ADHD Medications - Part III - Atomoxetine (Strattera)

[@sayrewilkin-dalby619]

I would recommend anyone with ADHD (sp. inattentive-type) and a family history of Alzheimers Dementia look into this. I was prescribed Atomoxetine for my ADHD and eventually noticed a marked improvement in my cognitive functioning which had been declining at an unsettling rate for my age, particularly given a strong family history of AZD. I started being able to follow conversations again, hold information in my working memory, and retain and retrieve information with an ease that felt "normal". It was subtle and took time to build up, but it was noticeable to myself and others. Something in my gut told me this could help against dementia and I found out it was already being tested for that with positive indicators (though not reversal).

[@amiraheikal193]

Good news, how long did it take to see a difference?

[@sayrewilkin-dalby619]

@amiraheikal193 It took about 4 months total. 3 months to get to my effective dose (60mg, max for my size), and about one month on that to notice a marked difference. I tapered up very slowly because I was experiencing nausea (taking it with protein/food helps). Good luck!!

[@andie3131]

I was just prescribed this today. I need to do a two week low dose to see if my body will tolerate it then she’ll raise it to a therapeutic dose 🤞🤞🤞. My 13 yo’s doc prescribed her methylphenidate and it seems to be slowly helping her. So we’ll see…

[@gordocarbo]

Same here. afraid Im getting early Alheimers at 55. Started this med 1 mo ago while it does help I still forget a lot way more than I should but better than it was for sure . At least some things are getting done, before it was a big fat zero

[@sayrewilkin-dalby619]

@@gordocarbo stick with it! It takes about 4 weeks to really feel the full benefit after reaching the maximum effective dose, which may vary from 60-100 depending on your size. It may still be subtle, but to your point, some functional benefit is better than none.

[@BanksHoliday]

I've just been told I'll be starting titration this month after a long 3 year journey of diagnosis and awaiting treatment (diagnosed at 34). I believe my prescriber has placed me on Atomoxetine due to addiction issues in the past. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. But just so happy to be proceeding with treatment!!! 🎉

[@imthinkingthoughts]

Would love to hear how you are going a couple weeks in. I started a few days ago!

[@elijahaluyes9304]

how has the medication been working for you?

[@RambleStorm]

What helped me with the slight numbness/ sedation like effect, is taking a cdp choline supplement it also seems to improve it's effect a tiny bit(male , age 37 ; 76ish-kgs ; 80mg dose)

[@thisisnottaco]

I’ve been taking atomoxetine, and I’ve noticed my mood has improved dramatically. Even my co workers and family noticed it. Some days but rarely I take two capsules. But it’s rare

[@snperchannel3242]

Could you telle me what dose did you start with ? And stayed on it for how long?

[@thisisnottaco]

@@snperchannel3242 I’ve been on it for about 4 months now. 40mg daily, I do take it with nuvigil since I have narcolepsy as well. Hope that helps. Definitely talk to your doctor and see what works best for you.

[@Daddy-cb3qh]

With peracitam, atomoxetine will be more effective.

[@thisisnottaco]

@@snperchannel3242 40mg daily

[@thisisnottaco]

@@Daddy-cb3qh oh nice, I haven’t looked into it.

[@jcash49]

No medication works for everyone but after being diagnosed with ASD and ADHD it's been a total game changer for me.

[@smoke12785]

I've already been diagnosed with ADHD but I suspect that I have a high functioning form of ASD on top of that because of my sensitivity to loud noises and weird voice pitch and repetitive movements. Can you describe how your ASD manifests in combination with your ADHD and how atomoxetine helps with that? I would appreciate it a lot.

[@BhargavAchary]

Dr. Barkley, I truly admire your work and appreciate experts like you who educate the world about ADHD. I was on Methyphenidate 10mg, but the wear off and short effectiveness led me to request atomoxetine as an alternative. Despite your praise for Methylphenidate, my doctor has concerns about potential abuse.

[@BhargavAchary]

An update, my bladder control is heavily affected by atomoxetine, as I increase the dosage. The pain and control loss is so severe that I must pause it and reduce the dosage to 18mg daily.

[@wowwee0]

​@@BhargavAcharyHow are you doing now?

[@BhargavAchary]

Thanks for checking, I am still facing the same challenges. Sticking to doctor's recommended dose, and skipping if side effects (urine retention and pain) are on the higher side.

[@fernandofran2360]

​@@BhargavAcharyhola apesar de ese efecto secundario, cómo han sido los efectos sobre tus emociones y la concentración y memoria ?

