Can anyone offer help please? | ADHD Information

Hi. Booked an appointment with my doctor for thursday. I quit my job last week. Just could not carry on at work. could not concentrate. aaarrgghhhh Hi folks. I went to the psyciatrist on Friday for 2 hours and he diagnosed me as having ADHD. I mean he officially diagnosed it. I have suspected for a while. He has prescribed Concerta XL. I just have to try to get it. Those of you in the UK may understand this... I went to a private Psyc and he provided me with a private prescription. Trouble is - the drugs cost £95 (almost 0) for a month supply. I now have to try to get my GP (usual family doctor) to put it on the NHS and it will then cost £8 a month (or something like that!). Thanks for your help so far folks. I will have a look at what concerta is like now.....I don't understand the Brit system. Can't the psych put your meds on the NHS? In canuck land they just have to send a form letter to the pharmacy if you're on a government drug plan...

I thought we were based on you?
[QUOTE=hyperlogic]

Sort of. The psych can prescribe the drugs and I can take it to my NHS (government type thing - stands for National Health Service) doctor and he can write it up so I have the drugs through them and not have to pay £££s. From what I understand the NHS then picks upi the bill for the drugs. I am going to the doctors (nhs) this morning to get an appointment but as we have just moved areas in the country we come under another areas doctors and you have to re-register.!!!!!! So yes - you are right. I think.

Anyone give me the heads up as to what to expect when I take these drugs for the first time? They are Concerta XL and I start on 18 mg for 3 days - then 36 for a week and finally 54mg.

Thanks!

[/QUOTE]

Good Luck! Let us know how you make out with it all
Got the doctor to put them through NHS so got the tablets today. Will take first one tomorrow or do I need anyone around when I take the first one!!! I am on my own all day - is this wise??? Should I wait until the weekend???

Anyone give me the heads up as to what to expect when I take these drugs for the first time? They are Concerta XL and I start on 18 mg for 3 days - then 36 for a week and finally 54mg.

Thanks!

Hi Hyperlogic:

Give yourself a little while for your body to adjust to the meds. You may need to try a variety of dosages before you find the right one. The one thing I found was that the Dexadrine (that's what I take) is not enough. I am taking Welbutrin, a mild anti-depressant. The combination of the two meds seem to be working well for me. ADD meds are knows to drive up your blood pressure, so ask your doctor to keep an eye on this for you. You sound like you're a pretty healthy guy, so you're already on the right track.

When I was really stressed, I used to be woken up in the morning by that loud music playing in my head. So I'm really glad you mentioned that, because I was really beginning to worry about my sanity. My ADD symptoms are more acute when I'm under a lot of stress or anxiety. I noticed that the anti-anxiety meds actually help me with my physical restlessness. Before that, my body would literally vibrate and my stomache would be in knots.

Anxiety and/or depression sometimes go along with ADD, especially in people who are diagnosed as adults. I didn't realize the impact of this until I finished my first month of Welbutrin. The combination of the Dexadrine and Welbutrin also helped me focus a little better. I feel a sense of stillness and composure, but I haven't lost my creativity or my 'sparkle'.

I found that researching, my meds online, and bringing new information to my doctor worked well.

Good luck!

CB : )

Hi. I will look around tomorrow (monday) to see if I can find the right person to go and see to get assessed.

Diet. Well. Caffeine. Not much. Drink normal Tea (caffeinated) in the mornings and decaf. in the evenings. Too much caffeine late in the day keeps me awake. No sodas with caffeine in. When I went to the USA last year I was drinking mountain dew like it was going out of fashion then wondering why I could not sleep! We done have caffeine in our lemon/lime sodas over here in the UK. As for chocolate - well I do like choccy and candy as well. Does that make a big difference?

For some reason my head is buzzing today. I will never sleep tonight!!! Thanks for the help so far guys. Will let you know how I get on finding someone to help me (I mean a professional here in the UK!)

I'm sure if you tell us what you need help with, someone can offer some
advice!

This is a great place to come for info and support- there is a very wide variety of people with an equally wide variety of experiences, so you are sure to find some helpful advise.

Bi-polar and ADHD are sometimes misdiagnosed as the other. Happened to my nephew. Maybe they are just being careful, or maybe they are checking to make sure you don't have both.

You said you had a fairly balanced diet. What is your daily caffiene intake (including coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate,etc...)?

Get a full scale assessment hyperlogic.

If it is ADHD [sounds about right, actually] by itself or in combination with something else--the sooner you know, the sooner you can decide which strategies work best for you to turn off the head noise.

