strattera, aderol

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i know a # of ppl in my class that use strattera and aderol. can anybody give me positive/negative experiences? of course i understand that everyone responds to these meds uniquely, just want some insight to make an informed decision based on some antecdotes
 
I am taking adderall 20mg/qd and it makes a huge difference for me but I was also diagnosed with ADD. I would not suggest that anyone take these unless they have gone through the proper battery of tests to confirm that they have ADD or ADHD.

Remember this is a stimulant and for someone who does not have the condition (and even for those who do at high enough levels- 60 mg/day is max) can become jumpy or jittery. This is also a risk of abusing this drug to stay up.

My psychiatrist would not even start me on Strattera because of what she indicated were negative side effects and how it does not usually work as well as Adderall. She uses Strattera only when the patient has a negative reaction (jitteriness etc) to Adderall.
 
I have not had any but some people feel very anxious with adderall. I don't remember the list of negative side effects with Strattera but you can probably look them up.
 
Strattera can cause drowsiness. My experience was that it would help me focus, but would make me tired. The worst effect I ever had was that it started to act as a depressant. Most of these drugs are going to act differently on people with ADD than those without. Ritalin/Adderall can cause jitteriness to those without ADHD and yet will calm a hyperactive child. This is just based on my experience.
 
Be very careful with stimulants. I was diagnosed with ADHD in High School and was reluctant to use Ritalin. My grades dropped a bit in college so I began using them as an option all throughout college up to 2nd year med school when I dropped their use because of many side effects. Insomnia, tension headaches, anxiety, irritability, where some of them. Yet, worst of all was the feeling that I couldn't perform without using them (including Adderall). I didn't use them anymore to study for step I and got over the nintiethh percentile. You can create tolerance and dependence so be very careful. My suggestion would be that If you don't have any condition you better not use them. Second, if you do, then use them as little as possible. The lowest dose is ten milligrams but I can assure you that 2.5 milligrams will do the job if you're taking them. I advise STRONGLY against the use of Adderall and Ritalin and belive they are also overused and overmarketed. Obviously we are in a highly competitive field and one usually wants to get an edge, but be very careful how you do this.

Good luck and God bless.
 
in terms of strattera, i was advised 80 is an appropriate dose to take, with taking power naps to offset the fatigue
 
straterra homepage said:
Strattera is the first and only non-stimulant medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, adolescents, and adults.
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As per this information, I believe that
strattera is really worth trying and in fact, I used it for my child when she was suffering from ADHD and I can gurantee you folks that STRATERRA is worthwhile!! Good luck you guys and take care !! :luck:
 
I started to take Ritalin is september 2005. We knew (me and my parents) that I had ADHD since I started school. They never wanted me to take Ritalin because my grades were alright. When I started college, I had very low grades, skipped and dropped lots of classes before I got a little bit more serious. Then my average was about 78%. Since I started ritalin, I average 95% and more. I would say it has been a tremendous help for me. It is one of the main reason I can even dare to think I could get in med school now. No sides effects at all. I take 5 mg for studying and 10 mg for exams.
 
ilovepath said:
i know a # of ppl in my class that use strattera and aderol. can anybody give me positive/negative experiences? of course i understand that everyone responds to these meds uniquely, just want some insight to make an informed decision based on some antecdotes
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Ilovepath: are you talking about fellow students with diagnosed ADD/ADHD who use Adderall/Strattera etc., or about students who are just using them to try to boost their concentration & performance (but do not have a true attention disorder)? I ask because I know of at least a couple of students who "borrowed" some Concerta from friends to study for boards. (Sounds like an after-school special, huh?)
 
first of all...do not EVEN THINK of taking these drugs unless you really have ADHD,

Okay, that said...

i took adderall for 2 years but then started getting the 'rebound' effect.

recently i started strattera. it KILLS my digestive system. i get constipation, gas, and upset stomach from it. i get really tired from it as well. also, my hair is falling out in CHUNKS...but, i really couldn't tolerate the antsy rebound from the amphetamines anymore.

lately i started mixing my strattera with a VERY SMALL AMOUNT of adderall to combat the fatigue. they seem to work synergistically with each other, although i would definitely check w/my doc first if you are considering doing this.

this is a really ****ty disorder to have. please people.. don't experiment with these drugs or take them unless you REALLY have to....its ALWAYS better to go natural!!!! amphetamines can be EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE.

there really is a reason why they are considered narcotics.
 
also, think about it--if you dont have ADD/ADHD & want to take these meds to boost your concentration--how will you become accustomed to handling stressful situations in the future? I read a NYTimes article about just that. Adult (lawyers or stockbrokers??) taking these meds bc that is how they got thru school & dont know how to handle their jobs without.
 
I was taking Ritalin for a while for my ADHD, and all it did was help me stay awake during noon conference (a plus), and give me vague upper abdominal pains (not a plus). I really didn't feel that it was helping my focus all that much, and I didn't want to be taking it instead of developing better sleep hygeine.
 
