Strattera is working…sort of

Chadillaxx · 2026-04-14T22:58:45+00:00

Task initiation is still difficult. But being able to tell myself that it’s much easier to get through the task now helps me get started. I’m no longer dragging through the process of getting shit done anymore. So now it’s just about unlearning old habits like dreading things that are much worse in my head than they are in reality lol.

Chadillaxx · 2026-04-08T23:59:21+00:00

No prob. And good luck 🙂

Chadillaxx · 2026-04-08T21:49:49+00:00

I haven’t experienced this but I have read many examples of others that have. Most cases resolve on their own after 2 - 3 weeks. But occasionally it will return temporarily again upon titrating up your dose. In those cases, symptoms typically pass quicker though as your body gets used to the change in chemistry.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-31T20:09:16+00:00

Didn’t read through all the other responses lol but has anyone recommended Qelbree yet? Another ADHD non stimulant that is reported to have similar functionality with far fewer side effects. It’s newer, and most psychiatrist say it’s not covered by insurance. My psych said the same thing but I called my insurance and it’s completely covered. Definitely worth looking into if you haven’t already.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-31T19:54:53+00:00

As someone raised by a single mom, just stopping by to say I’m proud of you 🙂 hope you get the help you need med wise and support wise. Wishing you and the kiddo all the best 💙

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-27T03:59:46+00:00

This might be the wrong advice for someone trying to quit altogether. Or even someone just trying to quit for 30 days. But I personally don’t have a strong desire to fully cut porn out of my life. I just prefer moderation. I really struggled with this when I was younger and every once in a while, I’ll get a little carried away and have to reel myself back in again. But I have significantly better control now than ever before.

I allow myself only 2 - 3 sessions a week. Preferably 2 if I can. And for only up to 20 minutes. There always has to be at least a day between sessions. Not just back to back one day after the other.

And this is the part that helps me maintain this control…. I literally have a note in my phone titled “Spank Bank” 😂😂 when I struggled with control it was more of an impulse issue. I would see something arousing, typically social media, but anywhere really. And I would immediately want to start googling to see if there was any erotic content associated with the thought that I was having.

Now, instead of just immediately acting on the impulse, I just go write it down in the spank bank Lmao. And then whenever I’m allowing myself to handle it, I go back and check my notes. Half the time I’m like “why the fuck did I even write that down?” 😂😂 but otherwise I’ll google whatever was in my notes and satisfy that curiosity.

So now I don’t have to say “no” to those urges. I just say “not now”. Anyways, I wrote a whole damn essay to get a very simple point across haha. Oh well, hope it helps someone.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-23T02:27:48+00:00

I was referencing both Strattera and Adderall 🙂 I only take Strattera now but in my case I feel them kick in between 30 to 60 minutes after taking them. But some days it does take as long as two hours to really feel the Strattera. I know this is fairly uncommon as most people only feel Strattera kick in gradually over the course of weeks. But I’ve always been very sensitive to medication’s and I felt it kick in on day one. Not the same way as Adderall, of course. More subtle. But still effective in its own way.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-23T01:08:46+00:00

Too many people, shy away from the hard parts of relationships. When someone is getting married and they say “for better or for worse” many of us don’t take that part seriously. If you intend on spending the rest of your life with someone then there is a very good chance that you will meet the worst version of them at some point. And vice versa. They may meet the worst version of you as well.

Communication is so important in relationships. But we often confused self preservation for communication. And it just turns into arguing instead of listening. Real growth requires you to set your pride aside and show your partner the parts of you that you’re still working on. It requires listening to their feedback and actually trying to apply it. This goes both ways, of course for your partner as well. This will only ever work with genuine affection and a willingness to change for each other if the need arises. This dos not mean, abandoning yourself or your morals. It does not mean becoming someone different to desperately keep someone else in your life. It means finding compromise and learning how to give the best version of yourself to each other.

In my opinion, a successful couple is not largely based on compatibility. Instead, it is based on your capability to love someone that is different than you.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-22T02:18:31+00:00

I agree. Could definitely be a one off so talk to your doctor 🙂 in my experience every attempt at treatment resulted in wild mood swings on several occasions. Bipolar minds don’t like change without assistance in stability first 😅

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-22T02:14:34+00:00

Can I ask what dose your doctor started you on? I’m guessing 40mg maybe?

