Strattera is a brand name for atomoxetine, which is prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Strattera differs from other common ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall in that it is not a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. Instead, it belongs to a class of drugs called serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which are typically described to individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). While it may come with fewer risks than other CNS stimulants, Strattera withdrawal and addiction are risks that all patients should be aware of. The experts at our Clearbrook Massachusetts rehab share more about Strattera’s mechanism of action, withdrawals, and potential for addiction below.
Can I Stop Strattera Cold Turkey? Understanding the Risks and Seeking Support
Strattera, also known by its generic name atomoxetine, is a prescription medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It works by increasing levels of norepinephrine in the brain, which can help improve focus and concentration in individuals with ADHD.
While Strattera is considered non-addictive and has a lower potential for abuse compared to stimulant ADHD medications, stopping it abruptly can still cause withdrawal symptoms. So can you safely stop taking Strattera cold turkey? Or is it better to taper off usage gradually under medical supervision?
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the implications of stopping Strattera suddenly, the potential withdrawal timeline and symptoms, and the safest methods for discontinuing usage.
The Dangers of Quitting Strattera Cold Turkey
Though not technically addictive, Strattera does lead to physical dependence when taken regularly over an extended period. This means your body adapts to the presence of the medication and sudden cessation can cause withdrawal effects.
Quitting Strattera cold turkey refers to abruptly stopping the medication all at once instead of gradually tapering the dosage under medical supervision. This approach is risky and can cause the following problems:
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More severe and prolonged withdrawal symptoms due to sudden chemical changes in the brain, Tapering allows your body to slowly adjust,
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Increased risk of relapse if withdrawal becomes intolerable, leading you to start taking Strattera again to relieve symptoms.
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Potential for dangerous side effects like suicidal thoughts, especially in adolescents. Mood swings and depression are common in withdrawal.
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Lack of medical oversight. A doctor can help mitigate symptoms and ensure your safety. Quitting without assistance is unpredictable.
While the intention to stop Strattera use is positive, the cold turkey approach places you at harm. A supervised, gradual tapering is always the recommended method.
What Does the Strattera Withdrawal Timeline Look Like?
The duration and severity of Strattera withdrawal will vary based on individual factors like:
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Length of time using Strattera. Longer usage causes greater dependence.
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Typical dosage. Higher doses make withdrawal more prolonged and intense.
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Personal brain chemistry and rate of adjustment. Everyone reacts differently.
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Use of other medications or substances. These can interact and worsen symptoms.
However, the general Strattera withdrawal timeline follows a predictable pattern:
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First 1-3 days: Early symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, and increased appetite emerge.
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Days 3-5: More symptoms appear like nausea, mood swings, and irritability. Anxiety and cravings increase.
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1-2 weeks: Most physical symptoms fade, but psychological issues like depression may persist for several more weeks. Cravings still occur.
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1+ months: Brain chemistry, mood, and sleep patterns slowly stabilize if Strattera was used long-term. PAWS may happen.
Note that symptoms are usually most intense within the first 1-2 weeks. Psychological symptoms take longer to fully resolve in many cases.
What Are the Most Common Strattera Withdrawal Symptoms?
Since Strattera impacts norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and appetite, most of the withdrawal effects are psychological and digestive in nature. The most frequently reported symptoms include:
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Fatigue and lack of energy. Strattera has energizing effects, so stopping can cause tiredness.
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Increased appetite and weight gain. Norepinephrine suppresses appetite, which reverses during withdrawal.
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Anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. Strattera stabilizes mood, so swings occur without it.
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Difficulty concentrating. ADHD symptoms can reemerge or worsen.
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Restlessness and agitation. Mental distress exhibits physically.
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Insomnia and nightmares. Falling and staying asleep become challenging.
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Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Digestive upset.
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Depression, sadness, or hopelessness. Preexisting depression can worsen.
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Cravings for Strattera. Urges to use again to relieve discomfort.
If any symptoms become intolerable or you have thoughts of self-harm, seek medical guidance right away. You don’t have to tough out withdrawal alone.
Can Medications Ease Strattera Withdrawal?
Stopping Strattera “cold turkey” is risky, but tapering off the medication slowly under medical supervision can make withdrawal more tolerable. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help manage certain symptoms.
For example:
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Antidepressants for mood stabilization, depression, and anxiety.
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Sleep aids for insomnia.
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Antinausea medication for nausea and vomiting.
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Nutritional supplements if appetite loss or weight loss occurs.
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Non-opioid pain relievers for headaches, muscle aches, etc.
