My doctor decided that I should try an all-day ADD medication. I went from Ritalin to Concerta (Ritalin in a high-tech pill), and finally to Strattera. I took Strattera for about 2 months. The results were a bit mixed; the fact that the company describes Strattera as a non-stimulant is perhaps technically true, though I have certainly at times noticed a pronounced stimulant effect. I can feel the stuff coming on. There is a nervous energy, though it feels less substantiated than with other similar medications.
For the first few days the side effects were definitely there - nausea, headache. Also, I was waking up earlier than usual.
Overall, it seemed to be effective. I could feel my overall focus and energy levels increasing. Then, I must have angered the atomoxetine gods because after 5 or 6 weeks, it was making me unbearably tired. I am reasonably sure that it was the Strattera; if I took it 45 minutes to an hour later I would be lethargic though unable to sleep. This is a phenomenon I've read about before, that medications which promote the release of chemicals causing the brain to exhaust its supply. Anyway, I quit taking the stuff and within a few days felt normal. This is certainly a long term drug, not to be used as an ad hoc treatment, and it certainly helped me at first.
HSB - tabulea rasae - SD
