I am very excited to see how it affects me
I'm very afraid it will alter my personality traits and take away creativity, assertiveness or sex appeal from me but we will see
hi, i started taking atomoxetine (one 40mg pill for the first three days and 80mg after day three split between two pills), and im having side effects like feeling kinda dull emotionally yet i start to break down crying at the littlest things or things that made me sad seem x100 more painful than it is?
i also feel spaced out and when i sleep, i randomly wake up around 3-4 am and can’t go back to sleep till 7 am. i wanted to know if anyone else went through this and if it gets better?
I’ve been taking 80 mg of Strattera (atomoxetine), and I’m wondering if anyone else who trains regularly has noticed changes in how they experience intense exercise — both mentally and physically.
I’ve always been a very active person and have trained hard and consistently for around 16 years, including both cardio and endurance training. Before starting Strattera, I was usually very good at pushing through the mental barrier during hard workouts.
When things became extremely difficult and my mind was telling me to stop, I could usually override that voice and keep going. Sometimes probably to a fault.
Since starting Strattera, however, I feel like I’ve developed a kind of mental barrier that I didn’t have before. My threshold for giving up seems much lower. When I want to push myself during a hard session, it feels like my brain is much more likely to tell me to stop rather than allowing me to push through the discomfort like I used to.
I’ve also noticed some physical differences during high-intensity training.
Before Strattera, when a workout became extremely hard, I mainly experienced it as normal physical exhaustion. I could push through it, and although I was exhausted afterwards, I generally felt good and recovered normally.
Now, during very intense sessions, I sometimes feel like I can’t reach the same level of intensity or max heart rate that I used to. It can feel almost as if my body isn’t able to handle the same workload anymore. My heart feels like it’s working very hard, but instead of just feeling like normal intense exercise, I can get an uncomfortable feeling that almost resembles high blood pressure or pressure in my body, and it becomes difficult to sustain the intensity and breathing for a prolonged period.
Another difference is how I feel afterwards. Instead of the usual “good exhaustion” I used to get from hard training, I can sometimes feel slightly sick or unwell during and after the workout, and remain drained for quite a while.
I’m also noticing that Strattera seems to affect me differently depending on the day and on how I take it.
For example, if I’ve trained and eaten a good meal before taking it in the evening, I often feel fine and don’t seem to notice much stomach discomfort or a strong medication effect.
On other days, especially if I haven’t eaten much or have had poor food intake, I seem to notice the medication much more. My stomach can feel unsettled, and it almost feels like my gut is sending signals to my brain that something is wrong. I can then notice a certain level of uneasiness or anxiety and become much more aware that I’ve taken the medication — whereas on other days it can feel almost completely neutral.
Has anyone else on Strattera experienced anything similar, particularly people who do regular endurance/cardio or high-intensity training?
I’m especially interested in hearing about:
Changes in mental drive or ability to push through discomfort
Lower exercise tolerance
Difficulty reaching previous heart-rate/intensity levels
Feeling unusually unwell during or after hard workouts
Differences depending on food intake or when you take Strattera
Whether these effects changed over time or improved after adjusting to the medication
I’m not necessarily saying Strattera is definitely causing all of this — I’m just curious whether anyone else has experienced a similar change after starting it, especially at 80 mg.
I’m starting Strattera 25 mg tomorrow for ADHD, and I’m curious about other people’s experiences with it. Did you notice a difference in your focus, memory, motivation, or ability to complete tasks? If so, how long did it take before you noticed it working?
What were the biggest pros and cons for you? Did you experience any side effects when you first started, and did they eventually go away? I know everyone responds differently, but I’d love to hear your honest experiences, especially from anyone who started at 25 mg.
Has this made anyone violent?
My bf is on 80mg and has been totally angry and mean the past few times he’s drank liquor while on it. Has anyone else felt this way with the medication and alcohol?
Day 1 of taking concerta. (So many side effects I cannot believe)
Here is going to be a short version.
By hour 3, nothing happened. I was still sleepy.
By hour 4 although, I could feel its presence.
By hour 5, I was able to focus on my work.
Hour 6, same, but HR rose to 90-100.
Hour 6 I got very anxious and laser and lost mood
I also had to go to the bathroom, and then my HR stayed at 120 for good 10-20 minutes.
Hour 7-8 It was more calm, I started feeling a little less effects of it and my drowsiness came back.
My blood pressure was normal. My temperature rose to 99F.
To expand onto all of this.
I felt hot since the beginning, I was clenching my jaw, I also did not feel a single bit of euphoria, goodness, or an uplifting of mood. It was like very very subtle focus but at the cost of making me feel a little bit more on the edge and as I started working deep the edginess also increased. My first experience was therefore, very mild in terms of any good thing happening but reactions and side effects were more or less all felt and happened.
