Posted by zeugma on April 13, 2004, at 7:38:35
In reply to Just how good is Straterra for depression/anxiety?, posted by utopizen on April 13, 2004, at 1:07:45
Before I went on Straterra I simply never felt alert. I don't tolerate stimulants well, so I was taking a TCA for ADD, which is a recognized second line treatment. The only problem was the TCA had sedating qualities, which helped me sleep, but did not do much for concentration (although there was some effect on this).
I noticed an effect from strattera right away (18 mg). The thing is, i was already taking a TCA which has a similar mechanism (NE reuptake inhibition), so maybe i was already primed for its effects. The combination of Strattera and nortriptyline completely wiped out my depression for a couple of months. Did virtually nothing for anxiety, which is why I'm on Klonopin now, which might be causing a low-level depression. But Strattera (or Strattera + TCA) has made an enormous difference in my level of functioning. I was already improving at the time I started it, but within a few months, I had a new job (my first *real* job, or at any rate the first demanding job I was able to keep).
Energy-wise, I don't know. Straterra seemed to wake me up when i first took it. Now, between a sedating TCA, buspirone, and clonazepam, i have trouble staying awake after I take my morning meds. Or that could be the return of depression a close friend warned me about the other night. I've always had an extremely low level of energy, yet need a ton of sedating drugs to get to sleep. I'll be curious to see how you do on provigil if you try the combo with Strattera.
Comorbid conditions: lifelong depression, probable narcolepsy, social phobia and constant anxiety, plus Non Verbal Learning Disorder (that should be in the DSM-V). As far as I'm concerned, Straterra belongs in the group of antidepressants that also treat ADD. I can't compare it to Wellbutrin, since I didn't tolerate that one, but it seems quite similar to nortriptyline except that it has no sedating antihistaminic effects. I must have a massive amount of noradrenergic dysfunction if I can tolerate full doses of both these drugs.
Strattera, 80 mg
nortriptyline, 75 mg
buspirone, 30 mg
clonazepam, .5 mg
poster:zeugma
thread:335808
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040412/msgs/335856.html