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Here's a question for people who've tried various medications. So I was diagnosed with ADD when I was very young. The details are a little bit fuzzy in my mind because childhood for me feels like it sort of happened all at once, rather than as a sequential progression of years. I'd say it was before I was ten. I was on a host of pre-ritalin drugs, the only one of which I can remember is Cylert, which if I recall was taken off the market because it causes liver failure. The last drug I was on was Ritalin. I was on it until roughly the fifth or sixth grade, so early teens. I eventually stopped taking it because I didn't like the way it made me feel: clouded, sort of drowsy, less creative. The last was sort of the deal breaker, because while I found I was much better at actually sitting down and writing, the actual quality of the writing suffered. I'm 25 now, and haven't been on any sort of medication since then. My question, by way of that longwinded intro, is whether the drugs to treat it have improved since then? I've learned to cope with my disorder, I think, and can function pretty normally. Still, I'm not in complete control of my life. I still struggle to start things, or to get things done on time, or to do things period, sometimes. I don't think it's bad enough to excuse the side effects I experienced before when I was medicated. Yet if the drugs have improved considerably since then, it's bad enough that I might consider getting treatment again.
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Feb 19, 2010 07:27
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I have a phone consult with a psychiatrist tomorrow, finally, after what feels like years of dicking around trying to find someone in my area familiar with it who was also taking new patients. Oddly, I'm not very nervous about it, which is weird because I usually have trouble talking with people on the phone. What are some questions I should ask? Is there anything I should have ready to prepare for it? I'm not super concerned about getting a diagnosis because I was diagnosed as a child and was in treatment for years before discontinuing it in my early teens, but I want this to go as smoothly as possible.
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Apr 2, 2014 22:54
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Regarding your question about careers, I'm a journalist and it's definitely a job with some advantages with respect to the ADHD mind. Things move extremely quickly and every day is a little bit different, so if you're the sort that needs a lot of stimulation in your job there's little that can beat it. You get to talk to interesting people, and you get the immediate satisfaction of seeing your work in print rather than having to wait until the end of the fiscal quarter or whatever the way you might with a corporate job. Constant deadline pressure is an excellent motivator if you find you're the kind of person that gets lost on long term assignments. For me, the best part is that journalists are, by and large, paid to think, and paid to indulge their intellectual curiosity -- I can't even begin to say how much I've learned about the world in this job. That being said, it demands a lot of organization and time management to be successful with, and speaking from experience I can tell you that without some sort of support in place and a good scheduling system THIS WILL KILL YOU. There's also very little downtime to appreciate your accomplishments -- the saying in the industry is you're only as good as your last story. For me, the constant forward momentum with no time to rest has started to take a toll. Also, if you consider yourself a creative writer, you should know that journalistic writing is really not creative. There's a formula and you execute against it, and your goal is to make your copy readable and informative, not beautiful. There's just not enough time for it. And of course there's all the frustrations around working in a shrinking industry where jobs are scarce and there's not much job security, and dealing with the fact that you're doing similar work to people in marketing (but working harder) for about a third of the pay. So yeah.
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May 8, 2014 03:42
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Pretty much all of that is attributable to untreated ADHD. But treatment isn't about a pill magically fixing things. Treatment is about getting on medication so that you have the ability to start fixing things through a large amount of hard work on your own part. That's doubly true with relationships. If he gets treatment that will help him to get better, but that depends on the degree to which he recognizes the problem and is willing to address it. It sounds like he's not quite there yet for a lot of the things. What you have to do is think: 1. If he gets into treatment and I talk honestly about the issues I have, will he be responsive and willing to change? 2. Am I willing to support him in that change? 3. Can I wait the months or years it will take for that change to happen? If the answer to those questions is no, then you might consider moving on.
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Jun 12, 2014 01:43
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Something my therapist has had me do that's stupidly helpful is to keep a kind of rolling to do list in a pocket sized moleskin notebook. The idea is that I carry it everywhere and the second something comes up that I have to do, no matter how small, I note it down in the book. If it isn't written down, it doesn't exist. As I complete things, I cross them out, and I check the book at least twice a day. (I actually end up checking it more because I glance through it when I write a new item in) I let the list run for about a week and then on Sunday I rewrite every item I haven't done yet to do next week. Basically it's a system that lets me keep track of all the things that used to get lost in the mix, and not having to zero it out every day makes it easier for me to keep up with it.
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Jul 4, 2014 21:06
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What can you tell me about Strattera? My doctor Just switched me to it so to some concerns about high blood pressure and I am wondering how it stacks up to Ritalin. I'm a little concerned because the Ritalin only had mild benefits and I understand Strattera is milder still.
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Jul 30, 2014 07:45
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My Strattera is $5. Insurance is awesome.