I had 7hr+sleep with sleep score of 95, I am strictly vegan with the exemption of egg whites. I noticed increase in appetite, becoming less social and more jittery if anyone came to talk to me. I was purposefully not being engaging.
So my concern runs pretty deep now, this all happened with just 18mg dosage. I feel very wronged in terms of how good people’s reaction to this has been as seen on so many occasions but mine was so underwhelming, I cannot consciously even speak to any goodness that I might’ve felt.
This is so discouraging for me for a lot of reasons that I don’t want to get into. I really needed this Concerta to happen to me as it does for other people.
Background : I’ve got PCOS and have been dieting this year to lose some weight and it’s been SLOW (normal for me unfortunately). And I hit a plateau for several months.
I’ve been on a cut for the past 6 weeks and tracking my calories. Started strattera 2 weeks ago. My stubborn weight that wouldn’t budge for months has suddenly dropped a pound! Which might not sound like much but for someone who weighs every day for months….i couldn’t go even 0.1 pounds under my lowest (fluctuating) weight. And now suddenly a pound gone! I’m ecstatic 🤩
But not sure what caused the difference? The meds haven’t had much impact on my appetite aside from first few days and since I was tracking I noticed I didn’t have enough calories in me so forced myself to eat more lol
So my diet hasn’t changed.
I’ve searched through this group and most people seem to lose weight due to change of diet …
So now I’m wondering…Does strattera increase metabolism?? Maybe it’s the fact I feel relaxed for first time in my life? 😅 I know a lot of my weight gain is stress related.
Anyone else experiencing this? Please share and give me hope 😅😂
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.
I have been taking generic atomoxetine at 40mg for 2 months. I'm due to titrate up to 60mg in a few days.
My appetite decreased really soon after taking it. It came back a little bit, but I'm still really struggling to not lose weight. This isn't good for me as I'm already really slim. I also have digestive issues, so eating too much high fat food makes me feel unwell. That's not usually an issue as I'm able to eat enough to maintain my weight (usually 110-113lb, I'm 5ft 4).
I think I'm feeling more emotionally regulated than I was before, so I'd rather not quit the medication. But I can't afford to lose any more weight.
If your appetite decreased, did it ever return to normal? If so, how long did that take? Thanks
Hello all, I’m (29F) 3 months on Strattera 20 mg once in the morning. Was on 10 mg for 4 weeks then tapered up to 20 mg.
I’ve noticed worsening feeling hot, sweating and dry mouth. At first it seemed that if I drank plenty of water it was tolerable but yesterday I drank 90 oz of water and still felt incredibly hot, sweating and dry. My mouth is so dry and feels like I’m dehydrated.
My psych said we could start and anticholinergic if it becomes intolerable but I don’t love that idea right now, I’m hoping it’s something that will just pass/improve with time.
Wondering if anyone else has experienced similar ?
Has anyone noticed mood changes with atomoxetine? I was at 60mg, I went up to 80 mg and after two weeks, I noticed every evening around 6pm, my mood shifts to feeling hopeless and negative. I'm not a depressed person at all so this has been a little jarring.
I'll be hopefully switching back to 60mg, just curious if this has happened with anyone else.
(Tried going up because I used to take vyvanse which was great for my ADHD, doctor then took me off it as my heart rate was too high. Atomoxetine has been VERY "meh". Started on 10mg and slowly worked my way up over the last year. The only other symptom I've had is excessive sweating).
I have really liked this medicine but can’t sleep like zero hours for several nights. I have had some 2-3 hour nights of if I take something and sometimes that doesn’t work. I understand my insomnia is fear based as when I have something coming up I can’t sleep generally or if I didn’t sleep one night the fear sets in it will happen again. Ugh. I like this medicine but I am not sure how to proceed.
Hello, I am starting Straterra next week after failed attempts with Vyvanse and concerta. I am clearly highly sensitive, and even at 18mg stimulants were too much. Even a strong coffee feels too much for me.
Now the doctor has set my starting dose at 40mg. And I am honestly scared. For what I am reading that is not a starting dose? Has anyone had a successful experience starting at 40mg? I have quite bad health anxiety due to past experiences and I take a long time convincing myself to take a new pill :(. The pill is a capsule so I can't break it in half or anything.
I’m on my fourth day on taking atomoxetine 10mg every night at 9pm and last night I had some weird dreams I swear like every person in my life was in them in some way and i remember each one of the dreams something went wrong in them or I was reliving a traumatic moment. It was so random it’s the only side effect I’ve noticed so far I definitely don’t mind the dreams as I still slept about 12 hours (because I cycle alot) but it was crazy.
They say that I should go to an emergency psychiatric hospital just to get my adhd meds and which i won’t even get a definitive answer if they will describe my meds.
