I am looking for advice on medication... I was diagnosed with ADHD last year after my mom had been suggesting it for the past several years. I definitely have more of an inattentive presentation. I started out taking Vyvanse and increasing the dose month by month. I think it worked alright, boosted my mood a little, helped me control my sugar cravings, and get into a more consistent workout routine. But it was all super subtle and I was still having a hard time getting my work done (I am self-employed... it is a blessing and a curse being my own boss and if I don't figure out a solid routine soon I might not have either.) So I decided to try Adderall for a change and really didn't notice much of a difference with that either and just stayed with it just because the slight benefits were better than nothing.
I am wanting to try something else because so many people say finding the right medication was life-changing and I know that isn't the case for everyone but I just wonder if there is something that I could benefit more from. My doctor isn't super helpful when it comes to suggesting new things and I am not in a place where I could afford to find a new doctor.. So here I am asking for any kind of input from those that have been here before! I have been considering trying out Wellbutrin because of some of the things I've read with inattentive adhd but am afraid of the longer time commitment for it to potentially work. I don't really know what else to look into for the inattentive type and would love any suggestions you might have!
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Have you tried combining Adderall extended release and immediate release? Some patients benefit from taking immediate release later in the day.
Dextroamphetamine is one of the drug in Adderall. Some patients benefit more from Dextroamphetamine alone.
It usually takes time to find the right medication and dosage. It can also take additional time to determine if other medications like Wellbutrin can be helpful.
My experience my Doctors doesn't know a lot about ADHD in general, and is just following the guides and basic information he has been given. He has to treat all kinds of things, and mental disorders can be very nuanced and difficult to treat. But often, especially if they are kids, the ADHD meds just work. But as you get older it gets more complicated I think.
As far as I know Adderall and Vyvanse are pretty much the same thing. You probably want to try Ritalin next, it's a separate classification of stimulant from Adderall and Vyvanse.
Currently I'm on 50mg of Vyvance, and what you are saying sounds exactly like me. I started taking it back in November. For the first time in my life I was able to create an exercise routine for myself, and the biggest thing I feel is it has helped with some motivation, and getting started on stuff, But I still procrastinate, get distracted and all the other fun stuff.
But like you said it's better than nothing, so I'll take it.
I also thought Wellbutrin might help, because I read it was an off label ADHD aid that seems to help with people who present with the inattentive ADHD. Also I had been on Wellbutrin in the past but not mixed with ADHD meds. But I'm always on the fence about whether I'm depressed. I often seem to have this mood that just feels sad or not right, like possibly some kind of low grade depression. I have never been suicidal, or thought about hurting myself.
So actually a few weeks ago I asked the doctor about getting some Wellbutrin. Right away, within the first day I started to feel sluggish and less motivated. I felt drained, and fatigued, and had a harder time working. I stopped taking it after about 5 days. So if you try it let me know how it goes. I still have the bottle sitting on my dresser, and thought about giving it another go just incase it was some kind of fluke and I was in some kind of bad mood over those days. But it's hard because my work is counting on me, so I struggle with the risk of getting that low again.
And then I was also on Wellbutrin a few years ago when I first tried getting help. At that point I wasn't doing anything for ADHD. Everything pointed to depression. So on top of Wellbutrin I also tried other depression medications and nothing seemed to help. I felt like maybe life is just supposed to feel like this, and I just wine too much about it, and other people had learned to cope and get along better. So I went off all medications. Long story short, life just got worse, and I finally got a therapist, and he was the one who said it sounds like ADHD. So back in November I went on Vyvanse, and that is the first time I have found any relief from medication.
Also, as a side note, the doctor said I would notice right away in the first few days if the Wellbutrin was working which surprised me because I had read that it can take weeks or months to know if depression medication is working. But apparently that's not the case with Wellbutrin. He said it is one of the fastest acting anti depressants.
Anyway, I know what it feels like to feel like you are just barely able to hold on to your job. I have a wife and kids that depend on me which makes it even harder. I don't know if that is the case with you. But I love them so much that it makes it even more painful to let them down. The Vyvanse helped pull me back together and saved my job and marriage. But it does make it hard to want to try anything else because so much is on the line. Also therapy has played a big part.
The book Driven to distraction has also been very helpful.
Also if you want to discuss more about depression vs ADHD, I have a lot of thoughts. I think a lot of things which I thought were depression were actually ADHD. But I am also learning as I go and find out I'm wrong sometimes. Hopefully some of my story helps you in some way.
Funny you should mention wellbutrin (I know it as buproprion, or zyban). I was diagnosed that for anxiety and depression, when I complained about the side effects of SSRIs, and it was the first medication that ever did me any good.
That was well before I was diagnosed with ADHD. So, of course, anxiety and depression weren't my issue, ADHD was. What I am saying is: buproprion was the single most effective treatment for my ADHD, after methylphenidate. And methylphenidate probably wouldn't have the effect it does, if it weren't for buproprion.
Where did you hear about buproprion for ADHD though? AFAIK it's not a standard treatment for ADHD; I found it by happy accident. Most doctors think it's a drug for quitting smoking.
I'd been on wellbutrin for years before being diagnosed and I think it's probably what allowed to function as well as I did so long without a diagnosis. But then things got too much for me, and that led to my diagnosis. I've only tried ritalin and adderall and I don't see much difference between them. They're both quite subtle for me but make a real difference. I'm on a low dose though. Now I take wellbutrin xl in the morning, extended release ritalin (generic concerta) in the morning, and an immediate release ritalin in the afternoon.
I'll say that it has not been a magic bullet for me. I still need the coping strategies I'd developed over the years. But the difference is that with the meds and the coping strategies, my life actually works. In another thread, someone asked whether meds were like suddenly getting glasses and being able to see, but I said that for me, it was more like getting clothes that fit. It's not that all my problems are better, but that I can deal with them without getting distracted by tight waistbands or falling pants or wedgies or blisters.
My son iss inattentive type and has never found something that really helps. In high school he took vyvanse in the morning for achool and adderal in the afternoon for homework. It helped some. It sure would be nice to hear from one person inattentive who found a great med for them. Anyone???
I would say many of us--possibly most--on this board are inattentive. Which in my brain simply means you have a "hyperactive" mind. We can't control our attention so well. We can't plan. We can't estimate the time a task will take. We have trouble prioritizing. Inattentive is not some small corner of ADHD. It's huge.
Bottom line: same meds basically are given for ADHD. Now, there are like two to three dozen ADHD meds. You basically want to try them out all of them--systematically, each at multiple doses. A med that does nothing at 10mg might hugely change life for the better at 30mg.
There is also a ton of untreated anxiety and depression among people with ADHD. Untreated anxiety or depression can undermine a medication's effectiveness. Also lack of sleep, poor eating, and on and on.
I’ve been taking Vyvanse for so long it recently started crapping out around early afternoon. My provider just added Adderall 20 mg to take in the afternoon and so far it’s worked very well. Finding the right drug or combination of drugs can be frustrating, but hang in there.
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