Med check

[lanae21]

Does anyone have any suggested questions to ask my psychiatrist? My meds have slowed working and just wanna know if anyone has had that issue. They are low dosage so it may be just needing upped but was just wondering.

[Lovinit]

I started having problems with my medication wearing off by 2. My work day is 8-6 and requires organization and it’s exasperated me. My doctor increased my dose from taking my pill twice a day to three times a day

[Lovinit]

Just tell him how you’re feeling give him examples

[lanae21]

That’s what I did he’s says we are on the right path just gotta get the dosage right.

[Eclecticentric77]

That issue unfortunately is very common with stimulant medication (assuming you're taking stimulant medication). This issue along with a large variety of other ones, has to do with different neurotransmitters getting depleted with continuous stimulant medication use. Unfortunately very few psychiatrists even bring up taking supplements with stimulant medication. I got diagnosed in my mid 20's, and thankfully have gained knowledge through my studies as an undergraduate and now in grad school to become an MFT Psychologist, to understand that people need to take different supplements with the medication in order to fight off negative side effects stimulant medication causes. I had the same problem you did a few years ago.

I highly recommend the following supplements

1. R-Alpha Lipoic Acid: This supplement is one of the strongest antioxidant supplements out there and also helps the brain utilize the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, which people with ADHD lack. This made my 10mg stimulant medication feel fresh and smoother once I started taking this supplement.

2. Another big reason why stimulant medication stops working is because the neurotransmitters the medication works with start to get depleted. This in turn causes people to feel as if the medication is not working. Most stimulant medications work with the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Norepinephrine. In order to fight off depletion I would highly recommend the supplement N-Acetyl Tyrosine. That supplement specifically works with helping the brain with Dopamine and Norepinephrine. I take it when I get up, 30min to an hour before my medication wears off (in order to eliminate the crash of the medication) and a few other times during the day.

3. Dopamine has a relationship with the neurotransmitter Serotonin (together they are known as the brain's reward system), so while stimulant medication does not primarily work with Serotonin, after boosting up Dopamine frequently, Serotonin will start to go down. For this I recommend the supplement L-Tryptophan (Tryptophan is a direct precursor to Serotonin, unlike 5HTP which is earlier in the chain). This supplement greatly helps with one's mood and feeling of ease, lowering anxiety, it is also really helpful to take before going to sleep, in addition to taking it during the day.

4. A good Multivitamin with antioxidants is also highly recommended.

5. If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, I would recommend Melatonin 300mcg 6hr release. Take this about 45min before going to bed. And then take L-Tryptophan (which I mentioned in #3) 30min before bed, and you will have some profound deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed more often.

6. CoQ10: as a safety precaution in order to keep your heart safe, and keep your heart rate and blood pressure from rising, which is common with ADHD stimulant medication.

If any of this sounds helpful, you can click on my profile pic, which will then take you to my profile in which I have a link to a google doc I made that includes all of the supplements I mentioned, along with some detailed information on why I take them, why they help people with ADHD, and the cost and locations that sell them (mostly Amazon.com, and some grocery stores). Hope this helps

[Halem1982]

I have been dealing with the same thing and it’s scary. I’d suggest getting a dna test from your dr. They swab the inside of your mouth and line your dna up against several adhd drugs and tell you which ones will work the best with your system. My BCBS insurance covered my test.