nomorehate
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Diagnosed at 19 with ADHD-PI, tried non-stimulants, then non-amphetamine stimulants, then finally Vyvanse which worked great but had it's own drawbacks (mainly crashes and a feeling of anxiety when the meds started wearing off.) A few months ago I posted about starting another med, Qelbree, which was quite a roller-coaster in the first months but really worked wonders at cutting my anxiety and depression related to my ADHD. The biggest downside was that it also made me a zombie, all I wanted to do was nap. I mentioned this to my Dr. and we decided to try instant release Focalin, and holy shit you guys. It's what has been missing all these years, I don't feel speedy and manic like I did on Vyvanse, I just feel awake, alert, and like my self. Just wanted to share, if anyone out there is struggling with ADHD, just know you are NOT lazy, you are NOT unmotivated, you are NOT a loser; you are an individual with a genuine medical condition and deserve to be treated as such.
TheOneThatGotBanned
got the diagnosis ~2 years ago, tried all the meds that the doc would prescribe, none of them had any effect other than a negative one (Puking, Heart rate going up, no calm or peace). So now on the waiting list to get some mastering ADHD course.
3Davideo
I need to get around to arranging medical stuff for me, including probably ADHD diagnosis and treatment. But obviously that's really difficult with an executive function disorder!
BeardOnTheInside
I'm on Focalin right now. It's aight. This is the last one though. I've done them all. Just like Vyvanse though, the drawbacks for me is that coming down off of it in the evening I have slightly less motor control which makes painting models problematic, AND it gives me ED.
TheVoidListens
I was put on Qelbree after trying a ton of non stimulants and it made me VERY su1c1dal. Stimulates work best for me if I don't take them every day. I gotta do it every 3 days. I had a high resting heart rate which is why I've had so much pushback on stimulants. (Did a study. It just ran high) changed my anxiety meds and boom it went from 110 resting to 85. Stimulates weren't the problem. So now I'm trying to gently convince my psych they work best
arlys13
this is so awesome! I'm trying to get on some sort of medication, and that's my worry about the trial and error portion of meds. But now that I know this one exists, I can add it to my list of ones to try.
chrisjohnson76
Your ADHD came with pie? All I got was criticism.
nomorehate
Lol, I wish. Predominantly Inattentive (:
Schoctane
I found out like year ago that I'm adhd ,(im 34). Doc took a wild stab in the dark with the lowest reasonable dose of ritalin after like a decade of depression and anxiety treatment that was going nowhere. I've never felt so ok. I don't have the usual adhd symptoms so nobody noticed for years. The brain sure is wild.
RearAdmiralObvious
I've heard Heroin works great, especially if you are in college.
nycjtw
I love hearing about these 'TA DA!!' moments, when things finally come together after SO FRIGGIN' MUCH trial & error! It's hard to explain to ppl who haven't had to work this hard to find something that helps like it should, with acceptable side-effects, that just lifts you out of that hole. (New doctor asked me about a chronic issue, was finally prescribed something new ... 100% resolved!! After 25 YEARS!!!!)
SO happy for you friend! here's to more good days than bad!!
periwinklepanda
Is Focalin a stimulant? I have combination ADHD and narcolepsy since ADHD and sleep issues usually go together. Yay!
So I'm all the hyperactivity and distractability while simultaneously exhausted. Vyvanse did nothing for me except make me a zombie.
Futuron
I have ADHD and anxiety ranging from mild to full panic attacks. I'm bipolar which is depression with extreme mood swings & manic episodes. It took over a decade to get me on the right 'cocktail' of meds and dosages. Many meds conflicted/escalated my other disorders or with the other meds I was taking. Some didn't work at all or had side effects far worse than the problem I was treating. The process to find what works and what doesn't is super tedious and time consuming, but don't give up.
PepperoniAndFingernailPizza
That's interesting. I've tried Wellbutrin, adderall, and finally Vyvanse. Wellbutrin made me angry, then they added adderall which made me rage and almost ruined my marriage.
I have been on Vyvanse for two years and I find that I'm so even on it that I can't imagine being on another med but it's $75 to fill each month so I've been considering trying Focalin.
BladeTurMoiL
What if i dont wanna try to find a fix anymore? Im tired of being told i suck at work, i just wanna quit and be ‘disabled’.
aface62
That won't be your best life. Just find work that fuels your passion. It's not easy, but worth it in the long run.
