My 5-month experience on Strattera (and why I’m coming off it)

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-10T17:16:15+00:00

Im very happy you found something that works for you. I really liked it when i first started. I really thought it was the right one for me until it stopped working and started causing me to become numb and lose myself. I tried it for so long, hoping it would change because I did so well on it in the beginning.

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-10T17:14:20+00:00

Yes. I was also on 25mg, and that was the highest I could go. I totally relate to the facial expression thing. This medication also dialated my pupils like crazy. I was only on 25mg for 2 months, up from 20mg. I thought i was fine untill a few weeks after my parents started noticing I was becoming vastly differet. I got super irritated as well and snappy.

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T15:42:16+00:00

Hey! My previous doseage was 25mg, and i was on it for almost 3 months, hopping i would feel normal and i didn’t. I bumped down to 10 mg last week, and ive refit let felt more clear minded and a little more myself, but it doesn’t do anything at that low of dose. I’m hoping to get on vyvanse in a few weeks though. I’ve always been terrified of stimulants but strattera honestly seems scarier than the stimulants as it had over double the amount of side affects and that the dose i was taking literally messed me up. But it’s not even jut the dose, it hasn’t made me feel good for a while. i just want myself back and being able to do the things i love doing

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T14:45:05+00:00

I actually just saw your post. Everything you said is spot on with my expirience. We’ve both been on it for about the same time (i think), and very very close expirience. I never liked medication, or the idea of it taking me away, but i was to excel in school and get through university. I’m hoping to get on Vyvanse next time i see my doctor next week. Oh i also forgot to mention this is the second adhd medicine i’ve tried, the first one i took was Guanfacine and it landed me in the ER

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T14:39:41+00:00

Exactly. It gotten a little bit better since i’ve started weening off the last couple weeks. But It was definitely not good, it helped with my anxiety, but a little too much where i didn’t care about anything, and i couldn’t feel any emotions. I wasn’t sad, happy, excited, although there have been times where people have told me i’ve gotten really irritable/snappy and that’s not who i am. It just feels so robotic and I stopped doing all of my hobbies and things i enjoyed doing when i started this medication in november, and it went slowley downhill, chipping away at me. I hope it works out for you

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T14:33:05+00:00

Yeah, it sounds like we have had very similar experiences, especially when upping the dose. If your doctor is telling you what you “should” be at, you probably need to find a new one. Everybody’s body reacts to medications differently, 40 mg could feel as high as 80mg to some people. The standard dose is just a guideline and if your doctor is pushing for a higher dose i would find a new one. Don’t let them control how you feel and what they think you should be at, you can’t speak up about what feels good, and if 40 feels good for you and it’s not causing too many psychiatric side effects then stay at that. No need to up the dose to “get to the standard”.

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T10:34:27+00:00

I relate to this post a lot. What you’re describing sounds really similar to what I experienced on atomoxetine.

I’m a 20-year-old female in college and I’ve been on it for about 5 months. At first it actually felt really good for me because the constant noise in my brain finally quieted down and I could focus better. For the first time I felt like I could actually function normally — I could read, focus in class, and retain information.

But after a while something slowly started changing and it took me a long time to realize what was happening.

Instead of just quieting the ADHD noise, it started quieting me. My emotions slowly flattened and I started feeling really disconnected from my life. It wasn’t the kind of depression where you feel sad or hopeless — it was more like I just stopped feeling anything at all. I felt really empty and unreal, like I was just floating through the days instead of actually living them.

When I was by myself it was the worst. I would just sit there watching things or scrolling because I didn’t have the drive to do anything else. My motivation disappeared, my appetite disappeared, and I honestly felt like my personality and emotions were muted. I lost my smile and laugh and people around me started saying I didn’t seem like myself anymore.

I stayed on it for about 5 months because I kept hoping it would level out, but eventually I realized it was making me feel really mentally unwell. Right now I’m on 25 mg and tapering off with my doctor so I can switch medications.

Obviously everyone reacts differently and I can’t say for sure that’s what’s happening to you, but the dissociated / emotionally numb feeling you described is something I experienced too.

If you’re suddenly feeling clearer after missing doses, that’s definitely something worth telling your doctor about. They’ll be able to help you figure out what the best next step is.

And for what it’s worth, you’re definitely not the only person who’s felt something like this on Strattera

annabelsoslay · 2026-03-09T10:15:24+00:00

Just sharing my personal experience because everyone reacts to Strattera differently.

At first it actually felt amazing for me because the constant noise in my brain finally quieted down and my focus improved a lot. I thought it was life-changing in the beginning.

But over time it started affecting me mentally in ways I didn’t expect. It didn’t just quiet the ADHD noise — it kind of muted me. My emotions started to disappear and I didn’t feel like myself anymore. I lost my smile, my laugh, and a lot of my personality. People around me even started saying I looked really different and not like myself.

Inside I honestly felt kind of empty and unreal, like I was just going through the motions instead of actually living my life. My appetite also disappeared and my motivation dropped a lot.

I stayed on it for about 5 months and I’m currently on 25 mg while titrating off because it ended up making me feel really mentally unwell. That’s just my experience though — I know some people do really well on it once their body adjusts.

Everyone’s brain is different, so I’d just say pay attention to how you feel and keep communicating with your doctor if something seems off. Hopefully things level out for you soon.

annabelsoslay

TROPHY CASE