HeadMeds gives young people in the United Kingdom general information about medication. HeadMeds does not give you medical advice. Please talk to your Doctor or anyone else who is supporting you about your own situation because everyone is different. Please read more important details about our site.

Waitingroom original

Atomoxetine

Return to Atomoxetine overview
  1. Use and Action
  2. Warnings and side effects
  3. Sex, drink, weight and everything else
Adhd and ritalin listing
Taking Ritalin to treat ADHD
It really helps me to focus on stuff

Atomoxetine can be used to treat the following conditions

Headmeds fills the medicines information gaps for young people - things you might want to know about meds like will it affect my sex life? Can I still study?  Can I drink?
Headmeds does not give medical advice so this is just general information.
Each medicine has a balance of good and bad effects, and each person gets their own individual effects.
You might want to know just one thing about your medicine, but on each page we have given you the ‘safety headlines’. Please read them as they are important.
We have included lots of information about each medicine - but if you want all the details, please look at the patient information leaflet - which is inside every pack. These leaflets are also at www.medicines.org.uk - where there will be the most up-to-date information.

Safety headlines

  • If you have taken more atomoxetine than it said on the label, you must see a doctor or go to a hospital quickly – even if you do not feel any different.
  • Atomoxetine can make some people think about hurting or killing themselves. You must go straight to hospital with your tablets if you have any of these thoughts.
  • Atomoxetine can also cause other serious side-effects: allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, swelling of your face or throat, itching skin lumps), a painful erection in men that lasts a long time (priapism), and other serious symptoms that you can find here. Go to a hospital if you get any of these symptoms, with your medicine.
  • Do not take atomoxetine if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) like moclobemide, phenelzine, isocarboxazid or tranylcypromine in the last 14 days.
  • Do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machines until you see how atomoxetine affects you –it could make you sleepy at first.
  • We do not know how atomoxetine affects a developing baby in pregnancy. Use good contraception while you are taking atomoxetine. See your doctor if you become pregnant, to get advice. 

  • Atomoxetine can affect how the liver works, if you have stomach pains, feels sick and generally unwell, lose your appetite or notice your skin or eyes start to look yellow see you should see your doctor straight away.

Basic details

Atomoxetine is a Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor

Atomoxetine is not a central nervous stimulant, which makes it different from other treatments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, but it makes more noradrenaline available in your brain.

Atomoxetine can be used to help with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

You can take atomoxetine as capsules

The capsules contain gelatine

  • Strattera™ capsules contain gelatine.

Reference sources

Back to top ↑