[@BhargavAchary]

@@fernandofran2360 It is close to 3 months now with atomoxetine. I had a urine bladder infection because of high urine retention. Now, I am kind of stable at 18mg dose. I have been diagnosed with Asperger's as well with a significantly high score. The co-occurrence of ADHD and Asperger's answers more of my questions as to why my life has been a struggle all along. The overall moods are better, and relationships are better with people. We have a 2+ year-old baby, and my patience in handling her tantrums has increased. I still need some time to comment on the productivity increase, as I still don't have any significant changes noticeable. On the memory front, I feel more confident because of reduced anxiety, but there is not much change in the low working memory challenges.

[@LocalCryptidGhostdoll]

Really useful, as an ASD/ADHD combo

[@thermalrain_yt9725]

Just started today. First hour was rough for my stomach. After that passed i felt amazing for about 3 hours and then after lunch i could barely stay awake for about 4 hours. Very rough. Im about out of my daze and about to go home from work. It feels like its completely worn off now. 40 mgs. Plus i took my regular caffeine and the 2 together worked great for just the first day. I heard it takes up to 8 weeks to fully get going. If i could feel like i did around 3 hours after i took it and be that way all day itll be a life changer. This all may be placebo im not sure but i could definitely feel the effects. I wanted to go up and talk to my coworkers which i never do. Ever. Also i found myself making eye contact with people which i dont do unless we are talking for an extended period of time. Im 38 and just found out what adhd was. Few years ago i saw stuff about autism and im about 90% sure im on the spectrum too.

[@jt.633]

I just started today, on day after you. I took my first dose less than an hr ago feeling pretty normal still. Good luck to both of us! 👊

[@thermalrain_yt9725]

@@jt.633 my 2nd day was much much better. I just felt stimulated all day. Almost to the point where it was 7pm and I was like I really hope I start to get tired soon. Then I started getting tired. I woke up every 20 minutes though fully awake. Finally around 2 I slept for 3 hours and now I'm up. There were very few times where it felt like my symptoms were almost gone like I could think clearly and speak without fumbling over my words. I took a lot of caffeine too though. Overall my 2nd day was better but definitely not where I'd like it to be. 8 weeks is how long it could take to see full effects so it's a long road but I'm hopeful. Good luck to you and anyone else who is in the same position

[@jehhuty]

Placebo, no doubt.

[@thermalrain_yt9725]

@jehhuty no. I spent years doing all sorts of drugs. A long time ago now Especially the last few years I've tried different diets to see what effect they have on my body and energy levels. I'm very in tune to how my body feels. I wear a whoop as well and it tracks heart rate and you can go back to that date and tell something happened. My rest heart rate went from 42 to 44 now its at 52. As I sit here I can tell my body is doing something and I can bet just about anything it's been about 12 to 14 hours since I last ate. My chest feels very warm and there's a bit of euphoria like I just feel great. I went to bed early about 8:00. I ate around an hour before that and it's 9 now. BTW if you haven't tried fasting you should give it a shot. Also i figured out if I overeat while on this i get extremely exhausted. Like falling asleep standing up kind of tired. I think it need to up my dose though. I'm still on 40 in the mornings. A couple of times I've taken another after lunch and I get the same exact feeling in my chest that I did the first day. The effects were a lot better in the first 2 weeks or so. More intense id say. Now I barely notice any difference when I take it. I'm sure I'd notice if I didn't take it though. I have my next appointment in 2 days. I might try and switch it up or up my dose I'm not sure I'm gonna see what my dr thinks. I'm sure he will say up the dose but at the same time this doesn't take away most of my adhd symptoms. It almost makes it worse in a way because it has more of an anti depression effect on me. I had no idea I was evern depressed but I don't want to just go home and play video games all day and night. I actually want to get up and go do things with my family so idk what to do exactly.

[@davidgarciacooke337]

Dr., in your opinion, would Atomoxetine be a better drug than to take than stimulants in case of comorbid anxiety and depression for adults?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

I cannot give personal advice. But some studies show that atomextine helps with anxiety more than stimulants. Talk to your prescribing doctor about your concerns.

[@guerovillalbaso2523]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023hi there and doctor has my Gp or psychiatrist?

[@SkodaUFOInternational]

Breath of fresh air.

[@transfettisolat8953]

How long does this increase in improvemnt of the symptomes happen? Also for years? And can you maybe do a more deep dive into Atomoxetine and the latest research on it in future? Thanks for the information!

[@PepeVallsCliment]

In the instructions for the atomoxetine medication, it says that effects begin to appear between 6 and 8 weeks, other sites say that after 2 or 3 weeks, what is your opinion about it? Another question, the effects are gradual as what are the weeks going by? I would appreciate your answer, thank you very much

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Initial results are often evident in 2-3 weeks but max benefits may take longer to be apparent.