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Aug 21, 2014 20:15
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Also, if you have inattentive type that presents very differently than hyperactive type. Inattentive type tends to have less discipline issues so it often gets overlooked by teachers who are expecting ADHD kids to be bouncing off the walls all the time. I didn't really have defiance issues with adults as a kid but I'll be damned if I was actually listening to them most of the time. If you were the sort to be kind of lost in your own world a lot as a kid, that's ADHD too.
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Aug 26, 2014 19:21
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For me, it was homework and chores. I was constantly in trouble for not doing them — not because I didn't want to or because I was acting out or anything but because I got caught up in something else and forgot they existed. My grades fluctuated depending on how much homework counted toward the final score. I got As and Bs in classes that didn't assign homework or weighted tests more heavily and Cs and Ds in classes that were more homework-oriented, because I would ace any test or in class assignment but never managed to turn in my homework.
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Aug 26, 2014 19:41
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It sounds like you had discipline and developed good coping strategies, so it's not surprising you did well in school and generally didn't pegged as someone with ADHD. ADHD treatment is basically medication plus coping strategies so you already were halfway there on your own.
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Aug 26, 2014 23:17
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That's also fairly textbook. What works when you're in the structured environment of K-12 and living under the watchful eye of your parents stops working when you're on your own and trying to deal with the chaos that is college and working life. Just be glad you're catching it now and can do something about it. Medication doesn't cure ADHD overnight by itself but damned if it doesn't give you the space to start addressing the things in your life that are causing you pain.
Baby Babbeh fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 00:19
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I was switched to Strattera from Ritalin due to high blood pressure concerns so I'm in a similar boat. The Strattera isn't as good as the Ritalin in my experience but it does help. So there are options, and medication is only one part of successful treatment (The other being coaching/developing coping strategies that work) so it's not like you can't take any steps at all to improve your life even if you can't go nuts on the 
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Aug 29, 2014 20:45
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Helpimscared posted:Anyone have a good experience with the non-stimulant medications? I responded horribly to all of the stimulant medications. Primary innatentive type here. I've been taking Stratera for about a month now after being switched to that because the stims were spiking my blood pressure dangerously. It's a lot milder than Ritalin or Adderal, but it does seem to work. Moment to moment, I still feel distractible and I still forget things, which is different from stims where you actually feel yourself getting more productive. But I'm actually getting poo poo done anyway. Actually, I seem to have been MORE productive this month than I was when I was taking Ritalin, and I did one of those self-assesment questionnaires with my psych and it actually looks like the innatentive symptoms were slightly less acute on Stratera.
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Sep 19, 2014 18:06
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Don't take Strattera on an empty stomach. It gives me awful nausea when I do that. I've found that you don't have to be as careful about caffeine on Strattera as you do with stimulant drugs, but your tolerance might be different.
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Oct 3, 2014 20:35
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Caffeine withdrawals give me the worst headaches imaginable, but at least they don't last very long. Much like me on a caffeine-free diet.
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Oct 8, 2014 21:23
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That's absurd. What kind of loving test are they doing that they want to charge you $1000 for it? Most ADHD diagnosis is done based on an analysis of patient history, a questionnaire and maybe some sort of simple computer attention test. It's not like they can give you an MRI and tell you that you have it. This sounds like something your doctor is doing to milk money out of you/your insurance company.
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Oct 8, 2014 22:49
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I actually did the whole brain scan thing when I was a kid getting diagnosed in the 90s but I thought they stopped doing that because it turns out it's not really diagnostic of anything. Edit: Even that wasn't a full day test.
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Oct 9, 2014 00:04
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I WISH my medication had an effect on my appetite. I'm trying to adhere to healthier diet right now and it's just as hard as it's always been.
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Oct 24, 2014 20:39
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So, uh, anyone else have sexual side effects with Strattera? It wasn't really noticeable at 40 mg but now that I had my doseage upped to 80 mg my libido is sort of shot and when I do have sex its not as satisfying.
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Nov 14, 2014 20:32
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Yeah, the reason I'm on Strattera instead of Ritalin is that my blood pressure was already in the pre-hypertensive range and my doctors were a little concerned that the stimulants were pushing me over the edge. It sucks because I'm not entirely happy with the Strattera (It doesn't seem to work as well and there are the afformentioned sexual side effects) Now I'm taking a medication for blood pressure and also trying to lose weight, and things are trending in the right direction. My psyche says that if I can get my blood pressure under control consistently I can go back on the stimulant meds.
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Nov 18, 2014 20:16
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Strattera is kind of weird. I don't really feel much in the way of effects, but when they did the self-reporting test thing that they do I was actually slightly better on my inattentive symptoms than on Ritalin. (Which, admittedly, I was on way to low a dose of, due to blood pressure again). But I'm not sure how much of that is the drug and how much is the therapy and coping mechanisms I've put into place since starting treatment. The only thing I can say that recommends it over stimulants is there's not really a crash the way there was with instant release Ritalin.
