Adult diagnosed with ADD as a child and struggling more as I get older

[Ditkaisgod89]

Has anyone been diagnosed with add as a child and has been using stimulants most of their life that is struggling more then ever? I have always had side effects to the medication I use but over the past several weeks they have gotten much worse. The symptoms that have been getting worse are having cold extremities, trouble sleeping, trouble eating, and anxiety. As the symptoms have gotten worse I have also noticed I am lethargic to the point where I can't bring myself to work anymore, extremely moddy and quick to lash out on people, as well as just an overall feeling of being bored and hopeless as I try to focus on the things that are important. My nurse practioner ran a bunch of blood tests and found nothing and her suggestion was to stop taking my medication to see if the generic brand I got is affecting me, which was disappointing because I've been taking these drugs since I was about 10 (I'm now 30). I just feel lost at this point and don't know what to do which is causing me even more anxiety as I fall more behind at work and I feel like my brain is doing everything it can to hold me back. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Sorry. I only just got diagnosed a month ago but I have done a lot of reading and I wonder if you’ve thought of adding some nootropics to your routine. The adhd stimulants works through our dopamine. But it’s a little bit of a vicious cycle. Since we get our dose of dopamine everyday, our brain can actually slow down our production because we already have it! However, if our brain slows down on producing the dopamine then our medication becomes less effective. Another layer is that because we constantly have an abundance of dopamine, it can become the “dominant” neurotransmitter and deplete some of our other neurotransmitters. Creating an imbalance.

I am 100% not an expert on this! But our medications are hard on our brains so it can be good to “protect” them from the medication and try to feed our brains building blocks to neurotransmitters and antioxidants to protect our brains.

Personally, so far I’ve chosen:

L-tyrosine (dopamine)

Vit B 6

B complex

Alpha gpc (choline)

Zinc

Iron

Vit c

Magnesium (specifically Magtien, taurate and glycinate)

Omega 3 with higher EPA and

5-HTP (only for occasional use)

I highly recommend looking into the idea of feeding your brain since you’ve been on the medications for so long.

As far as sleep goes Natural Vitality CALM “calmful sleep formulation” CURED my sleep issues. No joke! My mother in-laws too. Both her and I only need 1/2 tsp and we’re out. Though you can take up to 2 tsp starting low is key. If I take too much I don’t sleep as well as with less. This helped me get to sleep, stay asleep, fall back to sleep after the bathroom at night AND not wake up early. It’s honestly magic and also has ingredients good for our condition. Worth every penny.

For day time anxiety, the magnesium on a regular bases helps with that as well as Yogi Kava Stress relief tea. It has Kava root in it that seriously can take you down a notch. It’s like having a glass of wine without drinking alcohol or inspiring yourself. It’s also not sedative. You can drink it day or night.

As for the cold extremities, I used to have this problem. My whole life actually! But it’s gone since I started some of my supplements. I 100% believe the iron fixed it. In my research I’ve learned that people with adhd usually have low iron. Not necessarily low to a dr and not necessarily low in our blood! But our ferritin. Our iron reserves fall lower than the average public. Come to think of it the iron could actually be linked to every problem your having.

I hope some of this helps.

Good luck

[Perfectstorm in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Sounds like you have done a lot of research. It does seem like when the meds wear off it's exausting - as if we are just not meant to function in this way. I'm curious about your sources of information? Please share.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss in reply to Perfectstorm]

Wow! I used a lot of source! There are a lot of studies out there on deficiencies in adhd children. Actual studies. It’s well researched. When looking into things I do a lot of reading. I’ll read one study, have a question, which will lead me to another and another and another until I feel like I’m tying things together. I usually feel like I’m grasping something if I can come to a conclusion and then google it. If I find a study that backs it up, I assume I’m on the right track. I’m not a professional researcher. Hahaha. But there’s lots of info out there.

A lot of stuff there is also from personal experience. I’ve had low D and iron since FOREVER! Magnesium has changed my life and so have B complex. And my night drink.

I should also mention that most of the studies that show a correlation between adhd and vitamins and mineral deficiencies constantly state that they don’t know which came first. Did the adhd cause the deficiencies or did these children already have deficiencies that caused their adhd. This is why supplementation is used in children before medication, a lot of times with promising change. Especially with omega 3 (higher EPA).

Hope this helps!

[The_Busy_Moth]

Hi! I was diagnosed when I was 8- about 24 years ago. I have always experienced those symptoms since taking stimulants. I’ve been on and off them throughout my life. I know that the last few weeks for me have been notably worse leading up to this stressful election season. I also know it’s very common with ADHD to also suffer certain mood disorders- for me I have a hard time with seasonal affective disorder in the fall. If none of these could be true for you- make sure your doctor tested you for anemia. Also very common I have heard and that could be affecting you as well. Good luck!