My Meds Diary | ADHD Information
I'm just following the advice of my doc. I was going to say that you can stop it cold turkey.. I did per my Psych's advice I was up to 80mgs a day. I didn't have any side effects doing that...actually I felt better, cause I had less side effects . I understand why your Dr recommended that though.One thing you may want to note is with having both Strat and Stimulants in your system at the same time.. the effects may be different from before when you were taking Ritalin alone, and it may be different once you're completely off the Strat and it's out of your body. I noticed a difference the first day I took Focalin XR and still had the Strat in my system.. and the difference with only the Focalin XR.
Yeah, I don't know that I would recommend stopping cold turkey.......might be OK but cause some yucky side effects. I figure you are supposed to wean ONTO it, so probably a good idea to wean off....I talked to him again today. He told me, technically, you can stop cold turkey. But he's had some patients who had some wierd dizzying side effects, so he prefers to step them down.
My son had a terrible experince with Strattera. His mood issues made me stop that treatment for him. He was put on Concerta about two and a half months ago, and it has done wonders. I am definitely happy with his progress. I just wish that you also have an excellent result with it. He was prescribed Strattera as a first option because he has simple tics occasionally. I was scared to put him on stimulants because they are said to worsen tics. Fortunately, I haven't seen evident tics up to now, and I just hope everything remains as it is.
Really wish you the best!!
Day 2: The second day of pulling back the Strattera. My doc says I can start on the Concerta at any time. I might wait until Monday so I can see how I do in an environment where I really need the stims...i.e., work. (Have today off. Summer Fridays!)Speaking of work...my job is the the biggest gauge for me to figure out the effectiveness of my meds. I procrastinate a lot, have trouble focusing in meetings, get up and walk around instead of doing what I should be doing, etc. Consequently, I work a lot of hours to keep up. Too many.
But I'm also in a deadline-driven business, and sometimes those deadlines mean unreasonable hours...even for the most organized, clear-headed, unmedicated employees.
During one particularly long and stressful week, I was working close to 70 hours. 90% of that was because I had to. (We had a big project due to our client, and the whole team was working ungodly amounts). Maybe only 10% of those hours were due to procrastination.
An analogy my doctor made to me during that time was that if an asthmatic took his medicine but always hung out in a smoky room, he'd still experience symptoms. Work, for me, was my smoky room. I was (and am still) working crazy hours, and consequently am not sleeping well or exercising. The perfect breeding ground for ADD!
Anyway, work is calming down a little bit now, and I'm going to start taking Concerta either over the weekend or on Monday. I'm recommitting myself to an exercise regimen. I'm realizing that meds can't do it all!
And hopefully, the room will be less smoky this time.
More tomorrow.
John D - Thank you so much for your insight. You're right, if there is a danger in this diary, it is over-analysis. It's hard to enjoy the benefits of medication if I'm dissecting my every thought and action.
But there's a difference in our situations, I think. I never really had that initial burst of improvement. The stims never really gave me any marked clarity. I had a few moments where I thought maybe I might have been more focused. But really, I was just monitoring the clarity that I probably would have had anyway. I had never really thought about how focused I was or wasn't before. Now, because of my diagnosis and my tendency to over-analyze, I was just paying more attention to my lack of attention. Which, of course, is some pretty funny irony. I think we might try some other treatments come my next doc appointment in a couple of weeks. Everything I've been reading tells me that if the meds are working, I should at least know when I feel more focused. I just haven't experienced that yet, other than that one day a couple of weeks ago, which I discuss in my diary below.
MIA - Thank you for asking about my son! We are seeing daily improvements. It seems like every day, he is trying something new. More eye contact, more original conversation, less repetition. He has a neuro-psych appointment next week, then a neurologist appointment next month. He's also been evaluated by a speech therapist. But those appointments, at least at the place where we want to take him, are harder to come by. But his team is in place, and we're confident that come school time in September, he'll be able to acclimate pretty well.
Best of luck with your son as well, Mia. You know, boys just do things at their own pace. We have several friends and relatives with boys who didn't speak until well after their second birthdays. My nephew didn't until he was three, as a matter of fact. He's 5 now, in kindergarten, and thriving. Boys, as they say, will be boys.
Onto my diary from the last couple of days.
Days 15-17: Haven't posted in a couple of days because of the maddening pace at work. Enormous meeting with our client coming up on Tuesday. All of my bosses have been out of town shooting a commercial for said client. So it's been a model of inefficiency. Needless to say, I haven't had a moment to log in for a while.
