ADD and medication....

**JDawg1536** · 06-23-2009, 12:05 AM

Anyone ever been prescribed medication to deal with attention deficit disorder? It seems like my problem has gotten worse as I've grown older, but every time I sit down to read something my mind starts wandering and I have to re-read things over and over. With the personalities on this board I'm sure some of you have the same problem and have been treated for it. What's the low down?

**seriousmass** · 06-23-2009, 12:44 AM

I have ADHD.

You can go and see a doctor about it. But it's extremely costly to get tested for ADHD. Even if you're from Canada, medicare does not cover the testing for it... the usual cost is approx $2000.

Anyways, I've been prescribed various drugs to deal with it. I was on dexidrine for a while, which is essentially a long-lasting pill... I hated it though; The effects wouldn't wear off for like 12 hours.

Now I'm just on ritalin, and have been for the past 4 years. I take the fast-acting pill, which only lasts 4 hours. So I can take them to help me concentrate during the day, and by 3 or 4 the pill will have completely worn off.

The side affects kinda suck at the beginning... sweating; anxiety; social-distancing; dry-mouth; inability to sleep; not to mention ADD medication completely kills your appetite, AND simultaneously dehydrates you. You will eventually get use to them... but it seriously took me like 6 months to begin eating on ritalin... it gives you awful "steel-stomach" for a while..

PM me if you want more info.

**KatsMeow** · 06-23-2009, 03:06 AM

I have ADD and around where I live they make you go to a psychiatrist to have an evaluation done and to prescribe your medications. I've tried a few different ones including focalin and ritalin and I have just recently been prescribed vyvanse which is supposed to work much better for adults. The focalin did wonders for me but it's very expensive, so is the vyvanse but they are giving it to me for free at the moment.

It helps me tremendously in school and I wish I would have been diagnosed at an earlier age.

Common symptoms of Adult ADHD are:
* not finishing things, poor time management
*Restlessness
*impatience
*Irritability
*Interrupting others
*impulsive buying
*inattention

**DSM4Life** · 06-23-2009, 04:39 AM

I had to read your post 14 times , is that a problem ?

**KatsMeow** · 06-23-2009, 06:18 AM

**ph34rsh4ck** · 06-23-2009, 06:22 AM

I dont have ADD but i was taking my friends Adderall for awhile in school, worked soooo amazingly, until i developed an allergy to it, now if i take 20mg i cant breathe for a week

**vpchill** · 06-23-2009, 06:29 AM

I have ADD when my gf starts talking. And when one of my kids go off into a long story about elmo.
I havent used meds tho

**bushido3374** · 06-23-2009, 08:45 AM

I was diagnosed with adult ADHD by a psychiatrist. I started by taking a psychostimulant (ADD meds like Adderall and Ritalin). The RX was for Concerta. It worked well. Now I'm on an SNRI (similar to an SSRI) called Effexor. It's an antidepressant/ antianxiety med that has some stimulating properties and puts my brain in the zone. I needed this because I had some depression/anxiety issues as well.

Before I was on this, I also would have to read and reread the same paragraph before I could comprehend what I'd just read. Now, on the meds, I am getting mostly A's in school. Effexor is commonly used with adults with ADHD.

**Phate** · 06-23-2009, 12:29 PM

i use focalin (dexmethylphenidate) for my ADHD, works very well

**KatsMeow** · 06-23-2009, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by bushido3374

I was diagnosed with adult ADHD by a psychiatrist. I started by taking a psychostimulant (ADD meds like Adderall and Ritalin). The RX was for Concerta. It worked well. Now I'm on an SNRI (similar to an SSRI) called Effexor. It's an antidepressant/ antianxiety med that has some stimulating properties and puts my brain in the zone. I needed this because I had some depression/anxiety issues as well.

Before I was on this, I also would have to read and reread the same paragraph before I could comprehend what I'd just read. Now, on the meds, I am getting mostly A's in school. Effexor is commonly used with adults with ADHD.

I also take an SNRI in combination with my vyvanse

**ghettoboyd** · 06-23-2009, 03:00 PM

i have add as well but im 37. i was diagnosed buy my pediatrican as lazy. thay had no idea what add was back in the 70's.ive learned to manage over the years but just prioratizing my thoughts as thay come in and try to focus on the task at hand. i used to "spin my wheels" a lot but as ive goten older its become a bit easyer. my daughter unfortunatly has adhd real bad. she thinks so fast she has trouble compleating a sentance. at school her teacher lets her stand all day cus she cant even sit down for more than 2 mins. she is taking a drug in a patch called daytranna. it has healped slow her down a bit and she was able to get her work in school done enough to pass the second grade. she has so much trouble concentrating cus her body and mind wornt let her focus. i feel for her cus im afraid if she falls behind it will hurt her self-esteam and she might start hanging with the bad kids like i did.

