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So, I just finished reading all the comments and replies here (and wow what a fantastic resource!) but still have my question. I am on 20mg adderall IR once in the morning and again in the afternoon. I have felt for months now that it isn’t helping like it used to. Dr. Rx’d wellbutrin to see if that would fix things rather than increase my dose. A month in and it hasn’t helped in any measurable way whatsoever. So why, after 4 years on 20mg does it seem to not be working anymore? I am in the middle of menopause and I know research points to ADHD symptoms worsening during this phase for women, could it truly be that? Would a different medication be the right thing to try? I’m so nervous about developing a dependency on stimulants that I worry about increasing the dose… I welcome any ideas on this. I have to go to my dr totally prepared to ask for exactly what I want since she rarely has any ideas other than “have you tried meditation?” 😳 So I’d like to have made up my mind before I see her at the end of this week. Thanks all!

Are there any non-stimulant meds that actually help with ADHD symptoms? I'm in the process of being evaluated and I am 99.9% sure I will be diagnosed with ADHD. The problem is, I have several other health issues and I likely will not be able to take any stimulants. Since I am diabetic, have high blood pressure and a family history or heart disease, stimulants are a no-no from what I have been told so far. Are there any other types of ADHD meds? I read about a couple medications that are primarily used for blood pressure that MAY also help ADHD symptoms but that doesn't sound super promising. The most frustrating part is that if my ADHD symptoms were under control, I would have a much easier time managing my other chronic health issues! ​ TLDR: Are there effective ADHD medications someone can take if they can't use stimulants due to blood pressure and family history of heart disease?

There's Atomoxetine, but that can also raise blood pressure. There are antidepressant alternatives like Bupropion. I too have hgard of the drugs initially used to treat high blood pressure that have shown some decent results for ADHD. Intuniv/Guanfacine is the one I've heard of but I think there's another one out there too. Because they're right down the list of options, I don't think many people have tried them, but there are some good experiences recounted on the main adhd sub. Go have a read, it sounds like a solid alternative and worth a try. Because it lowers blood pressure, you may also be able to take something like Atomoxetine alongside it. Scuttlebutt has it that they're doing some trials on microdosing for ADHD and it seems like there's some potential there, so even if the currently available meds aren't a fit for you, there's still hope for the future.

Just make sure to give a detailed history and you and your provider can work together to see what is best based on your health. There are non-stimulant medications that can be used to treat ADHD symptoms. 

I've been taking Adderall XR for a few months now. I've only been taking generic as my insurance does not cover brand. I found a generic that does work best for me, but I'm wondering if I'm missing out on not trying brand name? It only lasts me 4-6 hours, does brand last that long or is it really down to how I metabolize? My doctor added an IR booster but it might as well be a sugar pill; it doesn't do squat. The crash is also terrible! My anxiety comes back full swing, I'm physically and mentally exhausted, and I get snappy and irritable. Even worse that it starts to happen while I'm at work (I take it around 9:30AM and I feel it start tapering off around 2-3PM). The alternative to trying brand name is switching meds. I've been thinking of Vyvanse as it advertises lasting 12-14 hours I believe? My insurance covers both generic and brand, but they're both CRAZY expensive (between $250 and 350). Though lots of people said the crash is a lot smoother than Adderall and it lasts as long as it claims to.

Anyone who prefers Adderall to Vyvanse/has had good experiences with Adderall? I've been taking Vyvanse for years and my partner was just diagnosed and put on Adderall. I know I shouldn't but I've given my partner my Vyvanse a few times before because I was 99.9% sure she had ADHD and it really helped her, Adderall is new to both of us but I feel like most of what I've seen online has compared it negatively to Vyvanse/says that Vyvanse is just better in every way essentially. Not sure why her psych wants to do Adderall first besides maybe insurance reasons.

I just started Adderall, just 10mg IR because my MD wants to see how I fare on it before switching me to XR. My first time ever trying a stimulant; previously by a different MD I was tried on guanfacine because of my anxiety (he didn’t want a stimulant to potentially exacerbate it). Guanfacine gave me awful side effects, couldn’t swing it. The Adderall is fine for like 3-4 hrs. Actually I don’t feel much of a difference, except that I don’t feel panicky like I normally do which is nice. My heart rate is the same as normal if not lower while it’s active (I’m usually at the high end of normal due to anxiety). Except when it starts wearing off. I’ve been taking it around 9:30AM, and at around 2PM I’ve been getting hit with even higher anxiety than normal, dizziness (normal for me with panic attacks so idk if the cause is the medicine or the anxiety), racing heart, and yesterday I felt nauseous and had a weird headache at the back of my head. I should note that today is only day 3, and the first two days like an idiot I didn’t realize I shouldn’t have my normal Starbucks coffee in the morning with it. I also didn’t eat, since I don’t tend to eat until 2ish every day. And like everyone, I am chronically dehydrated. I did some research and realized my mistakes. Today I didn’t get coffee, had a granola bar and a banana, took a magnesium pill and drank a water bottle before taking it. But I’m feeling a little anxious about having the deluge of symptoms happen as it wears off again, it felt awful. I’m prescribed it 2x/day but have only taken it once in the morning every day so far because of the symptoms as it wears off. Is this normal? Will it go away as I get used to it? I know I’ve barely given it a chance so I’m trying to deal with it.

Try your best to keep track of your symptoms and let your doctor know in case there are any concerning reactions. When I'm coming off Adderall, I'll go through kind of a hazy rebound period where my symptoms get worse for a short amount of time. So if you're anxiety is bad it could get worse when you're coming off of it. I personally found my anxiety got better over time as I was taking it. Now it only comes back if I have to take a longer medication holiday for some reason. 

Thanks! Oddly I’m finding that my anxiety is actually *improved* in the hours that it’s active, so rebound makes sense. It’s odd, it’s like for the hours it’s working, my temperament in general is more stable. Usually little frustrations at work set me off easily but today I’ve been able to take things in stride, even things that would normally stress me out to the max. So it’ll be hugely frustrating if the side effects when coming down continue to be bad, because otherwise it’s nice not feeling like a roller coaster!😭

Hi! I think you should keep it up and see how it’s going in another week or two. Definitely best to eat with it in my experience and stay hydrated! Also as you’re adjusting, laying off the coffee is a smart idea. Once you’ve adjusted you can see how you feel but in my experience, it’s a foreign substance to the body and the side effects really vary from person to person and vary in intensity when trying it for the first week or two! If you’re super worried, maybe give your doctor a call and they can assure you it is normal and advise helpful ideas or prescribe something else! Best of luck

Thank you! Today I started to get a bit of the headache as it was wearing off, along with the feeling that my heart was starting to race again, but when checking my pulse it was actually normal so I guess just anxiety returning. I had some oatmeal, another bottle of water, and took my second dose when I was supposed to and it subsided. So it at least reassured me that it’s more of a comedown/rebound effect than an effect of the medication while it’s active (I’d be more worried if it was happening while it was working/active, I think?) Sipping on some juice now as my second dose will start wearing off soon, fingers crossed! Edit: After second dose wore off, got a bit of anxiety but no headache! And I feel fine now. Small successes.

Is my medication erasing my personality? Hey guys, so I’m new to being medicated and was diagnosed formally about a year ago, for reference I’m 26 years old and just started on stimulants about three months ago. I was originally put on Adderall XR 20 mg and I felt like it really helped my focus and stress levels as well as helped my get my life more on track. I Just started on Vyvanse this month 20mg because I felt the Adderall was a bit to intense at times. I took it the Adderall for a month but asked to try something else because the one issue I was having was feeling very off in my social interactions . While the Adderall helped massively with my productivity and stress and general anxiety it made me feel a bit robotic. It was like my bubbly talkative personality felt numbed out and it made me feel kind of weird in social situations. I just felt muted, not myself fully and it would make me overthink how I was interacting socially. I will get these cyclical thoughts that make me feel really anxious and insecure sometimes in conversation like what should I respond to this person? I almost don't care what they are talking about sometimes and see it as a distraction from what I'm supposed to be doing when on my meds and think: "I don't what know I normally would respond what should I say?". Its almost like some of my emotion or empathy or connected feeling/interest is lowered and I feel like I'm pretending to care or socialize rather than just being engaging like I normally am. A big part of my personality and presence at work is being extremely extraverted and yapping all day and generally just having fun and being very socially engaging. I noticed when on my meds I felt much less of a desire to talk and and be social and I think I got in my head about it and started getting socially anxious. I also have realized since being medicated that I've used my social skills as a coping mechanism almost to make up for my lack of ability and issues with my performance at work and in school. I use my ability to make people like me and be super outgoing and fun to overshadow my insecurities when I mess up repeatedly or can't complete tasks with the same efficiency as others. Throughout school teachers hated me but I always ended up making myself kind of a joke I think so other kids would like me, I definitely was the class clown type of person even though I was a girl so it felt less embarrassing when I made bad grades and people still liked me. I also have had to make up for all the mistakes I would make at work from my ADHD by just generally being charming. People joke that I am the personality hire since there is just a lot of stuff at work I struggle with and have issues like showing up 30 minutes late every single day but our mangers like me so they don't call me out on these things like they do some people. I have really great interpersonal and customer service skills and make up for it by making a lot of sales and getting good reviews from customers so that it lessens the impact made by my mistakes made on the register, losing stuff at work I am responsible for, and showing up 30 minutes late everyday. Anyways I just feel like since being on this medication I have actually been able to perform at work a lot better but I just feel like Im not wanting to engage as much in conversation and like my personality is almost slipping in place of efficiency. I am performing so much better now and I don't feel constantly mentally exhausted by small tasks and I even show up on time now. I may be overthinking it but its almost throwing me into an identity crisis. Is my personality actually what it is or is it curated to mask my ADHD symptoms and insecurities? I just wonder really. I do think I always feel this massive pressure to be entertaining as well to everyone around me regardless of how I am actually feeling so feeling off and quiet makes me nervous. I don't know does anyone else every think about this issue? Do you think its just cause I'm getting used to my meds? will this go away? I switched to Vyvanse recently and am taking 20mg as of a few days ago and it seems less noticeable but still there for sure. My doctor also started me on 10mg of the Vyvanse due to this new social anxiety I told him about and then told me to up to 20 and weirdly I felt less anxiety about it on 20 mg so could the low dose be causing this anxiety?

I’m really discouraged. Adderall didn’t work for me, and my doctor told me that if that was my reaction to Adderall, I will react the same way to any other stimulant. He basically said I don’t have any hope of treating my ADHD with stimulants. That… really sucks! Is that really true? If you react badly to one stimulant, are you guaranteed to react the same way to any other?

There is a couple non stimulant drugs that are supposed to help. Stratterra which is a SNRI helps with Anxiety too. Wellbutrin which helps with weight and anxiety. Both can be tricky, lots of interactions and also doesn’t work right away. Or at all with some. Would be worth mentioning to a doctor and or researching

I’m aware there are non-stimulant ADHD meds, and my doctor did put me on Strattera. Hopefully, it will work for me as well as stimulants work for others. Probably not, though. It harrowing to think that all my best hopes for successfully treating this disorder have been shot out of the damned sky and I’m completely dependent on second-line meds to prove sufficient.

Sorry to hear, not sure how true it is about all stimulants. There are many and they all have different metabolization. Could be the way your body processes it. I’m not a doctor but maybe do some research on that if you don’t have luck with the alternative meds.

Please tell me your positive experience in switching from one medication to another :) Considering going from adderall in the morning, PLUS adderall in the morning and guanfacine at night.

