Hello! I'm wondering if there are very many folks here who have been diagnosed with ADHD and are unmedicated like me. After much research, I self-diagnosed two years ago at age 74 and this was confirmed by my PCP. However, my doctor will not prescribe stimulants for anyone. She prescribed non-stimulant meds which did nothing for me.
In turn, I saw a nurse-practitioner (doctors near me were not accepting new patients) who prescribed Ritalin in a very low dose which did help a little. I had to stop seeing her because I could not afford more insurance co-payments. Thus, I have been unmedicated for the last year which is extremely frustrating knowing there is help out there. In addition, I am profoundly hearing-impaired, disabled, have no family to speak of, all of which further isolates me. ADHD continues to wreck my life making me feel like I am crazy.
If anyone has any comments, suggestions and is unmedicated like me, please tell me what you do to try to overcome and handle this malicious disorder. Thank you.
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Quilter470
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Hi Quilter! I'm unmedicated. I would actually try some different meds if I had a doctor I felt like I could be straight with about what's going on inside my head. I haven't had a doctor I really trusted in years. What I do that works is try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, rigorous exercise several days a week. I try to stay away from too much white flour and sugar, fats, etc. Increased my veggie intake by quite a lot. Meditation. Therapy.
You may want to check with your state government for benefits. I know they have programs available and it sounds like you should qualify. I wonder why the doc you saw wouldn't prescribe stimulants? Sounds like ignorance of ADHD to me. The waitlists for quality care are so long it's discouraging.
It's hard to be alone, and lonely. I wish I had advice for you there. Please know you're not the only one.
After a study came out that stimulant medications can (slightly) increase risk of heart related or blood pressure related issues, a lot of doctors have become hesitant to prescribe stimulants to patients older than 55 or 60.
They ignore the fact that the strain of having a poor quality of life also contributes to increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
It's a Catch-22 situation for doctors...they don't want to cause or exacerbate cardiovascular issues ("first, do no harm"). Of course, the decision might be that the health insurance won't cover ADHD stimulants for patients over a certain age.
I am aware of those studies, but new studies show that stimulants have little to no effect upon the elderly. There is no doubt that doctors are "protecting" themselves but in this case, I believe my doctor won't prescribe stimulants to Anyone because she has minimal knowledge of ADHD (asking me one question: How did you do in school?) and her being afraid of med abuse or trying to avoid lawsuits resulting from abuse.
Upon attempting to find a new doctor, one doctor's office stated that the doctor would prescribe no pain meds or anxiety meds, before I even asked for an appointment! I don't need a doctor like that.
That question always infuriates me. I finished my BA magna cum laude but they denied me teacher certification so I’m stuck with huge debt without being able to make more than $17 an hour. I learned that doing homework 5 hours every day was not the norm in high school, that my peers got even better grades and didn’t work as hard. However, I was always on the presidents honor roll. This was because my PTSD teumped my adhd because of my traumatic family. They would Leave me alone only if I was doing homework.
Doing well with school work has only minimal impact with adhd. For me, the biggest impact is on work and my social life. I over share and I have major rsd. I blurt in the moment. When doing homework, I would hyper-fixate and not have social troubles. That’s why I did well in school.
Wow, that must have felt deflating. It’s even a little insulting. I wonder how many patients call them as “drug seekers” for them to make that the standard way they answer their phones? I think the term drug seekers is itself insulting and outdated. It’s so much more complicated an issue than “bad person addicts”. As a society, we need to scrap all that and start over with open minds and hearts.
Hi, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I qualify for no state or local assistance since I am not low-income enough.
I would be happy to be able to do some rigorous exercise, or even brisk walking, but I am an amputee and very unsteady. I don't eat enough as it is, but maybe others will benefit from your experience and suggestions. God bless.
Well, I don’t know anything about being an amputee. I’m sorry, I wish I had any advice to help you. There has to be physical therapy, but is it accessible? I can’t imagine how discouraged you must feel. I’m sorry.
It really is discouraging to have a doc that doesn’t work with you or your ideals. My doc didn’t like me trying to up the dose when I didn’t feel any change. She stopped me at half that of many people I’ve asked about the med. no one should have to persuade their doc. I did have better luck when I got a psychiatrist though.
I'm unmedicated for ADHD. I take occasional pain pills because I have developed chronic pain as well as a muscle relaxer I try not to take at all. Lastly, I take some vitamins and try to keep my sugar intake under control. I should extend that to my tea intake but I don't want to.
My son, also diagnosed with adhd, decided not to continue his meds as these were causing him severe depression and sleep disorders. Now that he is not taking any meds, he still has issues but feels better than when he was medicated. He does a lot of exercise (every day about 2 hours), keeps himself busy all the time (he likes his job and enjoys what he does)eats healthy and tries to stay in touch with friends, though not so much with the family . My son doesn’t want to take any meds any more or try new ones. It’s been already four years since he stopped his meds and so far what he does seems to be working better than the meds.