BladeTurMoiL
Doesnt sound worth it. Just wanna be done with this.
lightfoot2
Yeah, 5mg of amphetamine does it for me. Glad you found something that works for you!
nomorehate
I'm incredibly tolerant to amphetamines, which kinda led to me getting a bit addicted to Vyvanse when I was on it. Before I lost my insurance I was taking 50mg Vyvanse in the AM and a 10mg Adderall booster for the afternoon. I hated everything about it, but would have kept taking them if I hadn't aged out of my parents insurance the same month covid hit.
MrNardtastic
My god. Im on 90mg adderall a day. Have been for at least 5 years. Prob more like 6 or 7. Been on it for 20+ years though. The tolerance build up is my only prob with it. Ive actu ally woke up at 230am thinking it was 6am(wake up time) took my 60mg am dose, turned around saw what time it was and just said fuck and went back to sleep.
fractalsphere
I'm glad you're sharing this - it will absolutely help people who need it
nomorehate
Honestly seeing posts on here about people getting their adhd under control helped give me the push to get back on meds. I hope someone finds it helpful!
geminikira452
I think I might talk to my psychiatrist about this. Thank you!
Mercurybird
Right here! Me! 🙋🏼♀️ I have taken a screenshot and getting a new doctor! My one hardly addresses any of my issues. Just prescribed more meds.
Thank you!!
zinxderobo
God I wish. I've been undiagnosed for >30 years. It's crippling. The few times I've been to a doctor they take my weight and blood pressure and then have me sit on a bed by myself for 30 minutes. So it's 7 years till I can try again. I live in a city my fiance left me alone in now. No family. I haven't seen a friend or figured out unpacking since I moved in 6 months ago. I can't seem to organize it, I just move the mess. It's going to suffocate me soon, maybe that's why they stranded me here.
nomorehate
I hope you find peace friend. Maybe try tricking your brain? It's something I did in the years I didn't have meds. Dishes need being done? I'll just wash a mug. Then as I'm washing the mug, usually my brain will switch gears and be like "well shit, may as well wash them all." It's not foolproof, but it's a strategy that helped me.
Tier7Gaming
I'm so lucky that caffeine worked out for me as well as it did. Diagnosed at 9 years old and my brother was part of an Autism/ADHD study at the U of M at the time. Sure, my brain has been wired to damn near require caffeine at this point because of 18 years of use during major formative years, but hey... It works for me. I'm glad you found something!
goodbyeitwasfunwhileitlasted
I tried the non-stimulant stratera and it worked, but also made me really dizzy, especially when driving (surprisingly you get used to that really quickly). Talked to my Dr and got on Adderall 10mg extended release. I thought it wasn't working at all because I had no side effects or anything and when I mentioned that to my wife she very adamantly argued that it was definitely working wonders and I should keep taking it.
nomorehate
Qelbree is basically the modern upgrade to Strattera, or so my doctor says. I 100% understand the dizziness lol. I had to get a script for nausea meds to get through my first 2 months of that stuff. But once it hits peak plasma levels, it's just like the anxiety around task initiation vanished; but I was dead tired. I'm glad he Adderall is working for you! I've taken my fair share of both IR & XR and I definitely think the XR is better. Smoother and not speedy like the IR can be.
WellAckchually
This is super useful info for me. Strattera was like magic for my ADHD, but I had some weird-ass side effects that I just couldn't tolerate and never went away. The internet seems to suggest side effects aren't as bad with Qelbree
nomorehate
I'd take a gander at the Qelbree reddit, some people don't have side effects, I had awful nausea and constipation for about 2 months. It's working pretty well for me though!
manymadmasks
Vyvanse changed their formula when the generic came out; I'm convinced. The anxiety crash is so much worse, need an alternative.
NonWellKnownImgurian
I was on Vyvanse and Intunive when I got diagnosed. It helped me alot but I've been off it for so long at this point. Some days I wish I was still on it
nomorehate
I've heard about Intunive, never tried it though. Vyvanse worked great for my symptoms, but it made me rather manic at times as well.
NonWellKnownImgurian
That's sort of what the Intuniv was for for me. The way my therapist described it was I have a chemical imbalance in my brain and vyvanse can amplify that to the point of severe depression. The intunive was there to balance the chemicals so i wouldn't unalive myself
Equitaur
As an old guy, I have both ADHD and high blood pressure. Intuniv (guanfacine) helps both issues!
