Atomoxetine: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects

Strattera (atomoxetine) is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It can be difficult to deal with the symptoms of ADHD, but there are many effective treatments available. Strattera, a non-stimulant medication, is safe and effective overall for both children and adults with ADHD. Adderall and other stimulants are also frequently misused.

STRATTERA increased the risk of suicidal ideation in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Pooled analyses of short-term (6 to 18 weeks) placebo-controlled trials of STRATTERA in children and adolescents have revealed a greater risk of suicidal ideation early during treatment in those receiving STRATTERA. There were a total of 12 trials (11 in ADHD and 1 in enuresis) involving over 2200 patients (including 1357 patients receiving STRATTERA and 851 receiving placebo). The average risk of suicidal ideation in patients receiving STRATTERA was 0.4% (5/1357 patients), compared to none in placebo-treated patients. There was 1 suicide attempt among these approximately 2200 patients, occurring in a patient treated with STRATTERA. All reactions occurred in children 12 years of age or younger.

Ritalin vs. Strattera

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• Check the child’s weight and height regularly, and consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
• Parents and caregivers of kids taking Strattera are encouraged to monitor possible changes in the child’s behavior and keep in close contact with the child’s doctor.
• Sudden deaths, stroke, and myocardial infarction have been reported in adults taking atomoxetine at usual doses for ADHD.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Strattera to treat certain conditions.
• It may not be possible to determine whether a manic or mixed episode that appears during treatment with STRATTERA is due to an adverse reaction to STRATTERA or a patient’s underlying bipolar disorder.

If you have questions about the dosage that’s right for you, talk with your doctor. They can also tell you more about how they’ll monitor your response to Strattera treatment. This may include how they’ll determine whether your dose is too high or too low. After 2 to 4 more weeks, depending on your body’s response to Strattera, your doctor may further increase your dosage to 100 mg per day. Most of these side effects may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks.

FDA Drug Information

These are the most common kinds of drugs used to manage ADHD. Strattera (atomoxetine) is a non-stimulant medication that controls ADHD symptoms in a different way. While Strattera takes a while to kick in compared to Ritalin, the effects last longer once the drug builds up in your body. A daily dose of Strattera should work 24 hours as long as you take the drug around the same time every day.

Do not use Adderall if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. Avoid Strattera if you have used a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor in the past 14 days. In cases where stimulants are not working after trying two or three different agents or when families express concern about abuse, Strattera may be used as an alternative. Adderall should be part of a comprehensive treatment program, including therapy or counseling.

General Health

• This can happen for people who have been using Adderall to treat their attention disorder, but it can also occur among people who use the medication without a prescription.
• Your doctor should check your blood pressure or your child’s blood pressure and heart rate regularly during treatment with Strattera.
• As noted above, parents must be vigilant for any worrying change in mood, behavior, or personality if their child has been prescribed Strattera.
• A complaint of urinary retention or urinary hesitancy should be considered potentially related to atomoxetine.
• Doctors typically prescribe a low-dose prescription to start and may increase a person’s dosage after a few days or weeks, depending on the drug’s efficacy.
• A disadvantage is that Strattera takes 3-4 weeks of continued use to become fully effective.

Eli Lily warns children and teens may experience suicidal ideations while taking Strattera. The risk is highest early in treatment and when changing dosage, according to the company. Unlike stimulants, which can be habit-forming, Strattera has a very low risk of misuse or abuse potential, making it an suitable option for patients with a history of misusing substances, says Dr. Zand. “While stimulants tend to increase dopamine and norepinephrine a hormone that increases alertness availability in the brain, Strattera focuses primarily on norepinephrine,” says Dr. Khan. Tell your doctor about all the medicines that you or your child takes including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Seizures – Seizures have been reported in the postmarketing period. The postmarketing seizure cases include patients with pre-existing seizure disorders and those with identified risk factors for seizures, as well as patients with neither a history of nor identified risk factors for seizures. The exact relationship between STRATTERA and seizures is difficult to evaluate due to uncertainty about the background risk of seizures in ADHD patients.

Side Effects for Strattera

For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Drug-condition interactions can also cause certain effects.

Strattera and other medications

You and your doctor will determine how long you’ll take the drug to treat your condition. The maximum daily dosage of Strattera in children who weigh up to 70 kg is 1.4 mg/kg per day or 100 mg per day, whichever is less. Your doctor may prescribe a different dosage of Strattera depending on several factors, such as whether you have liver problems.

Slight increases in the incidences of atypical origin of carotid artery and absent subclavian artery were observed. These findings were observed at doses that caused slight maternal toxicity. Weight loss wasn’t specifically reported as a side effect in adults in Strattera’s clinical trials. However, some of the drug’s common side effects, such as reduced appetite and nausea, may lead to weight loss. These side effects may cause some people to eat less food than usual and contribute to losing weight. Strattera is FDA approved to treat is stratera a stimulant ADHD in children and adolescents ages 6 years and older.