Seroquel & Lamictal for Adult ADHD?

[Stoneman60]

So I was prescribed Seroquel & Lamictal for Adult ADHD and told to stop taking the Adderall my PCP prescribed. Has anyone else seen these drugs prescribed for adult ADHD? The challenges I am trying to address (in the context of my relationship with my wife) are primarily emotional regulation, rejection sensitivity and memory issues associated with attention deficit .

[Jemiami]

I don’t believe those are for ADD. From what I know they are mood stableizing medicines normally used to treat bipolar.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

I don’t have experience with the medications but I think your dr’s switch should be explained to you in more detail. I would be very curious as to why my dr would take such a turn with my treatment. I think a detailed explanation to his reasoning isn’t too much to ask. Is the dr doubting the ADHD diagnosis? Does he believe you have ADHD and another psychiatric disorder as well? Why didn’t he like the Adderall? Why does he believe each drug will help? What changes is he hoping for and what should you be looking for?They’re all valid questions.

I also wonder if you tried any medication besides Adderall? I can speak from experience that when I started Adderall my emotional dysregulation got worse until I was on the right dose with all day coverage. Without all day coverage I would get a Jekyll and Hyde effect. It wasn’t pretty. I would be fine on the Adderall and then turn into a monster when it was wearing off. Once I had all day coverage I was completely fine.

My nephew never got anxiety relief from Adderall like I did. So the medication helped him in some ways, but not others. Then he would crash so badly off Adderall that his mother had to call the police on him a few times. He was switched to concerta and is doing amazing! Day anxiety gone and no crash. Just a normal teenager now with e snap of a finger.

Adderall isn’t for everyone. If your dr is still sure you have ADHD and you’ve only tried Adderall, I think that another ADHD specific medication would be a better first step. But if your dr is diagnosing you with another problem, like bipolar, then that’s a different story. Stimulant medications can worsen some conditions, like bipolar. So I think a good talk with your doctor is the first step here. You should know what he’s thinking. Where he’s going with this. It’s also not a bad idea to start seeing a clinical psychologist as well. They can get to know you and your situation a little better and can help you understand what may be happening and what treatment options would be best for you. Then they can prescribe it.

If your dr does say he believes there may be a different issue happening then I would recommend reading about it. Have your wife read about it too. Maybe it will feel like it fits?? Maybe a lightbulb moment will happen. There are also many people here with co-morbities. They could help you figure out where another disorder might “fit into” your life. How it may present. How it may look different from your ADHD. Or maybe you’ll read about it and it definitely won’t fit. Perhaps your wife will read about it and say “that’s definitely not you!” Either way, you need more information than just a medication switch. You deserve reasoning in these decisions and an active roll in your treatment. Whatever the diagnosis is. If your wife has time, I would also consider getting her involved in your discussion with the dr. She may have better questions. She maybe able to think in the spot. She may even be a much better judge of how medications are effecting you! Us with ADHD can be really bad at expressing our ideas, thoughts, reactions, how things happened etc. It’s possible your wife’s view of everything is a more accurate review of how a medication helped and/or didn’t help.

My husband also has ADHD. We both do. And we have extremely different opinions as to how he reacts to certain medications!

It’s just a thought. I’m not sure where your relationship stands. But I do think she’s your wife and likely knows you better than the dr so asking her opinion on all of this, disgusting diagnosis options with her, medication reactions etc can be very valuable.

I hope this helps.

[Stoneman60 in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

I really appreciate your thoughtful response. This is all new to me and quite a learning experience. What happened was my PCP prescribed a low dose of Adderall based on 1) the results of clinical testing that indicated ADHD (rather than dementia/Alzheimer's which is what they were testing for) and 2) ER/RS behaviors that were seriously affecting my relationship with my wife. He also advised that I consult with a psychiatrist to manage the medication.

The first office I consulted had me meet with a nurse practitioner rather than a psychiatrist. The nurse practitioner after a horrible, contentious interview chose to ignore the report and my PCP's prescription for Adderall, decided I was bi-polar and prescribed these other drugs instead. I was stunned and skeptical.

I take drugs sparingly and discussed the nurse practitioner's conclusions with my wife and PCP. Based on that I elected not to fill that prescription and instead scheduled an appointment with different provider. My appointment is in April. Until then I am continuing with the Adderall.

Goes to show that one cannot take a healthcare provider's word as gospel. One needs to be skeptical and ask a lot of questions and assume responsibility for one's care. Thanks again!

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss in reply to Stoneman60]

Wow! Thank God you looked into it. No-polar is not a willy nilly diagnosis. I would guess the Adderall didn’t work amazing because you were on a small dose. The emotional regulation can absolutely get much better when on the right dose. However, titration can be difficult and Adderall isn’t always for everyone. It is great advice from your dr to have a psychiatrist. Once they psychiatrist sorts out your type of medication and dosing you PCP can take over your care again.

I would HIGHLY recommend going (or online) to a specific ADHD clinic. They are fast and efficient with diagnosis and medication titration. They see it a lot! Already being fully assessed to rule out neurological decline and diagnosed with ADHD I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem for you. Some of the ADHD clinics are not covered by insurance but in my experience, it’s well worth it and not as expensive as you would think.

Good luck!

I’m glad you’re getting it all sorted. Don’t give up. Just a few more steps.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Also, that nurse likely isn’t even authorized to prescribe stimulant medication beck add they’re a controlled substance. MANY MANY doctors, psychiatrist and psychologist and not comfortable prescribing a medication that “draws attention” to their practices and so tightly controlled. That’s why a specific ADHD clinic is a great option because they are used to diagnosing the condition and are comfortable prescribing the proper medication. There are many dr’s that won’t even diagnose ADHD. Or they will but then won’t prescribe you medication. It’s a bit of a maze and hard to understand at first. They’ll gladly bill your insurance and talk to you before they tell you they don’t assess ADHD or that they do..... but only after 10 visits and won’t prescribe you the medication. Even if they diagnose you. It’s a little frustrating when you genuinely have the disorder but can’t get an unbiased diagnosis (because they’re afraid of your treatment options).