Hi my son is exactly the same. He’s 23 and has tried all gamut of medication, stimulant and non-stimulant. None of which he likes as they make him anxious and affect his appetite, and he feels his personality changes. He loses the essence of himself he feels . He’s tried to persevere but the side effects don’t seem to go away for him. He works in our family business and we see a less excitable more concentrated young man when he’s on the meds but inside he doesn’t feel right. It’s hard going dealing with him at times off the meds but he’s got to be happy and comfortable in his own skin.
I know what he means by changing who he is. Some meds calm our brain and that can be disturbing for some people. I actually want to have that so that I can make a choice to act a certain way rather than “buzzing like a bee” all of the time.
Welcome, and thanks for sharing with us. I’m unmedicated at this time because I’ve changed four times in the last 16 months. I tried one stimulant that my doc had to be persuaded to raise the dose. I learned here that my dose that she stopped at was still half of what others are taking.
Y partner and I both have adhd and he is legally blind. I had to disown and in the process of ppo for my mom and her husband. I’m probably doing the same with my dad in the future too, so our biological support system sucks too. Luckily we have good friends, which we call “chosen family”. If you ever need to vent, I never judge. I hope our comments help you feel less isolated. I think we all feel that way sometimes because neurotypical people definitely treat us differently. I have learned though people are more accepting in some states than others.
Also, we can’t really overcome the disorder. I look at it that we either medicate for being more like others or we learn to accept and praise our differences. I’m learning to be able to do that now for the first time. Zen hugs 🫂
I agree that we can't really overcome this disorder, and I am constantly fighting It--that is, Myself. Also I disagree that taking ADHD meds is trying to be more like others; people suffering want help and the right meds help "soften" the symptoms. I understand we are wired differently and I accept that, but there seem to be few workable options as to what we can do to help ourselves without being able to access the appropriate meds, especially when one is physically impaired and disabled. Things that used to be routine are now a constant challenge, some almost un-doable and with ADHD, extremely frustrating as my symptoms continue to worsen as I age. Thanks for letting me vent.
I disagree with that. Perimenopause definitely was worse, but in menopause I’m much more mellow. My hormones have stabilized. Probably everyone has their own experience though.
Have you tried meditation or DBT/CBT? DBT helped me a lot. ADHD may never go away, but I do think we can control it to some degree. Even a little relief is some relief. I tend to ruminate and have social anxiety and RSD. It’s hard for me to not take things personally. I have outbursts. I’ve lost family and friends because of that. Some of them are better gone. Some of them I miss very much. I can’t take it back; the damage is done. But I keep working on self improvement. I have to pull myself out of the rabbit hole when I start going down it. PTSD is bad too. I came from an abusive home. I wonder how much of that could be a contributor to why I have some of these behaviors. I’m glad I was a better parent to my kids.
The way I look at it is the ptsd mixes with our adhd and stress brings on more adhd symptoms, but are sometimes mitigated or exacerbated with our ptsd symptoms. We would still have adhd but it would be different with the right supports, but it’s not worth pondering about what would have been.its important to ponder about how it affects us and shows.
Oh gosh my everything would have been so much different with the right supports! In the 70s-80s, at least in my world, there was name calling. My parents and grandparents told me all the ways there was something wrong with me. Lazy. Stupid. On and on. The very people who should have been kind, nurturing, help me find my way. It was scapegoat and the shame blame game. I grew up convinced that the world’s problems were my fault. And I carried that load until quite recently. Getting my diagnosis helped me understand who I am and why I have certain behaviors. And that the problems of the world really have nothing to do with me. I can shed the cloak of shame I wore for so long. It helps that they’re all dead now because the committee of nags who lived in my head? Their voices have quieted. I’ve been able to focus on healing my heart. Looking for the good. Building on that. There is peace, and the road to it you have to build for yourself. That is so hard!
Yeah, there was a lot of that for me too. I always worked harder and harder until it broke me. However, my brother was diagnosed at 5 and I wasn’t until 38. Back then it was seen as a discipline issue that only boys get and grow out of. At least that’s how my parents saw it. My parents won’t even acknowledge my diagnoses now. Have the voices quieted are medicated? I would have loved that when I was younger so my anxiety wouldn’t have happened. I tried one med unsuccessfully so far, but hoping to try the gene site test in the near future (after the next calendar year). My parents still try to blame everything on me and use toxic language like “I’m not the bad guy”. I’m done feeling like this and getting PPO and other court things so I can get closure and move on.
hi, I am a 37 year old women, unmedicated. I have been taking “noocube” for 6 months now. It is not medication but a “nootropic” which is understand to be brain vitamins, it’s available on their website and it has changed my life. I am calmer, more focused and my anxiety has decreased. I would recommend trying it. It’s not cheap but they do have good sales occasionally.
I'm medicated at the moment but been reading up and my twin is unmedicated. Vitamins especially vitamin D, calcium and magnesium can help (magnesium with sleep). Check vit B levels too. Protein rich foods help. Avoid as much sugar and carbs as can. Alcohol can make things worse. Caffeine makes my anxiety bad. Bananas (for Serotonin), eggs, nuts (tyrosine for dopamine), spinach, oily fish or omega supplements, healthy fats and lots of veggies are good. lifescapepremier.com/blogs/...
