Your doctor should know
You need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with atomoxetine if any of the following apply to you:
- if you know you are, or think you could be, allergic to any of the ingredients (a list of ingredients can be found in the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication)
- you have ever had thoughts about taking your own life or have tried to take your own life in the past
- you have ever had problems with your heart (including heart defects) or an increased heartbeat
- you have high or low blood pressure
- you or a family member has a history of heart disease or stroke
- you have ever had liver problems
- you have ever had psychotic symptoms including hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things which are not there), believing things that are not true, or being extra suspicious
- you have ever had mania (feeling elated or over-excited, causing unusual behaviour and agitation)
- you have ever had aggressive, unfriendly or unusually angry feelings
- you have a history of epilepsy or have had seizures (fits) for any other reason
- you have ever had extreme mood swings
- you have ever had repeated twitching of any parts of the body that you cannot control, or you repeat sounds and words
- you have an eye disease called narrow-angle glaucoma (increased pressure in your eye)
- you have a tumour of your adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines.
If you are already taking a central nervous system stimulant like methylphenidate, your doctor will usually advise you to overlap this with atomoxetine for a few weeks as you switch treatments. This lets the atomoxetine build up in your system and have the chance to start working before you stop the stimulant.