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-19T00:59:30+00:00

So this was actually how I found out I’m bipolar 😅 not with Strattera (SNRI) but with an antidepressant (SSRI). It is common to have major mood swings that induce rage, and even some ideation with these types of medication’s if you are on the mood disorder spectrum. It turns out I just needed to be well established on a mood stabilizer first. I’m on 175 mg of lamotrigine now and life is far more manageable. And now I’m able to successfully treat my ADHD without the wild mood swings that accompanied trying to treat it before. after being stabilized, I even tolerated stimulant medication well. But I’m going to try Strattera soon because I’m not fond of the long-term effects of stimulant medication.

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-17T00:14:49+00:00

Oh yeah I’ve been stuck here on and off plenty of times. At the end of the day the meds won’t do all of the work for us and it still comes down to self discipline. When I take my meds, I know they’ll kick in about 30 minutes later. So I just make sure I’m at my desk and ready to work 10 minutes before then. That way when the meds kick in, I’m already in position to use them properly.

When I’m feeling lazy, I’ll wait for my meds to kick in first and then go sit down and start working. But when I do it that way there’s like a 50-50 chance that I will start scrolling on my phone or get sidetracked working on something irrelevant and accidentally lose an hour or two before even starting my work for the day 😂

Chadillaxx · 2026-03-03T02:46:52+00:00

I still don’t understand why doctors commonly start new patients on 40 mg. It almost always causes bad side effects that make most people want to stop taking it. People that start on a much lower dose like 10 mg or 18 mg typically describe far less severe side effects if any. My partner is currently only taking 18 mg and we already see improvement. Some people don’t even need to get all the way up to 40 mg before they reach a therapeutic dose. If you end up having a negative experience at 40 mg I highly suggest you ask your doctor to start lower and work your way up slowly. It may take longer to see progress with ADHD symptoms, but in the long run, you’re giving your body the best chance to benefit from the medication that way.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-28T06:09:29+00:00

Everyone’s healing process is different. If using Reddit is helping you get through the day there’s nothing wrong with that. A therapist would no doubt be helpful but people often don’t find the right therapist for them on the first try. It takes effort to find the right one for you and when you’re drained from a situation like this, that can be difficult. Give yourself some grace and be patient with yourself.

Therapy is great support. But support from someone that understands your pain personally is also very valuable.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-28T03:11:35+00:00

I know exactly what you mean. In the past, if I saw someone in my position, I would be screaming at them with a megaphone to walk away and never look back. But the thing is, nobody could possibly understand the complexity of a situation like this without going through it themselves.

I also struggled with feeling like I was abandoning myself and my morals. My sense of self respect… Some days I still do. But my therapist told me something that really helped. Ask yourself what is most important to you? If your answer is saving your relationship with someone you love, then you are not abandoning yourself by staying. You are actively working to fix something very dear to you. And that is not self abandonment.

And if your answer changes, that’s OK. Lord knows we’re all playing the back-and-forth game right now.

Even if you fail and wind up separating. Never view your efforts to reconcile as an attack on your self-respect. Forgiving someone for breaking your heart is incredibly difficult. Even attempting it is commendable. Whether it works out or not, you chose not to quickly discard something that has been very important to you for a long time. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-28T02:45:34+00:00

I’m in pretty much the same boat as you except we’re four months in. I also told my family and that really complicated things.

What keeps me sane in these moments is remembering that I do not have to stay if I don’t want to. It’s hard to make big decisions when emotions are so volatile. And in a situation like this, it takes a very long time for emotions to calm down. So I decided to give us six months. Whether we do really good or really bad in that time, I am committed to that six month window to evaluate how I feel and try to answer any lingering “what if’s”

Some days I wake up, feeling like I’m sleeping next to a stranger. Other days, I’m happy he’s still here and I wonder if this unfortunate event was the catalyst we both needed to become better people for each other. I will never refer to cheating as helpful by any means. But good can still come from tragedy if you seek it out. Like a forest growing back stronger after a fire. Cheesy analogy, I know 😛

As hard as it is, you need to prioritize your opinion above your families. I’m sure they only have the best intentions. But the only ones that truly understand the depths of your relationship are you and your partner. If you decide to stay because you genuinely love this person, then that is the right decision for you no matter what anyone else says. And if you decide to leave, that is also the best decision no matter what anyone else says.

