The Fatigue

[TiredAubrey]

hello,

I was diagnosed with adhd last year. I’m on 36mg of concerta, lexapro 20mg and Wellbutrin 300.

Does adhd get better? I just want my brain to be like “hey let’s go shopping for groceries, we can do it” I’m so tired of the inactivity, I am trying so hard. I am trying to cook crock pot meals so I can eat better at work and home. I’m trying to make things easier for myself.

5 months ago I weaned myself off of 450 of Wellbutrin. Anyways, I needed to restart it for my anxiety. It was so amazing when I re started it, I took two buses and a train to get to a certain in the heat to go clothes shopping. Next day I went grocery shopping at 8am. My brain was just like hey let’s do this! Of course that beginning high wears off.

Does it ever come back? I just want to feel like a normal human being. I don’t want it to be a struggle all the damn time.

[Gettingittogether]

Yes, things can get easier ... but in my experience, therapy is required. Therapy is needed to do all the "mind" stuff--the conscious stuff we can do to work with our brains. Meds do their work unconsciously. After I got diagnosed, I remember being at a different forum when someone with experience said, "you have to learn what the med can do and you have to figure out what you have to do."

ADHD is just so demoralizing. Therapy is what allows me to have some compassion for myself and to set reasonable goals and to pay attention to my moods and to understand that change takes time and failing along the way is a part of success. Basically ADHD creates such a history of failure and meds don't break that history in our brains.

Therapy (and I mean good therapy--really good therapy with an excellent therapist ... mediocre therapists don't help much) ... therapy also can help you think and describe the effects of meds and to notice patterns for days when the meds seem to work well and so on ... The increased self-awareness brought on by therapy can ... yep! ... help us with the medications!

Also coaching can help. I really think trying to minimize this condition by meds alone just isn't very effective.

[FindingTheAnswers]

Hi Aubrey. I have a good idea as to what you're dealing with. I've been down that road.Finding the right Rx for you at the right dosage is a lot of trial and error. At some point you my even have to try a different Psychiatrist (when/if you decide the time is right).

As far as what you experienced when retaking Wellbutrin, that happened to me also. Life was just,,, good! I was optimistic (the word optimistic was never in my vocabulary). But it only lasted about 3 days, and I've only experienced it that 1 time. My Dr didn't have an answer for it.

This part is not to make you feel any worse, but remember you also have how many years of bad programming in your head from before you got your ADHD diagnoses? You were on Anti-Depressants before your ADHD diagnosis? What made your Mental Health Pro realize you had ADHD?

You're on the right path. With your fairly recent ADHD diagnosis, you've found a big piece of the puzzle.

i kn ow you're struggling, but please realize you are not truly alone. Look thru some past posts and replies and you see that others are also looking to find the right answers for them.

I wish you peace of mind and especially relief. And even happiness.

Never Give Up! CW

[_Sarah_J]

I also have extreme fatigue. I also have low mental stamina. I am not sure how much is the ADHD, and how much is that the treatment for Sleep Apnea isn’t fully effective. The exhaustion definitely makes me feel overwhelmed, and like everything is just too much. Getting things done is a constant struggle. After learning so much more about ADHD online recently, it has helped me be more accepting of my limitations, and managing my expectations of what I’m able to accomplish.. That’s one thing - being too exhausted to buy food is another. Have you checked to see if any of your meds have fatigue as a side effect?

[NeuroDivergentFairy]

🙌 Right there with you, Aubrey! I struggle with constant Fatigue and just a general lack of motivation and mental energy to get things done properly. And when I say "things", I mean the simple things like you have mentioned like going to the grocery store before it's too late; Cooking good meals for myself consistently, etc.

I found that some of my fatigue was caused by hormone interactions with my medication - so you may want to ask your doctor about that! But also - I do believe we rely heavily on medications and not other therapies to improve symptoms of our ADHD. Don't worry - I am not harping on Meds... I am on the highest dose of Adderall that is prescribed 😅 but I have just recently learned about all aspect of ADHD and my struggle areas. I found we can be doing more to help ourselves than just hoping medicine does the trick. You probably already attempt to do some of them as a means of coping. I encourage you to research YOUR ADHD and these coping mechanisms.

1. Exercise. (Don't hate me for saying this lol) Exercise has been one of the leading therapies for ADHD. The only problem is that ADHDers are very consistent with being inconsistent with our exercise and that we don't recognize the benefits. I found if I started my day with 20 mins on a treadmill/elliptical or brisk walk outside, I was more positive and energized and could concentrate better during work hours. Other consistent exercise is good too - find what you like. but that little bit of cardio helped me alot and it was easier for me to do when I was doing it for my brain rather than to lose weight or whatever. This increases the dopamine in your brain which is the thing that most of us ADHDers lack, which causes alot of our symptoms. This is according to my research on this, please do your own as well. This is much more complicated and it will vary from person to person, so it is important to understand it and see where you fit to find the best coping mechanisms.

2. Routine - bed time routine; wake up routine - try to force yourself to get x amount of hours of sleep at night and create the conditions in which you can make it happen. I had to get a cooling mattress pad -- because on top of having severely inconsistent sleep patterns, I also get insanely hot when i sleep and it keeps me tossing and turning. I've been sleeping like a rock since I got the cooling pad where i can adjust the temp to my liking. ADHDers tend to have issue with circadian rhythms which effects our sleep patterns. Smart light bulbs can help wind you body down at night for better sleep or wake you up gradually in the morning to help improve this.

3. Get outside! nature is a great natural treatment for ADHD - plus sun helps you get vitamin D which can help with depression and such

4. other vitamin supplements: I am at my best when I am taking Vitamin D, B complex, multivitamin/multimineral, acai berry and another intense antioxidant (OPC-3). Antioxidants are supposed to be really good for ADHD. Vitamin B, D, and Acai are also good for increasing energy levels. I was already doing this before I jumped into ADHD research but I notice a BIG difference in my symptoms when I don't consistently take these.

5. Accountability - find people to help hold you accountable to doing the above things. (I still lack this greatly and I think it is the key to doing better in all areas)

[Greece752 in reply to NeuroDivergentFairy]

Excellent ideas. Diagnosed 30 years ago. Still working on some things.

[Greece752]

I was diagnosed 30 years ago. I have done a lot of reading and research. This might sound creepy or weird. Pills don't teach skills. The meds will help calm some of the neurological issues. Then, like the NeuroDivergentFairy said, Exercise, routine, etc. You'll have to figure out how to do those things for you. Symptoms are often different for different people. So are fixes. But the NeuroDivergentFairy has some excellent ideas and starting points. Don't get discouraged. I might take a little while before things start working better. Stick with it.

[Greece752]

Check this article. ADD diagnosis and next steps. "I try not to be angry about the past" additudemag.com/just-diagno.... There is a lot more stuff on this site. But I think this will give a better understanding of the whole situation. Then you can sort out what would be the best approach for you.

[sharkticon]

Have you tried just the ADHD meds? When I was on vyvance and Wellbutrin it made me feel tired and somewhat depressed.