Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 5/14/2010

Question
I am a 36 year old adult who has had ADD symptoms for as long as I can remember but never did anything about it.  My husband had finally had enough and begged me to see my doctor.  I did.  Filled out a questionaire and answered alot of questions.  The doctor felt that I definately had ADD and possibily ADHD.  He wanted to try Strattera for a month, start at 25mg and going to 100mg.  He said my symptoms were pretty severe, especially in the area of forgetfullness, finishing tasks, zoning out when listening to people, jumping from one project to another without finishing.  So will Strattera typically work for someone with moderate to severe symptoms?  I like the idea of not using a stimulant, but after reading different things about the drug online it seems like more people say that it didn't help all that much.  I am starting it tomorrow but just wanted to see your thoughts.  Do you typically see weight loss on patients on Strattera?  THank you.

Answer
There is nothing wrong with first trialing Strattera but I never do it for many reasons. Firstly it is not as effective as the stimulants. Next it may take up to 8 weeks to eventually get a dose that works. Thus a month trial if futile in my opinion. On short acting Ritalin taken three times a day,  using a titrated monitored program with the use of rating scasles it is possible to obtain an optimalc effective dose in 10 days. The side effects of stimulants usually fade in time and not all patients experience them. Stimulants are safe and effective if used correctly. Sometimes it is even better to use both stimulants and Stratters together to get a 24 hour cover in certain situations. Good luck!