I was skeptical but now I'm quite pleased
So my previous posts that I made after my first few days or week of Strattera were pretty negative. My lethargy was off the charts. I didn't leave bed for days. The nausea was really bad. I was cursing my psychiatrist for being unwilling to prescribe me a stimulant which has worked for me in the past.
Now I'm almost 4 weeks in and things are a lot better. All the side effects have subsided. I don't notice any. I'm also starting to experience some of the benefits and I'll share them here and also compare it to my experience with stimulant meds.
Comparison to stims:
Stimulants always worked pretty well for me however. There are a few things I prefer about Strattera.
-For one Strattera works all day meaning I can get out of bed and get ready for work without having to wait for my meds to kick in.
-Secondly stimulants give me this sort of forced feeling like I can't turn off my desire to produce something and it's a little harder to relax with Strattera I only really notice the effects of it when I have to focus.
-Third I don't experience the crash I sometimes get on the stimulants and it doesn't affect my sleep.
-Fourth, I don't accidentally hyper focus on something too long.
-The only negative thing I've found is that I don't feel quite as motivated to do things. Stimulants really help me initiate tasks and with Strattera it can still be difficult to start things but once I do I don't get distracted as much.
Positive effects:
-My time blindness has improved when I wake up and get ready for work. It's easy for me to keep track of time and not be late. Also, I am a lot more aware of events on my calendar and I'm able to plan accordingly and not overbook myself.
- I don't lose track of things. And I'm able to do tasks in a sequence without jumping back and forth. Between things and leaving things behind. For example, when I'm getting ready for work. I used to forget my lunch or lose my keys multiple times or go to wash my face and leave halfway through to take my meds and then forget what I was doing. Now I just get up and follow a specific routine and pack everything I need to. Or when I'm going grocery shopping I know exactly what to get and I go aisle by aisle. Whereas in the past I would jump around the store and be indecisive making it take a lot longer.
- I am more aware of messes and I know how to organize things. In the past I really didn't notice messes as much and couldn't really figure out where things belong or how to organize a space in a way that everything has its place. For example, I would see a pile of books on the floor and it wouldn't phase. Me I wouldn't consider that I should put them away now if I see a pile of books I immediately think hmmm that doesn't belong there. I'm going to go put it on my bookshelf.
- It helps with my emotional regulation. My anxiety has decreased. I'm less impulsive with my emotions and I don't try to push them away or distract myself from them, which has led to some dangerous behaviors and addictive patterns in the past. All that seems to have improved.
- It's helped me enjoy things that I used to enjoy. I am a very creative person I like to write music and write and make art. However, lately I find myself getting stuck mentally and getting frustrated. Now everything just flows really easily and I'm able to take a lot of ideas in my head and actually apply some of them rather than just think about doing them.
So there you have it. It came on gradually and it doesn't help with everything, but it has made it a whole lot easier. I hope this message can help people in the early stages who are feeling discouraged. I can't promise that it will work for you, but it's worth a shot. I was incredibly skeptical and didn't have much faith, but I am pleasantly surprised.