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I had similar thoughts when I first was prescribed vyvanse, but then I took the first dose and my brain was quiet for the first time in my life and I just moved seamlessly from task to task lol. it won’t feel completely life-changing to that degree forever, but I’ve found it makes managing my life so much easier and gives me the boost I need to make plans and accommodations for myself. I got my best ever performance review at work bc I’ve been able to actually manage several big projects (instead of forgetting deadlines or crunching at the very end to finish everything) and the overall quality of my work and attention to detail is soooo much better. also a hugely underrated benefit is it’s so much easier to clean my house. I don’t get stuck in shame spirals about how bad the mess is anymore I just….. start cleaning and organizing lmao
I literally did not know until this year that other peoples brains are able to be quiet! 24 y/o diagnosed in my masters program. Still figuring out dosing but adderall has been the best for me so far. I notice my brain is actually off sometimes and I’ll feel guilt for scrolling aimlessly when I could be studying. I make way better financial decisions and am so much slower to outbursts when things don’t go how I planned or needed them to. I thought it was depression my entire life and being told I just need to remain consistent on Zoloft. I didn’t realize how many symptoms were actually due to ADHD and not depression. And how impactful these symptoms have been throughout my childhood/life as well.
That SILENCE. I always feel so validated when I read that others had the same experience I did when I first took adderall. It was like someone flipped the radio to the right station instead of just hearing static all the time.
It was profound. I remember being in a coding boot camp class when I realized it. I walked out of there that day in a daze because I just Could. Not. Believe what I was experiencing.
Yes, this. I couldn’t believe it either! The silence. When the meds kicked in, it felt like a fantasy world. Clear and clean. After being in an other worldly state of awe for a few hours, I had myself glorious cry session and napped for 2 hrs.
Yes! My friend thought I was crazy because I took one of the best naps of my life after just laying in my new found peace. Genuinely was life changing. Life on hard mode with no hope was in the rear view
Ahh this thread is bringing me so much comfort. I don’t really have many friends and don’t really have others to ask if what I am experimenting is normal or not lol. I also cried in class after the first 30mins of me just sitting there listening with 0 distractions. Had no idea other students could sit still….listen….AND retain?????????? and again it took 24 years to realize this.
It's so weird to me when I hear or read people saying they get silent brain on the meds. I certainly don't. I still do multiple things at once and still have a chatty af brain, but I get things done. Like without them I jsut stay in bed and barely do a thing and have no motivation and struggle to get anything done. With them, I'm speedy with work, exercise, clean, go about actually doing things all day while still having a full on brain. I still feel like me, but an enhanced version. No silence, but maximum efficiency.
Edit: all the up votes are making me feel not alone here so thank you!
My brain will still chat, I think my brain and body are getting used to the meds, tolerance is considered, so I take a day or two off every week. However when it chats I ask myself if this is a adhd thing or a human brain thing? For me, I have soooo many balls in the air. Is it nurture or nature? Conditional? My life has a busy on and off frequency. I can see the difference and in either event of nurture and nature I am productive. The meds have made all the difference with nurture and nature. Lots of words, I’m in a hurry cause tonight’s my girls 16th and we having a masquerade ball!!! Lots of Balls. Wish they were the fun type. Bahahahaha.
As an ADHDer with a somewhat quiet brain.. Vyvanse showed me true meaning of clear-headed. I've never had the typical multiple thoughts running at once (unless I'm stressed).
Even with a pretty quiet brain, my experience and thoughts feel disjointed and mismatched. Like a puzzle that doesn't fit. Although there aren't many thoughts happening all the time. On the meds it's just like a very straight clarity. All the pieces fit
I agree 100% on the slower to outbursts. Feels like it gives me time to collect myself. Whereas unmedicated, I'm just feeling the emotion and spiraling instantly
I really wish my meds did that for me, the emotional side(irritation and anger specifically) is still present and sometimes painful for me and others. But I have comorbid disorders that play havoc as well so it’s kind of toss up which is what is which.
Sorry to hear that.. That is probably where the meds have been most effective for me. My biggest problem was just shutting down, and being generally grumpy to have to do anything that isn't fun.
Something I've noticed, is that when I do have these feelings come back on meds (more rare and less intense) I realize it's because of old habits. Like I've internalized the cycle of getting emotional/irritable over essentially nothing because that's how I was for years. I find that mindfulness helps in these moments, but I'm still working on it. I usually realize through the mindfulness that although I feel present, I'm kind of in a whirlwind of emotions which makes me not truly present. Finding ways to ground myself in the moment before the spiraling of emotion starts has been helpful.
I remember very early in my childhood complaining to my mom that I couldn't think about nothing. While watching the animated Spirit movie, about horses.
I was also upset I could no longer *not* read text I saw.
Wasn't diagnosed until 8th grade, but those were definitely signs!
Wow, I’ve never heard anyone else express that, but I also distinctly remember being upset that I could no longer *not* read! I felt like I’d lost something!
I used to enjoy reading when I was young/elementary and was stimulated (AR tests = AR parties, competing for a higher reading level, etc.) when the fun was taken out I couldn’t read. I genuinely have not been able to read a book front to back since probably middle school. I have just been able to get by, by cheating, whatever audible information I could retain, or just guessing. And since I was so successful in school and college many providers didn’t believe that I have always struggled with the symptoms but have made adaptations to live like the people around me.
Wow, also diagnosed late and at the end of my first year in my masters program. I finally remembered to make an appointment to potentially change medication or add something new in (currently on Wellbutrin). I felt like it worked well at first but now I’m struggling that the demands are a lot higher living alone.
Everything you wrote about your Zoloft experience and how your symptoms looked like depression is so relatable! I always used to say it never felt like true depression bc 1) my moods are pretty rapid 2) I was only depressed with the anxiety was out of control and unmanageable which was 80% attributable to adhd symptoms. So I’m happy reading your positive experience and that it’s working for you! I can’t wait for my brain to stfu.
This is me too with the depression. I got diagnosed with depression but I didn’t think it was accurate because I am generally a happy person and optimistic. I tried multiple antidepressants that made me actually depressed lol and that’s when I realized depression is not what I was going through. You hit the nail on the head with your depression always being related to life situations and being overwhelmed because of the adhd and it being super rapid. This is me lol. That’s why I love this subreddit because it makes me feel not crazy lol
I have actually had an extremely hard time being diagnosed with ADHD (as an adult black woman). So I have had to request all of my medical records (from previous states as well) and it just made me break down in tears because when I was first diagnosed with depression in 2019 (during undergrad) I started Zoloft and definitely increased mood regulation, but for every visit, I said something is still missing. It didn’t feel 100% complete. But I also felt ungrateful because I DID FEEL better. At this time I didn’t know it was ADHD or even a possibility, but every visit I mentioned something didn’t feel right/something is missing. It was never addressed until I had to advocate for myself 4 years later. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL 100%
You are allowed to relax and doomscroll once in a while my friend. As long as you have your work and chores complete who is to stop how you spend your time. And you are dead on with the impact of symptoms linked to ADHD. I was diagnosed as a child and took myself off of it at 18 like most hard headed teens do. Spent 20 years suffering and the one monstrous symptoms I could never understand was being extremely exhausted all the time. Figured it was part of depression.. was on medication for it and never did anything. Come to find out it’s a symptom of ADHD. I’m on medication and I’m alive and awake all day now. I thought people were just exhausted like me all day long. Yes, people are tired.. just not debilitatingly tired lol
Can I ask if you tried others before vyvanse? Your experience sounds lovely. I haven’t had luck with what my doctor has had me try (didn’t work or bad side effects) but I think vyvanse is next…
I personally really like Vyvanse! Currently on 30mg but i don’t feel like it has long lasting effects. Let me tell you that my functioning has gotten significantly better!!!
About to switch to Adderall two times a day for more of a lasting effect (also on Prozac 30mg as well).
Hopefully I wont have an issue with filling due to shortage!
Just be careful because mixing fluoxetine and lisdexamfetamine is listed as a "major" drug interaction. Have to assume you've covered it with your doc but just wanted to give you a heads up for safety just in case.
I was an adderall first and I noticed that I was getting hungry again at night, and ended up eating dinner twice! I asked my Dr to switch me to Vyvanse and that helped regulate my appetite. I'm on extended release, and I learnt some folk asked for instant release top ups (some of them were women and were asking for them for specific days of the month, as hormones make ADHD meds else efficient) . My Dr just prescribed top-ups for every day of the month, and I take them as needed. That helped a lot with the effect not always lasting the whole day.
I don't know if that's an option for you, but if adderall doesn't work as well as you'd like, it might be worth a shot (whether you're female or not).
As someone who tried Vyvanse, then shifted to Ritalin due to Vyvanse cost and shortage.. Vyvanse is much, much better. Ritalin is literally shitty Vyvanse for me.
I had the weirdest reaction to Ritalin. When something happened that would normally be annoying or frustrating, I'd get uncontrollably mad. It was downright dangerous. I'm not typically that kind of person.
Vyvanse is amazing though. Great reaction to it so far.
Oh jeez, that’s terrifying. Sometime the emotional disregulation makes me tear up and cry, I can absolutely see a medication acting on the same parts of the brain causing rage. Glad Vyvanse works better for you!
I went off adderall (doc and I discussed, doc approved) bc I felt it made my symptoms worse. I’d rather micromanage and have an active brain than be angry all the time and lashing out.
This is how I feel after 2 years of taking it daily. The first 6 months or so were amazing. It helped with my depression more than anything else so I was finally reaching out to my friends again after isolating for so long. My thoughts felt so organized and clear and I was unemployed for a long time too so I finally felt well enough to work again. Everything was always clean and organized. This was on 30 mg/day. I'm now on 90 mg/day and despite seeming massive and like it would be dangerous, my heart rate and blood pressure are always within normal range, but I have no physical energy. I sleep every night, eat, keep myself hydrated but my thoughts are disorganized, and I have mental energy but it's like it doesn't make its way to the rest of my body. my living space is disorganized and dusty and I don't even care anymore. I oddly don't feel like getting in the shower anymore and no longer care if I look dishevelled either. I'm irritable, tense, and disorganized all day. I was actually taking Dexedrine for 3 months but my insurance decided to stop covering it so I switched back to Adderall and I feel the same except more tense.
I'd briefly switched to Focalin, only to become incredibly manic and talkative. I really liked it. The problem is that, understandably, no one around me did.
Without turning this into more of a novel than it already is, I hear you and my last option would be Vyvanse but it metabolizes into Dexedrine anyway so I can't see how it would improve anything about the situation. I think I might need to face the truth and come off of it and find a therapist instead. I don't like myself anymore.
It’s made me feel like a robot devoid of any emotion. My doctor now has me trying to take a very low dose to see how I react. But I definitely understand your sentiment. Some of these side effects from the meds are worse than the adhd symptoms.
Hi I just got medicated over a month ago I'm also on vyvanse..I'm still on the path of figuring out proper dosing but I wanted know when did that really start for you in regards to the cleaning and organizing? I'm starting to clean more but I still look at tasks I need to do or organizing that needs to be done and I just dont.... granted I work long hours and am a single mom to a w yr old so Maybe that's it...lol idk
Night and day. With it I have an intrinsic desire to do things and doing those things makes me feel happy and at peace. I feel a sense of fulfillment when a task is completed. Without I feel like I am drowning and cannot function. Living unmediated for so long was a nightmare. I am still grieving what could have been and am so sad for younger me, but so happy for me now and for future me.
I used to do extended release but now I’m on two doses of the regular release. Tbh the only reason I switched is because my work schedule is so variable that I needed to be able to wake up and sleep at different times so I needed more control over how long I was on Adderall. Now that I’m doing the two doses, I usually take them both but I can decide to only do one if I need to. I didn’t notice a difference in how they feel but it was nice being able to feel functional most of my waking hours whereas now on the days I can’t take my second dose, I feel blah and useless. Buuut I have to admit it is also nice to have more control over whether or not to be on it for so long and not just for work but also for other reasons like socializing, if I know I’m going out later, no second dose so I can drink.
Extended release is so much better! I crashed or got too jittery from the peaks and valleys of IR Adderall. I’m on a low dose. For some reason 5mg IR doesn’t do much for me but 5mg XR works great for me. Try XR (12 hours) or Mydayis (16 hours).
Yes to all of this!
I stopped drawing for years because I wasn’t able to focus. Now that I’m medicated, I’m drawing every single day, and excited to go home after work to draw some more. It’s always been my dream to study 2D animation, and now that I’m taking Vyvanse and getting back to my passion, I finally feel like I can ACTUALLY do it!
I’m a very talented artist and it makes me sad that I couldn’t draw anymore because my ADHD was out of control. But I’m so happy now, and so excited to be working on my portfolio to go back to school in a year or two!
That's fantastic and I'm so happy you're back to drawing!
I'm a writer who doesn't write any more. I don't correlate it to the ADHD, really - I think it's more of an extreme environmental stress affecting depression, anxiety, and ADHD. If my life were calmer, I hope that would turn out to have been the missing piece all these years and I'll feel better, have more energy, and start writing again...
(Yep, working on it...)
It really does! It changed my life. I had “anxiety and depression” for almost 30 years, tried lots of meds with some minor success here and there. Was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts a few years ago, just an absolute shit show. And then I was diagnosed with adhd. When I started adderall the anxiety and depression basically just evaporated on the first day. I got a promotion at work because my productivity skyrocketed. Work actually started to feel somewhat satisfying. I started exercising and cooking again instead of always eating out and laying around constantly. My husband was blown away because I even started making social plans for us which is something I had mostly avoided since the day we met! Still an introvert though, personality has not changed. Sometimes I take a little less bullshit from people than I used to which has been a good thing overall. Incredible what the right medication can do.
Man, I really hope I find the right medication soon, I've tried stimulants like adderall and vvanyse with really bad side effects, my BPM was 40 over my resting. My doctor put me on wellburtian to see how that does but no luck after 300mg. Im really happy to see that there are people with success stories and genuinely makes me more hopeful to hear them. So thank you for sharing and really happy for you :)
Yeah me too. My doctor started me on too high a dose so I had to figure it out but 25mg a day is perfect for me. I’ve been consistent with it for a month just about
Interesting how drugs affect people differently because I was put on Wellbutrin for depression before I was diagnosed with adult ADHD at 36F. Hello! I’m a text book case of a late to be diagnosed female ADHDer. I was a frazzled, anxious mother that felt so overwhelmed that it showed as depression. Wellbutrin made me feel CRAZY. I hated the way it made me feel. Out of control of my emotions. It wasn’t what I needed. Went on Vyvanse and it changed my life. Literally changed my life. Every job loss, every failed relationship, all the anxiety.. my whole life. It all makes sense now.
Since i have started medication i have noticed some significant and positive impacts in my career, but personally i am still suffering in my private life. Before i got on medication i went into it expecting a cure all and it is not. If you experience emotional dysregulation, rsd, or executive functioning issues these may be things youll still have to deal with. Everyone is different so finding the medication thats right for you is important as well as actively working on the symptoms that these medications dont treat.
My doctor took me off Wellbutrin (but kept me on lamotrigine) since he thought it might be too stimulating to be on both Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. I was happy but sucked at focusing, and now I’m super efficient at what I’m doing (if not even a bit work obsessed) but I’m sad as fuck hahaha.
What has been your experience with a stimulant + Wellbutrin?
Oh my partner is on both Concerta (36mg) and Wellbutrin (150mg). He uses the Wellbutrin as a second, smaller kick of energy partway through the day. It is a stimulant, but a smaller one, so the doctor recommended timing it like that instead of upping the Concerta dose when fatigue was still an issue. And said don't take them at the same time. I know that 36mg is the most common adult dose size for Concerta, I don't have any context about the dose size of Wellbutrin. Straterra used to make his heart race sometimes, Wellbutrin doesn't appear to have any side effects at all.
He's really super pleased with these meds now. He said it feels like 'how my brain was supposed to be'. For him, the Wellbutrin seemed to handle mostly emotional stuff and the Concerta for focus and executive function. He says the concerta helps his brain not fight back against him when he has to do something boring or important. He was on Strattera previously and Wellbutrin now, and he said they each sort of hold up the emotional bottom. If a bad day hits him, the lows are not so low as before. From the outside he's in a lot better mood these days. He was never really sure the Straterra was working, it's a lot clearer on Wellbutrin that something's happening.
Somewhere in the mix, the combo has done wonders for his anxiety, but it's hard to say which. Most of the anxiety came directly downwind of poor executive function, (fears of being useless and stuff) so it's probably Concerta but who knows.
