thoughts on non-stimulant meds?

[Bentleybexley39]

I think being on adderall (I’ve tried all the other ones too) might be overstimulating me. I definitely have ADHD but I don’t think I have found the right meds yet. Any thoughts would be helpful.

[FindingTheAnswers]

The non stimulant Atomoxetine/Strattera, did not work for me. But it worked great for my friend/neighbor. That's the only one I know of. Normally I would tell you that finding the right Rx at the right dosage is all trial and error. But you've been down that road for a while now.

I'm sure you're frustrated as well as still dealing (suffering) with your ADHD. I wish I had a better answer for you. Hopefully others can give you some good advice.

Remember, as crappy as this is, you are not alone. There are others here that are in your situation. Keep trying till you find what works for you.

I wish you relief, peace of mind, and even happiness.

Above all else,,,,,,, Never Give Up!

[addacademic in reply to FindingTheAnswers]

I've had the feeling of being overstimulated, so to speak, as well. Others here can address non stimulants better than me. However, i just wanted to encourage you to keep in mind that sometimes that feeling of being overstimulated can die down within a month or two. It's also worth being certain that you aren't getting too high a dose. Perhaps you've already thoroughly explored these possibilities with your doctor. If not, however, please do!

[Gettingittogether]

You've tried all 30 or more of the ADHD medications out there? You sure?

[mrsm68 in reply to Gettingittogether]

Wow I didn’t know there was as many as that. This gives me hope.

[Gettingittogether in reply to mrsm68]

Well some of them are the same medication--there are lots of versions of methylphenidate (Ritalin). Technically, if you take one formulation of methylphenidate you're supposed to have the same effects as taking another form. But in the real world, it doesn't seem to work that way. Different formulations of the same medication seem to produce different results in people. Also there are short-term and long-term versions of these medications ...

So basically, you want to just keep trying them out (a provider should be up for this) to be systematic. You're just looking for one med that really helps you. That's all.

Here's a list of ADHD medications

drugs.com/condition/attenti...

[Dell12345]

Sometimes Bupropion is used for ADHD, I'm about try it as I also have GAD/MDD.There are a couple of other drugs also used that are not stimulants.

It's known that stimulants don't work for everyone with ADHD, some people, including myself, don't react well to them.

[Colls47 in reply to Dell12345]

I too still haven’t found right drug . Was tried on elvanse 30/50mg then added dexamphetamin, then concerta , all gave me anxiety and Concerta stomach ache and tiredness . When you already feeling pretty crap , the trial and error can be scary

[Rodster]

I use bupropion because I can’t take stimulants based on my high blood pressure. It works better than nothing. I also take cbd oil for the anxiety. The particular brand I found of cbd oil works for me but it was trial and error until I found it. I also hated the over stimulating feeling of stimulants.

[StZelie]

My 5 y.o. son is on Guanfacine and Strattera. He is calmer than when he is not on them, but the stimulant meds worked better for keeping him calm. Unfortunately, the 3 stimulants we tried always led to aggressive behavior. Best wishes to you.

[STEM_Dad]

I take a generic form of atomoxetine (Strattera). It works better for me than Adderall XR did.

My initial dose of Adderall XR only treated my symptoms halfway. A higher dosage did not improve my symptoms, and gave me a concerning side effect of tachycardia (elevated heart rate).

Previous to atomoxetine, I had taken an SSRI for anxiety for a while. (I was not diagnosed with GAD or SAD, just anxiety, which had built up over time due to workplace stress. It went away after a few months on the SSRI.)

The stimulant ADHD meds act on dopamine release/absorption in the brain. Atomoxetine is similar to an SSRI, but acts on norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) instead of serotonin. It's an SNRI (selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor).

[Hidden]

Hi Bentley. I read your post and all of the replies. Non-stimulant meds for ADHD aren’t effective for many patients who have tried them. It really is a process of trial and error before you find the right med and dose. I’ve been working on this for 2 years and think my doctor and I finally got it.

I’ve tried several versions of Ritalin and at first it worked, but didn’t last long. Switched to Adderall and tried different doses, long acting, and even went back to Ritalin for a couple of months, but that upsets my stomach and causes raving thoughts with me.

I need more stimulation in the morning, without it I don’t feel human until lunch.

Last week, my doc put me on a long acting version of Adderall and I also take an instant release version at the same time, right when I wake up. I also have another instant release that I can take in the early afternoon so I don’t crash until I’m done working. It’s the perfect combo for me. That took two years and a lot of listening to my body, in addition performance at work improved too. Don’t give up. My spouse was diagnosed 2 months ago and was put on Ritalin and then Adderall. He couldn’t sleep or eat and that made him feel horrible, so after 2 days he quit talking it. Usually your doc will start on the lowest dose and titrate up until your optimal dose is reached. She prescribed him 30 mg x 2/ day. That’s super high, especially because it can take weeks to adjust to it. I’ve tried to tell him to split his meds and take 15 mg doses and then work up if he feels he needs it. Nope, he won’t listen to me and is tired of everything. We both take meds for anxiety too.

