Trouble understanding what's the best med dose for me

[alsomee]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here but I'm in no condition to write a proper introduction right now...

I was diagnosed with ADHD in July (33F) and got a prescription for lisdexamfetamine (sp?) 30 mg, took it for about 3 weeks and then switched to 50 mg. I'm in my 3 week and I'm supposed to evaluate how I'm doing after a month on the higher dose and decide what's best for me and that's what I'd like an opinion on...

I'm doing worse but I can't tell if it's the higher dose or the depression I also suffer from: with the 30 mg I just started to do stuff, especially around the house, something I always had a problem with. I didn't feel excited or happy but I got stuff done and didn't spend much time sitting around daydreaming (like I used to...).

Since I'm taking the 50 mg capsules it started to get more and more difficult to do things, then I feel bad about it, the next day is worse and it has been like this since.

I know I'm supposed to discuss this with my doctor and I will but I would apreciate your input because I had this idea that if the 50 mg was going to be too much for me, I'd be more "maniac" like and I don't feel like that at all, it's the opposite, so I wonder if it's the depression and the late diagnosis "mourning" (sp?) the culprits...

I should also say that I have a couple of courses to study for (I don't have an exam in the imediate future but it would help me a lot to get on it as soon as possible), and was planning to do so but even when I was feeling better (30 mg) I just avoided it completely... And (obviously) I don't feel great about that either.

Also, so far I'm not doing any kind of therapy/coaching (I'm looking into that rn)

(There's probably poor spelling and grammar all over the place but I just can't be bothered to check, I hope at least it all makes sense...)

Thank you for reading.

And good job for making this far, I'm not sure I could've done it myself!

[Eulalia262]

Oof! So much to deal with! I wondered if you were grieving while I read your post before you said it there. I'm ADHD connected though I personally don't have ADHD (I have my own issues though trust me) but have had some diagnoses of life altering health conditions and I also slipped into depression while I learned my new normal. I wish I could contribute more than a validation.

I do think talking to your doctor and a counselor will help but maybe make sure they are really knowledgeable about ADHD.

[Shnookie]

Sorry 😐 U R going thru this. I’m on

25 MG of Strattera 4 ADHD. I was feeling

a little tired and my therapist suggested

Zraising it to 50 Mg. When I was given

50 MG, and at that time I was working

as a caregiver for my clients who had advanced dementia, I felt like I was

jumping out of my skin. Spoke to my

therapist and she told me to immediately

lower my dosage back to 25 MG. With my

Strattera, it is not a pill that can be

broken down to lower the dosage, so I worked with my therapist on how to

adjust to my lower level of energy. I’m

also going to have blood tests taken soon to check out among them the Synthroid I take. There R things that U can learn

Such as cognitive therapy, listening to music U enjoy 😉 and deep breathing

exercises as well.

[Dodger09]

I’m so sorry you are going through this. Both my two young sons and I all have ADHD. One thing that stands out in your post is a correlation to my sons treatment. I always thought that if he was taking too much ADHD Medication he would be hyped up. I was told that isn’t the case that instead I would see a return of his (personal) ADHD symptoms if his dose was too high. We have actually had to change his meds to a liquid med as he’s gotten older to allow us to reduce his medication enough (he takes 3/4 of one ML of Quillivant XR (he’s almost 9 and in treatment since age 5). We have also had to try 5 different medication to find the combination that works the best for him. Please don’t be afraid to call your doctor and not wait until your next appointment.

[ColinLawson]

I think that the problem could be caused by an over-production of natural neurotransmitters during active phase of medication followed by an inevitable depletion. Also, this medication can lead to problems with nutrition as well as dehydration so it may be a good idea to plan for this in advance rather than whilst the drug is active. Try eating and drinking something before taking the medication. Hope that this helps. I'm a fellow sufferer speaking from experience rather than from medical training.

[alsomee in reply to ColinLawson]

Thank you!