The strattera thing again…
Question:
Yes it is. I did ask the shrink about possibly adding adderal to it, or trying a med that was a bit more engaging as far as energy levels go, but he is afraid that a stim med will cause my fibro pain to get worse, as they can tend to give one neck and shoulder tightness, (which is a major area of pain for me.) My doc and shrink want me to see a psych though for med management. Maybe they’ll get things straightened out that way. Thank you for your imput!
FWIW, I’ve found Focalin to have the fewest physical side effects of the stims. I’m currently giving Strattera a try as the traditional stims tend to leave me a bit overfocused, making it easy for me to get stuck on doing just one thing. So far, I’m pretty impressed with it.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Getting started is always hard. I didn’t notice any effect from the meds. But one day I picked up one of my college texts. I’d taken the course and passed it. About 3 pages into it I was into material that I had never seen before. That was the first time that I realized that the meds were really doing something. hmmm, thats interesting…so you were enabled to get more out of the effort that you put in.
It was more that I was holding focus on "uninteresting" material a lot longer without really being aware that I was doing it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is Strattera the first med you’ve tried for ADHD? Yes it is. I did ask the shrink about possibly adding adderal to it, or trying a med that was a bit more engaging as far as energy levels go, but he is afraid that a stim med will cause my fibro pain to get worse, as they can tend to give one neck and shoulder tightness, (which is a major area of pain for me.) My doc and shrink want me to see a psych though for med management. Maybe they’ll get things straightened out that way. Thank you for your imput! Personally I had a bad experience with Strattera and I’ve seen enough other reports of bad experiences to urge caution with its use–its main reason for existence is as a "politically correct" alternative to the stimulants. I understand that some physicians do prescribe stimulants to counter the fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, so it’s something to investigate. What kind of bad experience have you had with strattera?
I thought I’d told the whole story on the newsgroup but apparently it was all in email–I’m not finding it when I google. The short version is that I started talking to people who weren’t there, and they started answering. My shrink is ADD himself and takes strattera and swears by it. You are right, some docs will prescribe stimulants for the fatigue that comes with fibro. I am unlucky enough to not have one though. He is also very light handed on handling the pain part of it too. We have tried a lot of different meds, but he will only go so far. Most people I know with fibro take way more meds, and stronger meds than I do. Changing docs really isnt an option, so I hope that when I get to see a psychiatrist that maybe something positive can be done.
I have a good friend who has that same problem (light handed on the pain meds). I don’t know fibromyalgia from the inside but if you’re experiencing anything like she’s experiencing, I do feel for you. I think that this has been one of the unintended consequences of the "war on drugs"–physicians are scared to death that one of their patients might become addicted to something. Some of them don’t have any common sense about it–my friend at one time was charge nurse in a mental hospital (and before anybody makes any comments about "was" she quit when she got married) and thus had a key to a locker full of just about anything she might have wanted–if she didn’t abuse it then it doesn’t seem likely that she’ll start now. She had to go back to work a while back and she’s up for a position in one of the larger general hospitals right now, maybe if she gets it she’ll be able to see someone who has more sense. Mrs. H –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
– –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Response:
To me "lack of energy" is a red flag–have you been evaluated for a sleep disorder? Some sleep disorders produce symptoms similar to those of ADHD, with the addition of chronic exhaustion.
Yeah, I have been evaluated for a sleep disorder, but it has been nearly 12 years ago. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, which enabled me (or enabled me to have insurance pay anyway) to have my stomach stapled and since lost around 100 lbs. After that, the sleep problem went away. I do have fibromyalgia though which in some cases also mimics ADD in that all of us fibromites have a certain amt of brain fog. However, the symptoms of ADD that I show now, have been with me from childhood. Back then everyone just assumed that I was a slow learner and a disorganized mess. I am still a slow learner, but far from stupid. Once I catch on to a concept I can run with it. Its the catching on part that is the problem. oh… and I am still a disorganized mess… but I’m slowly working on that. With ADHD if the meds are working right and you aren’t getting side effects you probably won’t _feel_ any different. The only way you’ll know that it’s working is that you’ll be doing things that you wouldn’t or couldn’t do before you started taking it. Ask your family and friends if they notice any difference in you. ADDers are notoriously poor self-observers.