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Nov 19, 2014 01:34
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Man, maybe there's something wrong with me because I take 80 mg and I still eat like a fat beast.
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Feb 11, 2015 00:55
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In my experience, there's a difference between generics in how the come down works. Some of them are better than others about softening and extending it a bit, although there's still a noticeable lull with all of them. Actual brand name Ritalin LA worked best for me when I was still taking stimulants, and for what it's worth my experiences with the IR were exactly as you describe: a good 3-4 hours that felt great and productive and then a horrendous comedown.
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Feb 11, 2015 21:59
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My psych was leaning toward a mix of low dose Stratera and a stimulant a while back — Stratera affects norepinephrine and stims mostly affect dopamine, so they can compliment each other nicely for some people. Didn't end up going that way because I was having good progress with the Stratera alone.
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Feb 12, 2015 00:42
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I have no problem reading for hours and I'm VERY ADHD, something like two to three standard deviations away from normal attention in the tests I've taken. One of the things that sometimes happens with ADHD is you can actually become hyperfocused on something you like doing, in which case your symptoms magically disappear and you can do it for hours. But you're still not really in control of your attention — try tearing yourself away from the book your focusing on to do math homework or clean your bathroom and you'll see.
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Mar 6, 2015 01:32
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I think I probably have DSPS too, jeez. I've been really tired this week because I've been getting to bed really late and coming in to work earlier than normal, so I tried to go to sleep at 10. Actually managed to fall asleep after about an hour, only to wake up two hours later and not be able to get to sleep until after three. Sigh.
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Mar 6, 2015 19:21
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My doctor has decided to prescribe a beta blocker along with my , since it seems even Stratera raises my heartrate to a dangerous level. Anyone have any experience with this?
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Mar 20, 2015 20:47
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Yeah, the term "attention deficit" is really reductive of what it's actually like to have ADHD. Paying attention is just one of any number of things you're unable to force yourself to do.
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Apr 13, 2015 08:06
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Not sure about Dexedrine, but Strattera and most stimulants have a different enough method of action that it can be beneficial to combine them. They both work on norepinephrine reuptake though, so you'd have to work with your doctor to get the dosing right.
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Apr 14, 2015 18:27
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Also, once you get it filled, it will take a couple weeks to get back to full potency.
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Apr 19, 2015 04:56
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Did you take it with food? Never take Strattera on an empty stomach unless you like dry heaving.
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May 7, 2015 20:28
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Fusion Restaurant posted:What are people's experiences with alternative medications to Adderall? Right now I am on a few doses of short release a day. On drugs: Ritalin is a little bit milder than Adderall when it comes to the stimulant drugs, but you should mess with the dose before you switch meds. Side effects from stims seem to be very dependent on dosing. I'd also explore the long release — it mellows out the come down a bit and seemed to help with side effects I was having. There's also Strattera, which works pretty well and has a completely different method of action. Talk with your psych about it. If they're any good, they should work with you to find a med and a dose that does it for you with minimal side effects. The meds affect everyone differently so treatment is a process of trying things and seeing what happens rather than being a prescribed a one-size-fits-all solution. On therapy: Yes. CBT is great for ADHD — it helps you to recognize when your mind is going off in unproductive directions and reign it in before it's too late. It's not a replacement for medication, in my opinion, because when you're not medicated you might not have the capacity to pull yourself out of a dive even if you notice it happening. But it can help you to make the best use of the space that medication affords you. Try to find a therapist who specializes in ADHD, because they can also usually help you with organizational strategies and suggest small tweaks to your routines that will make a big difference. If your psych does a lot of ADHD treatment, they might have suggestions of local people who are good. On behavior: Yes, it sucks. This is why ADHD is so often co-morbid with other things like depression, low self esteem, alcoholism and anxiety disorders. Living unmedicated is tough, and I think every one of us who is on an effective treatment lives with the fear that one day the meds will stop working and things will go back to the way they were before. The good news is things can get better. It's not an easy process but you aren't destined to be a person you don't like being. Baby Babbeh fucked around with this message at 20:23 on May 21, 2015 |
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May 21, 2015 20:21
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Well, strengthening working memory will help, but you're also going to need a system. You will never be able to keep track of everything that needs doing without it — even normal people need systems to stay organized, it's just that they need them less so those systems can be less involved. What are some areas where you feel like you're constantly forgetting, and what have you tried in the past? Maybe we've run into similar situations and can share some of our coping strategies. Personally, this is why I think working with an organizational coach is a good idea once you've got your medication sorted and it seems to be working. Treatment gives you the space to put in place the systems you need to succeed, and then coaching helps you build those systems. A good coach can look at the stuff that are problem areas for you and then help develop strategies to address those things, as well as working with you long term to actually implement them. This is actually the hardest step, because you're fighting decades of engrained practice to change how you approach things — it's a process of trial and error as you find what works for you, and a coach provides support and accountability to help you manage it.