Medication can help ease physical and psychological symptoms during the adjustment period. Make sure your doctor is aware of all drugs you are taking to avoid negative interactions. Their guidance will help ensure your safety and comfort.
Seeking Medical Help to Stop Strattera Gradually
Quitting Strattera cold turkey is possible but poses avoidable risks. It is always advised to consult your doctor and come off Strattera slowly by tapering the dosage incrementally.
This gradual approach allows your brain time to readjust to functioning without the medication. Working with a physician provides medical oversight in case withdrawal becomes medically or psychologically severe.
Your doctor can help by:
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Creating a tailored tapering schedule to safely reduce your Strattera dosage.
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Prescribing medications to help relieve difficult withdrawal symptoms.
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Monitoring your physical health during the process.
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Evaluating your mental health and adjusting care as needed.
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Providing counseling and behavioral strategies for coping.
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Connecting you with addiction treatment programs if necessary.
With your doctor’s help, you can mitigate withdrawal effects and avoid complications. Quitting Strattera abruptly places you at unnecessary risk so be sure to seek medical guidance.
Finding Additional Support for Strattera Withdrawal
Stopping Strattera use under a doctor’s supervision provides essential medical oversight, but extra support can also be very helpful when dealing with withdrawal. Some options include:
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Joining a support group to share experiences and advice.
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Seeing a therapist for coping strategies for mood and cravings.
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Enlisting trusted friends and family for accountability.
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Prioritizing self-care through healthy activities you enjoy.
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Maintaining an exercise routine to relieve stress.
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Practicing meditation, yoga, or mindfulness to stabilize your mood.
Don’t forget to care for your mental health, not just physical symptoms. Withdrawal can take a psychological toll, so having emotional support and outlets are key.
Can You Stop Strattera Cold Turkey Safely?
While it is possible to stop Strattera suddenly, doing so without medical guidance incurs serious risks of severe withdrawal, relapse, and dangerous side effects. Gradual dosage reduction supervised by a doctor is always the recommended approach. For some, addiction treatment programs are also advisable to help navigate withdrawal from Strattera or other substances safely.
The bottom line is that quitting Strattera cold turkey is not advisable. Take steps to taper usage slowly with your physician’s help. This minimizes withdrawal effects and allows your body and mind to adjust to functioning without the medication. With support and patience, you can successfully discontinue Strattera use and move forward with an addiction-free life.
How Does Strattera Work?
For ADHD, Strattera is a relatively new medication that came out in 2002, with its generic version having been introduced in 2017. It is only approved by the FDA for the treatment of ADHD and nothing else. It is also considered a safe and effective medication, controlling ADHD in some patients as effectively as stimulant medications but with fewer side effects.
Strattera works by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine in the synaptic gap (space between nerve cells), which is why it’s referred to as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI). Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter or chemical that plays a major role in regulating attention, impulse control, and executive functions in the brain.
In the brain, chemicals like norepinephrine are used to transmit signals from one nerve cell to another. After the chemical is released, some of the neurotransmitter molecules are reabsorbed back into the original nerve cell, a process otherwise referred to as reuptake.
By blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine, Strattera increases its availability in the brain. This helps to improve mood and behavior symptoms associated with ADHD. As a result, the individual may experience improved concentration, longer periods of focus, and a decrease in impulse and hyperactive behavior.
Strattera is prescribed in capsules and available in 10mg, 18mg, 25mg, 40mg, and 60mg. It is intended to be taken orally twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. When first starting Strattera, patients may experience several side effects as their body becomes accustomed to the drug.
These effects may include upset stomach, decreased appetite, insomnia, mood swings, and others. If you experience any severe effects upon taking Strattera, speak to your doctor immediately.
Because Strattera is not a central nervous stimulant like other ADHD medications, it does not produce severe withdrawal symptoms, mainly because it affects the norepinephrine neurotransmitter instead of dopamine or serotonin. Therefore, Strattera withdrawals are much less severe than those of stimulant medications.
While rare, however, possible Strattera withdrawal symptoms include:
- Rebound ADHD symptoms
- Irritability and mood changes
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Sleep disturbances
- Nause and gastrointestinal discomfort
- Headaches
Withdrawal from Strattera is unlikely to occur as it would with medications that impact neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Additionally, while it’s common for individuals taking ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall to experience a “crash” when effects wear off, this symptom does not apply to Strattera use.