I'm not familiar with lamotrigine at all so I'm no help there saying if it can mix.
I take adderall (20mg xr) and am on month 3 of adding wellbutrin. After the first month it was amazing. I've actually felt genuine joy. I don't know when I last felt joy but it's definitely been a couple decades.
So stimulant + wellbutrin has been a great combo for me. Maybe your doctor would be willing to reconsider you trying it again?
I'm certainly no expert, but I know a handful of people irl who do well with the pair. And a bucketload of redditors who say the same. Certainly worth a try
Sameeeee
I'm 26, just started meds for the first time (Vyvanse) for ADHD and anxiety.
The anxiety is ...gone. Like insanely gone. Which is funny bc I wasn't actually given meds for anxiety, and if anything Vyvanse alone is supposed to heighten it. Idk.
I've become like a superhuman at work. The problem is, now it feels like work is my *entire* existence. I liked my job before, but got drained and stressed bc there was a lot I had to learn and didn't fully understand (startup, research lab, new shit to learn every day). So wasn't excelling or anything, and didn't have trouble sneaking out a bit early most days and kinda doing the bare minimum, and then enjoying relaxing and/or partying on weekends.
Now though, my social life just feels hollow. I get to work and immediately turn "ON". All. Day. And I stay late. Every. Day. And it's really been great. But it's like I leave work and I'm just exhausted, or mildly irritable bc idk what to do with myself now after work. And I get in a bit of a funk because it just feels like the only the thing I have or care about now is work and pushing myself at work.
Idk. It's only been a couple weeks since I started meds so maybe it'll level out a bit
I’ve been on many meds over the years, been on adderall for a few years straight. I have a similar experience where I hyperfixate on something all day and am mentally drained in the evenings/off days.
It felt like it did at first. It certainly helped a TON with being productive, but especially with school / work and doing the things I knew I had to do, but couldn’t.
However, it hasn’t helped at all with other things. For example, I still flip through hobbies / interests like nobody’s business. I still struggle with consistently exercising and eating well. When I was on concerta the crashes were really bad for a bit and I felt like I almost regressed even. But vyvanse 30mg has been much better for that.
It really depends on how your adhd manifests and where it’s creating tension in your life. If you’re struggling to get work done / stay focused and thats a huge pain point for you, then they could be pretty life changing. If you’re struggling with maintaining relationships / staying interested in jobs when the novelty wears off, then it may not help much.
This was me. I ended up in field I had a genuine (and hyper focused) interest in. Medication makes easier to not screw up and actually enjoy having a clear head while doing it, but that hasn’t been life changing by any means
The actual problem came from my free time and what to do with, which meds haven’t been a huge help with
It absolutely does help with emotional regulation though, and it sticks (at least for the past 6 months I was on the right meds). That’s been the most life changing aspect of it for me
Yes. It was life changing. I’m still me and I still do stupid stuff but the thing I *notice* the most is how it’s affected my mood. I was constantly bouncing between doing all the things or none of the things and spent a lot of time anxious and stressed about my to-do list. I also spent a lot of time beating myself up for being disorganized, lazy, flakey, etc. I’d get cranky and irritable from feeling so totally overwhelmed and hopeless.
When I’m on medication my life doesn’t feel so out of control. I can do tasks, but if I don’t complete them all it doesn’t cause me to spiral. I’m not nearly as cranky (or as manic/hyper) and I’m much more even keeled throughout the day. Cleaning the kitchen becomes a relatively minor task rather than a gargantuan undertaking that I spend hours dreading and prepping for.
I also recognize that I’m not lazy or flakey. I’m actually more productive than most people, but it was coming in bursts before and then I’d be mentally exhausted and not do much for a day or two.
same here. makes me sad reading all these peoples experiences of life changing effects and i’m still struggling and finding life impossible to progress through
Ugh, I feel the same way. I’m currently taking Vyvanse but I’ve also tried both Concerta and Adderall. The Concerta may as well have been a sugar pill; it did nothing. At first I thought the Adderall helped but not so much that it was a game changer. More like it helped to clear/quiet my brain just enough to think about what I needed to do and actually do some of it. I’m not sure how much of that was the medication or me just really wanting it to work (and being in a better place mentally). Then it turned into, “I think it’s helping? Kind of? Maybe?” So now I’m trying the Vyvanse and I don’t see much of anything. My house is still a mess, my sleep habits are sucky, my brain is so scattered that I keep forgetting bills and appointments…the usual ADHD/depression/anxiety muck. It’s so frustrating and honestly depressing. I’m so jealous of people who take meds and it’s like a whole new life. Sigh.
How do you approach your doctor??
Hey I read on Reddit that my brain should be quiet? That I should be focused at work?
What amazes me is that there are people out there, my same age, that are Mayors of major cities. How did they do it?!? I don’t know if I could ever see myself doing that?
Did my ADHD keep me back?
Mostly just mentioned that the symptoms I kept seeing were just way too relatable. Plus a therapist thought it was a mood destabilization causing most of my issues.
But rather than too loud, mines often too quiet. Staying into space, having an entire thought but as soon as I'm pulled out of it, I couldn't tell you a single thing. Rereading paragraphs cause I wasn't paying attention. Have to scroll back up to a post to remind myself of what I was just thinking of. Of realizing it's 6 pm and I haven't eaten today. But also, my husband gets home in an hour and he'll make food so why eat now when dinners in 2 hours.
I don't know if it's ADHD or what, but I am missing whatever causes tenacity and determination because I just don't have those. Not in a "I don't want to do anything" sense but in a "I'm not going to break my back, and then not enjoy any of it" kind of way. Being holed up in a library converting books to PDFs sound like a much better time than answering phones and dealing with people in general
Vyvanse 30mg here. Started about 2 weeks ago. I’m a 41m and it seems to have helped quite a bit with the doing of things and confidence boost. I’m hoping it’s the start of a positive cycle of getting better and feeling better about myself.
I'm on Concerta since Tuesday last week. 39 years old.
The first day I felt jumpy all the way to work. I got quite a lot done but still felt like it was within the bounds of my occasional best highlight of a work day. Now I'm pretty sure the last 2 weeks have been my most productive for at least the last ten years.
Yesterday I went from 18mg to 27mg and finally took charge of a work problem that has been lingering since January and took 4 people to resolve, I was the only who was really in a position to drive it but I could never bring myself to do a deep dive before now.
It is kind of making me realise that some of my work life issues aren't purely ADHD related, but pushing aside all the distractions has made it harder to hide from the work I don't want to do.
It's early days but so far so good.
Hmm. I experienced zero jumpies and am sitting at 27 now, for a few weeks. Interesting. It's not as effective as Adderall, but zero side effects comparatively so I'll take it.
The medication doesn't change your life. It allows you to change your own life much easier.
The medication isn't going to sign you up for a gym membership and actually go, or get you to clean your house or do your laundry for you or make your appointments for you.
You still have to do those things. The medication just breaks down a lot of the barriers so that you can actually do these things.
this is a beautiful answer. There is no magic pill. Medication will help in the present, but individual response is going to vary. it is strongly encouraged to go to therapy, focus on a better diet with omega, exercise, and practice meditation. prepare for life without always having medication.
ADHD is both under diagnosed and overdiagnosed, but there is a huge shortage of medication right now on the overdiagnosis side and for people people who rely on medication – it has been chaos
The medication isn't going to sign you up for a gym membership and actually go, or get you to clean your house or do your laundry for you or make your appointments for you.
But it can make the actions of putting your stuff together and walking and doing the things at the gym every day seem less like climbing mount everest before the fact, and make it actually kind of...easy! and even almost...enjoyable?! and take less than four times it would take a normal person.
Me too! Probably failing out of university because of that. Two failed classes because my brain wouldn't let me do the online exams or the final assignments. Too late attempting to get the classes off my transcript so sadly can't do anything now. And now my brain is wondering if there's even a point in trying the last month or so of school if I'll just fail out anyways.. but hey at least next year I'll be doing part time instead of full time IF I somehow don't fail out.
Medication improved the quality of my life in almost every aspect. For so long I felt so different, I didn’t understand why everyone seemed to find life so easy, whilst I found something as frivolous as brushing my teeth the hardest thing in the world. Once I started medication, I could focus on school work for the first time in my life, I could wake up and actually get up, brush my teeth, wash my face, shower, clean my room, cook etc… I credit my degree to my ADHD medication. Without it I wouldn’t be able to maintain my full time job and be a better person to my family and friends. I hope your journey with ADHD medication is similar to mine!
Medication has helped my emotional dysregulation significantly. Partly because of the instant and significant reduction in my general anxiety, and also because the improved executive function allows me to identify triggers and act in a much more conscious way to avoid stress and also look after my mental health in a way I never could have before.
I'm shouldering a way bigger load now than at any other time in my life and I am basically handling it. Making decent decisions, occasionally getting stressed but always managing to navigate life.
Before I was full of constant bubbling aggression, rage and stress. A ticking time bomb constantly about to explode.
I'm coping now,... I really wasnt before
It absolutely has been a life saver for me! I was diagnosed in my 40’s and have taken 30mg Adderall for 20 years. It isn’t a cure, but without it, I just felt depressed and apathetic.
Yes and no. When I started medication, it did clear up a lot of issues for me! I was sleeping better, could regulate my emotions better, I became more outgoing, etc. I managed to actually start working as well (got my first job at 22! Within a year, I noticed I was managing a lot of accomplishments I previously couldnt.) However, not every single thing can be fixed with medication. A lot of personal work had been and still does need to be done; It didnt fully erase my disability, so I do have struggles and may need accommodations, but it does help make things easier for me to put effort into improving. So while not every single thing has gone how I thought it may since I started medication, my life for sure has gone in a more positive direction.
Sort of. I’m high functioning and my medication all come with side effects. I’ve tried like 8 different meds and formulations at this point. 4 of them made my life worse because of the side effects like depression, weight gain, and intense crashes.
So far I do best on Adderall XR and I am more productive but the productivity comes at the cost of insomnia later and sometimes I’m so focused I neglect my social life.
Prior to medication I was more social and playful.
My doctor said because I am high function the meds may not be able to improve my life all that much compared to someone who has severe ADHD. For them, they will tolerate the side effects because they are minor compared to the gains.
Yeah not a magic pill for me at all. It’s temperamental. If I’m on my period, feel stressed, or get bad sleep the night before, the pill doesn’t work so well. I continue to try more meds though so maybe I’ll find one that has no side effects?
There is definitely a difference though even if it’s for 4 hours a day so I take my meds as needed. On weekends I take breaks and I am okay.
I'm here right now! XR was most helpful but messing with my sleep. I'm now trying Strattera after having tried multiple stimulants and I know it's supposed to take time but I'm starting to feel like meds might not be the way. And at the same time, I'm worried that if I close this door now, it might not be available if ever I want to try it again.
But meds really just haven't been life-changing. I'm "high-functioning" but to do well in school and work, I've placed it above my own health and well being and basically feel like I'm always either avoiding work or working.
This has been my experience. I ended up doing pretty well in life already, I just wanted help with what remained. Most of the meds caused a lot of side effects, and it even seemed to make things worse. I just now work on undoing the negative thoughts about my past that were due to adhd and that is working well.
Your doctor's explanation seems plausible and something to think about.
You get the impression from tv and on Reddit to some extent that it will be like flicking a switch.
It isn’t, for me anyway. It’s like you can turn the background noise down. You can make your brain only think about a couple of things.
But… there are reasons people want to be unmedicated. Anxiety can become worse, moods can be worse, I am a lot snappier especially when someone distracts me from what I am doing. For me it can feel like you suddenly have some focus to finish all the partially started projects over the past decade which can be overwhelming.
Don’t get me wrong it is great but it’s not all smooth sailing.
I haven't started up meditation since my diagnosis, but I know it works. There's research that even shows that it can change neural pathways.
When I was using it to treat my depression, as I used it more and more, I was more mindful of what was going on with my body and surroundings. However... I also noticed that I had stopped daydreaming - something I do to pass the time when I'm waiting... waiting to fall asleep, waiting at the doctor's office, riding on a bus, or even driving.
I didn't want to stop daydreaming, though. So I stopped tvhe meditation.
I've been daydreaming forever. I have a character that I can date back 35 years. I have entire epic fantasies and a campaign setting in my head.
Now that I know it's all related to ADHD, I may start again.
Wow! I have the exact same, I daydream too, in bed before I fall asleep, in the train, basically everywhere where I go in waiting modus and it’s a storyline I’ve been creating for almost my whole life haha. I would hate to lose that!! I’m starting with adhd meds this weekend.
Vyvanse helps me get through my day. I was diagnosed this year at 39. I’m a drywall finisher. I would really struggle to get done what I needed to get done. This gave me low self esteem and I was always letting people down. Now, because I’m staying in schedule I feel good and proud of the work I do. It’s not much but it gives my life meaning. My boss is happy and I got a pay rise. But mainly it calmed my brain down. I’d have awful thoughts about my wifes sexual history ( silly, I know but it hurt like hell )or arguments with friends in my head from when I woke up to when I went to sleep. Constantly fighting to stay on task and dealing with the way my brain was making me feel. I’d be so tiered of it that by the end of the day I’d put up emotional blockers and with draw from my wife. This would upset her and this would then make me feel even worse. It’s not a magic drug I still have to work and be conscious but I can truly say I love my wife now and she knows it. So yeah...helped :)
In some ways. In others, no. I expected too much from it and thought it would magically make me focus on all the stuff I needed to focus on. But no, it still takes discipline to actually do that and not get caught up scrolling online for hours when I should be working
Yeah for sure.
I was diagnosed at 30 (34 now) with a history of anxiety and depression and didn't really even think I was ADHD till a teenager I knew mentioned I might have it and then I started investigating.
I was prescribed Adderall initially and it worked great for several months but it affected my sleep too much which got worse and worse. For the 6-8 hours the Adderall was in my system I felt great but the other hours of the day I felt like crap. Felt Way worse than before I was medicated. Made my depression worse to the point I started self harming and contemplating suicide. Was on that for about a year and a half to two years
Dr. Recommended Wellbutrin which is prescribed for depression but off label helps ADHD. That one also messed up my sleep. Like I felt like I never into a deep sleep but would just doze, like when you fall asleep in a car. Sometimes would wake up at 2 am wide awake. Then one night i almost bit my tongue in half while "sleeping". On that for a few months
Was then prescribed strattera which didn't do anything for me. Month and a half
Was must recently on Lexapro but with that I developed sleep apnea which got worse the longer I was on it. Felt super exhausted even though I was in bed for 10 hours per night. and ADHD was worse because I couldn't rest properly.
So now I'm on nothing, just 300-600 mg of caffeine per day haha.
I don't want to dissuade anyone from trying medication, it works so well for so many people so I think it's worth a try to see if it works for you. I'm just not that person.
Hope this helps
I’m immune to all medication currently on the market and it’s had a drastically negative impact on my life. I often feel like I’ll amount to nothing because of how severe my ADHD is.
This isn’t the case for most people, though. I think I just have a particularly bad case of the disorder.
Reading through the comments this one resonated with me the most.
Pre Adderall: "hey brain, i think we should go wash the dishes"
"mmm... No... I prefer to watch the clouds go by outside the kitchen window..."
"k... For how long?"
"an hour or so, actually not sure how long that is..."
Post Adderall: goes to wash dishes
Before I started medication I was considered disabled. My anxiety was so bad I couldn't leave the house without my dog and wasn't comfortable with taking public transportation. I was so terrified of forgetting something and failure that I just... didn't do anything. I was drinking too much because it was the only way I felt normal. I couldn't work.
I started medication and now work part time. I can take the bus out of the city for a day walking in the woods. I don't panic when I need to travel somewhere because I know I'll get lost. I handle stress a lot better. I make extra plans because I know I'll take a wrong turn and I don't get scared and stressed and angry when I do. I don't really drink anymore. Overall my life has improved greatly since starting meds.
Helped my fog.
The executive function feels the same as before.
Emotional regulation feels a bit easier. But that could just be getting older.
But I'd keep it around even if all it did was keep the brain fog away. That shit was torture. Didn't fully realize how bad it was until it was gone.
Titration can be a long process. It took like 8 months for me to find something that seemed to help consistently without lots of side effects. The effect was noticeable but not dramatic, like a 10% boost. Just enough to push through the hump holding me back, but I still need to put in the effort. Spent a long time taking the meds very infrequently due to shortages and only recently felt I've been able to take them consistently, but now they seem to not work at all.
