Atomoxetine/Strattera
I’m about two weeks into taking Atomoxetine, and over the last week or so I’ve noticed a really significant change in my mood and how I see myself. Before starting it, I was genuinely doing so much better. I felt like I was finally making progress, rebuilding my life and becoming myself again.
Now I feel like I’m carrying this horrible, heavy cloud around with me. I feel depressed, anxious, ashamed, guilty and constantly on edge. I’m second-guessing everything I say and do, and especially how I look. I’ve started feeling incredibly ugly and inadequate, like everyone else is prettier, funnier, happier, more lovable and generally just better than me.
I know logically that these thoughts aren't necessarily true, but they feel incredibly real right now. I’ve also been having horrible thoughts and nightmares, and my brain has started telling me that I’m a horrible person and that things that happened to me in the past were somehow my fault. I feel like a shell of the person I was two weeks ago.
I’m also finding myself feeling incredibly groggy and emotionally fragile, and I’ve cried more recently than I have in a long time.
I know medication affects everyone differently, and I’m not assuming Atomoxetine is definitely responsible for all of this, but the timing is difficult to ignore. I was doing considerably better before starting it, and this change has been so noticeable. Has anyone else experienced a significant increase in depression, anxiety, intrusive/horrible thoughts, emotional instability or feeling like a completely different person around 2 weeks into Atomoxetine?
Did it settle with time, or did you end up needing to change the dose/medication? I’m speaking to my prescriber about it, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar. I’m particularly interested in what happened after the first few weeks.