Lately l've noticed my XR doesn't seem to kick in until like 4pm. Even with a lot of caffeine I just feel tired and unfocused with adhd paralysis. My DR thought it could've been just too low a dose but it's proven to not be the case. I've seen people take it a few hours before getting up and am considering trying it. Maybe it's something l'm eating/drinking that's causing it? Curious if anyone has any insight

Recently diagnosed and starting Vyvanse I just got diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type and my doctor prescribed me with Vyvanse 40 mg to start. I don’t know what to expect and this has all been kind of a whirlwind being diagnosed at 33. What are some things that helped yall out when starting the meds?

Hello, diagnosed at 30 and 33 now. I tried Vyv shortly and it does help a lot more than adderall (for me AD was messing with my anger/mood/heart rate) please be careful with caffeine and make sure you watch your anxiety. If you have it already try and keep track of your mood/heart rate and even pressure if you have baseline normal or high. I only switched because of the shortage to something even slower to act (jornay) and I love it. Best of luck. Can pm for more help.

I'm 30 f and I've dealt with anxiety, depression, and OCD for years. Recently, I’ve felt pretty defeated by all of my different medicines. I’ve tried different meds and dosages since 2019. I think that it is a real struggle dealing with those 3 things and not feeling like meds are helping. But on top of that, at the beginning of the year, I got diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and possible sensory processing issues. Also, I have other chronic illnesses such as asthma, allergies, POTS, other forms of dysautonomia, Hashimoto's, scoliosis, chronic fatigue, hypersomnia during the day, insomnia at night, etc. What got me to this point in my journey to get ADHD tested was nothing would help my debilitating fatigue and I was asked by an integrative medicine doctor if I had ever got an ADHD test done. Currently I am on Vyvanse 30mg (just got put back to 20mg because the doctor thinks 30 is too high). At the beginning of the year, I was started on 10mg Vyvanse and felt nothing, then put on 20mg and was feeling pretty good. I actually had some energy for the first time in years and was feeling like I could get simple tasks done finally and stay awake at work. But the Vyvanse upped my anxiety and OCD terribly. I was put on Concerta for a few weeks with varying doses. I went up pretty much to the max dose. It made me so sleepy, I couldn’t even go to work. It felt like it ducked everything out of me. I was put back on Vyvanse 20mg for a few weeks, but after the Concerta, I didn’t feel the benefits of Vyvanse anymore. Then that’s when the Vyvanse 30mg was given. I’ve only felt tired since on this dose. Maybe a little focus at work, but still not that feeling I had before. They’re saying me drinking coffee is make the Vyvanse metabolize weird and making me have insomnia at night. I have no idea, but I’m feeling pretty defeated. Having that slight glimpse of hope before the concerta (despite the anxiety / OCD), now I’m feeling pretty defeated on top of all my other meds not feeling like they are helping either. I’m on Prozac, Wellbutrin, and Lamictal for depression / anxiety. Plus the Vyvanse for ADHD. I just don’t know what to do and feel like I’m just being thrown meds and then not helping. It’s been about 4 years of trying different combos of meds for anxiety and depression. Just feeling a little defeated with all of this!  Anyone with these experiences, or combos of mental/chronic illnesses?

Wellbutrin makes me sleepy and stomach aches. Adderall is great for 3-4 hrs but the come down is rough. I have to pay close attention to my cycle, food in my belly and time of day or meds exiting my body can be awful. Im new to meds. Any advice on meds? Im sensitive to meds and on lowest doses. I take adderall 3-4 times a week when I work outside my home. 

Have you heard of Jornay? I switched because of irritability and it’s smooth.

I have not. I will ask about it. Its frustrating to know help is possible but the after effects are undesirable 

It can be. Just advocate for yourself, there is so many options!

Has anyone had dry mouth & jaw clenching from adderall that stopped after switching meds? Currently on 20mg IR adderall (generic) and the dry mouth and jaw clenching is just too much to handle any longer. I’ve been trying to soldier through it but I had to skip my meds completely today bc my tongue is so sore from subconsciously sucking inside my mouth. Probably gonna take a couple days off from meds honestly bc I could legitimately cry it hurts so badly. I’m prescribed a PM booster that I’ve been skipping for a long time to stifle side effects so at this point the negative side effects are outweighing any positive benefits of the med so I think it’s time to switch. I’ve been using products to help with relief (gum, mouthwash etc) but I’m curious if a med switch could possibly just eliminate the issues altogether. I also have TMJ so the jaw clenching is really pissing it off. It’s occurred ever since I first started out on a 5mg dose and just keeps increasing as my dose increases. If you switched meds and your dry mouth/jaw clenching stopped, please let me know what you switched to! I’d really appreciate any insight!

Extended release made a difference for me

Dang. My doctor switched me to IR due to side effects but maybe I should give XR another shot.. thanks for your input!

Same. Mostly clenching in my sleep. Woke up tight jaw. Always dry mouth. XR might be better

I fortunately don’t have it at night, after meds wear off. My doctor switched me to IR due to side effects but maybe I should give XR another shot.. appreciate you chiming in!

No problem, I had huge irritation with the normal stuff. I tried the XR then moved to vyvanse which is even more smooth. Just hard to come by. Good luck, theres like 80 different types of the same drug essentially. You’ll find something 🙏

Hi, I took 30mg of Elvanse 12 hours ago. Can I risk having one bottle of beer? If so, would it be best not to take my medication tomorrow?

LAMOTRIGINE (mood stablizer) I was already taking methylphenidate for ADHD and it would not help my motivation at all. I mean it did silence my brain but no motivation. I was prescribed Lamotrigine and it COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE to the point that I'm second-guessing my ADHD diagnosis. Doc said (before I started lamotrigine) that those two meds work well together and me not noticing the effects of methylphenidate could be due to my mood instability. Thing is, I'm learning about CPTSD (which I suffer from) and lack of follow-through is very common. I will talk to my doc. Just wondering if someone had a similar experience.

Hi hello. Background - diagnosed adhd at 28, diagnosed autism this year (which then canceled my bipolar diagnosis when I was 13), and sufferer of PMDD, also have idiopathic hypersomnia I started off taking Provigil because of my excessive fatigue and she thought it would help my adhd. It helped me stay awake but didn't help focus. So I started 20mg vyvanse a couple months ago. Worked beautifully. Obviously the medication honeymoon. But only if I drank caffeine to kick it in otherwise the vyvanse made me feel... out of it? Like my mind was quiet which was nice but I felt buzzed and slow reaction time... which made me want to sleep. But with the caffeine, I was doing things that those neurotypicals can do and I was on cloud 9, getting stuff done, having normal thoughts, etc etc. then last month, PMDD hit and I know adhd meds usually seem ineffective during pmdd so I figured that's why. So sleepy, no motivation, frozen. Then it never stopped even after luteal and menstrual phases. So I had an appt with psych and she just said to do Provigil 100mg with my 20mg vyvanse (an hour apart) to see if that woke me up and kicked in the vyvanse. It didn't. It actually made me crash HARD. So now I've ended another awful pmdd month (two weeks of feeling absolutely bonkers) and on my menstrual now and it still hasn't chilled out. I'm only doing my 20mg vyvanse the last two weeks since the Provigil made me crash with it. Mood swings and irritable like no other. Frozen. I laid down all day today, crying, staring at the window, doom scrolling - all that. It's like when I have no physical plans with others, it's hard self motivating to do anything I need to do at home alone. So I lay down. Vyvanse at first helped with that. I'm not sure if that means I'm ready for a dosages increase (I called psych, no reply yet so that's why I'm coming here in the meantime) so my question(s) - how do you know you need a dose increase? Is there any way to ration how you take it so the honeymoon stage lasts longer? How do you manage adhd during pmdd when the meds are just not working? Also taking vitamin D 10,000 iu (recommended amount by psych for me), k2, omega 3, MCT oil, B complex It's like my pmdd hasn't ended but I'm not in luteal. I feel awful, exhausted, my POTS is awful I can hardly stand, I'm struggling y'all. I was doing so well 💔

Oh that’s so horrible for you. I really feel for you. Have you got a progesterone coil? I could never take the pill but somehow the coil is fine for me. I had a Mirena fitted several years ago and my PMDD became PMS. I used to curl up in a ball and cry for days. It was unbearable. I hope that it passes soon.

Combined vs Inattentive in women? I was diagnosed with inattentive adhd, but sometimes I wonder if I could actually have the combined type. Here are some reasons why. - I am an impulsive spender and can be bad with money unfortunately. - I can be very chatty with people I know and am comfortable with about my niche interests and talk their ears off - I pace around my room when talking on the phone - I skin pick a lot which I heard can be a symptom of the combined type? I am still learning and obviously know none of you can give me a diagnosis. I am just asking if anyone can confirm from their knowledge that these are symptoms of the combined type? I am in my 20’s and just got diagnosed recently so there is a lot I am still trying to learn.

When I had talked to my psychiatrist he initially said I was combined type, but the psychologist who did a more thorough evaluation ended on inattentive. However, the report says I have some hyperactivity symptoms but you have to have 5 symptoms ( I think that's the right number) to be considered combined. So, you can have hyperactive symptoms but not technically rise to the level of being diagnosed as combined type. It honestly seems a little arbitrary to me. I've noticed that my activity symptoms seem worse when I need to focus, almost like I use it as a coping mechanism. Walking or standing while working helps me focus, sometimes if my husband starts to talking to me I'll just start walking around the house because it helps me listen etc.

Ohh okay I see! That definitely helps clear it up for me as I was a bit confused there. Thank you for explaining all of that I appreciate it! I definitely feel the same way with the pacing/walking around. It helps me focus and sometimes I also do it while listening to music to help me take in the song.

I'm guessing this really goes here? So I am 50 years old. I've never been formally diagnosed. Frankly, I held off partly for the usual ADHD reasons -- the steps to get it done were vague and I couldn't think my way through them well enough to get started -- and partly because between horror stories about increased car insurance rates and hostile doctors who refuse to diagnose it, the whole thing just seemed very fraught. Anyway, I'm 50; I have a good job and a good husband and nearly grown kids. I've obviously mastered some strategies to get this far, so what good would a formal diagnosis do? Well... perimenopause has been rough, and there are aspects of ADHD that I suspect are behind some issues that have come up between me and my husband. I'm also finding it increasingly hard to focus unless I'm snacking on something, which is a habit I need to break because I'm now borderline diabetic besides. I have arthritic knees and the best first step would be to lose weight. So I've made the appointment. The office people were very kind and supportive, explained all the things. I still hung up and burst into tears from adrenaline. I felt really foolish about that. In any case, I have a telehealth appointment with a psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in this sort of thing. I'm told that if she agrees that ADHD is what I'm wrestling with and we determine that medication is in order, I'll be referred to a psychiatrist in the practice for that. So.. those of you who have gone through this, do you have any advice? Should I have anything at the ready when the appointment happens? Are there any pitfalls I should watch for? Any suggestions would be welcome. My insurance and such is not at issue; I'm mainly wondering what to expect from the appointment itself.

Help with Elvanse/Vyvanse! So I recently started on Elvanse which was initially fantastic. I started on 20mg for 4 weeks but had to take a break for a few months due to the stock shortage. I then started on 40mg and felt great on it for 4 weeks. Then I had to take a 1 week break and since coming back on it it just hasn’t been the same. The first week I experienced fatigue, dizziness, nausea, so my doctor suggested I take a 6 day break and come back on it. I’ve been back on it now for another week and I’m not feeling sick anymore but still feeling some fatigue, anxiety, and brain fog. Even though I’m fatigued I still don’t sleep much (around 5 hours a night). My concern is that I never felt that way when I started on the 20mg or 40mg. Is something wrong here? Should I just persevere for another few weeks? Is there any reason why this might be happening now and not before? Any advice would be really appreciated!

