Stimulants increase the levels of the chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain. Up to 80% of people with ADHD who take stimulant drugs say their symptoms get better. As a non-stimulant medication, Strattera is not a controlled substance and doesn’t carry the potential risk for abuse. It works by inhibiting norepinephrine uptake, rather than significantly affecting dopamine. It takes several weeks for the medication to take effect, making it difficult to abuse.
Stimulant and atomoxetine combination therapy strategies
There is limited clinical trial experience with STRATTERA overdose. During postmarketing, there have been fatalities reported involving a mixed ingestion overdose of STRATTERA and at least one other drug. There have been no reports of death involving overdose of STRATTERA alone, including intentional overdoses at amounts up to 1400 mg. In some cases of overdose involving STRATTERA, seizures have been reported. The most commonly reported symptoms accompanying acute and chronic overdoses of STRATTERA were gastrointestinal symptoms, somnolence, dizziness, tremor, and abnormal behavior. Signs and symptoms consistent with mild to moderate sympathetic nervous system activation (e.g., tachycardia, blood pressure increased, mydriasis, dry mouth) have also been observed.
Conditions
The steady-state volume of distribution after intravenous administration is 0.85 L/kg indicating that atomoxetine distributes primarily into total body water. Volume of distribution is similar across the patient weight range after normalizing for body weight. STRATTERA is contraindicated in patients known to be hypersensitive to atomoxetine or other constituents of the product see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS.
Notify your healthcare provider immediately if you have chest pain, trouble breathing, or fainting. For the best results, take Strattera at the same time each day with a full glass of water. You can also take it twice daily, in the morning and late afternoon.
While Adderall is considered a first-line treatment, it may not be the right choice for everyone. Because Strattera is not a stimulant, it does not lead to physical dependence or withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it. People who are concerned about the use of stimulants or the potential for abuse may choose to treat their ADHD symptoms with Strattera for this reason. Adderall’s mode of action is to increase the activity of dopamine, which affects the brain’s reward system and can lead to dependence and mis. Surges of dopamine cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again. Research has shown that compared to a placebo, Strattera reduced hyperactive and inattentive symptoms in adults.
Related/similar drugs
Adderall, on the other hand, is a Schedule II controlled substance due to the potential for abuse, dependence, and addiction. Never share or sell this medication and keep it in a secure location to prevent others from accessing it. Misuse of Adderall can be dangerous and even deadly, so if you or someone you know experiences an overdose or takes too much of the medication, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Adderall is effective for ADHD but is often prescribed to older individuals due to its potential side effects. Strattera is an alternative for those who can’t tolerate stimulants or have a history of substance abuse.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using atomoxetine?
- Adderall and Strattera can both be effective for managing symptoms of attention disorders.
- The other stimulant used was amphetamine (Brown 2004; Quintana et al. 2007).
- Slight increases in the incidences of atypical origin of carotid artery and absent subclavian artery were observed.
- Because Strattera is not a stimulant, it does not lead to physical dependence or withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it.
- Strattera can have a dangerous interaction with antidepressants, including MAOIs, asthma medicines, and blood pressure medicines.
Your doctor should check you or your child carefully for heart problems before starting Strattera. Call your child or teenager’s doctor right away if they have any of the above signs, especially if they are new, sudden, or severe. Your child or teenager may need to be closely watched for suicidal thoughts and actions or need a change in medicine. Your doctor should check you or your child carefully for heart problems before starting STRATTERA.
Do not use atomoxetine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, including such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine. Atomoxetine is not a stimulant medication and is not a controlled substance. If you’d like to explore an alternative to Strattera, talk with your doctor.
If you have ADHD, you’re more likely to have substance use problems compared to people without ADHD. But there’s no evidence that long-term stimulant treatment will raise your odds of developing an alcohol or substance use disorder. Strattera is the brand name of a non-stimulant drug called atomoxetine.
That’s because drinking can increase the effects of Ritalin and is straterra a stimulant raise your odds of side effects. You may be able to take atomoxetine safely during pregnancy. There’s ongoing research into how Strattera may affect babies before they’re born, but there’s no evidence that the drug causes birth defects, miscarriage, or other bad health outcomes for you or your baby.
Atomoxetine
Of the 413 patients who completed the double-blind placebo lead-in, 149 (36.1%) patients discontinued the study. There have been postmarketing reports of anxiety see ADVERSE REACTIONS. The pharmacokinetics of atomoxetine in children and adolescents are similar to those in adults. The safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of STRATTERA in pediatric patients less than 6 years of age have not been evaluated. The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of STRATTERA.
- According to information provided by the drug’s manufacturers, it can take four to eight weeks for Strattera to reach the maximum therapeutic effect.
- Strattera and Ritalin are medicines that children and adults can take to manage symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.
- Do not drive or do other activities that require alertness or coordination until you know how atomoxetine affects you or your child.
- If used for a long time, Strattera may affect a child’s growth rate, weight, and final adult height.
- Before initiating treatment with STRATTERA, patients should be adequately screened for risk factors for bipolar disorder such as a personal or family history of mania and depression.
Rats were treated with 1, 10, or 50 mg/kg/day (approximately 0.2, 2, and 8 times, respectively, the maximum human dose on a mg/m2 basis) of atomoxetine given by gavage from the early postnatal period (Day 10 of age) through adulthood. A slight delay in onset of incisor eruption was seen at 50 mg/kg. A slight increase in motor activity was seen on Day 15 (males at 10 and 50 mg/kg and females at 50 mg/kg) and on Day 30 (females at 50 mg/kg) but not on Day 60 of age.