Ahh… what you say here is much the same as what my shrink has told me. I guess that its a case of…if there is a problem I have, which treatment can help with, I want it to work NOW. I have asked my husband if he sees any differenct in me… and his reply is ‘not much’. I would have to agree with him there. Inside my head I am considering making changes… thinking of what I need to do…planning possible courses of action… but I still can’t seem to get them from the ‘thinking about them’ phase into the ‘acting about them’ phase. This is VERY frustrating to both me and the hubby. I have a computer which I do all of my scheduling on. I set reminders for things that I have to do, keep notes on my doc appoinments, keep notes on my shrink apts so that I wont forget what we have worked on. I also have a palm pilot that I take everywhere which has the same info on it. Still though, my desk is a mess… bedside table is a mess…I have paperwork that needs to be done like last month, let alone today…and I kick my own arse daily for not getting enough important things done. Something that my mother used to say to me as a child comes to mind… She would tell me, "J… if you had a brain, you would be dangerous". This tells me that one… my mother was a jerk, and that two…I must have either acted before thinking a lot as a child, or just didn’t get anything at all done. Is Strattera the first med you’ve tried for ADHD?
Yes it is. I did ask the shrink about possibly adding adderal to it, or trying a med that was a bit more engaging as far as energy levels go, but he is afraid that a stim med will cause my fibro pain to get worse, as they can tend to give one neck and shoulder tightness, (which is a major area of pain for me.) My doc and shrink want me to see a psych though for med management. Maybe they’ll get things straightened out that way. Thank you for your imput! Mrs. H – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mrs. H — –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – To me "lack of energy" is a red flag–have you been evaluated for a sleep disorder? Some sleep disorders produce symptoms similar to those of ADHD, with the addition of chronic exhaustion. Yeah, I have been evaluated for a sleep disorder, but it has been nearly 12 years ago. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, which enabled me (or enabled me to have insurance pay anyway) to have my stomach stapled and since lost around 100 lbs. After that, the sleep problem went away. I do have fibromyalgia though which in some cases also mimics ADD in that all of us fibromites have a certain amt of brain fog. However, the symptoms of ADD that I show now, have been with me from childhood. Back then everyone just assumed that I was a slow learner and a disorganized mess. I am still a slow learner, but far from stupid. Once I catch on to a concept I can run with it. Its the catching on part that is the problem. oh… and I am still a disorganized mess… but I’m slowly working on that. With ADHD if the meds are working right and you aren’t getting side effects you probably won’t _feel_ any different. The only way you’ll know that it’s working is that you’ll be doing things that you wouldn’t or couldn’t do before you started taking it. Ask your family and friends if they notice any difference in you. ADDers are notoriously poor self-observers. Ahh… what you say here is much the same as what my shrink has told me. I guess that its a case of…if there is a problem I have, which treatment can help with, I want it to work NOW. I have asked my husband if he sees any differenct in me… and his reply is ‘not much’. I would have to agree with him there. Inside my head I am considering making changes… thinking of what I need to do…planning possible courses of action… but I still can’t seem to get them from the ‘thinking about them’ phase into the ‘acting about them’ phase. This is VERY frustrating to both me and the hubby. I have a computer which I do all of my scheduling on. I set reminders for things that I have to do, keep notes on my doc appoinments, keep notes on my shrink apts so that I wont forget what we have worked on. I also have a palm pilot that I take everywhere which has the same info on it. Still though, my desk is a mess… bedside table is a mess…I have paperwork that needs to be done like last month, let alone today…and I kick my own arse daily for not getting enough important things done. Something that my mother used to say to me as a child comes to mind… She would tell me, "J… if you had a brain, you would be dangerous". This tells me that one… my mother was a jerk, and that two…I must have either acted before thinking a lot as a child, or just didn’t get anything at all done.
