Ask me about childhood and adult ADD.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about childhood and adult ADD.

Aculard: Oct 15, 2007; by Ozmaugh

So the ritalin sucks because I feel jacked up on it all the itme and there's no middle ground (so I'm going to start playing with my doses on my own) because my doctor decided to suddenly pull some homeopathy poo poo on me. Thank god I do not have to see her again.

Great points that made me feel like poo poo:

-I have pale skin therefor I do not get enough vitamin d and should take at least 5000mg or something a day of it.
-Uppers do not make you feel emotionally better at all to relieve slight anxiety. Ever.
-Uppers don't do anything but "improve concentration slightly"
-Gave me homeopathic sugar water with like... .0005mg of caffiene in it to try instead.
-Eat more fish oil!
-Eat less red food dye!
-Adrenaline destroys your emotions, therefor even if I did start taking all this stuff it might not work because STRESSSSSSSSSSS
-Refused to fill out disability forms because I should "just get a job".

# ? Nov 9, 2010 21:07

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 17, 2024 18:01

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

TheGopher posted:

If you take a stimulant, such as Adderall or Ritalin, you should notice an effect immediately. The way you feel on the meds the first few days will be euphoric, and probably be riddled with some side effects, but that's the part of taking the meds you have to get used to. In terms of the things you absolutely loathe about ADHD, you will instantly realize how differently your brain works, and what it's like to be a "normal" person.

That being said, the meds alone will not solve the issues you have with ADHD and modern society. You will need to come up with strategies that work for you, that maximize the effect of the medication. For me, being organized at work is crucial, otherwise I never get work done completely, and let things slip by. I'm infinitely better at the standard 9-6 routine than I ever could be before the medication, but I know I can do better. The only difference now, is that I'm not leaping out of my skin from unbearable boredom, and I know that whatever effort I do put into any endeavor will not just be wasted and full of frustration.

To put it another way, I never had dreams or goals of success before I started taking Adderall. I just wanted to be a "normal" person and not fail at everything I do. Now I have an idea of what I want to do, and what I want to accomplish in the next few years, and it doesn't feel overwhelming or impossible.

I know, right? There is nothing better than being able to feel like you're actually a worthy employee/friend/family member. And it's so wonderful to be able to see good qualities in yourself instead of frustration and failure. Treatment opens up a hole new world. It's especially awesome to see that you're in this state now since we got to see your transition into being medicated, and I'm incredibly glad you're so happy.

fyallm posted:

So today I was going through a few articles about 7 subjects to discuss with your doctor about ADHD medication, and reading the side effects, and I felt an anxiety attack coming on.... I don't know if it was from asking the doctor about ADHD, and thinking he was going to say I didn't have it. Or I don't know what about it freaked me out. The thought of taking drugs? Switching insurance plans to make sure the medication is covered? How much does a 90day prescription cost if insurance doesn't cover it?

Man 2 weeks till the doctors appointment..

Here's a coping technique to deal with that anxiety. When you start to get panicky, I want you to ask yourself a few things. Am I obsessing about this? Is this something I really need to worry about? And most importantly, is this your ADHD or you talking? If you're obsessing over something, every time you get one of those thoughts I want you to tell yourself, 'This is my anxiety talking. This is my condition at work, I will be fine in 10 minutes'. You also need to identify what things calm you down and make your mind hush, whether it's listening to loud music or taking a walk or doing a crossword. When you've identified that it's your anxiety talking and have reminded yourself that those thoughts are because you're having an anxiety attack, go do whatever calms you down. Just remember to tell yourself that you'll be okay, and it will go away once you start to calm down. If you keep doing that, you'll find that you'll calm down easier and faster, till it's not even an issue.

And this is a super common approach to therapy, to freak out. It's a big change and there's a lot to think about, but remember. The more you keep obsessing about it, the longer it's going to seem. Write down the things you need to do, set a date for when you need to take care of that and put it on the fridge and make sure that you aren't avoiding the question just because it might be hard to find the answer. I avoid things that might be uncomfortable or strange a lot, hence waiting 4 months to renew my plates, and setting dates for when you're going to take care of everything helps a ton.

# ? Nov 11, 2010 05:12

Parsnip: Jun 24, 2004; you chose...poorly

At 25 I got the diagnosis and started with Adderall. Right now I take 25mg XR every day, and have the 10 mg tablets when I need a 'boost' after the XR wears out.

Here is something I don't get: I am able to take a nap (and stay asleep) a little while after taking it. How is that even possible? I should be doing something with my new-found ability to focus on things, not snoozin'.

# ? Nov 11, 2010 06:15

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

Parsnip posted:

At 25 I got the diagnosis and started with Adderall. Right now I take 25mg XR every day, and have the 10 mg tablets when I need a 'boost' after the XR wears out.

Here is something I don't get: I am able to take a nap (and stay asleep) a little while after taking it. How is that even possible? I should be doing something with my new-found ability to focus on things, not snoozin'.

