Posted by Mid- Life Crisis on October 13, 2003, at 18:52:04
In reply to Re: Straterra approval., posted by MamaB on October 13, 2003, at 11:59:40
> Hi again,
> I have been reading some of the back-posts on Strattera and I notice that quite a few people mention that they have problems with fatigue. I didnt really have any fatigue/tiredness symptoms UNTIL I forgot to take my afternoon dose of Wellbutrin SR! Then whoa, I couldn't stay awake!
> I am only on 20mgm of the Strattera and will go to 40mgm this coming Thursday. I took Ritalin for about five years quite a while back, when I was first diagnosed, but cannot take stimulants now as I began to "abuse" the Ritalin. (this depends who you talk to; my husband is the one who felt I was "abusing" it, my doc did not, but that's another long story). Anyway, the Ritalin worked like a charm. The Straterra already seems to be having a mild effect. By the way, I am 62 years old and was diagnosed ADD WAY back before too many folks believed that adults could be ADD. Twenty-two years ago to be exact. Is there anyone else out there in a similar situation, I mean senior folks say +55? One more thing, I am also an ADD(H)D coach and clinical specialist RN in adult psychiatry. MamaBHi, I'm another "senior", age 52. I suffered all the symptoms of ADHD all my life, have a son and brother diagnosed with it, and finally, at age 51 went through the formality of getting diagnosed because I had come to a point in my life where I realized I was never going to accomplish what I wanted to if I didn't at least try some ADHD meds. Prior to that I had gone through life self-medicating with lots of coffee as best I could, but so far, Strattera works better. (I'm now at day 13, and my son, age 15, is on day 4, both of us at 40 mg.) I tried Adderall and Concerta, but both made my anxiety worse (I have anxiety, but not depression.) Plus, I don't like the ups and downs of stimulants and find that, so far, Strattera is a much kinder and gentler drug for me and actually decreases both my blood pressure and anxiety. I do have side effects similar to others reported here; fatigue, increased sweating, dry mouth, but not insomnia. In fact, so far I actually sleep longer and better through the night on it. (Am only on this one drug, plus one for allergies.)
I'm curious...how did you figure out you had ADHD 22 years ago? Was it due to your psychiatric nursing training? You (or your doc) must have been a real visionary to realize it wasn't just for kids back then! I was "tested" for it (called Minimal Brain Damage then) in the 1950's after my 3rd grade teacher told my mother she thought I had it because I talked too much. (Still do.) The test? An EEG!! (And a 1 hour question and answer test!) My brother and I were both pronounced OK because there was no "minimal brain damage" on the EEG!! We've come a long way, don't you think?
Thanks to all who have posted on this site...it has really decreased my anxiety about trying this drug to read that what I am experiencing are normal side effects and that we MUST be patient and give it time to work. Also, thanks to the moms that posted with information about how their teens did on it...so far, day 4, my 15 year-old is absolutely more impulsive and more hyper than he ever was on Adderall or nothing, but I am hoping this passes as well (because he was flunking 10th grade on Adderall and getting "disruptives" for his behavior in class on Adderall.)
Good luck with Strattera and let's all encourage each other to hang in there!
poster:Mid- Life Crisis
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031010/msgs/269097.html