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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by utopizen on April 13, 2004, at 1:07:45
Anyone notice a difference? Please, what dose, how long, how did you feel at first, how did it affect your sleep, your alertness?
The difference between somnolence in placebo patients and the real deal is like 2-3% or so, so I wish I gave it a shot last year even thogh my doc told me that... I was so afraid, "what if it could make me sleepy, and I'd have to wait so long to go back on Desoxyn or another stimulant!"
But now, I'm depressed, plus still have social anxiety (controlled a lot by Klonopin Wafers). How many reports are there of genuine relief from Straterra alone, or combined with Provigil (as my sleep doc wants me to do).
It seems very iff-y, and what's up with this notion that it takes a week if it's going to make a difference in a responsive patient? Is that based on anything? I heard a poster quote their doc with that statement... I'm not sure if it makes any sense. I'm sure some patients take a month or more to respond, but then respond quite well... I'm guessing.
It would be very novel if this stuff made me feel mellow, as I've heard in some web reports, in addition to feeling more energetic and less depressed. I'm depressed with low energy levels, and have ADD. I'd worry about going off my Desoxyn, but have so many leftover it's not such a concern anymore... plus, it could very well work in like 4 days, as I believe some have even claimed!?!?
I've been told the combo of Provigil+Straterra is very effective in ADD+EDS patients, or ADD patients in general. Anyone feel differently aside from ADD, or found relief of their symptoms within a week or two???
What dose, and what changes on your sleep/energy levels, and what comorbid conditions do you have besides ADD?
In a month, geez, finals will be long gone. I'm not sure, but I guess now's the time to try it. I suppose my energy levels are so bad, I have very little ot lose if it does take some adjusting to. My plan is to combine my Ambien with it and take it all at night for a week, and if that doesn't work out, then just take half in the morning... s
eems like meds will make me have insomnia or grogginess for the first few nights, so Ambien looks attractive, allowing me to sleep through the grogginess while it does it magic and my body adjusts.
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
Posted by jaby on April 13, 2004, at 9:50:19
In reply to Just how good is Straterra for depression/anxiety?, posted by utopizen on April 13, 2004, at 1:07:45
Wasn't good for me. More energy, but I was a real jerk. No real mood enhancement either.
Posted by Viridis on April 16, 2004, at 2:18:06
In reply to Just how good is Straterra for depression/anxiety?, posted by utopizen on April 13, 2004, at 1:07:45
Strattera was very weird for me. Uplifting at first, but with many side effects -- dry mouth, nausea etc. Then it stopped working, except that it induced strange speech difficulties. This went away as soon as I stopped it (after 6-7 months). If you try it, definitely titrate up gradually to minimize side effects.
Strattera does seem promising, though, if you can tolerate it. I suspect it will prove quite dangerous for some people once more data are in, so be careful with it until we know more.
BTW, I liked Provigil -- stimulating without causing anxiety etc. But no help with concentration. I favor Adderall plus Klonopin, but that's just me.
Posted by utopizen on April 16, 2004, at 10:36:06
In reply to Re: Just how good is Straterra for depression/anxi » utopizen, posted by Viridis on April 16, 2004, at 2:18:06
> BTW, I liked Provigil -- stimulating without causing anxiety etc. But no help with concentration. I favor Adderall plus Klonopin, but that's just me.
>My sleep doc said he finds his ADD+EDS patients find good relief from the combo of Strattera+Provigil. I haven't tried Straterra yet, but Provigil didn't do anything for me. He said to combine it anyway, because it's synergistic with the combo.
Posted by drrisin06 on April 27, 2004, at 12:41:39
In reply to Re: Just how good is Straterra for depression/anxiety? » utopizen, posted by zeugma on April 13, 2004, at 7:38:35
Ok I need some advice.My p-doc is extremeley focused on certain groups of medication.
My ADD was bothersome from day one, I have been seeing her for 8 months, and because she was treating my anxiety$sleep she would not treat my ADD symptoms. Now, finally 8 months after complaining every visit of these symptoms she decided to put me on wellbutrin. I told her I had Been On Ritalin before and it worked well, I have all the classic symptoms.
I was on The Wellbutrin for 2 months, after the first month I told her the headaches were real bad, and that I didnt feel a difference in focusing or attention,so she decided to up my dose from 300 to 450mg, Now the headaches got severeley worse, and I myself went down to 300
,She took me off it and prescribed me straterra,let me say she uses certain groups of drugs regardless to my personal physical /psychological reactions. IE..... for any anxiety or sleep disorder she will use anti-deppressants or anti-seiezure-psychotic meds before she will Use any benzodiazipine. She will not prescribe anything that SHE determins to be
addicting regardless of my symptoms/bad reactions to other drugs. She forces me to use her own prefferred meds. She would not prescribe any sort of Ritalin, even concerta,The first thing she went for was straterra. Now this is a new drug, I would have rather gone w/ what I know and has been
proven to help add. This is how a typical session will go, she twists my words into her own perspective. I must say, that 10 years ago, I had a physical addiction to pain killerrs ,I have not
abused any other med,and have not any sort of"problem" with meds she thinks to be addicting.
I tell her that I have been having really bad nightmeares and the only thing that helps that I have taken is ambien. I am on medicaid,and they will only pay for 10 ambien a month, She can ask for more.Ok i also tell her that the wellbutrin is not working and MY symptoms are getting worse
headaches gotten worse, I tell her I've had a good experience with concerta. She immediateley says that "what im hearing you say, is that you want 2 addictive drugs, more ambien and addictive stimulants" I can not get annywhere w/her.The straterra. maincare does not cover, so she has to request it, I mentioned the ritalin because I know mainecare covers it. She is not prescribing
to my symptoms, and has this over protective line that she will not cross. I am at my whitts end. Luckily the straterra seems to be working, however
its causes insomnia. There is no way around this womans "morals or conservative overprotectants)
I really need some advice because I beleive her to be discriminating bordering on malpractice.
She told me it would be malpractice for her to prescibe me Ritalin because a in my "history"
There is an addiction w/pain meds that I have not
been addicted to for years. She puts this label on me and i feel that I am beeing treated unfairley. Just because I may have had a physical addiction to pain killers a long time ago,I feel shouldnt make me be forced to be treated w/off label meds like amyttyptilline for sleep(while i was on wellbutrin) which raises seizure rates.
She is too willing to give anything but the meds that i need. thanks,any advice I appreciate.Find another DR, seems to be the advice I get, however there is a shortage of Dr's for people w/medicaid
and how will I know I wont get another DR just like her. I feel stuck. And she is making me feel that I cannot bring up my problems, my nightmeares/sleeping have gotten worse,Now The insomnia from straterra is starting. I have tried every AD for sleep and have bad reactions.
With ritalin ,I could take when needed to focus, and it would wear off so I could sleep.
thanx
drrisin
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