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Post by probioticgirl on Jun 15, 2014 9:19:24 GMT
Hi, I started Strattera 25mg for 2 weeks and then 40mg for 2 weeks. First dose at 40mg today. I asked my doctor to start me on a low dose due to having side-effects from other anti-depressants in the past.
So far, still as jumbled as ever, but slightly less stressy. I also noticed that I actually TIDIED MY WORKSPACE a few days ago!! May have just been a good day, or maybe the Strat is starting to have a little effect.
Upwards an onwards.
No side-effects other than nausea if taken on empty stomach, and bit of a libido dip.
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Post by foggyboy on Jun 15, 2014 13:25:44 GMT
Hi probioticgirlGlad to hear you're not suffering any side effects. I'm due to start on Strattera in a couple of weeks, it would be interesting to hear your experiences. How much is it costing you for the 40mg tablets?
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Post by probioticgirl on Jun 15, 2014 19:53:57 GMT
Hi FoggyBoy, They would just cost a person here in UK the standard prescription price for any medicine (which is £8.05 for the period the doctor specifies), but as I am already on a medicine that medically exempts me from prescription charges (thyroxine), they're free to me. That's the beauty of the NHS. Where are you?
First day of 40mgs today - felt tired, but didn't sleep well last night, so don't think it was the meds.
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Post by foggyboy on Jun 15, 2014 21:32:50 GMT
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2014 22:34:06 GMT
On the NHS it's £0 or the standard NHS rate - if it's a private prescription the price varies according to the retailer.
Just ask the likely pharmacist.
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Post by Wavey75 on Jun 16, 2014 14:18:44 GMT
I'm interested in this thread as I think I might be more suited to this so I could continue taking an anti depressant along side it.
Wavey75
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Post by probioticgirl on Aug 13, 2014 20:52:53 GMT
I'm about 10 weeks in now and been at 25mg x 2 weeks, 40mgs for 2, 60mg for 2 then at 80mg where I remain.
Titrating up was slightly uncomfortable in some ways, but tolerable.
PROS: so far, noticeable reduction in stress levels. I don't react so quickly or so severely to stressors. My rhinitis and IBS seem infinitely improved! Yay! I feel less generally tired throughout the day.
CONS: libido was pretty rubbish for first 6 weeks, but I think that may be leveling out. Memory, organisational skills and scatteredness remain unchanged...in fact, I am wondering if they are worse.
I feel less drugged than when on Concerta XL and I am not having the heart issues I had with that. So far, Strattera seems to be acting as a mild anti depressant for me. No bad thing, but I was hoping to become more focused. However, I have been told it can take 12 weeks, so there's still time.
Today, I started taking VegEPA capsules as well as they're supposed to be good for ADHD.
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Post by probioticgirl on Aug 13, 2014 20:55:45 GMT
(PS the tidying my workspace thing was a one-off LOL)
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Post by foggyboy on Aug 16, 2014 17:51:38 GMT
I've been on Strattera 40mg for 6 weeks now and I my experience is similar to yours. I feel calmer and it has had an anti depressant and anti anxiety effect. I initially thought it was improving my memory and scatter brain tendencies slightly but I'm not so sure now. It's perhaps even made my ability to 'retrieve' information from my memory slightly worse, for example remembering facts or names.
According to the dosage guidelines I should probably be aiming at a target dose of 80mg, which I'm a way off yet. I just can't help feeling that increasing the dosage won't work, and I'd be better off trying something different, such as methylphenidate.
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Post by probioticgirl on Sept 2, 2014 6:26:08 GMT
I've stopped titrating now and been at a steady 80mg for over 6 weeks. Side-effects from titration have all but gone.
I get some goosebummps after 2hrs of taking it and that's about it. Sometimes that is accompanied by a slightly anxious feeling, which could be useful for performance. Libido quietly coming back. I feel awake most of the day (fatigue is a BIG issue for me - makes living life very difficult and I dont think people understand tiredness, they just think 'have a nap' or something. Fatigue is WAY beyond that. It's like permanent jet-lag). Fatigue reduced currently.
I am still a scattered, forgetful and grossly untidy mess and I am now thinking no medication is going to get rid of that side of my adhd so I'll have to work with that. I am interested to give Wellbutrin a try for some reason.
I do love it that my stress reactions aren't so big and so sudden. I don't sweat instantly if someone pulls out on me while I'm driving.
I don't get woken up from stage 1 sleep to full wakefulness by a random thought - being woken by that 'squirrelly' thought so massively quickly, it actually gave me stars in my peripheral vision!! Now I just have a transient thought, wake slightly, and drift back to sleep LIKE A NORMAL PERSON.
I wouldn't like to be on Concerta full time. When I took it, I felt uncomfortable most of the time. It was good for work, though, but not for my days off where I wanted to chill.
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Post by foggyboy on Oct 9, 2014 22:34:11 GMT
I'm still titrating. I went up from 40mg to 60mg about a week ago. Had a very slight psychosis for a couple of days but thats gone now. Getting some mild sexual side effects, some good, some not so good, but I'll spare the details! I also had a dip in libido but it's now much higher than pre-meds.
I didn't think the increase in dose would do much but I feel markedly calmer with no anxiety whatsoever, the brain fog has gone almost completely. I'm much less scatter brained than I was and my memory, focus, and concentration have definitely improved. I'm still having attention problems in more demanding situations—I'm on a training course this week, and I'm still noticing I'm having attention difficulties in the afternoon but the results on 60mg are very encouraging so far.
As I'm experiencing only minor side effects so far I'm going to push to continue titrating up. If I experience the same improvement from 60mg up to 80mg I'll be very happy. I've read so many negative posts about Strattera, I thought I should post my positive experience!
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Post by probioticgirl on Oct 13, 2014 18:41:45 GMT
Well congrats! Glad you've got more focus etc. I think I can sit still a little easier and I think I can listen better in team meetings. My forgetfulness, untidiness, disorganisation and task-planning all remain unchanged (I make dinner for three and when serving up, I go to the knife and fork drawer and get one knife and fork...then one knife and fork....then one knife and fork. Never one trip, three knives and forks. Makes me MAD!). My car still looks like a filled skip and my clothes still get lost. Maybe that part of me can't be changed. That's a shame.
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Post by foggyboy on Oct 13, 2014 19:36:29 GMT
I can definitely relate to your knife and fork story, it's fairly typical of the kind of scatter brained things I do although I think Strattera has definitely improved matters.
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Post by probioticgirl on Dec 11, 2014 9:51:40 GMT
Saw my doctor recently, and he decided to increase my dose to 100mg for one month, then to 120mg (max. dose) and see what happens.
3 days into 100mg - can defo feel the increase. Feels swimmy and vaguely pleasant if I have not much to do, but would be slightly uncomfortable if I had to get busy. Getting those crazy goosebumps again, dry mouth and drowsiness. It feel a little like coming up on MDMA (I was a teenager in the 80s! ;-)) but the sensation peters out in about an hour (it continues growing with MDMA).
Too soon to notice any positive effect on my inattention or disorganisation.
My sleep remains poor. I still get woken up by the slightest sound (I remain distractable even when I'm asleep - another reason why i feel tired a lot).
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Post by foggyboy on Jan 15, 2015 23:54:38 GMT
How are you getting on with Strattera? I've been switched to Concerta XL, Strattera just wasn't providing enough benefit
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