I'm still taking my Strattera/Concerta cocktail. But I have to say, I think its a bust. I keep harping on that one day of beautiful clarity, which was two weeks ago today. That's how I envisioned feeling on the meds, and it gave me hope that we were onto to something with this combo. I spoke to my therapist about it as well. And as we talked about it, it led me to believe that drugs had nothing to do with my focus and clarity on that day. It did have everything to do with my physical end emotional environment. I was not in a "smoky room," to use the analogy from before. I had a great night's sleep. I exercised. I had no work on my brain. I was with my family in a fun environment (the carnival). My son, who has been the #1 thing on my mind since hearing the scary "autism" word, had a care-free day of rides and playing and interacting with kids and communicating. So my head was clear from that worry. Then I had a beautiful, intimate experience with my wife. Quite possibly the perfect day. My environment and mood had way more to do with my clear headedness than any medication did. I now firmly believe this.
I've also been in contact with an ADD coach. In part, it's in preparation for the possibility that medication won't work for me. But mostly, it's just because I think it'll help me. Being accountable for keeping my systems straight could be just what the doctor ordered. Stay tuned.
Greetings,
I just wanted to say I am enjoying your journal here I like to come back and get your updates.
I really am sorry that the meds don't seem to be working for you right now and I can feel your frustrations. I hope you and your doctor can find the right med for you, truly.
I'm on day 6 of the beginning of Concerta, in two days I jump to the 36mg, then later to around the 60-70ish range is what I was told my goal dosage is for the future.
Anyway, Happy Father's Day and be safe.
DarkAngel
DarkAngel39250.4418981482Day 18 (Father's Day): Not feeling particularly focused or unfocused today. Kind of in a haze from working late last night. Big meeting on Tuesday, and I wanted to get everything done so I wouldn't have to work on Father's Day. Of course, now I'm too tired to do much else. More later.
Days 23-24. Not thinking too much about me. My 3 year old was diagnosed with PDD-NOS today, which is a mild form of Autism. I'm beside myself. Days 19-22: Just got back from a trip to New York City yesterday to edit a commercial for one of our clients. I had heard that the head of our company has diagnosed ADD, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to spend any time with him to see for myself. And, boy, is it ever true. Any inattentiveness I may experience is dwarfed by his. He's all over the map. But it works for him. He's one of the most creative people in the world (has won every major creative advertising award there is to win, several times over), and he hasn't let his ADD get in the way of his career. Or, apparently, his marriage. (Although, no one can really say what goes on behind closed doors.)
As for me, well, I don't think this current treatment is really working. I just think I should know, you know? My doctor's appointment is next week. My options are: 1. Increasing the dose of Concerta. 2. Increasing the dose of Concerta and Strattera. 3. Eliminating Strattera from the equation. 4. Trying something new altogether, like Wellbutrin. If anyone's reading this who might have tried Wellbutrin to treat ADD, I'd love to hear how it worked - or didn't - for you.
Another interesting insight I had over the past couple of days is how I am using my ADD itself as a subject to hyperfocus on. (I define hyperfocusing differently than some others. To me it's the complete immersion of my mental energies into something...my work, buying a house, researching which air conditioner to buy, etc. It's usually brought on in times of stress like a work deadline.) But unlike hyperfocusing on a assignment I have to complete for my job, which can yield positive results, hyperfocusing on my ADD has the effect of a mouse on a wheel. I'm focusing on not focusing... researching meds and treatments...writing this journal...reading about others...over-analyzing every thought I have. It's counterproductive and frustrating because I just can't will my ADD away like I can some other challenges in my life. Patience is not something that comes naturally to me. Yet it is the thing I need the most in this annoyingly long journey of ADD treatments.
So that's it for now. Until next time....
OMG I'M ADHD?39254.1826736111
[QUOTE=OMG I'M ADHD?] Days 19-22: Just got back from a trip to New York City yesterday to edit a commercial for one of our clients. I had heard that the head of our company has diagnosed ADD, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to spend any time with him to see for myself. And, boy, is it ever true. Any inattentiveness I may experience is dwarfed by his. He's all over the map. But it works for him. He's one of the most creative people in the world (has won every major creative advertising award there is to win, several times over), and he hasn't let his ADD get in the way of his career. Or, apparently, his marriage. (Although, no one can really say what goes on behind closed doors.)
The head of your company seems to be doing something he is great at and this can make a HUGE difference in how functional we are.
As for me, well, I don't think this current treatment is really working. I just think I should know, you know? My doctor's appointment is next week. My options are: 1. Increasing the dose of Concerta. 2. Increasing the dose of Concerta and Strattera. 3. Eliminating Strattera from the equation. 4. Trying something new altogether, like Wellbutrin. If anyone's reading this who might have tried Wellbutrin to treat ADD, I'd love to hear how it worked - or didn't - for you.
