Does Strattera Help With Anxiety

Who Should Not Take Strattera

There are certain situations in which you shouldn’t take Strattera. If you or your child has any of the following conditions, you should inform your healthcare provider before taking Strattera:

• Allergy to Strattera or any of its components.
• Narrow angle glaucoma .
• Treatment with a type of medication called monoamine oxidase inhibitors , such as Nardil® , Parnate® , Marplan® or Emsam® within 14 days of starting Strattera.
• An adrenal problem called pheochromocytoma or a history of this condition.

Can I Take It If I Am Pregnant Or Breastfeeding

Pregnancy

We do not have enough information to know whether it is dangerous or not to take atomoxetine during pregnancy.

You should use a good method of contraception while taking this medication.

Talk to your doctor if you are trying to get pregnant or become pregnant while taking atomoxetine. Together, you can decide whether to continue this medication or find a suitable alternative.

Breastfeeding

Are Strattera And Adderall The Same

No. Strattera and Adderall are both used to treat ADHD in adults and children however, they have many differences such as in drug class, warnings, prices, side effects, and drug interactions, as outlined above.

Also, Strattera is not a stimulant drug. Adderall is a stimulant drug. Other stimulant drugs you may have heard of include Ritalin or Concerta and Vyvanse .

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Drug Interactions Of Strattera Vs Adderall

The dosage of Strattera may need to be adjusted if given with drugs that are known as potent inhibitors of an enzyme called CYP2D6. These drugs include paroxetine, fluoxetine, and quinidine.

Tricyclic antidepressants, such as Elavil or Pamelor may increase the cardiovascular side effects of Adderall patients should be closely monitored.

Paxil or Prozac are SSRI antidepressants that may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome when taken with Adderall. SNRI antidepressants such as Effexor may also pose the same risk of serotonin syndrome when taken with Adderall.

Both Strattera and Adderall have a dangerous potential drug interaction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors , such as selegiline. The combination can cause a serious, possibly fatal reaction. MAOIs should not be used within 14 days of Strattera or Adderall. Strattera or Adderall may also interact with blood pressure medicines. Taking Strattera or Adderall in combination with birth control pills may increase the risk of high blood pressureâblood pressure should be monitored.

This is not a full list of drug interactions. Other drug interactions may occur. Consult your healthcare provider for a full list of drug interactions.

Taking Strattera For Depression: Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor

Some have suggested that Strattera works well for off label uses of treating depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. Although it may work in some people, most studies demonstrate that it is not effective enough to get approved to treat these conditions. Most psychiatrists will only consider Strattera if you have ADHD and even if you have depression along with it, they may prescribe an SSRI medication. With that said, everyone has a different type of depression and no two people have the same brain chemistry.

Someone may end up trying this medication and it may work like a charm for boosting the persons mood. Another individual may give Strattera a try and find that it actually makes them more depressed. This is the experimentation that must be done when it comes to treating symptoms of depression. Not all individuals have abnormally low serotonin which is targeted by SSRIs. Some people may not have any problems with serotonin, but may have lower levels of norepinephrine which is what this particular medication addresses.

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What To Expect From Adhd And Anxiety

When you have anxiety along with ADHD, it may make some of your ADHD symptoms worse, such as feeling restless or having trouble concentrating. But anxiety disorder also comes with its own set of symptoms, like:

• Constant worry about many different things
• Feeling on edge

Anxiety disorder is more than just having anxious feelings from time to time. It’s a mental illness that can affect your relationships, work, and quality of life.

How Do Antidepressants Work

Since most antidepressants work by increasing the levels of brain messenger chemicals , such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, it makes sense that they might have effects similar to other ADHD stimulant and nonstimulant treatments that appear to work by similar mechanisms.

Antidepressant treatment can have a small effect on attention span as well as impulse control, hyperactivity and aggressiveness. Children and adolescents treated with antidepressants are often more willing to take direction and may be less disruptive.