Depends on how long you've been on it. I've been taking 20 mg of Adderall for 8 years and while I still benefit massively from it, I've become much more used to it and can definitely take a nap happily, and I've been at that point since I was 2 years in. Also, I find that since having taken Adderall, going to bed is much easier because I can stop thinking and just sleep. I don't have all of the obsessive thoughts and random tangents speeding through my mind, I can just close my eyes and be calm. It may be speed, but it is completely different between people with ADHD and people without it. It calms us down and settles us instead of giving us that speed freak feeling.

# ? Nov 11, 2010 06:52

Christian Mingle: Sep 11, 2005

Parsnip posted:

Here is something I don't get: I am able to take a nap (and stay asleep) a little while after taking it. How is that even possible? I should be doing something with my new-found ability to focus on things, not snoozin'.

Same here. Granted, I take 15mg once a day and I've been on it for only a month and a half. It does make me feel a lot calmer and even less anxious since I don't have to deal with all that noise in my head.

# ? Nov 11, 2010 19:05

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

So I'm seeing the Psychiatrist tomorrow, and he'll probably put me on Vyvanse. I have this never ending circle of ADHD/Anxiety/Depression that makes me feel like the world is closing in, and there's no escape.

How is that compared to Adderall XR?

# ? Nov 11, 2010 19:11

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Welp, I have an update.

:catdrugs:

Psychiatrist listened to me, and agreed that treating the ADHD is important, and the other two disorders may fall into place. So, after weighing the pros and cons of Vyvanse vs generic Dexedrine Spansule (ER), we agreed on the Dex. (Namely, because I know my insurance will poo poo the bed if asked to pay for Vyvanse. And while I am fortunate to have insurance, it's through COBRA, and I don't want to add a $50+ copay on top of that per month.) I'm on 5mg, once a day. And a month's supply is only $8.

So far, when it kicked in, it was actually gentler than Adderall XR was. I could feel my mood lifting and getting less scattered as the day went on, but it didn't feel quite like a light switching on, like the Adderall did. But, there's a definite calmness here, less panic, and an increase of attention. So far, the only side effects I'm noticing is a slight grinding of teeth, and increased thirst - but not excessive. It also hasn't killed my appetite, either. And maybe it's too early to tell, but I'm also not getting the emotional lability that the Adderall gave me when it started to wear off. Nor is it loving with my muscles.

Hopefully it'll continue to be a good thing.

(However, even though I stopped taking the Adderall a while back, I kept all the medication. So, if the Dex doesn't turn out to work, I can revert back to that. So I won't be completely drugless.)

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Nov 13, 2010

# ? Nov 13, 2010 07:00

BobbyDrake: Mar 13, 2005

Ok, so, I have a doctor appointment next Monday(not tomorrow, but the week after) to see if my blood pressure is low enough to start treatment for my ADHD. However, the strategy that has been discussed with my doctor is to go back on Ritalin. I do not want to go back on Ritalin, nor do I want any other stimulant. It's a personal thing, I don't like stimulants in general because they make me feel like a robot. However, in my research, I have found a drug called Tenex, which, funnily enough, its main use is to treat high blood pressure, but has also recently been approved for ADHD treatment in adolescents. Since I have high blood pressure and ADHD, I would be willing to bet that the Tenex would benefit me greatly for both disorders. Now, I may be wrong, but if it keeps me off of stimulants, I'd be willing to try it. Also, I want to be put on Wellbutrin for both my mood swings and my smoking. Wellbutrin, remember, is also used for ADHD treatment. I figure if I can get the doctor to prescribe both medications, I can get the generics (guanfacine and bupropion respectively) for low cost, which my insurance would appreciate. As far as I can tell, there are no downsides to this plan. Anyone have any objections, or positive reactions? I really want to know, cause I don't want to be on loving Ritalin again.

edit: can't spell bupripion correctly.

# ? Nov 15, 2010 06:52

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

I've heard of health insurance companies rejecting claims for Wellbutrin if it's prescribed for smoking cessation, as opposed to for ADHD and/or depression.

I've been on Wellbutrin SR or XL for nearly 10 years; in my experience, the name brand drug was a godsend, but the generic was so bad that my doc took me off the drug completely. If you are prescribed the SR or XL version of the drug, and you get the generic, some people had problems with the timing mechanism of the drug not releasing the active chemical in a consistent fashion. In me, this caused massive mood swings, and intense feelings of rage and self-loathing. So that may be something to look out for.

(I'm not on Wellbutrin now; I stopped taking it over a year ago.)

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 08:10 on Nov 15, 2010

# ? Nov 15, 2010 08:07

flavaaDAAAAAVE: Jun 2, 2008

After trying adderall for a while and stopping because of the exacerbation of my anxiety - and now treating that (the anxiety) with, and having good success with, remeron - the doc gave me a script for vyvanse which I will start tomorrow. Hope it works. And doesn't trigger my anxiety. The latter of which I'm not holding out much hope.