I am taking Wellbutrin for ADHD. I also take Prozac for panic disorder/OCD so I don't know how much that influences the effect I get from meds. Anyhoo, Wellbutrin has made a HUGE difference in my life, but has not done a great deal for my focus issues. For a time it did seem like I was having an easier time getting started on things I needed to do (but didn't want to). It has also worked wonders for my impulsivity. It has returned motivation to me and helps keep me awake. I am the kind of person who could sleep all day. I fall asleep watching TV, reading, etc. Now I can function much more normally. I am increasing my dose now to see if it makes a difference for my focus. Otherwise I may swtich to/supplement with a stimulant.
Another interesting insight I had over the past couple of days is how I am using my ADD itself as a subject to hyperfocus on. (I define hyperfocusing differently than some others. To me it's the complete immersion of my mental energies into something...my work, buying a house, researching which air conditioner to buy, etc. It's usually brought on in times of stress like a work deadline.) But unlike hyperfocusing on a assignment I have to complete for my job, which can yield positive results, hyperfocusing on my ADD has the effect of a mouse on a wheel. I'm focusing on not focusing... researching meds and treatments...writing this journal...reading about others...over-analyzing every thought I have. It's counterproductive and frustrating because I just can't will my ADD away like I can some other challenges in my life. Patience is not something that comes naturally to me. Yet it is the thing I need the most in this annoyingly long journey of ADD treatments.
Boy, I can relate to that. We have a tendency to hyperfocus on things that interest us more than anything. When I developed panic disorder many, many years ago, I read tons of books and spent a lot of time on message board for anxiety sufferers. Whenever I come across something new and interesting, I latch on. At some point I can back off. Haven't gotten there yet with this board.... 
So that's it for now. Until next time....
Good luck!
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Oh my God "OMG I'M ADHD?"! You're doing EXACTLY what I did when first diagnosed and starting meds...watching (and recording in a little book) my every thought, feeling, mood, action like a hawk; discovering traits I never realized I had before; wondering thoughts or feelings were caused by the meds or just me.... And same as you, making lists and checking things off like I'd never done before (at least not for more than a day!); and feeling "in the moment" like never before while being intimate with my wife; and comparing how I felt the day before with how I felt that day.... For the first month or so it seemed like my brain worked overtime monitoring and analyzing myself, as if I was doing so with the clarity and magnification you get by looking at something through a binocular backwards.
But also like you, it was very hard to handle times when I lapsed into forgetting about items on the list, or even lapsing back to my old ways and forgetting completely about the list. Hyperfocusing on the relapses didn't help my self esteem one bit!
It took effort and time, but eventually I quit watching myself so closely, but only after I gradually came to accept that despite the initial burst of improvement experienced the first week on meds, that long term, sustained improvement, even though taking medication and seeing a counselor, would take time, and won't ever guarantee freedom from relapse.
[QUOTE=OMG I'M ADHD?]Day 7: Well, yesterday kind of sucked. My 3-year-old son has been showing language and behavioral delays. His OT expressed concern and suggested we see a neurologist. Within the spectrum of his delays is Autism. It's got me freaked.
Anyway, the point is that I was completely unfocused all day at work. I don't think I ever mentioned what I do for a living...I am an advertising copywriter, which means it is my job to sit around and think up advertising ideas for our clients. Between worrying about my son, not sleeping enough, experimenting with meds, and having ADD, my ability to come up with ideas yesterday was destroyed.
Today is my second day of combining concerta and strattera. I feel less frazzled than I did yesterday (mostly because my wife and I have been putting my son's delays in perspective), but still not very focused.
On the one day that I felt so well (last Saturday), the Strattera had been in my system for a month. Then I took a few days off from it. Now I've been back on it for a day and a half. Hopefully, I'll get back that clarity I had.
That's it for now. More later/tomorrow.
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How is your son doing? Have you taken him to a specialist yet? My son turned 2 on May 5 2007 and he isn't speaking. I had him tested for autism but since he will look me in the eye, and love on me, and point out things to show me with excitement, then autism was ruled out completely.
How is your son doing?
Mia
Day 14. I don't know if these drugs are working. Hard to think today. I'm getting frustrated. Day 13. Today was a "smoky room" day. Worked until midnight last night. In work again this morning at 8:30. Had to meet a noon deadline. Blech.