Thehungrybunn
Ive failed every adhd med ive tried, stimulant or non stimulant. After trying methylphenidate again and hating it, i did some googling and found out about transdermal adderall. I tolerate it well, and now the hardest part is remembering to put it on!
morrighan42
For me to get through the day with minimal side effects I take 5mg Adderall XR as soon as I wake up and then 300mg Wellbutrin XR about 4-5 hours later
bearded3d
Vyvanse works for me, even at low dosage.. but it makes my pits sweat like crazy, and I end up having to change clothes multiple times a day. And it's not just sweat.. it's like ultra pungent onion patch levels of stench. It's embarrassing and annoying. I might talk to my doctor about trying Focalin.. I've never heard of it.
nekosupernova
I am glad you figured out what works. The med trial and error is the worst part IMHO.
I was diagnosed a year ago and have tried all of the non-stimulants except Qelbree and nothing worked. Doc recently suggested stimulants. Adderall didn't work and made me feel like shit, and methylphenidate HCI might as well be a sugar pill for all it did. I am starting to run out of medication options and it's really, really discouraging.
nekosupernova
There is genetic testing that can be done to see what medications will work for you, but unfortunately they haven't mapped the genes for any of the stimulant ADHD meds. I am going to give it a shot anyway to see if I can find a better fit for me with my anxiety/depression meds.
AllTheKitties
I'm so sorry you're struggling. Just wanted to add that adderall not going well for you doesn't mean that other amphetamines would be similar. I didn't like adderall either, but most other amphetamine-based meds have been better. Vyvanse is my favorite and that's what I've been on for years now. But evekeo and dexedrine were both pretty good for me, too. There are way more med options out there and they are all worth considering. You never know what little tweak will make the difference.
CanadianLadyMoose
I’m so happy for you! I just got diagnosed at 30yo a couple years ago and have been on a waitlist ever since to see a specialist. It’s weird, on one hand nothing has changed since I haven’t started treatment, and yet, EVERYTHING has changed. It’s recontextualized so much of my life and now that I know I’m not a shitty person, I just need help, my self esteem has improved so much. It’s like looking down and realizing I’ve been in a wheelchair this whole time like OH THAT’S why stairs are hard!!
dreammer243
Exactly. For me it was autism. The realization I'm not actually a terrible person, I'm just struggling with a disability, it was so life changing.
charliethewizard
My primary started me on Wellbutrin. It was great when I could clear enough distractions to focus on a task. That was very rare to get to with where life is at. When I saw the neurologist they put me on an extended release for Adderall. My focus improved, but it reeked havoc on my anxiety. We switched to Vyvanse and I finally got some clarity. At the beginning of summer it was on back order. The neurologist switched me to a standard Adderall twice a day pill. I didn't get the same anxiety as (1)
sillygoosebraindisease
Wellbutrin is so helpful for me it's stupid. My psych had me on the instant release for a long time and it was really really good, we tried me on the extended release for convenience and I had a complete anxious panic attack meltdown within three days of being on it. So now I stick to instant release.
charliethewizard
I did with the XR. However, I felt like a squirrel on a mission 21 hours a day. I switched to Concerta a couple months ago. This has been smoothest one so far. My wife has commented a couple times about how I seem way calmer when craziness is going on. I'd like to try a slightly higher concentration, but insurance says I have to jump through a bunch of extra hoops for that.
MattGlade
I got started with Concerta. Gotta say I don’t have any complaints so far. Helps to clear all the background noice in the head but doesn’t caude any anxiety to me. But it does seem to interfere with my sleep sometimes.
MattGlade
Noise*
BeardOnTheInside
Wellbutrin gave me splitting headaches, which my Dr immediately took me off of when I told her. Apparently that is the herald of Wellbutrin telling you it's going to give you a stroke.
Fait
I may have to do something combination-wise. vyvanse felt good at first but now I have anxiety spikes and insomnia, but if I don't take it I feel like I slip into depression and incredible, unbreathably thick lack of motivation. It's hard to power through that at work, especially as it is a creative field.. anybody have the same experience? I'm loath to add another drug. But I do everything else I can already. What a kerfuffle.
Manstof
Maybe add Zoloft for the anxiety. Worked for me.
Stuffyhead
I don't know the answer but I am with you in the struggle. I am on Oxcarbazepine and Vyvanse myself. When I don't take Vyvanse I am an absolute potatoe. Most times a very leaky potatoe. Lots of crying lately. So if you find your combo please let me know
nomorehate
That's exactly why I didn't want to go back on Vyvanse/amphetamine stimulants, when the vyvanse began to wear off I'd get the worst sense of dysphoria. On the days I didn't take it, well, I was an anxious/depressed/malaised wreck. The mix of qelbree and focalin seems to work pretty well for me, no speedy mania like I'd get on Vyvanse sometimes. I hope you find something that works!
