My strattera experiences

Please im warning you, dont take this drug.
i am 16 and have been taking strattera for 3 weeks.
today my dad found out the worst side effect... SUICIDE!

i swear to god that day before he told me this i was feeling pretty helpless and not worthy.

so all im saying is think about it

I took Strattera for a week- started on 40mg 3 days in a row then 80mg after that. I only got to take the first 80mg pill becasue I developed a sore throat and flu-like symptoms you wouldn't believe! Ithought I was dying. So weak and tired. My doc said it might really be the flu. So when I stopped taking the med, the symptoms stopped and He said lets just try 40mg , well the 4th dose I had the same sore throat and flu-like symptoms and I noticed that was a rare side effect that no one was telling me about. It was horribe. Also thru my research I noticed that this drug has law suits against it because it can cause liver failure. I would never take it ever again.

Hi, I have a pretty heavy case of ADD, I am a 23 year old male. Ive had the problem my whole life and struggled through it. In my final year of college, I decided that I cant waste 2 days reading 1 chapter anymore, the workload is just too high.

So, I asked my doctor if there was anything to try. (BTW I took Ritalin as a child). He gave me some samples of Strattera.

All I can say is the difference is night and day. I can actually read a chapter in an hour our two, (btw I am an accounting major, so envision exciting books about tax and audit). I am more productive at work, and I am less of an impatient as****e to people.

Side Effects: A little hesitant when urinating, and a little decreased libido. But so what. My only concern is this liver damage thing, does anyone know how common this is? What to look out for?

Side note, I am only taking 25 mg and the change is amazing.

I am taking Strattera for ADD and absolutely love it. The only real side effect I've seen while taking it regularly is that it can cause stomach discomfort at the time I take it if I take it on an empty stomach. Any other side effects haven't been noticeable enough for me to distinguish them from other possible causes.

What I do notice is if I suddenly stop taking it, I get a lot of side effects (mood swings and increased appetite mostly). That's why this medicine is supposed to be titrated instead of quit cold turkey.

I'm 22 and just recently diagnosed with ADHD. I've been taking Stratterra for four days now with very minimal side effects. I feel a bit drowsy a few hours after taking it, but the feeling is quick to go away. I was prescribed 40mg and will be changing it to 80mg in 16 days (I assume).

When reading up on Stratterra initially, I noticed it had some similar side effects to Zyban which I took to stop smoking. The side effects for Zyban were intense, but went away after 14 days. I was expecting the same thing with Stratterra but so far not nearly as bad. I'm looking forward to see if there are noticeable changes in the next few weeks.

I have struggled with ADHD my whole life and was put on Ritalin at the age of 2. I stopped the Ritalin in high school and had many problems. I started Strattera in college and it really is like night and day. I am on 80 mg once a day, and I notice when I don't take it. THe anxiety and inability to focus are life-altering. With Strattera, I feel like I can live a much more normal life.

Like any other drug, it works for some folks and not for others. Talk with your doctor and decide whether you think it is a smart choice to try it.

hi

Posts like this gives me hope.It is also the anxiety and inability to focus that is becomming to much for me to handle on a day to day basis that made me finally give in to medication at this age..I have worn myself down and am so sick and tired of struggling with every little task at hand and the chaos in me is driving me nuts.

Hopefully this strattera will do the same for me than what it has done for you.

Good luck.

I too have suffered all my life. I am 51, so back in my day, even if my mother had of willing taken me for treatment, it probably wasn't a real choice. I have been treated for depression and anxiety for 10 years, but never felt right. In May, it became unbearable. I was already on Wellbutrin which is what they prescribe a lot now days. I had been taking it almost 10 years, just went in for my renewal, and a week later was back to see my APN. I decided that no matter what, I was going to stand up for myself. I could no longer take the horrible excited feeling inside my head and body, and the thoughts that were so scattered, that I always spoke out of line and looked like a fool. I was out of control and could do nothing about it.

Everyone tells you to take a list to your doctor and talk about what the issues are, but when I do, mine get upset with me. Like they think I am trying to say I am smarter than they are. Only I know how I feel inside, no one else. So, in a wimpy little voice with no courage, I handed her the notes that described how I felt. She got mad, but it got me sent ot a neuropsychologist for testing and now I finally have an official ADHD diagnosis. :D I understand that you are born with this, and don't just 'get ADHD as adult, but getting the right treatment is not easy once you are older. (My son, now 22, also has ADHD and has always been treated for it)

So, she gave me strattera and instantly I was better. Is this really how other people feel? OMG it's amazing! I so happy to be me now. My husband has quit complaining that I talk too much or that I don't put anything away or never finish what I start. I would say that headaches are a side effect for me, but I always have headaches from so much stuff in my head! I have had the appetite loss which is fantastic. I have always been overweight and never able to stick to nay program. Maybe now, I have the focus to be able to do that too.