# ? Nov 16, 2010 20:05

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

A little bit more on the genetics of ADHD:

quote:

Gene linked to ADHD allows memory task to be interrupted by brain regions tied to daydreaming
Using fMRI, the scientists were able to watch competition between these brain areas

San Diego - Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) say brain scans show that a gene nominally linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) leads to increased interference by brain regions associated with mind wandering during mental tasks.

Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, these researchers believe their findings are the first to show, through brain scanning, the differences in brain network relationships between individuals with this particular form of gene and others with a different form.

"Our goal is to narrow down the function of candidate genes associated with ADHD, and in this study, we find this gene is tied to competition between brain networks. This could lead to increased inattention, but it likely has nothing to do with hyperactivity," says the study's lead author, Evan Gordon, a doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at GUMC. "This is just one gene, and it does not cause ADHD but likely contributes to it. The disorder is believed to be due to a myriad of genetic factors."

The gene in question is DAT1; its protein produces the dopamine transporter that helps regulate dopamine transmission between brain cells. The DAT1 gene comes in two alleles, or forms � DAT1 10 and DAT1 9. People who inherit two 10 alleles (10/10) are said to be at greater risk for developing ADHD than people who inherit 10/9 alleles. Rarely does someone inherit two 9 alleles, according to Gordon; he says, in fact, that the10 allele is slightly more common than the 9 allele.

The biological significance of inheriting a DAT1 10 allele is that the brain produces excess quantities of dopamine transporters, and that results in less dopamine signaling between neurons. Too many dopamine transporters quickly scoop up dopamine released by neurons, leaving fewer available to actually reach other neurons and pass on a signal. If there are fewer transporters, more dopamine stays in the synapse between neurons, triggering a reaction.

That is important, Gordon says, because dopamine is important for "gating" the transfer of information between brain regions � that is, allowing or preventing new information to come in. "The belief is that dopamine helps teach certain brain regions how and when to gate, and that 10/10 carriers are not gating as quickly or effectively as is possible."

That is exactly what the researchers found when they used functional MRI (fMRI) on a group of 38 participants. Half of the groups were 10/10 carriers and half were 10/9 carriers, and none of the participants were diagnosed with ADHD.

The researchers investigated the activity in two areas of the brain, the default mode network (DMN), which is associated with mind wandering or daydreaming and is active when the mind is at rest, and task-positive networks (TPNs), which are active during problem solving and other cognitive work. In this study, participants were asked to remember letters they saw on a screen inside the fMRI machine, and to recall them, thus activating TPNs.

Scanning demonstrated that in 10/10 carriers, the mind wandering areas tended to communicate with regions performing memory tasks more strongly than in did in 10/9 carriers. "Dopamine in the 10/10 carriers was not doing a good enough job in preventing the mind wandering regions from interfering with memory performance regions, resulting in less efficient cognition," Gordon says.

They also found no differences between genotype when the participants were at rest after their memory tasks.

"That tells us that the DAT1 genotype affects gating only when release of dopamine is high, such as during a memory task, and that less dopamine signaling leads to increased inattention," he says.

"Being a DAT1 10/10 carrier does not mean a person has ADHD; it is not a diagnostic marker," Gordon says. "It has been viewed as a contributing factor, and now we know one reason why."

# ? Nov 16, 2010 20:59

flavaaDAAAAAVE: Jun 2, 2008

First day back on stimulants. This time vyvanse instead of adderall. Had to remind myself all day that I'm not really this manic and to stop being SO loving INTENSE. My thoughts are a lot more collected so there's that positive. I just hope the speed feeling goes away soon. This is 30mg btw. A toddler can handle more speed than me.

# ? Nov 17, 2010 23:20

signalnoise: Mar 7, 2008; i was told my old av was distracting

Qu Appelle posted:

I've been on Wellbutrin SR or XL for nearly 10 years; in my experience, the name brand drug was a godsend, but the generic was so bad that my doc took me off the drug completely. If you are prescribed the SR or XL version of the drug, and you get the generic, some people had problems with the timing mechanism of the drug not releasing the active chemical in a consistent fashion. In me, this caused massive mood swings, and intense feelings of rage and self-loathing. So that may be something to look out for.

