Strattera (atomoxetine)

[Valentijn]

I've started taking Strattera today, for OI problems. It's supposed to take 4+ days to start feeling effects, but I've already got a nice buzz going, and I'm feeling very alert, but in a pleasant way.

I'm on the lowest dose: 18mg. Is this normal? No idea if it's helping for OI yet

 

[Sushi]

I've started taking Strattera today, for OI problems. It's supposed to take 4+ days to start feeling effects, but I've already got a nice buzz going, and I'm feeling very alert, but in a pleasant way.

I'm on the lowest dose: 18mg. Is this normal? No idea if it's helping for OI yet

Strattera completely eliminated OI for me--as long as I took it every few hours. An autonomic specialist prescribed it for me and he said that for OI, a low dose was best. I think I took 10 - 20 mg--no more than that. I had to "ease into it" over about a month as it gave me some erratic buzzed, zonked responses until I got used to it. I took a part capsule to get used to it.

After I was used to it, I had no side-effects. When my dose wore off, I knew it as soon as I stood up. Then I'd take another dose and in half an hour, no OI. My doc said it seemed to work for about half his patients.

It obviously isn't a cure, but it sure did eliminate symptoms.

Hope it works for you, but if you get some funny side-effects at first, try opening the capsule and dumping some of it into and empty capsule and/or taking it every other day till you get used to it. This was my doc's recommendation.

Sushi

 

[voner]

sushi,

Fascinating. what symptoms were resolved? OI Symptoms are so varied.

 

[Sushi]

sushi,

Fascinating. what symptoms were resolved? OI Symptoms are so varied.

I just had no symptoms of OI, no problem standing or walking, no feeling of energy draining downwards, no light-headedness, no heavy legs.

Sushi

 

[snowathlete]

Interesting. Glad its working for you Val.
How is it supposed to work?

 

[Valentijn]

Interesting. Glad its working for you Val.
How is it supposed to work?

It sounds like it does stuff with norepinephrine receptors, and it's an NRI, so it should keep my existing norepinphrine in use longer before it breaks down. And norepinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, which should help with blood flow when upright.

My blood platelet norepinephrine was very low some months ago, so I figured I'd give it a shot. It seems to be keeping me standing up and a lot more active so far today. I feel like doing pushups or going for a hike or something, but am holding myself back and taking it easy to start with - not sure if that feeling of excess energy is a real physical thing or just a mental thing I've got a general feeling of physical and mental well-being, and seem to be more alert and capable of multi-tasking.

I'd like to try splitting the 18mg into two doses to see if that helps with the nice-but-a-little-too-intense startup side-effects, but don't have access to empty capsules for the next 10 days or so (unless there's some for the cat around here still).

 

[Valentijn]

Here's a summary of my Day 1 experience of Strattera:
5:15 am - Woke up
7:00 am - Took 18mg Strattera
7:30 am - Started feeling buzzed
8:30 am - Feeling of mental and physical well-being
9:00 am - Feeling warm (like a healthy person!), standing up longer and easier
Noon - Nap, no problem falling asleep, buzz gone
4:00 pm - Not feeling quite as great, but still good
7:30 pm - Feeling pretty "normal" - feeling of well-being gone, a little light-headed again, tired

I'm going to try taking it an hour or so later tomorrow to see if it's easier to stay up til 9 or 10pm. Light-headedness is usually not as bad in the morning anyhow, so makes sense to take it closer to when symptoms typically get worse.

I was much more active than usual today. I made a stir-fry type meal with some chopping involved, and baked brownies. Also shaved and went down and up stairs without much problem, though still not easy. When I did get a little worn out, I only needed to lay down for a few minutes - usually takes 30-60 minutes to recover.

 

[Valentijn]

DAY 2
6:30 am - woke up, had lots of dreams
8:30 am - took 18mg Strattera
9:45 am - feeling of well-being, no buzz
10:00 am - feeling a bit hyper - want to be active!
10:00 am - Shower, folding laundry - standing and bending, a little out of breath and sore after
10:20 am - just needed to sit down for 10 minutes, not lay down
11:30 am - mild buzz, hyper
noon - nap
2:00 pm - mildly agitated
3:00 pm - agitation gone
4:00 pm - Loaded and started dishwasher, sore back from bending
7:00 pm - Still feeling pretty energetic and alert
8:30 pm - tired, a little light-headed, still have feeling of well-being

 

[Valentijn]

Day 3
6:00 am - woke up, vivid dreams again
8:30 am - took 18mg Strattera
9:20 am - feeling more active, alert
10:30am - slightly buzzed
10:40am - unloaded dishwasher (lots of bending)
10:50am - out of breath a bit
12:25pm - took out trash, down and up stairs
12:35pm - out of breath a bit
1:00 pm - nap
7:00 pm - still feeling good and alert
8:00 pm - tired out, but not exhausted

Over all I'm feeling quite a bit better. I'm getting sore, especially in the evening, but it feels like a "normal" soreness. No problems with OI, just with stamina. Loading and unloading the dishwasher is the most noticeable difference for me so far: I usually couldn't do that at all, since the bending would wipe me out really fast.

