I’m about to start this drug, but due to the side effects, I’m not sure if taking in the morning, lunchtime or dinner time is better.
I don’t know exactly if I have adhd. It’s been hard for me to find a psychologist that’s accepting patients or accepts my insurance to make that formal diagnosis. I kind of made too many appointments, and I saw my general doctor and a nurse practitioner. At the general doctor, he for now let me try Strattera 40mg for a month and recommended this psychiatry clinic (but I recognized them and already knew they’re booked haha).
A few days later was my appointment at a place called Bonmente and I saw a nurse practitioner, and she said I was showing signs of it but she wanted to see that I showed symptoms in childhood too (the only thing I could remember is losing stuff a lot/clumsy) and she wants to wait for my bloodwork from my general doctor to come in to make sure of (something, I don’t remember). (I asked my general doctor to do bloodwork since I try to eat mostly plant based stuff and test b12, iron, etc levels. ).
For the childhood symptoms thing, she said she would look at this questionaire I filled out after our meeting for more. I filled it out last minute, so it wasn’t ready in their system during our meeting. She gave me a call a bit later saying she saw the questionaire and she wanted me to gain more weight due to stimulants often making you have less appetite. I don’t want to gain weight though, so I don’t know how I’ll proceed yet. I think I’m a little underweight, but I don’t think it’s that bad and would want to maintain the weight I have now (make myself eat even if medication would decrease appetite. I eat regularly and have a good appetite currently). I’m 5’1”, 95lb, 18.75 bmi now
On the other hand, it’s kind of good she didn’t prescribe anything since now I’ll get to try strattera. I’d feel awkward having two of these medicines in my house haha.
I’m scared of the side effect of not being able to sleep at night (I usually sleep well and need my 8 hrs), but at the same time, if it made me drowsy, maybe that’d be great for night time?
I think I’m scared of morning/afternoon drowsiness because I use the drowsy benadryl for mild dust allergies, and it’s kinda scary how it knocks you out and you have no control of it.
Also I never really eat breakfast (or if I do it’s never going to be a large meal), but straterra is best with food. Is it better if I take it after lunch/dinner? Though if I take it for lunch/dinner, is that too late in the day so that it keeps people up/unable to sleep?
Really you should be asking the person that prescribed it or your pharmacist.
But fwiw, I’m on day #2 myself and was told to take it in the morning.
I have been on it for a couple months now (went from 25mg to 40 to 80) and was told to start taking it at night, because it can make you drowsy, then work towards taking it in the morning. When I took it at night, I had really weird insomnia, waking up at 3 or 4AM and not being able to go back to sleep, so I pretty immediately switched to the AM, but like @cleverfunnyname said, you should ask your Dr. and adjust accordingly with their input.
