Meds or not? Student here!

[vallyy]

I am pursuing my studies regarding a college's entrance exam and i've been noticing that my adhd makes it extremely hard to get through anything simple. I am losing grades because of extremely silly mistakes that are mainly issues where i dont pick up something that i read and ruin everthing else along it. this is just the tip of the iceberg. I stopped taking my meds some time ago due to my forgetfulness and now i have completely ceased it. Im debating whether i should reconsider my meds since my mother adviced me there may be long term effects. Life with no meds is certainly hard but Im ready to pursue it as long as i get solid advice and thats what im asking here for. Whether it is for taking meds or not, Im open minded and ready to take any kind advice. Hope you guys can help me, Thank you very much for reading this 🌈

[Hominid711]

Definitely! Back on the meds. As a 56y old doctor and an ADHD patient since last year I regret that I wasn't on them during my studies. I could have achieved much more I believe! I notice just how much stuff I can get through when reading up on something factual now and how much and in detail I remember since I'm on the meds. AND how much more fun it is. The more I read the deeper I want to dive and the more I want to know.

Definitely!!! Back onto those meds!!

[Bonsai24 in reply to Hominid711]

Thanks for your post. As a recently diagnosed doctor mid 40s I’ve been questioning if meds are actually helping me at work. They help with productivity at home for sure and I have much more energy for things than off meds but when I’m at work and need to task switch frequently I find it hard to do on meds (emergency medicine). Do you have trouble with task switching/multi tasking?

[Hominid711 in reply to Bonsai24]

What do you mean with "emergency medicine"? I take Vyvanse 70mg and 1.5-2h later I feel ready to take on pretty much anything with relativ calm and compassion. I then see patient after patient probably with less of a worry about running late than before but I also can take them gently back to the relevant issue which I try to figure out by letting them talk without interrupting them for the first few minutes, then ask what it is that seems the reason they chose to come in today at this particular time - unless it's already evident. Sometimes a new/particular aspect emerges at that point and from then onwards it's patient-centred dialogue with some kind of time control by myself. As I work in Urgent Care during the night I can advise them about non-urgent aspects of their reason for coming to be discussed with their usual daytime GP and I assure them I will write to that GP with suggestions/a plan. That usually suffices. Sometimes things don't go quite so well/straight forward obviously but I can handle it without getting flustured/irritable/anxious/doubting myself as much as I used to. I can think in quite structured focused ways and make better referrals of the sicker ones across to the ED when necessary, too.

I am lucky in that I mostly don’t have to do any other paperwork/reporting apart from the documentation of the usual History/Examination/Diagnosis/Treatment/Follow up arrangements sequence.

Maybe things haven't changed quite so much or dramatically other than that I feel calmer abd less hassled and definitely more on the ball but I have had fewer complaints which I then have to justify and be told by my manager that I have an attitude issue, and that was what used to spoil the job for me.

[Bonsai24 in reply to Hominid711]

I work in an emergency room (in the US) so I’m seeing several patients at a time and having to deal with several interruptions, doing procedures, then seeing new patients, putting in orders, discharging some, starting notes, reviewing ECGs handed to me every 10 minutes, answering calls, calling to arrange admission. I would imagine it’s similar to urgent care just higher acuity. I haven’t been convinced that the meds help me at work because I’m perhaps a little too focused on one thing. My psychiatrist suggested short acting for work days as she mentioned that her athletes that play football or soccer cannot be medicated on game days because of a similar need to quickly switch attention and focus while playing. Only her baseball players need meds on game days. She wondered if it would be similar for me. I just don’t like the slump I feel when I’m off meds and certainly wouldn’t want to go to work that way. Anyway, thanks for your info. It’s so nice to hear the experience of a fellow doc

[lodopo]

Excellent questions that are best to ask your Dr. ( hopefully Psychiatrist) Your Dr likely prescribed this stuff to help and you didn't give it a chance. However, if the side-effects were so bad that you needed to stop then you need to stop with the support of your dr. It's good you are talking about this.

I had a very similar experience as a student and I am more convinced it was/ is anxiety, and reading and focus problems. I would read things wrong or take too long to read. I needed to ask for a lot of accomodations, repeat classes, and just persevere through bad grades, junior college, repeating classes, stress, perseverance, a college entry program, UCSC, graduate school, now I have a good career..

At one point I started meds but I kept passing out so I discontinued with support of my dr.

Now I still have the reading and focus problems but I have made some good choices and now I have a pretty good life.

Sorry for this ADHD tangent.

Remember to keep your self-esteem high through your education, do not let the challenges convince you that you can't have a great, meaningful, career, and have a wonderful fun life. Ask lots of questions and ask for help, consider anxiety and how it helps or makes things hard for you.. And, talk to your doctor about medication. Listen to your body. research. question the risks and benefit, experience the benefits, and make your medication decisions with the support of a doctor.

[vallyy in reply to lodopo]

thank you! I'll rediscuss this with my parents and get another appointment 😊😊

[DW44]

meds meds meds!!! Helped me soo much with my studies and exams, I don’t know how I would have coped without. Unless you have bad side effects in which case you should speak to your doctor, you have nothing to lose

Good luck!