Funny thing, when I got to my right Adderall dose, my anxiety virtually disappeared.

Best of luck.

[FindingTheAnswers in reply to Hidden]

Hi. I also was given (2) 30 mg IR, which, like you recommended to your spouse, I break them in half and space them apart, I’ve got enough in my system for all day (often I don’t use all 60mg). And for me also, the Adderall acts as an Anti- Anxiety. When I 1st starting taking it, after about 20 mins it was like this calming blanket covered me. I don’t get that noticeable relief now, but still is the best Anti-Anxiety for me. It also acts as a great Anti-Depressant (along with reg Anti- Depressants). Until it wears off. And then the Depression very slowing (almost insidiously) starts creeping back into my head. Then it’s time for the other half of my 30mg. To me, you gave your spouse some good advice. It’s a shame he wouldn’t even try it.

[Hidden in reply to FindingTheAnswers]

Your description of how the Adderall feels like this calming blanket is spot on for me too. I take mine right when I get up and within 30-45 minutes I’m ready to tackle my day. My anxiety is greatly reduced unless I get to the point where I’m overwhelmed with work and don’t see a clear way out. I’m in the process of looking for a new job because my current employer won’t do anything to accommodate my ADHD and my symptoms have worsened to the point where I’m completely burnt out and overwhelmed. It’s almost like they have purposely done things to make my life miserable. Very toxic. Hoping the company I’m interviewing at now will be an improvement.

[BluebirdAbove]

Hi Bentley,I found a huge difference bt Ritalin and Adderrall. I have found short acting Ritalin works if I take small amounts as needed. I break a 10 mg pill into quarters and take just one quarter in the morning. Sometimes I take another quarter pill a few hours later. That's it. Limited pulse racing and am able to focus with less hyper focus as a result. It's not perfect but I like that I can control the dose and use as needed depending on how foggy my brain is and work needs. You probably tried both but thought I'd share if not.

Alternatively, you could explore acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine herbs-- I believe they use certain mushroom (as supplements or tea) and view ADHD through the lens of improving focus/executive function, rather than a disease. Good luck and hope to hear how things unfold for you.

[addacademic in reply to BluebirdAbove]

We should be careful recommending alternative therapies to anyone in our community. It's fine to say they exist, of course. But there's a lot of pseudomedicine out there in the world and the line between alternative medicines and "snake oil" is very, very fuzzy. There are even some businesses that have no qualms exploiting us with expensive products they know won't work (the nutritional supplements industry is full of bad actors.) Given the ADHD brain's tendency to enjoy novelty, we could be sending people down very expensive and medically-useless avenues if we aren't careful.

With Chinese traditional medicine, there is now the beginnings of a real scientific literature to test the diverse healing claims. So far, most claims have not been backed up by research with only a couple exceptions. I'm not sure if any specific research into ADHD and Chinese traditional medicine has been conducted yet.

Just a note of caution

[BluebirdAbove in reply to addacademic]

Good points. To clarify. I didn't intend to recommend alternatives but rather to share ideas that may be worth exploring. Folks- please never try things without gathering your own expert advice and researching well.

[PhillySail]

My Dr just recommended I try Quellbree kind of in the same family as Stratarra only recently added as an adult treatment. Keep trying and give any treatment time (sometimes weeks not days) to figure out how your body adapts to it.

[NeuroDivergentFairy]

I've been on Adderall XR for close to 12 years now and it's just not as effective as it used to be. I've had to play with the dosage, found a sweet spot at 25 mg XR for a little while (coupled with regular exercise, which is not consistent lol) and recently went back up to the highest dose but it's still not helping. I've only really found out what ADHD is this year even though I was diagnosed almost 12 years ago. I am now exploring other options as well. I am looking at my other "problem areas" to see which med may be best to help those areas. But -phew - switching meds can be a major pain!

I talked to my doctor and there is now some sort of DNA test you can do to see what medications will work best with the fewest side effects - given your DNA profile. It's specifically for mental health/behavioral medications like the ones we are all talking about. I recently did the comprehensive test and it was covered by insurance 100%. From what I can tell, it's very new and I don't have my results back yet so I am waiting to see how this all works. Wish I could give you more info - but it may be worth asking your doctor about so you can have a better idea of what meds to try first.

[SoManyExpectations in reply to NeuroDivergentFairy]

What was the DNA test? I’m interested in getting this done.

[sharkticon]

I take vyvance. it helps me a bit. Mostly just with motivation, but being able to pay attention, and accomplish boring tasks I still struggle. You may be wanting the drugs to do more than they can actually do. That seems to be my experience. But I'll take what little help I can get.