Fait
This sounds familiar, i will take a note of those. Thanks.
charliethewizard
My understanding is that you don't want to be stopping and starting. If you're going to transition you'd ideally titrate the dosage before moving to something else. Or, if your stopping, you'd do it gradually so your system doesn't crash.
Fait
I don't often take it on weekends or on holiday, and weirdly I don't get withdrawals. But my doc said i shouldnt take it all the time. I've read mixed things about that. it's mostly the evenings that I get my bad symptoms as it wears off. Somtimes I weigh up if it's even worth it, I seem to swap one set of symptoms for another in exchange for a brief period of normal usefulness.
TheobromineAddict
Wow, reading all these comments about all the combinations of drugs that do and do not work... You folks have a real challenge finding the combination that works for you. Good luck to you all in the search.
Chronomechanist
I just recently (finally) got my diagnosis through the NHS. Now I have to get added to a whole other waiting list to see if I can get medication. Apparently there's a "national shortage" in the UK.
Junktrunkjunkie
I got lucky and discovered caffeine works best for me by accident. When I was a kid my mother couldn’t really have caffeine and accidentally bought caffeinated drinks so she let me and my brother have them. My brother does have ADHD and I do. But after those drinks we flipped. He was hyper and disruptive and I was calm and focused. We didn’t really buy caffeinated stuff before that cause mom couldn’t have it. I might never have known if not for her accidental purchase
TheobromineAddict
That's wild. Two genetically related brothers, both ADHD but with wildly different reactions to a commonly available stimulant.
Fait
I may have to do something combination-wise. vyvanse felt good at first but now I have anxiety spikes and insomnia, but if I don't take it I feel like I slip into depression and incredible, unbreathably thick lack of motivation. It's hard to power through that at work, especially as it is a creative field.. anybody have the same experience? I'm loath to add another drug. But I do everything else I can already. What a kerfuffle.
nomorehate
Everyone's neurochemistry is different! It's definitely a struggle for some to find a med or med combo that works, I just hope this can be a long term solution for me (:
Smoretank
Ain't that the truth. Like the stimulants worked (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta) but made me nauseous, pee every 5mins, heart race, cold, starve me, and shakey. Went onto nonstimulant generic Strattera. I can eat, sleep, normal heart rate and less anxiety. Love it. Also caffeine puts me to sleep and melatonin keeps me up. Weed makes my anxiety go up 2000%. So yeah what works for one doesn't work for another. Bodies are fascinating
Kehy
For me Adderall was life changing in a good way, but now I've developed an aversion to medical personnel and it's impossible to get without them
feldemon
I dont know if this helps but you might be able to see a psychiatrist online. Limits the medical personnel to 1.
ki4clz
My Recipe:
2C of Strong Coffee
800mg Ibuprofen
1- B Complex Vitamin
1- Omeprazole
Roune
Smoking crack mellows me out
lurkyloos
ki4clz
1- 12hr Allegra-D (pseudoephedrine)
1- CalMag vitamin (these are very expensive)
this works perfectly for me- 45yr old white male, no health problems and active outdoorsman, I make a plan everyday-and work my plan, knowing full well that there will be tons of sidequests so THE PLAN consists of two things... 2/
ki4clz
1.)the plan is something I am WILLING to do, not something that I want to do- it is that too, but first it is something that I know I will do first and foremost
2.)the plan can be wholly abandoned if new plan arises
3.)the plan is awarded when complete
4.)I'm not allowed to feel guilt - if I do feel guilt then the plan is not a real plan but a ploy
ki4clz
THE PLAN must meet this criteria, for me, everyday, baby steps and only baby steps, no delusions of grandeur, only baby steps- like Bill Murray in What About Bob... "the drugs" keep me focused and ready
BladeTurMoiL
Just be careful with the ibuprofin. I know people who damaged their liver taking that for extended periods.
It’s so weird because people are told to take it for every little thing. But it adds up. And 800 is a pretty decent dosage. Considered rx strength.
BladeTurMoiL
And then omeprazole for extended periods is said to contribute to bone density issues among other more serious side effects.
Obviously they help more current discomforts like belching up stomach acid and the prior keeping you mobile. But man, i wish we’d find a breakthrough solution for medications and their long term effects.