ADHD or autism?

[Elky24709]

I was diagnosed late in life at the age of 30 with inattentive ADD. I was put on medication and it helped me drastically and greatly improved my quality of life. But at the same time there were certain symptoms (symptoms also correlated with autism) that seemed to get worse on medication. For example sensory issues. From my research it seems ADD and Autism have correlating symptoms. But I'm starting to wonder if I may be autistic as well.

I'm not sure if going through with testing would be worth pursuing. The professional testing would be pricey and I was not sure if it would really change anything besides knowing if I had the diagnosis or not.

Has anyone had experience with this? Are there other treatment options for autism/add diagnosis I am unaware of?

[STEM_Dad]

There certainly is some overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD, including sensory issues. There is also a likelihood of comorbidity between the two.

(According to some, around 50-70% of people with ASD may also have ADHD. I also found a static that about 14% of people with ADHD also have ASD. Since ADHD is more prevalent than ASD, these statistics seem to correlate well.)

An autism diagnosis might open up other medication and treatment options.

Also consider the possibility that your ADHD medication does affect your sensory processing, making you more sensitive. Or, perhaps treating your ADHD makes you more aware of your existing sensory sensitivity, which was just indistinct "noise" to you before.

~~~~~

Since I started on ADHD medication, I notice things and process external stimuli better than I used to. However, the first ADHD medication that I was on was Adderall, which increased my irritability when it began to wear off. By contrast, my current non-stimulant medication (atomoxetine) somewhat reduces my anxiety as well, and that reduces my irritability...even in noisy environments.

I still have my sensory limits, as I always have. I avoid concerts, and I try to avoid crowds, just so I don't get overstimulated. I don't think that I gave Sensory Processing Sensitivity(SPS), but I do think I meet the definition of a highly sensitive person (HSP).

I am pretty sure that I'm not on the ASD spectrum (although sometimes I wonder if I am, because of different i am from the people around me...but that might all be due to ADHD).

[LifeAfterDiagnosis]

Hi Elky24709,

May I ask what medication caused sensory issues for you? I've been wondering myself if my sensory issues might, at the very least, be worsened by meds.