ADHD meds caused me to get worse. Anyone else?

Has anyone had their whole personality change for the worse after being diagnosed and treated with ADHD meds? I just thought things were bad until I’ve been on this emotional roller coaster ride!

[Birdie7]

Yes, this is the case for most people. ADHD meds usually work great at first, then it causes a disruption in the neurotransmitter communication in relation to dopamine and serotonin (a complicated process but I'm summarizing in my own words to be brief). This then causes mood swings, and yes, the medication will exacerbate the situation. Everyone has different underlying issues that can be corrected. My son, for example, needed more magnesium. Anyone taking stim meds should be sure they don't have nutritional deficiencies...most benefit from taking a multi vitamin with methylated B vitamins, fish oil DHA/EPA, zinc, magnesium like a powdered anti-calm one, vitamin D3 and is some cases, iron. A blood panel can detect low iron and D (but not magnesium).

There's a number of posts on this message board (and the parents care giver side) and research available about the subject online.

[Straat in reply to Birdie7]

Damn what!?

You are talking about some specifical case aren't you?

Mood swings is exactly one of the symptoms that ADHD/ADD medication is made for to prevent...

That can't be the case for most people, that illogical 🤨

Have you ever tried ADHD meds yourself?

[Birdie7 in reply to Straat]

My son has ADHD. He's always experienced severe side effects on every stim med he's been on. Vyvanse was the worst. He was off stims for a while and we tried a new one (Evekeo) and he was better focused in school. Then, after being on it for a few months, he started having severe mood swings. Agitated, angry, then depressed and even said he felt suicidal. Punching and kicking walls, slamming his fist on the counter at the slightest issue, over reacting.

I researched and what I learned was that something causes a disruption in the neurotransmitter communication in the brain, and if there are any nutritional deficiencies then this causes depletion of dopamine and serotonin, the very thing meds are supposed to help. Every person has a different metabolic issues and imbalances that causes mood changes in the brain. For my son, magnesium helped him tremendously and after giving him a whole foods magnesium powder, the mood swings stopped within about 10 days for him. I even reduced his medication dose. He has labs that showed he was low in Vitamin D and iron, and I was given instructions to supplement him by his doctor. Magnesium levels won't show up on a blood test because only 1 percent is available in the blood, the rest is stored in the bones and muscle.

Every person is metabolically different and all I can tell you is, if my son doesn't have the right chemical balance of a multi vitamin with methylated B vitamins, omega fatty acids, amino acids, iron, vitamin D3, magnesium and antioxidants, his behavior changes dramatically. He also has low carnitine and high oxidative stress (Genova Diagnostics labs) and takes supplements to correct this. My goal is to help my teen be the best he can absolutely be. Nutrition plays a huge role, something 5 years ago I would have rolled my eyes at until I saw it true for myself and my son. For example, I used to have respiratory problems. A doctor told me I needed anti-anxiety medication. I have a autoimmune disease, so I read it was connected to gluten (for whatever reason), so I stopped eating gluten and wheat. Dramatic affect for me---lost weight, breathing problems completely disappeared, skin cleared up and I don't get sick as often.

Here's a few links, one a government study on the effects of diet and nutrition on the brain and the other is interesting about the study of genes and DNA (nutrigenomics) and uncovering deficiencies. Here's what the DNA site says about ADHD and medication:

"When many ADHD patient start their pharmaceutical ADHD medications, they feel great. Pharmaceutical medications for ADHD mostly target dopamine release, promoting more dopamine to enter the brain by 1) stimulating the nerve cells to release more dopamine or 2) goes through a backdoor pathway to get it to release. After being on the medication for a longer period of time, patients usually experience that the same dose of their medications is not working as well as it did before. Many start to notice a change in personality, mood swings, quickness to anger, loss of appetite and more. Around this time, patients visit their doctor and up their dose.

While the ADHD medication calls for more dopamine to be released into the brain, the body isn’t producing more dopamine. The overall lack of dopamine usually results with in worsened mood on top of other symptoms because it also impacts serotonin levels. Genetic testing for ADD / ADHD provides insight what is or is not fueling the ADHD itself and its symptoms. ADD genetic testing allows for doctors to identify and understand the underlying issues with dopamine production and release and address that as well."

gxsciences.com/adhd-genetic...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

And, here's an informative read on magnesium

immh.org/article-source/201...

[kellpurs in reply to Birdie7]

After reading a lot about magnesium helping with ADHD, I purchased chelated magnesium for my husband and daughter to try but hesitant because of the stomach issues that come along with it. I’d like to know more about the whole foods powder form.

[Birdie7 in reply to kellpurs]

As long as you aren't taking other magnesium supplements, I wouldn't worry about stomach issues if you are following the label for dosing. My son likes Epsom Salt (magnesium) baths for sore muscles after practice and takes 1 teaspoon of the magnesium whole foods powder in the morning...whereas that would send anyone to the bathroom if they are constipated, it isn't a problem for my son (clearly has an issue with absorption or higher needs for magnesium, I'm not sure). If they start to get stomach aches or frequent visits to the restroom, I would back off and try it every other day, but not sure that would be a problem. If you have a vitamin shoppe near you (or Whole Foods, Sprouts) they have the magnesium powder, there's a few different brands. Sometimes there are very helpful, knowledgeable people who you can discuss this concern with, and they can point out the differences in the magnesium powder brands.

Also, I am finding that in managing stim med side effects for my son, it's not magnesium alone helping, it seems to be a combination of nutrients like calcium and maybe GABA as well. I'm not 100% sure, but I can tell you his severe mood swings are gone.

[TLJ828 in reply to Straat]

Whaaaat.

Absolutely not a specific case.

This person is knowledgeable. ADD meds are not at all for mood stabilizing lol.

They actually rock your mood.

Those were excellent tips to stay stable and to continue making ADD stimulants working continually for our bodies. It’s an entire science...

*By the way, Alpha Lipoic Acid is a fantastic amino acid that refreshes stimulants as well. I noticed a huge difference.

Thank you for reminding me of the importance of Magnesium!

I really need to get something good...

Excellent tips and reminders! 😊

[Straat]

Happened me exactly the same when I was prescribed on Metylfenidates (Concerta),

That didn't work out well at all for me neither, it actually boosted my ADHD symptoms severally instead of giving focus.

Which used to be pretty confusing because I anyways felt tiny periods of focusing during the day but it was NOT worth.

After that I told it to my psyquiatrist and he changed my prescription that same day to another one.

In my case, knowing my symptoms, he prescribed me a lisdexanfetamine (Vyvanse) which worked out muuuch better for me and without negative symptoms.

Not any ADHD med can fit on anyone, that's why there is so many types of medication out there.

So the main goal about having ADHD/ADD is finding the right one.

Hope it helped :))))

[JadaADHD]

Yes, I was on all the stimulants and my personality was terrible, I was irritable all the time, I have been off for about three months and I feel normal again. Good luck

[Ecclec]

I realize I’m a bit late to the party but maybe for other people reading this:

I took a low dose methylphenidate extended release for a year or so and found it made me super irritable when it phased off. I was much more calm but to an extend that I felt sad and lacked drive to do stuff.

I also felt like getting the side effects written about for abuse of dopamine related illicit drugs like cocain in that it made me more insensitive and a bit of an ass-hole.

I also got worse skin, and was more sleep deprived overall which probably made all of the former things worse.

But I had also previously taken l-dopa (just twice or so) against restless legs and felt terrible each time next morning so I don’t know if it’s a thing more generally with dopamine for me