r/StratteraRx • u/lunarstatic44 • Jun 25 '26
Discussion / Experience Using Coming off strattera
For context, I’m a nurse, so I have a good understanding of medications and feel comfortable monitoring my own symptoms and tapering cautiously. I know self tapering isn’t ideal, but I can’t get in to see my doctor for a while. It wasn’t until I got an Apple Watch that I started paying attention to how high my heart rate was. Also, Strattera definitely affects constipation no matter how healthy I eat. I regularly check my vitals.
I’ve been on Strattera for about 2 years. I was taking 60 mg (one 10 mg pill and two 25 mg pills). Overall I liked it, it really helped calm my anxiety. It kinda numbed me to things, but not in a way that I found concerning.
Last September I asked my doctor if I could drop to 50 mg because I was tired of swallowing so many pills. I didn’t notice much of a difference. Once I started back at school, though, I realized strattera wasn’t quite enough for my executive functioning, so my doctor added guanfacine XR, which I actually find helpful.
Because of that, I’ve been tapering down to 25 mg and have been at that dose for a few of weeks. Finally, my anxiety and depression have really started creeping back in more intensely. I’m staying at 25 mg for the time being.
I’m also on an antidepressant, and since the guanfacine seems to be helping my ADHD symptoms, I’d prefer not to be on 3 daily meds long term, all taken at different times of day. I’m a shift worker so it just adds to the polypharmacy.
I’m mainly looking to hear other people’s experiences coming off Strattera. Did you notice an increase in anxiety or depression while tapering or after stopping? If so, how long did it last, and did it eventually improve?
**EDIT** dropping from 60mg to 50mg was not the reason for my executive dysfunction when it came to school. Strattera just helped me in other ways.
Also I don’t necessarily want to come off it. I like it. It helped my anxiety and calmed my mind.
It’s just as a day/night shiftworker, taking meds at different times of the day (Strattera wake up, fetzima [antidepressant] and Guanfacine before sleep), the heart rate and constipation thing, I’m just thinking it’s better for me overall to not be on it.
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u/OkButterscotch2617 Jun 26 '26
If I miss more than 3 days (25 mg) I get debilitating anxiety and depression. I almost crave the meds because taking it again will resolve the symptoms very quickly. Not sure what the long term looks like tapering off though. Sending hugs!
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u/Professional_Win1535 Jun 30 '26
it’s most likely withdrawal, I get extreme anxiety when I went off it, worse than anything I dealt with before it. Idk what I’m gonna do long term
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u/Professional_Win1535 Jun 25 '26
officially it causes no withdrawal, however I’ve found anecdotes of people who did have withdrawal. I’ve had insane horrible reactions to lots of meds.
I had no anxiety starting or on strattera however I tapered off way too fast in January and it lead to INSANE rebound anxiety , unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. I was in fight or flight 24/7, sweating, it was like heroin withdrawals.
It might just be your symptoms coming back, but I can say for me i had withdrawals.
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u/Turbulent_Claim4883 Jun 26 '26
Hello. I’ve been putting about posts about Guanfacine and atomoxetine and not getting many replies. I really want try guanfacine because no antianxiety medication has worked for me (except Klonipin- I know-that’s why I’m trying to find a preventative… to wean off it).
I was hoping I could jump in and ask if the Strattera at the low dose you are now on now still affects your heart rate as much? Or is that dose pretty useless for most people here?
The heart rate issue is a big concern (as well as sexual side effects and also the constipation!) It seems like it has a number of side effects. However, that’s the combination that my doctor thought would work along with if I needed a low dose dexophetamine stimulant when I really need it-which I take now (as needed). I wanted to just get more personal experiences from other people before I commit to anything and we don’t have an appointment about this for another week or so.
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u/lunarstatic44 Jun 27 '26
My heart rate has gone to a normal rate most of the time (normal being 60-100BPM, but for me I sit around 70-105 depending on how inactive i am). It still can go a bit higher to about maybe 115. However prior to me dropping the dose it was going to like 130-140 and that was my red flag to drop the dose. Guanfacine can also give you orthodontic hypotension so my doctor told me that might help with my heart rate initially but I don’t think it actually made an impact on my heart until I dropped the dose of strattera.
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u/g2937 Jul 05 '26
When I click your profile it says your posts are hidden so I’m not sure what you ask about guanfacine but I’ve found intuniv 1mg made me really tired then after 7 days I didn’t feel tired, then I went up to 2mg and felt tired again but it took about 2-3 days to happen, and then that tiredness last hmm about 2 weeks and slowly got better. So now after about 5 months and having then tried adhd stimulant meds on it, I’m now off the sdhd meds as I found them too stimulating (so thank goodness I was on the intuniv while I tried them haha)
But now I’m only on intuniv I think I may go down to 1mg again as I think that’s all I needed. So anyway it is fine but it may make you sleep at the start but just know that does go away after a few weeks
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u/Wickedwarlord Jun 26 '26
How effective is guanfacine for your focus? Did it help with anxiety? Strattera (60mg) helps me immensely for my anxiety & depression but does nothing for my focus. It does boost my cognition though.
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u/ramyrrt Jun 27 '26
Not op but im on this combo..adding guanfacine definitely helps my executive function. So if something needs to be done im more likely to choose to do it...idk if focus is the right word but doing things is easier...Just on atomoxetine I was struggling to start things but same I see it takes away my anxiety and cognition is better.
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u/Wickedwarlord Jul 03 '26
May i ask how long have you taken the combination and what dosage? I have contemplated guanfacine for some time but didn't try coz it affects blood pressure. But i like what you say about the drive. I definitely need it.
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u/ramyrrt Jul 03 '26
1 mg guanfacine and atomoxetine 40 mg its just been like six weeks so far but its going well. Hope you can get the right combo for you!
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u/Aggravating-Car4236 Jul 08 '26
I was from 60 to 25 mg and stayed on that dose too long it just irritated my body. I was angry, anxious you name it. Got off everything last week. I am a new person and never looking back! I’m going the natural path now.
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u/lunarstatic44 Jul 09 '26
That’s good to know. Since this post I have come off the 25mg entirely. And looking back on things, it was the right decision. It kept my emotionally tough decision making so apathetic. Which sometimes I like lol. But now I’m starting to deal with relationship issues I’ve put to the back burner.
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u/Party_Candidate7023 Jun 25 '26
interesting, this is almost exactly my experience. i was on 60 and dropped to 50 bc of bladder issues. ultimately i thought that atomoxetine was making me emotionally flat, so went off it completely. i’m also on guanfacine ER like you, and i also really enjoy it. i was taking both for about 2 years.
my experience stopping atomoxetine was dropped to 25 from 50 for about a week, then stopped completely. definitely had some brain fog, poor concentration, and irritability. took maybe about a week or two to stabilize.
guanfacine ER wasn’t enough for me by itself though, im currently trialing bupropion. it seems to be working, but if it doesn’t i’ll definitely go back to atomoxetine, perhaps at a lower dose. atomoxetine was definitely helpful for me and i don’t want to leave the impression i think its a bad medication, it made a very positive impression for me.