**bushido3374** · 06-23-2009, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by ghettoboyd

i have add as well but im 37. i was diagnosed buy my pediatrican as lazy. thay had no idea what add was back in the 70's.ive learned to manage over the years but just prioratizing my thoughts as thay come in and try to focus on the task at hand. i used to "spin my wheels" a lot but as ive goten older its become a bit easyer. my daughter unfortunatly has adhd real bad. she thinks so fast she has trouble compleating a sentance. at school her teacher lets her stand all day cus she cant even sit down for more than 2 mins. she is taking a drug in a patch called daytranna. it has healped slow her down a bit and she was able to get her work in school done enough to pass the second grade. she has so much trouble concentrating cus her body and mind wornt let her focus. i feel for her cus im afraid if she falls behind it will hurt her self-esteam and she might start hanging with the bad kids like i did.

I'm really sorry to hear that. There might be support groups in your area for ADHD, and at the very least, there's an informative magazine out (I forget the name) but googling it would turn it up. There are alot of strengths to match the liabilities with this predisposition.

Katsmeow, what's the name of the SNRI you're on? I think there are only a few out, since it's a fairly new variation of antidepressant. My effexor is expensive enough that I'm keeping my options open.

**sizerp** · 06-23-2009, 07:57 PM

Goo to know who's perpetually 12 years old here!

**DSM4Life** · 06-23-2009, 07:58 PM

I would just try eating a lot of sugar and see what happens

**KatsMeow** · 06-23-2009, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by bushido3374

I'm really sorry to hear that. There might be support groups in your area for ADHD, and at the very least, there's an informative magazine out (I forget the name) but googling it would turn it up. There are alot of strengths to match the liabilities with this predisposition.

Katsmeow, what's the name of the SNRI you're on? I think there are only a few out, since it's a fairly new variation of antidepressant. My effexor is expensive enough that I'm keeping my options open.

I take cymbalta, all SNRI's are super expensive and there is no way around it, It serves a dual purpose for me because I have a pretty bad case of fibromyalgia and it helps with that pain as well

**jbm** · 06-23-2009, 09:06 PM

I've been looking at her again and again and again...

**bushido3374** · 06-23-2009, 09:46 PM

JBM, I think that's obsessive compulsive disorder, not ADHD. LOL.

Katsmeow, sorry to hear about your compounded issues. I guess SNRI's are expensive because they're so new.

**jbm** · 06-23-2009, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by bushido3374

JBM, I think that's obsessive compulsive disorder, not ADHD. LOL.

Katsmeow, sorry to hear about your compounded issues. I guess SNRI's are expensive because they're so new.

**JDawg1536** · 06-23-2009, 09:54 PM

I went in for diagnosis when I was in my late teens. There were something like 30 parts to the test, and I scored ADD on about half of them. I don't really remember though. I don't think I have ADHD. I walk and talk and do pretty much everything quickly, but I'm not a "ball of energy" in the least. My main concern is when it comes to school. Like I said, I can't concentrate and my comprehension skills are suffering greatly because of it. Was anyone given any tips or instructions on how to combat this sort of problem without medication? Considering I don't have a long term health care plan yet, I'm probably gonna be holding off on meds for a while, if I decide to go that route at all. I'm not a huge fan of medication, but it seems like it may be a wise path to explore.

**KatsMeow** · 06-23-2009, 10:31 PM

I didn't have to take any standardized test...I sat down for my psychological evaluation and about 5 mins in she was like "yeah so you have ADHD and you are in need of medication" LOL

**J431S** · 06-23-2009, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

Anyone ever been prescribed medication to deal with attention deficit disorder? It seems like my problem has gotten worse as I've grown older, but every time I sit down to read something my mind starts wandering and I have to re-read things over and over. With the personalities on this board I'm sure some of you have the same problem and have been treated for it. What's the low down?

Never had one of those mediation but most claim yoga classess are much better than those medication. You might want to evaluate all those consideration for your own benefits. Goodluck!

**bushido3374** · 06-24-2009, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

I went in for diagnosis when I was in my late teens. There were something like 30 parts to the test, and I scored ADD on about half of them. I don't really remember though. I don't think I have ADHD. I walk and talk and do pretty much everything quickly, but I'm not a "ball of energy" in the least. My main concern is when it comes to school. Like I said, I can't concentrate and my comprehension skills are suffering greatly because of it. Was anyone given any tips or instructions on how to combat this sort of problem without medication? Considering I don't have a long term health care plan yet, I'm probably gonna be holding off on meds for a while, if I decide to go that route at all. I'm not a huge fan of medication, but it seems like it may be a wise path to explore.

Yeah, you might have the ADD without the hyperactivity. Good idea to just educate yourself about meds even if you don't prefer that path right away. You might also check into a state prescription program. I'm on something called the Oregon Prescription Health Program and they have a list of meds that I can get for a discount price.

I wish you luck with this. It's something I can totally empathize with.