hello, I’m new! & some questions | ADHD Information
Hello Mom,
I am a 29 yr old adult who was diagnosed with ADD about 6 weeks ago. I am taking 20mg/day of Adderall XL and it has helped trimindously! Some side effects, but for the most part well tollerated now. Before finding out I was ADD, the doc had me on meds for anxiety, depression, panic disorder...my mom even mentioned that I could be bipolar so I went to a srink and she said I am not bipolar, but she could not figure out what was wrong...so I went to another srink that my aunt sees and low and behold I am ADD and thank goodness they figuared it out and got me on the right path. Most of my family on my Dad's side is ADD/ADHD and found out waaaay before I did!
Before Addderall, I could not even say a complete senterce in a converation...my brain would skip from thought to thought. I would interupt people in conversations all the time, b/c I would forget what I wanted to say if I did not say it right then....I would start many taks, but never finsih them, if I got bored with something or something got hard for me I would say forget it....my life felt like one big unfinshed product. And that's just some of my story....Good Luck!
Hey there Mom,
Cheekdeeky here, I'm also a newbie. I hated Strattera but I have other health problems that conflict with that kind of medication. I hope you get all the help you need, especially for your anxiety. I think ADDers tend to be anxious because of all the trauma of being stigmatized as children. They had no soft place to fall.
What do you think? Good luck to you.
Peace,
Cheekydeeky
Mom22, Your description of yourself ccould be something I wrote about myself.
I am just going through the testing process. I was given a preliminary questionaire to fill out by my psychologist. She gave it to the person in her office that evaluates ADD/ADHD. They felt from the results of the preliminary questionaire that I should undergo further testing. Unfortuneately it isn't until mid July that I can get in for the further testing. They did tell me it would consist of meeting with a psychologist (the one that specializes in Adult ADHD) and some more questionaires and computer testing. The whole things is supposed to last about 2 hours.
This all sound very familiar as my 8 year old son who has been diagnosed ADHD went through all this testing in February 2002. I was given several questionaires to fill out and one to give to his teacher also. He then went through some computer and physical testing, then met with the psychologist who went over the results. My son is currently on meds Adderall XR 10 mg and Strattera 40 mg in the AM and Lexapro 10 mg at bedtime. It has helped him but he still has issues and is also seeing a psychologist to help him with his emotions.
As I am currently not on any meds I can't help you with what might work or not. I can only relate that my son has been on meds for 9 months and we are still trying to get the right dosage and combination. I have just recently added Omega fatty acids to his diet and am hoping to see some good results but it is to soon to tell right now.
I wish you all the best in your quest to get relief from ADD.
Welcome Mom,
Before you get too far along in this post let say that I am unable to answer your specific questions regarding testing and meds. I do want you to know that I have found this forum to be very ADD friendly and supportive. I cannot imagine that an actual support group could be any better.
Your behaviors and experiences do appear to match those of the rest of us who are ADDers. I do not actually see the shrink for tests until next Wednesday, but like you, I am certain that I am ADD. My PCP was convinced enough to put me on Wellbutrin. It has minimal side effects but it doesn't seem to help me focus in any way either. That was over a month ago that I started on this med. I have been told that it does take awhile to build up to an efficacy but, like all ADDers, I have no patience.
Anyway, good luck with your testing and be prepared to be placed on a number of different meds until the right combo is found for you. Meanwhile, I recommend you visit the library and check out some ADD books. They will tend to not only educate you, but also show you what a special person you really are. I so doing, you will find good reason to have a boost in your self esteem.
I've been looking for a site like this for a few days, found it
yesterday and decided to join. I'm a 30 year old female, I'm
pretty sure that I have ADD I have a dr. appt on the 29th of June
to see about getting a diagnosis. I'm patiently (sp?) waiting.
Staying busy with my two little ones until then. Just wondering
what to expect at the appt. it with a psychaitrist (sp?)..please
excuse my spelling and writting skills ...i never did my
homework when I was a kid
]
So, I was a blue eyed, shy, blonde girl who never did her home
work or class work, I can still remember my 1st grade teacher
dumping my desk out in front of the other kids because it was
so messy, all the other kids were lined up ready to go and I was
the last desk to inspect and it was stuffed with all my papers
that I never finshed or started. And as I got older I never did
homework or studied. i did graduate from H.S on time and then
went on to Vocational school and focused on some thing loved
and did very well(hyperfocused). Fast forward 10 years and
now I'm a SAHM
with two kids age almost 4 and a 7 month old and I'm so
scattered we just moved in feb from a small closed in house to
a big open house and I think that makes it worse for me... its
like to much space makes it harder to focus...very weird. I
appear to be a very layed back person but my brain is more
active....many thoughts of wanting to this and that and nothing
ever happens. I start stuff and don't finish but latedly i know I
won't finish so I don't even bother starting, i'm unorganaized,
and can be moody and also a bit anxous about some things,
sometimes I wonder if I'm deprssed but it coulkd be alittle bit of
post partum ( I had a baby in oct.). I know I have ADD I have
pretty much almost all the symptoms minus 2-3.
So that is some background.
I have some question about meds. How does Staretaera sp?
compare to zoloft? I was on zoloft back in Jan for a small
anxiety problem about my baby..still do, long story I won't get
into it. I was on it for about a month..it just didn't want to do
anything while I was on it..like I was cloudy all the
time,defanatly slowed my brain down. I did not like it so I went
off. Do you think concertra would do the same to me?
Question number 2; I took an adderall one time, it was my
nieces, I just wanted to see what it would do to me....well i was
high as a kite for about 15 hours, I was in fast motion and every
on else was sooooo slow. and I was very talkitive that day to,
even talking to perfect strangers while shopping, not me at all.
Since adderall is a stimulant and it made me high does that
mean I'm not ADD, ..maybe because I'm more of an inatentive
ADD type, I dunno........
i don't know if any of the drugs are in the same family...just
wondering if and of you would know from your experience.
thanks for helping, I'll keep you guys updated!
mom2238147.789224537You may have ADD but if you got higher than a kite on stimlants, you may want to be checked for a mood disorder such as bi-polar. I know that will make you high on stimulants. It is often co-morbid with ADD.
I wish I could help you more but I would bet my bottom dollar that it is more than ADD. I am just a mother so I can't advise you better than that. Barb
Hi! Mom22,
I must admitt i cannot add to what Chief, Gettingagrip and Barb have said, but this i will say, Welcome!!! and Good Luck with your Appointment.
We are rooting for you.