Anyone have experience with Provigil?
This one is actually approved for sleepiness/fatigue due to shift work sleep disorder (which any of us can claim pretty easily) and isn't supposed to be addictive like some of the older stimulants.
 
i know someone who has used this drug and will give an account of what it was like for her. The dosage was 200mg it kept her awake she could not willlingly go to sleeep not even if she wanted to, it didnt do much for her in terms of being able to concentrate better and she had a headache afterwars. never took it again. I dont know if this helps. take care
 
I started my freshman year of college last Thursday and was just prescribed Strattera; Friday marked my third day taking it (25 mg/day). So far, I've noticed no effects (positive, negative or otherwise), but a pharmacist friend of mine assures that it must be taken for at least a week before it "kicks in."
 
HenryH said:
I started my freshman year of college last Thursday and was just prescribed Strattera; Friday marked my third day taking it (25 mg/day). So far, I've noticed no effects (positive, negative or otherwise), but a pharmacist friend of mine assures that it must be taken for at least a week before it "kicks in."
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Most drugs that work on reuptake start their effect immediately, but ramp up gradually. You probably won't notice anything concrete for several weeks, but more sensitive measures, like the number of breaks you need to take in an hour, and things like that can reveal this effect.

Strattera has a black box warning for life-threatening liver disease. It's rare, but very important, and you shouldn't start any medicine with severe risks without knowing what they are.
 
Nerdoscience,

Thanks for making me aware of that risk. As far as I know, I'm not stricken with any liver problems. I never drink alcohol, and rarely consume pain pills; however, in early July, I sprained my ankle (for the second time!) and took Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium irregularly for several weeks. Wednesday before last, I had my wisdom teeth removed...for about 4 days after that, I took the Hydrocodone I was prescribed (I took my last pill last Saturday night, a little over a week ago). I started the Strattera Wednesday, so I allotted myself about three days of potential "detox." Keep in mind that there were several weeks of downtime (no pills consumed) between taking the Ibuprofen/Naproxen and the Hydrocodone.

Was it too soon to start taking pills again? I haven't taken any other drugs since starting the Strattera...

Today (Sunday) marks day 5 of taking Strattera, and still no tell-tale signs of a profound effect (although, I have noticed that I seem to read magazine articles more "intently" -- almost in a trance-like state). In your opinion, would it be a good idea to go ahead and increase my dosage to 50 mg. (that would be two pills) per day? As a matter of fact, the psychiatrist directed me to take that amount, but, basing my intuition on the experiences of others, I decided to begin with just 25 mg./day and work up to 50 mg. as time passed.
~Henry
 
Sorry, I don't know, and I don't give medical advice on this forum. You wouldn't want my advice anyway. I'm an intern.
 
any other positive/negative antecdotes? i take 60 to 100 strattera and its great aside from fatigue. i think its a great thing. btw, is anyone aware of dsmiv criteria for add? seems like extremely straightforward dx
 
just started on strattera today...60mg...we have our first path and micro exams in 2 weeks! ahh, lets see how it goes! will post updates...
 
VNR111,

If I were you, I don't know if I'd count on Strattera to assist you with taking your test; today was day 16 of taking Strattera (increased to my prescribed 50 mg./day dosage a few days ago), and I still haven't experienced any benefits.

For others, though, the drug seems to kick in within several days, so I have no idea why it's taking so long for me to "feel" anything.

Good luck on your test.
 
HenryH said:
VNR111,

If I were you, I don't know if I'd count on Strattera to assist you with taking your test; today was day 16 of taking Strattera (increased to my prescribed 50 mg./day dosage a few days ago), and I still haven't experienced any benefits.

For others, though, the drug seems to kick in within several days, so I have no idea why it's taking so long for me to "feel" anything.

Good luck on your test.
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Like pretty much all drugs that work by modulating reuptake and receptors, they work immediately, but aren't noticeable until several weeks later. However, if you were to take more objective measures of your mood, or in this case, your concentration, you would find it improved.
 
Nerdoscience,

The problem is, I still find myself daydreaming in class. For example, I'll be taking notes during chemistry and listening to the professor's lecture, when I'll suddenly have to "yank" myself back to class and realize that I just missed two or three important concepts because I allowed myself to zone out for a few moments.

Does Strattera not assist in eliminating this aspect of ADD?

Daily, I've been trying to compare how I performed before starting Strattera and after...and, honestly, I just notice absolutely no improvements. Cheerleaders for stimulants such as Concerta praise that, within 20 minutes of taking the drug, they experience a fog-lifting mental clarity. I know that stimulant properties of Concerta are responsible for its swift rate of efficacy, but will Strattera deliver the same level of "clear mental clarity?"
 
I think it should, but it's not equally effective in everyone. Also, it does continue to ramp up over weeks.
 
Well, I took this strattera for 2 days and refused to take it anymore. It made me very tired and very irritable. Everything got on my nerves and I was depressed on this medicine. Some told me to stick it out for 3 to 4 weeks and those side effects may wear off, but who wants to be depressed and yell at their children for a month in hopes these side effects would wear off. Strattera made me feel crazy and I was total out of character. It would not surprise me if you hear of someone doing something really crazy on the news and come to find out they were on strattera.

That is my experience anyway, I'd rather just rough the ADD then take this ever again!
 
And....strattera did nothing for my concentration!
 
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