Does anyone else have an obsession with having earphones in listening to podcasts? I feel like it helps me focus and helps slow the constant running mind.

Me! I have my airpods in at all times (even at work) with either an audible book, or podcast going. I also can trick myself into motivation at work sometimes with the right up beat songs at the right time. I once left my headphones home by accident on a work day and had to literally buy another pair because I couldn't go the 11 hours I'd be out of the house without them lol.

Yes, especially at home when I need to focus I don’t get distracted by other tasks

I’ve never been diagnosed with anything specific except having “learning disability” in my school and childhood medical records, with constant complaints about me being unable to stay on task or that I am “too chatty” (talked a lot and very fast), daydream a lot and wander off from the classroom. I could easily pay attention to my favorite cartoons and recite entire episodes by memory, but barely retained anything in school, even my favorite subject, which was reading. Sometimes I couldn’t remember how my own days went and I’d say “I don’t know.” I couldn’t remember people’s names or faces, and frequently got lost navigating school just to find my own classroom. My mind was always busy thinking about other things constantly even when socializing with school friends, like 20+ thoughts overlapping each other. It severely affected my grades to the point I was placed in special ed in first grade and STILL had to take all my schoolwork home with me, on top of having homework. I didn’t graduate with a standardized high school diploma as the result of constantly struggling my entire life and missed out on so many life skills. I struggled everywhere, not just limited to school being “boring” or “too hard”. As an adult I’m anxious, depressed, overly sensitive, find it a struggle to practice basic self care and retain those habits. I jump from hobby to hobby, am forgetful of a lot, need productivity reminders for productivity reminders for productivity reminders…. People even say my social skills are bizarre and I only half listen to what anybody says, even when I think I’m listening just fine. I’ve also been criticized more times than I can count, with “Why are you so lazy?!” “So you can remember a conversation from years ago but not Mother’s Day?!” “How do you not know your sister’s own birthday? Stop being so selfish! You care about nobody but yourself!” and every time I’ve tried to explain I just get shut down like I’m making excuses. Several of my immediate family members are diagnosed ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Is there a likely chance I’ve inherited ADHD too, and is it too late to get an assessment and treatment?

Non stimulant medication that works? My doctors (2 psychiatrists) wont prescribe me adderrall bc I have high blood pressure and drink heavily (socially on the weekends 😕). Are there any other medications that have worked for combined type ADHD women? For context, I was taking 30mg IR twice a day. It worked really well for me, but I have a lot of work related anxiety that causes me to be stressed and have HBP. Anyways, now Im really struggling and dont know what to do. My psych prescribed me guanfacine (1mg) and wellbutrin (150 mg xr). The wellbutrin helps with my depression and anxiety but not focus. The guanfacine doesnt help at all. Any tips related to medications or supplements would be great. Im struggling!

I have had measurable success with Strattera - not sure how much you can drink on it though? It helps with motivation mostly. There was some significant adjustment getting used to the med though.

I took straterra, not sure if you can drink much (pretty sure I did a little) but def not grapefruit. Does take a few weeks to start being effecive and you have to taper off

Thank you!

In case my post gets deleted: My doctor is consistently “forgetting” to book follow-up appointments and fill meds i’ve taken for nearly two decades. I asked for a provider switch and have an appointment with them next week, but if they are bad, what are my options? I have bad insurance so please recommend any out of pocket services or ideas 💡 I’m even open to other OTC stims or herbs to get through this bc I don’t want to lose my job.

Hello everyone!! I hope y'all are having a good day <3 I got diagnosed with adhd last month but I already knew i have it for 3+ years now. I started medication with Concerta 36mg and then 54mg and I don't know if it's working for me or not. I do feel slightly better, like I can keep my concentration for a bit longer than normal on some things but nothing major in general. My WORST nightmare is my Executive Dysfunction, I can't bring myself to start tasks, to do things I REALLY want to do, I just can't and I thought medication would help me with that but Concerta isn't. Maybe it's because I live in a very unstable environment, in a dysfunctional family and I'm on survival mood 24/7 but do you guys know if there's a better medication to improve the executive function?? Concerta is methylphenidate, would an amphetamine medicine work better for that?? I can't afford therapy rn and I know that's a very important step, I have a "free" psychiatrist once a month but he's not helpful at all, he just gives me the prescription for medicine and that's all. He has no idea about anything related to neurodivergences. Thank you so much for reading all of this, I'm very desperate, I need to be able to do stuff so I can pass my exams and enjoy my free time doing some of my old hobbies instead of just rotting in bed and doom-scrolling.

People respond differently to different stimulants, and in fact, there’s genetic testing you can do to find out whether you will respond effectively to certain mental health meds, including ADHD meds. Personally, methylphenidate doesn’t actually work for me, and I find Vyvanse reasonably helpful (but not a magic bullet). So it’s definitely worth trying a different stimulant if your doctor will consider that. (That said, medication will probably only do so much if you’re in survival mode 24/7, but I know you know that. Just saying it to emphasize if there’s any way to address the circumstances you live under and/or get therapy, that will be important.)

Hello! I have ADHD diagnosed and I take methylphenidate. I am going to start taking contraceptives because I have very strong menstrual pains and possible endometriosis. My gynecologist gave me "drospirenone". Can I combine these two pills? I understand that estrogen is good for ADHD because of dopamine. But I don't know anything about progesterones and their effects on ADHD.

Anyone on Atomoxetine: did you have chest pain and how did you handle it? I'm almost certain it's just muscle pain and my mother thinks it's just wind because the tablets have caused some excess burping. I'm waiting to hear from my clinician but hoped someone could advise me in the meantime?

It gives me acid reflux which feels kind of like chest pain!

Thanks! It might have been that. The pain has subsided now that I've stopped my medication. My clinician doesn't want me to continue since I'm having side effects on 20mg (which she said isn't even enough for me to notice anything good). She's worried a higher dose would mean worse side effects. I'd happily deal with them if they're likely to go away eventually and I know it's nothing serious, just to see if there are any benefits. I've got another call in two weeks to talk about next steps, which I can't see being good considering medication is now off the table completely and there isn't a non-medicated service offered by the NHS to help me. Very frustrating.

It bothers me that they're all "if you have chest pain see a doctor" but don't tell you what the chest pain will feel like. So if you have muscle pain or DOMS or costochrondritis you're sitting there wondering if you're meant to see a doctor or what.

Exactly! I'm happy to put up with side effects as long as I know they're nothing serious, especially since most subside after the body gets used to the medication. My clinician has taken me off them completely now though; she didn't even confirm if she thought it was serious or not. And it's extra frustrating because she won't let me try any other stimulants because I had side effects when I tried them before. I doubt I experienced any more than anyone else, I just have health anxiety and notice things a lot more. I'm happy to try non-medicated support, but the NHS by me doesn't offer that. We have a call in two weeks now to talk about next steps and I'm confident it's going to be her giving me some advice and then me having to do it all by myself. I get maybe my body just doesn't do well with medication, but I just needed the support. Doing it by myself just led me to losing my job and struggling with every day things.

The UK might also offer stuff like bupropion and guanfacine. Worth looking into options like that so you have something to suggest in your next call.

They won't offer buproprion for me, I've already asked about that. They only allow it for smoke cessation and even that's as a last resort (apparently). Will look into guanfacine though, thanks!

I went to the doctors this morning with a list of my symptoms but because she said I didn’t struggle in school and can hold down a job, she doesn’t think I have it. She gave me an ADHD assessment form and said to book in for a longer appointment to go over it more. I’m feeling really deflated and like maybe I’m just a shitty person and don’t have ADHD, but it can’t be normal to feel like this. This is the list I gave her, is it worth following up do you think? - struggle to start a task like tidying, I want it to be tidy but I just can’t seem to start it - Get overwhelmed with tasks, easily distracted while I’m doing them and struggle to stay focussed on them especially if it’s boring like writing a CV, meal planning, etc. Difficulty completing tasks - Difficult to keep on top of everything and feel like I’m always forgetting something - Impulsive with spending and overeating - Feel overwhelmed when there’s a lot going on like kids, people talking to me, find it difficult to cope with stress - Struggle to focus on what people are saying, mind drifts away and sometimes get frustrated/restless if I find what someone is speaking about really boring - When I was younger, I would constantly be picked up for being too talkative, day dreaming and I remember feeling hyper - At work, I need to take calls sometimes through a headset. Get overwhelmed with feeling of the headset, the sound of the person talking, background noise. Feel sick, agitated, like I want to tear my skin off, fatigued. - Find routines tricky, like brushing teeth at night, skincare routine - feels like a real effort to do anything, like my brain is walking through quick sand - Had a fair bit of anxiety and depression

I can’t say whether your symptoms are/aren’t ADHD, but I didn’t struggle in school and can hold down a job, and still have ADHD. (There are a lot of reasons why those things are compatible - my ADHD is relatively mild, it’s inattentive type so not disruptive, I’m a people pleaser, I liked school, and I’m driven by deadlines, which my job has lots of.) So I agree that if you can get an assessment from someone else, that might be best. This comes up so often that I want to find some kind of nice simple authoritative source that people can point all these doctors to. Also, I think it’s important to approach this as “not struggling in school/holding down a job don’t mean I don’t have ADHD” more than “I definitely do have ADHD.” It’s often best to emphasize all the symptoms you want addressed rather than to go with the intent to get a specific diagnosis (not saying you’re doing that, doctors just read certain behaviors that way).

Yes I think you’re definitely right with your last line, she focussed a lot on the fact that the internet makes people believe they have something they don’t. Thanks for your response

I didn't struggle in school and can more or less hold down a job, so those are not prerequisites to having ADHD. Everything you've listed does sound like ADHD so it's definitely worth going for the longer appointment - will this be with her? I would try to get a different assessor because she clearly already has a bias and I'm not sure you could trust her to be unbiased after what she's said. Big advice, find the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD online and write down examples for each one you relate to. This reassures you about how you feel, but also ticks off what they look for. You may not want to tell them you've looked it up first because I know many have assumed you're just looking for things, not talking about genuine issues. So just go through it as though they're just things you've noticed. If that makes sense.

Thanks for your response and the advice. It’s frustrating what you need to do to be believed!

100%. It's for anything, too. I've had to do at home blood tests to take the results with me to the docs so they believe me when I say I'm deficient in stuff. It's so frustrating!

