dude.
so bama,
we all stress about the meds. we think they might save us and some are saved. when we have to constantly change dosages combinations and nothing works we become deppressed. when we see no overt changes only subtle ones subtlety is lost on us typically. plus we can't stand to wait it out. i myself even though i've become more'productive ' typically (20 mg adderal xl, 300 mg wellbutrin) still suffer from moments of the doldrum languishing stretching hours on a chair couch stareing at the ceiling praying for a coma so i can sleep for hours uninterrupted. yeah.
so we still face our disorder in one way or another.
its just an aid.
i'm sure you can read around here and see what i'm talking about.
good luck to you!
sumio
I am finding that Straterra does not "kick in" right away like the Ritalin and other speed does. It seems to take a couple of weeks or more to build up in your system.
I also find that the medications help control ADD symptoms, but they do not make ADD go away. The meds help to clear the fog and make it possible to cope with the ADD, but the ADD is still there. But with a combination of the meds, eating properly, regular exercise, enough sleep, and learning some ADD-oriented organizational and interpersonal skills, we can do just fine!
Asking your doc about the extra ritalin is of course up to you. I think it is easier ideally if you can possibly stick to one medication so you can effectively monitor the results of a specific dosage.
But in the short run if your looking at flunking school, losing a job, or getting divorced, you have to do whatever you can to function.
Check out these boards a lot. there are a lot of great people here willing to share!
Sorry Bama,
I did not read your entire post before i responded (see, the ADD does not go away 100%).
My doctor used a similar ramp-up approach with my Straterra. he took about two months to get me up to my daily dosage of 70MG. I think this reduces the severity of side effects.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD by a psychologist and have been prescribed two different meds by my physician. I was placed on Straterra and Ritalin SR. The Ritalin SR was prescribed to fill-in for the amount of time the Straterra dosage is being ramped-up. I must admit that I am calmer and that my post CNN/Fox News watching rants have almost stopped all together. I argue with my wife in a much more rational and productive manner. My concern is the "focus" that many of you speak of. I can't tell if I'm getting better in that regard. I still avoid sitting down and reading many of the books that I have purchased, but never finished and at times my level of patience still has a lot to be desired.
I do want to share my Straterra dosage procedure to see if anyone else has done the same thing. I was given a sample from the doc that started me on 18mg for 4 days, 25mg for about 2 weeks, 40 mg for 4 days (I'm currently at this dosage stage now), and then on to 60 mg for 2 weeks or so. I think that is the level the doc will sustain the dosage. I'm not sure, but at least that's where I go back to him for an evaluation. I think the Ritalin will stop. Would it be irresponsible for me to ask him for a non-time release Ritalin that I could use as a tool for studying when I re-enter school this fall? I hear that the non-time release type creates a more intense focus effect, but isn't sustained for a long period of time.
I'm 34 years old and have been in and out of school for reasons I suspected to be associated with my newly diagnosed condition. I don't want to sound as if I'm not accountable for my own failures though. I have high hopes for this treatment and am a bit worried about my success with it.
Are my worries justified and do my meds and reaction to them sound familiar?
Thanks.