To medicate or not?

I'm really excited to find this community. I am 31 years old and have been recently (3 months ago) diagnosed with ADHD, Inattentive Type. I am struggling with whether or not to take medicine because while it certainly has been helpful to be on Concerta, I am fearful of the long-term consequences, if there are any. I have been on the Concerta for about 6 weeks now. I recently began having night-sweats, and my Dr. reported my liver enzymes were slightly elevated. Could this be a side-effect of the medication? Or likely something else? He did not say one way or another, simply called with blood results. I plan to follow-up, but have been struggling with a decision in the meantime. I'd prefer to hear from other folks who actually have ADHD, rather than my well-meaning Dr., about whether or not medication is a good choice.

In December, I graduated with a master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. I could not have asked to be more successful, given the challenges I have faced with unknowingly struggling with ADHD my entire life. What a relief this diagnosis was. I feel like so many questions were finally answered for me that had previously been chalked up to, "being spacey, forgetful, always late, just a sensitive person, etc."

Would you mind sharing your experience and/or thoughts on medications with me?

Thank you!

[rach1402]

Hi, I was only diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago, aged 35. It's done so much damage to my life, I'm glad you haven't had such a negative experience. I was on concerta XL for almost two years and it did not suit me at all. Now I'm on Elvanse (European Vyvanse), which is helping me a lot. Not sure where you live but here in the UK, ADHD has only recently been diagnosed and treated in adults and not particularly well understood. Treatment is a personal choice and subject to your doctor's professional opinions and personal preferences but if taken properly, the stimulant medications are safe, non addictive and generally positive treatment options. If you're not suffering from any unpleasant side effects and it's helping with your ADHD symptoms, I would say stick with the concerta but make sure you and your doctor keep an eye on those liver function test results and report any new symptoms to your doctor. Hope that helps x