That said, I was able to keep my head about me pretty well. I don't feel like my concentration or clarity has really improved all that much with this meds combination. But it's kind of hard to say for certain. Especially when I had so little sleep last night.
One positive development: I've really cut back on the coffee the last couple of days. Even without enough sleep, I did alright. That might help me not feel so jittery with the stimulants.
OMG I'M ADHD?39245.7118865741Days 29-30: This is my second day of the increased dosage of Concerta, and I was experiencing that tightness in my chest feeling that I got when I got on the higher doses of Ritalin. I went for a run and that feeling went away, so that was good.
Of course, I'm here at home, observing my son, and feeling a lot of anxiety about his future. So that tightness in my chest could have been completely related to that.
DianeV: Thank you for all your understanding about my son. He's does stuff every day that he's never done before. So we're feeling hopeful.
IMTrying: Wow! Seems like you've got some knowledge about this stuff. Thanks for all that input. My doc isn't averse to upping the dose of stims for me. But I definitely tweaked out a bit on the ritalin when I tried that first. But the slow release Concerta seems to be much better for me than taking two big doses of the former. I also nixed the coffee, which seems to be helping as well.
More tomorrow.
Hey, OMG...I totally get all you're saying...
I started with Wellbutrin XL for PMDD last year...helped somewhat, started Adderall XR and IR Adderall about 6 weeks ago, tried to drop the WB completely (was @ 450 mg., tapered to 150) and my depression hit me between the eyes with a 4x4!! BAck to 300 mg of the WBXL. Meds for me? How 'bout years of meds for oldest son, now almost 13.
He was taking a HUGE amount of Focalin XR, IR Focalin after other methylphenidate products for years. (Took Strattera for 3 years, waste of money) He does have pretty bad ADHD and ultra high maintenance. Have a 10 DD (dear daughter) who looks to be ADD, too, but I'm trying some counseling and strategies first. My twins, I.D. boys, have had significant speech delays and have had IEPs in school since preschool. Next fall they're entering third grade and it's gonna be scary.
I am the research queen. First for my son (I think I memorized the entire matrix of ADHD meds, their profile, blood plasma levels, efficacy, etc.) and now for me. What blows my mind is how I can start WB, or initially begin the Adderall and have significant sleep issues, get paranoid, order up more Ambien, and then several days later, ZZZZZZZZZZ during cable news show at 11, sans Ambien. I, too, have always had significant sleep problems since childhood. There is ADD, ADHD, social maladaptiveness (is that a word, no), high intelligence, and analysis paralysis fairly galloping through my family. (Let's not get into the extreme narcissism, shall we) So.
From what I've read, and thinking about the stresses you're under (nothing like worrying about a child and his happiness and productive future), plus the amazing insightful streak running through you;...uh, I think you need a higher (maybe significantly higher) dosage of stimulant medication. I also think you need an rx for Ambien for the short term. Yeah, yeah all sleep aids have a risk of dependence, but both my endocrinologist (I have Graves' disease, too, what fun) and my psych say the risk is low, esp. if you don't take a high dose and don't take it for weeks on end, nonstop.
If you cruise some child ADHD sites, you may read that often psychiatrists regularly exceed the FDA guidelines for dosage; it all depends on the individual. It sure isn't based on weight. (for stims)--my son is a 5 foot tall beanpole, always skinny skinny. You could need either 72 mg. of Concerta with a late-day IR booster of generic methylphenidate or Focalin (depending on your insurance) OR try the Adderall/mixed amph salt route. Or, there is Daytrana. My son is experimenting with a couple of different regimens this summer, being out of school. (we have a new psych for him--his med needs were too high for his pediatrician's comfort!! get that!) He uses a 30 mg. patch-transdermal, no first-pass metabolism so the hourly dose requirements are less, but he does need a "first-thing" stim upon waking because the patch takes 2-3 hours to really work.
You've got options. Lots of options. Take it an issue at a time...process this dx about your boy...you know you rock at work, be easier on yourself! Hope you have a good working relationship with your doc so you can try different things, keep an open mind.
If your brain chemistry is getting in the way of experiencing your life the way your wish your could (as apparently mine was, I thought WILL POWER would do it all--it did until I could juggle NO more and deal with dysfunctional parents/ my own baggage)---long aside--ahem, there is hope to improve the window you look through each day. It takes time...like you, I tend to monitor myself very very closely--actually it's kind of a drag sometimes. Try the new med levels, try to forget that you're taking them for a couple of days...one aha moment for me was realizing I was yelling at my kids A LOT LESS. A lot. My constant twisting gut from irritation and impatience subsided somewhat. Not all, but somewhat...and that's a bonus.
