switching doctors for medication managmen | ADHD Information

Im a young adult that was diagnosed with adhd when I was 15 and I also have anxiety, ever since then i've been on adderall xr, which ive always took along with a mood stabilizer and anti-depressant, and its always worked for me. Well recently i've been going through alot of stress, a breakup, and then i lost my job, along with taking care of my daughter and I had a panic attack. Well I told my doctor  about the panic attack and they decided to try and put me on different meds, which i tried for a little bit and it doesnt feel like its working for me and I told them that, and that i didnt like the side effects, but theyre still pushing the strattera, and they changed my mood stablizers. I told them I want to try my regular medicine and just go to therapy again, but they want to try all these different meds on me, I dont like this trial and error thing, im starting to feel like a guiney pig.

My question is does anyone else have experience with switching doctors because they felt they weren't getting the right treatment with their medications. Does it sound wrong to switch doctors and ask for specific medications because I know they have helped me in the past, these meds have worked for me for years. I feel a little guilty about switching, but ive already made an appointment, what would I tell my new doctor about my reasons for switching? I dont want to sound like im bad-mouthing my doctor, or someone that is doctor shopping.

JennMB10240045.7172685185
Hi Jenn and welcome!

You say in your message: "...and they decided to try and put me on different meds, which i tried for a little bit and it doesnt feel like its working for me and I told them that..."  My question to you is, how long is "a little bit"?  A few days?  A week? A few weeks?   If you are balking after a week or less, might you be being a bit impatient ?!    Did your doctor tell you how long it would take before you should expect full benefit from the new medications?  If not, they should have!

You ask us: 
*has anyone else switched doctors because we felt that we weren't getting the right medicatation treatment....  yes, I have!

* does it sound wrong to ask for a specific med that I know has helped me in the past... Since you have experience with the medication you are requesting, I see nothing wrong with asking to go back...but be sure to give reasons why you feel you were better under the old med....  And, whatever you do, do not be demanding or bossy!   The doc is always the one who makes the decisions...you can ask and cajole all you want, just don't challenge his role.   You can always walk if you don't like his/her service.

*what would I tell my new doctor about my reasons for switching???  When I switched, I told the new doc straight-up that I was looking for a doctor who was willing to work with me to see if there wasn't a better medication regimine for me and my issues.  I described, in general, some examples of what I considered "inflexibility" experienced with my former doctor (I was careful here to not over-due it,  I didn't want the new doc to thinik that I'm the "know-it-all-type" who 's going to be second-guessing his every recommendation.


Jenn - You are the one paying for the doctors' services.  You have every right to switch doctors if you feel your current doctor isn't meeting your needs.  The only thing you need to tell a new doctor is that you "outgrew" your old doctor.  You don't even need to tell them that.  It's your perogative to switch.

You can tell your current doctor your concerns and if they still fall on deaf ears, then definitely get another opinion.

Good luck!


well I started the process of changing meds in July, so Ive been trying it out for almost 2 months. THank you for your answers! I dont feel so guilty now.