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Re: been waiting a year now after referral to the psychiatrist…

Re: been waiting a year now after referral to the psychiatrist…2011-06-20T13:21:23+00:00

The Forums Forums I Just Found Out! I Suspect I Am been waiting a year now after referral to the psychiatrist… Re: been waiting a year now after referral to the psychiatrist…

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Anonymous
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Hi littleboyblue,

Don’t despair. Sounds like you are on the way to help.

My mom (fabulous amateur classical singer) was diagnosed with narcolepsy and stimulant meds were what she was prescribed at that time (Ritalin or Dexedrine). She later self-diagnosed herself with ADD. All of my siblings have it, whether or not they realize it. I got the music gene from my mom but dropped out of univ (hons performance program), now I know it was because of ADD :D

I just got informally diagnosed with ADD but have to have a sleep study before the ADD specialist psych (and my doc) will prescribe meds. That’s because it could be narcolepsy, could be sleep apnea.

Here’s what my testing showed (I used my husband’s Ritalin, 10 mg tabs):

I have always had sleep problems, been a night owl, etc. (don’t ask me about driving as I have lots of stories about that and being drowsy). I started having really bad sleep problems recently, part of it was my husband (he’s just been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and severe restless legs syndrome) but we now sleep in separate rooms. But unmedicated and in separate beds/separate rooms, I was still not sleeping through the night, having trouble getting to sleep and then waking up every 1-2 hours.

A week ago Friday I started taking his Ritalin again (he is too) 10mg 3x a day. The ADD psych said it was ok to do this and to keep a log to see how I feel. He suggested logging how I felt before I took a dose, how I felt at two hours (peak for Ritalin, not extended release) and how I felt after 4 hours (dose wears off).

For the first two nights I slept a bit better, but after that I either slept completely through the night or only woke up once to go the bathroom and then had no trouble getting back to sleep. I asked the ADD psych why Ritalin would do that and he said a doc who has ADD told him that the ADD mind is like a popcorn machine and Ritalin dials it down so we can sleep. I feel amazingly better after a week.

The Ritalin helps during the day too, I feel alert and can focus on things, rather than dragging myself around all day and doing stimulating things to stay awake.

I hear you on yoga and meditation, have been doing it for 10 years now, quite seriously (many zen sesshins and retreats). I am a certified yoga and stress management teacher but it can’t alter the fact that you have ADD. My psychologist who I see for meditation training says that if it’s a brain neurochemical issue (hope that’s right) then you should take meds. So I need meds.

I’m 56, not too late to get my life in order!

On telling the psych and your doctor:

I told the psych right away, and of course, I told him my experience, that it helped me sleep and it helped me feel more “normal” during the day (the wild mind was calmer). He said “that’s interesting” (he had only just met me). And I’ve told you now what he said at the 3rd visit, which was supposed to be the final and feedback session, but I am going back after the sleep study. He approves of me taking meds but not officially as it’s illegal.

I told my doc twice, but she says “it’s a stimulant, it’s addictive, and everyone feels better on it”. But she will totally accept the psych’s report and treatment plan, so I’m not too worried there. The ADD psych says she’s wrong on all counts.

Hope that’s helpful to you! My next appt with the ADD psych is in mid-Sept, haven’t heard from the sleep clinic yet. But I feel loads better.

Trying someone else’s meds is important info, you’re giving the prescribing doc some info. Might save some trial and error later. Not that I’m suggesting you do a lot of experimentation, but I do think it’s useful info. I felt guilty about taking Ritalin without a diagnosis, but now that the ADD psych has said I’m a textbook case, I no longer feel guilty.

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