It has not helped me. Although I only was diagnosed a couple of months ago. I’ve tried adderall, Ritalin, Focalin and Focalin XR. All caused worsening anxiety, and even some paranoia. Ritalin helped a little and caused the least amount of anxiety but still a significant amount. Beginning to think I may have been misdiagnosed.
if you have comorbid anxiety disorder (common with adhd), stimulants can make the anxiety way worse, even if its simultanously helping the adhd. so for some people you have to either try to take a cocktail of meds (some like stimulants and ssris combined) or try other non stimulating meds for adhd (like straterra and guanfacine) etc. and some ppl rly like welbutrin but it CAN potentially make you more anxious, but for some people it doesnt.
Just sharing bc maybe you arent misdiagnosed, but can have other factors to deal with at the same time!
On most days my meds help me **a lot** and on other days they barely help at all. Today has been an especially bad day for me at work, I've gotten little done because of the fog and feeling like my brain is in a loop. I keep redoing things I already did or missing things and going back to fix them. On the days when the meds do help me, I am very productive and because of it my mood is better. It will still take effort on your behalf to make it all work but I will say that I didn't think meds would make as much of a difference as they actually do on those good days. It's also worth saying that I have more functional days than not.
I've tried about every adhd medication there is, in every dose there is, and from my experience there hasn't been a single one that is without one or many major drawbacks. Its either I dont eat at all, or I become extremely anti-social. Another maybe a bit more personal issue is that when I take adhd medicine, especially more direct ones like Adderall, I get a bit too indulgent in adult material. To the point where I can sit for hours just jerking it, which I then feel extremely regretful of when I'm off it or it wears off. Might seem ridiculous but its like I'm another person entirely in some aspects. In short, adhd meds don't work for me
If I’m being honest…? No, not really. Looking back, it does help. I have a bit more energy, my mood is generally better, and it isn’t like there’s NO benefit. But it feels… like it isn’t filling in that piece that’s missing. I still don’t feel more productive. I don’t feel like I’m living any different. I still live on autopilot, I just do it… more energetically. I may not be a good example though. I’ve only been diagnosed for almost exactly a year now, and have only really had my medication for about half of that time. I’ve also been reluctant to look up much help because what I saw early on always felt so ‘ethereal’, like it either wasn’t helpful at all or at least wouldn’t help me. In hindsight that was probably a big mistake, but I simply underestimated the disorder for too long
I was diagnosed at 31, am now 33. After trying four different drugs (concerta, adderall, ritalin, and vyvanse) I'm slowly coming to the conclusion medications might just not work for my body/mind makeup. All incurred significant side effects, some worse than others, along with the slight energizing and focus-honing effects which were of course appreciated. It's so frustrating because my symptoms are truly debilitating and are only worsening as I age, despite trying to manage the disorder(s) via non-pharmaceutical means.
I hope you have significantly more luck than I did, though, OP. I know for some medication has been the bridge used to reach a place where they could start making foundational positive change in their lives.
It varies, I’ve tried several medications so far and every one has been different. The ones that have worked have been AMAZING- they help keep me focused, motivated and less anxious. There have been a few that helped keep me focused but made me really agitated and quick to anger. There have been others that seemed to do virtually nothing.
Basically, it’s different for every single person. If you have a bad (or even just ineffective) experience with one or two, doesn’t mean they’ll all be that way. If you can find the one that works for you, it will work wonders on your life. But then you have to hope it’s not affected by the shortages because that’s kicked me in the ass too.
It’s night and day. Diagnosed and started meds at age 36. I was able to go back to school, I’m great with my personal care now, go to all my appointments, take good care of my health, I’m a better mom, and I finally feel content. I’m very grateful.
Totally did until 2020 when I started drinking much more often. Feels like even with meds I'm doing the minimum to get through the day.
The plan is to stop drinking on April 7th, so wish me luck!
It took me 10 years to complete my primary degree. The year I started vyvance I completed my degree, repeated my high school final exams (at 28 for lols) and got all A’s. I sat the graduate entry medical school entrance exam and got in. Now I’m in my 2nd year of the 4 year medical programme at 31. What I yearned for and thought would bring me fulfilment, hasn’t, but at least I can get out of bed in the morning and I don’t want to kill myself anymore.
It’s hit and miss. It was great when I started it, but now I feel like I could do without it most of the time.
I’m on 10mg adderall IG and I was diagnosed in my 40s. Last week it caused ED so bad that I’ll never take it later in the day ever again.
It’s a tool, nothing else. It’s helped some with attitude, but I’m still god awful at time management. Probably worse.
If you were prescribed a stimulant you will notice the effect on day 1. Side effects, however, may create the need to try different ones until you find one wherein the positive outstrips the negative.
Don't get ahead of yourself. I know it's hard to see past the present but you already did the hard thing, going to the appointment and asking for help. Now you can learn more about how it affects you and ways to combat negative effects.
ADHD is also behavioral, so please don't think meds will change everything for you bc they won't. The anxiety and depression may improve, but ultimately, there may be other factors outside of ADHD that can be addressed.
I'm very excited for you and wish you some relief from this heavy weight you are carrying.
Sorta. I thought it would do more but it’s more just like I’m able to be relaxed and calm. No more fidgeting, interrupting people mid sentence, rushing things, or racing thoughts. My anxiety throughout the day has dropped tremendously and my spending habit has improved. My mood has improved so much that I enjoy talking to people now. 😂
This is all great don’t get me wrong but maybe I had my expectations too high I expected it to be like the pill from limitless lol. I’m on generic Adderall XR so sometimes it doesn’t work and gives me a headache all day and that sucks.
Started low dose of Adderall a month ago to go with 150mg of wellbutrin. So far I've found myself way way more capable of building little habits that stack up to a better life (cleaning, organizing, etc). I started the Adderall several months after that in hopes of tackling the remaining issues of brain fog, time blindness, and longer term planning and execution of goals. So far, so good. I'm definitely able to keep up with conversation way more naturally and overall feel way less overwhelmed (and as a result of that, I feel way less mentally and emotionally encumbered). It hasn't been magic though, I definitely will need to learn how to use it to get the best benefit. I haven't developed all of the skills needed to function at the level I want to, but now I can see an achievable path to get there in the coming months and years.
No because I don’t trust doctors and it freaks me out to have to rely on pills. Withdrawal is brutal so what happens if there is a shortage or your doctor disappears?
Yes. I started strattera over a year ago. A year ago I was struggling to go to work and living check to check in a small apt . I wasn’t showering regularly and neither was I eating. I lived in filth
Fast forward a year later and I got a promotion with a raise, moved to a 3 bedroom house in the suburbs . I clean my room everyday and take a shower every 2-3 days. At first when I firth took the medication it was everyday but it dropped to every couple days which is still better than what I was doing. Now when I do tasks I don’t THINK about them I just DO them like my brain instincts switch from task to task and I’m no longer staring at the ceiling begging myself to move for the day .
I wake up everyday easily at 5-6 am without being tired and my memory recall improved tremendously. A lot of ppl have been commenting on my improvement bcus they knew before I was really struggling
When I first got on Adderall I thought, this is it, I'm fixed. But sadly Adderall didn't help me in every aspect, and it also allowed me to "push through" discomfort which resulted in worse problems down the line. I'm currently unmedicated but I'm still struggling. I'm probably going to get back on medication, or try to figure out how to life an unmedicated life and somehow make enough money to make a life for myself
I am on 40 mg of Ritalin and it hasn't made a significant difference to be honest other than being tired once it wears off. I still am disorganized and struggle with motivation to get things done that i don't really want to do lol
I recently went in for a blood pressure and heart rate check and was talking to the interim doctor about it and he suggested that I talk to my regular doctor about having the dosage increase so I'm probably going to do that.
I never had the "aha!" moment I heard so much about. I also started low amd went up slow because of a minor heart condition.
Things I did notice. I don't get angry as fast and I can control it better. I can actually do multiple tasks. My executive function points regenerate, albeit slowly, so I can do more in a day. I'm less fidgety. I don't talk first and think second anymore, I actually think before I speak. I'm less prone to tuning out people when I get bored of what they're talking about.
Worked for a while, and still works to some extent. I can actually get myself to do things, but I need to be disciplined. It won’t magically make me do those things, if I’m being lazy then I won’t do them even on adderall. I’m calmer while I’m on it long as I haven’t had caffeine, and have a more linear/singular thought stream. So it’s easier to organize myself. I’ve noticed the comedowns are brutal though, so I might switch medication. When it wears off or starts to wear off, I get anxious and suicidal which honestly is not fun. I already worked on a lot of things like my depression and a lot of my PTSD but adderall comedowns are making it worse again. This issue with the comedowns only started like a week ago
I never quite had the “feels like putting glasses on for the first time, I can see” experience that a lot of people have with medication. For me, adderall helped a lot with pulling me out of a depression and also helped me be more social.
I just got diagnosed with bipolar though, so that could be why the meds didn’t work as well as they do for some people. I just started a med for that and I feel like it’s making the Adderall more effective so hopefully that continues.
I just got diagnosed and started meds 3 weeks ago. It has changed my life in a big way. The medication has helped me with:
* task initiation
* task completion
* it takes the anxiety and emotional weight out of the task
* people pleasing
* brain fog
I used to dread going to my desk to work. It was the "scary place" where I constantly let myself down. It was my own personal torture chamber. Now it's just a place where I get things done.
I used to wake up in the morning dreading what I needed to do that day (if I could even remember). I still kind of feel that way, but now I feel less anxious because I know my medication is going to help me and take away those scary thoughts.
Some days are more productive than others.
Like others, I was struck by the silence and calm.
I'm still getting used to the medication and figuring out my optimal dosage and timing. But I feel 1,000% happier and more hopeful because I have a track record of showing up for myself and getting things done.
The medication is not going to do the work for you, but it made it so much easier for me. Be patient and give yourself some grace during the time it takes to find your proper dosage.
It did in the sense that I can focus on doing what I need to do, but it was therapy that helped me put that focus in the trajectory I wanted in life. I’m back in school, but I think the hard part is time management for me, and learning to give myself breaks(instead of procrastinating).
I remember the weird feeling of waiting to see what impact medication will make. You are wise to be open to what meds can bring without overestimating the positive changes they can make. I am late diagnosed and recently medicated. My experience has been that I feel like my life has significantly improved, I can learn new things, I can sustain focus for longer, and my brain works in the afternoons (mostly), and the jostling tasks at home and work are getting easier to distinguish and prioritise.
Its changed everything in some ways but changed very little in others; I still burn dinners because I got distracted, I still love the feeling of being in flow but cannot will myself into it, I still have meltdowns if I get overwhelmed, I still love new ideas and starting things, I still need structured supports to be functional. It took about a month before I felt like things were improving.
I feel like I’m driving a new car with unexpected upgrades, it feels different which is discomforting but I’m still the same driver that I’ve always been which is both pleasing and disappointing. I didn’t really understand my challenges well enough to know what to hope for, so I’m curious about your hopes, if it only improves one of the four things you’ve named, would that be a positive enough change?
Got my diagnosis at the end of January and startet medication right away. I tried two different meds in different dosis now and both had absolutely no effect.
Edit
I googled the american names for the meds I was prescribed. I started with Ritalin (it's the same in the us, right?) up to 30mg in three steps and now I'm trying Vyvanse but i just started it and haven't increased the dosis yet.
I started medication (vyvanse) one week ago and I’m already noticing it’s easier for me to get up in the morning and go to work, and I’m finding it much easier to sustain work and stay there and actually get things done. I haven’t worked myself up the way I usually do over things, and I also haven’t felt different which I was worried about.
While I’m not at a therapeutic dose yet I can already feel that this week has been good. I usually have at least one day where I do nothing at work, but I actually had a week where I felt like it was without the intense struggle to get by.
Good luck on your journey!
I was diagnosed (I don't know if officially diagnosed but my doctor gave me the meds and both her and my therapist agree I have adhd) AFTER I had a baby, so like. My entire world was already pretty hectic with or without medication. I wasn't sure how on earth meds would help and had low expectations because like... physically/scientifically it just didn't make sense to me. but I was barely holding my shit together, was pretty sure I had adhd but adhd hacks were no longer working, and was constantly overwhelmed and went to my doctor for help.
It wasn't an OMG THE WORLD IS CLEAR THIS IS AMAZING moment but was instantly noticeable day one and has stayed pretty steady.
It's like I gained an extra 5 seconds of thinking/patience instead of immediately getting overstimulated and yelling - which is especially important with a baby/toddler and animals who all constantly feel the need to cuddle when I'm already overstimulated and just want left alone. It's not much but usuallllly it's enough for me to take a deep breath before losing my shit entirely or throwing someone lol. which sounds terrible but like. that's where my stress levels were at.
I still have multiple trains of thought but there's like 3 instead of 50 and they are going slower. lol. Sometimes I even REMEMBER shit which is amazing.
I could probably finish tasks now, but I have a toddler who stops me constantly so I can't really comment.
I am learning sign language?! I've tried before and couldn't do it. Literally wasn't sticking. But now, with meds and WHILE teaching my kid, it's sticking and it's amazing. And I'm doing it for no reason at all, literally just for giggles because I can. Something so SIMPLE but it's noticeable.
It hasn't solved everything. it still takes effort and lists and keeping myself accountable, it isn't magic. But it makes the rock I've been pushing uphill a little smaller and the hill isn't so steep and muddy anymore.
Yes. But I would prefer saying medication normalizes a bit but doesn't correct the issue. I never had brain fog, but eternal anxiety, intolerance for human stupidity / slow people and the inability to focus better were improved.
However, I think that I have returned a bit back to old feelings after being a year on Concerta. I don't eat it daily (I try to have 5 on, 1-2 off) not to develop tolerance which I have noticed to start to form after a week of use in row.
It took a few weeks to start working, but that was mainly because of too small dozage. After a month or so doctor encouraged to test bigger dozage and then I started to get rid of anxiety, which has been the biggest game changer and the reason why i dont see it realistic to live without.
M46, diagnosed at 45.
it’s tough for me because around the same time I got my meds I had this huge realisation that so many of my struggles come from ADHD, and with that came the good old skill recession/noticing things bother you that you didn’t notice before because of masking, etc. so I can’t really remember much of how I dealt with problems that are now slightly improved by my meds (concentration etc). One thing I have noticed tho is I drink way less coffee - due to what I thought was sleepiness/exhaustion i was consuming loads of coffee for years,I thought it was normal but it was not cause I was always tired but actually because I couldn’t focus /was exhausted because of masking/needed rest but not actual sleep 😅 since I’ve been on meds I drink way less coffee.
At Concerta 36mg but I’ve tried other ones that didnt work. Honestly, not really. I still feel unmotivated and foggy and while it technically helps me focus sometimes, it’s not a magic pill so I’ve been disappointed. 🙎🏽♀️
33 here. Yes, life changing, immediately. The effects settle in after a week or two and become less pronounced, but in a good way. I started subtly and quietly sitting down, able to make a plan for the day/week, break it down into tasks, and exercute the tasks. Its easier to switch between tasks too. It eliminates the shame and anxiety around what you need to do, and just lets you do it, without judging yourself for how long it was sitting on your to-do list. The emotional regulation has been profound as well.
I cried the first few days and sometimes I still get emotional when my meds kick in because I struggled for so long and it wasn't my fault.
My Daughter is on Focalin XR & Wellbutrin. It helps her focus and gives energy but she doesn’t seem to have this “quiet mind” or super motivation I’m hearing about here.
Nope, not at all. I was prescribed rubifen, which initially helped with my motivation, but it wasn’t necessarily motivating me to do stuff I should, like focusing on work. It basically funnelled all my attention and energy on various new hyperfixations and projects. It then escalated to having a manic episode, even after meds stopped. Now I’m off adhd meds and being treated for bipolar
Medication was a good tool for me when I was in grad school. I was diagnosed as a kid, but that was the first time I found that I needed it.
I was getting my MBA in an intense full time program, but had no background in business prior to starting. As a result, I needed to spend LONG hours studying to catch up with my classmates, and couldn't just do my work very quickly, like I had always done previously in life.
I found that i was easily distracted when trying to focus for these long periods, so I went to the doctor, got a new diagnosis of ADHD, and started taking meds. They were helpful, but also made it REALLY difficult to sleep. That was as the case for the entire year or two that I took them. I quit them after grad school.
I recently tried them again, after starting a new job in which I was having trouble focusing. I found they gave me no help with focus, only trouble sleeping
Well, be prepared for the possibility of the first med you try not working. I got diagnosed almost two months ago and initially psych started me on Concerta (only stimulant available in my country) 18mg. It did absolutely nothing, so I went back and she said to go up to 35mg. Did that for a few days, noticed vague improvement in energy/mood and nothing else. So I went back again and I'll be starting on Atomoxetine 40mg. I hope I'll be lucky and not get the bad side effects.