I'll shut up now. Yeah, I like to talk. Did I say I talk less on meds? Obviously it's later now and they're long gone...LOL
hang in you are under a lot of stress with your ons right now too and that is NOT going to help with the distractability and inattention....................Day 28: Doc made an interesting observation about my meds today. Told me the fact that I was getting more organized, staying on top of exercise, and laying off the coffee were signs that the meds could be starting to work. I'm still having trouble paying attention, procrastinating, and remembering things. But he said that's okay...he upped the dose of Concerta to 72 mg + the 40 of Strattera that I'm currently on.
We'll see.
as for your son, let things fall, diagnosis accurate or not, right now, the extra help will only benefit him and aid his language progression. Take it! So many people fight for help. Just love him and support him and take all the help you can get.
For yourself......LOVE the idea of printing your diary from here 
.
Good luck!
Diane V39260.7742824074Days 25-27: Well, not much to report still as far as my own treatment goes. But, honestly, it's been the last thing on my mind. These last three days have been a roller coaster of emotion with my son's diagnosis. First, grappling with the concept that he is mildly autistic. Then, trying to get him in the special ed summer program through our town. Now, yesterday and today, seeing lots of stuff in him that makes us wonder if the diagnosis is even correct. Today when my wife said "Come him in here and eat dinner." He responded, "I don't want to. I'm playing with my trains."We originally sought medical opinions because he wasn't saying anything like that. And now, all of a sudden, he's been coming up with completely original speech. Not often. And not very developed. But stuff that isn't rote and isn't echolalia and isn't just some replay of a show he watched earlier that day. He's coming up with stuff from his own brain. It's a joy to see. And, again, makes me wonder if the PDDNOS is on the mark.
As for me, I have my doc appointment tomorrow. Not sure what to tell him. I might just print out this diary and give it to him.
Watch the chest tightness. We saw terrible increased anxiety/nervousness on Concerta. Thanks Diane V. It is definitely something I'm keeping my eye on. When I initially started taking Ritalin, I knew I the dose was too high when this feeling in my chest didn't go away after a couple of days. This is day 3 on increased Concerta, and it already feels better than it did yesterday.
It's hard to tell which is general anxiety about life stuff and which is a stimulant side effect. The eliminating of coffee is helping a ton. Days 30-31: Still feeling that anxiety-like chest tightness today. If this lasts through the 4th of July holiday, I'm gonna pull back on the dose.
Day 31 part 2: My wife made the observation that I seem to be a lot more forgetful since upping the dose of Concerta. I left the keys in the ignition of my car yesterday and then this morning i put the stove on to make my kids' breakfast and forgot all about it. I've never done those things, even before I started meds.
More anxiety and more forgetfulness. So far, this is going in the wrong direction.
Of course, anxiety and forgetfulness could be completely attributed to this stuff with my son, too.
Ugh.
OMG I'M ADHD?39265.7521990741Days 34-40. I've been dealing alright with the increased dose of Concerta. No real problems in terms of extra anxiety or moodiness or anything. I've also managed to eliminate caffeine from my diet for the most part because I found that coffee + the stims made me really jittery. Then, today, I had a diet coke with lunch. BAM! my heart rate shot up almost instantaneously (its at about 105 right now, when usually my resting heart rate is about 65-70). It's a really lousy feeling. It's like I'm forgetting to breathe or something. Instant anxiety when I have caffeine on top of Concerta. Gross. Days 41-56 - Sorry I've been away for so long. Im in the middle of traveling for a good 3 weeks for work.
This chest tightness I've been feeling...it's panic attacks. They continued even when I forgot to take the concerta, which led me to believe it didn't have to to with the meds. So NOW my doc has me on Lorazapam as needed, and Lexapro for the long term.
I went from no medication to 5 medications in less than 6 months. It's enough to make me think I'm going nuts.
[QUOTE=OMG I'M ADHD?]Days 41-56 - Sorry I've been away for so long. Im in the middle of traveling for a good 3 weeks for work.
This chest tightness I've been feeling...it's panic attacks. They continued even when I forgot to take the concerta, which led me to believe it didn't have to to with the meds. So NOW my doc has me on Lorazapam as needed, and Lexapro for the long term.
I went from no medication to 5 medications in less than 6 months. It's enough to make me think I'm going nuts.
I can relate, I am up to three meds now......it does make you feel like you are going nuts. Hopefully after the Lexapro "kicks in" for you, you can stop the lorazepam. I have Prozac on board which has made it easier to tolerate Wellbutrin (which can cause anxiety). I actually have panic disorder so I need to be careful with meds since it is likely that I could end up having panic attacks again.