I just got prescribed Wellbutrin SR 100mg twice a day for depression and focus problems, and I can attest to this for the generic. I had been off any kind of mood-affecting medication for over 10 years, and I can say that the effects of this are sometimes immediate, sometimes no so much. I haven't gotten to any kind of rage feelings, but after taking a tablet of this, I have 10-20 minutes before it kicks in, followed by an intense boost of energy and concentration, and that can last for one to three hours. I am left with the nice mood-lifting effects for another 3 hours or so, but it's definitely not consistent. If I want to be able to study, I must take it right before I start studying, which makes the timing pretty irritating.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 01:20

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

signalnoise posted:

I just got prescribed Wellbutrin SR 100mg twice a day for depression and focus problems, and I can attest to this for the generic. I had been off any kind of mood-affecting medication for over 10 years, and I can say that the effects of this are sometimes immediate, sometimes no so much. I haven't gotten to any kind of rage feelings, but after taking a tablet of this, I have 10-20 minutes before it kicks in, followed by an intense boost of energy and concentration, and that can last for one to three hours. I am left with the nice mood-lifting effects for another 3 hours or so, but it's definitely not consistent. If I want to be able to study, I must take it right before I start studying, which makes the timing pretty irritating.

Yeah, that sucks.

Even if you decide to stay on it, definitely report this to your doctor. Supposedly the generics are 'safe', but when I reported it to my doc, he said that bad timed release in the generics were so prevalent that he had multiple calls a week from his patients on this.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 02:31

signalnoise: Mar 7, 2008; i was told my old av was distracting

Qu Appelle posted:

Yeah, that sucks.

Even if you decide to stay on it, definitely report this to your doctor. Supposedly the generics are 'safe', but when I reported it to my doc, he said that bad timed release in the generics were so prevalent that he had multiple calls a week from his patients on this.

Brought it up with her today and basically she was like "I don't remember if you are supposed to be able to split it but try it out to space out your doses."

It works with my clonazepam, I'll have to ask my pharmacist if this is even close to kosher. I mean, they're non-canister tablets, they ought to be alright... right?

# ? Nov 18, 2010 03:44

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

signalnoise posted:

Brought it up with her today and basically she was like "I don't remember if you are supposed to be able to split it but try it out to space out your doses."

It works with my clonazepam, I'll have to ask my pharmacist if this is even close to kosher. I mean, they're non-canister tablets, they ought to be alright... right?

I have no idea; never really taken clonazepam for any length of time. I'd ask the Pharmacist.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 04:14

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

I've done something similar with my Adderall and it definitely works with stimulants. Not sure about it with Wellbutrin. But I have to say, I've never had an issue taking generic Adderall.

Also, had an awesome conversation with my psychiatrist about the ridiculous price of health care. When I told him that my prescription cost me $100, his response was 'You can make stimulants in a bathtub, how can they charge that much?'. I also told him about this thread and he was thrilled/a little shocked that we were all so pro-medication.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 04:54

signalnoise: Mar 7, 2008; i was told my old av was distracting

Effexxor posted:

I've done something similar with my Adderall and it definitely works with stimulants. Not sure about it with Wellbutrin. But I have to say, I've never had an issue taking generic Adderall.

Also, had an awesome conversation with my psychiatrist about the ridiculous price of health care. When I told him that my prescription cost me $100, his response was 'You can make stimulants in a bathtub, how can they charge that much?'. I also told him about this thread and he was thrilled/a little shocked that we were all so pro-medication.

It's a physical problem. Just because you say "mental health" doesn't mean it's not a real thing.

Also I work as a pharmacy technician, so I see the cash prices for drugs all the time. They're stupid. It kills me to see people begrudgingly fork over ridiculous amounts of money if they need a painkiller that's more effective than hydrocodone, and it's even worse when you see people who just plain can't afford it. I had to use some "community assistance" discount card myself to lower the cost of the generic Wellbutrin to 56 bucks. I can only justify it because I'm old enough now that not being able to focus and remember poo poo is loving crippling and it's the whole reason I'm working as a goddamn pharmacy technician instead of working on an actual career.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 05:40

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

signalnoise posted:

It's a physical problem. Just because you say "mental health" doesn't mean it's not a real thing.

Also I work as a pharmacy technician, so I see the cash prices for drugs all the time. They're stupid. It kills me to see people begrudgingly fork over ridiculous amounts of money if they need a painkiller that's more effective than hydrocodone, and it's even worse when you see people who just plain can't afford it. I had to use some "community assistance" discount card myself to lower the cost of the generic Wellbutrin to 56 bucks. I can only justify it because I'm old enough now that not being able to focus and remember poo poo is loving crippling and it's the whole reason I'm working as a goddamn pharmacy technician instead of working on an actual career.

I told him that we were almost all medicated, and that we knew that medication was how you improved your life.

It especially boggles me that amphetamine should cost so much. They're incredibly easy to make, it's been a cure that's been around as long as ADHD has been a mental disorder and there are a lot of people who take it. There is no reason for this medication to be as expensive. None. But I can't not take it, it makes my life worth living. Thankfully, Walgreens has a thing where you have a little down payment to get onto a plan, and I get 30 dollars off, which is awesome.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 06:50

Xenoid: Dec 9, 2006

Are there not generic amphetamines? I also imagine a big part of the price is your being in the USA.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 13:26

signalnoise: Mar 7, 2008; i was told my old av was distracting

Xenoid posted:

Are there not generic amphetamines? I also imagine a big part of the price is your being in the USA.