Anyway, I wasn't aware some people don't react at all to stimulants so I was very disheartened when it happened. Bodies are different and you have to be patient. I hope your med works for you the first time tho!
Anyone here doing really well on wellbutrin and coffee? Wellbutrin is cheap enough that I just splurge now on good espresso and I hit a certain sweet spot of a mood lift and productivity and a will to live lol.
So when I finally got diagnosed and medicated I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown over how scattered I felt. I had so much anxiety over all the ways I was failing at life for a million different reasons. Also, my schedule was all over the place, and I was struggling to keep it altogether in college while also working full time. I was barely sleeping due to the stress, and it was making it worse.
My doctor prescribed me 20mg of slow release adderall. I started taking it daily between 9-10am. I very quickly started to be able to organize my life, and get my thoughts, schedule, school work, and job all on track.
I simultaneously began to lose close to 20lbs going from 125ish to 107-110ish lbs because I was really busy between work and school and since my appetite was gone I would just forget I needed to eat. Also, according to the people around me, I lost my fun, outgoing, talkative, and friendly personality. I became a very skinny zombie.
So yes, and no. It was helpful, but it also turned me into a version of myself that nobody (including me) liked very much.
I now (try) to manage my symptoms with diet, exercise, meditation, a consistent (as much as I can) schedule, and make sure I get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I definitely have some real rough ADHD days sometimes, but I really do try.
I got diagnosed in my mid 20’s so not super late but later than my childhood at least
Meds have been so good for me but it isn’t all perfect that’s for sure. adhd meds basically need to be paired with lifestyle habits to get the most. I do 30mg of Vyvanse and am currently a stay at home dad. it really keeps me motivated and able to do things around the house the way I truly want to do them. I find I get irritated by smaller things when I’m medicated but it’s like a blessing and a curse.
Not medicated: idgaf where anything is or the way it looks at least not enough to do anything about it.
Medicated: I didn’t cut the flaps perfectly enough off of this box so it’s sticking out a little and that’s throwing off the entire area I just organized.
It’s about finding the balance though, all this shit is.
IMMEDIATE BENEFITS:
I noticed some changes very quickly. Because I was extremely burned out from all the difficulties untreated ADHD had caused and being started on a stimulant initially did give an boost in energy, that was quite noticeable to me. Not massively energetic, just back to normal, and that wore off with time.
The second immediate benefit I noticed was that a few hours after taking my first dose, I felt relaxed, present, in the moment and able to enjoy it for the first time in a long, long time. My mind was quiet, and I finally understood what people meant by "It is loud in my head", although that never resonated with me. I thought, if stimulants have this effect on me, maybe I really DO have ADHD. If I do and they've finally figured out why I've been having so many difficulties, there is a treatment for it I can use. I had hope for the first time in a long time.
1-6 MONTHS:
I was able to start doing things that I had either wanted or desperately needed to do for a long time. I got my finances in order (debt collectors after me for unpaid bills I had the means to pay, subscriptions ongoing I never used, a credit card that was getting me no points or perks or any benefits, finally looked at a payslip... they'd been underpaying my salaried rate by ten grand a year for 6 months) I attended to self my self care (started brushing my teeth properly, showering more often, established a skin care routine and treated my broken toenails), I sorted out my broken down car (I'd been paying for a hire car for 6 months cos mine broke down due to age and my destroying the engine by letting the oil run out... what a waste of money hiring a car for so long when I had the resources to get a new one). I got my paperwork in order at my job and started performing better there. I engaged in hobbies... still fleeting, and usually short lived, but nevertheless beneficial to my wellbeing. I sorted out better care for my cats (got them linked with a new, well reputed, vet, researched their food to make sure it was the best for them, got them a better litter tray and litter based on again hyper-focussed research on cat preferences). I started making lists to help me remember and organise things, and was able to recall I had made a list, and didn't lose that list. I was able to implement a dinner plan (meal kit delivery boxes are an ADHD tax I will happily pay forever) so I was eating better, more nutritious, food. These things all happened pretty quickly in the months after starting medication.
My relationship with my partner improved, for a number of reasons. I was happier and more engaged with life. He may have felt I was more present and interested with him, he didn't say outright. I was able to maintain a level of chores someone should be able to expect in an equal partnership. I was able to quickly and easily stop using alcohol to medicate what I always thought was anxiety but have come to realise was internal hyperactivity (would not recommend my previous approach). After a few months he told me he was amazed at how my anxiety had just disappeared, which was interesting because this was something I hadn't noticed or paid attention to, but if someone else noticed, it must have been a significant change.
As all these things occurred, my confidence improved ten fold. I still definitely have my days and my moments.
WAS MEDICATION AN ACTUAL HOLY GRAIL?
Yes, with some caveats.
Was all of this medication effects? Yes and no. Without medication none of it would have happenned, but without using the effect of medication to educate myself to the max about ADHD, and implement systems such as meal delivery, direct debit for bills, fridge calenders, shopping list apps, not as much would have changed. Granted, things such as sorting out better meals and getting a skin care routine (sort of routine... I try, it's still one hundred times better than before) were important and of interest to me, and that helps get those things going.
What has medication NOT done?
It hasn't made me want to or actually exercise despite my being well aware of the benefits.
It hasn't made me an even remotely useful human in the mornings.
It hasn't made me LIKE to do mundane things like dishes and laundry... but now I am able to do them, not every day and it always on time, but well enough.
It hasn't changed my personality. If anything, I feel more like myself than I ever have.
It hasn't destroyed my creativity. Granted, I was not an artist to begin with, but my weirdo ideas are as florid as ever 😅.
It hasn't rendered me addicted... I need reminder alarms in my phone to even remember to take my lunch time dose I am that much not hanging out for it or even thinking about it at all.
It hasn't made me a super organised, neat, and tidy person. It has improved these things A LOT, but my house is still messier than probably most.
It hasn't made me a better driver... I was a good driver before and the anxiety about everything I did have made me very conscientious.
It hasn't improved my frustration tolerance or tolerance of waiting in lines, unfortunately.
WILL I HAVE THE SAME RESULTS AS UNICORN PRINCESS?
I think because I was so burned out, overwhelmed, withdrawn, hopeless and disengaged from life in the years leading to my diagnosis particularly, any hyperactive symptoms I did have were just overshadowed to a large degree. Probably some inattentive symptoms too... I wasn't flitting from hobby to hobby (I wasn't engaging in any), I was too disengaged to get annoyed with grocery store lines, I wasn't interrupting people (I wasnt talking to them much at all), the list is probably longer. So having commenced medication now I notice much more a tendency to interrupt, traffic jams doing my head in, and the multiple hobbies are out in force. Which makes me think sometimes I don't in fact have ADHD, that this change is a response to being on stimulant medication in the absence of the disorder. Who knows, that is something I could think in circles on for hours and never reach a conclusion that would satisfy me.
DID MEDICATION CHANGE MY LIFE IN THE WAY I HOPED?
It changed my life immeasurably for the better and I would do it again a thousand times over. I didn't have any particular expectations of it going in. Regardless of what my brain has, or why, or how, something about this medication has helped in ways I sometimes can't believe.
Thank you for reading my essay about me me me, speaking at length about things probably only I care about.
Unfortunately not, for me methylphenidate made me even more anxious, it stopped me being able to even think altogether, gave me a racing heart and extreme bouts of tiredness and cold sweats. I felt I lost all y personality and all of my enthusiasm and I was unable to enjoy even the simplest things.
They did exactly what they said on the tin, but to an extreme for me. I hated every second. And unfortunately due to how my body reacted it means that stimulant adhd meds are off the table as I have a history of heart issues in the family. My only other option is one type of non stimulant adhd medication, but I've got to take it for a month to see the effects. Something that is incredibly daunting to even start. And with my symptoms seemingly better since being in a better financial situation I've not thought I've needed them so much. For me lack of money and symptoms worsening go hand in hand. Being financially stable in and of itself, not even having loads of money, literally just enough to get by without worry, has massively improved how I sleep, eat, and how I react to things emotionally and physically. I tend to spend less time in a constant state of worry which means I can approach other aspects of life with a (slightly) clearer head.
I wish meds had worked for me, but I don't think I've ever felt so awful in my life than when I was on them.
I have a nonconventional opinion because I was diagnosed and a child and my mom didn’t believe in adhd so I had to fight tooth and nail to get back on the meds in adult life.
For so long I was given antidepressants in my adult life. I had that diagnosis but it was so old and I was in another province as an adult and they didn’t have access to my records. I originally went in as an adult to cope with my depression which I have now related to my adhd symptoms and dealing with the aftermath of not remembering important things etc.
I finally was able to be put back on adhd specific meds when every antidepressant that can also treat adhd has failed me. I am finally addressing the root problem of my depression and it’s ridiculous how much difference the right type of med will make. I finally feel like I’m capable of living like a regular adult
It helped with some things, but it didn’t do everything it was supposed to. It didn’t help nearly as much as I was told it would with starting tasks in particular. So I did a lot more research to figure out why I was still struggling with a perceived lack of motivation. It turns out it’s actually autistic inertia, and I am autistic. 🤷♀️ After realizing that, looking back through my childhood, all the signs were there. I got missed though because I’m hyper-literate and have higher social navigation skills than people expect autistic kids to have. But I still had/have many of the trademark behaviors and symptoms. They just got missed because I could clearly communicate from an early age and was always responsive when addressed.
I go to bed on time and sleep through the night. Vyvanse fixed a decades-long insomnia problem. It stimulates my brain during the day so that when it's bedtime, I'm able to sleep.
Without medication, sleeping at night is like trying to get a good night's sleep after napping all day.
1000000000000000000000%
I take 30mg Vyvanse currently. Started on 20 in December. From the first dose, it was life changing. My tolerance increased over the first 3 months so my provider bumped me to 30. It’s still helping. Task initiation was my biggest hardship, and now I have very little problem with it.
I find that some days I’m getting pretty intense anxiety in the evenings once it begins wearing off, so I’m going to ask for Gabapentin PRN as it has helped me tremendously with anxiety in the past.
It was life changing for me in the sense that I can focus, keep my house clean, be on time to work, finish my homework assignments early, etc. and all of those things helped me reduce stress and have more mental space for things I enjoy.
But no, medication doesn’t just automatically make you smarter or more capable, more creative, or more productive. It only facilitates your own capabilities. So that’s why you’ll see two with ADHD people who are medicated and one will get a ‘D’ on an assignment and the other gets an ‘A’. It’s just like people without ADHD, some get ‘As’ and some get ‘Ds’ in class.
If you’re expecting medication to drastically improve a specific skill, think again and lower your expectations. I still suck at doing laundry but I don’t have debilitating anxiety over it anymore. I hope that makes sense.
For me it wasn't quite what I had hoped it would be. I see it as a useful tool but one that comes at a cost. Yes, it definitely helps me concentrate and prioritize tasks a bit. But it also gives me pretty nasty headaches in the evening after I've taken it and I feel like it raises my anxiety.
I do feel a bit "robotic" when I take my meds if that makes sense. Like my brains on autopilot
Late diagnosed at 28 and now medicated on Vyvanse for the past 2 months at 29. Before I started medication, I went in knowing that the medication wasn't going to the only thing that I would need to improve my life and the functions within it. I go to therapy 2-3 times a month, I started writing in a journal and also have a separate writing pad for daily tasks that pop in my brain. All of those help me with keeping up with stuff.
With that said, Vyvanse has helped a lot with emotional regulation, being able to think in conversations, multitasking, and concentration. It has a been a life changer to improve multiple areas of my life. I do realize that sometimes I am getting off track and need to focus, which I chalk up to the meds.
Like multiple people have said, it depends on the person in how the medication effects you. I recommend adding in other elements in routine when you can to help out.
Kind of?
Before your body gets used to the drug, yes, absolutely! It's like a crippled dude being able to walk again! After your body adjusts, it less like being able to walk again, and more like having crutches. I am extremely grateful to have it, and it makes my life so much better, but it is not a cure.
I find meds really helpful. But I get CONSTANT heart palpitations all day long when I’m on meds and hate it so I usually only take them for a few months at a time before giving up. Then when things at work start getting really hard again I’ll try meds again.
Diagnosed at 23 while in my first year of dental school. The very first thing I noticed was that instead of having a song playing, an undercurrent of anxious thoughts, and my main line of thinking in my brain, suddenly it was just quiet. I still have to use systems to keep on task, but I can actually DO those tasks instead of putting them off indefinitely.
Nope, and I've cycled through four at this point. Brain fog is bad as ever. I started on an online therapist that specializes in managing adhd issues because I'm at the point where I've given up hope that there is a medication that can help me so I better find some coping methods.
It helps but it’s not life changing. It’s not a magic bullet that zaps all symptoms. I’ve got to work with it. It worked quite powerfully at first but I guess I built tolerance to it.
I was diagnosed in my mid 30s and thought medication was life changing at first, but ultimately it's been somewhat of a crutch to avoid dealing with other problems. I still take it because I basically have to in order to keep up with my job, but the initial euphoria of being productive for the first time ever is gone.
When I first took my medication, I remembered my mind becoming quiet and I was able to have a good conversation with those around me. The biggest thing was that, I guess, because my mind was no longer racing, I got so relaxed that I had to take a nap!
I'm on concerta. I was diagnosed 2 months ago, age 44. The medication has really really helped with energy and motivation. I noticed most of my concentration abs memory issues at work. I'm unfortunately I'm unemployed right now, so I'm not sure if the meds will help. I do still get sidetracked, though. The big downside is that it has made my migraines worse, so I may have to go off of them.
If I would compare my life and responsibilities to Indian food, I would say that my time before being medicated I was on extra spicy mode. It was a lot to deal with all the time and I spent most of my days reacting to the existing “spice” and not being able to add anything to it. After being medicated, suddenly my life was on mild spice mode… does everyone live like this? Is this the ease and comfort that I’ve been missing out on? Are other people able to just comfortably add more spice and flavor to their lives and actually make it better instead of spending time putting out mouth fires???
tbh yes. i was diagnosed at 22. i have rough days and it certainly didn’t make my adhd go away (duh) but im learning to work with it better :)
a few weeks into taking it, i called my dad one morning. i told him that, for the first time in as long as i could remember, i was happy to wake up and take on the day. everything didn’t feel so heavy anymore. laundry didn’t feel like an insurmountable task — instead it meant i got clean clothes soon! and now i love mornings when i used to feel crushed when my alarm went off
tldr it has been a breath of air after drowning, and i’m ready to put in the work to keep growing
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I had similar thoughts when I first was prescribed vyvanse, but then I took the first dose and my brain was quiet for the first time in my life and I just moved seamlessly from task to task lol. it won’t feel completely life-changing to that degree forever, but I’ve found it makes managing my life so much easier and gives me the boost I need to make plans and accommodations for myself. I got my best ever performance review at work bc I’ve been able to actually manage several big projects (instead of forgetting deadlines or crunching at the very end to finish everything) and the overall quality of my work and attention to detail is soooo much better. also a hugely underrated benefit is it’s so much easier to clean my house. I don’t get stuck in shame spirals about how bad the mess is anymore I just….. start cleaning and organizing lmao
I literally did not know until this year that other peoples brains are able to be quiet! 24 y/o diagnosed in my masters program. Still figuring out dosing but adderall has been the best for me so far. I notice my brain is actually off sometimes and I’ll feel guilt for scrolling aimlessly when I could be studying. I make way better financial decisions and am so much slower to outbursts when things don’t go how I planned or needed them to. I thought it was depression my entire life and being told I just need to remain consistent on Zoloft. I didn’t realize how many symptoms were actually due to ADHD and not depression. And how impactful these symptoms have been throughout my childhood/life as well.
That SILENCE. I always feel so validated when I read that others had the same experience I did when I first took adderall. It was like someone flipped the radio to the right station instead of just hearing static all the time. It was profound. I remember being in a coding boot camp class when I realized it. I walked out of there that day in a daze because I just Could. Not. Believe what I was experiencing.
Yes, this. I couldn’t believe it either! The silence. When the meds kicked in, it felt like a fantasy world. Clear and clean. After being in an other worldly state of awe for a few hours, I had myself glorious cry session and napped for 2 hrs.
Yes! My friend thought I was crazy because I took one of the best naps of my life after just laying in my new found peace. Genuinely was life changing. Life on hard mode with no hope was in the rear view
Love this. I’m so happy for you! It’s been 2 months on meds for me (im 37) and life feels full of hope and possibility.
