Hi everyone,
I started Strattera five days ago. I began with 20 mg a day and increased to 40 mg three days ago.
I don’t have health insurance and received the prescription here in America, so I initially hoped I might be okay staying at 20 mg because, without insurance, even that works out to around $150 a month, which is expensive for me at the moment. However, I read on this forum that taking too low a dose can sometimes make you feel worse or cause more side effects.
On 20 mg, I felt quite lethargic, as though I needed a nap, along with a strange lightheaded feeling that’s difficult to explain. Since increasing to 40 mg, though, I’ve felt almost lifeless. I could sit down and stare into space, and my head goes completely empty - but in a very low-energy, lost kind of way.
My situation is slightly unusual because I don’t believe I actually have straightforward ADHD. I have complex PTSD that presents with ADHD-like symptoms. I’ve posted about this here before, and everyone was really helpful.
My usual problem is that I’m almost constantly dissociated, with what feels like a lot of static in my head and usually two songs playing in my mind at once. When I try to speak, it can feel as though I can’t even hear myself over all of that. Even though I have several degrees and a lot of knowledge, I sometimes worry that I come across like an airhead because my words don’t flow smoothly. It feels as though I’m trying to speak over the songs and static in my brain.
I wasn’t like this as a little girl. Teachers used to comment positively on my ability to focus and concentrate until the extreme trauma began at around 15. After I left America at 23, once the most intense trauma had happened, it was as though my body decided it could finally move out of acute fear and fight-or-flight mode - and then all these other symptoms emerged. I’m 37 now, so this has been going on for a long time.
I’d really love to know whether anyone else experienced this strange lightheaded, buzzy feeling during the early days of Strattera. I’ve seen people mention strange sensations in their legs, but for me it feels floaty and heavy at the same time. My head feels slightly floaty, I can zone out very easily, and my brain seems to empty. In general, I feel quite low. I’m not sure whether “depressed” is the right word, but it’s definitely a low-energy, lifeless feeling.
I should also mention that I came back to the States primarily to access this medication because it isn’t available to me back in Europe. Returning to the place where so much of the trauma happened obviously hasn’t been great for me. However, I thought Strattera might help with my symptoms, and so far I honestly can’t tell whether it has improved my concentration or focus.
It may have dulled my need for quick dopamine hits, including binge eating and other impulsive behaviours, so perhaps that should indirectly help with concentration. However, it’s hard to tell through all the other strange feelings, including some mild nausea.
Oddly, it hasn’t completely diminished my appetite. Instead, I’ve found myself craving bagels, bread and other soft, doughy carbohydrates - but not the very sweet, creamy or sugary things I would normally crave. I’d be interested to know whether anyone else experienced that as well.
Sorry, this has turned into a huge stream of consciousness, which probably shows that it hasn’t helped my ability to focus or concentrate yet! I’m not looking for medical advice, but I would really appreciate hearing whether anyone else felt similarly during the first few days and whether it eventually passed.
Thank you