I started taking Strattera when I was 30. I can't say who it is better for, adults or children, but adults do have less intense side effects.

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Started taking Strattera, 2 weeks 25mg increased to 60 for 4 weeks, it was the worst 4 weeks of my life! I was like the walking dead, I could hardly stay awake, could not listen or even understand some people, it felt like it intensified all of my ADD symptoms, plus hectic headaches.

I am now on Concerta 38mg and loving it, feel as if a whole new world has opened up for me, I actually did my filing yesterday.

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I tried Strattera for about three weeks. I had a severe psychological reaction to it. I became irritable and agressive, much more that usual, and quite noticably. I had to discontinue immediately.

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Started with a low dose intending to build up. Completely in a fog during the day, but unable to sleep for 4 consecutive days. Surprisingly, I didn't have nausea. And the sexual side effect was complete impotence - which was alarming because it was the first time I've EVER had that happen with any med.

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I've been on Strattera for 5 years...it has made my life amazingly better...However, the stomach pains and the hot flush that I got with this drug made me want to stop. After taking my morning meds, I'd have to lie down for 30 minutes while I did a Jeckle and Hyde type thing where I'd be hot and sweaty and then cold and then I'd be buzzed and then calm...really hard on you when you have to head right to work because you are running late for a meeting...I tried taking half in the morning and half in the evening only to have my brain be unable to shut off at night.

I read a study somewhere that said that Strattera had been found to be just as effective in most people at HALF the dose the company that produces it recommends! So I went from 80mg to 40mg and now I don't have the side effects. I also find less stomach complications when I slowly sip on a huge glass of ice water for the first hour after I take the meds. My adult son did the same thing and got the same improvements...most side effects went away.

Yes, they wouldn't tell us or our doctors...because they would lose HALF their revenue stream...

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The biggest problem with Strattera's success is that most people compare its action to that of stimulant medications. My personal experience is that Strattera is much better than Stimulant medications because it lasts 24/7 and if you are a professional with a family like myself, you need something that does not wear off in the evening.

What I have found is that Lilly has marketed Strattera as taking allot less time to reach full efficacy than it really takes. I believe that the reason for this is that because of the prevalence of its comparison to stimulants which take effect immediately. And, people are impatient by nature and because of this, stimulants appeal to allot of people, especially parents that are trying to control their children.

Also, since stimulants wear off every day, one rebounds to their ADHD symptoms every day, so it is quite easy to tell that the medication is working. Strattera really takes months to work and often requires doses much higher than what the FDA has approved. So, most people give up on it. If however you have taken antidepressants, which I have, then you know that it takes a long time for some medications to take full effect.

Since it takes so long to take effect, one often wonders it the medication is working atall. It is something like the frog analogy where, if you throw a frog into boiling water it will jump out immediately, but if you gradually crank up the heat over time the frog will not notice and boil to death. That is to say that it is easy to forget what our baseline ADHD symptoms were like. And, often people think that it is not working when it is. Whereas with stimulants you can actually feel them kick in and wear off.

Personally, it took about 10 months for me to get to my optimal Strattera dose of 160mg/day. It was a frustrating experience but patience paid off. With Strattera I take it every day and it is af I don't have ADHD, the symptoms are gone 24/7. All of the nasty side effects have disappeared as well.

The truth is that if Lilly marked the drug for what it actually is most people would not even try it because of the required time, cost and side effect investment. Most people would opt immediately for the stimulants like I first did. Lilly wants to make money like all companies so they tell you that it takes less (so that the side effects are minimized) and it takes less time.

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hi psychomom.....i never heard anybody else talk about the hot flushes, maybe it's not being peri-menopause after all? have you tried yoga? i never thought i could ever sit in one place for so long and do 'quiet mind'. now i say, yoga has changed my life. i still take strattera along w/ paxil, but it's the yoga that has really calmed me.

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TheDopaminekid said: Just started strattera yesterday. 1st four pills 25mg. next 24 days 40mg. goal is around 80mg. strattera apparently is good for add vs ad/hd. as explained by a neurologist/psychiatrist. Paul look forward to more focus

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megadanny54 said:

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TheDopaminekid said: Just started strattera yesterday. 1st four pills 25mg. next 24 days 40mg. goal is around 80mg. strattera apparently is good for add vs ad/hd. as explained by a neurologist/psychiatrist. Paul look forward to more focus

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your awsome also ask about paxil for ihave been takeing for about three or four months now my ot come hasbeen good also ihave been taking Strattera an im takeing 10 mg of paxil an 40mg of strattera help me focus an stay calm also .

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