I need some advice. I am Bipolar and have OCD and ADD. In the past I have used Ritalin for my ADD, however it makes me moody and I can't handle the comedown. I discontinued the Ritalin and am have been taking Strattera for a week, 10 mgs. a day. I am taking it in the morning, having about 6-7 hours or so of feeling pretty wired/anxious, then a moody couple of hours, then I am fine until bedtime. Is this normal with this med? And will these symptoms go away with time? I am finding it easier to get tasks done and problems don't seem so enormous, however I am wondering if this is worth sticking it out, or am I going to feel this same way in a month also?? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

The side effects that you mention are not uncommon for Straterra. It is for this reason that many people take it at night. The dose you mention is quite low * is your doctor having you titrate upward?

I agree with the previous poster. 10 mg is way too low. My 8 year old (70 pounds) started out on 25 mg and was upped to 40 mg after four days. As far as I know, depending on weight, adults usually take between 80 and 100 mg. This is a waste of time and I'm really wondering if your doctor (is he/she a Psychiatrist?) knows what he/she is doing. I would make an appointment with a Psychiatrist ASAP to get you started right.

I am an adult on 125mg of Strattera, and it seems like its a lot higher than other adults are on. I know it goes by weight supposedly, but geesh...I'm only 150 lbs. and on 125, doesn't that sound like a lot?

Christine, what was your initial dose and why did the doctor prescribe such a high dose for you? Did he slowly work the dose up to 125 because there was no effect on a lower dose?

I don't tolerate psych meds very well and usually take a much lower than normal dose, so she started out at 10 and plans to up it in another 3 weeks. She is concerned it will increase the anxiety (which I already have alot of trouble with).

Christine, what was your initial dose and why did the doctor prescribe such a high dose for you? Did he slowly work the dose up to 125 because there was no effect on a lower dose?


He worked me up from 25mg to start and then just kept adding on. I was already feeling a change in me by 100mg and that was when I went to see him for the second time. He said that he could tell by my questionnaire that I was receiving excellent benefits....but then he added on another 25mg. He told me from the beginning that he would be working me up to 125 mg. I called the office back when I realized that my dose seemed higher than others in the Health Board posts. The nurse there said that they have found that people can be on higher doses without any problem. I guess I SHOULD have asked whether I really needed that much or not. I have another appt. the first week of January and then I will ask then what was his reasoning. Hey...maybe HE thinks I'm more ADD than I think I am!! haha :bouncing: (I tried to make the bouncing smile come on...not sure if I have to do more than click it)

He worked me up from 25mg to start and then just kept adding on. I was already feeling a change in me by 100mg and that was when I went to see him for the second time. He said that he could tell by my questionnaire that I was receiving excellent benefits....but then he added on another 25mg. He told me from the beginning that he would be working me up to 125 mg. I called the office back when I realized that my dose seemed higher than others in the Health Board posts. The nurse there said that they have found that people can be on higher doses without any problem. I guess I SHOULD have asked whether I really needed that much or not. I have another appt. the first week of January and then I will ask then what was his reasoning. Hey...maybe HE thinks I'm more ADD than I think I am!! haha :bouncing: (I tried to make the bouncing smile come on...not sure if I have to do more than click it)



It worked!!!! Yep...that's me all day long!!!haha

Christine, according to the Strattera prescribing information, the FDA approved 100 mg as a maximum dose. If I were you, I would call your doctor ASAP and lower your dose. If satisfactory results have been achieved with a lower dose, there was no need for the doctor to go over the maximum dose. Who knows, if your body gets used to the med there might come the day when you need to up the dosage, but with you already being over the maximum, you can't up anymore.

