If I cannot take stimulants, is atomoxetine or guanfacine the usual adult option in Canada?

When stimulants are not an option, Canadian charts do not treat atomoxetine and guanfacine as interchangeable usual adult choices. Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant with a Health Canada ADHD indication that includes adults, and the CADDRA medication chart places it as second-line for adults. Brand Strattera may no longer be manufactured; generics exist and the chart lists atomoxetine. If the change is persistent, distressing, or affecting daily functioning, bring a brief timeline to the prescribing clinician rather than changing the dose independently. Related reading: https://www.fastreat.com/en/blogs/adhd-medication References: https://www.caddra.ca/wp-content/uploads/CADDRA_ADHD-Medication-Chart_May2026.pdf https://assets-dam.takeda.com/image/upload/LOC/en-ca/Products/intuniv-xr-pm-en.pdf https://www.caddra.ca/wp-content/uploads/Canadian-ADHD-Practice-Guidelines-4.1-January-6-2021.pdf

I could not stay on a stimulant, so my clinic talked through non-stimulant options and I ended up trying atomoxetine first. It was slow and I spent a few weeks wondering if anything was happening, then work got slightly less disastrous. A friend of mine got guanfacine as an adult and had a totally different ride, including feeling wiped. I did not treat either brand as the default adult backup. Just what happened to me, not a map for people who cannot take stimulants.