There are major side effect to any medication that is out there. Some of us can take one pill and others take something else. My son takes Adderall for his and loves it. I don't think I could handle any more anxiety from a stimulant medication. Don't stress over side effect unless they are really bad. Unless, you get feeling suicidal. Then get off of this and on to something else. Otherwise, I am just so happy to finally fit in in the world of public and not be the one always being laughed at for saying the wrong thing and the wrong time!

corgimom:
I am 41 years old and look back and see the ADHD loud and clear. I only wish they knew more about it when I was in school...
I also felt the same way that you did when I started taking Strattera! I was in SHOCK...OMG this is how "normal people" feel?
It was like all of the sudden someone shut off the mombo jombo in my mind! It feels so good! :-D
I could not keep organized my whole like and now I can... Its a HUGE project to organize everything because its been so long...
I can complete a project... I can get up off the couch and be motivated to get something done! YAY!!!
I am thankful that people leave posts on how the meds are working for them...THanks to everyone :-D

Hw did you manage to insert Africa Americans into what LinzBragg wrote?

"Pretty much every drug has suicide as a side effect. You just have to realize when you start having those feelings and tell someone."

I think you should be directing your anger toward the anonymous "guest" who quoted LinzBragg.

My daughter has been taking strattera since she was about six and the only side effect she has had is if she does not eat a little something before she takes her pill she gets a tummy ache other than that it is almost a wonder drug she is herself and not a zombie and it controls her issue she also is a great sultudent and nicer to be around there are some mood changes but she does have a 5 year old brother so you know why the mood changes she just started the 25mg today so we will see and as far as the suicide. Thoughts I will say in my option it is the person and the lifestyle not the drug. Most of the time

You should know that strattera, like most drugs for ADHD can't actually give you suicidal thoughts. It can only amplify what is already there. So if you are struggling with being sleepy, it will make you sleepier. etc. suicide is not a side effect; suicidal thoughts are a possible and rare side effect. Check out the side effects for most "drugs" typically they include something serious or death. Strattera has worked for me in the past and I am using it now and I am quite please with it, Hunger suppression is the most common side effect.

i took this med for 3 + weeks.  I am near 50, just diagnosed with add.  on the med, i had GREAT focus.  slept GREAT. in bed at 9:30pm, up at 5:30.  While on it, tho, i had a "sensation" in my chest but thought it could also be related to stress/anxiety.  after a week, went up to 40 mg.  still had sensation in chest. LOVING the focus.  after 3 weeks at 40 mg, felt lousey @ work.  cold, chills, aches. went home @ lunch and slept (like - as soon as my head hit the pillow) and was out for an hour.  put on a turtlenec, went back to work.  felt fine.  after dinner, aches all over. sweats in middle of night.  could not get enough to drink during night and next day (a saturday).  did not take the pill sat, did not have flu sx.  Sun - took pill.  4 hrs later, unbelievable chill and aches.  six blankets.  took a prescription pain med i was miserable.  went to sleep.  woke up with a rapid pulse - so fast we couldn't count.  by the time i went to the er, my pulse was 140 (normal is 60-100).  so i am off the med.  apparently 2 percent of people taking the med have the arrithmia.  docs have poo-poo'd the flu symptoms being related to the med, but i saw it posted on Strattera website and WebMD.  Free med cost me $600 in hospital bills ...

I am 52 and was recently given this med to try for my symptoms of feeling constantly scattered, unable to concentrate, focus, impulsive, reading a paragraph over and over again,unable to comprehend what I read because so many other thoughts got in my way. I was never able to complete projects, and I seemed to be unorganized in every aspect of my life, no matter how hard I tried. This was a problem I have had all of my life. To sit here and be able to stay focused is just amazing to me. I am going on week two, and have seen great results in staying focused, and I am actually able now to listen to someone without my mind wondering, or forgetting what they had just told me. My doctor started me on a low dose of 20mg that will increase to 40mg if no improvement. As far as side affects, I notice a lack in appetite and do get some nausea if I eat. Yes, I did say if I eat. i can go all day without getting hungry. Another side affect is that I cannot stay asleep. My body feels restless even though I am sleepy.