Generic for Adderall is just amphetamine salts. And yeah being in the USA sucks for the lower class if you want decent health care. My employer isn't about to give me health insurance, and I don't make enough money to afford it on my own, and there are tons of people in the same situation.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 16:33

fyallm: Feb 27, 2007; College Slice

Today is the big day of my doctors appointment... I still don't know how to bring it up to my doc, but I guess we will see... I printed off the forms from when I was tested when I was younger to show him I'm not just trying to get pills... I don't even know where to start with what type of medication I should be trying and the dosage.

EDIT: Also if I start taking any type of stimulant medication will it show up on a test as meth? Also has anyone tried INTUNIV?

fyallm fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Nov 18, 2010

# ? Nov 18, 2010 16:59

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Xenoid posted:

Are there not generic amphetamines? I also imagine a big part of the price is your being in the USA.

I'm on generic Dexedrine SR. If the prices I find are correct, it'd still be around $60 without insurance. I'm so glad that it's working for me so far.

I found a helpful chart comparing :psyduck:

drug prices for our beloved forms of speed in Consumer Reports. I hav eno idea how current the prices are. http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/adhd.htm

# ? Nov 18, 2010 18:16

Oneday for Life: Feb 2, 2004; Shoe. Explode?!

Is Adderall actually something different than mixed Amphetamine salts? I've been taking generics for about 3 years now and I've always wondered if name-brand was actually any different than the generics.

Also, I think I'm liking Strattera, but its hard to tell. Since I don't get the immediate kick of the amps, I just have to look back and see if I did any of the dumb stuff that comes with being ADD or not. I've been on it for about 3.5 weeks now, so it may be too early to really tell, since my psychiatrist said it could take 4-6 weeks to really notice.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 19:15

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

fyallm posted:

Today is the big day of my doctors appointment... I still don't know how to bring it up to my doc, but I guess we will see... I printed off the forms from when I was tested when I was younger to show him I'm not just trying to get pills... I don't even know where to start with what type of medication I should be trying and the dosage.

EDIT: Also if I start taking any type of stimulant medication will it show up on a test as meth? Also has anyone tried INTUNIV?

You'll be fine, he'll probably start you on a low dosage stimulant. Try not to be too 'I SWEAR I'M NOT JUST HERE FOR DRUGS', just say that you have ADHD and know medication is what you need to do to improve your life. Deep breaths. Did they method I told you about controlling your anxiety help?

And yes, you will test positive for amphetamines, but it depends on when you take it. My high school had sporadic drug testing and sometimes I'd test positive for speed, sometimes not. But either way, it's not an issue, they know that there are people on stimulants and if you show a letter from your doctor say that you have been legally prescribed them, it's all cool.

Oneday for Life posted:

Is Adderall actually something different than mixed Amphetamine salts? I've been taking generics for about 3 years now and I've always wondered if name-brand was actually any different than the generics.

Also, I think I'm liking Strattera, but its hard to tell. Since I don't get the immediate kick of the amps, I just have to look back and see if I did any of the dumb stuff that comes with being ADD or not. I've been on it for about 3.5 weeks now, so it may be too early to really tell, since my psychiatrist said it could take 4-6 weeks to really notice.

The releasing mechanism may be different. But I take don't take the XR and have been perfectly fine with just taking it in the morning and at 3-4 when I go off to work. It was kind of tricky when I was in school, but I mostly just scheduled classes in the morning when my Adderall was kicking in. Generics have to have the same chemicals, they're just as closely related except that when you buy generics, you aren't paying for the advertising. That's why there is absolutely no reason to buy Bayer when you can buy name brand aspirin. It's the same drug, same materials, same process.

Effexxor fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Nov 18, 2010

# ? Nov 18, 2010 20:25

Angry Diplomat: Nov 7, 2009; Winner of the TSR Memorial Award for Excellence In Grogging

I'm not really sure how to say, "hi I have ADD too let's be ADD buddies" so uh, hi, I have ADD too, let's be ADD buddies. I'm just going to jump in feet-first because I'll probably have plenty of questions to ask in the future, and I simply cannot be arsed to timidly pop into the thread and pretend not to be heavily invested in the subject matter. (warning: e/n and ahead)

I was diagnosed with ADD at 13 and prescribed Ritalin. I stopped taking it when I was a 90-pound 15-year-old who ate one meal a day and averaged four hours of sleep a night. I also learned that being able to eat and sleep enough to live is much more important than any medication that isn't also critical to my ability to live! Unfortunately, this caused me to develop a foolish, irrational hatred for behavioural medications, leading me to spend a decade consistently rejecting the most immediate and effective tool for fixing my goddamn poo poo.