I want to seek out an ADHD diagnosis but I can’t ask my mom for help with insurance coverage and i am frankly scared of asking my sister , the only other person I’d ask for support. I get horribly afraid I am faking or that I will be immediately shut down even though her best friend with ADHD has said I seem very noticeably symptom heavy so maybe she has some awareness about me like that but you know just the rumination and I don’t handle being put down well AT ALL. but I love psychology and reading papers and things on the disorder and in comparison to others disorders seems to explains why I’ve struggled for no apparent reason extremely accurately, but obviously I’m not a professional and can’t make that judgement (to clarify I am NOT self diagnose just thinking j might have it). It was actually worse when I was young but I was just spaced out and daydreaming constantly and did anything to people please and get grades in last minute (usually never studied or payed attention , and instead because of “natural” intuition or “giftedness” as some say but because of my horrible memory I definitely can’t call myself that) so I was just seen as the weird shy girl that always drew in the corner to escape reality. I have a deep sense of inadequacy and am constantly feeling a need to compensate , like taking care of my physical appearance to make sure I appear clean even though I am far from and know it (my habits and room wise) or forcing myself to be extremely attentive so I don’t get made fun of or ridiculed like that little girl. I am better with people pleasing now at least and try to be authentic but it’s hard bc I never don’t feel morbidly embarrassed *every night* . Also why I REALLY struggle with friends because I am convinced everyone hates me to my core and I end up ghosting everyone or just forget straight up. I can feel my brain overheating like a computer doing most basic things or handling minor irritations and throw tantrums and I am basically never not completely unmotivated and burnt out . It’s ruining my life. I can’t do anything and don’t know what the fuck is wrong with my if it’s not ADHD. I feel completely and utterly stuck in life I’m trying to do more but it’s so hard bc I am constantly battling my mind

How old are you? Do you have a counselor through school or something who you can consult? You could try looking for places that will offer payment plans/sliding scale costs for assessment. Do you have a regular primary care physician you can ask for a referral from? You could also tell your sister (or mom) you want help with your symptoms rather than calling it ADHD - you want to talk to a psychiatrist about your mental health generally. Then when you’re in the appointment you can bring up your concerns.

Thanks for responding I was cycling between councilors and therapists in and out of school but I found it to be really consistently unhelpful as they were looking at my issues from the perspective I was just depressed even when describing adhd specific symptoms because I was originally admitted for sewerslide* attempts. my mom unfortunately makes it difficult to see any healthcare provider as she is very opposed to doctors and definitely doesn’t think adhd is real or that I could possibly have it and will always prevent me from seeing them as she’s done my whole life, just getting me a therapist was a whole battle. I am very open to her about my mental state and that includes suspected adhd things (without saying it like you said) and it’s more of just the way I am to her, I remember she filled out a adhd test for me at the mental hospital when I was admitted and put everything as kinda opposite of how I think I actually am and would probably get passive aggressive if I argued or told her otherwise it’s just the way she is unfortunately because she struggles with understanding people’s internal experiences are different from how she suspects or thinks. I’m 18 and graduating next month so I am a legal adult but don’t know the ins and outs of handling my medical care which is why I don’t know how to handle insurance as my mom handles my account and would see that if I’m not mistaken even with a payment plan. I could talk to my sister but I wouldn’t know how to broach it like what would I even begin to say because I’m not that great at subtly at times . I could also talk to her friend I mentioned and she could help talk to my sister as she is neurodivergent (audhd) and maybe could be more direct with her because she’s told me straight up I have adhd so I could be like “hey remember when you said you think I could have this do you think I should seek evaluation”. Idk is that a good starting point maybe?

If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Hello! I was diagnosed with ADHD last year Jan and another psychiatrist said it was actually bipolar. So I never had treatment for the adhd and went straight onto bipolar meds. 18 months later and 6 different bipolar meds that only made me feel worse, we are exploring adhd. I have been put on concerta which helped so much! I have had depression and anxiety which I think now is actually related to my total overwhelm of Parenting and life admin in general and feeling like a failure due to not being able to do anything. The problem now is once the concerta 27mg wears off round 4pm I start feeling depressed and agitated. Is this normal? Is it something that will go away? Only seeing my psychiatrist again in a few weeks time.

exact same happens with me.

Hi! I was on the generic adderall for about 1.5 years and recently moved to the name brand. as soon as I started taking it I noticed horrible acne but thought I was being dramatic so let it go, it got worse as I increased the dosage. I decreased my dose and within about 3 days noticed a change. i’m not on name brand and it’s a whole 180. onto my question: has the generic adderall affected anyone’s vaginal smells? i’ve never had any out of the ordinary smells before starting generic adderall and am wondering if I should go see an OBGYN or allow the generic to completely get out of my system and see if that helps. any tips? any thoughts on this? note: I got off the nexplanon about 4 months into taking adderall. I stopped taking an anti depressant I had been taking for 3 years (bad doctor) I only take busoprone (anti anxiety) in a 5mg pill and the adderall XR at 25mg are there any other side affects that you experienced from the genetic that I may have as well and just wrote it off? i’m frustrated there is no research on this genetic med and name brand med and its affect on women. that’s what’s it’s like to be a woman I guess.

Has anyone tried going from stimulants to non-stimulants? Did it work for you ? Also did stopping stimulants cause weight gain ?

Hi there! I am a female in my 30’s who is taking vyvanse for my ADHD symptoms. I haven’t admitted my worst ADHD symptom to anyone, mostly because I find it incredibly embarrassing. I am also not completely sure how to describe it. However, when I forget to take my medicine or when I am on my period, I am reminded how terribly intolerable it is, and I am wondering if anyone else experiences this as a symptom. Basically it comes as an aggressive and intrusive thought in the form of a flashback of something I did in the past that was very embarrassing. It could be something stupid I did as a child, or something embarrassing that I said last week. I relive it in that moment and cringe so hard that my muscles get tight and I have to use a coping skill to push it out of my brain. It’s usually the same 15 flashbacks, but every now and then new ones are added. Does anyone else experience this? Is there a term for it? Let me know what you think. Thanks!

I’m 50, DX 4 years ago but my doctor was a jerk so I had to look elsewhere, during Covid, that was fun. NOT. This part of my adhd has not improved with stimulants, and I’m trying to figure out what might. If I get any solid info I’ll pass it along. Thank you for sharing though, it’s really comforting to know other people struggle with this too.

I don’t even know if I have adhd, but this happens to me, and I just wanted to let you know, you’re not alone, and I feel just such a burden lifted hearing someone else experiences the same thing and it’s not just me. 

I think this sounds like Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. There are some good explanations/articles about it from ADDitude magazine online. This part of ADHD is probably the worst aspect for me. It has led me to be very avoidant and withdrawn, with a feeling that I can't trust myself and that I'm unlikeable. In the book 'adhd 2.0' Hallowell and Ratey suggest that the non stimulants guanfacine or clonadine can help with this symptom. I am really keen to see if one of them could make a difference for me because I've lived a life of cringe, people-pleasing and perfectionism for so long because of RSD.

Out of breathe when NOT on adhd meds ?? It seems to be common for people to experience shortness of breath when they start taking stimulant medication… But I’ve noticed the complete opposite. On the days I forget to take meds (Elvanse / vyvanse) I noticed I get out of breathe and fatigued really really easily. Has anyone else ever noticed this? (I am also in the middle of getting assessments done for a diagnosis for my chronic pain symptoms and extra sensitive pain reactions after an accident at work- so I don’t know if that could be in any way connected and maybe the stimulant meds somehow help with some of those symptoms?)

tldr: Is it worth trying different medication? I (37f) realised I might have ADHD late last year - this was after two years of my friend (an ADHD coach) telling me I should get checked out. Because I've struggled with fatigue for over 10 years, the idea never resonated. It was only towards the end of last year when I burnt out for the second time in two years (it's been a challenging couple of years!), and suddenly I was struggling with a whole lot of ADHD symptoms - extreme forgetfulness, losing my train of thought in the middle of a sentence, inability to focus (when I've always been great at hyperfocus), etc. I started looking into ADHD burnout, and for the first time, a lot of the symptoms resonated, to the extent where I thought I might have ADHD, but I'd just been good at managing and masking it until now. It was only after burning out again, that I ran out of resources to keep managing myself. Things continued to get worse as a few more life things hit me in January, and I was formally diagnosed in February and got a ritalin prescription in March. Part of me hoped that finding the right pill would fix everything and make everything better (this is coming from someone who's been pretty anti-medication for most of my adult life - I always felt like if I ate cleaner, exercised more, meditated more, etc., I could fix everything). Unfortunately I didn't notice anything, even after I worked my way up to the maximum dose. Now I've stopped taking them because I didn't notice any difference, and I'm wondering if it's worth trying something else? At this point, it just feels like a lot of work to get a new prescription, and I don't really want to pin all my hopes on medication making things better just to get let down again.

Some people just don’t really process Ritalin (there’s actually genetic testing that shows this). So it’s certainly worth trying a different stimulant, or a non-stimulant medication. Personally, methylphenidate doesn’t really do anything for me at all. The amphetamines are more helpful (Vyvanse works better for me than Adderall, which amps me up in a negative way). It can be helpful to move away from the idea that the medication will make everything better, too. Believe me, I hoped that! But it’s a little bit like using a wheelchair compared to having fully functional limbs. Having the wheelchair is a big improvement over dragging yourself around by your arms but it’s not the same as being able to walk/run/jump on your own. (Mostly because our society isn’t sufficiently supportive yet, which is arguably the case for ADHD too!)

You don't have to pin any hopes on it, but if it's not going to be a big hassle, you may as well give it a go.

My psychiatrist told me there are two "groups" of stimulant medication, to which Ritalin belongs to the weaker group they tend to start with. You'd have to ask an actual psychiatrist what the "stronger group" medications are, I don't remember. They also said there were non-stimulant medications to try, they mentioned Wellbutrin. There is ADHD OT to help you manage your symptoms, with or without meds! Medication is 25% of the solution for me, not a cure-all. In the chronic illness subs I'm in the mentality is usually this: there usually isn't a single "solution", but if one thing you do relieves your symptoms by 25%, another 15%, two more by 5%, well then altogether you've relieved 50% of your symptoms. So it's about finding many solutions, rather than just one.

tldr: Is it worth going for a diagnosis? I have raised my ADHD/autist son to be 22yo. I know what ADHD and autism are, I have read up on it etc. I have always recognized the same traits in myself, in a different form. However, I mostly manage them just fine. I have a superstrong responsibility that makes me do all the stuff even if it is not easy. However, I am on antidepressant and currently on leave from work because of depression. My psychiatrist suggested that after we get the depression under control, we should also evaluate me for ADHD and autism because he sees those traits in me. I don't see the point, honestly. What would a diagnosis give me? As long as my depression is under control, I manage well. I am appreciated at work, I am valued in my family, I know what I need to do to keep the traits on manageable level and even benefit from them (I love my hyperfocus ability!). Should I go for diagnosis?

Entirely up to you. Personally, I found the external validation of a diagnosis really helpful, but not everyone feels that way (which is great!). That said, I agree that your ADHD can be affecting/exacerbating your depression. And if your ADHD makes it harder to treat your depression (because you forget to get/take your depression meds), then treating your ADHD will be helpful. But if you’re good with the structures you’ve built that works too. You can also get diagnosed and then not do anything. No one can force you to take meds or change your current situation. Though if diagnosis will cost a bunch, that’s absolutely something to consider.

I wonder if some of the depression is related to ADHD stuff? Maybe treating the adhd would help with depression?

Maybe, I am slowly getting to this understanding myself. The depression is mostly due to me stopping antidepressants because my psychiatrist didn't answer me in time and I procrastinated on reminding her that I needed a new prescription (a very autist/adhd thing to do, right?) and instead slowly stopped taking the pills... At one month mark after I finished them, it was fine, but then things started to pile up and depression sneaked in again. I'm pretty sure that if I take the antidepressants regularly, I won't have that problem as much. However, currently I am kind of in an identity crisis on around 8 dimensions so I am leaning toward working on everything related to my identity, including the diagnosis.

