Qelbree

[mimi_991]

Hi all, I wanted to ask if anyone has tried the new non-stimulant Qelbree? I have been navigating finding the right ADHD medication for me for the past year. I feel like I start a medication and it works great but then it looses its strength or it has side effects. I have tried Ritalin, Adderall and Strattera. Ritalin gave me bad mood swings, Adderall made my heart race and increase irritation and Stattera made me super sleepy. I am very sensitive to medication and so my doctor opted to try me on this new non-stimulant. I am at 200mg and just started 3 day's ago. I'm not sure I am feeling any effects yet since this medication takes longer to get into your system. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Netjester]

I have tried it and the side effects felt horrible. I felt so tired, had constant headache and the constipation was pretty bad. I kept at it for 3 weeks before I said enough. I was so miserable that I didn't notice any benefit. Hopefully you do better, since I was taking other medication that may have contributed to the side effects.

[mimi_991 in reply to Netjester]

Thank you for the feedback. I know it takes about 2 weeks to work but I will keep your feedback in mind. Constipation would really make me feel even worse. Would you feel comfortable sharing what medication worked for your ADHD?

[Netjester in reply to mimi_991]

Absolutely. So first off I consider my psychiatrist one of the tops in the field when it comes to ADHD. He's spend quite a few years doing a lot of research at Stanford and has a great method for helping adults with ADHD. First off, he had me take a DNA test to determine what medications would and would not work for me. This was an immediate benefit because my previous psychiatrist kept trying to force more Ritalin on me and it just wasn't working. My current psych found out through the DNA test that Ritalin wouldn't be effective on me, but Adderall would. So that's where I started and that came with amazing results. He added Guanfacine and that helped as well. Part of the DNA test also discovered that my body did not process Folic Acid like it should, so I was prescribed the supplement of Methyl-Folate. Another amazing addition that I feel has helped tremendously. NAC was another supplement added and I've recommended that to many people who love the results. You can get it on Amazon. Everything here was working great...until something trigged a PTSD response about 3 years ago that put me into a tailspin. A horrible trauma was brought back to the forefront that I had supressed since the age of 8-9 years old. I'm 57 now. It caused multiple types of horrible responses that I didn't have control over and I went into intense therapy and treatment with my psychiatrist. I'm just coming out of it now. Before we started treatment he had me read the book "The Body Keeps The Score." I highly recommend it, as I feel that was the key to my successful journey. Once I had read "listened" to the book, I was ready for my treatment. I was still taking adderall, but I had horrible issues with arguing and impulse control. He added Mementine to help control the arguing and Naltrexone. Mementine is given to Alzheimer Patients to help with their frustration. The mementine did a great job and my wife loved what it did for our relationship. I appreciated it too. It slowed me down just enough to control my argumentative response. Then Naltrexone was added. This drug is typically used for drug addicts to treat the addictive response. I don't know how to express how thankful I am for this drug and what it has done for me, my impulsiveness and my ADHD. It stopped two very bad things that I was a part of and allowed me control my thoughts and actions in a way that I thought I was cured of ADHD. It has done so well, that I've stopped taking Adderall. I don't know that I'll ever take Adderall again because I'm still going strong right now.

So right now, I'm taking Guanfacine, Mementine, Naltrexone, Methyl-Folate, NAC and a Vitamin D supplement for my ADHD/PTSD... and I feel like I'm thriving. I am also down from 3 days per week therapy with him to 1 day per week...and that is about to go to 1 day every two weeks. It's been a long journey, but I feel like I've found what works well for me.

Because of your reaction to stimulants, I would ask to try Guanfacine first, then throw in the Naltrexone and Mementine. With the Naltrexone, you will notice the difference within the first week, possibly sooner. It's that good.

Good Luck

[STEM_Dad in reply to Netjester]

It sounds like you have a great psychiatrist, indeed!The world needs more doctors like that.

[mimi_991 in reply to Netjester]

Yes, you are so lucky to have a great psychiatrist that has taken the time to review and find what really works for you. I am not feeling great with Qelbree either. I feel a bit under water sometimes, like my energy is low and my focus comes and goes. I did complete a DNA test when I first started working with my Psychiatrist 1 year ago. I may need to provide her with a friendly reminder to take a look at that and maybe we can revisit medication again. Question for you? Is Guanfacine like Adderall? I'm starting to think that the medication I feel best with is with the Addreall compared to everything else I have tried. I don't like that it does get me a bit more agitated but I am not feeling like I am under water, constipated or sleepy. I think I would take the aggitation over this current feeling.

[Netjester in reply to mimi_991]

I'm sorry you are dealing with these side effects. I'd tell your psychiatrist that Qelbree is not for you. As far as Guanfacine goes, it's not a stimulant and I had absolutely no side effects from it. It does well for me.

What are you experiencing from ADHD that you are trying to "fix" so to speak? The reality is that once we get our symptoms under control, we are then able to work on our mental health and "fix our brain" by learning new techniques and methods to help our neurons take the right path to our PFC. We just need to find the right medication to give us a break.