ADHD Diagnosed and adderal | ADHD Information

Does anyone have any feedback to my questions? Sorry I posted this about a week ago maybe I should have ended my post with a question mark hehe =)

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I have heard nothing beside negatives about Concerta or Strattera on this board--especially about the awful long-lasting after effects well after the med is stopped.  I'm very glad the Concerta works for you--these are both non-stim ADHD meds, right?No - concerta is a stuimulant simalar to ritalin, it is an extended release type of medication. 

I so didn't know.  Maybe I was thinking only of Strattera regarding the ickiness--probably since they both end with an 'A' (that's always comforting)--thx!

Delta-  thanks so much for the insight!!!!  I can't wait for my hubby to try medication.  And Terrie, I know only too well what you are talking about! I had 2 H's---some of each.  My husband is the true, quiet hyper-focuser, like you.  Yeah! Little did they know!   Not a drop of hyperness, ever.  He calms me down, but we still don't pay our bills!!! ha ha

As far as Adderall goes...I don't know.  I have read on this site that some have wear-off effects & need a second dose on the immediate release formula to boos 'em through the end of the day. My fisrt stop on the medication train was Concerta(, I have finally been able to taper off, and just a few minutes ago I popped my first 10mg pill.  I hope this one does it...Concerta was a terrible experince for me We shall see...as always, thanks for all the info & support, my friends!  Talk to you soon................................

In some instances stimulants can increase the probability of those involuntary behaviors but sometimes with your pdoc's help you may find one that works. 

  My nephew had eye twitches on Adderall and they completely disappeared when he changed to Concerta.   My daughter whom has OCD/ADHD also has spastic torticolisis.  Her ticks actually got better on Adderall.

If I had read all the negative hype about Stratterra before I started it, I would have never tried. it.    I didn't have any of the nasty side effects except for sleepiness.  It was OK for me, but Adderall works better for me.

Some people have luck with Wellbutrin which is a non stimulant.

Good luck

 

 

 

My only negative on Adderall (& it's becoming a big one) is that it appears as if my skin is an export for meth! Yay.  Hence my "practicing w/o it"...  & the drop-cloth I used for a filter on my avatar. terrie38953.7419791667

MOVED THIS POST: Hello all first post here. I'm 24, have tourettes and was always told I likely had ADHD however it never bugged me to a huge degree. However, I just recently (1.5 months) ago began a full time job requiring alot of focus and concentration, organization of objects and memory for where things go on a routine basis. I've had significant problems maintaining focus over 20 minutes, and generally about 3 hours of the day requires attention to details in the organization of the product. On a regular basis I was finishing work in about 10-12 hours for what normally should be a 8 hour shift. Coinicidentally I was taking ephedrine/caffiene for a bit of energy boost and dieting, but I noticed that while on it my concentration increased and I got my job done alot easier. This got me researching into the various medications used for adhd. (Ephedrine being a close cousin of amphetamine but milder)

 

I went to my doctor and have seen him 3 times, today concluding a physical. Now we talked about what can be done, and I shared my experience with him using the afformentioned OTC stimulants,  but he seems to be very conservative in regards to prescribing pharmacological treatment. He gave me a form for a blood test today "to see how things are before we recommend medications" but he also said that maybe I should just take ephedrine/caffiene as it would be safer. I mentioned that although it helps me, It is suppose to be comparatively milder and not specifically used for the treatment for adhd as other medications such as dexedrine/adderall are.

When it comes down to my next appointment, is it my choice? I would want to at least try and see if it has a better effect as it's been claimed to. He told me to keep a journal and keep track of how I work on and off stimulants, but I hope I don't run into a wall with him as it's somewhat awkward to say "no I want to try medication".

Any advice would be appreciated in regards to what I should do if I do want to pursue the pharmacological approach in regards to dealing with my somewhat conservative doctor, aswell as the choices themselves. Thank you and it's good to be here !

spacElady:  Don't forget that the 'H' in ADHD can also infer hyperfocus, which I assume would be viewed as anything but hyper.  I would get lost in writing my story for a day or two as a child--no bathroom/no food--& all I was doing was writing--a good quiet child, I must have appeared.  Little did they know . . .

I actually experience the complete opposite, my tourettes have reduced a good 30-50 %. The weird thing is I experience the opposite to nicotine. It makes me exhibit motor tics which I dont usually experience, increases my vocals and takes a few weeks to subside.

Now marijuana, I've had a horrendous experience, I used it twice, and it increased my tics near 80-100 %, from going every few minutes between tics and even times where they aren't existent while occupied thinking, to mulitple tics (almost seizure like repeating several back to back) within 30 second spans. It really disappointed me as marijuana experience was very pleasurable, but it's as if it disables my suppression abilities, and it carries over days to weeks after.

I don't think my response to current medicine is normal amongst touretter's. I seem to experience completely opposite effects compared with popular anecdotal feedback. I think stimulants like amphetamines should increase tics in most people, but I guess the imbalances from tourettes may stem from different chemicals thus response to medications can be different.

My doctor is a conservative GP in regards to prescribing medications, however I managed to push for Adderall as he diagnosised me with ADHD and I let him know it was impacting my job significantly. Now being on it for only 1 week, I've realized it impacted me in many aspects of my life such as horrible eating habits, disorganization around the house in regards to chores, constant lethargy if not on caffeine, very negative thinking and generalized depression. Since I've began adderall life has been beautiful. I have not experienced euphoria nor intend to, it's just made me a much more calm, functional and confident person.

The tics you describe can very well be an aggravation from his medication, however unless it's getting significantly worse you would have to weight the pros vs cons.

One question, have you noticed the effects of adderall in regards to focus/well being/appetite last after the 3 years you and your husband used it, or has it lost its effects as time progressed? I'm not refering to the first week where you feel phenomenal as I imagine your body is still getting use to the drug.

Deltaforce38952.6444560185

I think  I may have read that you need to be careful with tourettes & stimulants...something about maybe making tics worse? (Not sure)  Question for you, though: what symptoms do you experience for your tourettes?  My husband & I both have ADHD, but i have the hyper type & he doesn't have any hperactive qualities. Just inattention & some impulsivity.  I have noticed, though, over the last 3 yrs, that he kind of yanks/stretches his shoulder/chin more than others. Its not overwhleming noticeable or anything, but I'm aruond him more than others. I wasn't sure if this qualtified as tics?  I just want him to be careful because I had read that stuff about caution in tourettes/people who have tics.

p.s. When you say your doctor, do you mean your general practitioner or psych?  A lot of general practitioners don't read up on their ADD treatments & shy away from medication treatment....highly recommend a good pysch who is well-versed in people like us....