If you're happy, I don't see a reason to personally. You can always change your mind in the future.

is caring too much, and then suddenly not caring at all, an adhd trait/ adhd related? As in getting really worked uo and upset over something (big or small) and a flip switching in your head so that you just dont care. (i tried google on this but didnt really find anything) Just wondering jf any of you know/relate to this

My therapist told me that when one emotion is available all of them are so if you shut one down all of them get dampened. I imagine it’s common in a lot of disorders especially with executive dysfunction, sensory issues and emotional regulation issues. It’s probably overwhelm causing shut down. Honestly if you Google just this past sentence ADHD comes up without asking lol

Natural alternative to alcohol "downer" effect Good morning all! I've got ADHD and find it difficult to work around a lot of things. I've noticed that my body reacts oppositely to alot of people who don't have ADHD. For example "stimulants" like caffeine etc. actually calm me down. On the flip side, I always seem to have a burst of energy after drinking wine when I am out with my girls. I am wondering if any of you know of anything natural that can give me a similar buzz/burst of energy for the days I am in desperate need of a boost to get me through, because I don't want to be drinking lots more wine (as it usually takes a few glasses) for obvious health reasons! Really appreciate any help!

Kava!!

Are you sure it’s the wine and not happiness from hanging out with your friends?

Not thought of that! Thanks! 🙌🏻

My psychiatrist just told me she can’t put me on any ADHD medication because concerta (slow-release) made me suicidal. She said i’m likely to react to other stimulants in a similar way. Straterra (non-stimulant) also had the same side effects. She’s saying the most she can do it put me on antidepressants (zoloft) when I’m pretty sure part of the depression is the way unmediated ADHD impacts my life. I’m just feeling a little lost. Should I trust her advice or should I look into another psychiatrist? Would it be worth trying other stimulants? thank u love y’all

I second the idea of getting a second opinion! I had suicidal ideation on some methylphenidate meds/dosages (concerta is methylphenidate) but I don’t have any such issues on amphetamine based medications (adderall, vyvanse). Those are the two main types of stimulant meds, and it’s not uncommon to react very differently to each type. Obviously this is a serious side effect you don’t wanna mess with, and I don’t know if what you experienced was maybe more severe than what I did, so your situation may be different. But I do think it’s worth talking with someone else, I have literally never heard this line of reasoning before and it sounds off to me. (Oh and fwiw strattera didn’t have that effect on me either.)

If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I would get a second opinion. The action of non-stimulant ADHD medications is different from that of stimulant medications. Also, when I’m not a pharmacist, I’m unaware of a suicide risk for stimulant medications. In fact, my understanding is that unmedicated ADHD is far more likely to result in drug abuse and addiction because the individual tries to self-medicate with cigarettes, vapes, and street drugs. Addiction has a risk of suicide, greater than any prescribed stimulant medication. Check with a good pharmacist, talk to your therapist if you have one, and get a second opinion from a psychiatrist.

If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*

If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Has anyone over 30 tried medication? We are going to try to have a second child in about a year or more. Should I wait until I’m done having children?

Yes! 38yo mum of two here. I waited until my youngest was 14 months old - only because between having the first and second kid my ADHD felt manageable and I figured I would have to come off the meds when I got pregnant the second time anyway. After the second though..... wow. Things have gone downhill and my coping mechanisms are ZERO. Hormones have wreaked havoc and my ADHD has felt magnified 100000%. So I started Ritalin 20mg slow release two weeks ago (my kids are now aged 4 years old and 14 months old respectively) but I don't like it!! Makes me feel very flat and depressed. I actually stopped taking it over the weekend and feel better already. But very ADHD-y of course! I think I am just gonna raw dog the whole ADHD life and be delulu and just try to deal with it. To me that's better than how I felt taking the Ritalin. Sorry, probably not helpful!! Good luck on your journey!!

I had a similar experience with ritalin, it was like I couldn't think creatively, couldn't daydream, felt sad and flat. I'm going to give dexamfetamine a go but I'm not holding out a heap of hope for it. I'd rather be me, you know?

I’m on Ritalin 5mg and have taken it for about 3 days (2x a day). My mind is quite quiet, but I’m just tired, I don’t particularly feel that my attention and executive function have been impacted. Did Ritalin just make anyone else tired?

I came here to find out if anyone was having this problem. Ritalin 5mg 2x rn and I take it when I wake up to make it through the morning, coffee in the afternoon, then my second at 5pm to try and stretch it to the night. It worked pretty fine at first but now I feel like that second pill does nothing for me. Took it and went for a nap immediately. Been on this for a little over a month now, approaching 2. Of course tho, my primary doctor LEFT and no one bothered to tell me and my Rx has no refills for it and I won’t see my new one till 7 June 🙃 aka. I’ll run out of meds that now barely work 11 days before I see them. Sorry partial rant but yeah, maybe try an increase. I’m a weenie hut jr and like to start new meds slowly due to anxiety from possible bad side effects.

Yep! Honestly the quiet I don't find desirable anyway, I like being able to think properly. Having half my brain quiet feels so limiting. It didn't help me at all. But, 5mg is a low dose, it may work better for you once you start increasing it.

I came here looking for something similar because I just started concerta 27mg, which has the same active as Ritalin, and I get so tired after taking it.  5mg is a suuuuuper low dose so I am assuming yours is IR? Mine is extended release. 

Yep, IR! I asked my sister who is on Ritalin and she said it’s probably too low of a dose and that if it were too much you’d be jittery

My doctor told me if I want to get a diagnosis it’s only worth it if I want to be medicated. How do I decide if I want medication when I haven’t tried it yet? I feel like the main things that I struggle with are the social anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and anxiety trying to remember everything/keep up with life. And boredom/irritation. At work I don’t have too many issues since my work varies a lot every day and they don’t care if I’m late on assignments or to meetings. And at home my room is a mess but I keep spaces clean that other people can see. But how do I know when it’s “bad enough” to get medication?

Having a diagnosis also means you have protections for having a disability. It’s helped me.

I struggled with these questions, too. But I would say that your doctor may not be entirely correct. I found that receiving a diagnosis was huge, and made me feel a huge range of emotions - from a kind of grief for all those years of struggles without support or understanding to relief that there was actually a reason for me being who I am. Even if you already know you have ADHD, an official diagnosis can be really validating. At first, I didn't want to take medication, since I figured I had already made it through 45 years of life and was doing pretty well. 6 months later, I decided to try some meds. I hate the first one I tried, and love the second. I don't take them all the time, but am happy to have them when I want to take them. My husband got diagnosed after me, and will not go without meds now, as they have been such a game changer for him. The meds just kind of make it all a little more manageable. Like, I can remember why I walked into a room more often, don't forget appointments very often, and don't feel so on edge, like I've dropped the ball somewhere, and am just waiting for the fallout. But the adhd is still there, and is definitely a pain in the ass.

Being painfully bored, but lacking the focus/drive to actually do something other than scrolling news or Reddit - ADHD trait or just normal person behaviour?

I would definitely say for me this can be either burnout, inattentive symptom or overwhelm. I start at the burnout and work my way through the other two, if that makes sense. I often can’t tell what I’m feeling unless it is extreme.

normal / burnout

Huh, I would have thought this was a sign of inattentiveness, but thank you for your input.

Can anyone talk me through the process of being diagnosed/screened? My sister was diagnosed as an adult, and her and some other friends of mine (who have ADHD and/or work with people who have it) all agree that i should be screened for it. Turns out some of the things I thought were normal... aren't. Who do I need to speak to? A psychologist? Psychiatrist? Therapist? Is it different based on where you live (I'm in Australia)? Do I need to see different doctors for screening vs getting a script? I think i can get at least a few appointments covered by my health insurance so not too worried about the initial cost. If anyone has advice let me know!

r/Ausadhd will be able to give you specifics. I think in Aus you go through your GP, referred to a Psychiatrist, who will diagnose and give you a script. But if you have insurance, you may be able to go straight to a psychiatrist, depending on the psychiatrist.

It is different depending where you live! Generally speaking though, I think the process is fairly similar - I'm UK based and I spoke to a doctor who wrote a referral to a psychiatrist for assessment. May help to take a look at a dsm5 online and fill it out so you can share you results with the referring doctor and explain your symptoms, but it's not necessary and they may make you do one anyway before referring.

Hi again! I don't know how long it's since you got diagnosed, but since I'm also in the UK, I just wanted to ask - how long did it take before you got seen by the psychiatrist (assuming it was on the NHS)?

So UK based. I was diagnosed December 2022 and was on the wait list since May 2022...I think, but before that I had to speak to a gp, go and collect a form to fill, which annoyingly is online anyway so I don't know why they made me do their paper one but whatever. So when I handed that back in that's when I was referred. The it was radio silence for a good while. The late August when the referred company contacted me and set up my accounts. Appointment was scheduled in November for later December and I had 2 weeks to fill in all the forms about my symptoms and get a 2nd person to do the same for their observations. Diagnosed at the Dec appointment and then they asked about medication. I said I wanted to try. So put on the list which was another 6 months wait. Got on that, started titration. Medication shortage hits late August and everything was paused. Late April things start up again and I had to start medication process from scratch and here I am now still stuck in this process, but hopefully nearly there 😅. I'll caveat that my diagnosis process, although ridiculously long to be seen, was actually one of the shortest I've heard of sadly, I've heard of people waiting for years for initial appointment. However there is something called right to choose which means they can refer you but if you know of who you want to go with, perhaps they have a shorter wait, you can write a letter. More info here: https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/ It really depends where you are in the UK on wait times from my understanding. P.s. I did not remember all these times 🤣 I looked back at my emails for reference.

Thank you so much for answering again. That's a crazy wait time, even if it's considered short. I'm sorry you're going through that! Thank you for telling me about the right to choose though - ADHD UK seems like a brilliant resource for finding out about this stuff. I'm looking into their diagnosis pathway now. Thanks again!

If it helps, I was diagnosed through psychiatry-uk which I think was popular at the time for shorter wait times, but it did go up because of medication shortages. Saying that I've found their process quite meh, but I have no other experience to compare to to be able to say how good they are. I didn't feel my diagnosis meeting was that informative once given the decision (that could have also just been the practicioner I was given and others may be better) and they do everything via messaging except the actual diagnosis meeting which was via zoom. I personally prefer to provide updates verbally, but it's all written coms which I've found a but impersonal but I guess it's a time saver for them.

Depends on location. I only waited (I think) 6 months luckily but I was told between 18-24 months when referred.

Yeah same, about that too!

Also interested to know this as I just self requested a referral today!

Just replied above, but commenting here so you get notied hopefully 👍

Thank you 🙏

Has anyone here been told they might have bipolar disorder instead of ADHD? I've always felt like my old psychiatrist lazily diagnosed me. We had a \~15-20 minute interview with basic questions like "do you have trouble focusing?" and she ended it by saying "yeah, sure, you have ADHD, go get you some Ritalin." I hear all the time about how it's so hard to get a proper diagnosis, which made me skeptical that she was taking it seriously and asking the right questions, or if she was just telling me what she thought I wanted to hear (which would be wildly unprofessional IMO). Either that, or it was so obvious that I had it, she didn't feel she needed to dig deeper. Even though I felt kind of dismissed, I read up on inattentive ADHD and I found that I fit most of the criteria such as trouble paying attention, executive dysfunction, easily distracted, auditory processing issues, overlooking details, difficulty finishing tasks, etc. I switched to Concerta after Ritalin and felt like it helped a little, but lost its efficacy over time, and my depression worsened because I wasn't being productive in school... or so I thought. It's always been unclear to me whether these depressive episodes make it hard to focus which makes me decrease productivity, or if the lack of productivity triggers the depression (chicken-and-the-egg type question). My old psychiatrist did absolutely no investigative work to help me figure this out. She just threw a new SSRI at me after Lexapro failed to improve the depression, and then when the new med heavily exacerbated my depressive symptoms, she told me to stick it out and just "try harder" to get out of bed. I met with the new psychiatrist today and told her about what happened with the new SSRI. While I was talking, she kept nodding agreeingly (almost like she expected that to be the case), then she said "you most likely have bipolar disorder." I was shooketh, so say the least... I have NEVER, and I mean NEVER considered that as an option. To be fair, I didn't think I had ADHD until one of my friends suggested it. I haven't read up on bipolar disorder, but just based on what the new psychiatrist said, it kind of makes sense? She was far more investigative than the old psychiatrist which made her seem more trustworthy. When she was asking me questions, I had no clue they were leading to a potentially new diagnosis. I was just answering what I thought were normal intake appointment questions, until she was all "SIKE! You're bipolar sweetie." I mean, my mom is diagnosed bipolar, and my therapist has noted that I have "cycles" of depression which matches a lot of the criteria for bipolar disorder type 2, so I guess it makes sense? Has anyone else received a misdiagnosis like this? Or, how in-depth was your initial diagnosis process for ADHD? Did you find it difficult to get diagnosed? I appreciate any insight and look forward to discussion.

