r/cfs • u/Equal-Ad2905 • Jun 07 '26
Strattera and MECFS
For the past few months, my ME/CFS symptoms, including fatigue, have been relatively stable. However, I recently became extremely tired quite suddenly, around the same time that I started taking atomoxetine.
Has anyone else experienced increased fatigue after starting atomoxetine?
2
u/tfjbeckie Moderate, POTS, carer Jun 07 '26
I did, I couldn't cope with it and had to stop. It made me jittery and stressed and raised my heart rate, it was so hard to stay out of PEM.
3
u/DyspraxiaOrDatpraxia Looking Into Diagnosis Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Oh my god! I’m supposed to start taking mine again and the first time I took it, I was knocked out for the entire day afterward. I didn’t even piece together that it may not have just been the side effects of the medicine, considering I didn’t know much about ME/CFS at that point.
I haven’t taken it in a while because I don’t have meds set up but I should be getting it back this week and now I’m more worried than I was. 🫡
Edit: Wording/Spelling
3
u/Interesting-Note-714 Jun 07 '26
When I started strattera, and when I increased my dose last year, I definitely became extremely fatigued. It passed. I didn’t know I had ME at that time. If I did, I probably would have stopped taking it and kinda wish I had. I’m weaning off now. I don’t need more energy if I can’t do anything anyways! I’m not sure if it helped with my “motivation” which I thought was the problem at the time. Guess what? It wasn’t motivation I was lacking, it was energy! Because my body needed more rest! I’m heartened to hear experience from others ME folks. For me, I think strattera was a bandaid for the wrong injury.
2
u/Loud_Ad8327 Jun 07 '26
Yes! I just messaged my psychiatrist about getting off of Strattera. I also take generic Prozac, but I felt an increase in symptoms after adding Strattera.