[@DrippyWaffler]

Damn I kinda wish I'd started on this instead. My girlfriend says that my emotions are less bubbly when I'm on methylphenidate.

[@canidcourier]

I strongly suspect I have the CYP2D6 poor metaboliser, I find I experience medication side effects and therapeutic effects really strongly at lower doses than average. When I first tried atomoxetine I was titrated up to 60mg and the doctor I was seeing at the time refused to lower me to 40mg when I said it helped a lot without nearly as many side effects as 60mg. They said it 'wasn't possible' to be helped on 40mg and I either had to stay at 60mg or come off it entirely. Thankfully when I moved cities I found a new doc who was happy to trial 40mg and I've been on it for 4 years! Stimulants gave me too many side effects and exacerbated my anxiety, whereas atomoxetine really helps my anxiety.

[@beesmongeese2978]

Most doctors are a joke it seems

[@greatestofthegreat7]

If someone is interested in talking to someone who takes it and it helps them - you can ask in the comments, i can tell you about my very positive experience on it

[@calamitysane4119]

Hi if like to know more about your experience if you have the time please ?

[@martinrainfire]

Is mixing atomoxetine and amphetamines helpful ? Currently taking sertraline…

[@MissInformer]

Same here, and I'm interested to know the potential route for treatment with minimal medication interactions. I was put on sertraline prior to ADHD diagnosis due to prevalent anxiety/depression, and we were discussing stimulant treatment as opposed to non-stimulant for adult ADHD. I was told that atomoxetine has a lower percent chance of working over a stimulant, but the risks of starting on it and later having to stop taking it are minimal, so moving to a stimulant would be easier than doing the reverse (moving from the stimulant to a non-stimulant). But would there be a situation where taking atomoxetine and a stimulant type medication would be effective at managing symptoms? Or would one always be favored over the other depending on circumstance and never be taken in tandem? How does atomoxetine compare to stimulants in regards to drug interactions?

[@alyssarussell9682]

Yes I take all 3 you listed

[@cgp212]

I take all 3 as well

[@apfelfreund6859]

No

[@gordocarbo]

Dont mix meds let your Dr handle it .Take sertraline and Strattera pretty good combo Afraid of the hard px stimulants, dont want anything addictive destructive or spiking blood pressure

[@stace1967]

Strattera is working very well for me!

[@joelwilliams3115]

What do you think of combination treatment with atomoxetine? I have read good things and my psychiatrist is allowing me to try it by adding 40mg atomoxetine to my 25mg of dexamphetamine per day

[@transfettisolat8953]

Is it useful to combine Atomoxetine with a alpha 2 drug for not increasing bloodpressure and heartrate? (Longterm use, cant take stimmulants due to strong sideeffects)

[@lindyellinger920]

Adderall worked great for me but my doctor took me off it and wanted me to take Strattera but the thing with Strattera is you can't cold turkey it without getting physical withdrawals whereas with Adderall I can cold turkey it with no physical withdrawals I'm just tired for a couple days, I'm not willing to do those kinds of meds anymore been through withdrawals more than once because a doctor decides to take it away or want to change the med to something else or I lost my insurance and couldn't afford the medicine and now they are having a medication shortage so what happens when a person can't get their medicine??? There is going to be ALOT of people going through withdrawals and they can be brutal, I'm not going through that NO MORE!!!!!!!!

[@SlicedSlappy]

Not true.

[@themysticalwanderer36]

I hope it's not like Zoloft. I was taking it for a while, until it started zapping my creativity and gave me severe brain fog, along with other weird symptoms.

[@heythisisgordon]

I was diagnosed with ADHD-PI as an adult, but my symptoms match more closely with Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. Strattera is substantially more effective for me than amphetamines. I was on Strattera for a year or two but ultimately couldn't deal with the side effects. Is there research on the effectiveness of non-stimulants vs. stimulants in treating SCT?

[@fernandofran2360]

Que efectos secundarios tuviste ?

[@nicolasdeleon2819]

Would you mind listing the side effects you experienced?

[@tjjones-xj7kq]

Yes please list your side effects it would be very helpful for people like me who just started taking it.

[@myth-termoth1621]

Yes same here.

[@PepeVallsCliment]

If you have a bowel movement after taking Atomoxetine, does it lose its effect or nothing happens?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

No effect on the medication absorption to my knowledge.

[@WarriorOfTruth]

Does atomexitine worsen or cause panic attacks?

[@vir_rm]

Thank you.