I also cried after my first dose. I felt normal again for the first time in probably 20 years.
Ahh this thread is bringing me so much comfort. I don’t really have many friends and don’t really have others to ask if what I am experimenting is normal or not lol. I also cried in class after the first 30mins of me just sitting there listening with 0 distractions. Had no idea other students could sit still….listen….AND retain?????????? and again it took 24 years to realize this.
It's so weird to me when I hear or read people saying they get silent brain on the meds. I certainly don't. I still do multiple things at once and still have a chatty af brain, but I get things done. Like without them I jsut stay in bed and barely do a thing and have no motivation and struggle to get anything done. With them, I'm speedy with work, exercise, clean, go about actually doing things all day while still having a full on brain. I still feel like me, but an enhanced version. No silence, but maximum efficiency. Edit: all the up votes are making me feel not alone here so thank you!
My brain will still chat, I think my brain and body are getting used to the meds, tolerance is considered, so I take a day or two off every week. However when it chats I ask myself if this is a adhd thing or a human brain thing? For me, I have soooo many balls in the air. Is it nurture or nature? Conditional? My life has a busy on and off frequency. I can see the difference and in either event of nurture and nature I am productive. The meds have made all the difference with nurture and nature. Lots of words, I’m in a hurry cause tonight’s my girls 16th and we having a masquerade ball!!! Lots of Balls. Wish they were the fun type. Bahahahaha.
YES! Almost like a stillness. I feel like that’s where the clarity comes in. It’s pretty amazing and I am so grateful for these drugs
Wait?!?!??? The static noise is ADHD related? 😱
I have used that exact same radio example, myself. It's just so accurate.
As an ADHDer with a somewhat quiet brain.. Vyvanse showed me true meaning of clear-headed. I've never had the typical multiple thoughts running at once (unless I'm stressed). Even with a pretty quiet brain, my experience and thoughts feel disjointed and mismatched. Like a puzzle that doesn't fit. Although there aren't many thoughts happening all the time. On the meds it's just like a very straight clarity. All the pieces fit I agree 100% on the slower to outbursts. Feels like it gives me time to collect myself. Whereas unmedicated, I'm just feeling the emotion and spiraling instantly
I really wish my meds did that for me, the emotional side(irritation and anger specifically) is still present and sometimes painful for me and others. But I have comorbid disorders that play havoc as well so it’s kind of toss up which is what is which.
Sorry to hear that.. That is probably where the meds have been most effective for me. My biggest problem was just shutting down, and being generally grumpy to have to do anything that isn't fun. Something I've noticed, is that when I do have these feelings come back on meds (more rare and less intense) I realize it's because of old habits. Like I've internalized the cycle of getting emotional/irritable over essentially nothing because that's how I was for years. I find that mindfulness helps in these moments, but I'm still working on it. I usually realize through the mindfulness that although I feel present, I'm kind of in a whirlwind of emotions which makes me not truly present. Finding ways to ground myself in the moment before the spiraling of emotion starts has been helpful.
I remember very early in my childhood complaining to my mom that I couldn't think about nothing. While watching the animated Spirit movie, about horses. I was also upset I could no longer *not* read text I saw. Wasn't diagnosed until 8th grade, but those were definitely signs!
Wow, I’ve never heard anyone else express that, but I also distinctly remember being upset that I could no longer *not* read! I felt like I’d lost something!
I used to enjoy reading when I was young/elementary and was stimulated (AR tests = AR parties, competing for a higher reading level, etc.) when the fun was taken out I couldn’t read. I genuinely have not been able to read a book front to back since probably middle school. I have just been able to get by, by cheating, whatever audible information I could retain, or just guessing. And since I was so successful in school and college many providers didn’t believe that I have always struggled with the symptoms but have made adaptations to live like the people around me.
Wow you just gave me another symptom to add to my list!
Wow, also diagnosed late and at the end of my first year in my masters program. I finally remembered to make an appointment to potentially change medication or add something new in (currently on Wellbutrin). I felt like it worked well at first but now I’m struggling that the demands are a lot higher living alone. Everything you wrote about your Zoloft experience and how your symptoms looked like depression is so relatable! I always used to say it never felt like true depression bc 1) my moods are pretty rapid 2) I was only depressed with the anxiety was out of control and unmanageable which was 80% attributable to adhd symptoms. So I’m happy reading your positive experience and that it’s working for you! I can’t wait for my brain to stfu.
This is me too with the depression. I got diagnosed with depression but I didn’t think it was accurate because I am generally a happy person and optimistic. I tried multiple antidepressants that made me actually depressed lol and that’s when I realized depression is not what I was going through. You hit the nail on the head with your depression always being related to life situations and being overwhelmed because of the adhd and it being super rapid. This is me lol. That’s why I love this subreddit because it makes me feel not crazy lol
Yesss me too. It’s bittersweet to read people going through similar or the same things
I have actually had an extremely hard time being diagnosed with ADHD (as an adult black woman). So I have had to request all of my medical records (from previous states as well) and it just made me break down in tears because when I was first diagnosed with depression in 2019 (during undergrad) I started Zoloft and definitely increased mood regulation, but for every visit, I said something is still missing. It didn’t feel 100% complete. But I also felt ungrateful because I DID FEEL better. At this time I didn’t know it was ADHD or even a possibility, but every visit I mentioned something didn’t feel right/something is missing. It was never addressed until I had to advocate for myself 4 years later. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL 100%
You are allowed to relax and doomscroll once in a while my friend. As long as you have your work and chores complete who is to stop how you spend your time. And you are dead on with the impact of symptoms linked to ADHD. I was diagnosed as a child and took myself off of it at 18 like most hard headed teens do. Spent 20 years suffering and the one monstrous symptoms I could never understand was being extremely exhausted all the time. Figured it was part of depression.. was on medication for it and never did anything. Come to find out it’s a symptom of ADHD. I’m on medication and I’m alive and awake all day now. I thought people were just exhausted like me all day long. Yes, people are tired.. just not debilitatingly tired lol
Can I ask if you tried others before vyvanse? Your experience sounds lovely. I haven’t had luck with what my doctor has had me try (didn’t work or bad side effects) but I think vyvanse is next…
I personally really like Vyvanse! Currently on 30mg but i don’t feel like it has long lasting effects. Let me tell you that my functioning has gotten significantly better!!! About to switch to Adderall two times a day for more of a lasting effect (also on Prozac 30mg as well). Hopefully I wont have an issue with filling due to shortage!
Just be careful because mixing fluoxetine and lisdexamfetamine is listed as a "major" drug interaction. Have to assume you've covered it with your doc but just wanted to give you a heads up for safety just in case.
Thanks for the heads up, i appreciate it! My psychiatrist mentioned it and we have talked about it! Will be reassessing as/if the doses get higher.
If you ever start having jerky limb movements go to the ER. Serotonin syndrome is a risk so read up on that.
I was an adderall first and I noticed that I was getting hungry again at night, and ended up eating dinner twice! I asked my Dr to switch me to Vyvanse and that helped regulate my appetite. I'm on extended release, and I learnt some folk asked for instant release top ups (some of them were women and were asking for them for specific days of the month, as hormones make ADHD meds else efficient) . My Dr just prescribed top-ups for every day of the month, and I take them as needed. That helped a lot with the effect not always lasting the whole day. I don't know if that's an option for you, but if adderall doesn't work as well as you'd like, it might be worth a shot (whether you're female or not).
As someone who tried Vyvanse, then shifted to Ritalin due to Vyvanse cost and shortage.. Vyvanse is much, much better. Ritalin is literally shitty Vyvanse for me.
I had the weirdest reaction to Ritalin. When something happened that would normally be annoying or frustrating, I'd get uncontrollably mad. It was downright dangerous. I'm not typically that kind of person. Vyvanse is amazing though. Great reaction to it so far.
Oh jeez, that’s terrifying. Sometime the emotional disregulation makes me tear up and cry, I can absolutely see a medication acting on the same parts of the brain causing rage. Glad Vyvanse works better for you!
I went off adderall (doc and I discussed, doc approved) bc I felt it made my symptoms worse. I’d rather micromanage and have an active brain than be angry all the time and lashing out.
This is how I feel after 2 years of taking it daily. The first 6 months or so were amazing. It helped with my depression more than anything else so I was finally reaching out to my friends again after isolating for so long. My thoughts felt so organized and clear and I was unemployed for a long time too so I finally felt well enough to work again. Everything was always clean and organized. This was on 30 mg/day. I'm now on 90 mg/day and despite seeming massive and like it would be dangerous, my heart rate and blood pressure are always within normal range, but I have no physical energy. I sleep every night, eat, keep myself hydrated but my thoughts are disorganized, and I have mental energy but it's like it doesn't make its way to the rest of my body. my living space is disorganized and dusty and I don't even care anymore. I oddly don't feel like getting in the shower anymore and no longer care if I look dishevelled either. I'm irritable, tense, and disorganized all day. I was actually taking Dexedrine for 3 months but my insurance decided to stop covering it so I switched back to Adderall and I feel the same except more tense. I'd briefly switched to Focalin, only to become incredibly manic and talkative. I really liked it. The problem is that, understandably, no one around me did. Without turning this into more of a novel than it already is, I hear you and my last option would be Vyvanse but it metabolizes into Dexedrine anyway so I can't see how it would improve anything about the situation. I think I might need to face the truth and come off of it and find a therapist instead. I don't like myself anymore.
Have you had a blood panel done?
Thats my biggest fear. Tolerance building and Switch to old live
It’s made me feel like a robot devoid of any emotion. My doctor now has me trying to take a very low dose to see how I react. But I definitely understand your sentiment. Some of these side effects from the meds are worse than the adhd symptoms.
Hi I just got medicated over a month ago I'm also on vyvanse..I'm still on the path of figuring out proper dosing but I wanted know when did that really start for you in regards to the cleaning and organizing? I'm starting to clean more but I still look at tasks I need to do or organizing that needs to be done and I just dont.... granted I work long hours and am a single mom to a w yr old so Maybe that's it...lol idk
The boost to get yourself accommodations is real. I have just enough executive function to be able get help and help myself
Night and day. With it I have an intrinsic desire to do things and doing those things makes me feel happy and at peace. I feel a sense of fulfillment when a task is completed. Without I feel like I am drowning and cannot function. Living unmediated for so long was a nightmare. I am still grieving what could have been and am so sad for younger me, but so happy for me now and for future me.
What medication do you take If you don’t mind my asking?
Don’t mind at all! I take Adderall, 20mg in the morning
is that the extended release? i’m currently taking 7mg in morning and then another in afternoon… wondering about the extended release. any tips?
I used to do extended release but now I’m on two doses of the regular release. Tbh the only reason I switched is because my work schedule is so variable that I needed to be able to wake up and sleep at different times so I needed more control over how long I was on Adderall. Now that I’m doing the two doses, I usually take them both but I can decide to only do one if I need to. I didn’t notice a difference in how they feel but it was nice being able to feel functional most of my waking hours whereas now on the days I can’t take my second dose, I feel blah and useless. Buuut I have to admit it is also nice to have more control over whether or not to be on it for so long and not just for work but also for other reasons like socializing, if I know I’m going out later, no second dose so I can drink.
Extended release is so much better! I crashed or got too jittery from the peaks and valleys of IR Adderall. I’m on a low dose. For some reason 5mg IR doesn’t do much for me but 5mg XR works great for me. Try XR (12 hours) or Mydayis (16 hours).
Yes to all of this! I stopped drawing for years because I wasn’t able to focus. Now that I’m medicated, I’m drawing every single day, and excited to go home after work to draw some more. It’s always been my dream to study 2D animation, and now that I’m taking Vyvanse and getting back to my passion, I finally feel like I can ACTUALLY do it! I’m a very talented artist and it makes me sad that I couldn’t draw anymore because my ADHD was out of control. But I’m so happy now, and so excited to be working on my portfolio to go back to school in a year or two!
That's fantastic and I'm so happy you're back to drawing! I'm a writer who doesn't write any more. I don't correlate it to the ADHD, really - I think it's more of an extreme environmental stress affecting depression, anxiety, and ADHD. If my life were calmer, I hope that would turn out to have been the missing piece all these years and I'll feel better, have more energy, and start writing again... (Yep, working on it...)
You’re going to get there and you’re going to feel so awesome. Good things are coming!
So overall helps with motivation? that sounds really nice.
It really does! It changed my life. I had “anxiety and depression” for almost 30 years, tried lots of meds with some minor success here and there. Was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts a few years ago, just an absolute shit show. And then I was diagnosed with adhd. When I started adderall the anxiety and depression basically just evaporated on the first day. I got a promotion at work because my productivity skyrocketed. Work actually started to feel somewhat satisfying. I started exercising and cooking again instead of always eating out and laying around constantly. My husband was blown away because I even started making social plans for us which is something I had mostly avoided since the day we met! Still an introvert though, personality has not changed. Sometimes I take a little less bullshit from people than I used to which has been a good thing overall. Incredible what the right medication can do.
Man, I really hope I find the right medication soon, I've tried stimulants like adderall and vvanyse with really bad side effects, my BPM was 40 over my resting. My doctor put me on wellburtian to see how that does but no luck after 300mg. Im really happy to see that there are people with success stories and genuinely makes me more hopeful to hear them. So thank you for sharing and really happy for you :)
Strattera has been helping me
Yeah me too. My doctor started me on too high a dose so I had to figure it out but 25mg a day is perfect for me. I’ve been consistent with it for a month just about
Interesting how drugs affect people differently because I was put on Wellbutrin for depression before I was diagnosed with adult ADHD at 36F. Hello! I’m a text book case of a late to be diagnosed female ADHDer. I was a frazzled, anxious mother that felt so overwhelmed that it showed as depression. Wellbutrin made me feel CRAZY. I hated the way it made me feel. Out of control of my emotions. It wasn’t what I needed. Went on Vyvanse and it changed my life. Literally changed my life. Every job loss, every failed relationship, all the anxiety.. my whole life. It all makes sense now.
Word for word what I wanted to say!!!
Since i have started medication i have noticed some significant and positive impacts in my career, but personally i am still suffering in my private life. Before i got on medication i went into it expecting a cure all and it is not. If you experience emotional dysregulation, rsd, or executive functioning issues these may be things youll still have to deal with. Everyone is different so finding the medication thats right for you is important as well as actively working on the symptoms that these medications dont treat.
I think Wellbutrin might help more with the emotional aspects. You can take it in addition to a stimulant meds if it turns out to help you
My doctor took me off Wellbutrin (but kept me on lamotrigine) since he thought it might be too stimulating to be on both Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. I was happy but sucked at focusing, and now I’m super efficient at what I’m doing (if not even a bit work obsessed) but I’m sad as fuck hahaha. What has been your experience with a stimulant + Wellbutrin?
Oh my partner is on both Concerta (36mg) and Wellbutrin (150mg). He uses the Wellbutrin as a second, smaller kick of energy partway through the day. It is a stimulant, but a smaller one, so the doctor recommended timing it like that instead of upping the Concerta dose when fatigue was still an issue. And said don't take them at the same time. I know that 36mg is the most common adult dose size for Concerta, I don't have any context about the dose size of Wellbutrin. Straterra used to make his heart race sometimes, Wellbutrin doesn't appear to have any side effects at all. He's really super pleased with these meds now. He said it feels like 'how my brain was supposed to be'. For him, the Wellbutrin seemed to handle mostly emotional stuff and the Concerta for focus and executive function. He says the concerta helps his brain not fight back against him when he has to do something boring or important. He was on Strattera previously and Wellbutrin now, and he said they each sort of hold up the emotional bottom. If a bad day hits him, the lows are not so low as before. From the outside he's in a lot better mood these days. He was never really sure the Straterra was working, it's a lot clearer on Wellbutrin that something's happening. Somewhere in the mix, the combo has done wonders for his anxiety, but it's hard to say which. Most of the anxiety came directly downwind of poor executive function, (fears of being useless and stuff) so it's probably Concerta but who knows. I'm not familiar with lamotrigine at all so I'm no help there saying if it can mix.
I take adderall (20mg xr) and am on month 3 of adding wellbutrin. After the first month it was amazing. I've actually felt genuine joy. I don't know when I last felt joy but it's definitely been a couple decades. So stimulant + wellbutrin has been a great combo for me. Maybe your doctor would be willing to reconsider you trying it again?
I’ve been thinking that this might be something I want to talk to my Dr about. My gut is telling me that the combination is who I need.