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May 27, 2015 00:33
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Strattera is kind of the same way for me. It has no real noticeable effect while I'm on it, but then after the fact if I look at what I'm able to accomplish on days where I take it vs. days when I don't, and it's clear it's helping me to focus much better. Much prefer stims, though, they seem to be more effective with fewer side effects.
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May 29, 2015 07:12
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:About 11-12 years ago, I went to see someone who gave me the TOVA test, determined that, like my father, I had ADD (I'm not hyperactive, believe me), and prescribed me Dexadrine. I took that for about 3 years, but stopped, because a) I felt like I was becoming an angrier person when it would wear off, b) much faster heart rate than I was comfortable with, and c) truly believed that I could outsmart my own brain and get through it on my own. I empathize with every part of that. The worst part of ADHD Inattentive isn't so much the fogginess or never finishing stuff, it's the feeling that you're constantly letting everyone down in countless little ways. When it was really bad for me I used to wish that I could just sort of fake my death and disappear and be homeless somewhere, because at least that way nobody would be depending on me so I'd have nobody left to let down. All I can tell you is that it does get better once you're in treatment. Medication isn't magic, it doesn't make all your problems go away overnight, but it at least makes the battle manageable. It's the difference between trying and failing over and over no matter how much effort you put forth, and being able to do the things you want to do with effort. It sucks now, and it's really hard to take the first steps, but the sooner you actually speak with a doctor and get yourself started on treatment, the sooner you can get on with your life.
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Jul 13, 2015 19:29
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Music Theory posted:Holy poo poo, how have I never realized that such things exist. Yeah, noise generators are the poo poo. My favorite is this site: https://mynoise.net/ They've got a LOT of different noise generators, and you can layer them together to create some pretty cool soundscapes. This plus noise cancelling headphones is the only way I can work given my company's open office plan.
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Sep 7, 2016 05:56
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When you're on the right dosage, it's not going to be very noticeable. This is good and normal. When I'm on Adderal, I don't really feel any different from when I'm not, but then if I look at what I did on the days I take it, I'm hugely more productive than on the days I don't. I start more things, I work on them for longer without breaks, and I move from one thing to the next with less downtime for feeling lost and out of sorts. I find that there's usually less of a delta between "gee, I should do this" and actually working on it. I can just get poo poo done. That doesn't mean that isn't a struggle a lot of the time. The distractions are just as distracting -- if anything it's harder to pull myself away from video games to clean the apartment if I let myself get distracted in the first place. I'm still bad at estimating how long things will take, at starting them on time, and at prioritizing. But it's easier, and I don't feel like I'm fighting myself as much. When the dosage is wrong, I usually feel a bit more shut down and sluggish. Stratera made me sick if I took it on an empty stomach and gave me heart palpitations at a higher dose. But it's really only when the dosage is wrong. Most ADHD meds seem to be very dependent on getting the right dose, so don't neglect working with your doctor to figure that out.
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Sep 15, 2016 23:03
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The sort of person who answers "No, ancient civilizations are boring" is the sort of person I don't want to hang out with.
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Oct 6, 2016 20:07
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For most people with ADHD exercise helps stave off the fog when it descends, but there's also a cumulative benefit if you're exercising regularly -- you usually end up with lower levels of distractability to begin with. You have to be really consistent to get this benefit though. I've really fallen off with exercising lately and I'm finding that just hitting the elliptical once a week or so isn't enough to do much of anything.
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Nov 3, 2016 22:47
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mynoise.net Seriously, the best thing ever for blocking out distractions. There's around 100 noise generators for everything from rain sounds to tonal drones to the gentle hum of a server room, all of them fully customizable and calibrated to your individual hearing curve. It's also free because it's the pet project of a sound engineer who's hobby is recording live audio, but if you like it you should really toss Dr. Pigeon  because it's an absurdly good service he provides. Something non-free I've been experimenting with lately is brain.fm, which uses algorithmically generated music to entrain your brain to states conducive to concentration, relaxation or sleep. It seems like it operates on the same principles as other audio brainwave generators but they're creating music at the right frequencies rather than playing tones so it's a lot easier to listen to for long periods of time. It's subtle, but it does seem to help with concentration when I'm writing. Whether it's better than just layering an isochronic tone with some Opera music or something, I can't say.
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Nov 4, 2016 19:09
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