Instead of music, my head constantly comes up with theories

I went to the doctors yesterday and was signed off for 1 month. For those of you stateside the doctors is the initial person you go to here in the UK. They have referred me to the hospital to see someone. Cannot remember if it is phychologist or psychiatrist! Whats the difference? The doctor thought I might have Bi-polar. Odd - because that does not really fit into my symptoms. I thought bipolar was when you had real highs and real lows? I dont get these at all? Anyway - signed off for a month. Any one suggest any thing to read up on whilst I have time? Thanks all.mine is music too, but always the same song! and whats worse i never remember the lyrics, so its just noise =P

Some people self medicate with caffein without knowing they are doing it. To much caffiene can also compond anxiety created from ADHD.

You might do a search on the net for how to measure your caffien intake. I did and I have stopped almost all of my caffiene intake. Lowering caffiene may not make a difference with you, but it lowered my anxiety quite a bit.

Be warned though I quit caffiene and I quit smoking. Quiting caffiene was 10 times harder than quiting smoking.

Good Luck

Parduse39379.3477546296WHOA! I know how you feel, I hate that head noise! Well, it sounds as if
you need to see a psychiatrist to have a proper evaluation. There is no
need to have to live with such miserable symptoms. I did it for years
without knowing I had adhd. There is no way I can live without my
medication.
Is it true that in the UK, Adult ADHD isn't recognised? Keep me posted..

Hi, Apologies for the delay - I have been working away and doing long days, Yes - I hope someone can help. OK. Right.....

I am in my early 30s, male, living with my girlfriend in the UK. For as long as I (and my parents) can remember I have always been a bit like this. My syptoms are many and for ages I thought nothing of it until recently I started to take note of it and it seems to be getting more prominent now.

I have the attention span of a goldfish. I flit from one thing to another. I can not watch a movie without getting up and foing something else. I have a load of films half watched! I cannot sit still. And most annoying of all. I have a constant cd player in my head that constantly plays music. Or little bits of music. From the moment I wake up - I have music playing in my head! I cannot turn it off. I always have something going on in my head. Like I am always thinking of something, or a scenario, or work, or just the cd player in my head! I get bored soooo easily. I cannot just sit there and "chill". I go from one thing to another, I can be typing this email and suddenly go off and get a drink, or surf another website. I change hobbies like the wind. One month it is photography - one month movies, another month fish keeping.

The list goes on........

I walk upstairs to get something, get to the top and completely forget what i wanted. This happens loads. I cannot concentrate on anything. Its like I need constant entertaining! I put my ipod in the car and it goes straight into shuffle and during the 40 minute drive to work I have gone through about 200 tracks. Just writing this I have gone through about 20 snippets of music in my head! I "jiggle" all the time. Ie sit there shaking my feet or tapping my hands on something. I tend to have outbursts and go off on one sometimes! I HATE sitting in traffic and get bored waiting in a queue (line!) for more than 10 seconds!

Until recently - this was "just the way I was" until I heard about ADHD on the radio by chance. It struck me that it seems like this is me being described on the radio. I have other symptoms that I cannot remember right now!! Can someone offer any sort of "join the club" or "yep - sounds like ADHD to me!". Work is getting really difficult. I had to get a new job a couple of months ago and this one is stressful and theres more thinking to do and to be honest I just cannot do it.

Please help.

If it helps - I am average weight, have a fairly balanced diet, no medication, dont drink, dont do drugs, dont smoke.

Many thanks!! Please - any help would be great. I need to go to the doctors and get this diagnosed so could do with some ideas as to what to expect!

sorry - forgot to mention...

Its like my brain is 10000000% on the go all the time. Like I cannot stop it. And its sort of foggy as well. If I could clear the fog - I;m sure It would help. Like there is 100 things going through my head at once,

Thanks!

Hi, I am new round here and would like a little advice. I have been "suffering" for some time now with what may appear to be ADHD or similar. I have "put up" with the symptoms I have for ages and ages and just thought myself normal until I started to read about ADHD. I am 32. If I put some information on my symptoms - can anyone offer some help please? I am getting into a sticky situation and could do with a little support please? Many many thanks.

No. just got the washing done, sorted out the computer, popped to the shop. Oh and saved a city from mass destruction from the Penguin.

Very little happened actually. Should it have done? I am due to take another 2 days at 18mg then go up to 36 then to 54. Should I just up to 36 now or do the drugs hang about and have some sort of "build up" effect?

[QUOTE=hyperlogic]Hi, took 18mg about an hour ago. So far its just a headache and a bit of dizzyness! Do feel a bit strange![/QUOTE]

Didn't grow any wings yet or lose your super powers batman?

I usually call my friends and put them on 'med watch'. Not because I'll pass out or anything but in case I start acting weird. You should be okay but you might feel kinda strange. Is it a low dose? Hi, took 18mg about an hour ago. So far its just a headache and a bit of dizzyness! Do feel a bit strange!