Atomoxetine and Dry Mouth: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Elf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2022

For ADHD "I'm a 24-year-old female recently diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and anxiety. I've always struggled with both of those conditions and finally decided to ask the doctor for help. At first, I was on 25 mg twice a day. After 4 weeks, I didn't feel any different and only had dry mouth as a symptom. My doctor upped my dose to 40 mg twice a day, and after 3-4 weeks on that dose, one day I realized I felt so much better. I felt so calm, like I had just meditated but all the time. When there was a chore I needed to do, like cleaning dishes, I just did it, no thinking required. My nighttime routine took me less than 10 minutes when it usually takes an hour. Everything was suddenly so crisp and clear, like the fog I was used to living my life in was just gone. When I had to assign my intern something, instead of feeling super anxious and needing to psych myself up for it like I had the previous week, I just was able to do it. It doesn't solve all of my issues, but it really, really takes the edge off."

• Cub...
• July 17, 2015

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I was diagnosed with depression/anxiety after I failed several ADD medications due to severe constipation. Recently, I learned about taking probiotics for constipation and tried Strattera again. Wow, what a difference. I am much more emotionally stable/focused than I have ever been. Anxiety disappeared. Depression is almost unnoticeable. I'm on Pristiq 50 mg for depression/anxiety, and two days ago, I upped my dose of Strattera to 60 mg. I was at 40 mg for 30 days, and I was much more stable emotionally, better focused & functional. So far, at 60 mg, I'm fully focused and no longer feeling slightly tired. Side effects-wise, slow urination is almost gone. Sexual side effects are moderate, and dry mouth is slight. Give it time to work!!!"

• fav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2017

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I took this med for ADHD with hopes of helping with anxiety and depression. I had headaches right away and began lying in bed all day long. I wanted this to work, so I stuck with it despite constipation, dry mouth/eyes, and headaches. My mood was worsened, and I had a flat affect. I didn't laugh for two weeks. It wasn't until I stopped taking it that I realized how depressed it had made me. Once out of my system, my libido also returned. Drugs change the brain chemistry, and for some, it works, for others, it doesn't. Strattera is not for me."

• Mad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2012

Atomoxetine for Depression "I suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I was given this medicine to help with focus. It reacted in my system as an 'old school' prescription diet pill and exacerbated my symptoms. Reaction included the following symptoms over a period of 4 days: dry mouth, feeling dehydrated, crawling skin and scalp, moderate sinus and eye tension headaches, intense neck and shoulder tension, sleeping issues, very focused and specific brooding thoughts of death and dying, increased racing thoughts, blood pressure shifts, heart palpitations, easily confused, and major short-term memory disruption. Extreme panic/anxiety attacks with 'shock' effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2014

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I am a female, age 21, weight: 110. First day taking it, I experienced: dry mouth, fatigue, head tingles, and no sign of concentration benefits yet. I know that it's supposed to start to work after a few days. Definite appetite suppressant, but I still ate meals. You feel as if you know when it's wearing off. I'll keep updating as the days go by."

• gal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 18, 2017

Atomoxetine for ADHD "So I've been using Strattera 40-50-60 mg for 8 months. The 50 and 60 mg doses got me very confused, and I made a lot of mistakes at my job, so I stopped and restarted with 40 mg. At the beginning, the most common side effects were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, and 'sinus headache'... but it stopped after a couple of weeks. However, I started to get migraines (got 5 since I started taking Strattera)... and I haven't had one for the last 6 years before (I'm 22 years old, and I had a lot of migraines when I was 10-16 years old)... so I will stop taking the medicine. I also hurt my esophagus sphincter while vomiting because of a migraine... and now I have GERD. So even if it makes me feel very calm and I can eat and sleep, I think I'll be better without it."

• vai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2023

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I am a 31-year-old male, and I started Strattera around 5 months back. I started with as low as 10 mg and then increased to 18 mg, 25 mg, 40 mg, and now 60 mg. I started noticing changes starting at 18 mg. In general, it helped me with emotional regulation. I don't get upset too fast during conversations and had lesser rumination, can move on from bad conversations easily, and it has helped me with my social interactions. At work, I am more focused and attentive now with lesser ruminative thoughts, and I can sit at my desk for longer. I would say the effect is very subtle and takes longer to show results. Now, on 60 mg, I feel I am more productive and calmer. Planning to increase it to 80 mg soon. As far as side effects are concerned, in the first few days of increasing doses, I was a little dizzy, but that went away in one or two days, and I have a dry mouth."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2015

Atomoxetine for ADHD "(18 years old, 104 lbs, 5'0) I was on 25 mg and switched to 40 mg as I hadn't noticed anything after a month. So far, I have dry mouth sometimes, feel more tired, nausea after taking the pill. Also, those around me have noticed that I am blah all the time after I take it and that I completely change from my upbeat personality to very flat. I will be talking to my doctor about taking a stimulant instead so I won't have to take it every day."