 

[Sushi]

Yes, it took me a few weeks to get used to it--then I would take it in the morning and again in the afternoon.

So far so good!

Sushi

 

[Valentijn]

Day 4
7:15 am - woke up
8:15 am - walked down and up the stairs. Needed to lean on the railing, wiped out and panting afterward
8:30 am - took 18mg Strattera
10:30am - walked down and up the stairs, a bit out of breath.
4:30 pm - shower, felt fine
4:45 pm - walked down and up the stairs, a bit out of breath.
5:30 pm - 20 minutes cooking/chopping
9:30 pm - ready to sleep, but not worn out

So I think it's making a big difference with my OI symptoms, but having less effect on my PEM.

 

[Valentijn]

Day 5
7:10 am - woke up
8:30 am - took 18mg Strattera
10:15am - started laundry (down and up stairs, bending)
10:25am - out of breath from walking up stairs
11:50am - laundry (down and up stairs)
12:30pm - laundry (down and up stairs)
5:00 pm - folded laundry
6:00 pm - loaded dishwasher (lots of bending)
7:45 pm - tired
8:45 pm - ready to sleep

 

[Valentijn]

Day 8
7:00 am - woke up
7:10 am - took 18mg Strattera
1:00 pm - cleaned up kitchen, loaded dishwasher
1:30 pm - shower
2:45 pm - took 18mg Strattera (7:45 between doses)
4:45 pm - walked 4 blocks in 10-15 minutes, and down and up the stairs
5:00 pm - a bit out of breath and hips are sore. Legs aren't shaky, and no light-headedness symptoms.

This is my first day taking two doses in one day. At 8:30pm I still feel pretty strong, and not wiped out at all from my walk I didn't get a buzz or anything, but the feeling of strength and wanting to be more active seems more intense. But my hip got pretty sore during the walk, so I'm definitely taking things slowly.

I've also not needed a nap at all the past few days. Don't feel tired midday, don't feel like I need to lay down, don't feel like my brain needs a rest. I just keep on going

I'll probably take the 2nd dose a bit earlier tomorrow. 1:30pm or 2pm.

 

[Sushi]

Sushi

 

[Wayne]

Sushi, I was wondering if you're still taking it, and if so, whether it continues to be as helpful for you as it was in the beginning. OI is a big thing for me. -- Thanks.

 

[Valentijn]

I had trouble falling asleep last night, but hopefully taking the 2nd dose earlier in the day will help with that And, of course, we're totally fogged in this morning so I was awoken by the dulcet tones of ferry fog horns blaring at 5:10am!

I'll just take one dose today, both to take it easy getting used to it, and to make sure I can catch up on missed sleep since I know I'll need a nap. And so I'll have enough pills to last me til my next doctor visit next Monday.

 

[Sushi]

Sushi, I was wondering if you're still taking it, and if so, whether it continues to be as helpful for you as it was in the beginning. OI is a big thing for me. -- Thanks.

Hi Wayne,

I no longer take strattera for several reasons. It never stopped working, but after a couple of years my OI was better and I did not need it so much. I don't like to take medications that I don't absolutely need, and it was also expensive. I have thought of taking it again some time, but this time I think I would try to find a generic--if it is available in one.

Best wishes if you try it!
Sushi

 

[Valentijn]

Day 10
7:15 am - woke up
7:30 am - took 18mg Strattera
1:45 pm - took 18mg Strattera (6:15 between doses)
1:50 pm - laundry, down and up stairs 3 times
6:00 pm - loaded dishwasher
8:00 pm - feeling tired

So either going back to one dose the previous day helped, or taking it an hour earlier helped Feeling pretty good and normal today, though I was pretty inert during the morning.

 

[Valentijn]

Day 12
slept poorly night before, wasn't able to nap
1:00 pm - took 18mg Strattera
3:00 pm - cleaned the kitchen, unloaded the dishwasher, dumped trash
5:00 pm - went out to dinner - 4 blocks walking total, steep hill, 60 minutes sitting upright, down and up stairs

So I had a very active afternoon and evening, and had no problems with it despite being a little short on sleep (probably got 7 hours). I even trotted across a busy intersection after leaving the restaurant

Maybe I can try a movie in a cinema soon

 

[xks201]

pretty impressed that this is getting rid of your OI. Have you tried wellbutrin? Did that help like this does with OI?