Re: Best Med for shift work

[Patte Rosebank]

I know jobs are hard to come by, but the very nature of the constantly changing hours in this one will be hazardous to your health.

Starting any new job is hard, but when you figure in the fact that you’re getting used to the Biphentin, and that the hours of work vary so widely from day to day—you will probably find this one to be much more of an uphill climb than you were expecting.

The frequently changing shift times in this job make it a HUGE risk for you.

Shift work is bad for everyone, since it royally screws up your circadian rhythms (the rhythms that control all bodily functions). But it’s especially bad for diabetics and for those with any sort of mental condition, because blood sugar levels and the hormones that regulate brain function will be all over the place.

In this sort of shift work, your symptoms will become much more severe. You will make many more mistakes, and, if you’re doing a job that can be dangerous (like working with heavy machinery), you will be at much greater risk of major injury.

As for the meds, they must be taken at the same time every day, in order to be effective. You may have a bit more leeway with shorter-acting meds (regular Ritalin, for example), but there will still be issues. And long-acting meds (like Concerta or Biphentin), which have been found to be more effective at treating ADHD than short-acting meds, will not only NOT work properly, but may even be dangerous when you’re constantly changing the times when you take them, because the levels of the drug in your system will vary so widely from hour to hour, from day to day.

Remember, Biphentin releases its drug slowly, ramping it up, then fading it down, over the course of a day. If it isn’t fully out of your system at bedtime, you won’t be able to sleep—as you’ve discovered. And lack of sleep is kryptonite to an ADHD brain.

Sorry to be a downer, but, realistically, shift work like this is not a good fit for someone with ADHD.

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