Dopamine impacts learning, attention, and mood, and most ADHD medications target this chemical to regulate attention, focus, and behavior. However, when taken in high doses or more frequently than directed, dopamine levels may decrease following a spike, resulting in a “crash”.
Strattera, on the other hand, is a non-stimulant medication, meaning it does not impact dopamine in the same way that other ADHD medications do. The chemical it targets – norepinephrine – has lesser effects on attention and mood and is not as severe on the CNS as other stimulants.
How Long Does Strattera Withdrawal Last?
In most cases, individuals who stop taking Strattera experience very minimal withdrawal symptoms, if they experience any. This is because Strattera specifically affects norepinephrine – as we mentioned – and these types of medications usually do not produce severe withdrawals.
However, in cases where Strattera withdrawal does occur, symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Some major factors that affect the nature and duration of Strattera withdrawal include dosage, frequency of use, duration of use, and the individual’s overall health.
Because most ADHD medications are addictive, it’s common for people to wonder whether Strattera has any potential for dependency. However, since Strattera is a non-stimulant drug, it does not produce any feelings of euphoria or well-being as other stimulants would, meaning it does not produce a high.
Also, considering dopamine’s role in addiction, this medication does not currently have a known risk for addiction. Strattera is also not scheduled as a controlled substance in the U.S., meaning it is not recognized to have a potential for abuse or addiction by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
This further supports the unlikeliness of physical dependence on Strattera. However, tolerance is possible. If a person takes Strattera in higher doses or for longer periods than prescribed, the individual may eventually become accustomed to its effects and eventually require a higher dose to experience them.
Drug-taking behavior like that mentioned above can increase the risk of overdose. What’s more, prescription drugs that are not necessarily addictive can act as gateway drugs when abused. In other words, a person who abuses Strattera to get high may turn to more addictive and hardcore medications or illicit substances instead.
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FAQ
Do you have to taper off of Strattera?
Strattera, however, is not a controlled substance and is not habit-forming. This means you do not have to taper off the use of Strattera if you decide to stop taking the medication. However, the tradeoff is that it may take a month or two for the medication to reach its full efficacy.
Can atomoxetine be stopped suddenly?
Once you start taking atomoxetine, the brain adjusts to having a new level of noradrenaline around. If you stop taking atomoxetine all at once, the balance starts to change again. There are no reported withdrawal effects if you stop atomoxetine suddenly, but you could get your old symptoms back.
Can you break up Strattera?
Swallow the capsule whole. Do not crush, break, chew, or open it. You may take this medicine with or without food.
What happens if I skip Strattera?
If you miss a dose of STRATTERA, take it as soon as you remember that day. If you miss a day of STRATTERA, do not double your dose the next day. Just skip the day you missed. From time to time, your doctor may stop STRATTERA treatment for a while to check ADHD symptoms.
Can Strattera be stopped cold turkey?
In addition, Strattera should never be stopped cold turkey, as this can produce unwanted withdrawal symptoms. Typically, if you no longer want to use Strattera, your doctor will lower your Strattera dose gradually over time so your body can adjust to less and less of the medication. New Year, New Beginnings.
What happens if you stop taking Strattera?
Most people who have stopped using Strattera experience very minimal withdrawal symptoms. This is because Strattera specifically affects the norepinephrine neurotransmitter. Medications that affect this neurotransmitter have fewer withdrawal symptoms than medications that affect other neurotransmitters such as to serotonin or dopamine.
What are the symptoms of Strattera withdrawal?
With that said, this is still a psychoactive drug that has an impact on the way neurotransmitters are working in the brain. Most people that experience withdrawal symptoms tend to report minor things such as: anxiety, cognition impairment, dizziness, and headaches. Anxiety: This is a common symptom associated with Strattera withdrawal.
Should I stop taking Strattera If I have ADHD?
Strattera comes in a variety of dosages. Typically a doctor will work with a patient to work their way up to a dose that proves effective at eliminating symptoms of ADHD. If you are withdrawing from the drug and were up to a high dose, it may be wise to consider cutting the dose and tapering rather than quitting cold turkey.
What factors affect withdrawal from Strattera?
There are many factors that influence withdrawal from various medications. With Strattera, the most important factors are the dose and the time you took the medication. If you were on a high dose and took it for a long term – you will likely experience more withdrawal symptoms.
Can Strattera cause liver disease?
In very rare instances, using Strattera can lead to liver disease. Get medical help as soon as possible if you begin to experience liver damage symptoms such as dark urine, persistent nausea, persistent vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach or abdominal pain, and yellowing skin or eyes.