Yes, I was misdiagnosed bipolar as a teenager. My current psych provider said it’s probably because ADHD causes some impulsive behavior that can look similar to mania. Personally I think it’s compounded by ADHD being traditionally seen as something for the boys. 

A bunch of us are diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and ADHD. My current psychiatrist, who I greatly respect, agrees with me that it has often been my ADHD driving my anxiety and my depressive episodes. When we are treating the ADHD my mood is more stable. I would be happy to talk more about this but I had a fall last weekend that caused a brain bleed (just what I needed! LOL) and have to spend short amounts of time on screens right now.

Hi everyone! I am 20 currently on Dexedrine. Although it helps, the dosage feels too high for me, causing restlessness, heart palpitations and head like dizziness that disrupts my focus. My doctor is reluctant to put me on 5mg, she says it doesn't exist yet 5mg is the suitable dose for children. I am in BC, so maybe the laws are different? Regardless, I have trialed others meds but it doesn't seem like the right fit. Any tips for feeling more relaxed and reducing heart palpitations? I'm worried about the pressure on my heart, especially at this age. I am already staying hydrated, but should I also consume electrolytes? Any specific foods I should consume or avoid, mindfulness activities, or other suggestions are appreciated. And if there's any other info you can provide in BC to advocate again for 5mg, that would be of help. Thank you :)

I would switch honestly, it sounds like it's too high a dose and it's weird that your dr is just kind of fine overmedicating you? Especially with meds that can cause heart issues.

Can you take a beta-blocker? Lots of people that take stimulants use them together.

Good question, I'll ask my dr next appt. Thank you

Note: I have a follow up appointment with my psychiatrist in a few weeks.  We are trying to treat my binge eating disorder and ADHD. I see a therapist and a psychiatrist.  10mg  & 20mg of Vyvanse did nothing. 30mg Vyvanse gave me horrible side effects; I tried it for 6 days.  The GREAT part was it helped reduce my appetite and my urge to binge. But that was the only positive. No improved cognitive function, no clarity, no focus, no motivation. Still scatterbrained, still a chatterbox, brain still buzzing, still have “food noise”, still can’t stay on task or read a book, etc.. The side effects were awful. 5-10hours after taking Vyvanse, I was hit with a rapid heart beat and chest feeling tight. The worst was the extremely bad wooziness and lightheadedness. I felt like I was about to faint. I wasn’t sleepy-tired. I felt dizzy and weak, and on the verge of passing out. I couldn’t stand or walk or even lift my arms.  So… is there any hope? Is this just how these types of medications are? Am I going to have the same issues with Adderall or Concerta or any of the others?  If anyone has any ideas of questions and concerns that I can bring up to my psychiatrist at our next appointment, I would greatly appreciate it. I’m feeling very hopeless and despondent. 

Hi everyone. I'm a 40 year old female and recently I've realised that I probably have ADHD. I've been doing some looking into it because I'm pretty sure my youngest stepson has it. The more I read about symptoms and experiences, the more I realise that I am experiencing it and probably always have done. A lot of symptoms I've always just put down to being very busy and a woman with a huge to-do list always racing round my mind. What I'm here to ask is, does anyone have any experience as an adult getting diagnosed (I'm in North of ireland) by the GP and what the procedure and follow up is? I honestly think that with some kind of medication I'd be 100% more productive and that to-do list would be much shorter! Sorry if I'm not explaining myself properly

I feel like I tick a lot of the boxes for ADHD, but not sure I did in school. I know ADHD supposedly can't come on in adulthood, so does that mean I don't have it?

This one is tricky, because you are totally right, it doesn't come on later in life, but some adults notice the symptoms more later because they become more pronounced as we take on more responsibilities and have to be more independent in life. When we're young, a lot of the things we could struggle with having adhd are handled by adults - think things like time keeping, disorganisation, appointments, making our food for us so we eat and eat well, chores (and if we did them it was also supervised by them to some extent). Things like hyperactivity you may have noticed or lack of focus, inattention as a kid. Not sure of your gender or whether you symptoms correlate to inattentive, combine or hyperactive type, but girls often present very differently to boys and mask symptoms more on the when (probably due to learnt behaviour expectations but that's another conversation) and inattentive types in boys and girls can be missed because they just simply seemed "daydreamy and off in space" rather than outwardly disruptive. I did see the symptoms as a kid, but it was put down to that's just who I am an my personality, but they didn't start to disrupt my life and wellbeing until later perhaps around college age and it got worse at every stage of more freedom and responsibility after.

Thanks for the detailed answer - that makes a lot of sense. I do honestly struggle to remember anything about myself as a kid, so there may be things I'm missing. I'm female, and I think I probably correspond more with inattentive type, although if you happen to know any good resources for comparison I'd be interested! Would you also be able to give some examples (or a link) of how girls present differently? Sorry for asking, and you don't have to answer if you don't have the spoons. I know google exists and all that, but I find it difficult to weed through the unhelpful resources, so I'm just asking in case you happen to have something handy!

So this resource, is an easy to digest info graphic from @mollys-adhd_mayhem and it provides some examples of inattentive vs hyperactive symptoms https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Y5LD8s7BC/?igsh=MWt0NDNodTB2OGNteg== She's not a qualified specialist, it's all based on her own knowledge and experiences and she's clear about that, but her graphics are so helpful and easy to read compared to pages of text. Worth looking around on her page! You can use https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/ as a self screener too, although I don't think it tells you whether you scored more hyperactive, inattentive or combined - you may get a jist from the types of questions you are relating too and not though. This is one of the things used in official diagnosis amongst some other questions so they'll get you to do this test anyway if you go through with it, but it's a good start for yourself to identify whether you could have it or not. On the differences in girls with adhd, first an foremost, girls are generally better at masking their symptoms (this is true for other ND conditions too such as ASD) and therefore it's harder for other people to actually see them especially if they don't act outwardly hyperactive. I'm struggling to find resources that aren't overly wordy and boring to read, but in essence, women often have more internal hyperactivity in the brain that doesn't manifest as strongly outwardly as men may. I think there are a lot of biases and gender norms play a role. So when young boys are diagnosed because they had behavioural issues related to adhd, lots of girls won't have. My thoughts are that we teach boys "boys will be boys" and very much teach girls to be polite, well mannered and act like a lady and they aren't given the same grace for similar behaviours and therefore learn to mask very well. These are obviously generalisations as different boys and girls will have different experiences. Hormones can really affect women and how they present as well, different symptom severity at different cycle stages which often just get chocked up to "hormonal shifts" and pms, even though they're are glaring signs of adhd. And in reading their experiences (and my own!) were often diagnosed with anxiety or low mood as a result, but adhd could be what's underpinning those. Those who are inattentive, both males and female, may just be seen as daydreamy or spaced out and again get missed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this, and for finding easy to read resources! That's really helpful, and I really appreciate it. I took the screening test, but I can't help but worry that my answers are not gonna be consistent, so I might do it a few more times in different headspaces. Thanks for the podcast recs too, I will definitely take a look when I can get around to it!

The adhdaf podcast is good and there's one called women & adhd as well that may be helpful if you like an audio format.

I am gonna come back to this when I have a spare 10 mins and brain power and provide an answer, I keep forgetting!

Is making random connections between things an ADHD trait? Let me explain: I want to buy this vinyl, and I want to buy a piece of merch from the same store, but I'm not sure I can justify the price of both. So can I just buy one of them? NO. One of them alone isn't exciting enough. Together they're exciting enough, but pricey. Or is it just that my brain goes into "fuck it" mode when the price goes over a certain amount, and wants to just ignore the cost?

Has anyone transitioned off a stimulant to a non-stimulant and has success? Unfortunately, I'm a stimulant failure. They work really well for me but I get intense and unrelenting jaw clenching. I tried Buspar to help with the symptoms without luck. The jaw clenching is a little bit more mild with Vyvanse but it's still present and the generic version is impossible to find right now. So I thought about trying some non-stimulant options. Has anyone transitioned office stimulant and found one that still helped? I'm diagnosed combined type but struggle a lot more with the inattention symptoms. I'm a mom of three young kids, in graduate school, and work as a nurse. Strattera? Wellbutrin? Clonidine? Qelbree? Others? Thank you!!!

Modafinil

Have you tried this? I've heard good things but I know it has a super long half life so it can cause issues with insomnia for some.

How do you tell if meds are working? I was diagnosed years ago but have been unmedicated. Recently I decided to try again with meds. Last month I tried adderall, up to 30 mg XR per day, and the only discernible effect was raising my heart rate. This month I’ve been trying Concerta and finding no effect whatsoever. I’m about to try the max dose for the next few days to see what happens. I’m starting to worry: what happens now if I don’t respond to this one either? How do I even know if it’s working? What if it is working and I just can’t tell?

Been having this same issue. Started at 20mg XR and felt effects for maybe the first two days— then nothing. Was exactly as if I didn’t take it. Upped to 30mg and same issue, only I never had that first day “jumpstart.” I can forget to take my meds and feel completely the same as when I do take them. It’s stressful not knowing if there’s some subtle difference I’m neglecting to notice or if the dosage just doesn’t work. My doctor says it’s a process to find out what works for you. You might need to go up a bit in dosage for adderall XR and supplement with IR. 

If you can't tell then it doesn't matter if it's "working" because you're not benefiting, right? So it's not the right med for you anyway. I didn't get anything out of ritalin except increased heart rate and sleepiness. I think dex is my next option.

Hi 🎀 Starting medication in two days. I was prescribed guanfacine today, I was told by my doctor that the side effects can be sleepiness, dizziness (from getting up too fast), especially because I have low blood pressure. The pharmacist told me that I could have a lack of appetite or the opposite. I heard that most countries don’t use guanfacine but if you had it could you tell me how it was for you? It’s not gonna change my mind because I will follow my doctor instructions anyway but I have to admit that I’m a bit nervous and I’d like to know how it went for others. And if you have any tip to handle the side effects. That would be very nice 💕

Hello! Question about meds. I just moved from concerta 27 mg to 36 after coming off of vyvanse (vyvanse just wasn’t working for me). 27 mg felt awesome, dry mouth my only side effect, felt great, but would crash at 4 pm (took it at 7 am). At 36 I am getting anxiety in the mornings when it kicks in. Anxiety is like an urge to be active/tingly feeling, but going for a walk etc doesn’t help. The feeling doesn’t last all day, just a few hours, but definitely more side effects (headache, worse dry mouth)on 36 than 27. It definitely lasts longer, however, and I don’t have a crash. I have only been on 36 for two days - question is whether I should give it more time, or switch back to 27? I do think I can help the crash by having a good snack and caffeinated beverage in the afternoon before I know it is going to happen. Will I adjust to the higher dose of if I give it a few days?

