Strattera and Depression: What Users Say

• eda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For ADHD "I’m a 28-year-old male. I’ve had ADHD since my childhood without hyperactivity. I tried Concerta, Ritalin, and other psychostimulants - it was a disaster, I felt like a drugged zombie. After a while without using any medication, I wanted to try Strattera to boost my productivity. Everything got worse since I started using it. It’s been 2 months now. I lost interest in everything and became severely depressed. I’ve had trouble sleeping. Social interactions became weird. I started turning inward and feel shy all the time. So I stopped seeing people for a while thinking it would pass. It didn’t. Ever since, it’s been downhill, my libido is at a dead point, my relationship with my girlfriend took a big hit, I lost my job, and things I used to enjoy seem to make me feel indifferent now. The only positive thing is I’m less hungry now, I feel less tired during the day, and I am a bit more focused while working. Otherwise, it’s been a nightmare. I stopped the treatment today."

• eda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For ADHD "I’m a 28-year-old male. I’ve had ADHD since my childhood without hyperactivity. I tried Concerta, Ritalin, and other psychostimulants - it was a disaster, I felt like a drugged zombie. After a while without using any medication, I wanted to try Strattera to boost my productivity. Everything got worse since I started using it. It’s been 2 months now. I lost interest in everything and became severely depressed. I’ve had trouble sleeping. Social interactions became weird. I started turning inward and feel shy all the time. So I stopped seeing people for a while thinking it would pass. It didn’t. Ever since, it’s been downhill, my libido is at a dead point, my relationship with my girlfriend took a big hit, I lost my job, and things I used to enjoy seem to make me feel indifferent now. The only positive thing is I’m less hungry now, I feel less tired during the day, and I am a bit more focused while working. Otherwise, it’s been a nightmare. I stopped the treatment today."

• 80 ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 30, 2024

For ADHD "I’m a 29-year-old female diagnosed with hyperactive ADHD. I have some trauma that I go to therapy for. I started this drug and increased up to 40 mg as I started to notice it working amazingly - I was focused and really starting to develop the ability to read books for the first time in forever without getting distracted. I learned many new hobbies and felt my life change. I increased to 60 mg for about 2 months and noticed a change in my menstrual cycle - I would be spotting for the entire 2 months. The psychiatrist claimed it was unrelated. I bumped to 80 mg, and I think this was my pitfall. I started to develop really bad depression, I engaged in self-harm, but all while still being able to focus and do well (clean house, etc.). My sex drive is completely gone, it’s been 3 months since the last time. Maybe my issue is that I have ADHD comorbid with depression, and that’s why all this happened, but this is my experience."

• Tes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 1, 2023

For ADHD "Throughout my diagnosis journey, I have experimented with numerous medications, and Strattera (Atomoxetine) has proven to be the most effective for me. Unlike stimulants or SSRIs, which caused mood swings, anxiety, and emotional blunting, Strattera doesn't make me feel 'medicated.' Initially, I started with a 40 mg dose, which led to irritability, depression, and anxiety. After discussing these side effects with my doctor, I realized I had exceeded my optimal dosage. I am particularly sensitive to medications, so taking a month-long break from Strattera was necessary. Upon resuming Strattera at a reduced 18 mg dose, I no longer experienced the negative side effects and began enjoying the full benefits of the medication. If you are considering Strattera, give it a chance and collaborate with your doctor to find the appropriate dosage for your needs. Too much of a good thing can be harmful, and the same chemical can either positively transform your life or wreak havoc on it."

• Tes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 1, 2023

For ADHD "Throughout my diagnosis journey, I have experimented with numerous medications, and Strattera (Atomoxetine) has proven to be the most effective for me. Unlike stimulants or SSRIs, which caused mood swings, anxiety, and emotional blunting, Strattera doesn't make me feel 'medicated.' Initially, I started with a 40 mg dose, which led to irritability, depression, and anxiety. After discussing these side effects with my doctor, I realized I had exceeded my optimal dosage. I am particularly sensitive to medications, so taking a month-long break from Strattera was necessary. Upon resuming Strattera at a reduced 18 mg dose, I no longer experienced the negative side effects and began enjoying the full benefits of the medication. If you are considering Strattera, give it a chance and collaborate with your doctor to find the appropriate dosage for your needs. Too much of a good thing can be harmful, and the same chemical can either positively transform your life or wreak havoc on it."

