stratera?

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My doctor asked me if I had trouble concentrating. I can focus really well; however, I do start (and sometimes never finish) many different projects. I get bored and move on to other things.

anyway.....some of my relatives take ADD medicine stratera....

I was thinking of also taking this medicine; I'm thinking my doc believes it may help me..

Any experiences with this medicine?

Its considered a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD and will be less effective than classical CNS stimulants like amphetamines.

Pros:
1) Not a controlled substance so getting rx for longer than 30 days should be easy.

2) Less addiction potential.

3) More Dr likely to rx it.

4) Since its a non-stimulant perhaps it less likely to cause insomnia.

Cons:
1) On patent and expensive

2) Much smaller number of people with ADHD will respond to it compared to stimulants.

The question I would have for your doctor would be why not try the drug wellbutrin first.
Its metabolites are powerful noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors like Strattera and the drug is off patent and a non stimulant. Therefore cheap and easy to obtain. I have bought it online.

I found it not highly effective but it had some anti-ADHD effects. At 500 mg daily (rather high dose as 600 mg is consider the max) I coined the phrase "TheMachine".
Which basically it gave me the motivation to right down a short story I had in my mind.
When normally I would just keep it all in my mind.

OCD tendencies are often made a lot worse by stimulants, so they might be very unsuitable for some AS folks.

While Strattera is marketed as a non-stimulant, it is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and I've always wondered how preventing reuptake of norepinephrine (Strattera) really was different from simply having one make more of it (amphetamines). The end result (vis-a-vis norepinephrine) would seem to be similar.

Both because it takes days to start working, and because it doesn't elevate dopamine levels like amphetamines, it's not likely to be abused, so getting a prescription is probably easier.

But I have never known anyone with ADHD or ADD that stopped having diverse interests which changed over time, whether they were taking Ritalin, Strattera, DMAE or nothing at all. I think that those treatments can do a lot for short-term focus, but I'm not sure how often they change the long-term stuff. Perhaps one might find contexts where the tendency is a strength rather than a problem? Walking encyclopeadias can be handy!

Last edited by geek on 13 Mar 2007, 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm afraid of drugs.

Your supposed to take drugs for this?

-I better go to the doctor STRAIGHT AWAY!

I guess your being sarcastic.

If you have extreme inattentive ADHD like I have it can be very paralyzing. Try being completely locked up in your on mind all day long and hopelessly bored when trying to focus on reality.

Drugs have risks and one must consider if the risk are worth the potential rewards. If
your doing very bad in school and the work place due to ADHD it may be worth the risk.

I have inattentave ADHD, and I take 45 mg per day Strattera. It works well.

I tried strattera. It made me very drowsy and didn't help with my attention span at all. I don't think anyone should have to go on ADD meds at all. I think lazy teachers and parents should learn better coping skills.

Gaia avatar! Lol.

Anyway I think Caffine is all I need.

If your relatives react well to it then chances are you might, too

Thats common many people with ADHD have a paradoxical reaction to anti-ADHD meds
like sedation instead of stimulation.

Treating ADHD is not always about making teachers and parents life easier. I have inattentive ADHD and there is nothing anybody can do to break through the wall in
my mind. Instead of doing the work I need to be doing I daydream. The only work
that get done is work that can be done while daydreaming. Even some of the most creative jobs are 99% sweat and 1% creativity so one truly must focus to get anything
done.