When I got out of high school I spent a little while being incompetent at life and not knowing how anything worked. Then I went to college, which I was poo poo at and from which I learned nothing of use. I returned to the task of being clueless and generally incapable of meaningful achievement, sometimes finding employment and then sucking at it. To alleviate the tedium of mediocrity, I became depressed and started hating myself, then coped with that by developing some kind of weird defense mechanism that made me stop caring about anything at all whenever I was in a stressful situation. This tendency still crops up occasionally, causing fun and exciting fights with my wife!

Speaking of my wife, I was very lucky to find her and even luckier to somehow marry her, because she is kind enough to endure my manifold stupidities but mean enough to bluntly call me out on them. She helped me learn some difficult lessons and give me the perspective I needed to start trying to improve things. Eventually, with the help of my parents' input and some financial woes caused by my own poor decisions, she convinced me that refusing to consider medication was not only prideful, but as much of a burden on my family as it was on me. Everything culminated in me wigging the gently caress out and having this apocalyptic epiphany/emotional meltdown, which was all dreadfully melodramatic, but I guess it was probably a necessary step in my personal growth since it motivated me to lay the groundwork for real, constructive change.

I am 25 now, and I'm on a trial prescription of Adderall. The first day I took it, my productivity spiked by more than a dozen times and I learned how to do half a dozen new things just by paying attention. I'm still trying to iron out the bumps in my routine and I'll need to talk to my doctor to determine the right dosage, but things are already far better than they used to be.

I can't help feeling a lot of regret and frustration over the poo poo I caused for my family. After a quarter of a century I'm just starting to exert any control over my life, and I'll always know that the people I love struggled to support me for years simply because I was too proud to swallow a few pills. :suicide:

The weird thing is that knowing that is kind of bizarrely uplifting. It feels good to know exactly how everything fits together, even if it's all horribly lovely, because now I know how to fix it. I almost can't feel crappy anymore - I'll start to get a bit gloomy, then my brain kicks in and says, "oh my god what are you doing this is a gigantic loving waste of time just repair your poo poo and move on you infant," which I swear is a lot more awesome than it sounds.

^{^{tl;dr: Adderall is a god drat miracle (so expensive though o god)}}

# ? Nov 18, 2010 22:35

fyallm: Feb 27, 2007; College Slice

Effexxor posted:

You'll be fine, he'll probably start you on a low dosage stimulant. Try not to be too 'I SWEAR I'M NOT JUST HERE FOR DRUGS', just say that you have ADHD and know medication is what you need to do to improve your life. Deep breaths. Did they method I told you about controlling your anxiety help?

And yes, you will test positive for amphetamines, but it depends on when you take it. My high school had sporadic drug testing and sometimes I'd test positive for speed, sometimes not. But either way, it's not an issue, they know that there are people on stimulants and if you show a letter from your doctor say that you have been legally prescribed them, it's all cool.

Well he said I had to take a test and prove to him I have it, so I guess I will just try and go to the Chadd meeting next week instead of getting any meds. And yeah the method helped until they told me they were getting some blood and my anxiety shot back up. I guess if I have been able to go without meds this long I can keep doing it. But hopefully I can get to the Chadd meeting next week.

# ? Nov 18, 2010 23:44

flavaaDAAAAAVE: Jun 2, 2008

Angry Diplomat posted:

To alleviate the tedium of mediocrity, I became depressed and started hating myself, then coped with that by developing some kind of weird defense mechanism that made me stop caring about anything at all whenever I was in a stressful situation.

This made me laugh out loud. Not at you, but with you because that pretty much describes what happened to me.

Anyway, no real advice, but if adderall is too expensive be open to trying other, cheaper stimulants that have been mentioned in this thread.

How long have you been at it? Taking the medicine I mean.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 03:06

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

This week's fantastic discovery: Dexedrine + a grande latte = BADBADBAD. Dex alone? OK. Caffeine alone? Jittery, but now turning bad. Dex + caffeine? Anxious, jittery, and feeling just bad overall. Like, full of energy but with a constant anxious hum at the base of it all. That it has completely destroyed my appetite hasn't helped, either, but I am making sure to eat at least something filling and healthy every day. (I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad I have a few pounds to spare, so I can get this kink worked out before I lose a ton of weight. I'm not overweight, but I'm also not super thin.)

(It's sort of a :downs:

realization, but sometimes I forget to order Decaf at the coffee joint, and the adventure begins.)

Also - how do you handle only being prescribed 30 pills of stimulants for a month with 31 days in it, and being tasked to take it every day. I'm considering taking 'drug holidays' on the weekends (like I did with Adderall) but I don't know how that'd work with Dex. I did skip my Dex today and had some coffee instead, and now I feel like one of those methheads on 'Cops'. I have a feeling now that caffeine is just going to be verboten. Luckily I am stocked up on nice herbal teas.

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Nov 19, 2010

# ? Nov 19, 2010 03:09

Kylra: Dec 1, 2006; Not a cute boy, just a boring girl.