• bit...
• March 30, 2019

For ADHD "I took Strattera for 3 months for ADHD. I started on 30 mg and had severe side effects such as headache, fatigue, nausea, muscle aches, and a high heart rate. These side effects were not able to be relieved with painkillers, eating, or drinking. Then my dosage was increased to 40 mg. I was now experiencing insomnia, an extreme heart rate, and would often nearly faint when I stood up for too long or too quickly. I also started to experience depression and suicidal thoughts. I had my dosage decreased to 10 mg, but the side effects persisted, only to a lesser extent. Whenever I came off the drug, I immediately felt better. To anyone reading; I spent 3 months well aware of the side effects and common negative reactions because I desperately wanted it to work and to be one of the few that seemed to get positive effects, but this did not work out, and it caused a lot of unnecessary grief in my life in the past few months. Take care and caution."

• spa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 25, 2014

For ADHD "I had been on Strattera for 8 years. It did great, but within the last year things seemed to change. I thought it wasn't working due to my memory and concentration, but now, being off for about a month, I realize it was doing a lot. I am now having headaches, lack of motivation, losing temper easily, etc. My family and friends see a significant change in my behavior (Negative change). Concentration and focus have always been an issue on and off medicine, so I just have to work harder with it. I also realize it takes more than this medicine to really have success."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2009

For ADHD "I first started 18 mg once a day, no noticeable change. Then increased to 40 mg once a day, at first I seemed to just be calm and zombie-like with no change to my ADD. Then, 2-3 weeks later insomnia, paranoia, depression, rage, panic attacks, and severe anxiety consumed me so badly that I couldn't leave my house. I feared for my safety and the safety of others so I stopped the drug immediately! I was having thoughts of violence toward others and myself. I am a 28-year-old woman and was on no other medications and no other conditions besides ADD. I'd rather just deal with my ADD than all those scary feelings I've never had before."

• Chu...
• May 27, 2021

For ADHD "So far, this medication has done absolutely nothing for my ADHD. I know it takes time to work, but I honestly felt better and had an easier time taking antidepressants. I have come off of Zoloft just to be able to take Strattera, and I feel like it completely reversed all the progress I made while on it and other antidepressants. My heart beats too fast, my legs and arms are numb, I relapsed into a depression and have had suicidal thoughts. I don’t feel hungry anymore. I’ve been avoiding friends and family members so I don’t ruin any relationships. I either feel too much or nothing at all. What is the point of taking this medication if it is only making my life worse? I know it’s helped some people, but I know a lot of people in the ADHD community who absolutely despise this medication. If anyone’s curious, I was immediately put on 40mg and I am supposed to go up to 80mg after the two-week mark... Yeah... no thanks!"

• bee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2022

For ADHD "I’ve (20F) been on Strattera for about 3-4 months. I started on 40 mg, had mild side effects but nothing awful, but I wasn’t seeing any improvement in my inattentive ADHD, so the doc and I decided to go up to 80 mg. Been on 80 mg for about 2 months now and it’s taking everything not to quit cold turkey before my next appointment with my doctor. My heart is constantly pounding and I’m overheating all the time. I am depressed and angry all the time. I need at least 12 hours of sleep to function, but I still feel tired and fatigued all the time. I also have been having awful and scary suicidal thoughts out of absolutely nowhere. I can eat, but I feel like I’m going to throw up all the time. I can do chores and work now, but at what cost??? Would not recommend."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2014

For ADHD "I am 15 years old girl and this was the first medication I ever took for my ADD, and I don't even know if it worked for my ADD symptoms. But I do know the side effects of Strattera were all I had. I was depressed, numb, sleepy, could not eat, and had anxiety. It felt like I wasn't on earth, I was out in space, numb to the world."