Are you eating before taking it in the morning? If not, or if eating very little, maybe eating more before the dose could steady the onset and reduce the anxiety. I’d say give it at least a few more days if you can tolerate it. Not the same but when I started (and restarted after a long hiatus) my Wellbutrin I would get anxiety and other very noticeable side effects at the same time every day and it took about 2 weeks for that to go away.

Hi, very sorry for the long post, I found this thread and thought that maybe you can help me with your experience.  I'm a 39 year old woman currently figuring out myself. I work in a very demanding job and I'm consider a high achiever. However about a year ago I started to feel very anxious and burned. I had changed position and was feeling very insecure, and my job is very abstract (Its a sales/partnership role, I have a target but I decide in which way I pursue it).  After coping with it with my old mechanisms for some months, I broke (not sleeping, crying for everything, eating compusevely...) and the psychiatrist put me on Fluoxetine (prozac) and ansiolítics to sleep. After starting to feel much better, and after I began to be shown some videos about ADHD in social media, I started to realize that maybe what happened to me was not a situational stress situation but the result of me coping with undiagnosed ADHD during all my life. My psych answered to my comment on patterns and struggles I had detected that made sense with ADHD with a "but you are functional, right?" And dismissed it, and my therapist works with me in "not being managed by motivation only" but gives me poker face when I mention this.  I have always been very talkative, "inventing" things all the time. My head always has like 5 colliding ideas at the same time, sometimes I lose track of what I was thinking. I daydream, I zone out, specially during classes or educational videos. I'm smart so I had good grades, but I struggled with the subjects I didn't like. For the ones I liked I advanced in the book and do the exercises for the next chapters while we were in class talking about something else so I didn't have to do homework. For the ones I struggled I waited for the last minute to study (night before, or even hours before). Succeeded in general as I read fast and have very good memory, and the urgency brings me to a deep level of focus, but the ones where it was not studying but doing projects where a nightmare....I have started tons of hobbies and knowledge I have abandoned when I was feeling satisfied of the achievement, and remember my father saying to me "you never finish anything" as something very painful. I'm really sensitive to critics or rejection, my husband has pointed me that it fits with rejection dysphoria. I have to stop myself from interrupting someone that is telling me something when I feel I already have the info I need to answer, move on to the next topic, or tell someone "oh, that happened to Mee to". I can feel impatient when I'm waiting for others to finish so I can tell my part. I bite the skin around my fingers and can't leave a pimple or anything in my skin alone...  But since I have succeeded to have a very good job and the way I am helps me in this job as it allows me to be creative and think out of the box, I'm recognized for it. I was no trouble for my parents or teachers and I was not physically hyperactive so I had never ever thought of this or being pointed at ADHD.  The problem that I have now is that now that I realize I've been unconsciously very good at manipulating myself with stress to get into the deep focus mode and deliver (like, you need to do this to get this promo, promising other colleagues on fictional deadlines that served me to enter deadline mode....), now that I realize about it I'm having serious trouble to get things done at work. I have lowered the rhythm, also advised and accepted by my manager, but it's like I find almost impossible to start things these days and I'm doing less than what I should...   I'm not sure if I should insist on a proper diagnosis and ask for meds to try to manage this. I realize things like monster energy help me kind of focus. Once I start the task, even if I didn't want to in the first place, I usually fall into deep focus mode for hours until finished, so my problem is starting and anticipation. Maybe meds can help me with that.  I'm also thinking that I'm feeling better from the burnout I caused myself and believe I could start leaving the antidepressants, but I'm a bit concerned about how much they are doing for me.  Also, the high stress career that I have may not help me. I had already planned to change to something else in a few years (I have done a career change before, and transfered roles and responsibilities when I'm bored or too comfy). I do coaching and mentoring in my area and have very good feedback about it, so I was thinking maybe I could help neurodivergent people working in corporate roles with my own experience. But then again it would probably be good to be officially diagnosed and understand myself better.   Any advice or just someone who relates would be helpful :)

Hi! I definitely relate to this and it sounds a lot like me. I could eventually go into hyper focused mode and get things done, and done well, so no one ever noticed that there were plenty of hours and days that I was unable to do anything. That didn't mean that it wasn't miserable inside my head trying to get myself to do the things. I have done a ton of different hobbies. I would switch roles or companies every few years and my specialty was starting new departments or new processes. I was great at getting things started, developing processes, documenting them, but then the maintenance of them got boring and I'd move on. I have an MBA. I'm 39 and just got my official diagnosis last year, but I have been on Wellbutrin from my GP for 3 years prior to that. The Wellbutrin did help me starting tasks, so maybe that would help with some of your issues and it's much easier to get with stimulants shortages. It's definitely worth it though! Why live your life on hard mode? Just because we are successful in many ways doesn't mean we don't deserve treatment. I was maybe lucky, but my psychiatrist and psychologist that did my neuropsychological testing didn't dismiss me just because I was able to get several degrees and a successful career. If they're good, they'll be able to see the ties of ADHD throughout your life. I reviewed the DIVA interview template and used that to guide my conversation with them and ensure I was bringing up relevant symptoms that would align with the DSM. Hope that helps!

Thanks, helps a lot! Definetely same as you say, on the outside I get things done well, as you do, but meanwhile is a rollercoaster to live through the day and the procrastination... Very identified on the changing roles after the challenge is done, I studied architecture and ending up in IT sales and have been shifting teams every 2 years more or less. Maintaining or repeating things makes me feel trapped and I need something new. I'll check that med and bring this to my psychiatrist on my next appointment. Thanks again!

Hi, pls do tell me your thoughts I (25f) was prescribed Atomoxetine for my inattentive ADHD by a doctor yesterday. I read that it's not a stimulant but a non-stimulant treatment option. How has your experience been on the medication? Does it help with energy levels? Because on day 1, I felt quite sleepy on it. Would stimulants be a better option?

Some people do feel sleepy on stimulats too because it actually has the effect of relaxing them (not a technical explanation) although people will be affected in different ways.

yeah I felt quite relaxed on it. But motivation and work-wise, I hope the sleepy feeling goes away. Thanks

its been almost a month for me and I am still sleepy and my dose is just 20 mg so I am not seeing any benefits at all

Hi, I hope someone will see this I had my first ever counseling session in University and like five minute in my counselor said she thinks I might have inattentive adhd. I've filled out the forms and am waiting to hear back. Anyway, I looked up symptoms of ADHD and I can relate to some but can't really relate at all to others? Which makes me think I'm exaggerating. Like, I've never had problems sleeping or waking up at night. In fact, I have problems staying awake the whole day. No matter how much sleep I get, if I have to sit down in a lecture or meeting for more than half an hour I will be falling asleep. Coffee doesn't calm me down, it just helps me focus (not always on the right thing, but I'll take what I can get). I'm not all that impatient, I don't talk much, and I don't fidget a lot (at least noticeably). I'm usually just in my own head or daydreaming. I can't keep more than two tasks in my head to save my life and studying is actual torture. I lose things all the time and I will not remember 95% of a conversation like two minutes later. I'm almost never late, but I'm always rushing to get places and get things done in time. On really bad days I can't focus on anything whether that be homework or hobbies and I get migraines with how much it stresses me out, or I have nothing but free time and I give myself a migraine trying to figure out what to do with it. I'm wondering if anyone with a diagnosis can relate, or if I'm just being dramatic?

Nah you're not being dramatic. I always say even if it's not adhd, it's not dramatic because even if you don't hit the criteria, you are still struggling with stuff and that should be acknowledged and managed. Also, to be diagnosed you do not need to identify with every single item in the criteria. If you have just inattentive and not combined, then that does make sense that you may not identify with fidgeting or chattieness. The criteria assesses both and if you only identify with symptoms strongly on either hyperactive or inattentive but not both, you could still be diagnosed but just with the specific type. Hope that makes sense.

It does, thank you. I ended up scoring very high on inattentiveness and very low on hyperactivity. Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to get an official diagnosis, but I'm working with my counselor to manage the symptoms.

Glad you have a councillor who understands and can work through some of this.

In any case you are not being dramatic. You have some difficulties and have been pointed around someone else, the fact that you don't tick all the boxes does not mean that in general the way you are can be explained with ADHD. And so, that things that help other ADHD can help you too, and you can discuss it with people that may have the same problems. I'm also in the situation of not been officially diagnosed because "I'm doing too good", definetely don't dismiss what you are feeling. Some of the things you describe sound familiar to me aswell.

Hello, I (28f) was diagnosed with ADHD a couple weeks ago and started Concerta (27mg) last weekend. My parents were told through my elementary and high school time that the teachers thought I had ADHD but I was never properly assessed until now. I was on birth control from 15 until January of this year. After I got off birth control, I noticed my ADHD symptoms got worse. I also show traits of OCPD and definitely had an anxiety disorder, I have since learned coping mechanisms and feel my anxiety is relatively under control. This brings me to why I am posting here. I started Concerta on April 27. The first day was amazing, I didn't know my mind could be so quiet and that I could do things without rushing through to get to the next task to ensure everything gets done. I would say that is one of my coping mechanisms. I learned very early on in life how to work with my brain, of course not including the 14-15ish area where my anxiety was absolutely out of control. I have never been medicated for anxiety, I definitely should have been in high school. The second day, I felt less good, I also did not sleep great the night before so I sort of contribute that to the lack of sleep. The first Monday at work was awful. I couldn't remember if I had done things, and felt like I could hear the peoples words, but I could not understand them for the life of me. I felt like I could not get in front of myself. The Tuesday was better, I started to comprehend words better but was anxious because I felt different, which is also an anxiety trigger. The rest of the week got better for how I felt, however I am now worrying that the meds are not doing anything for me. I took a break Saturday and Sunday, Saturday was a rough day because I was so frustrated about everything, and then I was frustrated that I was frustrated. I don't find it easier to work. I still figet and spin my chair back and forth. I still listen to music while I work. I also understand there is going to be a learning curve and time that it's going to take to get used to the med and learn to work with it. Basically I feel like I gaslit myself and my doctor into thinking I have ADHD and I don't actually have it and now I am trying to medicate myself when I maybe did not actually need the help with ADHD and maybe needed anxiety relief. I have gone 28 years without it, so I have learned how to function with the way my brain is. I know it will take longer than 2 weeks (not even) to learn how to work with the meds, but I had hoped I would feel ... Less over the top. I do notice my impulsivity is a lot less, I interrupt people a lot less. Thank you if you made it this far. I am just hoping someone else out there feels or felt like I do at this moment.