I never remember to take it every day. By the time the end of the 30 days rolls around (if I realize it has been 30 days even) I usually end up with 6-10 left. By the time I get another prescription note to hand in after realizing it's been 30+ days and I should probably refill, I usually still have a couple left. Half the time I run out the same day I go pick up more! Funny how that works. The other half, I end up having none for a few days until I remember to make it to the pharmacy.

That's how I handle the 30 day supply/31 in month. If that's even an issue. I think it's just a straight 30 days requirement, not one month. It's not really an issue for me due to the above though.

Kylra fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Nov 19, 2010

# ? Nov 19, 2010 03:15

Angry Diplomat: Nov 7, 2009; Winner of the TSR Memorial Award for Excellence In Grogging

I was actually just thinking about investigating the possibility of a "weekends-off" medication schedule. Is this at all common with Adderall or similar drugs? I feel like it could save me a fair chunk of money in the long run, and the abatement of its side effects (specifically appetite loss and insomnia) could let me catch up on some much-needed eating and snoozing. I'll have to make a note to ask the doctor about that.

flavaaDAAAAAVE posted:

This made me laugh out loud. Not at you, but with you because that pretty much describes what happened to me.

I'm not offended. Now that I'm moving away from that self-pitying nonsense I can look back on it and recognize that, in retrospect, it really is kind of funny from a gallows-humour angle. "oh things aren't going well, obviously this is my fault and I should hate myself for it. Oh man, hating myself is very unpleasant! The obvious solution is to stop caring about everything. Oh no my indifference is making things worse, I hate myself :saddowns:

quote:

Anyway, no real advice, but if adderall is too expensive be open to trying other, cheaper stimulants that have been mentioned in this thread.

I noticed that people were mentioning amphetamine salts, which I'm planning to research and ask my doctor and/or pharmacist about. I'm certainly going to compare similar medications and consider the pros and cons of each. Maybe it's time I signed up for that preferred account thing they offer at the local chain pharmacy - it could be worthwhile to have consistent access to the pharmacist's knowledge, and the discounts would help because, gently caress, medicine is expensive.

quote:

How long have you been at it? Taking the medicine I mean.

It's just the trial period, so a little over a week now. The amount I've managed to get done in that time is staggering, and the difference is really fresh in my mind - even if I don't stay with Adderall, it seems extremely likely at this point that I'll end up adopting medication of some kind as a long-term consideration in my lifestyle. I've already noticed some side effects but they seem to be manageable, and I'm pretty grateful that I can still chug down cheap coffee like a film noir detective without additional adverse effects - I need my joe to get moving in the morning (Qu Appelle, I feel bad for you, man

)

Right now I'm on a once-daily, 30mg time-release dose, which my doctor described as fairly middle-of-the-road and good for an initial trial. However, I've spoken to a couple of other people who use Adderall and they seemed pretty surprised - they gave me the impression that 30mg was a fairly high dose. I'm not really concerned, because I'm going to fine-tune it with my doctor anyway, and as I understand it Adderall has been prescribed in daily doses as high as 60mg (oh god that would probably cost nearly $300 a month :gonk:

)

# ? Nov 19, 2010 04:08

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Angry Diplomat posted:

(Qu Appelle, I feel bad for you, man )

Thanks. It happens. It's probably a combination of being on a new drug, being very sensitive to drugs in general, and having that latte thingy at Starbucks, where they are known for having high caffeine in their coffee drinks.

Fortunately, black tea doesn't give me that same bad effect; I drink a lot more tea than coffee anyways. (But sometimes, especially when the weather is cold and gloomy, nothing seems to hit the spot like a nice hot cup of coffee - even decaf.)

I'd rather give up the coffee than the Dexedrine.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 06:03

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

fyallm posted:

Well he said I had to take a test and prove to him I have it, so I guess I will just try and go to the Chadd meeting next week instead of getting any meds. And yeah the method helped until they told me they were getting some blood and my anxiety shot back up. I guess if I have been able to go without meds this long I can keep doing it. But hopefully I can get to the Chadd meeting next week.

No! Why on earth are you not getting tested? That's a good sign if that psychiatrist wants you to get tested. If they aren't just writing prescriptions for everyone it means that they want to have the facts first and are being analytical. And this is someone who's going to be messing with your brain's biochemistry, you need them to be analytical. Get the test done. What's the harm.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 07:33

Effexxor: May 26, 2008

Angry Diplomat posted:

I noticed that people were mentioning amphetamine salts, which I'm planning to research and ask my doctor and/or pharmacist about. I'm certainly going to compare similar medications and consider the pros and cons of each. Maybe it's time I signed up for that preferred account thing they offer at the local chain pharmacy - it could be worthwhile to have consistent access to the pharmacist's knowledge, and the discounts would help because, gently caress, medicine is expensive.

...

