How long does Strattera take to "work"? - ADD / ADHD Message Board

flolove · 02-24-2004, 02:24 PM

I am a 23 yr. old male with dx'd with ADD at age 14. I have taken Ritalin, but I have been on Adderall fro about 5-6yrs now and I'm sick of the sleeplessness, anxiety, and other crap associated with it. My pop's is a pharmacuetical chemist so he's always telling me about new ADD meds. I'm gonna try Strattera soon while I'm out of school. I am wondering 1: How long does it take to notice a change in behavior since it is a SSRI? 2: Can you focus as well as you did on previous meds? 3: Were the side effects as noticeable as those associated with stimulants? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Raes*Mom · 02-24-2004, 02:48 PM

My 10 year old daughter tried Strattera after being on Adderall XR for about 2 years. Initially, I was very hopeful as she seemed so much more aware of her environment but that didn't last but for about one month. It never really helped her focus or attention. After about 3 months we gave up as the side effects weren't worth the little help it was giving her. Strattera made her extremely hot and sweaty, possibly even elevated blood pressure, and she had really bad headaches. Towards the end of her trial, she was starting to get moody and irritable. Her doctor told me that she was very disappointed in Strattera as it hadn't had the success the medical community was hoping for.

On the positive side, I know of 3 children first hand who've had success with it. One parent even goes as far as to call it a miracle drug for her daughter. Like everything else, it boils down to the individual. Strattera is like other anti-depressants, it takes several weeks to months to see it's full effects. I know you called it an SSRI but I don't believe it's classified as such because instead of working on seratonin, it works on a neurotransmitter that starts with an "N" and I can never remember it's name. I know many people who have switched from Adderall to Strattera did so gradually. Wean the Adderall as you give Straterra time to work.

Hope this gives you some insight.

flolove · 02-24-2004, 02:54 PM

Thanks for the feedback!! Concerning the "weening" off Adderall, I ask my Doc to do that, (ie. lower Adderall doeses while begining Staterra) but although he can be "pill happy" at times, he did not want to do that, I think he is under the impression you can't perscribe both at the same time. Staterra isn't a controlled substance is it?? I'm going to ask for the Adderall/Stratterra combo again next time I see him.

Raes*Mom · 02-24-2004, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flolove

Thanks for the feedback!! Concerning the "weening" off Adderall, I ask my Doc to do that, (ie. lower Adderall doeses while begining Staterra) but although he can be "pill happy" at times, he did not want to do that, I think he is under the impression you can't perscribe both at the same time. Staterra isn't a controlled substance is it?? I'm going to ask for the Adderall/Stratterra combo again next time I see him.

Strattera is not a controlled substance. The main reason my daughter's doctor prescribed both together is so that her school work wouldn't suffer as she adjusted to the Strattera. I've read and know of circumstances where both a stimulant and an anti-depressant have been prescribed together so this is nothing unusual. At one point, we were even considering keeping my daughter on Strattera and a low dose of Adderall but I decided against it for many reasons.

index.html · 03-08-2004, 01:49 PM

I, for one, am glad to hear that it's working out for you!