Hi Jlbp, I agree with John D. With the symptoms you mentioned I would make sure to see a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner in conjunction with your primary care doctor. I think having an experienced professional who knows what they are doing and gets to understand you and your symptoms while also being current on psychiatric medication dosages and effects is very important.
Also, I was initially given a month supply of adderall and was given a plan to slowly increase my dosage. We setup another meeting 3 weeks later to check on how things were going. Because I have anxiety problems she had me on an anti-anxiety medicine first to keep that under control. So far, things are going very well now after my first month.
Jason
I'm no doc, but I've been to a few and listened to what they said. For example, they said that stimulants like Adderall help normal people as well as adhd folks, so sounds like your doctor's test may be inconclusive (i.e. even if it helps, you may not have it!).
Try it for a full month!! wow! I started out with a two week supply, then another session with the doctor to report back on how things were going. A month between visits seems long, but perhaps it's not unreasonable. What dosage are you prescribed?
Adderall may make your anxiety and mood swings worse, not better... be careful on this account. If you end up being uncomfortable about your doctor's depth of knowledge and experience on treating patients with adhd meds, you can always ask for a referral to someone else.
Hi jlbp. I have been taking Adderall XR- (extended release) for nearly 6 years with good results. On the plus side, Adderall is not a medication that must build up in your system for weeks before its effects will be felt, You will know within the first few days... if not on the first dose.. if there will be adverse side-effects, and within the first week if it will indeed be effective at all in treating your symptoms.
A good reason to see a specialist such as a psychiatrist is that, while ADD/ADHD is not a mental disorder, many of the symptoms can appear alike. You could put a bi-polar patient and an ADD/ADHD patient in a room together and observe them for the amount of time it took for your doctor to diagnose you as ADD, and even a psychiatrist would be hard pressed to pick out which was which. Both may be depressed, the bi-polar patient depressed due to maybe a chemical imballance, and the ADD patient is depressed because they cannot direct their thoughts in an orderly fashion... like the tv comercial says- its like the chanels on the tv keep changing and someone else has the remote control, wreaking havoc in their work, social and family lives. The reason I tell you this is that for nearly 4 years prior to taking Adderall I was being treated for bi-polar disorder... by a psychiatrist... the same one who now treats me for ADHD. I was confused, nervous and angry at first, but he is a good man who takes time to listen and understand his patients, and since he has helped me get my train of thought on track we have had many long talks about the simmilarities of both problems.
Best of luck, keep us informed how you do.
marko the KIDD
Hey All, I have just been given a prescription for Adderall, and it is because my Dr thinks I may have add..I am 45 years old and been going through so much with forgetting, and mood swings for no reason, and just anxiety, depression, feeling very down on myself, and no energy to complete things as before. I have heard good and bad about Adderall and I am scared to start it..please help me with this. My Dr wants me to try it for a month and see if it helps at all..