on March 29, 2003, at 20:59:12
Jeannie,
Thank you for your input. As I mentioned we are starting week 6 and nothing but down side, so I feel we gave it a good length to kick in. We had experienced emotional episodes in the past, but I can say that they had subsided at least in the last 6mo, it's been longer at home. He's had the teacher from hell this year, the kind they call "ADD toxic" so 90% percent of his past upheavel occurred at school. As I stated ,in Jan./03 it really seemed the mix of medications were definitely working and emotional episodes had gone away, plus the fact that we finally filed a complaint to the district office regarding this teacher, so she tries to behave although since her true self is not "nice" she still blows it. We had not experienced this type of defiance and emotinal lapse at home, so we can really tell this is not working, period. Hope to hear from other's out there. Any input on Adderall XR? This seemed to help him and I want to put him back on it. Eating and sleeping after the first initial days were actually OK on Adderall. With Strattera he has been eating like a normal 11 year eating all day opening cupboards etc. sleeping has been good also, but this emotional downward spiral is too much. If I would have seen improvement with his ADD symptoms and experiencing these side effects I might give it another week, but with his ADD being at a "full blown" stage and the other stuff, it's not worth it.
Posted by Patt on March 30, 2003, at 13:57:32
In reply to Re: Strattera and children, posted by snowflake on March 30, 2003, at 0:49:29
I hate to offer advice on medication, but I did read that you cannot stop Strattera all at once. Maybe you can call the pharmacy to be sure. Since it works more like an anti-depressant, I can see why stopping it all at once might be harmful. That is the one thing I didn't like what I heard about the new drug. With the others, you could take it when you needed it; Strattera has to be taken all the time. However, with it being a non-stimulant drug, I, too, thought it worth a try.
Patt
Posted by not exactly on March 31, 2003, at 0:32:23
In reply to Re: Strattera and children, posted by Patt on March 30, 2003, at 13:57:32
just to set the record straight...
Strattera needs to be taken regularly and for a prolonged period in order to be effective. Unlike stimulant meds for ADHD, it does not make sense to take Strattera p.r.n.
However, stopping the drug all at once is NOT a problem. The following statements are quoted verbatim from Lilly's official "prescribing information" monograph [http://pi.lilly.com/us/strattera-pi.pdf]:
"Atomoxetine can be discontinued without being tapered."
"There was no evidence of symptom rebound or adverse events suggesting a drug-discontinuation or withdrawal syndrome."
Posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 8:25:40
In reply to Re: Strattera and constipation, posted by carlyb on March 23, 2003, at 9:03:57
Someone told me to take magnesium and it helped a lot. It also reduced my blood pressure so be careful how you take it. Also apricots and yogurt regularly are good.
If I don't drink plenty of water and take bran and metamucil everyday I get miserable. This is the most troublesome side effect for me.
Posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 8:34:16
In reply to Re: Hunger » blondegirl47, posted by Hattree on March 28, 2003, at 10:29:49
I wonder if the grouchiness has to do with quality of sleep.
I had problems there until I started taking Unisom [otc] and am sleeping well and I'm on the full dose of 40mg twice a day. I feel my appetitie declining too. I'm waiting to get a surge of motivation like I have heard folks mention who have taken it a while.
I think this Straterra is going to work for me. I still feel a little dizzy about 1 hour after taking the Strat but I can deal with that. When I was just plain ADHD with no drugs I was "dizzy" and "ditzy" all the time!!!
Posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 9:03:29
In reply to Re: Strattera Tics/weird sleep, posted by blondegirl47 on March 24, 2003, at 14:50:13
My sleep is a lot better now after 2 1/2 weeks on 40mg and 3 days on the full 80mg dose but I am also taking Unisom to help until I get used to it.
