Posted by zeugma on April 28, 2005, at 18:11:35
In reply to Re: Strattera, posted by Chairman_MAO on April 28, 2005, at 16:51:00
> Strattera was an orphaned antidepressant floating around Lilly's lab. It's has one strength: it is not a "controlled substance", and so they can market it aggressively using that angle. Pretty stupid if you ask me, since what makes something a controlled substance is merely how many people wish to take it. So we should buy Strattera because no one likes taking it? Sounds great!>>
well, I would say it's not quite that simple. Strattera causes less weight loss than the stims (not a trivial consideration). It is also not anxiogenic- at least not for me. And i think that Strattera has antidepressant properties, although it also has depressant properties (i.e., it's an NRI, so it is mood-elevating, but it is also metabolized to a kappa partial agonist, which I agree is anything but "fun" to experience. But for some reason this effect did not set in until well into treatment. i don't know why, but Lilly probably does).
>
> I also love how Lilly calls it "the first nonstimulant treatment for ADHD". What about TCAs? Or reboxetine. Oh, wait, they blocked FDA approval of reboxetine. Or selegiline? Man, I shouldn't get started with this, I'll never stop.
>
it's the first nonstimulant FDA-approved for ADHD. my love for FDA approval systems, and their convenient tie-ins to marketing copy, probably is similar to your own (i.e, nearly nil). I can't comment on reboxetine, but I found it more effective for ADHD than nortriptyline. (By the way, do you really consider the MAOI's to be the only true AD's, or do you also include the TCA's? It is perhaps relevant that FDA approval played no role in the identification of imipramine as an AD.)
> Honestly, I think that crap is toxic. Lilly doesn't have to publish any studies it doesn't want to. They put a black-box warning about liver damage on Strattera despite only two officially recognized cases of atomoxetine-induced liver damage. For some reason, I think there's something they're not telling us.>>Agreed. It may not have to do with liver toxicity, though.
>
> Listen to your body. I never felt the way you are describing when I started Parnate, buprenorphine, or any other medication that ever did any good for me.CMAO, you've put me in the odd position of defending Strattera, but it is a very qualified defense. it worked for me for a while. I think the TCA's are better medications (infinitely better). But i hope it works for her.
(sorry, maxime, to use the third person there. I hope it works for you.)
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:491037
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050428/msgs/491116.html