Hello there, sometimes feel 'stoned' and sleepy on my medication - am new to the site from Australia. Have just been diagnosed with ADHD and complex post traumatic stress disorder at 44 years old. My psych has given me dex 5 mg to take between 1 and 6 tabs a day. Its been 3 weeks and quite difficult trying to sort out the dose while needing to work and be a mummy to a 6 year old, sometimes feel 'stoned' and sleepy, although the world does appear a lot smoother and and more in focus. Forgetting even more than before and finding it very difficult to get organised, especially to get my boy to school on time. (Thats why I sought help in the first ppace) Also have had a spasming muscle in my back and not sure if this a side effect of the drug. (Cant find reference to Dexamphetamine on your American websites which is making it hard to read the postings and see if things also apply to me. Is Allerral dexamphetimine? ) Anyway I cant seem to find enough info on the drug Dexamphetimine eg can it be addictive for ADHD or is it only addictive for 'street, non ADD users? Does it take a while for your body to adapt? - I have been feeling woozie, generally yukkie and unwell sometimes taking the drug, and therefore am not too keen next day round, so I've been rather sporadic at compliance -yet at the same time I hanker for the smoothness rather than the usual jumpy jaggedness of the last 44 years. Any help, advice experiences in starting taking the medication would be appreciated.....
Hello Rae70
Sorry its taken me so long to reply. I am very interested in your perspectives on the differences between ADHD and PTSD.
My PTSD originated with a difficult and distressing childhood. I think life was about surviving so there was lots of missed bits of information. I have never understood how come everyone else knows things, like where you are supposed to go when enrolling in something, the dates, the fees, who to see. I rely on my networking with other people to glean the info required adn am the one runnign to catch up, to get the money form the bank, driving back home to get the form, composing elaborate excuses. I have compensated well for whichever or both these problems or is it is both? The most significant outcomes or endcomes culminating from my childhood traumas would be the suicide of my mother when I was 18 and then the subsequent suicide of my 21 year brother when I was 23, Any odd different distressed behaviour alongmy journey could be attributed to the things going on in my life.
I have been concerned since I started on the dexamphetimine when I read about the instant help that some peopel seem to get on the medication. I am on a very low dose of 1x5mg tab in the morning and one at lunch and am palnning to try increasing over the next few days and diarising how I think its going. I have two weeks off work to concentrate on it. The side effects seem to have lessened somewhat.
I would say that I think I would prefer it to ADHD as compared wwith PTSD which I understand is alarm bells on red alert at all times, with no known treatment....at least there is some ways of treating ADHD....
When you have time I would really appreciate hearing from you about how you can see the difference and what you know about PTSD. I hope all is going well for you and your children
Andrea
i have both PTSD and ADHD. I am using 15mg of Adderall XR per day and doing great on it.Firstly I have one son with ADHD and a daughter with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
These are two different problems but PTSD can appear as ADHD - ensure that it is not purely the latter.
You do not want to take these meds ifyou are not ADHD.