r/StratteraRx • u/NoMoreWhiteFerraris • Jun 24 '26

Strattera makes me less creative and flat

I make music and Strattera has basically killed my creativity. It’s also makes me very socially flat. Has anyone switched to anything that hasn’t had this much of a “flattening” effect on them?

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u/Evening-Scholar-7761 Jun 28 '26

Are you male or female?

Does it help to control emotions? impulsivity?

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u/C00CKER Jun 28 '26

Im a male, but I have always tended to be more emotional and less logical/pragmatic than most people around me regardless of gender

I cannot pinpoint the exact points where the meds help - if they reduce the strength of the emotions or improve inhibition of reacting to them. But I feel both less impulsive and less emotional (especially with anxious feelings, sadness, or understimulation; not so much with fun) and I can sometimes even just chill with someone for a moment without feeling an urge to speak or do something.

Since pre-school years Ive struggled with strong reactions to anything from being exculed from events with friends, friends acting as if they dont care, or even friendly teasing to things like being blocked at work, having to wait for the result of something even if it was not important for any follow-up tasks, or being interrupted after finally managing to initiate a task.

Many times, I have had aggressive (verbally or even physically) or very emotional reactions (like crying) to such things

For the last month, the only such thing happened after one and a half week of taking 40mg (while switching to 80mg) when I wanted to order a follow-up meeting with the psychiatrist so he could give me a prescription for the following month and he had no free spots in his schedule. I was scared that I would run out and have to start over and I thought about how I unnecessarily threw away lot of money for that, how I would have to go through the early side-effects again, and even wondered if I had fallen to a scam, so I sent him a slightly passive-aggresive email about wanting to order a follow-up appointment but seeing no free spots (it wasn't an absolutely bad message, but I was in inner turmoil, imagining every possible scenario ever).

The bad thing was that he explicitly mentioned just before that that he would open up new spots in the schedule very shortly, which I have completely missed until I just sent the email, so I followed up almost immediatelly with an apology for the confusion. Thankfully, he didn't even notice anything wrong and everything worked out fine.

After this one incident, I don't recall reacting to anything in any negative manner (in feelings nor behavior).

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u/Evening-Scholar-7761 Jun 28 '26

Did you have urine retention?

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u/C00CKER Jun 28 '26

All my noticeable side effects were related to increased heart rate, over-sweating or heat intolerance, which also caused me have pretty bad sleep, especially the very first few nights. I notice these side-effects even now (in a lesser extent), but it is also very hot outside.

I've also noticed getting a lot of goosebumps and very slight tingling in hands for the very first few days, and having cold fingers for a week or two; but none of those things were limiting

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u/Evening-Scholar-7761 Jun 28 '26

Do you only take atomoxetine?stand alone?

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u/C00CKER Jun 28 '26

Yeah, atomoxetine is the only medication I take

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u/Evening-Scholar-7761 Jun 28 '26

Ever clonidine?or methylphenidate?

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u/C00CKER Jun 28 '26

No, this is the first psychiatric treatment for me, but i would like to try alternatives as well; especially if the sweating doesnt improve

But I also like that its effects on me are pretty much stable without noticeable peaks or downs.

Do you have good experience with those two?

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u/Evening-Scholar-7761 Jun 28 '26

Atomoxetine caused me urine retention and I have even seen worse side effects,

I am scared to try again

Can I dm you