I've been taking Strattera for just under two months, half that time at 40 mg then jumped to 80 mg.

It's been a great experience, very few side effects and the little I had resolved within a short time. My thoughts seem more ordered, I feel like I can stop and think before I react, and even task initiation seems to have improved maybe 20%.

My question is do I consider the last jump to 100 mg, or do I quit while I'm ahead and just be grateful it hasn't caused me problems?

Do you take 100 mg? What differences, if any, did you experience from the higher dosage - both positive and negative?

Thank you!

I had almost a complete executive function breakdown three years ago, which is when I realised I have ADHD. But until recently, I delayed getting diagnosed because the process felt 'too formal' and I was scared of taking medication. Now, I feel like my inconsistency, delayed initiation with my studies is costing me again, so I finally made an appointment with a psychiatrist and got started!!

After the first one-hour session, she asked me to take 20mg of fluoxetine along with 5mg of atomoxetine (by taking a tablet of a 10mg tablet). She asked me to visit her again after 15 days. She told me that she suspects I have ADHD, though a complete assessment will start from our next session, where she will give me some questionnaires. She informed me that it may take a series of sessions before she formally diagnoses me with ADHD, though she gave an insight that she agrees I have ADHD after listening to me for that one hour. There were two psychiatrists listening to me during the session, and she noted that I have anxiety issue which I never knew (I didn't knew what anxiety feels like until then and I assumed its normal for everyone to have the symptoms of it)

I want to understand:

1. Does fluoxetine effectively increase the dose of atomoxetine? Does that 20mg of fluoxetine make the 5mg of atomoxetine work as if it is 30mg?
2. I do feel good that she started me with a 5mg dose first, but why did she give me a non-stimulant even before I am formally diagnosed with ADHD?
3. Will taking these meds reduce my curiosity? I really like my enthusiasm and curiosity.. I have this fear of losing them.

Please help me by sharing your experiences.

A long journey of medication history off failed SSRIs and SNRIs made me wonder if I should take adhd medication instead of SSRIs. I have a personality profile of ADHD but no psychiatrist I met actually confirmed it.

Atomoxetine

Worked wonderfully. Immediately worked within hours from the first day!

I took 18-25 mg only, anything more would make me very depressed.

Effects

* Anxiety disappeared completely for the first time in my life my brain just became so quiet for the first time in my life
* no noise talk 24\\7
* no 20 ideas and interests at the same time competing with each other
* so much better signal to noise
* extremely well emotional regulation and self-efficacy, like I am in control (CPTSD really missed with this part making me so out of control and zero self-efficacy and helpless)
* CPTSD & depression & anxiety all of these symptoms just disappeared WOW!
* I felt so alive, motivated, felt joy, ancipation, optimistic- never felt this way before
* Functional human being, started working, my life became regulated

Both me or my psychiatrist were surprised by these effects, but when you think about PTSD\\CPTSD brain it makes a lot of sense since it looks like ADHD brain, so focusing on top-down control makes so much sense.

Side effects

* Sever dehydration, even lost the thrust signal which made it extremely hard to hydrate well
* Muscle tension
* Fatigue
* sedation- After a while that I had to take tons of caffine to feel awake (more deyhration)
* Looks like aged my skin rapidly from severe dehydration, and no products ever worked to hydrate my skin
* fight-flight mode\\ made me feel like I cannot rest and I must do things all the time and became workaholic - then comes extreme emotional blunting afterwards
* emotional blunting, low motivation, joy and drive to do things (looks like depression)

So, after about 8-10 months, I had to cut it out due to these side effects, but I am more inclined to try adhd meds now, I miss feeling functional and normal.

Serotonin doesn't makes sense and wellbutrin merely enhance mood and energy. Now idk how to manage the side effects. Probably trying smth else soon.

51f.5"5" 137lbs. Started medication May 1 2026: atomoxetine 100mg (fast titration 25mg>50>75>100mg every 5 days until 100mg) and guanfacine(3mg)

My resting hearate has increased from 66–85 to 90–115 bpm. My sleeping heart rate averages about 90-95 bpm and i barely sleep. Walking around the house raises my heart rate to 130–150 bpm, and I become short of breath and sometimes lightheaded/dizzy. My blood pressure has increased from about 115/75 to around 120/85. I've had other side effects fatigue etc but these physical ones seem to outweigh any benefits. I need some advice on others experiences do I carry on? Hydrate more? Titrate down? I plan on contacting my NP psychiatrist again today about this.

I know the meds take a long time to kick in but the heartrate and breathlessness and insomnia have me concerned.

Edit to add: i have a f/up appt in 10 days. I sent a message thru the portal but she doesnt respond to messages from my experience.

I recently started treatment with Atominex (Atomoxetine) 40mg and wanted to share my experiences.

DAYS 1-3: I took the medication in the morning after a meal. I experienced a mild headache and intense drowsiness; I even napped for a few hours during the day. I wasn't expecting any positive effects yet, as this medication works cumulatively.

DAYS 4-5: I was extremely sleepy and had no motivation to do anything. On the 5th day, I completely crashed and slept all day. Consequently, I switched to taking the medication at 11:00 PM; I woke up at 3:00 AM and couldn't get back to sleep until 5:00 AM.

DAY 6: Despite the interrupted sleep, I felt energetic, and my focus improved significantly.

DAY 7: Since taking it in the evening disrupted my sleep, I switched back to morning dosing.

DAYS 7-15: Things went very well. Procrastination decreased, focus improved, anxiety eased, and mental chatter subsided. I also noticed something interesting: I used to rarely dream or remember my dreams, but during this period, I started having regular, vivid dreams every night.

DAY 16 (Current): Suddenly, all the effects vanished; I feel like I've reverted to how I was on days when I didn't take the medication.

I wonder what will happen next. I would appreciate advice from anyone who has had a similar experience or is familiar with this process. 🙏

It's my day 46 on atomoxetine 25 mg and it made my restlessness and irritability vanish, also i have better emotional regulation, noticable better concentration and I feel more present but the tiredness is not going away and it makes me don't wanna do anything should i stop taking this??

Long story short, I (F) have PCOS/PMOS, my GP & Specialists are useless and won’t provide medication to help manage the condition because ‘I’m not actively diabetic or trying to conceive’. So I’m looking into supplements to help instead of prescribed meds.

I have AuDHD and finally titrating on a medication that works after struggling to find the right fit for me and my other health conditions. I’m doing great on Strattera/Atomoxetine!

Before I start taking anything, I try to research it as much as I can so that I know I’m not putting myself at risk. I want to start taking 500mg Berberine with 1500mg L-carnatine for my PCOS but I’ve got mixed results on whether it’s safe to do so. I know I would need to cycle the Berberine on and off every few months. Apparently both my ADHD medication and the Berberine inhibit the same kidney enzyme so I’m dubious as to whether it would be more dangerous than not.

Does anyone take the same combination of supplements & meds? Or have any knowledge?

TLDR; is Berberine safe to take with atomoxetine for PCOS management?

8 weeks in. I started at 25 mg strattera and have been on 50 mg for the past 5 weeks. I'm a mid-30s female and currently weaning my baby from nursing.

I haven't noticed any major changes overall, but yesterday I was able to finish an urgent task and sit through 3.5 hours of work straight, which honestly hasn't happened in years unless I'm doing something I'm really interested in. I had some chills and mild nausea, but they were manageable. What worries me more is that I've been having palpitations and a feeling of chest pressure for about 2 weeks now. I just read about the side effects, and now I'm a bit scared. Why it has to be like this 😔 😪