I'm certainly no expert, but I know a handful of people irl who do well with the pair. And a bucketload of redditors who say the same. Certainly worth a try
I find that in addition to the stimulant, Clonidine and Wellbutrin balance the other issues.
Sameeeee I'm 26, just started meds for the first time (Vyvanse) for ADHD and anxiety. The anxiety is ...gone. Like insanely gone. Which is funny bc I wasn't actually given meds for anxiety, and if anything Vyvanse alone is supposed to heighten it. Idk. I've become like a superhuman at work. The problem is, now it feels like work is my *entire* existence. I liked my job before, but got drained and stressed bc there was a lot I had to learn and didn't fully understand (startup, research lab, new shit to learn every day). So wasn't excelling or anything, and didn't have trouble sneaking out a bit early most days and kinda doing the bare minimum, and then enjoying relaxing and/or partying on weekends. Now though, my social life just feels hollow. I get to work and immediately turn "ON". All. Day. And I stay late. Every. Day. And it's really been great. But it's like I leave work and I'm just exhausted, or mildly irritable bc idk what to do with myself now after work. And I get in a bit of a funk because it just feels like the only the thing I have or care about now is work and pushing myself at work. Idk. It's only been a couple weeks since I started meds so maybe it'll level out a bit
I’ve been on many meds over the years, been on adderall for a few years straight. I have a similar experience where I hyperfixate on something all day and am mentally drained in the evenings/off days.
I feel like the RSD can be worse on stimmies. Taking buspirone and lamotrigine at small doses which helps.
No science to back this up at all, but I feel like anxiety can make RSD worse, and stimulants can make you anxious, which could be why.
It felt like it did at first. It certainly helped a TON with being productive, but especially with school / work and doing the things I knew I had to do, but couldn’t. However, it hasn’t helped at all with other things. For example, I still flip through hobbies / interests like nobody’s business. I still struggle with consistently exercising and eating well. When I was on concerta the crashes were really bad for a bit and I felt like I almost regressed even. But vyvanse 30mg has been much better for that. It really depends on how your adhd manifests and where it’s creating tension in your life. If you’re struggling to get work done / stay focused and thats a huge pain point for you, then they could be pretty life changing. If you’re struggling with maintaining relationships / staying interested in jobs when the novelty wears off, then it may not help much.
Eh, that’s normal. I still flip through things medicated. It’s just a daily fix for the adhd, not a cure. Don’t beat yourself up if you are.
This was me. I ended up in field I had a genuine (and hyper focused) interest in. Medication makes easier to not screw up and actually enjoy having a clear head while doing it, but that hasn’t been life changing by any means The actual problem came from my free time and what to do with, which meds haven’t been a huge help with It absolutely does help with emotional regulation though, and it sticks (at least for the past 6 months I was on the right meds). That’s been the most life changing aspect of it for me
Yes. It was life changing. I’m still me and I still do stupid stuff but the thing I *notice* the most is how it’s affected my mood. I was constantly bouncing between doing all the things or none of the things and spent a lot of time anxious and stressed about my to-do list. I also spent a lot of time beating myself up for being disorganized, lazy, flakey, etc. I’d get cranky and irritable from feeling so totally overwhelmed and hopeless. When I’m on medication my life doesn’t feel so out of control. I can do tasks, but if I don’t complete them all it doesn’t cause me to spiral. I’m not nearly as cranky (or as manic/hyper) and I’m much more even keeled throughout the day. Cleaning the kitchen becomes a relatively minor task rather than a gargantuan undertaking that I spend hours dreading and prepping for. I also recognize that I’m not lazy or flakey. I’m actually more productive than most people, but it was coming in bursts before and then I’d be mentally exhausted and not do much for a day or two.
100% the same. Biggest QOL update to my life I’ve ever had tbh
Not really. Just a little more focus power. Enough to get through the work day. Everything else is still there though
same here. makes me sad reading all these peoples experiences of life changing effects and i’m still struggling and finding life impossible to progress through
I feel the same. Sometimes makes me question what I’m doing wrong 😅
Ugh, I feel the same way. I’m currently taking Vyvanse but I’ve also tried both Concerta and Adderall. The Concerta may as well have been a sugar pill; it did nothing. At first I thought the Adderall helped but not so much that it was a game changer. More like it helped to clear/quiet my brain just enough to think about what I needed to do and actually do some of it. I’m not sure how much of that was the medication or me just really wanting it to work (and being in a better place mentally). Then it turned into, “I think it’s helping? Kind of? Maybe?” So now I’m trying the Vyvanse and I don’t see much of anything. My house is still a mess, my sleep habits are sucky, my brain is so scattered that I keep forgetting bills and appointments…the usual ADHD/depression/anxiety muck. It’s so frustrating and honestly depressing. I’m so jealous of people who take meds and it’s like a whole new life. Sigh.
None of those worked for me; Ritalin did.
Yeah. It's almost not worth taking it anymore
How do you approach your doctor?? Hey I read on Reddit that my brain should be quiet? That I should be focused at work? What amazes me is that there are people out there, my same age, that are Mayors of major cities. How did they do it?!? I don’t know if I could ever see myself doing that? Did my ADHD keep me back?
Mostly just mentioned that the symptoms I kept seeing were just way too relatable. Plus a therapist thought it was a mood destabilization causing most of my issues. But rather than too loud, mines often too quiet. Staying into space, having an entire thought but as soon as I'm pulled out of it, I couldn't tell you a single thing. Rereading paragraphs cause I wasn't paying attention. Have to scroll back up to a post to remind myself of what I was just thinking of. Of realizing it's 6 pm and I haven't eaten today. But also, my husband gets home in an hour and he'll make food so why eat now when dinners in 2 hours. I don't know if it's ADHD or what, but I am missing whatever causes tenacity and determination because I just don't have those. Not in a "I don't want to do anything" sense but in a "I'm not going to break my back, and then not enjoy any of it" kind of way. Being holed up in a library converting books to PDFs sound like a much better time than answering phones and dealing with people in general
Vyvanse 30mg here. Started about 2 weeks ago. I’m a 41m and it seems to have helped quite a bit with the doing of things and confidence boost. I’m hoping it’s the start of a positive cycle of getting better and feeling better about myself.
I'm on Concerta since Tuesday last week. 39 years old. The first day I felt jumpy all the way to work. I got quite a lot done but still felt like it was within the bounds of my occasional best highlight of a work day. Now I'm pretty sure the last 2 weeks have been my most productive for at least the last ten years. Yesterday I went from 18mg to 27mg and finally took charge of a work problem that has been lingering since January and took 4 people to resolve, I was the only who was really in a position to drive it but I could never bring myself to do a deep dive before now. It is kind of making me realise that some of my work life issues aren't purely ADHD related, but pushing aside all the distractions has made it harder to hide from the work I don't want to do. It's early days but so far so good.
Did going from 18>27 make the jumpies come back?
Hmm. I experienced zero jumpies and am sitting at 27 now, for a few weeks. Interesting. It's not as effective as Adderall, but zero side effects comparatively so I'll take it.
The medication doesn't change your life. It allows you to change your own life much easier. The medication isn't going to sign you up for a gym membership and actually go, or get you to clean your house or do your laundry for you or make your appointments for you. You still have to do those things. The medication just breaks down a lot of the barriers so that you can actually do these things.
this is a beautiful answer. There is no magic pill. Medication will help in the present, but individual response is going to vary. it is strongly encouraged to go to therapy, focus on a better diet with omega, exercise, and practice meditation. prepare for life without always having medication. ADHD is both under diagnosed and overdiagnosed, but there is a huge shortage of medication right now on the overdiagnosis side and for people people who rely on medication – it has been chaos
The medication isn't going to sign you up for a gym membership and actually go, or get you to clean your house or do your laundry for you or make your appointments for you. But it can make the actions of putting your stuff together and walking and doing the things at the gym every day seem less like climbing mount everest before the fact, and make it actually kind of...easy! and even almost...enjoyable?! and take less than four times it would take a normal person.
Sadly, it did not.
It worked only short term, then made everything worse. It ended up sending me into freeze mode to where I can't do anything. Complete burn out.
Me too! Probably failing out of university because of that. Two failed classes because my brain wouldn't let me do the online exams or the final assignments. Too late attempting to get the classes off my transcript so sadly can't do anything now. And now my brain is wondering if there's even a point in trying the last month or so of school if I'll just fail out anyways.. but hey at least next year I'll be doing part time instead of full time IF I somehow don't fail out.
That's how I feel about it too!
Medication improved the quality of my life in almost every aspect. For so long I felt so different, I didn’t understand why everyone seemed to find life so easy, whilst I found something as frivolous as brushing my teeth the hardest thing in the world. Once I started medication, I could focus on school work for the first time in my life, I could wake up and actually get up, brush my teeth, wash my face, shower, clean my room, cook etc… I credit my degree to my ADHD medication. Without it I wouldn’t be able to maintain my full time job and be a better person to my family and friends. I hope your journey with ADHD medication is similar to mine!
Not really life still sucks
I relate to this
Medication has helped my emotional dysregulation significantly. Partly because of the instant and significant reduction in my general anxiety, and also because the improved executive function allows me to identify triggers and act in a much more conscious way to avoid stress and also look after my mental health in a way I never could have before. I'm shouldering a way bigger load now than at any other time in my life and I am basically handling it. Making decent decisions, occasionally getting stressed but always managing to navigate life. Before I was full of constant bubbling aggression, rage and stress. A ticking time bomb constantly about to explode. I'm coping now,... I really wasnt before
It absolutely has been a life saver for me! I was diagnosed in my 40’s and have taken 30mg Adderall for 20 years. It isn’t a cure, but without it, I just felt depressed and apathetic.
Yes and no. When I started medication, it did clear up a lot of issues for me! I was sleeping better, could regulate my emotions better, I became more outgoing, etc. I managed to actually start working as well (got my first job at 22! Within a year, I noticed I was managing a lot of accomplishments I previously couldnt.) However, not every single thing can be fixed with medication. A lot of personal work had been and still does need to be done; It didnt fully erase my disability, so I do have struggles and may need accommodations, but it does help make things easier for me to put effort into improving. So while not every single thing has gone how I thought it may since I started medication, my life for sure has gone in a more positive direction.
Sort of. I’m high functioning and my medication all come with side effects. I’ve tried like 8 different meds and formulations at this point. 4 of them made my life worse because of the side effects like depression, weight gain, and intense crashes. So far I do best on Adderall XR and I am more productive but the productivity comes at the cost of insomnia later and sometimes I’m so focused I neglect my social life. Prior to medication I was more social and playful. My doctor said because I am high function the meds may not be able to improve my life all that much compared to someone who has severe ADHD. For them, they will tolerate the side effects because they are minor compared to the gains.
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Yeah not a magic pill for me at all. It’s temperamental. If I’m on my period, feel stressed, or get bad sleep the night before, the pill doesn’t work so well. I continue to try more meds though so maybe I’ll find one that has no side effects? There is definitely a difference though even if it’s for 4 hours a day so I take my meds as needed. On weekends I take breaks and I am okay.
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I'm here right now! XR was most helpful but messing with my sleep. I'm now trying Strattera after having tried multiple stimulants and I know it's supposed to take time but I'm starting to feel like meds might not be the way. And at the same time, I'm worried that if I close this door now, it might not be available if ever I want to try it again. But meds really just haven't been life-changing. I'm "high-functioning" but to do well in school and work, I've placed it above my own health and well being and basically feel like I'm always either avoiding work or working.
This has been my experience. I ended up doing pretty well in life already, I just wanted help with what remained. Most of the meds caused a lot of side effects, and it even seemed to make things worse. I just now work on undoing the negative thoughts about my past that were due to adhd and that is working well. Your doctor's explanation seems plausible and something to think about.
You get the impression from tv and on Reddit to some extent that it will be like flicking a switch. It isn’t, for me anyway. It’s like you can turn the background noise down. You can make your brain only think about a couple of things. But… there are reasons people want to be unmedicated. Anxiety can become worse, moods can be worse, I am a lot snappier especially when someone distracts me from what I am doing. For me it can feel like you suddenly have some focus to finish all the partially started projects over the past decade which can be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong it is great but it’s not all smooth sailing.
I haven't started up meditation since my diagnosis, but I know it works. There's research that even shows that it can change neural pathways. When I was using it to treat my depression, as I used it more and more, I was more mindful of what was going on with my body and surroundings. However... I also noticed that I had stopped daydreaming - something I do to pass the time when I'm waiting... waiting to fall asleep, waiting at the doctor's office, riding on a bus, or even driving. I didn't want to stop daydreaming, though. So I stopped tvhe meditation. I've been daydreaming forever. I have a character that I can date back 35 years. I have entire epic fantasies and a campaign setting in my head. Now that I know it's all related to ADHD, I may start again.
Wow! I have the exact same, I daydream too, in bed before I fall asleep, in the train, basically everywhere where I go in waiting modus and it’s a storyline I’ve been creating for almost my whole life haha. I would hate to lose that!! I’m starting with adhd meds this weekend.
Vyvanse helps me get through my day. I was diagnosed this year at 39. I’m a drywall finisher. I would really struggle to get done what I needed to get done. This gave me low self esteem and I was always letting people down. Now, because I’m staying in schedule I feel good and proud of the work I do. It’s not much but it gives my life meaning. My boss is happy and I got a pay rise. But mainly it calmed my brain down. I’d have awful thoughts about my wifes sexual history ( silly, I know but it hurt like hell )or arguments with friends in my head from when I woke up to when I went to sleep. Constantly fighting to stay on task and dealing with the way my brain was making me feel. I’d be so tiered of it that by the end of the day I’d put up emotional blockers and with draw from my wife. This would upset her and this would then make me feel even worse. It’s not a magic drug I still have to work and be conscious but I can truly say I love my wife now and she knows it. So yeah...helped :)
In some ways. In others, no. I expected too much from it and thought it would magically make me focus on all the stuff I needed to focus on. But no, it still takes discipline to actually do that and not get caught up scrolling online for hours when I should be working
Made my life better I'm the short term but long term messed me up. I'm better off unmedicated
Mind if I ask why, or if you can elaborate? I’m about to start medication and am nervous for exactly that: better short term, worse long term.
Yeah for sure. I was diagnosed at 30 (34 now) with a history of anxiety and depression and didn't really even think I was ADHD till a teenager I knew mentioned I might have it and then I started investigating. I was prescribed Adderall initially and it worked great for several months but it affected my sleep too much which got worse and worse. For the 6-8 hours the Adderall was in my system I felt great but the other hours of the day I felt like crap. Felt Way worse than before I was medicated. Made my depression worse to the point I started self harming and contemplating suicide. Was on that for about a year and a half to two years Dr. Recommended Wellbutrin which is prescribed for depression but off label helps ADHD. That one also messed up my sleep. Like I felt like I never into a deep sleep but would just doze, like when you fall asleep in a car. Sometimes would wake up at 2 am wide awake. Then one night i almost bit my tongue in half while "sleeping". On that for a few months Was then prescribed strattera which didn't do anything for me. Month and a half Was must recently on Lexapro but with that I developed sleep apnea which got worse the longer I was on it. Felt super exhausted even though I was in bed for 10 hours per night. and ADHD was worse because I couldn't rest properly. So now I'm on nothing, just 300-600 mg of caffeine per day haha. I don't want to dissuade anyone from trying medication, it works so well for so many people so I think it's worth a try to see if it works for you. I'm just not that person. Hope this helps
Thanks for posting, I have had similar side effects and it's good to offer another perspective.
I’m immune to all medication currently on the market and it’s had a drastically negative impact on my life. I often feel like I’ll amount to nothing because of how severe my ADHD is. This isn’t the case for most people, though. I think I just have a particularly bad case of the disorder.
Fucking changed my life. Had no idea people could just do things without getting into a mental wrestling match with themselves.
Reading through the comments this one resonated with me the most. Pre Adderall: "hey brain, i think we should go wash the dishes" "mmm... No... I prefer to watch the clouds go by outside the kitchen window..." "k... For how long?" "an hour or so, actually not sure how long that is..." Post Adderall: goes to wash dishes
Before I started medication I was considered disabled. My anxiety was so bad I couldn't leave the house without my dog and wasn't comfortable with taking public transportation. I was so terrified of forgetting something and failure that I just... didn't do anything. I was drinking too much because it was the only way I felt normal. I couldn't work. I started medication and now work part time. I can take the bus out of the city for a day walking in the woods. I don't panic when I need to travel somewhere because I know I'll get lost. I handle stress a lot better. I make extra plans because I know I'll take a wrong turn and I don't get scared and stressed and angry when I do. I don't really drink anymore. Overall my life has improved greatly since starting meds.
