1. Do you need focus at home? If on the 5mg, and don't bed early, a late shot helps homework, like being nice to spouse.
2. Yes. Take 5 HTP at night, and Rit in the light.
3. No. Probably synergize the Rit. Let me know if you try it, but I'm not advocating it.
4. My nighty-nites are so powerful they'll override my Rit doses.
5. Provigil, an AD experimental yet, has an off switch: benadryl.
6. No know off switches for Rit or ADDerall.
Check out the Getting Things Done method by David Allen. See http://www.43folders.com.I am taking generic ritalin: Methylin (or something like that). I take the 5mg pill that lasts up to 4 hours. I am planning to up my dosage tomorrow. Typically I take 1 5mg at 8am and then one at 12am or so. If I stay in the office late, I will take one more at 4pm or so.
When you say balance the timing do you mean I should take the 5 HTP once the ritalin is not in effect any more such as in the evening or on weekends, when I don't take ritalin?
What do you think would happen if I took them simultaneously? Would they both stop working?
Hello!
My first message here. I got diagnosed last week. I kind of always knew I had ADD but since it never really intefered with my life that much I never took the time to get tested. However since my last performance evaluation I've felt really depressed and hopeless. I finally hit that roadblock where I can't get away with it any more. Apparently working 12 hours a day is not enough and my mgr thinks that I am so disorganized that I cannot do my job. I end up spending my time on boring admin stuff that needs to be done in order for production to continue, but this does not leave me enough time to work on what he thinks is important. I was given 30 days to show "significant" improvement. Talk about stress! I cannot sleep with fear & anxiety! I have too much work and feel overwhelmed most of the time but he does not see it this way. He thinks I don't have multi-tasking skills! LOL! I have an MBA and my GMAT score was in the 98th percentile and I know I am not stupid. I know I am not good with details but have trained myself pretty well to overcome this even though once in a while something falls through the cracks.
I have a few questions:
1. Does anyone know any good book/resources on how I can get more organized, figure out a system of getting work done and learn how to plan better? Any ideas? I really need to do something about this. Doctor said the med will help me focus but I still have to learn new habits etc to make it work.
2. I read about coaching/therapy. What type of counselling do you think I should go for in order to improve the above (q. #1) and what kind of experience have you had with different kinds of therapy? What would be a good general ADD-related therapy?
3. I just got a prescription for ritalin, I tried it today 5mg 4hour pill (Saturday) but did not see any immediate effect (nor side effects). Does this mean it does not work and I should up my dosage? Also, if I don't have side effects now, is there a good chance that they won't come later?
4. Do you think I should tell my mgr about the ADD? I worry that he will think it is just an excuse. He generally does not accomodate other people's personal problems well. Is there anything I can do should he fire me because of this?
5. Also, has anyone found a way to get the things done that you really don't want to/feel that are too difficult and thus end up procrastinating on? I have had a few of such projects (that are still open) and would love to hear any advice you might have that might help me.
PLEASE HELP!
Sticky notes don't work well for me. They just end up on my floor...lolShould be okay. Don't know a/b oral 5HTP, but know a bit a/b serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. What dose do you take, and what is the strength of the pills?Guys,
Thank you so much for great and useful advice. I am so glad I found this forum, you cannot imagine! I am still trying to sort through all the websites and info. I hope I'll be able to implement a lot of it! I went and read more on ADD and ordered some of the books you recommended. I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only "weird" one :-).
I will keep you posted on my progress. I sat down my mgr last week to talk. He said he has seen tremendous progress so far. So far so good! :-)
Before I got ritalin a friend told me to take some 5 HTP pills (seratonin) which would make me less depressed and make me not care too much. I think they worked pretty well because I was told that I appear a lot more confident (as a result of not caring any more!), I look like I know what I'm doing (as opposed to I had no idea before?!?!?) and also my desk has been kept orderly (Again an appearance issue!) I cannot believe this! What a bunch of c**p. I am still working the same long hours and hard as I did before, except I shifted my focus as to what I'm working on. (And I delegated a little bit to our admin)
Now only if I knew whether I can combine that 5 HTP with ritalin. I need to continue "looking confident" and "like I know what I'm doing". Any thoughts?
My doc told me to stop taking it when I started ritalin but I wonder if that was just to see whether ritalin would work....
Slimacik > > >
Welcome to the ADDult Club.
Some really GREAT books I've run across and highly recommend;
1. Journeys through ADDulthood, Sari Solden
2. Delivered from Distraction, Edward Hallowell/John Ratey
3. Trauma and Addiction, Tian Dayton
The first two should be mandatory for everone DX with ADD. The third one is godd {for some reason I've been spelling good this way all week } for people who have had their childhood diverted to non-tradional areas or other early childhood "problems".
Don' give up, there is going to be a Better Day for you.
Hello!