Getting started is always hard. I didn’t notice any effect from the meds. But one day I picked up one of my college texts. I’d taken the course and passed it. About 3 pages into it I was into material that I had never seen before. That was the first time that I realized that the meds were really doing something. Is Strattera the first med you’ve tried for ADHD? Yes it is. I did ask the shrink about possibly adding adderal to it, or trying a med that was a bit more engaging as far as energy levels go, but he is afraid that a stim med will cause my fibro pain to get worse, as they can tend to give one neck and shoulder tightness, (which is a major area of pain for me.) My doc and shrink want me to see a psych though for med management. Maybe they’ll get things straightened out that way. Thank you for your imput!
Personally I had a bad experience with Strattera and I’ve seen enough other reports of bad experiences to urge caution with its use–its main reason for existence is as a "politically correct" alternative to the stimulants. I understand that some physicians do prescribe stimulants to counter the fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, so it’s something to investigate. Mrs. H Mrs. H — –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
– –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Response:
Getting started is always hard. I didn’t notice any effect from the meds. But one day I picked up one of my college texts. I’d taken the course and passed it. About 3 pages into it I was into material that I had never seen before. That was the first time that I realized that the meds were really doing something.
hmmm, thats interesting…so you were enabled to get more out of the effort that you put in. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is Strattera the first med you’ve tried for ADHD? Yes it is. I did ask the shrink about possibly adding adderal to it, or trying a med that was a bit more engaging as far as energy levels go, but he is afraid that a stim med will cause my fibro pain to get worse, as they can tend to give one neck and shoulder tightness, (which is a major area of pain for me.) My doc and shrink want me to see a psych though for med management. Maybe they’ll get things straightened out that way. Thank you for your imput! Personally I had a bad experience with Strattera and I’ve seen enough other reports of bad experiences to urge caution with its use–its main reason for existence is as a "politically correct" alternative to the stimulants. I understand that some physicians do prescribe stimulants to counter the fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, so it’s something to
investigate. What kind of bad experience have you had with strattera? My shrink is ADD himself and takes strattera and swears by it. You are right, some docs will prescribe stimulants for the fatigue that comes with fibro. I am unlucky enough to not have one though. He is also very light handed on handling the pain part of it too. We have tried a lot of different meds, but he will only go so far. Most people I know with fibro take way more meds, and stronger meds than I do. Changing docs really isnt an option, so I hope that when I get to see a psychiatrist that maybe something positive can be done. Mrs. H – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Response:
Hey Mrs. H, Ok…I am really getting frustrated, and would love it if someone could tell me if this is a normal course of action for a med to take. (Did that make sense? *foggy*) I was put on 40 mg of strattera once/day about 2 weeks ago. I went to the doc 3 days ago and he asked me if I was feeling anything from it… as in more ability to focus, more drive to get things done etc. I told him that I feel NOTHING different. He increased my dose to 60mg/day. I still feel nothing.
I’m not sure how it works with Strattera but from what I’ve heard it can take weeks to work like SSRIs do, maybe it could take as long as a month or six weeks like I’ve had on an SSRI? If so it could take the same amount of time after each dose increase for any difference to be apparent. I’d give it some more time to work before giving something else a try. I still have very low energy…Can’t seem to get started on things… -or- if I do happen to get started, I am in my zone and nobody better bug me (hehe). I would quite happily sleep my days away if life would let me. I am also on Effexor for depression, and xanax and norco for pain (I have a chronic pain condition which is also currently inadequately managed, but thats another story). I think that the main issue really… is the lack of energy. I want to feel more awake… more alive… To be excited about life, instead of hoping that the day goes by quickly and uneventfully. I know that exercise would improve my energy levels, but it also increases my pain, and then sends me in a downward spiral.