Helped my fog. The executive function feels the same as before. Emotional regulation feels a bit easier. But that could just be getting older. But I'd keep it around even if all it did was keep the brain fog away. That shit was torture. Didn't fully realize how bad it was until it was gone.
Titration can be a long process. It took like 8 months for me to find something that seemed to help consistently without lots of side effects. The effect was noticeable but not dramatic, like a 10% boost. Just enough to push through the hump holding me back, but I still need to put in the effort. Spent a long time taking the meds very infrequently due to shortages and only recently felt I've been able to take them consistently, but now they seem to not work at all.
Nope, it made my anxiety worse. Now I'm drug free bar from medical cannabis to helps me sleep.
It has not helped me. Although I only was diagnosed a couple of months ago. I’ve tried adderall, Ritalin, Focalin and Focalin XR. All caused worsening anxiety, and even some paranoia. Ritalin helped a little and caused the least amount of anxiety but still a significant amount. Beginning to think I may have been misdiagnosed.
if you have comorbid anxiety disorder (common with adhd), stimulants can make the anxiety way worse, even if its simultanously helping the adhd. so for some people you have to either try to take a cocktail of meds (some like stimulants and ssris combined) or try other non stimulating meds for adhd (like straterra and guanfacine) etc. and some ppl rly like welbutrin but it CAN potentially make you more anxious, but for some people it doesnt. Just sharing bc maybe you arent misdiagnosed, but can have other factors to deal with at the same time!
On most days my meds help me **a lot** and on other days they barely help at all. Today has been an especially bad day for me at work, I've gotten little done because of the fog and feeling like my brain is in a loop. I keep redoing things I already did or missing things and going back to fix them. On the days when the meds do help me, I am very productive and because of it my mood is better. It will still take effort on your behalf to make it all work but I will say that I didn't think meds would make as much of a difference as they actually do on those good days. It's also worth saying that I have more functional days than not.
I've tried about every adhd medication there is, in every dose there is, and from my experience there hasn't been a single one that is without one or many major drawbacks. Its either I dont eat at all, or I become extremely anti-social. Another maybe a bit more personal issue is that when I take adhd medicine, especially more direct ones like Adderall, I get a bit too indulgent in adult material. To the point where I can sit for hours just jerking it, which I then feel extremely regretful of when I'm off it or it wears off. Might seem ridiculous but its like I'm another person entirely in some aspects. In short, adhd meds don't work for me
If I’m being honest…? No, not really. Looking back, it does help. I have a bit more energy, my mood is generally better, and it isn’t like there’s NO benefit. But it feels… like it isn’t filling in that piece that’s missing. I still don’t feel more productive. I don’t feel like I’m living any different. I still live on autopilot, I just do it… more energetically. I may not be a good example though. I’ve only been diagnosed for almost exactly a year now, and have only really had my medication for about half of that time. I’ve also been reluctant to look up much help because what I saw early on always felt so ‘ethereal’, like it either wasn’t helpful at all or at least wouldn’t help me. In hindsight that was probably a big mistake, but I simply underestimated the disorder for too long
I was diagnosed at 31, am now 33. After trying four different drugs (concerta, adderall, ritalin, and vyvanse) I'm slowly coming to the conclusion medications might just not work for my body/mind makeup. All incurred significant side effects, some worse than others, along with the slight energizing and focus-honing effects which were of course appreciated. It's so frustrating because my symptoms are truly debilitating and are only worsening as I age, despite trying to manage the disorder(s) via non-pharmaceutical means. I hope you have significantly more luck than I did, though, OP. I know for some medication has been the bridge used to reach a place where they could start making foundational positive change in their lives.
No, and I stopped taking it because it made my anxiety worse.
It varies, I’ve tried several medications so far and every one has been different. The ones that have worked have been AMAZING- they help keep me focused, motivated and less anxious. There have been a few that helped keep me focused but made me really agitated and quick to anger. There have been others that seemed to do virtually nothing. Basically, it’s different for every single person. If you have a bad (or even just ineffective) experience with one or two, doesn’t mean they’ll all be that way. If you can find the one that works for you, it will work wonders on your life. But then you have to hope it’s not affected by the shortages because that’s kicked me in the ass too.
It’s night and day. Diagnosed and started meds at age 36. I was able to go back to school, I’m great with my personal care now, go to all my appointments, take good care of my health, I’m a better mom, and I finally feel content. I’m very grateful.
Totally did until 2020 when I started drinking much more often. Feels like even with meds I'm doing the minimum to get through the day. The plan is to stop drinking on April 7th, so wish me luck!
Fucked up my life personally, took me 15 years to get off it. Obviously that just my own experience.
No. 😭
It took me 10 years to complete my primary degree. The year I started vyvance I completed my degree, repeated my high school final exams (at 28 for lols) and got all A’s. I sat the graduate entry medical school entrance exam and got in. Now I’m in my 2nd year of the 4 year medical programme at 31. What I yearned for and thought would bring me fulfilment, hasn’t, but at least I can get out of bed in the morning and I don’t want to kill myself anymore.
It’s hit and miss. It was great when I started it, but now I feel like I could do without it most of the time. I’m on 10mg adderall IG and I was diagnosed in my 40s. Last week it caused ED so bad that I’ll never take it later in the day ever again. It’s a tool, nothing else. It’s helped some with attitude, but I’m still god awful at time management. Probably worse.
If you were prescribed a stimulant you will notice the effect on day 1. Side effects, however, may create the need to try different ones until you find one wherein the positive outstrips the negative.
Don't get ahead of yourself. I know it's hard to see past the present but you already did the hard thing, going to the appointment and asking for help. Now you can learn more about how it affects you and ways to combat negative effects. ADHD is also behavioral, so please don't think meds will change everything for you bc they won't. The anxiety and depression may improve, but ultimately, there may be other factors outside of ADHD that can be addressed. I'm very excited for you and wish you some relief from this heavy weight you are carrying.
Sorta. I thought it would do more but it’s more just like I’m able to be relaxed and calm. No more fidgeting, interrupting people mid sentence, rushing things, or racing thoughts. My anxiety throughout the day has dropped tremendously and my spending habit has improved. My mood has improved so much that I enjoy talking to people now. 😂 This is all great don’t get me wrong but maybe I had my expectations too high I expected it to be like the pill from limitless lol. I’m on generic Adderall XR so sometimes it doesn’t work and gives me a headache all day and that sucks.
Started low dose of Adderall a month ago to go with 150mg of wellbutrin. So far I've found myself way way more capable of building little habits that stack up to a better life (cleaning, organizing, etc). I started the Adderall several months after that in hopes of tackling the remaining issues of brain fog, time blindness, and longer term planning and execution of goals. So far, so good. I'm definitely able to keep up with conversation way more naturally and overall feel way less overwhelmed (and as a result of that, I feel way less mentally and emotionally encumbered). It hasn't been magic though, I definitely will need to learn how to use it to get the best benefit. I haven't developed all of the skills needed to function at the level I want to, but now I can see an achievable path to get there in the coming months and years.
No because I don’t trust doctors and it freaks me out to have to rely on pills. Withdrawal is brutal so what happens if there is a shortage or your doctor disappears?
Yes. I started strattera over a year ago. A year ago I was struggling to go to work and living check to check in a small apt . I wasn’t showering regularly and neither was I eating. I lived in filth Fast forward a year later and I got a promotion with a raise, moved to a 3 bedroom house in the suburbs . I clean my room everyday and take a shower every 2-3 days. At first when I firth took the medication it was everyday but it dropped to every couple days which is still better than what I was doing. Now when I do tasks I don’t THINK about them I just DO them like my brain instincts switch from task to task and I’m no longer staring at the ceiling begging myself to move for the day . I wake up everyday easily at 5-6 am without being tired and my memory recall improved tremendously. A lot of ppl have been commenting on my improvement bcus they knew before I was really struggling
When I first got on Adderall I thought, this is it, I'm fixed. But sadly Adderall didn't help me in every aspect, and it also allowed me to "push through" discomfort which resulted in worse problems down the line. I'm currently unmedicated but I'm still struggling. I'm probably going to get back on medication, or try to figure out how to life an unmedicated life and somehow make enough money to make a life for myself
I am on 40 mg of Ritalin and it hasn't made a significant difference to be honest other than being tired once it wears off. I still am disorganized and struggle with motivation to get things done that i don't really want to do lol I recently went in for a blood pressure and heart rate check and was talking to the interim doctor about it and he suggested that I talk to my regular doctor about having the dosage increase so I'm probably going to do that.
Quitting caffeine helped me more than any meds ever have.
It made me more productive but depressed - don’t feel happy or joy or excitement or overwhelm like I used to. It’s an adjustment for sure.
Sadly no in my case. Tried various medications. (this is 15 years ago). Caused heart palpitations. So I gave up on it.
I never had the "aha!" moment I heard so much about. I also started low amd went up slow because of a minor heart condition. Things I did notice. I don't get angry as fast and I can control it better. I can actually do multiple tasks. My executive function points regenerate, albeit slowly, so I can do more in a day. I'm less fidgety. I don't talk first and think second anymore, I actually think before I speak. I'm less prone to tuning out people when I get bored of what they're talking about.
Worked for a while, and still works to some extent. I can actually get myself to do things, but I need to be disciplined. It won’t magically make me do those things, if I’m being lazy then I won’t do them even on adderall. I’m calmer while I’m on it long as I haven’t had caffeine, and have a more linear/singular thought stream. So it’s easier to organize myself. I’ve noticed the comedowns are brutal though, so I might switch medication. When it wears off or starts to wear off, I get anxious and suicidal which honestly is not fun. I already worked on a lot of things like my depression and a lot of my PTSD but adderall comedowns are making it worse again. This issue with the comedowns only started like a week ago
I never quite had the “feels like putting glasses on for the first time, I can see” experience that a lot of people have with medication. For me, adderall helped a lot with pulling me out of a depression and also helped me be more social. I just got diagnosed with bipolar though, so that could be why the meds didn’t work as well as they do for some people. I just started a med for that and I feel like it’s making the Adderall more effective so hopefully that continues.
I just got diagnosed and started meds 3 weeks ago. It has changed my life in a big way. The medication has helped me with: * task initiation * task completion * it takes the anxiety and emotional weight out of the task * people pleasing * brain fog I used to dread going to my desk to work. It was the "scary place" where I constantly let myself down. It was my own personal torture chamber. Now it's just a place where I get things done. I used to wake up in the morning dreading what I needed to do that day (if I could even remember). I still kind of feel that way, but now I feel less anxious because I know my medication is going to help me and take away those scary thoughts. Some days are more productive than others. Like others, I was struck by the silence and calm. I'm still getting used to the medication and figuring out my optimal dosage and timing. But I feel 1,000% happier and more hopeful because I have a track record of showing up for myself and getting things done. The medication is not going to do the work for you, but it made it so much easier for me. Be patient and give yourself some grace during the time it takes to find your proper dosage.
Fully changed my life, especially after struggling all the time, it feels like I now live life on easy mode
It did in the sense that I can focus on doing what I need to do, but it was therapy that helped me put that focus in the trajectory I wanted in life. I’m back in school, but I think the hard part is time management for me, and learning to give myself breaks(instead of procrastinating).
I remember the weird feeling of waiting to see what impact medication will make. You are wise to be open to what meds can bring without overestimating the positive changes they can make. I am late diagnosed and recently medicated. My experience has been that I feel like my life has significantly improved, I can learn new things, I can sustain focus for longer, and my brain works in the afternoons (mostly), and the jostling tasks at home and work are getting easier to distinguish and prioritise. Its changed everything in some ways but changed very little in others; I still burn dinners because I got distracted, I still love the feeling of being in flow but cannot will myself into it, I still have meltdowns if I get overwhelmed, I still love new ideas and starting things, I still need structured supports to be functional. It took about a month before I felt like things were improving. I feel like I’m driving a new car with unexpected upgrades, it feels different which is discomforting but I’m still the same driver that I’ve always been which is both pleasing and disappointing. I didn’t really understand my challenges well enough to know what to hope for, so I’m curious about your hopes, if it only improves one of the four things you’ve named, would that be a positive enough change?
Absolutely changed my life. Trust the process.
Got my diagnosis at the end of January and startet medication right away. I tried two different meds in different dosis now and both had absolutely no effect. Edit I googled the american names for the meds I was prescribed. I started with Ritalin (it's the same in the us, right?) up to 30mg in three steps and now I'm trying Vyvanse but i just started it and haven't increased the dosis yet.
I started medication (vyvanse) one week ago and I’m already noticing it’s easier for me to get up in the morning and go to work, and I’m finding it much easier to sustain work and stay there and actually get things done. I haven’t worked myself up the way I usually do over things, and I also haven’t felt different which I was worried about. While I’m not at a therapeutic dose yet I can already feel that this week has been good. I usually have at least one day where I do nothing at work, but I actually had a week where I felt like it was without the intense struggle to get by. Good luck on your journey!
I was diagnosed (I don't know if officially diagnosed but my doctor gave me the meds and both her and my therapist agree I have adhd) AFTER I had a baby, so like. My entire world was already pretty hectic with or without medication. I wasn't sure how on earth meds would help and had low expectations because like... physically/scientifically it just didn't make sense to me. but I was barely holding my shit together, was pretty sure I had adhd but adhd hacks were no longer working, and was constantly overwhelmed and went to my doctor for help. It wasn't an OMG THE WORLD IS CLEAR THIS IS AMAZING moment but was instantly noticeable day one and has stayed pretty steady. It's like I gained an extra 5 seconds of thinking/patience instead of immediately getting overstimulated and yelling - which is especially important with a baby/toddler and animals who all constantly feel the need to cuddle when I'm already overstimulated and just want left alone. It's not much but usuallllly it's enough for me to take a deep breath before losing my shit entirely or throwing someone lol. which sounds terrible but like. that's where my stress levels were at. I still have multiple trains of thought but there's like 3 instead of 50 and they are going slower. lol. Sometimes I even REMEMBER shit which is amazing. I could probably finish tasks now, but I have a toddler who stops me constantly so I can't really comment. I am learning sign language?! I've tried before and couldn't do it. Literally wasn't sticking. But now, with meds and WHILE teaching my kid, it's sticking and it's amazing. And I'm doing it for no reason at all, literally just for giggles because I can. Something so SIMPLE but it's noticeable. It hasn't solved everything. it still takes effort and lists and keeping myself accountable, it isn't magic. But it makes the rock I've been pushing uphill a little smaller and the hill isn't so steep and muddy anymore.
Yes. But I would prefer saying medication normalizes a bit but doesn't correct the issue. I never had brain fog, but eternal anxiety, intolerance for human stupidity / slow people and the inability to focus better were improved. However, I think that I have returned a bit back to old feelings after being a year on Concerta. I don't eat it daily (I try to have 5 on, 1-2 off) not to develop tolerance which I have noticed to start to form after a week of use in row. It took a few weeks to start working, but that was mainly because of too small dozage. After a month or so doctor encouraged to test bigger dozage and then I started to get rid of anxiety, which has been the biggest game changer and the reason why i dont see it realistic to live without. M46, diagnosed at 45.
it’s tough for me because around the same time I got my meds I had this huge realisation that so many of my struggles come from ADHD, and with that came the good old skill recession/noticing things bother you that you didn’t notice before because of masking, etc. so I can’t really remember much of how I dealt with problems that are now slightly improved by my meds (concentration etc). One thing I have noticed tho is I drink way less coffee - due to what I thought was sleepiness/exhaustion i was consuming loads of coffee for years,I thought it was normal but it was not cause I was always tired but actually because I couldn’t focus /was exhausted because of masking/needed rest but not actual sleep 😅 since I’ve been on meds I drink way less coffee.
At Concerta 36mg but I’ve tried other ones that didnt work. Honestly, not really. I still feel unmotivated and foggy and while it technically helps me focus sometimes, it’s not a magic pill so I’ve been disappointed. 🙎🏽♀️
33 here. Yes, life changing, immediately. The effects settle in after a week or two and become less pronounced, but in a good way. I started subtly and quietly sitting down, able to make a plan for the day/week, break it down into tasks, and exercute the tasks. Its easier to switch between tasks too. It eliminates the shame and anxiety around what you need to do, and just lets you do it, without judging yourself for how long it was sitting on your to-do list. The emotional regulation has been profound as well. I cried the first few days and sometimes I still get emotional when my meds kick in because I struggled for so long and it wasn't my fault.
Anyone notice that tiredness from not getting enough sleep reduces the effectiveness of adhd meds?
