How to get ADHD meds to work consistently

[Brothercare]

Hello, any helps on here from anyone struggling trying to get the stimulants to work. My brother is 44 and for years is struggling to get his adhd meds to consistently work. Urgent need of any advise, thank you

[BLC89]

Hello Brithercare,The most obvious idea is to consistently take the meds. Forgetting or taking them at wildly different times is usually why they don't work consistently.

If it's a dose issue then you have to talk to a doctor. If he hads been on the same dose for a long time it is time to check in with the doc about adjustments - aging, weight gain/loss, hormones- all impact how the meds work.

For remembering to take the meds alarms are one choice. Or, I just saw this and think it's fabulous, feed your cat or dog a treat at the time you take your meds - set alarms for a few days - once your pet is used to getting a treat at a particular time they will remind you everyday to give them the treat and that reminds you to take your meds, no alarms needed 🙂.

Those are a couple thoughts. If you want to share any other details I may have a few more ideas but hopefully this can get you started.

Good luck,

BLC89

[Brothercare in reply to BLC89]

Thank you for your feedback- He takes his meds on time and doctors all the years have adjusted over and over and chnaged his type of simulants but it seems he builds up a tolerance so quick. He is losing hope in trying to live a fulfilling life to finish school. Any ideas on how long to take a "break" on Vyavane then having it work as strong as it did from the first time he ever took it? He keeps weaning off and even went cold turkey once but the medications still did not seem as effective.

[BLC89 in reply to Brothercare]

ADHD meds work for 85% to 90% of folks. If your brother is in the group they don't work for then the best suggestion I have is exercise. High cardio for 45 min per day plus some weight training a couple times per week. His body will produce all the neurotransmitters he needs to feel pretty balanced.There was a tenured professor who ran marathons. He had no idea he had ADHD until he hurt his knee and had to take a break from running, he was self medicating with the running.

That is the what I know. He can adjust his diet too. There is some research that a gluten & dairy free diet can help with ADHD. Reducing sugar and omitting high fructose corn syrups has a bit more science behind it as far as positive impact.

I'm sorry he is struggling. Ask that he hangs in there. Look back at history and you'll find that SO many inventors and great thinkers had ADHD - we need his different thinking more than ever.

Good luck

BLC89

[Mamamichl]

make sure you have him get the name brand meds, take it at the same time each day and eat about three same thing when he takes the medication. Also, other stimulants (like caffeine in cola or coffee) can affect how the meds work.

[LisethHIS]

Hi, Brothercare,

To make sure the medication is working fully, it's important to track how long the effects last. If there's been any weight loss or gain, the dose might need adjustment. Helpful tips include taking the same brand of medication and taking it at the same time each day. We also have a chart that could be useful for tracking. d393uh8gb46l22.cloudfront.n... chadd.org/for-parents/manag... Here's a podcast that can be helpful as well- podcasts.chadd.org/e/unders...

chadd.org/adhd-and-mens-hea...

If there is anything else you need, please let me know.

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD

chadd.org

[Brothercare in reply to LisethHIS]

Thank you Liseth. Right now he has been on Vyvance and currently weening off in hopes for it to work again once he goes back up. He was all the way to 70 mg and he just cant seem to stay focused. He has tried Adderal also Dextro Amphetamine with Vyvance but nothing seems to stick for him to finish his schooling. Do you reccomend another stimulent that is better than Vyvance? On this chart there are allot of other medications I never heard of or that the psyc did not mention so was curious if anyone mentioned positive effects from these other Stimulants.

[LisethHIS in reply to Brothercare]

Brothercare,

I suggest attending one of his appointments to talk with the medical provider, as long as your brother is okay with it. You can ask if his body might be digesting the medication faster than usual, and if an ADHD patch could be a good option to try. This is one of the medications noven.com/xelstrym/ and here's another one jornaypm.com/jornay-pm-adults you take it at night. Hopefully this is helpful.

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD

chadd.org

[Brothercare in reply to LisethHIS]

Thank you Liseth. I had never heard of the patches nor did I realize there were other ADHD medications out there that might be worth diving into. I will bring this up on the next Psyc session that I have with my Brother (I am always involved to advocate for him).

[Brothercare in reply to LisethHIS]

Hi Liseth - do you have any knowledge weather one has to fully go off the stimulant in order for it to work as strongly as before? If so how long? My brother is struggling with this endless waiting game for his life to start and finish his goals. We are at a roadblock and I feel awful.

[LisethHIS in reply to Brothercare]

Hi, Brothercare,

I don't have a straightforward answer, as it depends on the medication and how quickly the body breaks it down. I would suggest asking his healthcare provider and requesting blood work to check if it's still in his system. chadd.org/for-parents/manag...

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD chadd.org

[Kikimonkey]

Would it be possible that he has been mis diagnosed? Could that be a reason the stimulants dont work? or is he building a tolerance?

[Brothercare in reply to Kikimonkey]

He is building a tolerance consistently and that is the main issue we are facing. How do we build back tolerance or not build it up so quickly? The first time he took Vyvanse it lasted 6 months then the effects subsided where my brother had trouble focusing on his studies. Now it seems the highest dose of it does not have the strength that it once did.

[GreenBlue22]

Check if it is generic or not. Both brand Vyvanse and Adderall Xr didn’t have work for me. ADHD is more complex to treat than medication alone in my experience. I struggled most with college, but during that time I didn’t fully understand my ADHD, or what was needed to help me succeed. Especially with boring classes, now I do. Instant release has worked best for me but still comes with tolerance issue, in school I took weekends off w/ Dr approval. That helps.

[Brothercare in reply to GreenBlue22]

Thank you for your response. With his studies none of the classes are boring for him as he is very bright. The issue is that the coursework becomes too much for him to manage with the ADHD and he needs the weekends to do the work that he was given during the week so he doesn't get behind in the coursework. So taking a drug "holiday" on weekends was not an option really. Also with his low distress tolerance the withdrawal of not taking Vyvance for one day was really unbearable for him. Even once or so he tool a day off of the meds and the next day they still were not as effective. This tolerance issue is one that needs solving in order to pave the way for his success.