my 15 yr old son is going to start taking strattera next week in place of his adderall xr he had a difficult time with the adderall not sleeping or eating. i want to make sure he takes the strattera the right way, and make sure he benefits from it with the least possible side affects he is starting with 18mg for 1 wk then to 25mg for 2 wks then 40mgs for 1wk at wich point we'll go back to the doctor to review how he's doing on the strattera. Any information on how to take it so it benefits him more is greatly appreciated thank you
megine cervantes
When is the best time to take strattera (morn,lunch, or bedtime) and should it be taken with food ?
Question posted by MegineC on 10 May 2013
Last updated on 19 March 2015 by mr-vincent
This question has also been asked and answered here: Strattera vs Adderall: What is the difference?
3 Answers
mr-vincent
19 March 2015
Hi, I'm 24 yrs old, I just started to take this med, I took today my third dose. I feel really dizzy, also I can fall asleep for few minutes on job time, very bad...
What I can tell you, is that this drug is not a psychostimulant, it act like an antidepressor. This is a norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake inhibitor, so this takes up to 4-6 weeks before the benefits appears. So taking it in the morning or at the bedtime won't change anything for the ADHD, it is active all the time. But at the dose time, you may get some side effects for up to 12 hours.
If he don't eat when you give it in the morning and, and have problems sleeping, give him 2-3 hours before bedtime, he should be able to sleep better and eat more... If the side effects are too much disturbing talk to your doctor about it, if he takes it for more than 6 weeks, don't stop dosing instantly, this will cause a very bad feeling for a week for him.
smileyhappy
10 May 2013
Megine,
My son tried Strattera and he took it as soon as he got up. Unfortunately that med caused him to feel angry. He said he felt like punching someone. That was after only about 2 weeks. So we tried Vyvanse. That worked well but took away all his appetite. So the doctor prescribed Ciproheptadine 2mg only. It is to give him appetite. It worked a bit but not enough. He just was not eating enough. So he could not put on weight and grow. So he tried Concerta with the Ciproheptadine. That is fine and he eats and has grown finally. A lot of the Adhd meds make you loose your appetite. My son is 14.
Hope this helps you.
MegineC
11 May 2013
I appreciate the info it's helps me a lot my son already has anger issues. insomnia and no appetite. i haven't started him on it yet cause i wanted to let the adderall get out of his system and it's been a little over a week since he stopped that one, and honestly he is doing fine not being on anything. But the doctor doesn't agree and just wants to keep pumping him full of pills. and it bothers me cause my nephew was put on prozac and adderall at the age of five after about 2 yrs of being on it he went in to a coma and is now catatonic there is just no life left in him he just sits there an stares in to space . and all because a doctor cared more about lining his pockets then correctly diagnosing and treating again thank you for your input
smileyhappy
13 May 2013
Hi Megine,
I think you should go with your gut feeling and talk to your son. He is at the age he can tell you how he feels not being on anything. My son started at around 12 I think and I felt so blessed that he could communicate with me how he would feel on these meds. For instance with the Strattera his Pediatrician wanted me to try him an extra week but I only tried 2 days and my son would tell me how bad he felt. I just communicated to the doctor that this med was just not working for him and he agreed to try something else. We continued until we found the Concerta and Ciproheptadine was a good fit for my son. Also I wean him off in the summer and he goes back on during School. He likes it that way. It gives him a break and he feels himself but his Adhd sure kicks in the summer. He is hyper but does not need to concentrate. The whole family needs to adjust with him in the summer.
But when School starts he is ready to go on his meds because he needs to be able to still and concentrate. He is in grade 9 now and there is a lot to study.
I will friend you if you want to Private message me o.k.?
Take care,
MegineC
14 May 2013
he has decide he wants to try it so we'll see how it goes and yes it's ok to add me
smileyhappy
14 May 2013
All right just got you adding me as a friend too so now we can do private messages if you want.
Well I wish your son luck on the Strattera hope it works for him!
rftn10
23 May 2013
I been taking strattera for a few years on an 0ff, for me strattera does not work on a empty stomach or a full stomach. It works a few hours after I have eaten.
Kellyjo63
17 Nov 2013
As someone else said, there are a lot of different ways these drugs affect people. My 13 year old has taken Vyvanse and it had a horrible affect on him. He has been on Straterra now for 3 months, no side affects at all and he just made the honor roll for the first time! It's been a great medication for him. I found this website because I was searching for an answer on the same question that someone else had, (morning or night). My son has a real problem swallowing the pills which can wreak havoc in the morning so I wanted to see if anyone had issues taking it at night. Since it is not time released, my thought is that it shouldn't matter. Love having this connection to talk about this stuff though, glad I did a search!
smileyhappy
17 Nov 2013
Most of these meds if you use them after eleven am they will keep you awake. That's what the Pharmacist told me. And my son told me too!
Kellyjo63
18 Nov 2013
I had him take it last night and he didn't say it kept him awake, so I think we are good! He definitely has to eat before he takes the med, just periodically gives him a little tummy ache if he doesn't have something on his stomach. ;0) I went back and read some of the other comments, just horrible. I will say when my now 26 year old was diagnosed with ADHD, I refused to put him on meds, the schools back then seemed to push it. Now they don't even discuss it. When he was in highschool, he asked if he could be put on meds and they put him on Adderall. He said it helped him to focus, but he didn't like how it made him feel. So he went off of it by his own choice. He graduated, but he certainly isn't a scholar, he did not go to college, although he is thinking of trying to go back to school now.
My youngest who is now taking the Straterra (he has been on it gradually increasing dosage for 2 months now) just made honor roll for the first time ever! The med is not making him lose his appetite and as I stated earlier, he has NO side affects whatsoever. For him, it has been a game changer for sure, he is so excited about making honor roll, he wants us to frame his report card! LOL
DzooBaby
10 May 2013
What has the Dr recommended? Usually these meds are taken in the early AM but Strattera is not a stimulant so if he is bothered by side effects, it may be better to take it later in the day or at bedtime. Some people get drowsy from it and some people feel jittery and have insomnia and some people dont have any noticeable side effects. Try the morning and see how he does then adjust from there if needed. One thing to be on the alert for is if your son begins to become depressed. This drug, in some adolescents and young adults , has been known to increase risk of suicidal ideation so if he starts to feel down depressed or hopeless, get him to his Dr right away!!
MegineC
10 May 2013
Thank you for the info the doctor really didn't explain the medication to me just told me to look it up on line. She just gave him a few sample boxes and said she'd see how he was doing in a month. The doctors in my area have a bad habit of handing out meds that are not needed. And care more about putting money in there pockets then actually treating their patients properly.
Poodle_Momma
2 Oct 2013
I don't even think that is ethical to tell a patient to avoid answering med questions, and then to suggest the Internet as your resource on the drug! We all know everyone responds differently, and there is a lot of free advice available both good and bad "On the Internet!"
How about the doc does his job and answers questions you have and at minimum encourage you to ask your PHARMACIST for more drug information. Wowzers!
Related topics
adderall xr, strattera, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), food, sleeping
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