There are a lot of different meds out there for ADD. Unfortunately, everyone's body chemistry is different and what works for one person does not work for another.
Unfortunately it's all trial and error. You have to keep trying different things until you find the right med and the right dose. There really isn't any other way around it.
But believe me . . . hang in there because when you do find the right med, it will all be worth it!
I've recently been diagnosed with Adult ADD. I was originally prescribed Adderall. I started with one 5mg tablet twice a day. It made me feel like I had taken a hit of speed, so I decreased the dosage to half a pill. After the second dose wore off, at about 7 or 8 at night, I became a zombie for about two hours, totally spaced out. And I had a headache and weird pressure in my head. The good thing was that I slept really well on the Adderall.
My psych switched me to Ritalin. I started with a half of a 5mg tablet 3 times a day. I didn't notice any effects, good or bad, so I upped it to one pill 3 times a day. This made me dizzy and I also felt the head pressure, so I cut the last dosage to half a pill. That night, I had terrible nightmares (I don't usually have nightmares.) I also was nauseous.
I took the Ritalin for a total of 3 days. The first day that I didn't take any (yesterday), I felt weird and out of it all day. Today I feel mostly better, but I still feel the effects of this drug.
I am now beginning to doubt if I want to continue persuing medication for this condition. I am wary of being a guinea pig to the pharmeceutical industry and am wondering even if I find something that seems to help, are the side effects worth it? I'm beginning to think the answer could be no.
Are there people out there who haven't found help with medication because they either didn't work or the side effects were too great?
I'd like to hear thoughts on this.