How do you know that the med is working? | ADHD Information

The best way I knew my meds were working was by hearing about how much better I was after taking them from others!  Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees but other people get a good view of it all.

I knew I felt better but until others told me how I was more optimistic, less scattered and easier to talk to it was hard to know for sure.

Usually though you'll feel it when it comes.  It's like a clearing of mental fog (I felt that and others here have mentioned it as well).  It's usually very dramatic but many don't feel it quite as intensely.

Others may see the changes before you do. You are right about 5mg being a low dose, but the safe way to find the right dose is to start low and work your way up to maximum response with minimal side effects. It is not only the dose, but the dosing schedule to cover your individual needs. Make sure the doctor knows what your treatment goals are.

The meds will not give you the ambition to tackle things but will help remove the distractions that kept you from finishing them.

I was just diagnosed with ADHD.  The doctor just prescribed Ritalin 5 mg, twice a day, and lowered the Wellbutrin to 150 mg. 

The 5 mg seems like such a tiny dose, compared with what I see here.

The biggest question for me is - how do you know that it's working for you? 

(Do you suddenly want to tackle your mountain of paperwork?  )

What should I expect/hope to see?  Also, how do you arrive at an optimal dosage or an optimal type of medication?

Thanks!

Beatrice,

Just keep a diary of what you took and when and any observations you have (not just how you feel, but how the day went). You might ask others to rate you as well. Somethimes you are the last to know the effects (others around you see it quicker, as less arguementative, listen better, etc). It can take time to find that right dose. It is also not unusual to get some euphoria from the dex in the beginning. It goes away after your body adjusts; just do not confuse that feeling with whether the med has any positive effects. If you titrate up to what the doc feels should be effective and you are not doing good enough, you might have to start again with a new med.

Once you get to an effective treatment, you can better put in place organizational skills that will help with the stuff that you have been dealing with your whole life.

Do not give up. THis can be a tough journey but you and you family will benefit from finding effective treatment.

 Hi I am 33 and have just been diagnosed with severe inatentive ADD (I have an IQ of 150 but cant hold down a job or drive).  I was wondering the same thing, how do I know for sure if it is working especially as I am not hyper!   I hear all about the lifting of fog and was really excited expecting something dramatic. 

I have been put on Dexamphetamine and was told to up my dose by half a 5 mg tablet a day in the mornings and record how long it lasts and stop increasing the dose when I get to four. However this has not been easy as I cant even say for sure it is working let alone when it starts and finishes!! If I take one and a half I dont know if it is working but on two i feel almost high!!

 I still find myself daydreaming and making stupid mistakes like locking myself out of my apartment although I think I may be more able to stop myself once i realise what I am doing.  Also I am alot more active as I am prone to vegging.  I have stopped out of control shouting  at my little on which is the reason I went for help I do feel for the most part I can cope with lots of things going on at once without feeling overloaded, like my brain is not trying to focus on everything at once.  But how do I know this is not just a placebo effect.  And how am I ever going to figure out my right dose.

oh no I am rambling.......! sorry!

I take 20 mg of adderall per day.  I usually take it before I study.  I can tell it works because I can actually read.  I was diagnosed as having inattentive add, but I believe I have combined type, though I'm not super hyperactive, I'm really just fidgety.

When I take a table, I open up a text book to start reading (homework).  The first half hour is a blur, but I can still get some stuff done.  After the half hour, and usually for the next three hours, I read fairly well.  I still have a little trouble concentrating while on adderall, but I soak in probably about 75-80 percent of what I read.

When I'm off the med, I can read maybe for 15 minutes, retain maybe 20-25% of what I read, then after the first fifteen minutes, I'm lucky if I can retain anything at all.

When I write papers, and do questions for homework, I can get more accomplished because I can at least read and write, rather than just write before I started taking the meds.  The stimulant medication also makes me feel more motivated, so I can sit down and do 3 hours of homework without getting up and moving around, like I did before I took the meds.

 

dont get nervous about taking stims, antidepressants have WAYYY worse side effects.some people only need 2.5mg of ritalin twice a day......And others need 70mg of desoxyn.....see the huge difference in adhd med requirements? 5mg might work for you but its probably not the best possible med/dose for you.I took 5 mg. ritalin only for 3 days (it was really supposed to help me wake up in the morning) and it did absolutely nothing. I tend to have a pretty high tolerance for drugs; I have to take a moderate-to-higher starting dose to notice any changes(I know this from my experiences with antidepressents and anti-anxieties)

great question, though. I was sooo nervous the first day I took it and thats how I woke up early the first day...but it did nothing for me so I don't think I got the effect I should have. Tomorrow AM I should be starting Focalin XR 10 mg. That will kinda be my intro into the stim world...

Good luck--keep us posted!