Picked up my bottle today, and I'm starting tomorrow. I really hope it works, I'm so tired of being tired! I've only ever taken Focalin, and Adderrall twice recreationally. The Focalin was all over the place for me but I did not have any sort of schedule. One day no food, next day caffeine, next day food and no caffeine, etc. So I wasn't able to tell if it was helpful, I just know on the days that I felt gacked out I did NOT like it.
Curious if anyone would want to share their experiences taking Strattera?
This probably won’t be helpful. But here’s my experience.
I took it for about 4 months. 40mg daily. In terms of treating ADHD symptoms, it was ok. Kind of like caffeine without the racing heart or thoughts. It made me feel pretty emotionally numb though. Like everything was a little too placid in my head. And it affected how my brain prioritizes things. Like it made me feel calm when I probably should have felt a little bit anxious, like studying for an exam that I bombed or being late on papers. I could study and write papers more effectively, but I just didn’t because I wasn’t that stressed about it.
The worst was the stomach issues. My doctor kept telling me it was normal to have changes in my appetite and eventually it’d go away. It just didn’t really get better. I felt nauseated for hours everyday. I hated how it made my stomach feel. I had no appetite for anything. It sucked.
However, while I was on Straterra I was being treated for other medical/mental health issues. Those other treatments I was undergoing probably changed the Straterra’s effectiveness in some way.
Oof, 4 months is a long time to deal with those side effects! It seems like it's really hit or miss for folks and that there will generally be weeks long side effects for people...which is definitely notttt ideal. Did you ever settle on a medication that works for you? I really struggle with racing thoughts, distractedness, intense fatigue, executive function/motivation primarily so not sure if that's the end if the spectrum you're on
I didn’t have the mental wherewithal to advocate for myself effectively at the time.
I eventually ended up being prescribed Adderall, which I’ve been on for about a decade. At this point it’s sort of an as-needed medication. I feel like it helped me be able to strengthen my executive functioning muscles. It’s not that big deal if I go without it now. Like I don’t really take it in the summer because I’m not working (teacher).
Being able to take ADHD medication as needed would be ideal for me. Seems like Adderall is the most effective for people, but I have to jump through the hoops of trying several others first