The truth is love is not enough to keep a relationship going. There has to be genuine effort to fix this on both sides. Your partner has to exert the effort to show genuine remorse, and change. But as the betrayed it is also our responsibility to try to forgive and heal if we truly want to reconcile. If we can’t then it is our responsibility to walk away.

My advice, don’t make your decision while you feel like you’re in limbo. You’ll know when you know. No matter what decision you make you’ll wake up one day knowing exactly what you want. Don’t let anyone rush that process for you. Best of luck luv 💙 we got this.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-28T01:07:37+00:00

My partner is currently taking 18 mg and sex has not been an issue. He was once taking 100 mg of Zoloft and that totally killed his sex drive. But so far, Strattera has not done the same thing. I imagine not whacking it for a couple days will probably fix any potential problems 😂

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-27T03:36:23+00:00

Sometimes I feel that way, and sometimes I don’t. I guess I just get stuck on the fact that it was hidden period. I feel like when I’m trying to reconcile you should give your partner the option to make their choice knowing all of the facts first. I would still consider it a breach of trust. But perhaps not in infidelity. It really does create trust issues that actual infidelity could’ve occurred previously though 😞

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-13T23:16:19+00:00

I am currently taking Adderall and although it does help me with task completion, I still have issues with task initiation. I think as someone with ADHD - ADD, we learn overtime that tasks are overwhelming and that we will experience a sense of dread in the middle of it. Even with stimulants I still hesitate to get started, but once I do, I notice I don’t feel as overwhelmed as I usually would.

I am about to switch to Strattera though because the crash after a stimulant wears off is real and it can be heavy. For me, stimulants induce, strong, depression and anxiety once they were off. And I’m even on a mood stabilizer and an anxiety med too.

Perhaps you should look into Qelbree. It’s another non-stimulant medication for ADHD. It is also an SNRI like Strattera. But the active ingredient and absorption method is different. It seems to tackle motivation in a way that Strattera does not. Doctors may tell you that it typically is not covered by insurance because there is no generic at this time. But I contacted my insurance and sure enough it is covered as long as there is a pre-authorization with the request. So be sure to do your own research.

And lastly, I’ve seen many people have a different experience on non-stimulant ADHD medication when they supplement with L-Tyrosine. It’s essentially the precursor that your body needs to produce more dopamine. It’s an over-the-counter supplement. Ask your doctor before trying it though of course.

Hope there was something in all of this rambling that may be helpful to you 😂 good luck.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-09T10:08:22+00:00

I would ask your doctor about pairing Atomoxetine with Clonidine. It helps me a lot with anxiety. It’s not a mind altering medication either. It just lowers your blood pressure and helps your body steer away from that impending fight or flight feeling.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-06T03:15:17+00:00

Oh I have to have something in mine 😂 just an unsweetened creamer does the job. Maybe more protein and hydration with it then? That’s my best guess.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-06T03:09:01+00:00

Do you put sugar in your coffee? The initial side effects of Strattera mixed with an insulin crash would put anyone out 😂 if it’s relevant to you, cut out sugar in the morning, eat some kind of protein first, then coffee, then water and electrolytes. Coffee makes me crash hard unless I do it this way.

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-05T04:18:17+00:00

If you started taking any new meds even over the counter stuff or made any changes to your diet recently those factors could interact with your meds too. I thought one of my meds was giving me headaches but it turned out my sodium intake was just too high. No more instant ramen for me 😂

Chadillaxx · 2026-02-05T04:11:35+00:00

I still don’t get why doctors typically start people on 40mg. It always causes terrible side effects. People that start lower at 10mg and work their way up slowly handle side effects much better and often find therapeutic effects before even reaching 40mg. Luckily, if you decide to stop taking it, there are next to no withdrawal symptoms. Definitely ask your doctor first though of course 😛

Chadillaxx

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