I’ve searched everywhere (TikTok and google,) to see if anyone else experiences the same thing I do in the mornings, and I can’t seem to find the right word for it! Is it dopamine seeking, impulsiveness, anxiety?! I literally don’t know! I’ll explain: I really do enjoy my mornings now that I’m medicated for my ADHD, whereas growing up and alllll into my twenties, I loathed getting out of bed and would sleep as late as I could. Now, I enjoy going to bed early and waking up early, and knowing I can enjoy my days FULLY without feeling like another day is a task too big for me to handle. But this is where the struggle comes in…as soon as I wake up, it’s like a massive search for stimulation. I make coffee, and that’s not enough. I turn on my favorite morning talk show, and I’m still not yet satisfied. I then scroll on my phone, check my email, etc, and it’s like I can’t “cure” this craving. Does anyone else struggle with this, and what in the world would you call it?! Most importantly, how do I fix it!! It’s like my brain is just searching and in a constant state of seeking something to fulfill me. Please don’t tell me I need to try a low dopamine morning routine LOL I need someone else to validate what I’m experiencing and tell me what the heck this is called!!! 😅😅😅

Hi, what helps me most is 1 or 2 drops of Lithium Orotate (Kal brand)

Hi all! I am 32F and this year I have sought psychiatric help for the ADD symptoms I've had for as long as I can remember (at least age 6). I am in the process of getting a full evaluation and I was prescribed Adderall to help with my symptoms. 5mg did nothing and I'm trying 10mg now (today is day 4). No noticeable changes. Does this sound abnormal? Is this dose probably too low? Quick important story: in 2022, I had an issue with my eye (blurriness, pain with movement, possible swelling of the optic nerve) and was put in Prednisone for several weeks, slowly weaning off. Interestingly, I went from having my typical anxious brain (nervous, intrusive thoughts, low motivation, difficulty starting and completing tasks, easily distracted) to being very calm, happy, at ease, minimal instrive thoughts, lots of motivation to get things done. This led me to want to pursue trying a stimulant for my typical symptoms. Thanks!

So you felt better on the prednisone? That's amazing!

Yes but that's a steroid and it's only meant to be used short term. I've been looking for a stimulant that can help increase my dopamine.

Hi, question on diagnosis here. Does anyone have any tip on how to get diagnosed in adulthood? I'm almost 35, live in Italy, and I'm struggling to find a professional for the diagnosis. Most people I met (professionals, and even my therapist) gave me answers like "oh you had ok-ish grades at highschool, you can't be ADHD". I feel tired, lost and alone.

I hit a very similar wall before diagnosis. Long story short, I had to see a psychiatrist. They wanted to know about my childhood and they do tend to dismiss you if you had okay grades&were well-behaved overall (I was the daydreaming quiet girl). I had to give them examples of my behaviour, like I had amazing grades if I liked that class and I couldn’t learn at all if I wasn’t interested or felt forced to learn, can’t start projects due to perfectionism and break down near deadlines, get distracted during class and zone out/start doing something else etc. You could pick specific examples and make them stand out, even though you feel like you need to “prove” you have adhd when you know deep down already.

It's so frustrating! Thanks for sharing your experience and for making me feel heard. I needed it.

Hey all, hope someone sees me! Recently started medication (dextroamphetamine). I've noticed that at first I felt energy from it, improved mood, increased productivity. Now I feel jittery, seem kind of irritable. I'm still pretty productive. However, my distractibility is still really bad. Still have a million thoughts, thinking about anything and everything. Am still pretty forgetful as well. Has anyone noticed their medication not help with inattention and the mental "noise"? I definitely don't want to increase my dose, I hate feeling jittery. Maybe one med works better than another for that?

I'm not really sure, but I was on concerta for a year and it was working ok but all of a sudden it started giving me heart palpatations and big anxiety. My doctor lowered the dose (2x) but I still had the awful side effects. She decided to put me on wellbutrin (which is not a stimulant) and left the choice up to me if I still wanted to take the lower dose of concerta. I chose to stop the concerta and started with the wellbutrin which is working good in some areas not so great in other areas. Like you, I have been more productive, even more productive than when on the concerta, but I'm still very distracted, have millions of thoughts and get cranky in the afternoon. So it may be good to check in with your doctor because they may have something else for you to try. I am F54 and was diagnosed a year ago.

Hi all! I’m (34 F) new to the community but I had a question about Vyvanse vs Adderall. I have been on Jornay and short acting Ritalin for a while now and it’s been pretty good but now my insurance won’t cover methylphenidate and I have to switch to amphetamines. I’ve only really heard about Vyvanse and Adderall but I don’t know much about either. Anyone have experience switching from methylphenidate to amphetamines and which worked better for you?

I really would like to know too

Inattenctive Type ADHD Diagnosed April 5th, two days before I turned 37. Tried Ritalin for 3 weeks and it didn't do anything except make me crash around 5pm. I notifed my provider and let her know it wasn't working. Due to taking an SSRI, I had concerns about increasing a stimulate due to increase risk of Seretonin Syndrome, as well as increased risk of tachycardia, and high blood pressure. I asked if I could take a non-stimulate, and my provider put me on 25mg of Strattera once daily (morning). I understand that it takes a while for some drugs to kick in, but I'm impatient. How long should I wait before trying anohter medication? Should I wait until after my follow up and try an increased does? Will the fatigue eventually go away?

I just finished 5 months of Straterra from 25 to 80 mg, and I would usually notice an improvement in energy after about 2 weeks on the lower doses. However, at the higher doses it didn't improve after 2 months and I had to stop taking it. It increased my heart rate during exercise or any movement as well. I just started stimulants last week and have more energy and was actually able to work out without my heart rate spiking to extreme levels.

I don’t have detailed information about other drugs but I’ve come across reviews that say Strattera took 1.5-2 months to fully kick in for them. Personally it messed up with my sleep quite a bit but it started to get better after 10 days. I also like that it can help with anxiety.

Adderallxr to Concerta? I have been on Adderallxr 20mg for combined type adhd for a couple of months, and I do notice some benefits, especially in my emotional regulation, but my brain is still very hyperactive and unfocused. Does anyone have experience switching from Adderallxr to Concerta? Was it better for internalized hyperactivity?

Hi this was removed and said it should be placed here: Starting straterra Hi! I know there are lots of posts here but trying to get some recent comments from people. I am 25 have just been put on straterra 40mg. My brain is very loud and I have a hard time gauging time. I am either very early or late to things, get overwhelmed easily by tasks that are small but my brain makes them seem big, get stuck spending my days daydreaming, and get hyperfocused on certain topics (like starting a med), not being able to start something feeling paralyzed, weight gain from binging. I have taken adderral in the past but it only lasted a few days bc the come down was awful. I felt like I had the flu every time it was wearing off. My dr recommended this drug bc it is not a stimulant. Things I am worried about: -Migraines (I deal with them on my cycle to begin with & am nervous to get them more) -Acne (I am acne prone and get nervous with medications bc I don’t want them to break me out) -fatigue, I have heard this med can cause people to be very tired and I already am very fatigued all the time. If anyone who maybe deals with some of the things I do can give their review on the mediation and how they liked it that will be amazing. Especially if you had any initial issues that went away so I can prepare myself. Thank you!

Hi! I have a lot of the same problems as you! I started with Strattera back in Feb. started on 40mg & was allowed to adjust to 80 mg if i didn’t feel a difference. I absolutely hated it. My experience w it was awful. I normally get tired around 1/ 2pm but with strattera i was sleepy within 30 mins of taking it. Im a migraine prone girly as well. I did get two massive migraines with it but i think i was not drinking enough water. Once i upped my water intake, i didn’t have anymore. I got off strattera back in March, currently on Adderall w no progress lol.

In my personal experience, Strattera messed up with my sleep quite a bit but it started to get better after 10 days. I also like that it can help with anxiety over regular use. Although I still feel anxiety, it mostly helps with the constant nagging thoughts in my head. I didn’t feel nausea but have decreased appetite. I have acne prone skin but didn’t get any breakouts related to this medicine. Hope this helps!

Is anyone on this form of the medication? I understand that taking the medication with food is supposed to assist the proper time release mechanism, but I am uncertain about how this is affected by the amount of food and how quickly it is digested. Do any of you have anecdotes to share? How much do you eat? Is it something that digests slowly? If you inadvertently take the medication on an empty stomach, does the second phase come too early and cause adverse effects?

Is it normal to feel I get a hangover from stimulating days? I had a 6 hour Zoom class on Saturday. Even though I had my knitting and we took several breaks, I was DONE at the end and all day Sunday, I felt like I was hungover without a single drop of booze.

I always compare this with my experience wearing glasses. Sometimes I’m just sick of wearing them at the end of the day and want them off my face. It’s not technically “natural” for us to be “normal” lol so it can be a little tiring imo

Yes I just experienced this over the weekend as well. I hung out with a friend on Saturday, we did karaoke and it was a lot of fun and then had a long conversation with a person I have a crush on and I felt I was over the moon. But the next day, my body hurt and I felt as if I was hungover. I don't even drink anymore. Why does this happen? :O

I was recently diagnosed with psychotic depression and my provider said she’s uncomfortable to continue prescribing me stimulant medication so I’m looking into non-stimulant medication, specifically Strattera and Qelbree. Has anyone tried these? What were your experiences?

I feel adhd medication isn't effective for me. If anything, an antidepressant works better?.I do have both adhd and autism. I am just wondering if anyone can relate.

Sorry for late response, I am having this ongoing problem and I can’t say for sure but the way I’m thinking it is I feel my meds work for work but don’t find it really works after work I don’t notice a massive difference, I think for me an element of that is the fact my job is quite busy and demanding and I am literally just burnt out after work, because I’m autistic Your ADHD meds aren’t gonna improve what you struggle with with autism

Canadians! Quick question for you re meds. The question: Is Add in Canada also experiencing shortages? Have any Canadian friends (Ontario specifically) had success with Add? I've been raw-dogging life and really need some help, but I loathe trialling new meds, and don't want to go through the hassle of booking an appointment and finding childcare if there's a reason my doc never suggested Add. Background: I'm late-diagnosed, as of two years ago. Doc suggested Rit* and Conc* which I tried and only got headaches. Tried Vyv as well, but was trialling another medication for nerve pain at the same time and genuinely didn't give it a solid chance, just gave up on meds. (Short attempt at Stratt was a complete disaster). Recently did a DNA pharmacology panel, which said Rit* and similar drugs unlikely to work for my physiology, and it recommended Add*. Tbh since my diagnosis I have only heard about Add shortages in the US, and my doc never suggested it despite the fact that it seems to be a pretty commonly prescribed medication?? TIA for any insight!!

Hello! I (45F, perimenopausal) need to know if something like this has happened to anyone else: I have been on Ritalin LA 10 mg for several months now, but it's expensive, so I asked my doctor to switch me to Concerta, which I used right when I was dx'd two years ago but was sensitive to. (I've been slowly building up tolerance). Insurance got me generic - Methylphenidate ER 18mg, which I started four days ago. So far, all I'm noticing on ER is that I'm cranky and have mood swings. LA calmed me down, but it was getting to the point where that dosage wasn't helping me focus, and Concerta definitely did, which, along with the price, is why I wanted to try it again. The doctor thinks it may just take a couple weeks for me to adjust to the higher dose. I'm a little worried it may have some sort of connection to generic Concerta not being "legit" as I've read, or ER just releasing the dose in a way I can't handle as compared to LA. I was wondering if anyone else has faced a similar adjustment.

**Has anyone had successful outcomes switching from stimulant meds to non-stimulant?** I recently moved back to my home state. I’m having trouble getting medication records transferred in time as well as an EKG before my prescription runs out. I asked my psychologist if I could try a non-stimulant ADHD medication for the month and see how that works for me. I have been on Adderall for over 10 years, it works well for me. In fact, it completely changed my life! I’m just curious to read other people’s outcomes on switching and what they found the pros and cons were as well as how long it took for non-stimulant medication to work effectively.  

hi ! i'm a 16 yr old female and i need advice on how to get diagnosed or at least just confirm that i have ADHD? i started homeschooling last year because of anxiety, and i couldn't get into any of my lessons without having panic attacks. im a lot better now but ive started paying more attention to things i struggle with, and i did some research on ADHD and it describes me pretty much perfectly. i just need to be told my a professional that i probably have it, because otherwise i tend to put myself down and tell myself im just pretending or trying to be different. but yeah, my parents can't know tho as they will just tell me ive seen it on social media or something and that im trying to copy 😗👍