Could it be the Xanax, your other med you use for pain or even the Effexor? I know that with Xanax you can feel a lack of energy even with long-term use. You might want to have a talk with the doc who prescribes your depression med if the Strattera doesn’t work out for you to see if you could try a more *stimulating* anti depressant than Effexor, if you aren’t anxious maybe something like Wellbutrin or Prozac might be able to offset the tiredness from the Xanax? Whenever you mix different meds it’s always a trial to find the right balance and can take some time to work out, you always need to change *one* med at a time so you can differentiate what causes what effect. As for exercise, can you think of anything you might be able to do slowly and carefully that won’t increase the pain a *lot*? I’ve found with any increase in exercise level I have a *temporary* increase in pain until my muscle strength increases and takes the added burden from my joints. It was *very* hard to get to the point where I actually dared to start moving(I think I developed a phobic reaction to exercise because of the pain I had) but I am slowly but surely seeing results. Up till now I’ve been trying to walk regularly for up to half an hour and have progressed to bicycling to the local shops a few times per week on top of my daily stretching and soon I’m hoping to join a(really expensive) fitness centre which has only physiotherapists as instructors so I can get the outside structure and guidance that my ADHD brain seems to need. A few years ago even progressive relaxation techniques where you tense a muscle at a time before relaxing it used to wear me out but now I’m able to take my dog for short walks despite her bad behaviour which I *am* working on! It’s gone depressingly slowly with a lot of mistakes made along the way due to my impulsivity in trying to do too much too fast and I must admit that I never thought I’d get this far but for me it’s been worth it! Since I don’t know the nature of your pain this could be totally useless for you and in that case I apologise… hopefully you can find a way to move without causing too much pain. Can anyone relate, or make suggestions, or kick my arse out of this funk or something? I’m sick of being stagnant and want to move on…I see what is ahead of me… I want to reach out for it, but I can never quite reach it.
{{{Mrs. H}}} That stagnant feeling really drags you down, doesn’t it? I really hope you can find a way to feel better soon! Take care, Vashti
Response:
Ok…I am really getting frustrated, and would love it if someone could tell me if this is a normal course of action for a med to take. (Did that make sense? *foggy*) I was put on 40 mg of strattera once/day about 2 weeks ago. I went to the doc 3 days ago and he asked me if I was feeling anything from it… as in more ability to focus, more drive to get things done etc. I told him that I feel NOTHING different. He increased my dose to 60mg/day. I still feel nothing. I still have very low energy…Can’t seem to get started on things… -or- if I do happen to get started, I am in my zone and nobody better bug me (hehe). I would quite happily sleep my days away if life would let me. I am also on Effexor for depression, and xanax and norco for pain (I have a chronic pain condition which is also currently inadequately managed, but thats another story). I think that the main issue really… is the lack of energy. I want to feel more awake… more alive… To be excited about life, instead of hoping that the day goes by quickly and uneventfully. I know that exercise would improve my energy levels, but it also increases my pain, and then sends me in a downward spiral. Can anyone relate, or make suggestions, or kick my arse out of this funk or something? I’m sick of being stagnant and want to move on…I see what is ahead of me… I want to reach out for it, but I can never quite reach it. Mrs. H
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok…I am really getting frustrated, and would love it if someone could tell me if this is a normal course of action for a med to take. (Did that make sense? *foggy*) I was put on 40 mg of strattera once/day about 2 weeks ago. I went to the doc 3 days ago and he asked me if I was feeling anything from it… as in more ability to focus, more drive to get things done etc. I told him that I feel NOTHING different. He increased my dose to 60mg/day. I still feel nothing. I still have very low energy…Can’t seem to get started on things… -or- if I do happen to get started, I am in my zone and nobody better bug me (hehe). I would quite happily sleep my days away if life would let me. I am also on Effexor for depression, and xanax and norco for pain (I have a chronic pain condition which is also currently inadequately managed, but thats another story). I think that the main issue really… is the lack of energy. I want to feel more awake… more alive… To be excited about life, instead of hoping that the day goes by quickly and uneventfully. I know that exercise would improve my energy levels, but it also increases my pain, and then sends me in a downward spiral. Can anyone relate, or make suggestions, or kick my arse out of this funk or something? I’m sick of being stagnant and want to move on…I see what is ahead of me… I want to reach out for it, but I can never quite reach it.
To me "lack of energy" is a red flag–have you been evaluated for a sleep disorder? Some sleep disorders produce symptoms similar to those of ADHD, with the addition of chronic exhaustion. With ADHD if the meds are working right and you aren’t getting side effects you probably won’t _feel_ any different. The only way you’ll know that it’s working is that you’ll be doing things that you wouldn’t or couldn’t do before you started taking it. Ask your family and friends if they notice any difference in you. ADDers are notoriously poor self-observers. Is Strattera the first med you’ve tried for ADHD? Mrs. H
– –John Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