Antidepressants have the advantage of a low potential for abuse and there is no evidence that they suppress growth or contribute to significant weight loss.

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Are There Any Tips And Precautions Related To Antidepressants For Adhd

When taking antidepressants for ADHD, be sure to tell your healthcare provider:

• If you are nursing, pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• If you are taking or plan to take any prescription drugs, dietary supplements, herbal medicines or nonprescription medications.
• If you have any past or present medical problems, including high blood pressure, seizures, heart disease and urinary problems.
• If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or dependency or if you have had mental health problems, including depression, manic depression or psychosis.
• If you develop any depressive symptoms or feelings that you might harm yourself.
• If you develop irregular heartbeats or fainting spells.

The following are useful guidelines to keep in mind when taking antidepressants or giving them to your child for ADHD:

Review The Ongoing Need For Drug Therapy

Review the management of ADHD at least annually.5 As part of this review try drug-free periods of 12 weeks to assess if medication is still needed, when and if individual circumstances allow it.5,23 While teachers reports of behaviour on and off medication are integral to assessing the ongoing need for medication, a trial off medication during school holidays may be easier as a first step.

There is no evidence from controlled trials to indicate how long atomoxetine treatment should be continued.9 In a randomised trial, children and adolescents who had been stable on atomoxetine for 1 year and who continued therapy had a relapse rate of 2% over 6 months, while those who stopped taking atomoxetine had a relapse rate of 12% .11

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Are There Tips And Precautions For Nonstimulant Medications In Adhd Treatment

When taking one of these drugs for ADHD, be sure to tell your healthcare provider:

• If you are nursing, pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• Consult your provider before discontinuing therapy Kapvay and Intuniv should not be abruptly discontinued.
• If you are taking or plan to take any prescription drugs, dietary supplements, herbal medicines or nonprescription medications.
• If you have any past or present medical problems, including low blood pressure, seizures, heart rhythm disturbances and urinary problems.
• If you develop irregular heartbeats or fainting spells.

The following are useful guidelines to keep in mind when taking clonidine or guanfacine or giving them to your child for ADHD:

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/07/2021.

References

Are There Tips And Precautions Related To Strattera

Be sure to tell your healthcare provider:

• If you are nursing, pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• If you are taking or plan to take any prescription drugs , dietary supplements, herbal medicines or nonprescription medications .
• If you have any past or present medical problems, including high blood pressure, seizures, heart disease, glaucoma or liver or kidney disease.
• If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or dependency or if you have had mental health problems, including depression, manic depression or psychosis.
• If you have had any liver problems or jaundice in the past.
• If you become agitated or irritable or if you develop ideas of hurting yourself.

Take Strattera exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s usually taken once or twice a day and may be taken with or without food. Your physician may adjust the dose until it’s correct for you or your child. No specific laboratory testing is required while taking Strattera. It may be used for extended or long-term treatment as long as there are periodic evaluations with your healthcare provider.

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How To Take Them

Adults and children aged 6 years or older can take Strattera or Vyvanse to help manage the symptoms of ADHD.

Typically, a doctor will start a person on the lowest dose of medication and gradually increase the dosage as appropriate. Factors such as age and weight will influence the dose a person takes.

People can take both medications with or without food. Taking Vyvanse in the morning will help a person avoid insomnia at night.

Strattera and Vyvanse both come in capsule form. Vyvanse also comes in chewable tablets.

Can I Use Strattera Or Adderall While Pregnant

Because there are no adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women, Strattera should not be used in pregnancy unless you and your healthcare provider determine that the benefits outweigh risks.

Strattera and Adderall should both be avoided while pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you become pregnant while already taking Strattera or Adderall, consult your prescriber immediately for medical advice.

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Strattera And Familial Mental Health Issues

Disclose to your physician all mental health issues including any family history of suicide, bipolar illness, or depression. Atomoxetine is a potent trigger for mania in genetically predisposed people. As a result, the FDA recommends evaluating every patient for past symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of bipolar or a family history of bipolar or cyclic mood disorders prior to administrating Strattera to avoid inducing a manic episode. Strattera may create new or exacerbate existing behavior problems, bipolar disorder, or suicidal ideation. It can cause psychotic or manic symptoms in children and teenagers.

