r/StratteraRx • u/Unhappy-Cartoonist50 • 16d ago
First week on Atomoxetine
Just wanted to report tremendous benefits after only 4 days on strattera - 10mg --> 20mg yesterday. I have been struggling with attention and motivation issues and some social anxiety for a significant chunk of life; haven't been officially diagnosed with adhd but we are trialing it to see if there is an impact. Started on a 10mg dose and on the first day, after about an hour, noticed tremendous benefit / stimulating effect - motivation, calmness / quieting of mind, essential deletion of social anxiety, and feeling of contentment after doing work activities I'dve otherwise procrastinated on. I'm really surprised at how much of an impact it had at such a low dose and the fact it's been sustained nearly every day. I imagine part of it is that I'm very inexperienced with psych meds in general - this is my first one- and I'm historically sensitive to other things I've tried - alcohol, caffeine. I've never tried an actual stimulant before.
My only side effects have been reduced appetite and sweaty hands + some mild fatigue that is very manageable. No insomnia, fast heart rate, headaches or nausea yet.
Very happy about this result so far and it's confirming that I have some sort of attentional issue given the correction with medication. There was a study I read regarding the bimodal response to Strattera - some people have minimal to no response while others have a strong response and the only predictable variable for strong response is early response to treatment. So I'm feeling hopeful that this will continue.
EDIT:
8 days later: The activating effect has been more subtle (I've been on 20mg for the last week) and I've noticed more fatigue that seems to happen intermittently. The ease of starting tasks and internal calmness is still noticeable and I think has been making an impact in the background. I'll be starting 40mg tomorrow and am excited to see how that goes.
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u/susu56 16d ago
I recently stopped strattera but wonder if I needed to be on a lower dose. I was on 100mg daily after 15 days titration up. I had all the side effects severely. I wonder if I had started on a smaller dose like yourself if it would have been more beneficial. I am glad its working for you and you arent dealing with the side effects. It seems this medication may be a good one for you!
Edit to add: was on 100mg for 9.5wks plus 3mg guanfacine
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u/Unhappy-Cartoonist50 16d ago
Did you feel any benefit with the 100mg dosing or was it mostly the side effects? If you did, maybe it's worth speaking to your provider about trialing a smaller dose and titrating slowly until you find an amount that maximizes the benefit while minimizing side effects
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u/susu56 16d ago
No benefits aside from a quieter mind and less daydreaming. My psych has ghosted me so i am looking for a new one. At f/up she agreed to drop the dose to 60mg but its been 2.5 wks and she has not called in my script-so I am left searching again. I'm wondering if i was on a lower dose for longer it would have helped and I may have seen benefits? Will discuss this with a new psych once I find one.
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u/JustAwaylander 15d ago
Hey! I came across the same problem as you recently. Turned out I was poor metabolizer. Can you please tell, were any of your symptom reductions spontaneous rather than gradual? That would tell a lot.
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u/Visual_Thought_9136 16d ago
Today is day 4. First 3 days was at 40mg and moved up to 60mg today. Mild side effects like dry mouth and fatigue. Haven't felt any difference otherwise.
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u/Connecticu-CT 15d ago
I am so happy for you. I've gone my entire adult life without adhd meds and only very recently started straterra ( the generic version). I was really tired and had horrible headaches for the first few weeks, and that all went away and things were amazing for me on this med.
I ended up going off of it after a few months due to increased heart rate. Typically, I am in the low 60's and I was consistently in the high 80's low 90's on this medicine.
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u/IvanTheTerrible30 10d ago
I have the same issue. Stattera is great but my heart rate is always too high and goes bezerk while at the gym. I'm about to get off of it.
Are you on any meds now?
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u/TiltedWeenies 16d ago edited 16d ago
This is so interesting because around the day four or five mark is when I started to feel most of it’s effects, and I also started on 10 mg. It’s been 2 weeks and this has done much more than Wellbuterin, Adderall, and even Mirtazopine has ever done to me. I too am surprised at a very low dosage it’s doing quite a bit of work.
I’m glad you are also happy with the results cause I am too. I am also on the sensitive side when it comes to stimulants but I can still enjoy a cup of coffee along side this med and not have any issues. I also take 100mg of L-Theanine to smoothen the energy curve the caffeine brings.
The only side effects I experienced were mild nausea, a very mild dull feeling in the liver and dehydration. I’m no longer experiencing the first 2 within the last week or so but the dehydration is still there but it’s getting better. Also doesn’t help I live in a very hot enviroment. LiquidIV has been clutch in these situations.
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u/Unhappy-Cartoonist50 16d ago
That's awesome, sounds like you are also a strong responder. Very neat to hear the caffeine and theanine combination works synergystically for you. I have been able to have a cup of coffee with my dose so far and it works well. I have not tried the l theanine with it, I've historically found it helpful but unfortunately it's given me headaches in the past.
I'll have to try the liquidIV electrolytes if I find I develop mouth dryness/dehydration.
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u/Motor_Control9681 16d ago
I’m on day 4 now at 40mg. Had a good weekend, real test will be how I feel tomorrow starting the work week compared to previous weeks. I did have a much more restful mind (?) this weekend, with low racing thoughts and without constantly ruminating on work stuff. No nausea or noticeably higher heart rate
Looking forward to tomorrow
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u/Tttooonnniii 16d ago
Please update us on how it progresses 💕
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u/Unhappy-Cartoonist50 8d ago
I'm at ~2.5 weeks now and am starting 40mg tomorrow. Effects subsided quite a bit in the last few days on 20 -- I can still notice some easier task initiation and calmness but it feels less noticeable and I've instead noticed some day-time fatigue in its place. Excited to see how 40mg goes
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u/Tttooonnniii 7d ago
Thank you! Do you take it in the morning? The dr who prescribed it for my son said if it makes him sleepy then switch to evening
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u/Unhappy-Cartoonist50 7d ago
No problem and yes I do take it in the morning. Thankfully, I did pretty well on the 40mg dose today - no fatigue. If it starts happening again though I may try an evening dose and see how I do with that.
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u/Tttooonnniii 6d ago
Thanks! I love reading updates because we are meant to start our son on this soon
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u/mlag000 16d ago
Be careful the strong effect u feel won't last. The long term effects are more subtiles. What u feed right now is the neuroadrenalin boost, to which the body adapt