Strattera(ADHD med) making me feel like crap

[doubLe a tom]

Seriously just tell your doctor strattera is making you feel like [censored] and you would like try adderall. If he says no, then go elsewhere.

[elonkra]

[ QUOTE ]
After I went through the ADHD testing, I just told my doctor that I had self-medicated with Adderall, and that I knew it worked for me.

He wrote me a Rx for it no problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. I just started Ritalin a few months ago after trying a co-workers scrip a few times and liking how it helped me at work. I scheduled an ADHD appointment with her doctor, answered some questions about my symptoms, got interviewed about the same and told him I'd tried one of his patient's ritalin w/success, got scrip, end of story. OP, you're not asking your doctor for Oxycontin, he's already diagnosed, don't worry so much about asking direct questions, there's nothing wrong with trying to get the right medication. FWIW, I have friends who didn't like Adderall because of the ebb and flow (they say it tends to "come in waves" but I couldn't really tell that much of a difference the one time I tried it), I also have friends who didn't like Ritalin because it was "too much" or because it "gave them the shakes." Each group of friends has had success w/the opposite pill. Tell your doctor what's wrong with the pill you're taking and see what he says--he'll probably mention ritalin or adderall, tell him what you understand to be the differences between the two or ask him to explain the differences and to steer you towards one or the other based on what you and he think would work best for you.

For what it's worth, I remember this doc babbling some stuff at the end of the interview about it being a schedule II drug, about how I needed to make sure not to lose the scrip cuz it couldn't be replaced, and about how I should let people know I'm on it if ever drug tested, but I don't know all the regs about how often you have to visit and get a new prescription. This guy wasn't a GP, he is primarily a depression, ADHD, and weight loss "health care specialist." Maybe that means he's a quack who charged me way more than I should've paid and maybe GP's are more reluctant to prescribe these but there's someone in your town who will hook you up, look in the phone book if you have trouble. FWIW, I think I had to come back in one month for a follow-up visit, and I'm about to have to go back for my six-month follow-up, my understanding is that I'll only have to go back once a year after that. I was told by friends who used ritalin/adderall that they built up a bit of a tolerance over time. My doc suggests not taking the pills on saturdays and sundays, and reports that the percentage of his patients who have "tolerance issues" is down from 20% to 5% since he started suggesting taking two days a week off. I have a tendency to build up a tolerance to drugs pretty quickly, and I work so much I don't really follow this rule religiously, although I often take only one 20mg pill a day when I'm prescribed two if I feel like I'm getting stuff done after my morning pill. Because of this tolerance problem, I was told by friends who'd tried ADHD meds that it's not a bad idea to try and use the med as a "kickstart" in conjunction with a behavior modification program (see google or common sense for ideas), in which you try to address some of your underlying issues--at least some part of your problem is likely a product of bad habits, and not biology. At the very least, it's better to try and make some affirmative changes in your routine that might help w/your concentration/productivity/whatever issues than it is to expect to sit back and watch the scrip act as some sort of a cure-all, because it's NOT likely to fix your problem all by itself. With all that said, when I mentioned my friends' experiences to my doc and asked how long I should expect to be prescribed the drug, he said he typically tries to work on a five-year plan with his patients, but that many will stay on the drug indefinitely if no problems arise and the drug continues to produce results that wouldn't otherwise follow. At least according to him, ritalin has been around forever and doesn't have any known long-term health risks. Separate and apart from the tolerance problem, it's still really easy to "focus" on all of the wrong things, like posting in an ADHD thread on 2+2 at 3:30am when you've got a hearing you haven't prepared for in five and a half hours (also, run like hell from law school--you're making a horrible mistake). Lastly, buying adderall or ritalin from someone and medicating without a prescription isn't really the same thing as "abusing" the drug. My understanding--and my experience, as a person who is relatively prone to addiction development--is that ritalin isn't a highly addictive drug. I never have a "craving" for the drug, although I do love how it gets me into my work. It has a high potential for abuse, but I think "abuse" in this context means overmedicating/snorting it (not really sure of what the affect or purpose of this is, to be honest), using it to pull all-nighters and thereby not getting a healthy amount of sleep, using it to stay up for days on end while driving a big rig, so forth and so on. Anyway, guess I oughta use my ritalin high to get some work done...

[pergesu]

I think I might go see a doctor. I've got ridiculous ADD.

[jws43yale]

Yeah, I wish I could ADD meds for occasional use. Sometimes it is bad and sometimes not. I also need to get an ambien or other sleeping pill script. Problem is basically impossible to get as an athlete and docs would not give a stimulant and a sleeping pill. Maybe I will try to get Provigil instead of Adderall.

[elonkra]

[ QUOTE ]
docs would not give a stimulant and a sleeping pill

[/ QUOTE ]

don't think this is true

[SNOWBALL]

All of those side effects are very common, so your psychiatrist will definitely believe you. However, 4 days is NOTHING. The side effects may go away, and the benefit you derive from the medicine may increase. In another month, your psychiatrist might decide to adjust your strattera dosage, or to switch you to another medication. I doubt he/she will call you a liar.

[John Spartan]

hey snowball. he started me on the 2nd lowest dose and i got sides and 4 days afterward he had me on the next highest dose. i don't believe there's any way he would switch me to the lowest dose instead of giving me another med or nothing.

doses come in 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, and 100 mg.

he started me on 40 and then 60 mg.

[wezvidz]

Yeah, like others said, just be open about what you want.

I work in a pharmacy and Adderall is a big time mover.. much more than Strattera. Obviously it's a CII and chemically just amphetamine, so I see where your reservations come from. But you aren't planning on using your 'script to sell it to your friends or use it just for recreation, so there's no reason to feel guilty or anything.

It's similar to antidepressants where you are the one who knows if you need it or not, so tell the doctor what you want.

[John Spartan]

thanks wez that post was very useful coming from someone who works in a pharmacy. am i right when i said i thought that someone in the US can only get 30 days worth of a schedule II drug like adderall at a time? i know that no refills are allowed, but is it a 30 or 60 day supply that is the maximum that can be prescribed at once?

you don't happen to know how much dexedrine you see run through your pharmacy, do you?

also ritalin and concerta? how do those three i just mentioned compare in popularity at your pharmacy to adderall?

thanks.

[PokeReader]

Look up information online on treatments and side effects. Tell him side effects too much, in fact I would call the office and tell them the urination thing is much too much, and you need to stop the med. It you have been on ant-depressants and had problems, tell him, tell him you want to try the other meds. Tell him that the Strattera helped, but not enough. Then suggest the other meds, if he says no, ask why? If he gives you a bs answer about controlled substances say I don't understand, most people with this are on those meds, can't you just follow me closer? Because most people don't become addicted right? If still no, he's one of those super limited prescribers, and you need to find a new doctor. There should be some online doctor services that can tell you a doctor's general prescription philosophy.