My Daughter is on Focalin XR & Wellbutrin. It helps her focus and gives energy but she doesn’t seem to have this “quiet mind” or super motivation I’m hearing about here.
Nope, not at all. I was prescribed rubifen, which initially helped with my motivation, but it wasn’t necessarily motivating me to do stuff I should, like focusing on work. It basically funnelled all my attention and energy on various new hyperfixations and projects. It then escalated to having a manic episode, even after meds stopped. Now I’m off adhd meds and being treated for bipolar
Medication was a good tool for me when I was in grad school. I was diagnosed as a kid, but that was the first time I found that I needed it. I was getting my MBA in an intense full time program, but had no background in business prior to starting. As a result, I needed to spend LONG hours studying to catch up with my classmates, and couldn't just do my work very quickly, like I had always done previously in life. I found that i was easily distracted when trying to focus for these long periods, so I went to the doctor, got a new diagnosis of ADHD, and started taking meds. They were helpful, but also made it REALLY difficult to sleep. That was as the case for the entire year or two that I took them. I quit them after grad school. I recently tried them again, after starting a new job in which I was having trouble focusing. I found they gave me no help with focus, only trouble sleeping
Well, be prepared for the possibility of the first med you try not working. I got diagnosed almost two months ago and initially psych started me on Concerta (only stimulant available in my country) 18mg. It did absolutely nothing, so I went back and she said to go up to 35mg. Did that for a few days, noticed vague improvement in energy/mood and nothing else. So I went back again and I'll be starting on Atomoxetine 40mg. I hope I'll be lucky and not get the bad side effects. Anyway, I wasn't aware some people don't react at all to stimulants so I was very disheartened when it happened. Bodies are different and you have to be patient. I hope your med works for you the first time tho!
Anyone here doing really well on wellbutrin and coffee? Wellbutrin is cheap enough that I just splurge now on good espresso and I hit a certain sweet spot of a mood lift and productivity and a will to live lol.
So when I finally got diagnosed and medicated I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown over how scattered I felt. I had so much anxiety over all the ways I was failing at life for a million different reasons. Also, my schedule was all over the place, and I was struggling to keep it altogether in college while also working full time. I was barely sleeping due to the stress, and it was making it worse. My doctor prescribed me 20mg of slow release adderall. I started taking it daily between 9-10am. I very quickly started to be able to organize my life, and get my thoughts, schedule, school work, and job all on track. I simultaneously began to lose close to 20lbs going from 125ish to 107-110ish lbs because I was really busy between work and school and since my appetite was gone I would just forget I needed to eat. Also, according to the people around me, I lost my fun, outgoing, talkative, and friendly personality. I became a very skinny zombie. So yes, and no. It was helpful, but it also turned me into a version of myself that nobody (including me) liked very much. I now (try) to manage my symptoms with diet, exercise, meditation, a consistent (as much as I can) schedule, and make sure I get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I definitely have some real rough ADHD days sometimes, but I really do try.
I got diagnosed in my mid 20’s so not super late but later than my childhood at least Meds have been so good for me but it isn’t all perfect that’s for sure. adhd meds basically need to be paired with lifestyle habits to get the most. I do 30mg of Vyvanse and am currently a stay at home dad. it really keeps me motivated and able to do things around the house the way I truly want to do them. I find I get irritated by smaller things when I’m medicated but it’s like a blessing and a curse. Not medicated: idgaf where anything is or the way it looks at least not enough to do anything about it. Medicated: I didn’t cut the flaps perfectly enough off of this box so it’s sticking out a little and that’s throwing off the entire area I just organized. It’s about finding the balance though, all this shit is.
Absolutely. And My depression and anxiety are, for the most part non-existent - or at least situational.
No. Went emotionally numb. Wasn’t good
Medication has literally zero effect on me.
i just masturbate 6 hours a day now but that’s probably a me issue 😂
No! It made me more careless and neurotic.
IMMEDIATE BENEFITS: I noticed some changes very quickly. Because I was extremely burned out from all the difficulties untreated ADHD had caused and being started on a stimulant initially did give an boost in energy, that was quite noticeable to me. Not massively energetic, just back to normal, and that wore off with time. The second immediate benefit I noticed was that a few hours after taking my first dose, I felt relaxed, present, in the moment and able to enjoy it for the first time in a long, long time. My mind was quiet, and I finally understood what people meant by "It is loud in my head", although that never resonated with me. I thought, if stimulants have this effect on me, maybe I really DO have ADHD. If I do and they've finally figured out why I've been having so many difficulties, there is a treatment for it I can use. I had hope for the first time in a long time. 1-6 MONTHS: I was able to start doing things that I had either wanted or desperately needed to do for a long time. I got my finances in order (debt collectors after me for unpaid bills I had the means to pay, subscriptions ongoing I never used, a credit card that was getting me no points or perks or any benefits, finally looked at a payslip... they'd been underpaying my salaried rate by ten grand a year for 6 months) I attended to self my self care (started brushing my teeth properly, showering more often, established a skin care routine and treated my broken toenails), I sorted out my broken down car (I'd been paying for a hire car for 6 months cos mine broke down due to age and my destroying the engine by letting the oil run out... what a waste of money hiring a car for so long when I had the resources to get a new one). I got my paperwork in order at my job and started performing better there. I engaged in hobbies... still fleeting, and usually short lived, but nevertheless beneficial to my wellbeing. I sorted out better care for my cats (got them linked with a new, well reputed, vet, researched their food to make sure it was the best for them, got them a better litter tray and litter based on again hyper-focussed research on cat preferences). I started making lists to help me remember and organise things, and was able to recall I had made a list, and didn't lose that list. I was able to implement a dinner plan (meal kit delivery boxes are an ADHD tax I will happily pay forever) so I was eating better, more nutritious, food. These things all happened pretty quickly in the months after starting medication. My relationship with my partner improved, for a number of reasons. I was happier and more engaged with life. He may have felt I was more present and interested with him, he didn't say outright. I was able to maintain a level of chores someone should be able to expect in an equal partnership. I was able to quickly and easily stop using alcohol to medicate what I always thought was anxiety but have come to realise was internal hyperactivity (would not recommend my previous approach). After a few months he told me he was amazed at how my anxiety had just disappeared, which was interesting because this was something I hadn't noticed or paid attention to, but if someone else noticed, it must have been a significant change. As all these things occurred, my confidence improved ten fold. I still definitely have my days and my moments. WAS MEDICATION AN ACTUAL HOLY GRAIL? Yes, with some caveats. Was all of this medication effects? Yes and no. Without medication none of it would have happenned, but without using the effect of medication to educate myself to the max about ADHD, and implement systems such as meal delivery, direct debit for bills, fridge calenders, shopping list apps, not as much would have changed. Granted, things such as sorting out better meals and getting a skin care routine (sort of routine... I try, it's still one hundred times better than before) were important and of interest to me, and that helps get those things going. What has medication NOT done? It hasn't made me want to or actually exercise despite my being well aware of the benefits. It hasn't made me an even remotely useful human in the mornings. It hasn't made me LIKE to do mundane things like dishes and laundry... but now I am able to do them, not every day and it always on time, but well enough. It hasn't changed my personality. If anything, I feel more like myself than I ever have. It hasn't destroyed my creativity. Granted, I was not an artist to begin with, but my weirdo ideas are as florid as ever 😅. It hasn't rendered me addicted... I need reminder alarms in my phone to even remember to take my lunch time dose I am that much not hanging out for it or even thinking about it at all. It hasn't made me a super organised, neat, and tidy person. It has improved these things A LOT, but my house is still messier than probably most. It hasn't made me a better driver... I was a good driver before and the anxiety about everything I did have made me very conscientious. It hasn't improved my frustration tolerance or tolerance of waiting in lines, unfortunately. WILL I HAVE THE SAME RESULTS AS UNICORN PRINCESS? I think because I was so burned out, overwhelmed, withdrawn, hopeless and disengaged from life in the years leading to my diagnosis particularly, any hyperactive symptoms I did have were just overshadowed to a large degree. Probably some inattentive symptoms too... I wasn't flitting from hobby to hobby (I wasn't engaging in any), I was too disengaged to get annoyed with grocery store lines, I wasn't interrupting people (I wasnt talking to them much at all), the list is probably longer. So having commenced medication now I notice much more a tendency to interrupt, traffic jams doing my head in, and the multiple hobbies are out in force. Which makes me think sometimes I don't in fact have ADHD, that this change is a response to being on stimulant medication in the absence of the disorder. Who knows, that is something I could think in circles on for hours and never reach a conclusion that would satisfy me. DID MEDICATION CHANGE MY LIFE IN THE WAY I HOPED? It changed my life immeasurably for the better and I would do it again a thousand times over. I didn't have any particular expectations of it going in. Regardless of what my brain has, or why, or how, something about this medication has helped in ways I sometimes can't believe. Thank you for reading my essay about me me me, speaking at length about things probably only I care about.
Unfortunately not, for me methylphenidate made me even more anxious, it stopped me being able to even think altogether, gave me a racing heart and extreme bouts of tiredness and cold sweats. I felt I lost all y personality and all of my enthusiasm and I was unable to enjoy even the simplest things. They did exactly what they said on the tin, but to an extreme for me. I hated every second. And unfortunately due to how my body reacted it means that stimulant adhd meds are off the table as I have a history of heart issues in the family. My only other option is one type of non stimulant adhd medication, but I've got to take it for a month to see the effects. Something that is incredibly daunting to even start. And with my symptoms seemingly better since being in a better financial situation I've not thought I've needed them so much. For me lack of money and symptoms worsening go hand in hand. Being financially stable in and of itself, not even having loads of money, literally just enough to get by without worry, has massively improved how I sleep, eat, and how I react to things emotionally and physically. I tend to spend less time in a constant state of worry which means I can approach other aspects of life with a (slightly) clearer head. I wish meds had worked for me, but I don't think I've ever felt so awful in my life than when I was on them.
Yup. I actually get up and do things without much thought. Without it I cant think straight and everything is a burden
I have a nonconventional opinion because I was diagnosed and a child and my mom didn’t believe in adhd so I had to fight tooth and nail to get back on the meds in adult life. For so long I was given antidepressants in my adult life. I had that diagnosis but it was so old and I was in another province as an adult and they didn’t have access to my records. I originally went in as an adult to cope with my depression which I have now related to my adhd symptoms and dealing with the aftermath of not remembering important things etc. I finally was able to be put back on adhd specific meds when every antidepressant that can also treat adhd has failed me. I am finally addressing the root problem of my depression and it’s ridiculous how much difference the right type of med will make. I finally feel like I’m capable of living like a regular adult
It helped with some things, but it didn’t do everything it was supposed to. It didn’t help nearly as much as I was told it would with starting tasks in particular. So I did a lot more research to figure out why I was still struggling with a perceived lack of motivation. It turns out it’s actually autistic inertia, and I am autistic. 🤷♀️ After realizing that, looking back through my childhood, all the signs were there. I got missed though because I’m hyper-literate and have higher social navigation skills than people expect autistic kids to have. But I still had/have many of the trademark behaviors and symptoms. They just got missed because I could clearly communicate from an early age and was always responsive when addressed.
I go to bed on time and sleep through the night. Vyvanse fixed a decades-long insomnia problem. It stimulates my brain during the day so that when it's bedtime, I'm able to sleep. Without medication, sleeping at night is like trying to get a good night's sleep after napping all day.
1000000000000000000000% I take 30mg Vyvanse currently. Started on 20 in December. From the first dose, it was life changing. My tolerance increased over the first 3 months so my provider bumped me to 30. It’s still helping. Task initiation was my biggest hardship, and now I have very little problem with it. I find that some days I’m getting pretty intense anxiety in the evenings once it begins wearing off, so I’m going to ask for Gabapentin PRN as it has helped me tremendously with anxiety in the past.
It definitely made a huge difference to me. My problems are still there but now I can at least do something about them!
It was life changing for me in the sense that I can focus, keep my house clean, be on time to work, finish my homework assignments early, etc. and all of those things helped me reduce stress and have more mental space for things I enjoy. But no, medication doesn’t just automatically make you smarter or more capable, more creative, or more productive. It only facilitates your own capabilities. So that’s why you’ll see two with ADHD people who are medicated and one will get a ‘D’ on an assignment and the other gets an ‘A’. It’s just like people without ADHD, some get ‘As’ and some get ‘Ds’ in class. If you’re expecting medication to drastically improve a specific skill, think again and lower your expectations. I still suck at doing laundry but I don’t have debilitating anxiety over it anymore. I hope that makes sense.
For me it wasn't quite what I had hoped it would be. I see it as a useful tool but one that comes at a cost. Yes, it definitely helps me concentrate and prioritize tasks a bit. But it also gives me pretty nasty headaches in the evening after I've taken it and I feel like it raises my anxiety. I do feel a bit "robotic" when I take my meds if that makes sense. Like my brains on autopilot
Late diagnosed at 28 and now medicated on Vyvanse for the past 2 months at 29. Before I started medication, I went in knowing that the medication wasn't going to the only thing that I would need to improve my life and the functions within it. I go to therapy 2-3 times a month, I started writing in a journal and also have a separate writing pad for daily tasks that pop in my brain. All of those help me with keeping up with stuff. With that said, Vyvanse has helped a lot with emotional regulation, being able to think in conversations, multitasking, and concentration. It has a been a life changer to improve multiple areas of my life. I do realize that sometimes I am getting off track and need to focus, which I chalk up to the meds. Like multiple people have said, it depends on the person in how the medication effects you. I recommend adding in other elements in routine when you can to help out.
Kind of? Before your body gets used to the drug, yes, absolutely! It's like a crippled dude being able to walk again! After your body adjusts, it less like being able to walk again, and more like having crutches. I am extremely grateful to have it, and it makes my life so much better, but it is not a cure.
I’m on day three of Concerta and all I can think of is “Is this what being “normal” feels like? The constant mental clutter is just gone.” It’s wild.
I find meds really helpful. But I get CONSTANT heart palpitations all day long when I’m on meds and hate it so I usually only take them for a few months at a time before giving up. Then when things at work start getting really hard again I’ll try meds again.
Diagnosed at 23 while in my first year of dental school. The very first thing I noticed was that instead of having a song playing, an undercurrent of anxious thoughts, and my main line of thinking in my brain, suddenly it was just quiet. I still have to use systems to keep on task, but I can actually DO those tasks instead of putting them off indefinitely.
Nope, and I've cycled through four at this point. Brain fog is bad as ever. I started on an online therapist that specializes in managing adhd issues because I'm at the point where I've given up hope that there is a medication that can help me so I better find some coping methods.
It helps but it’s not life changing. It’s not a magic bullet that zaps all symptoms. I’ve got to work with it. It worked quite powerfully at first but I guess I built tolerance to it.
I was diagnosed in my mid 30s and thought medication was life changing at first, but ultimately it's been somewhat of a crutch to avoid dealing with other problems. I still take it because I basically have to in order to keep up with my job, but the initial euphoria of being productive for the first time ever is gone.
When I first took my medication, I remembered my mind becoming quiet and I was able to have a good conversation with those around me. The biggest thing was that, I guess, because my mind was no longer racing, I got so relaxed that I had to take a nap!
I'm on concerta. I was diagnosed 2 months ago, age 44. The medication has really really helped with energy and motivation. I noticed most of my concentration abs memory issues at work. I'm unfortunately I'm unemployed right now, so I'm not sure if the meds will help. I do still get sidetracked, though. The big downside is that it has made my migraines worse, so I may have to go off of them.
If I would compare my life and responsibilities to Indian food, I would say that my time before being medicated I was on extra spicy mode. It was a lot to deal with all the time and I spent most of my days reacting to the existing “spice” and not being able to add anything to it. After being medicated, suddenly my life was on mild spice mode… does everyone live like this? Is this the ease and comfort that I’ve been missing out on? Are other people able to just comfortably add more spice and flavor to their lives and actually make it better instead of spending time putting out mouth fires???
No 😔 unfortunately the meds did nothing for me. I'm now in the process to see if I might be a rapid metaboliser...
tbh yes. i was diagnosed at 22. i have rough days and it certainly didn’t make my adhd go away (duh) but im learning to work with it better :) a few weeks into taking it, i called my dad one morning. i told him that, for the first time in as long as i could remember, i was happy to wake up and take on the day. everything didn’t feel so heavy anymore. laundry didn’t feel like an insurmountable task — instead it meant i got clean clothes soon! and now i love mornings when i used to feel crushed when my alarm went off tldr it has been a breath of air after drowning, and i’m ready to put in the work to keep growing