New to adhd drugs and dont know what I’m looking for

[Colls47]

Hi, I’m 47, diagnosis adhd 4 months ago . Private company funded by NHS for diagnosis and treatment only .

I had my first anti depressants at 18, and have been on off ever since . Had many many life events health and deaths, including my dad 4 years ago and mum 2 months ago . It’s all hit me very hard .

I was started on elvanse 30mg few weeks back , made me feel like a zombie . So after 5 days it’s was upped to 50mg . Not like a zombie but it was very druggy like , big high and massive crash only around 4 hours .

Didn’t like it , because in my teens and early 20s I was involved in speed taking and cocaine as both made me feel able to be here and now , and with people without feeling worn out , but I quit it all, and elvanse felt similar .

So prescriber changed it to Amfexa . Started at 5mg twice a day . Very very slight effect , lifted my mood in Morning, so it was upped to 10mg twice a day , only gave it a day as it made me feel so thick headed and told the prescriber , so he said changed to 7.5mg twice a day .

At this point , I mentioned to him ) it’s all on line with Psychiatry uk) that it’s my depression that is my biggest thing at the moment, and im not sure what im supposed to be liking for ? Yes, it lifts my mood for an hour , but anyone with depression would probably feel the same ? And asked if they could also look at the rubbish anti depressants I am on ( 37.5mg Venlafaxine and 20mg mirtazpine) both do nothing for me but too scared to come off as withdrawals . He said that they are not funded to cover my depression and to speak to my dr . Then, later that night sent me another online message saying I could try bupropin ?!? I questioned how I would do this as I’m on two small anti depressants already ? No answer as yet .

I don’t knew how I am supposed to know what I am looking for here ? I don’t imagine any adhd drug is going to take away my total loss of my mum dying , no Job, no motivation , no self esteem is it ??

I was placed under secondary mental health care 18months ago when I had what was called a burnout . They have done very little if nothing .

So , I’m at a loss: I’m also suffering very tight muscle pain in lower back and hips, unsure if it’s the Amfexa .

Are there other medications the adhd people could be looking at for me ?? I’m at a loss

[michael682]

Try to get on Vyvanse 20mg or maydais not sure the mg on it but it’s a mixed extended and instant release. They’re both stimulants and you will definitely feel the high for a few days until you adjust to it. Drink lots of water to help your body process the meds and 3 meals w 2 snacks to balance out the blood sugar crash and energy crash. Meds shouldn’t vary you through the day but allow you to feel present in the day you have. Other meds like adderall didn’t work for me and my wife and I decided to try taking 30 days off meds so I can re-set and see if I can last without meds. I feel like I’m dragging my feet but I developed tools to help me through the day. It wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t been on meds as I never have a long enough attention span to focus on how I feel or anything really. Meds allowed me to recognize when I am paying attention or not and how to correct myself productively l. I use those methods a lot while off meds.

Just make sure you have support and fill that person or people in on what you’re feeling throughout the day as it is so important to have people With you while on meds and figuring things out.

Depression is common for people with adhd and meds may increase it on some days but also helps you come to realization that you’re not alone and shit will pass. I have some days where I tell my wife all I wanna do is go to bed and do nothing but the meds tell me I can’t stop because there’s work to be done which is good but leads to burnout if you don’t take the time to address the depression. Like when my grandfather passed away. I still have days where it sucks me under and I wanna break down but I know it will pass and I talk to my wife about why I feel sad or miss him. It helps me a lot.

You have an amazing community here and are never ever alone. we can get through everything in life but need someone with us occasionally.

Hope this all helps you somehow

[Colls47 in reply to michael682]

Thank you for taking time to read this .I feel my prescriber , who is psychiatry uk are just throwing things at me . As I said they tried me on elvanse 30 and 50mg but the rise was high and the crash , no matter what I did was quite bit and all short lived . I guess the hard thing for me is the depression . I stated that I was concerned the elvanse was impacting the depression and the response was that this wasn’t normally what happens ???? It’s a stimulant ? We all know these can impact mental health existing issues . Then moved me to Amfexa I.r , 5mg twice day was very unnoticeable , 10mg twice a day have me a very thick head , and the 7:5mg twice a day seems to life me in a.m but come the afternoon dose , just makes me feel thick headed . I mentioned about my depression . They said they not covered to deal with depression . I then Said I had read bupropin was good for adhd ? Two days later , a message saying I could try it ?? But I’m already on two small doses of anti depressants at night and they wouldn’t say how I was supposed to add it etc to my current regime ??? Don’t just want to be taking more and more mixed drugs , mu health anxiety is and always is through the roof.

[michael682 in reply to Colls47]

I hear you and it’s a tough one. Have you tried reading books on adhd? They have lots of information on how to regulate your emotions. Not trying to attack you because lots of people with adhd have a hard time with emotions. But there’s also miss association of emotions which can cause depression in people with adhd and the key is to find out how to correctly decompress your feelings about hard things like death and loss. Medication just helps clear your mind and makes you able to think straight…ish. Like a car with a flat tire, it pulls to that side of which the tire is on and once you fill it up with air “the meds” it allows you to drive straight but ultimately it’s up to the driver. You with medication should have the ability to choose to drive straight or consciously veer off the path and get sidetracked which isn’t always a bad thing. Just time and place for it.

