Finally diagnosed with ADHD in my early 40's. Went through every conceivable non-stimulant medication with very bad results. Found Adderall IR is a life safer for me, the XR was not great. My family doctor was my prescriber then he retired. Found a new person that handled my medication management. He switched me from Adderall IR to Mydayis. Not the best fit for me. Then I had to stop all my meds for awhile due to some issues as I went through menopause. Now that I am at a point that I can get my life back on track with my ADHD medication my previous doctor will not see me because it has been 2 years, I am considered a new patient and he is no longer taking new patients. So they changed me to the CNP in the office. I do not get a long with her. She made it clear that she thought I was going to get addicted if I took Adderall and wanted me to start from scratch with the non-stimulant meds I already tried in the past. I finally convinced her that the Adderall IR was the proper medication but she refuses to prescribe to me the way the Adderall IR worked best. She has made comments about being a drug seeker. So far from the truth it is not even funny.
Personally I don't think she knows what she is doing. She feels that Adderall IR should be taken at 8 hour intervals and would prefer me to stay at 10mg am and 5mg 8 hours later . This medication only lasts 4-6 hours and when my family doctor prescribed it to me we worked hard to find what worked well and had it down to a science. On long days when I had classes in the evening I would take it 3x a day and it worked quite well. I never took it if I did not require to be able to focus. My family doctor also had ADHD so he completely understood. She does not. Her words were "You cant expect to focus all day long if you have ADHD." I wonder how she would function in her job if she could not focus for 50 % or more of her day?
I have started the journey to find a new person for my medication management but not sure how to tell them I needed to change without looking like a drug seeker. Also wondering how to explain to them what worked in the past and not get the same reaction. I want to find a person that works as a team where I also have a say in what I put in my body.
I would love to hear any suggestions I could get.
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Verballydisjointed
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I'd be honest and say you feel your current prescriber is making you feel like a drug seeker and not listening to you. No need to make anything up. Good luck 🤞
This sounds awful, I’m so sorry. I’d be curious to know what part of the country you’re in, what kind of insurance you have. I am starting to think those factors matter a lot (and they shouldn’t matter - everyone deserves the same high-value care). I’ve parted ways with a prescriber for different reasons, but related to me feeling unheard, disrespected. You deserve to be heard and respected. I hope you find an empathetic provider. ❤️
Thank-you, I'm in the Cleveland Oh area and have great insurance. My first indication she was not the right fit was before we even talked about ADHD medication. When I told her I was on a very low dose antidepressant she asked who prescribed it. When I told her my primary care Dr. she said, "Well that stops now. I control everything above the neck. I'll be prescribing that from now on." I found out after my 2nd telehealth visit with her that she will now only do in person. The office staff told me others in the office are still doing telehealth but she stopped because she gets paid less for a virtual visit.
OMG, she sounds ... horrible. If that was her reaction to your depression medication. She sounds like a control freak who just needs to do everything HER way from scratch. So glad you're trying to ditch her.
Sorry I don't have any advice for you other than to get rid of her and find someone new!
That sounds super frustrating. I feel like that sometimes just talking about meds to the dr who known what they are doing let along someone whose ignorant about ADHD. You might try a psychiatrist instead of someone at your GP's office. They will be much better equipped with the correct knowledge and be much more likely to listen to you and look at you medical records. They should still have your medical records and you more than likely can have them transferred or at least get a copy to share with a new Dr. The fact that this person works in the same office and she doesn't take your history into account is ridiculous IMHO.
As Greenbeeps said, no need to make anything up, just let new providers know that your last prescriber was disrespectful, accused you of being a drug seeker, and did not take your needs seriously.
I would also seriously consider filing a complaint against the NP. Their behavior is unacceptable, irresponsible, and dangerous. I'm so sorry you have had that experience, on top of bouncing around to providers.
I don't know how the diagnosis process worked for you, but I for example was diagnosed by a psychologist separate from my NP and he made medication recommendations which were then given to my NP. If the person who diagnosed you was different than your family doctor, could they recommend a medication manager? Or perhaps you can reach out to medical providers in your insurance network who specialize in ADHD for support/referrals?
I hope you can figure something out soon, wishing you the best of luck!
Sorry to hear that your new healthcare provider is horrible. I experienced something somewhat similar (though milder) once, where I came home over the summer back when I was in college, and went to see a doctor I hadn't seen before to get a refill of my stimulant medication. She wrote the prescription after dragging her feet initially and telling me she wasn't comfortable writing it, and told me she wouldn't write me another one so I'd have to see another doctor next time. It's an awful feeling to be treated like a potential criminal just for trying to seek treatment.
A few things I wanted to share on this topic that may give you ammunition :
1. ADHD meds do not appear to increase the risk of substance abuse disorder (SUD) (Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... ) :
"Although the data remains discordant, it appears that ADHD pharmacotherapy does not increase the risk for SUD."
2. Key differences between ADHD meds and illegal stimulants is that the onset is too slow to be appealing to abusers
Key quote at 32:02: "and that is why oral tablets of stimulants really almost never abused because they don't do it fast enough in order for people to get any kind of immediate rush which is what they want"
“In our study of young adults, only 30 percent said they used substances to get high,” says Timothy Wilens, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “Seventy percent are doing it to improve their mood, to sleep better, or for other reasons.” This kind of “self-medication” seems especially common among individuals whose ADHD remains undiagnosed, or who have been diagnosed but have never gotten treatment. “When people with ADHD get older, the hyperactive component often diminishes,” says William Dodson, M.D., an ADHD specialist in Denver. “But inside, they’re just as hyper as ever. They need something to calm their brain enough to be productive.”
i suggest you watch the adda webinar on medications with dr carolyn lentzch-parcells. she talks about what you have described, especially as we become older adults. i know her entire webinar will be illuminating. i encourage you to find a different dr.
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Finally diagnosed, but finding actual treatment feels impossible.
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