Right now I'm on a once-daily, 30mg time-release dose, which my doctor described as fairly middle-of-the-road and good for an initial trial. However, I've spoken to a couple of other people who use Adderall and they seemed pretty surprised - they gave me the impression that 30mg was a fairly high dose. I'm not really concerned, because I'm going to fine-tune it with my doctor anyway, and as I understand it Adderall has been prescribed in daily doses as high as 60mg (oh god that would probably cost nearly $300 a month )

30mg? God, I tried that for a month and my stomach was a wreck the entire time, I literally could not get enough food into my body. 20mg is perfect for me, but I have known someone at 50 mg.

And while amphetamine salts may be inexpensive to produce, you wouldn't know it when filling a prescription. 90 10mg pills is $100 in my Nebraska pharmacy, which usually lasts me for two months.

Also in terms of taking weekend breaks, I only take one adderall on friday-sunday, because those are the days where I either don't work, or work in the morning. I do pretty well with it, but I'm not taking a total break from the stimulants, I'm just not taking as much. Your body still needs some of the medicine in it to keep yourself from crashing.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 07:41

flavaaDAAAAAVE: Jun 2, 2008

Here's an Ask. Does increasing the dose ever increase the time of effect? Or just the effect during the same period of time?

# ? Nov 19, 2010 16:16

Paramemetic: Sep 29, 2003; Area 51. You heard of it, right?; Fallen Rib

flavaaDAAAAAVE posted:

Here's an Ask. Does increasing the dose ever increase the time of effect? Or just the effect during the same period of time?

Increasing the dose increases the time of effect, but it won't be as efficacious the entire time. The dosing curve looks like a T-distribution with a long slope. Taking a higher dose "spikes" the concentrations higher, which then slope off over time.

The higher the spike, the longer it takes to reach a non-therapeutic dose.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 17:05

wilfredmerriweathr: Jul 11, 2005

To Qu Appelle:

Absolutely you need to cut off your caffeine intake. Caffeine is one of the shittiest stimulants out there, and most people that consume it do so because there really is no alternative legal stimulant for Joe Sixpack to take on a daily basis.

It took me a really long time to figure out because I kept thinking "hell, everyone drinks coffee, so I should be fine drinking some green tea or a pepsi now and then" WRONG!

If you're on dex, and it is working (as it seems to be, I'm really happy for you that you've got a medication regimen that works), then you need to remove caffeine from your life. Even on days that you don't take your dex.

Which leads me to another point that others have been asking about: absolutely you should take medication vacations. Not long ones, but skipping your meds one or two days a week (like on a sat/sun or a friday when you don't have much to get done) will do wonders for both reducing the side effects of your meds as well as increasing your overall quality of life. It's amazing what effect just skipping one day a week can have on your mental health.

I do find that you need to skip the SAME day(s) every week though, to keep your body and mind in a sort of rhythm.

Hope this helps!

# ? Nov 19, 2010 17:43

Flillia: Mar 21, 2006

cloudstrife2993 posted:

Which leads me to another point that others have been asking about : absolutely you should take medication vacations. Not long ones, but skipping your meds one or two days a week (like on a sat/sun or a friday when you don't have much to get done) will do wonders for both reducing the side effects of your meds as well as increasing your overall quality of life. It's amazing what effect just skipping one day a week can have on your mental health.

Seconding this, unlike other drugs it's good to take breaks sometimes from stimulants. In addition to what you listed, breaks also help keep you sensitive to the medication so you don't build up a tolerance as quickly. Be aware though that some doctors really don't like their patients taking breaks. Stimulants are highly controlled and taking breaks means that there are pills leftover every month.. and that makes some prescribers very uneasy.

# ? Nov 19, 2010 17:51

wilfredmerriweathr: Jul 11, 2005

yeah, if you have someone who is actually a good psychiatrist (in it to help patients and not just make money) and has experience with ADHD you'll find that they will be fine with you taking breaks as it is commonly understood in the literature that doing so is how successful adults with ADHD have made their lives work.

If you have a GP or a lovely psych they probably won't be happy about it, which is why.......

You shouldn't tell them that you take breaks. At least not until you are sure that they have your best interests in mind.

I was told by the guy who prescribed my meds in high school (a PHD and MD who developed the TOVA test) that in my life I would have to deal with doctors that had all sorts of misconceptions about my disorder, and that the best thing I could do was become my own expert on treatment. Find something that worked for me, and then find a doctor that would listen to me.

wilfredmerriweathr fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Nov 19, 2010

# ? Nov 19, 2010 18:00

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 17, 2024 18:01

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Yeah, you're right about the caffeine. I'll take a break from it and see how that goes. After my current cup of Pu-erh tea

Luckily, my doc is OK with medication breaks, we've discussed it before. I don't know when I'll start doing that with the Dex yet, however.

I am so thankful right now that my favorite coffee places have Rooibos tea. Sometimes it tastes like brewed hay, but it's good and completely non-caffeinated.

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Nov 19, 2010

# ? Nov 19, 2010 18:52

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about childhood and adult ADD.

«‹›205 »