I recommend you use the lorazepam as sparingly as possible. It works great, but does have addictive potential. I don't tell you that to scare you - I took it for a long time and then switched to clonazepam (Klonopin) which has a longer half-life. Just wanted to make sure you had all the info....if you use it only as needed you should be fine.
You have had a tremendous amount of stress in the last few months, so the panic attacks could certainly be from that. I suggest that you try doing some meditation or exercise (I think you already run, right?) consistently and that should help. Try to find some time every day where you can relax.....or at least do something you find fun.
Best wishes.
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OMG, some of what you are saying is so similar to me. I went from taking a couple meds for a little depression and general anxiety. Life got over my head, I finally faced up to all the other add symptoms and panic when we took my teenage son through his diagnosis. So it seems suddently I am now on 4-5 medications too. I kept track at first like you have been but realized that overall, things were much better than they were and had to stop thinking so much. I didn't like to admit it at first (and am still working on it) but I can't deny that my life is improved in almost all aspects while I am medicated like this.
I have heard 'hyperfocused' before and didn't think it applied to me. But after reading one of your posts I may have been mis-understanding the definition. My wife and I just call it my obsessions. Sometimes it is about looking for a new house, picking the right breed of dog, best stereo to buy, best exercise routine for me...whatever, name your topic. I find all the information I can and research and talk about it to death. I rarely follow through with any thing I learn though. Many times I do this when things are stressful and I should be doing many other things.
Fortunately, I have found Adderall in the last month and it has made an amazing difference with focus, attention and memory.
Jason
Interesting reading the entries. As non-adhd parents, you give us an insight into the effect meds can have on our kids.
How are things going with your child? Our son didn't talk until 3 1/4 and then it was in full sentences. I had a speech therapist come to the house and watch him play with his beloved trains. Her answer was that he had a very apprehensive personality type and that he would progress when he was confident. By 3 1/2 he was talking in full sentences just like you have described. He is now 14 and has a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety and autism. A good idea to keep a watch on his development.
Good luck with your med trialling
Days 32-33: Chest tightness minimal today, even though I'm feeling continued stress about my son. It's a sign the side effect could be wearing off, at least. More tomorrow.Absolutely! Good luck.For the purposes of this diary, I'm going to call this "Day 1." If I tracked my progress back to my very first 5mg dose of Ritalin in March, This would really be day 95 or something. But, given that I have ADHD and all, my memory doesn't go back that far. So, here goes:
Day 1: Just lowered my dose of Strattera from 80 mg to 40 mg to start the weening process. My doc prescribed 54 mg of Concerta (as that was around the max dose of Ritalin that I could tolerate when we were titrating back in March). I'll start taking that over the weekend.
OMG I'M ADHD?39233.1679050926 In March, I started taking meds to treat ADHD/innatentive type. I had some results with Ritalin, but not that watershed head clearing that I've heard about. Then I went on to Adderall, and that was terrible for me. (Lots of mood swings, irritable, sleeplessness, etc.) So my doc took me off stimulants, and put me on 80mg of Strattera. I did that for a month, but saw no results at all. In fact, my concentration and sleeplessness worsened. So, because of the initial results I started to get on ritalin, we decided to try stimulants again.
Starting tomorrow, I am weening off of Strattera. And in a couple of days, I'm going to start Concerta. And I'm going to use this message board as a daily diary/blog to track my progress from here on out.
Hope you're all cool with that. Talk to you soon.
OMG I'M ADHD?39251.0144907407Why are you weaning? Strat can be stopped cold turkey.Day 7: Well, yesterday kind of sucked. My 3-year-old son has been showing language and behavioral delays. His OT expressed concern and suggested we see a neurologist. Within the spectrum of his delays is Autism. It's got me freaked.
Anyway, the point is that I was completely unfocused all day at work. I don't think I ever mentioned what I do for a living...I am an advertising copywriter, which means it is my job to sit around and think up advertising ideas for our clients. Between worrying about my son, not sleeping enough, experimenting with meds, and having ADD, my ability to come up with ideas yesterday was destroyed.
Today is my second day of combining concerta and strattera. I feel less frazzled than I did yesterday (mostly because my wife and I have been putting my son's delays in perspective), but still not very focused.
On the one day that I felt so well (last Saturday), the Strattera had been in my system for a month. Then I took a few days off from it. Now I've been back on it for a day and a half. Hopefully, I'll get back that clarity I had.
That's it for now. More later/tomorrow.