• Anc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2019

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I’ve been taking Strattera for a month. After being on it for two weeks, out of the blue, I had an angry outburst; a fit of rage directed at my husband for something small. It was completely out of character for me. Since then, I have felt negative, angry, and irritable most days. Also, after taking it for two weeks, I started getting a horrible, bitter taste in my mouth about twice a day, with an acidic feeling in my stomach (not associated with any food or drink). And I have extreme dry mouth. I had dry mouth while taking Adderall, too, but the dry mouth I’m experiencing on Strattera is off the charts! And it has done something weird with my focus. I’ll be focused on one thing that I want to accomplish, then I get easily distracted by something else, and I hyper-focus on that to the extent that I can’t stop what I’m doing (like obsessive-compulsive), and everything and everyone around me suffers. My last dose was yesterday. My doctor is switching me back to Adderall."

• Amb...
• November 26, 2014

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I started taking Strattera a few weeks ago for ADD. I have noticed it makes me really calm compared to my usual ways. It helps me focus a little better than I used to, but I am still not really focused during class. I take 80 mg a day, yes, I know that's a lot, but that's what was prescribed for me. I have completely lost my appetite. Some days go by, and I realize I haven't eaten anything. I have lost 10 lbs. Other than that, it just gives me a really dry mouth. I always take over-the-counter sleep aids, so I always sleep fine. I wonder if I should try Adderall? Concerta I have already tried and did not like it."

• Anonymous
• December 5, 2011

Atomoxetine for ADHD "Can't tolerate stimulants, so the only choice was non-stimulant medication. It does work, and I've definitely noticed a difference. The first couple of days, I'd get really sick for a couple of hours, pretty nauseated. But that went away after a while. For the first two months, I rarely felt hungry, I dropped 15 pounds, but my mouth was always dry, and I was drinking liters upon liters of water every day. Still some problems 'downstairs,' if you know what I mean. Makes me pretty sleepy, so I usually take it right before I turn in for the day. But honestly, even with all the side effects, it works well enough that I continue to take it."

• kcp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2015

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I've been on Strattera for about two months and am up to 40 mgs. With the exception of dry mouth and some manageable stomach aches, the medication seems to work pretty well-and subtly too. I am a very young 48, and I was diagnosed as 'hyperactive' in 1972. I was on Ritalin at a very young age. While it's NOT a cure, it works much better than stimulant medications as an adult-I read better and seem to not interrupt as much. Coffee affects me quite a bit, and if I keep it down, that helps too. I was worried about all of the reviews of sexual side effects-I seem to be up and running, this worried me a lot. Once again, I'm not saying Strattera is a cure-all, but my experience seems to be very different from many reviews I have read."

• Bip...
• March 24, 2015

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I'm ADD and bipolar. Strattera has helped give me a laser-like focus in the morning. If I don't get enough sleep, I can't stay awake (it seems to cause drowsiness), but if I am well-rested, I am on task. The only negative is, as the day wears on, it seems to lose effectiveness. I could use another dose by 3 pm. I am thirsty all the time, dry mouth, and not very hungry. I'm on my second month and seeing how it goes. I've tried Adderall, which made me way too nervous, and Effexor, which didn't do enough."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2023

For ADHD "I'm female, 39, and diagnosed with ADHD, and I also have general anxiety. I have previously tried SSRI, SNRI, stimulants, and now atomoxetine. Atomoxetine is the best one out of all the meds I've tried so far. It takes time, though, for me, it took around 2 months to build up to 80 mg. I had quite bad side effects and therefore increased the dosage very slowly. First 25 mg > 50 mg > 60 mg > 70 mg > 80 mg. When starting atomoxetine or increasing the dosage, I had insomnia, nausea, feeling dizzy, dry mouth, tics. I even had a fever a couple of times, but I cannot say if it's definitely due to the medication. My body got used to the side effects always in around 5 days, but then I increased the dosage and they started again. But with patience, finally, the medicine started to work. For me, I can say that I'm now more clear-headed, can focus a bit more, I clearly have less anxiety, it's easier to start doing tasks, my moods are not so much all over the place, I don't feel so fragile, etc. So give it time..."

• Vic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2022

Atomoxetine for ADHD "Background on self: Early mid-20s female, Hispanic. Finally went to see a psychiatrist for my inattentive ADD symptoms. He prescribed me 40 mg Strattera to start with. I'm about a month in at this point, and so far the only negative side effects have been dry mouth and slight nausea that lasts for approximately 15 minutes (the nausea isn't noticeable if I make sure to have a solid breakfast before taking this medication). Also, was sleepy for the first few days. As for the benefits, so far I've found tremendous help in retaining information that I just read, reading has never felt smoother. I'm more checked in during conversations and generally more at ease in social situations. Just a general feeling of being okay with who I am. I'm still prone to bouts of distracting myself and losing track of time if I'm not careful, my house is still a mess, and I still find myself unfocused at times, but I am definitely pleased with my experience so far."