• Han...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2019

For ADHD "I’m only giving Strattera 2 stars instead of 1 because it worked for focus, but the side effects were horrible. The first day taking it, I felt great. I had enough energy to get through the day and I felt present and in the moment. Then the next day, I started to feel really strange. I couldn’t sleep through the night. I was majorly wired. I started to not feel like myself. My head was completely empty. I felt like a zombie, tbh. I didn’t find things funny, and I started to lash out at people, which I never do. By like day four, I lashed out at my dad, and then I broke down. I cried and was becoming really depressed. When I went off of it, my imagination returned. It was kind of a scarring experience."

• DDB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2019

For ADHD "I started taking Strattera three weeks ago, and it has been awful. I started taking this because I had too many negative side effects with the stimulants. Strattera gave me mood swings, usually leaving me feeling depressed, anxious, annoyed, angry, etc. It also suppressed my appetite, which kept me from eating. It made me feel lethargic during the day, which kept me in bed and awake at night, which caused severe depression. I noticed no improvement in my ADHD symptoms. I have stopped taking Strattera."

• DDB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2019

For ADHD "I started taking Strattera three weeks ago, and it has been awful. I started taking this because I had too many negative side effects with the stimulants. Strattera gave me mood swings, usually leaving me feeling depressed, anxious, annoyed, angry, etc. It also suppressed my appetite, which kept me from eating. It made me feel lethargic during the day, which kept me in bed and awake at night, which caused severe depression. I noticed no improvement in my ADHD symptoms. I have stopped taking Strattera."

• Az ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2024

For ADHD "I'm a 33-year-old woman recently diagnosed with ADHD. I've been on Atomoxetine (Strattera) for five months. I've definitely noticed a positive change in my work. I'm taking my time with work and making fewer mistakes, so that's been great. My overeating has also improved, and I've lost about 10 pounds. I am, however, feeling very sad all the time, constipated, and just tired all the time. My energy level is very low, and I have had very vivid nightmares, but those stopped in the last month."

• Kat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 7, 2019

For ADHD "My boyfriend has been on and off this medication for the last 10 months. He gets crazy anxiety when he's been taking it consistently for over two weeks and has really bad tummy aches. He loses his personality and becomes emotionless. It's one of the hardest things to know he needs it to be able to properly do work at his 9-5 job, but it's so sad to lose his personality that I love."

• KB8...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2015

For ADHD "My 9-year-old son has verbal dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD. We tried Ritalin, which was okay for a year. We didn't give it to him on weekends and school holidays. Then this last term, the Ritalin started causing depression, aggression, mood swings, more headaches, and stomach aches. We stopped the Ritalin and saw an improvement, though he was still easily distracted and disrupting the class. The doctor then said we should try Strattera. From what I had read about it, I was not hopeful and expected bad side effects. To my surprise, it worked from day one. No side effects. He feels better and happier and is able to listen better, so less fights at home, and the teacher is happy with the improvement."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2016

For ADHD "Diagnosed with ADD this year, I initially wanted to go without medications. Being a senior in college, I have deadlines, and I noticed my grades suffering significantly. I decided to give medications a try. My doctor prescribed a 6-week starter pack of Strattera (25-80 mg). I noticed a difference in attentiveness, but after week 4, I felt lethargic, unmotivated, sad, impatient, VERY irritable, and depressed. I didn't go to class, didn't turn in homework, and my grades took a deeper dive in that month. My psychiatrist then prescribed Vyvanse (30 mg). I have been on it for a month, and it helps me stay focused without losing sleep and decreasing my appetite. Best of all, my grades are improving! My worst side effect is dry mouth. Hope this helps(:"

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2016

For ADHD "Diagnosed with ADD this year, I initially wanted to go without medications. Being a senior in college, I have deadlines, and I noticed my grades suffering significantly. I decided to give medications a try. My doctor prescribed a 6-week starter pack of Strattera (25-80 mg). I noticed a difference in attentiveness, but after week 4, I felt lethargic, unmotivated, sad, impatient, VERY irritable, and depressed. I didn't go to class, didn't turn in homework, and my grades took a deeper dive in that month. My psychiatrist then prescribed Vyvanse (30 mg). I have been on it for a month, and it helps me stay focused without losing sleep and decreasing my appetite. Best of all, my grades are improving! My worst side effect is dry mouth. Hope this helps(:"