I don't take any medicine for ADHD. There are day when I accomplish a fair bit and days when I don't. As long as I maitain a regular sleeping schedule, do some exercise/walking & meditation, minimize sugar and carb intake, avoid getting in stressful situations, I do better. I don't drink any alcohol but do drink tea. What has helped is learning to not beat myself up if things don't go my way or I fall off my regular schedule or not get anything done. And I resolve to always wake up hopeful.
Morning walks or meditation help me relax and think about/review things without getting lost in details. What is harder is avoiding spending time online once I fall into it. So in a way I need constant vigilance against my old habits! This is easier if I am relaxed and aware of how I need to spend the day, harder if I am stressed out.
Another thing that helps is to be more in touch with my own feelings. If I get impatient and recognize that, I immediately try "empathy" talk (see it from the other person's PoV) as well as check if I need to eat or figure out what else may be going on. And I consciously try to connect with friends. It isn't always easy for the introvert me but the more I talk with my friends, the easier it gets.
There are more coping strategies but the biggest change has been self-compassion & self-awareness.
Thank you for your response. I especially liked resolving to wake up hopeful and acknowledging the fact that you are an introvert trying to reach out to friends, of which I have few, also being self-compassionate. I think I often blurt out things which I later totally regret, among other symptoms. I'm unable to exercise since I'm confined to a wheelchair for most of the day, but whenever I accomplish something, anything, I congratulate myself on that small victory.
New doctor! Ritalin doesn't work for me either. I started DoneAhead telehealth in the US in 2022 and although they're a pain in the butt, it was the virtual setup I needed at the time, home with a newly-weaned (hence treatment could begin) baby and I've been too lazy (or just ADHD) to deal with switching. I am on Adderall and it has made a world of difference for me, allowed me to make leaps forward in my career, and manage being a new parent which was previously overwhelming. Best of luck
My own experiences tells me that if you go outside, do some exercise, and mindfulness technique that you can control your life easier. Also, stay away from the screen as much as you can because screen can give anybody anxiety, and depression. I suggest you do mindfulness, guided meditation, and breathing techniques. It will slow down your body-mind connection, and you will start making more conscious decisions in a day. The most crucial thing is that a person needs to organize daily goals, and I advise my client to use a notebook or an electronic device to make a daily routine.
Please note above responses. BTW, I don't keep notebooks or to-do lists or a list of goals. That doesn't work, at least for me. Instead, I keep a record of what I was able to accomplish that particular day, no matter how small.
Hi Quilter,I'm late diagnosed 39 female currently mostly unmedicated. I have some small dose methylphenidate but I don't really see a difference when I take them and when I did take them regularly I started having worse sleep issues.
What works best for me is just making the right habits and routines. It's incredibly hard for me to keep up any kind of intentional habit/routine but when I can everything feels easier.
I start with what I call bumpers, like, before bed I have to brush my teeth. I had terrible oral hygiene my whole life so every few years I'd have to spend thousands of dollars getting my teeth fixed. So I just got hard on myself and no matter how tired or grumpy or whatever I just couldn't get in bed or go to sleep without making my self brush. From that I added flossing then water picking. I have good days and some times even weeks and months but I still go through phases of struggling to just brush. But my point is to just find a task that has to be done with something you already have to do and use it as a base to start a good habit.
I also found for my anxiety and insomnia just writing or typing out my thoughts, as often as I need really helped. I hated it at first, and I have so many mostly empty and now lost journals, but once I made a habit of it, and was able to get consistent with it, I really saw improvement. I love this website 750words.com to write in.
I also would have a really hard time with perfectionism and not being able to handle breaking my streaks, but giving myself a restart day helps sometimes.
As for everyone telling you to get outside and exercise. I'm sure fresh air and sun as often as possible would help but as you've expressed that's not easy or an option for you, and depending on your mobility, there are some fun wii games that only require one arm to move a few degrees around but will get your heart pumping with the fun of them. Try to think of what you can do and what would be fun even if it's not labeled traditional exercise .
I hope you find what works for you and know that you are not alone, there are many others silently suffering with all of us, in all different ways.
Thank you Crafty, for your post/reply and understanding. I am above-knee amputee and can get outside with my dog using my wheelchair. Also, although very unsteady, I can manage to get to my car for a drive but unable to do my own shopping or grocery shopping because of being unable to get into the store then carry items from my car into the house, but thank heavens there is delivery available.
I will check out 750Words. Sounds like a good idea! Thanks again and best wishes!
I am mostly unmediated, I have an RX for Adderall XR 40 MG daily. I have not taken it until today bc I need to get stuff done and I have felt like I am wasting too much time lately.
Hello. You and others are very fortunate to have stimulant meds and prescriptions. I would be doing so much better if I had medications but my doctor will not prescribe stimulants despite my pleas, and not just for me but for any of her patients.
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. My son doesn’t want to take any meds any more or try new ones. It’s been already four years since he stopped his meds and so far what he does seems to be working better than the meds. 
My first psychiatrist did me dirty
Non-Stimulant Medication with Heart condition
A little insight would be wonderful. I’m new here!
Anyone have experiences about how to heal or help families after late adult diagnosis?
Welp... ADHD, here we go.