• God...
• January 21, 2010

Atomoxetine for ADHD "80 mg enables me to concentrate. I take it at bedtime. I have noticed a change in appetite, but that's good for me because I am overweight. I do have dry mouth a lot. The doctor is moving me up to 120 mg. So we will see how that works. I am able to get more done while on this medicine."

• Nat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2016

Atomoxetine for ADHD "28-year-old female. I have both positive and negative effects. I have been on Strattera for six weeks. Side effects: constipation, dry mouth, anger, and terrible insomnia. I cannot sleep even after taking zoplicone 7.5 mg. I struggle, and when I eventually do get to sleep, I don't sleep for more than 5 hours, and it's always broken. I wake up several times, so I am always left feeling exhausted. My mood swings, however, have massively improved, pretty much stopped, which I'm very happy about. The only complaint with my mood is that I seem to become very angry over little things. I have had several arguments when I have always suffered from anxiety, so I am not confrontational at all. I am not happy and going to consult my psychiatrist regarding changing meds."

• Rob...
• June 13, 2011

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I have been using Strattera for about 10 months and had great success for the first 9. I felt great, very focused and able to get things done, and had no negative side effects except for a little bit of dry mouth for the first couple of weeks. About a month ago, I experienced a bout of depression until my doctor switched my prescription from 1 80 mg pill a day to 2 40 mg pills each day (once in the morning and once in the evening). After the switch, I was back to feeling great until last week when I had another bout of depression. This morning, I took 5 mg of Ritalin and snapped right out of my depressed mood. My doctor has suggested stopping Strattera and using Ritalin instead to try to determine if Strattera is the cause."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2023

For ADHD "Today is the first day of taking 40 mg atomoxetine. I honestly feel stoned. I’m spaced out, my mouth is dry, and I feel ‘slow.’ Unsure as to whether or not I need to start on a lower dose or if these are standard side effects regardless of the dose, but it is really weird. My brain is quiet, and I feel sluggish, but coffee has definitely helped here. I also feel calm, which after 15 years of crippling anxiety, is probably why I feel so weird. Will update as I’m going on how it’s making me feel."

• Anonymous
• October 31, 2009

Atomoxetine for ADHD "Side effects are nausea, inability to eat, dry mouth. However, as a grad student, this is an excellent medicine to take for focusing on studying and exams. However, when I am in the clinic, I do not take it."

• Ron...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 21, 2021

For ADHD "DON'T GO TOO HIGH DOSAGE! Strattera made me feel really weird and spaced out, and really dry nose and mouth. Then we tried lowering the dosage significantly - to just 18 mg a day, and I am a male weighing almost 190 pounds! WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Now I feel alert and focused. It lasts almost all day (feel ADHD symptoms coming back around 7-8 pm), but by then I have finished most chores and duties at work and at home, so that's fine by me. Side effects are much better (now they are tolerable). Tried methylphenidate (instant and slow release), dexamphetamine (instant and slow release), modafinil, bupropion, even Intuniv, and then Strattera again (which was the first I tried but @40-60 mg), but Strattera has been by far the best of them all! If you've tried Strattera and didn't like it, try again with a lower dose!"

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2021

Atomoxetine for ADHD "A total nightmare. I felt sick almost immediately. I missed half a week of work. I could fall asleep, but not sleep through the night. Sexual side effects. Strange urination. Dry mouth. Upset stomach. Headaches. I took it with food. My doctor said I needed to try taking it with more food. I told him, 'No way.' You could not pay me to take this drug again. Even if the side effects were a tenth of what I experienced, you could not pay me to take this drug. I lost a week of my life to this."

• Fl ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2019

For ADHD "This atomoxetine is my first medication for ADD. I am already on 425 mg of Wellbutrin for depression and anxiety, this gives me energy, but that's all. Started on atomoxetine 40 mg for three days, then 60 mg for seven days. Made it about eight days before I stopped taking the medication. Immediate side effects: dry mouth, could not sleep, feeling tired, could not keep an erection, and burning orgasms. Tried to keep going, thinking it may go away, but it worsened after I started taking 60 mg, and I still had 80 mg and 100 mg pills to take after the 60 mg. Felt no difference in concentration and focus."

• Moz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2021

Atomoxetine for ADHD "I’m a 21-year-old female who recently got diagnosed with ADD. It’s the first prescription I got to treat my problems. I don’t have any severe side effects, just dry mouth and fatigue. It kicked in really quick in the first week, and I felt I was capable of finishing my tasks, but it receded quickly. Though I find it helpful for my depression and stabilizing my mood, it doesn’t work so effectively with my focus after two weeks or so."

• Nei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2019

Atomoxetine for ADHD "Two weeks in and I am still waiting. All I do is keep falling asleep everywhere, no other side effects. Came off of lisdexamfetamine two weeks ago, which was really good, but side effects were bad heartburn, dry mouth, and feeling exhausted every day, but it worked very well otherwise. But needed to slow down to switch to atomoxetine, now waiting for the results... Not sure when or how I will feel."