Good luck with your son. My daughter was evaluated by school for conversational language delay, behavioral problems, social delay last year..............it seems quite a bit of it now is maturity, but we will be re evaluating in a year. Hard to know so young.Thank you, Diane. My son has the same issues. He has lots of vocabulary but the inability to initiate or participate in "give and take" conversation. Plus he repeats a lot of what he hears (echolalia). He is still very young...just turned 3 in April. So hopefully it is only a matter of maturing at his own pace. Sounds like my daughter. 90% of her vocabulary comes from Lion King or Little Bear. Even now that we have seen significant progress she still talks that way. She is now, however able to have a converstaion with another person, she didnt do that well until about 6 months ago. This does NOT mean she isnt on the PDD spectrum, she very well could be, but she is getting along so far ok. The evaluation will be a great tool. They told me the earliest to get a GOOD in depth eval on kids like her (not sure if there is something or not) is after 6. So have her eval from 4/5 and we will re eval after 6. Take ANY services you can get. By helping him now whether he is PDD or not it will help him. Good luck, keep me updated. Soem kids just take longer, and some kids are diagnosed and get services and manage just fine. I feel with her incredible memory it will help her tremendously, no matter how untypical it is for a 2 1/2 year old to learn all the words (correctly) to The Star Bangled Banner, America the Beautiful AND God Bless America!Day 8: I feel like myself this morning. I got up, took my Concerta and Strattera, and took my son for a run. (A repeat of my great day over the weekend.)
Yesterday was certainly an improvement over the day before. The good news is that when I sat down to work, I did it in an orderly fashion (I even wrote down everything I needed to do on...are you ready for this...a LIST!). The bad news is that I didn't get my marching orders at work until almost 4:00. So I had a late night. (Didn't leave until almost 11:00. UGH!).
My knee is shaking as I write this. I wonder if that will ever stop.
I would suggest you start on the weekend in case there are side effects to deal with. Day 3: Started on the Concerta today, and took my last 40mg dose of Strattera as well. In my effort to holistically treat my ADHD, I went for a run this morning. The whole time, my stomach felt queasy (Thanks Concerta!), and when I got to the top of the hill near the end of the run, I ralphed. I didn't see any pill fragments in what came out, so I think the meds stayed in my system. But it was a reminder to me that I need to manage what and when I eat while I'm on the meds.
As for my alertness and attentiveness: Overall, I feel pretty good. I had a good night sleep last night, and I don't have to work this weekend. So no real tests yet.
More tomorrow.
Day 3, part 2: I know I'm not supposed to speak of inappropriate material here on this forum, so I'll tap dance around this subject. After a putting my kids down to bed and eating dinner, my wife opted to turn off the TV and extend the night a little. Now usually, when this happens, my mind goes everywhere. I think WAY too much about everything...how am I doing? Is she enjoying this? Am I enjoying this? I hope I can keep going...etc. But tonight, tonight, I was in the moment. There was nothing on my mind except enjoying every minute. It was nice.
I can't overstate what a positive sign that was for me.
OMG I'M ADHD?39235.7709259259 Hey OMG,
Yeah, I tried Concerta as well. From what I know, stimulants are better for the day dreaming type of ADD. In this case there is no Hyperactivity involved, but rather the problem of focusing. For this type of individual the stimulant medication I believe works very well. In the case of having the Hyperactivity issue, stimulants just help with focus, but it does not eleviate the other underlying co-existing conditions that ADHD comes with. At least that is what my experience has been. I know plenty of ADHD'ers like myself who have tried stimulant medication to no avail. You may want to check out that book called Healing The Six Types of ADD. You might draw some interesting anecdotes
from the book, even if you do skim through it.
By the way, under the ADHD and Meds section, I have a post going under Cymbalta and apathy which you might find an interesting read.
Good luck
Mr. B
Mr. B39236.315775463Day 4: Wow, what a (negative) difference not having a good night's sleep makes. I got up at 4:30 AM thinking about my son, and couldn't get back to sleep.
Then even with the Concerta, I couldn't focus on what I was reading in the newspaper, and then I couldn't focus very well in church. I kept drifting to other stuff. I even left the service to go up to the daycare to check on my son. (A convenient excuse to not sit still.)
Maybe I don't have ADHD. Maybe I have a sleep problem. (Well, I know I have a sleep problem). I've always been a bad sleeper, and I've always had trouble focusing. Maybe I should become a better sleeper before I do anything else.
Day 5: Not feeling too focused today. I slept pretty well last night. (6 hours). But that still doesn't feel like enough.
Dark, rainy Monday here in the Northeast. A lot of people probably feel sleepy.
