I would like to meet newly diagnosed adhd adults to talk about their experiences with medication, symptoms and medication side effects.

[Lucecica]

Newly diagnosed adhd adults to talk about their experiences with medication, symptoms and medication side effects.

[Adhdhelpme]

Newly diagnosed. The physician said he couldn't prescribe stimulants because I have hypertension and hashimoto's. Both are well controlled with meds, so I don't understand. He increased my wellbutrin. That helped somewhat.

[NJ67]

I am also looking to speak with people going through the same thing as I'm struggling already started out on a very low dose no symptoms have changed whatsoever we've raised it once and now the doctor is being unclear about what we are doing moving forward as there's been some confusion in when to start and stop taking what she prescribed she told me I could double up on the 10 mg if I chose to or save them I figured there was no reason to save them so I doubled up since we had increased 20 mg now that I'm ready to go up to 30 mg she says she cannot send in a supply because I picked up the 20 mg capsules to allow her time to investigate and then just left me hanging so I'm still not reaping any benefits from the medication and the specialist is no longer reaching out to me it's only been 24 hours but that's too long when you're going through medication trials I believe

[JazzElvis1]

I was diagnosed a few months ago , after suffering fibromyalgia for 25 years, I now realise that the underlying ADHD caused the fibro , as well as family trauma! I take 20 mg citalopram for depression and anxiety and 15 mg elvanse for adhd ,and a top up of 5 mg ! I know it’s very low but I’m sensitive to meds , and if I take more , it makes me have a caffeine like feel I don’t like , on the lower dose I just feel the calm , clear effect , well for now , my dr wants me to also try taking g just 2 x 5 mg tablets of dexamfetamine soon which is fast acting to see which is best , that’s about where I am atm !

[Lucecica in reply to JazzElvis1]

Hi there JazzElvis, this is the answer I was looking for. I was diagnosed last June from ADHD and I also think that trauma can be involved (both familiar or caused by adhd itself).Following the diagnostic I was prescribed 30 mg of Elvanse (as Vyvanse is called in Europe) but anxiety as a side effect doesnt quite fade. Afternoon crash, of course, is a different story.

I'm from Spain and there is no lower than 30 mg capsules available. I have tried to dissolve the content in water so to split the medication, but the effect is not satisfactory.

Would you (or others over there) give some tips concerning the complaints above?

[JazzElvis1 in reply to Lucecica]

I would try just to empty the half of the capsule in water mix and drink when you take your meds, then put the capsule together of the other half for the the next day , maybe take a little later , so crash later before bed, but on 15 mg probably won’t feel the crash , but if you do, ask the doctor in the new year for. 5 mg tablet for the evening , take half he before the other wears off , does that help , it’s crazy that people get started on 30 mg, I know most people might cope but for me that would be too much !

[JazzElvis1 in reply to Lucecica]

sounds like you may need a low dose antidepressant along side , I take 30 mg citalopram , just remember with these they take 4 weeks to work , and first few might not be nice with more anxiety than normal, but after the four weeks all that goes , and feel much better xx

[anotheradhdhead]

I was diagnosed less than two months ago. My psychiatrist is a teaching doctor at OHSU. He started me out with 10mg tablets and gave me a plan starting with 5mg every 4hrs and logging the effects in a journal. I progressed in 5mg increments to 30mg without a crash, jitteryness or extra anxiety. I take 90mg/day and it has made a massive difference in focus and controlling impulsivity. Lower doses showed improvement but his direction after many years diagnosing and tweaking was to take as much as I could without getting to the point where I was too active. If I started to notice I was, for example, talking incessantly that was too much.

I can once again have a conversation with someone and follow what they are saying.

BACKSTORY:

My childhood followed the pattern of many undiagnosed attention-deficit children. I was also a good student through 4th grade until I discovered books. At that time I was never without one and often would check out 2-3 from the school library overnight. Grammar, sentence structure, storytelling...English and reading comprehension were absorbed rather than learned. This served me well through high school but did not help my math skills. Learning was difficult. Copying was easy. Ironically I did not graduate because I missed my English credit -> I got bored after averaging 98% on my assignments. I studied for the GED and passed. I was 46.

I had been taking Buproprion XL and Escitalopram to manage what was thought to be mild depression. As time progressed (10yrs!) the ADHD won out after traumatic work experiences left deep impressions and eroded my self-confidence. This worsened my impulsivity and I started to self-medicate.

I stumbled across ADD/ADHD as a possible suspect while researching why coffee made me more tired as I tried to stay awake in the afternoon at work. After awhile I had to request Armodafinil from my sleep doctor. This made a tremendous difference in my awareness, but my scattered thoughts would not allow me to focus on tasks and I often wasted entire days being driven to only work on exciting things. This increased my anxiety as I stressed about the task needing attention while the little dopamine I had came from something else. This was much like a moth to a flame.

[Lucecica in reply to anotheradhdhead]

Thanks anotheradhdhead, I can identify with your experience both struggling so much in different settings, with a lot and suffering and a long string of misdiagnoses and trials with different medications (mainly antidepressants and anxiolytics) that just worked too little, but enough for the doctors to stubbornly maintain a wrong diagnostic.

Another issue is that after my diagnosis I have been living for months in a sort of limbo, feeling like grieving my own's life loss. Also I have issues with Identity as I no longer consider my past life be really "me" and be responsible for a life built out of reaction against the hardship of the different aspects of life , caused by my adhd, rather than choices made deliberately for me with total freedom.

After taking medication for a while, I can't identify with my old self for longer and play a character I no longer consider myself. I am really enduring great pain beyond words these days, realizing how much did I suffer and made, especially my parents and siblings, suffer because of me. And what a waste of time that "everything" in my life (career, relationships, hobbies ) would have been very different had I had the present treatment and medication.

[Tlosman369]

hello. I am female 56 diagnosed last month! My psychiatrist told me he has not received consultation he sent me for. I’m irritated. That’s the ‘real’ lazy man. No worries, I’ve suffered this long right? Jeez. Was initially told I was depressed with anxiety. I disagreed, no depression, anxiety yes tho! Insomnia Yes. Depression from failing as a person came on tho. Started me on Effexor 5-7 years ago. Told them I’m not depressed, yay exhausted and burnt out. Brain overdrive is Yes and it keeps me awake and non-active. Like frozen in my mind, thirsty but will not go get a drink. Paralysis, literally. Time flies by. Start again Tomorrow and maybe find another job I pray to keep Take Effexor, thyroid med Synthroid, propranolol, cardizem Meloxicam, Lyrica and progesterone Also, muscle relaxers for back problems too