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 1, 2023

For ADHD "I started taking this god-awful drug when I was around 11 years old, just starting middle school. An 11-year-old child should never have to hear voices telling them to harm others or themselves, experience horrifying nightmares, and suffer from the terrible lack of sleep caused by insomnia. It felt like everything was blank, and I felt completely numb. I was like a zombie, devoid of any real emotions. Growing up, I thought I had anger issues as a kid, and to some extent, I did. However, this drug amplified my anger towards everything. I also struggled greatly with depression and had suicidal thoughts at such a young age. I came dangerously close to attempting it on multiple occasions, but fortunately, all my attempts failed. I am grateful for that, but no child or adult should ever be subjected to this medication. It made me feel absolutely awful, and I am still dealing with the trauma caused by the thoughts, voices, and memories I had as a child, even to this day. It took around 4 years to overcome some of the severe side effects from this drug as well. I apologize if my thoughts seem scattered, but I cannot stress enough: never take this medication. And please, ensure no child is subjected to it either."

• Cem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2019

For ADHD "This drug probably damaged my liver just in 4 days. I am 75 kg, I was using 40 mg. I can feel tenderness-pain in the right upper abdomen that I never had before. I feel drowsy, depressed, and confused. I would never recommend this drug, especially to kids."

• Mom...
• November 10, 2018

For ADHD "My son took Strattera for 3 months to treat ADHD. He had slight depression when he started it, and the doctor said Strattera would help with that. After no improvement in 1 month, his dosage was doubled. Within a few weeks, he began self-harming. We thought it was the depression, but looking back, it linked to the increase of Strattera. This drug and the side effects sent him on a spiral of medication and hospitalizations and could have cost him his life. Stay away!! Read the side effects. Watch for any signs of behavior change and do not take them lightly. This is dangerous!"

• Kal...
• May 20, 2017

For ADHD "Started taking 60 mg of this medicine for ADD and anxiety triggered my ADD. It took about a week to hit my system, while it helped somewhat with my ADD. It wasn't major. I was still forgetting things like crazy and was able to be sidetracked. It's been 13 days, and I'm stopping it today. It has made me an emotional wreck! I've had crazy mood swings like seen in a damn horror movie. Yesterday, I woke up happy, then saw puppy shit on the floor and I lost it. I was a crying wreck. It was so bad I laid on my floor and screamed tears! I've never been depressed insane. Couldn't find my shoes-crying screaming mess again. Left the laundry in the washer overnight-another huge breakdown."

• Hug...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2016

For ADHD "Great stuff. Like any ADD med, if you have underlying depression or anxiety, I can see how this could exacerbate it. Caffeine used to make me super depressed. Take care of your depression before starting a stimulant. Anyway, this stuff is great. Vyvanse would make me super edgy and basically feel like ripping the world's juggler out with my bare hands. This stuff feels like that peak 5 minutes of coffee where you're like, 'damn, I wish this could last all day!' I sleep way better, I have a ton more energy. Things don't bother me as much as they used to, so I can focus on my work more. However, you should really work out to burn it off, otherwise, you could get a little aggressive. I know that I really don't put up with any shit while I'm on it."

• Swa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

For ADHD "Worst experience of my life. I couldn't handle the side effects for a second day. About 1 hour after taking it, I was exhausted, slept for about 2 hours, woke up disoriented, with a killer headache, cotton mouth, and goosebumps. I didn't want to get up or do anything. I had to pee every 20-30 minutes. Felt sad, couldn't sleep well the next day. I had forgotten most of what happened the day before. I told my doctor, and they didn't believe me, but told me they could prescribe me an anti-anxiety medication. I went in for my ADHD, I don't understand her reasoning."