Saturday was such a good day for me. I'm wondering if part of it was because the Strattera was still in my system as well as the Concerta. Might be something to ask my doc about.
Definitely going to exercise at lunch and see how that affects the rest of my day.
OMG I'M ADHD?39237.3337037037Day 6: Because of my positive reaction on Saturday (Day 1) with both Concerta AND Strattera, my doc suggested that I keep taking both. I don't know why I'm hung up about this. I guess I just don't want to wind up like Anna Nicole Smith, with post-mortem reports of how my body was filled with psychotropic drugs and may have been part of the cause.
But there's no denying that I felt great, clear-headed, and focused on Saturday. So I just started taking 40 mg Strattera again, along with the 54 of Concerta.
More later.
Day 9: Okay day yesterday. Woke up feeling great. Went into work. I had a list of things that I wanted to accomplish. Some of those things, though, were outside of work-related tasks. It seems like I checked off "buy shoes" and "hang up curtains in office" before doing the things that I should have been doing for work. I procrastinated by checking off list items! So funny.
I guess what I am really looking for - what I really want out of meds and therapy and organization techniques and this discussion forum - is the the ability to direct my own thinking and stay there, instead of flittering off to some other unintended place.
Again, back to Saturday last. I told myself, "I want to focus on this great intimate experience with my wife," and I did. That was unprecedented. And I want it back.
OMG I'M ADHD?39241.1871990741Day 10: Meds-related entry: I think I see improvement in my clarity. It might be that I need a dosage increase in the Strat or the Concerta or both. Not sure.
One thing that happened yesterday was that immediately after I exercised, I felt hyped up...not necessarily more energetic, but energetically scattered. Kind of like I needed to contain myself.
Non meds related entry: Something that keeps becoming apparent to me is how much I need structure. I neglected to make a list of what I needed to do yesterday, and I was kind of all over the place. Creating a daily TTD list is a habit worth forming. One idea I had was to have a specific notebook just for that list. (I have my ideas notebook, my quick jot something down note cards, but no dedicated place for lists. Note to self: get a book for notes to self.)
Slept like crap last night. Feeling it this morning. That's another place for structure in my life. I don't have a regular bedtime routine or time. (Sometimes my work schedule dictates that, unfortunately.) Need to figure something out in that regard.
That's it for now.
[QUOTE=OMG I'M ADHD?]Day 8: I feel like myself this morning. I got up, took my Concerta and Strattera, and took my son for a run. (A repeat of my great day over the weekend.)
Yesterday was certainly an improvement over the day before. The good news is that when I sat down to work, I did it in an orderly fashion (I even wrote down everything I needed to do on...are you ready for this...a LIST!). The bad news is that I didn't get my marching orders at work until almost 4:00. So I had a late night. (Didn't leave until almost 11:00. UGH!).
My knee is shaking as I write this. I wonder if that will ever stop.
[/QUOTE]
My leg fidgets INCREASED on strattera for the first week. Seems to be going down a bit now.
How long you been on it?
i was on 80mg for a month, then weened to 40 for 4 days, then none for three days, now i'm back on 40 in combination with concerta. Day 12; Slept pretty well last night. Feeling relaxed this morning. Haven't taken my meds yet today.
One thing I want to pay attention to is how I feel before taking meds vs. how I feel an hour or so afterwards. I'll update this post later.
As for yesterday, I went to church with my family as wasn't really able to focus too well. My son was sick and acting up, so that may have made it impossible in any case.
I had to work in the afternoon. That went alright. Not noticeably focused. Not noticeably unfocused. Just kind of bummed I had to be at work on such a nice day.
OMG I'M ADHD?39244.2044444444 Day 11: Yesterday: Woke up tired after a lousy night of sleep. Took my meds. Felt really frantic, jumpy. Then I went for a 4 mile run and felt better afterwards. (Seems like the longer I run the better I feel.) Then I was just exhausted. At 2:00 I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat all day except a banana and a PB&J sandwich. We had some people over for a cookout. The stimulus of the people and the meal made me feel much better.
Later on, though, I had trouble being in the moment when my wife and I became intimate. It was a struggle, unlike my experience last week.
Today: Had a better night's sleep last night. Woke up feeling relaxed. Then I took my meds. I started thinking about all the things I needed to do (pay bills, go to work, buy deck furniture, etc.) and I could feel my tension level rising, as well as my inability to focus. Scattered. Is it the meds? Is it not enough of the meds? Could it be that last week, on that one day I felt so good, the Strattera was just starting to kick in on the very last dose?
These are questions for my doc when I see him next.
OMG I'M ADHD?39244.1934490741