I'm not taking any other ADHD drugs cuz I want to see if this really helps by itself.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:04:42
In reply to Re: Hunger, posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 8:34:16
Thanks for your reply Hattree, I have been taking my strattera at night...I seem to sleep better that way. Although I do wake up a few times, so may it is broken sleep making me grouchy. Today is better though. :)
Posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 9:05:24
In reply to Re: Would love Strattera updates, posted by blondegirl47 on March 24, 2003, at 14:52:22
I get a dizzy spell about 1-2 hours after each dose but it settles down. I'm hoping it will fade away and it seems to a bit.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:07:47
In reply to Re: Strattera Tics/weird sleep, posted by Lexxey on March 31, 2003, at 9:03:29
Thanks for your reply Lexxy, I'll keep hanging in there with it.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:11:27
In reply to Re: Hunger » blondegirl47, posted by moosh on March 27, 2003, at 19:01:51
Thanks for your reply Moosh. It gives me hope. I am not quite as hungry today or as grumpy. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night hungry, but I think that was a blood sugar thing :) I will stick with this a while longer.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:13:44
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR-Libby, posted by Proud2B-ADD on March 27, 2003, at 20:49:50
I don't care for Ritalin much, but I think the stimulant meds should be taken with until the strattera has a chance to start working. My doc said that he tried strattera alone at first, but most of his patients weren't happy with that. I am on adderall xr and strattera.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:16:58
In reply to Re: Straterra approval., posted by Proud2B-ADD on March 27, 2003, at 20:58:42
Thanks for your input Proud2B-ADD, I hope my libido revs up like yours.
Posted by snowflake on March 31, 2003, at 10:58:13
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR-Libby » Proud2B-ADD, posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 9:13:44
Thanks to the replies. I stopped giving my son the Strattera as of yesterday Sunday. 6wks on it was 6wks too long. I have called his doctor this morning to get redirection and put him back on Adderall XR asap. Call it coincidence, but he had baseball practice yesterday and it went very well. I would love to hear more experiences from parents with kids on Strattera or Strattera vs. Adderall XR.
Thanks everyone, this is a great site!
Posted by AS Mom on March 31, 2003, at 12:24:29
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR-Libby, posted by snowflake on March 31, 2003, at 10:58:13
I have taken both of my children off Strattera and am using Concerta for them again. They are much happier, in control, and much more self-confident.
Posted by rickgee on March 31, 2003, at 14:18:10
In reply to Re: Straterra - Back to Ritalin SR-Libby, posted by AS Mom on March 31, 2003, at 12:24:29
Hello All, I just read all of the threads from the first of the year and want to thank all for input. I am a 58 year old male who has ADHD forever. I have also suffered from mild depression which I think is related to above. I just ended a withdrawal period on Effexor (thank God that's over) From all I have read I think that Straterra may be the one. However since I'm going to be my doc's guinea pig, I think we should start slow. Maybe 18mg day to start. I will post as I get going.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 14:22:51
In reply to Going To Start Straterra This Week, posted by rickgee on March 31, 2003, at 14:18:10
Hi rickgee, I think that is what my doc started me on. The sample pack is 18 for 4 days, then 25 for 2 weeks. I can't remember what the next dose size is. Good luck with it. I am glad my doc didn't take my other meds away at the same time, Stattera makes me kind of tired.
Posted by rickgee on March 31, 2003, at 14:36:37
In reply to Re: Going To Start Straterra This Week » rickgee, posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 14:22:51
How long have you been taking it. I wasn't taking any stim's. Tried Ritalin a few years ago didn't do much. I have a fairly stong tolerance for drugs, so hopefully not too many side effects.The effexor was OK, but if I had known how it was to get off, I would have asked for something else. It was nice to see that Straterra has some effect on depression too.
Posted by blondegirl47 on March 31, 2003, at 14:40:27
In reply to Re: Going To Start Straterra This Week, posted by rickgee on March 31, 2003, at 14:35:57
Today makes 2 weeks. I am struggling with the grumpy's that come and go. Also, have intermitent problem with wanting to binge. Fried foods and sweets. I have read that this goes away, so I am going to give it a month. Hope that part goes away soon.
I take it at night before bed because it seems to make me tired. Not everyone gets tired from it though.
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