[@1Gigawatt]

Would there ever be a case for a formulation that combines Adderall XR and strattera?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

While they can be used together to lower the dose of each and provide a wider range of results, they will not be combined into a single for,ulation as they are made by different companies.

[@gc1gk-ramoflip35]

Hello, so I’ve tried Atomoxetin at 85mg-100mg but for me it did the opposite of what I’m trying to achieve which is to help with my inattentiveness. I would get too drowsy to even think and focus with my daily activities and I end up just taking a nap through it. So what would be an ideal dose for an adult to not get the drowsy side effect and actually work for me as intended? The reason why I’m asking it’s because I want to give it another go but this time at a different dosage maybe much lower

[@jaydeluka]

Interesting 🧐

[@SkittleBombs]

He’s says 40 at start, 80 is for adults over 70kg and 100 is the max

[@demongurrl13]

I've been on bupropion for over 2 months now. Taking 300mg of the extended release and 75mg in the evening. It's definitely helped with my depression and energy levels but i still have issues with focus, mainly with controlling it to be exact. I find I can have moments of focus / clarity but usually not when I need it most ie when I'm working or needing to do important tasks. My psychiatrist has mentioned atomoxetine and I'm just wondering if it can be taken with bupripion and how well that would help with being to control my adhd symptoms.

[@berryreadable]

I take 300mg bupropion and it does not help my ADHD at all. I just take it for depression. I take adderall for adhd

[@dice6541]

im having the same issues! taking 300mg bupropion and my psychiatrist just started me on atomoxetine yesterday. did you go this route? how has it been if you have?

[@coldmattyice]

I stopped Bupropion this year after a few years of no affect on focus. After officially receiving ADHD diagnosis I'm starting Atomoxetine today. Focus isn't the only issue, really hope this helps!

[@ame367]

@@coldmattyice Hello! It's been 4 months, any updates on how Atomoxetine has affected your day-to-day?

[@abdulraheem20102]

Prof. Barkley, is taking Strattera as PRN helpful ? For example in exams only. Thanks Prof.

[@therabbithat]

Probably not, unlike stimulants, it needs to build up over time.

[@JohnFallot]

I have a question about atomoxetine: is it likely to interact negatively with other SNRIs, specifically venlafaxine? For my part, I had glossed over some of the literature on the topic, and it seems (and I’m probably incorrect) that venlafaxine increases norepinephrine in the brain stem & hippocampus, whereas atomoxetine increases it in the PFC, &c. Is there a danger in increasing norepinephrine across multiple brain regions in that way? Or are any such drawbacks from using both medications unlikely?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

I have not seen research specifically on that problem but in talking to my psychopharmacology colleagues, it would make perfect sense that you should not take both as their mechanism of action is very similar as are the regions of the brain they impact. Taking both essentially is like taking a larger dose of either one and thus increasing the risk for side effects.

[@myth-termoth1621]

Been on both for years. I have seen no problems with the combination.

[@JohnFallot]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 An update: I started atomoxetine 25mg about 2-3 weeks ago, and - for helping with household chores specifically - it has already been fantastic. Interestingly though, it seems to have produced a kind of writer’s block for my creative writing. That could be entirely unrelated/coincidental, however. It might even be that, now that my working memory is, well, working, it’s telling the other parts of my brain “alright time to put the toys away: we have to take care of X, Y, Z!”

[@mario164]

i love you

[@Tenmo8life]

All doctors prescribing this drug should test it on themselves first.

[@therabbithat]

That wouldn't really help, what if they are like me and get zero side effects? Should they assume none of their patients will get them? Better to listen to patients (as well as reading the literature, which often mislead , e.g. saying antidepressants have no withdrawal symptoms)

[@Tenmo8life]

@@therabbithat you missunderstand, if these soo called doctors are gonna prescribed poison to their patients, who usually are CHILDREN, then the least they can do is poison themselves aswell. Just because you didnt get any side effects, doesnt take away the fact that this "medicine" is neurotoxic and there are papers on it, but big pharma ignored those scientific studies, because, MONEY

[@nema151]

I knew a guy who tested on himself and he told me it was an overwhelming success!!! 10giga joules of more brain power I'm not sure but it sounds like a lot! He was going door to door, trying to find people to invest in his company! He's so excited he tried to sell me a ton of copper scrap that he found leftover from his experiments.

[@Tenmo8life]

@@nema151 cap

[@iliyanovslounge]

Um, no. Experts are in agreement that the medications for ADHD are very safe and effective and untreated ADHD has many negative consequences. See the International Consensus Statement on ADHD for references.

[@robbistrikes7405]

Dr Lawrence Dunn delays prescriptionw for Straterra fbi alert

[@Yahman1969]

Bupropion?