Strattera carries the same black box warning that every antidepressant medication has regarding the risk for inducing suicidal thoughts. Strattera was developed by the same laboratory that discovered Prozac , but it does not have any detectable benefits for either depression or anxiety disorders. It does have a 0.4% incidence of new suicidal thinking but with no history of people acting on those thoughts. If suicidal thoughts occur, call your clinician to discuss a course of action

Forms Dosages And Efficacy

Strattera is available in an oral capsule that comes in seven doses ranging from 10 to 100 milligrams . Generic versions of the drug are also available in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Adderall IR is available in tablets from 5 mg to 30 mg. Adderall XR is available in six doses, from 5 mg to 30 mg.

There are generics for Adderall , but people sometimes report these medications are not as effective as the brand name drug.

It can take four to eight weeks for Strattera to reach the maximum therapeutic effect. Once therapeutic levels have been reached, the effects of the medication last 24 hours.

In contrast, the effects of Adderall IR and Adderall XR can be felt as quickly as 30 minutes to one hour. The effects of Adderall IR start to wear off after four hours .

You might discuss taking a break from Adderall . By contrast, Strattera needs to be taken every day.

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Potential Side Effects Of Mixing Adhd Medication With Xanax

People who abuse ADHD medication, whether it is prescribed or not, might take Xanax to ease some of the symptoms of stimulant abuse. Some symptoms of stimulant abuse include:

• Change in sex drive
• Insomnia
• Nervousness

Xanax can help reduce the unpleasant side effects of stimulant abuse. Stimulants are usually habit-forming, and using a second habit-forming drug to treat the side effects of the first can lead to developing a drug addiction.

Correlation Between Depression And Strattera

In clinical trials published in the prescribing information by the manufacturer of Strattera Eli Lilly, there was an increased rate of suicidal thoughts in children between the ages of 6 and 12 taking the medication compared to those taking a placebo. There was one attempt at suicide, but no suicides occurred during the trial. The risk of suicidal thoughts in these children was equated to be 0.4 percent or 5 out of 1,357 in the trial.

When Strattera was tested on adults being treated for ADHD or even those using it for major depressive disorder , there was no increase in suicidal behaviors or ideations.

These were short-term studies, and it is not known if taking the medication long term may have different results.

In short, there is some link between Strattera and mood changes. Some of the side effects of Strattera, as published by the Mayo Clinic, include changes in behavior, unusual thoughts, agitation, irritability, aggression, hostility, and even possible hallucinations as well as suicidal thoughts.

Because Strattera manipulates brain chemistry, neurotransmitter transmission, production, and absorption are impacted. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers produced and used by the brain to tell a person how to feel and think. Using a mind-altering drug can impact moods and potentially lead to mood swings, including possible depressive thoughts.

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Risk Factors For Strattera And Depression

If a person already struggles with a mental health issue or has a family history of mental illness, including depression, bipolar disorder, or suicide, Strattera may potentially elevate existing symptoms and possibly even cause new ones to manifest. In this manner, Strattera may cause depression but likely only in a person who has a pre-existing risk factor for the disorder.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness warns that the risk of suicide increases when a person struggles with depression or a psychiatric disorder. Since Strattera can elevate suicidal thoughts, this risk may be amplified if an underlying mental condition is already present.

Depression is a heritable disorder, and family history of the illness can raise the odds that a direct relative will also struggle with it. The journal PLoS ONE reports that MDD is considered to be about 40 percent heritable with a genetic link.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration publishes that people should be screened for bipolar disorder before taking Strattera, as the medication can potentially cause the onset of a manic episode. Bipolar disorder includes significant mood swings between depression and mania. Strattera may influence these mood swings.

Other medications can interact with Strattera. These interactions may add to depressive symptoms and potential health concerns.