The specialist doctor who gave me my prescription iquit as well.
I have fucking terrible muscle aches that do not go away when I lay down and try to relax and it hurts to walk. And it hurts to cry as well. I’m supposed to start my dream school and I feel like crap and I am too physically exhausted to do anything and it makes me sad and depressed I am also alone in a new city.
I am angry because nobody will describe my meds until I get my physical exam which I am on a very very very long wait list…
I will call emergency psychiatric hospital to get my adhds meds 🙄🙄🙄 I am annoyed because i don’t like going to hospitals and I have muscle aches.
Meanwhile how do I cope whit having whitdrawals?
I’ve had it nonstop for two weeks now.
So I started on Straterra 25mg exactly one week ago today and literally felt the effects within 20 minutes of taking my first dose! I felt instant clarity and alertness. Like coffee actually works the way it's supposed to now. I am mind blown.
I'm on 25mg and was supposed to up my dose to 50mg after the first week but my doctor and I decided not to mess with a good thing and stick with 25mg for now.
The effects have been amazing for me (zero side effects so far aside from decreased appetite). In fact, Im realizing that my anxiety and sense of urgency was my driving force so it took me a few days to adapt to the new sense of calm and actually motivate myself to do anything with it 🤣 but I seem to be on a roll now!
My question is, has anyone experienced these immediate effects and did the initial buzz eventually even out and disappear? I'm feeling so great and am nervous about losing this streak.
Thanks!
For context i was recently diagnosed with inattentive adhd and my psychiatrist opted to prescribe me with atomoxetine/strattera instead of a stimulant due to history with substance abuse.
I have always been very anxious and paranoid when it comes to any medication because of the many side effects people report having. In my own experiences of doing stimulant adhd medication before i was diagnosed i found that they helped me concentrate and gave me more motivation. Although those stimulants caused me to have heart palpitations, excessive sweating and lots of other side effects i really disliked. I have a very weak nervous system, even drinking a cup of coffee can cause me to have anxiety due to my heart rate increase, so when starting strattera i was very sceptical.
I am now on 60 mg and i honestly haven’t experienced any heart palpitations or increase in my blood pressure since i have started with the only side effects i have experienced being stuff like dry mouth, lack of appetite, and a bit sweaty but i can’t tell if that’s just from the uk weather at the moment lol.
I haven’t noticed any super negative side effects or any way that taking Strattera is negatively impacting my life or functioning, however i’m also unable to identify exactly how it is benefiting me?
My psychiatrist has prescribed me to start 80 mg and then 100mg after i finish my next strip and im wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience where they might just need a high dose in order to feel the effects ? Or maybe i am just overly tolerant. I think i’m just worried about any of the anxious side effects.
Is it worth continuing or is this a sign my body just isn't tolerating it? I don't seem to be able to handle the vast majority of meds due to hypersensitivity/super-slow metaboliser. First few weeks were -ok- but was taking a nap every day, which I didn't mind, but in these last few days it's been accompanied by crippling lack of motivation/drive and a depressed mood. I have 18mg I'm due to increase to in 1.5 weeks but tempted to take them sooner to see if it helps. Just wondering if anyone dealt with anything similar? Did it get better for you or did you have to give up on it?
I started taking Strattera 25mg this past week as well as Lexapro 5mg ( first time on any psych meds) but have been smoking weed before this as I found it greatly improves my executive functions and sociability reaallly positively. Haven’t smoked or taken edibles since starting but am really wondering if it would cause any major problems. I’ve gotten past the nausea and drowsiness of the lexapro and the strattera seems to level everything out lol.
Overall, I am very happy with atomoxetine after staying on 80mg for over 2 months, but I am currently switching from 80mg to 60mg because of sweating/heat intolerance and its BP/HR effects.
Life-changing effects: It really improves my impulsivity & emotional dysregulation (decreasing nervousness, rumination, sensitivity to criticism/rejection/abandonment, etc), and hyperactivity, making me a bit calmer as well, and improving my overall energy level (especially in the morning). - I feel much higher self-control, actually being able to pause before reacting and not obsessing over whether minor issues (like not responding) mean someone suddenly hates me.
Other great effects: It also decreases distractibility (and mind wandering) and improves listening to body signals (eating/drinking/sleeping/peeing). It also improves working memory a little bit, I think. - I feel more focused when talking to someone or reading, and I don't forget to eat as much.
However, I feel very little (if any) effect on task initiation, time perception (and organization), and focus level (other than having better self-control and being able to push through the initial brain fog on tasks or break "hyperfocus" more easily, if motivated enough),
so I was wondering whether I am getting the full benefits of medication or whether I should try stimulants. Trying ADHD-focused CBT therapy in the meantime, but it is not quite effective for me (however, has been a great experience so far).
Thank you for any insights!