Anyway! Some can go on living life without meds and some need them to get through stuff. I used meds a lot as explained and am currently off them to practice the tools I gained along the way. Maybe this is less about the meds and more about equipping yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to get through this speed bump in life or wall you’re stuck behind. We all know you can do it and we all on here have been here before in one way or another and are cheering for you. I encourage you to pick up a book on adhd and read a few pages a week. Figure out who and what you want to do with your life or become. Maybe you focus on helping others struggling with loss and that’s how you get through the loss of your family members. I had to start a business in order to finally cope with the loss of my grandfather.

I believe in you and realize that there is no right answer or easy way to figuring this stuff out adhd is unique in each person and affects them differently every time.

you got this!

[Colls47 in reply to michael682]

Such kind words thank you Michael. It’s a mixed bag isn’t it . The drug use I had in my 20s, speed and cocaine , which I loved and made me feel here and now , I quit after some time , as , I felt I was doing the wrong thing , and wanted to constantly work out , eat mega healthy all the time , it’s like I hated myself for being involved in speed taking and cocaine ( was part of the rave scene ) so now, being given prescribed elvanse and then Amfexa , it triggers a feeling in me of YEAH, OF COURSE I FEEL FOCUSSED, IM TAKING DRUGS and the emotion makes me feel I am damaging myself and will die early through taking these .

When my father became ill with dementia 6 years ago, it was a massive shock as he was a solid ox , and me and family watched him quickly get torn down to a wreck , and watched as my mum started to despise him and struggle to have him at home . This was hard .again myself and wife and our kids were the ones mostly called on by mum in the early hours or every time we tried to plan something with kids , she would call HELP— for over a year . I seemed to deal with this better than I have my mum passing . It’s been 4 years of me calling her twice every day and seeing her as much as possible for company for her . It’s all made me fear I am about to get very old , or already am, and soon that’s it .

I was out of work when dad got dementia , and I stayed away from work to be there for them . My empathy is through the roof for anyone I know . It rules me . So whist being on hand , i studied for three years from home , wife went back to work , and impassed my AAT up to advanced diploma in accounting , with the plan to set up own business . And I did not long after dad passed . But not long into running my own business as a bookkeeper , self employed , I joined lots of bookkeeping groups , and was bombarded with should do this , must do that , try this , etc , that I felt I had to do it all, and about 18 months in, and with a few clients , Covid happened , all my kids were at home , our youngest son 11 now , is expected high functioning autistic and now suspected adhd , and he does not stop taking AT you , telling you fact after fact after fact , and with everything , I felt burned out . Didn’t trust the work I was doing , constantly going over and over and over it . I saw my dr . And he then switched me from one anti depressant to another to another , and then put me on mirtazpine . And that was the nail for me . I suddenly didn’t want to anything . All my crazy fun and hope, went , all gone . Totally flat . I cut the dose down after a month and became suicidal . It’s then I shut the business , and that’s when I have been passed from pillar to post and back again . I am having an Assesment for ASD on the 15th September , as I have been waiting 3 years and they have now prioritised me , so maybe ASD aswell.

So, a lot has happened . And diagnosed adhd 3 months ago or just over , and I’m even doubting if that’s right now . Doubting.

Finally , sorry , so so long post, but had I never touched speed or cocaine ( also found out that codeine really calmed my mind and made my focus so well and not worry many many years ago ) then maybe now, when I get some effect , I may thing JESUS, this is amazing !! But to me ? It’s a drug , it makes everyone deal with things better . Think that’s my stumbling block with stimulants .

That’s it . And if you read this far , thank you .

[Rodster]

I was on antidepressants and they never worked. As soon as they gave me medication for the adhd I started feeling better. I think you would do better if you went to someone that specializes in adhd treatment than a general psychiatrist.

[Colls47 in reply to Rodster]

Thanks for that. I am under psychiatry I’m who deal purely in this ! The thing is , as they are only covering the Adhd , that won’t look at my anti depressants or switching me or helping to get off them , they refer me back to gp, who is useless and nothing to do with the adhd diagnosis

[Rodster in reply to Colls47]

You are going to the wrong doctors. Try going on to Facebook ADHD for UK and see if you can find a resource where you live that handles both adhd and depression. Depression happens when you are not on the right adhd medication. facebook.com/groups/2474319...

I am not sure how the medical system works in the UK. Im not sure if its different or not than the US.

[Colls47]

Thank you I will have a look

[Adhd_reader]

hi I was diagnosed adhd during lockdown. Like you I also suffer depression (although I still think some of it stems from difficulties caused by adhd behaviours which make work etc really stressful). Anyway. Dexamfetamine made me feel really “flat” and although it improved my adhd symptoms they took me off it because I was getting 3 hours sleep a night and migraines. I started AMFEXA 2 weeks ago and I have had a similar experience with you re back pain and also under my sternum - to the extent that I went to A&E thinking I might be having a heart attack (I wasn’t). I haven’t really found that AMFEXA does anything much for me yet. I’m up to 10mg twice a day with a big crash about 4pm. Can’t help but feel really disappointed as I saw so many posts by people for whom taking meds immediately improved their symptoms. With regards to anxiety and depression I take sertraline which I find is effective for me and also makes me less hyperactive.