It worked!!!! Yep...that's me all day long!!!haha

Christine, I started strattera about seven weeks ago. I have been titrating up and am now at 85 mg. When I started the Strattera, I was also taking 300 mg


Wellbutrin SR and 10 mg Lexapro daily. At my visit last week my pdoc has given me a regimen in which I am to taper off the Wellbutrin entirely and work up to 120mg of Strattera. I didn't challenge him on the dosage, although I know from reading available materials that 100mg is the recommended ceiling. He left me with a lot of discretion on the upward titration from now up to 120, so I'm going to stay at around 80 (actually, 85 with the dosing combination I've got right now) for a couple more weeks, then see how I feel coming off the Wellbutrin. I am a bit concerned about stopping the Wellbutrin completely, since it has worked pretty well at controlling my depression for a couple of years. I understand that Strattera seems to have some antidepressant effect, but still...

The Strattera has been a tough drug in terms of side effects. Some have resolved, but the moodiness - strongly resembling part-time depression - has not. Its better now than in the beginning, when I had almost daily crying episodes. I'm determined to give the Strattera at least 3 months, since for me it is the only viable option for my ADD (I work in a field where taking stimulants is not possible/permissable.) So far, I see very subtle improvement in concentration, better ability to listen effectively to others, and better reading comprehension than I have had in years. Best of all (though totally irrelevant to the ADD issue) my appetite is way down, and I am losing weight for the first time in 10 years. The appetite suppression is an unexpected perk, which I am told won't last, but for now I'm thrilled to be whittling away at the 70 pounds I've packed on during the past 10 years (coincidence that 10 years is the period I've been taking antidepressants??? I do wonder...)

I'm glad you are going to ask about the need for the high dosage. Also am glad to hear that you're seeing some benefits from the Strattera. I'm seeing my pdoc every 30 days till we get the meds stable, so I'll see him again in mid-December, and will ask about the 120mg target also. It does seem that many docs subscribe to the "if some is good, then more is better" philosophy.

I didn't realize that there was a "ceiling dose" for Strattera. I am absolutely going to question my dosage. The side effects of Strattera were kinda hard for me to get through also. I didn't have the moodiness, but I had a lot of the physical side effects. I still have the dry mouth thing a lot, even after 4 months on it. Thanks for giving me the "boost" to be sure and get the dosage checked out.

Christine, what was your initial dose and why did the doctor prescribe such a high dose for you? Did he slowly work the dose up to 125 because there was no effect on a lower dose?

My doctor put me on 25mg to start with and then slowly added it on. I should have said 120 mg., not 125. He had me go up to that without checking to see how I was doing at a lower dose. I asked him if I was a mild ADD or more on the severe side.. in which he told me I was more on the severe. I wonder if that's why he just automatically assumed I should take the high dose.

My son also take 120mg of Straterra. He is 15 and weighs 165 lbs. He was on a lower dosage and I wasn't seeing a big improvement. He has been on a higher dosage now for about 2 months. He has been getting headaches daily for this past week. Does anyone know if this is a side effect? He is also depressed at times. But, most of the meds he's taken for adhd has given him that side effect. I hate that. He's normally a very happy go lucky guy that just can't concentrate or multitask.(to put it gently) Also, he sometimes forgets to take his pills on the weekends. I know he's supposed to take them everyday...so will this cause side effects or withdrawl type symptoms? I am considering taking him off this. I don't want to though. His side effects do seem better that some of the other meds he's been on. I did question the dosage and his dr said that was the maximum dosage.

I am also hesitant to try another med that is actually a stimulant. The Strattera caused a lot of side effects for me, but am noticing them all going away, except that I feel like I get all sweaty around my neck area a couple hours after I take it. The fact is though, I have been "off-focus" or something in the past 6 weeks or so and have started to lose and forget again. It makes me feel awfully frustrated when I think of how much we're paying for this Strattera med.!! I've thought of maybe asking for Adderall or something, but then I keep reading about its side effects....and the thought of going through all that garbage again scares me. So...do I stick with the Strattera, try a stimulant, or just forget it altogether??!! I (and my husband and kids) noticed a difference after the first couple weeks of starting it. Maybe you just get used to it and don't see the progress. I'm rambling....no one really needs to reply ....I think I just needed to vent my frustration with AD/HD and these stupid meds.