Re: Concerta? Does it work for you?

[Anonymous]

Wow, see? This is what I get for forgetting to log back in the day I signed up for this site after seeing the documentary on PBS… I get a ton of responses! And Rick… well I certainly wasn’t expecting a response from you! I have to tell ya, the chemistry between you and Patrick is phenominal- I was laughing so hard because you two have the same goofy and comedic personality as me! Then I cried, because it was so comforting to hear that others are going through everything I have ever experienced in my life. I even called my mom and apologized to her because of the stress I put her through growing up with them trying to find out what was wrong with me. But I digress :o)

About the 2-a-days of Concerta… I kind of have no choice but to do it. I started at 18 mg when I got my first script. By noon, I was about to pass out while listening to the soothing sound of a patient’s heart through my stethoscope. But, you are right Rick- I’m in the Navy. My typical day? Wake up at 04, get my kids ready for daycare with my husband, get myself ready for daycare errrr I mean the Pediatric clinic I work in, leave the house by 6, start work at 7, take a quick lunch at noon (we don’t get breaks!), get off at 5 pm, get home at about 5:30/6 depending on DC traffic (which only infuriates the imaptient child in me!) and get dinner ready at 7. Not only that, but sometimes I work weekends if I have duty, which happens about one a month. So after going through this for the last 2 years, I’ve hardly been able to catch up on sleep. Oh, did I mention my son has ADHD as well? :o) That makes my day even more eventful!

So I called my doc and told her that I was getting very tired and inattentive by about 2 or 3 on a regular basis. She gave me a script for 5 mg Ritalin to supplement the Concerta once it wore off, that way it would be pretty much gone from my system before bed, unlike the ER effects of Concerta. Needless to say, Ritalin didn’t do it for me either. I asked if upping my dosage may alleviate the fatigue, but she made a good point by saying all that will do is give me a bigger jolt in the start of the day, and still wear off at the same time. So, that’s how I came to 2 Concerta a day. I don’t exactly think the Concerta is causing the insomnia. I typically get to bed at a decent time, around 11 or midnight, it’s usually my brain that I have trouble turning off. But I must be honest with you, the Navy (at least my chain of command) doesn’t give a flying rats behind about ADHD. Apparently, my supervisor has ADD. When I told her how bad my symptoms were affecting my job performance, she used the excuse “Well I have ADD, and I don’t take meds, and I have 3 kids, and I get 3 hours of sleep a night, you think I don’t have it bad?!” And not to mention when I was pregnant and diagnosed with an inflammatory disease that made it impossible to walk, she said “I worked 12 hour shifts at a ward while I was pregnant, and I didn’t get a lunch most day!” Well, apparently she is Super Woman. I however, am not. I have been told multiple times that I need to “suck it up and do my job”. It hurts so bad to hear that, because it almost makes me feel like they think I dreamed up this disorder, just as a cop out. I have even been threatened with a medical review board, which is where they determine if you are medically “fit” for active duty service. Hence the reason I was very leery of making that call to get a diagnosis- Navy don’t mess around! Another downfall of ADD in the military- They don’t exactly like the “goofy nature” of us ADDers. Of course, I make the whole clinic laugh when we are enjoying a pot luck in our conference room and I go on a rant about something crazy that’s happened to me, but usually it’s the civillians that get a kick out of me. The military members giggle a little, but the hard ones stare at me with their firey gaze that says “HOW DARE YOU LOSE YOUR MILITARY BEARING!!!!” Anyway, wow, I really went off subject there. I think the problem with me taking one Concerta a day is that my symptoms of ADHD are so severe, they aren’t doing the job. Like… seriously… I have never met anyone that has it as bad as I do…. An example? (And I promise I’ll click “send post” after this)… I was making a note in a patient’s record on the computer the other day. Not only did I put their vital signs in once, but I went in 3 MORE TIMES to put them in after the fact, and each time I wondered how they got there! Luckily, when it comes to patient care, my memory serves me well- I have never had a patient safety mishap due to a glitch in my overactive brain, it’s just little things that get me. I have started writing a book on being ADHD in the military, but keep putting it on the backburner because I don’t feel like I would give good advice at this point to anyone, but a memoir would definitely be an enjoyable read. If I get a good method of coping with it while I’m active duty, I’m definitely going to pick it up again because I know there are SOOO many people who could benefit from it!

REPORT ABUSE