Suffering from pre glaucoma narrow angles; Alternatives to Adderall.

[Wilco62]

I suffer from ADHD Inattentive type. Without medication I'm pretty spacey and fatigued. I've recently been diagnosed with narrow angles (pre glaucoma condition). Adderall (stimulants), Ritalin family, Strattera info says to avoid. Adderall has been so effective for many years. Any suggestions?

[BatWoman87]

Could you try Wellbutrin?

I think otherwise you are left with limited medication options if you aren't able to use the other non-stimulants or either of the families of stimulants (methylphenidate or amphetamines).

At that point it would be treating with medication the issue that more severely affects your life now and in the future, and trying alternative therapies for the other issue.

[Wilco62 in reply to BatWoman87]

Thanks. I take a small amount of Wellbutrine and have taken larger doses in the post. This was way before I realized I had attention issues. That is a possibility. Could be a possibility.

[peterracoon]

Hi Wilco - I have used Strattera and trully I would not recommend it. I made several videos documenting the process, in 3 months and 4 months reviews. But I had to stop taking it. I think you will quickly find it if you just type Strattera into youtube.

I went with Ritalin afterwards, which works as advertised, however no medication helped me "solve" my ADHD, my depressive states, my low motivation. I found true peace through a simple realization... (well, took me like 8 years of suffering and thousands of hours of studying But it was a simple realization in the end).

Medication can always only be used as a tool to help bridge the gap towards a new understanding of oneself. An understanding that will create better, creative, constructive results. And if you do not have access to this tool, there is no need to worry, because this tool really is not the quintessential one in the long run, or so I believe with all my heart and mind.

If you would like to talk more on that, let me know - I can direct you to the authors and resources that helped me and I also do coaching for when someone really wants to get results with a clear intention and timeframe.

Even though I could not provide any good tip for a medication, I do hope this helps or at least brings a bit more positive angle of view and hope on the journey :-)There are better days ahead, if you are seeking, you will find it Medication or not.

Cheers. -Pete

[Wilco62 in reply to peterracoon]

Thanks for the input. Clearly ADHD is not resolved by medication, but I have found it really, really helps. As a comorbidity with my bipolar depression (differentially diagnosed by some really good doctors, as, of course, there is some overlap), it (ADHD) was never diagnosed till I was 40-ish. I've done an inordinate amount of reading, therapy, etc... There are points where I'm ok with everything. The thing is in my life nothing ever static. Today's outlook no longer works tomorrow. Hate to throw off a good mix of meds, after spending many years getting there (like, 40).

[peterracoon in reply to Wilco62]

I know what you mean Wilco, and at the risk of sounding harsh - which I do not want to - there is a name for this kind of logic. It is the Fallacy of Sunk cost... What you described, life never being static, is the reality of life. I however understand what you mean - because I have been there - feeling, like its just not static enough, not nearly static enough, because I saw in other people how static they can get. And I only had one year of fighting with medication so I had much less problems with the sunk cost... It really depends on how entangled with life a person is at this point - I had to quit my job, do a lot of introspection, creation, self-discovery, paying my dues to friends, having some talks with my partner, with my parents, catching up and releasing myself from duties... to get to what might be called "feeling stable" without making life static. But in all that, I couldn´t give any other testimony, than that this was the most meaningful thing I ever did... because all the things I had to do to start feeling stable, were good. All of them. As if I was guided by something more than just random chance... Our unconscious mind can lead us very well to what really needs to be done - from reliving traumas that we need to deal with, to shutting us down in burnout with depression... etc. But we do not trust it, and simply say - "eh, too much work, it´s all random chatter anyway"... I dont believe that anymore.But as I said, if the entanglement is too big to tackle, I wish you the best of luck, health and success with medication (or indeed without) on your continuing journey

-Pete