The Forums › Forums › Ask The Community › 65 years old and I just found out from watching the video, "ADD and Loving It.
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December 21, 2010 at 12:22 am #88854
AnonymousInactiveDecember 21, 2010 at 12:22 amPost count: 14413My Wonderful Wife sat me in front of the TV and had me watch a PBS special called “ADD and Loving It” and for the first 15 minutes I was speechless and 15 minutes later I was weeping. I had been told before that I had ADD and even asked my long time excellent doctor about it and about medications for the disorder. He told me I was too old for the medications, that the risk of a heart attack was too great and outweighed the use of the medication. He told me if I wanted medication I would need to find a different doctor because he did not believe the medications were safe and that I should find another answer. And I just dropped it. Then came the above video and now I am getting increasingly angry that this could have gone on so long and that there may have been a solution.
Comments, concerns, observations?
REPORT ABUSEDecember 25, 2010 at 5:38 am #98269
AnonymousInactiveDecember 25, 2010 at 5:38 amPost count: 14413i much prefer to think of all the possiblities for change in my life now that i have found a community of people who care, are devoted to helping people like you and me my friend! your doctor may be right about the risk of heart attack. however ther are many other options to try! CTB (cognitive behavior therapy) or maybe a life/adhd coach. speaking as someone who has been taking meds for aout 10 years now, i can honestly say meds are not enough. so here i am staying up all night with no concept of time trying to find out how to help myself b/c my doctor doesn’t know jack about adhd. i asked to be refered to a specialist and i will go from there. but please! please! please! dont give up because meds are out of the question. there are other forms of help it is just a matter of doing some research b/c although we are all the same, every adder is different! never give up! love who you are!
i hope things are better.
REPORT ABUSEDecember 25, 2010 at 1:26 pm #98270That sounds like Dr J’s territory. As a suggestion, could your doctor prescribe blood pressure medication to control the side effects of stimulants to prevent a heart attack if that’s his concern? Seems to be a reasonable solution and I’m surprised your doctor didn’t suggest that.
I’m just using my intuition here, but does he believe that ADD exists and exists in adults? Maybe he’s trying to avoid that argument? Hard to believe, but there are some doctors that refuse to accept the reality of our condition (for lack of a better word…).
I would definitely get a second opinion.
Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to all.
REPORT ABUSEDecember 25, 2010 at 2:44 pm #98271hi say my doctor this week he said my blood pressure if perfect.i have been taking blood pressure meds longer than my concerta for about six years. get a doctor that can deal and knows about adhd and then finding the right meds for you could be posibile for you .
REPORT ABUSEDecember 25, 2010 at 10:30 pm #98272
AnonymousInactiveDecember 25, 2010 at 10:30 pmPost count: 14413I saw the program and was just awe struck. I feel like I have some symptoms that I know I have had since my teens. I can recall specific times and events that were problematic but had no idea what to do about them.
I have said, and I really mean quotation here, “I wish I could control my habit of just saying what is on my mind!” I have said so many inappropriate things and felt much embarrasement over these things. I still don’t know how to handle my speaking of my thoughts. I can delay them, but they ‘eat’ at me until I say them. Maybe that is not ADD, but it is a problem for me.
I see some of my symptoms and am looking forward to listening to others who have had success.
REPORT ABUSEDecember 26, 2010 at 3:36 am #98273I finally got my mom to sort of watch part of the documentary. She couldn’t sit still for long, but I think she absorbed enough to realize that she probably has it.
I gave her the DVD of the documentary for Christmas. I hope she & Dad will sit down and watch it, and that it will finally convince her to get diagnosed and treated.
REPORT ABUSEDecember 27, 2010 at 12:14 pm #98274Larynxa, did you add a roll of duct tape to help her sit still.or is that just to red green. lol
REPORT ABUSEDecember 27, 2010 at 7:16 pm #98275@Otterboy –> I’m 63. Diagnosed at 58 or thereabouts after watching a show about ADD too. OK here’s the thing to do: get another opinion from an MD that understands ADD. I too have heart issues with a murmur and take 60mg a day of Zocor to keep my cholesterol slightly above the highest acceptable level. Then I take 20mg of Adderall.
Long story short – until I took meds for ADD I was a totally overwhelmed, procrastinational (nod to Sarah Palin?) mess. Now I’m almost normal, whatever that is,so I can’t state strongly enough to get your butt in gear and go get an MD that might just grasp that amphetamines have been safely used for almost 40 years – so stating meds are unsafe is simply wrong. I’m not suggesting they will work for you but you certainly owe it to yourself to go find out.
Best of luck, Jim
REPORT ABUSEDecember 27, 2010 at 9:40 pm #98276
AnonymousInactiveDecember 27, 2010 at 9:40 pmPost count: 14413Hi Otterboy. I, too, am a senior with ADD, diagnosed after my son was found to have ADHD–about 10 years ago. I agree with others who have encouraged you not to despair, but to find a physician knowledgeable about ADD, perhaps even a psychiatrist who is familiar with adult ADD. This person can help you find the best medication for YOU. The medication can help not only with procrastination but also with the frustration and resulting irritability that can accompany an ADD diagnosis. If you need help finding such an expert, perhaps others on this site can recommend someone, depending on your location.
Lastly, while your anger is certainly understandable, it will not serve you as well as seeing the gift of this “disability” and how to maximize your potential. You likely still have many more productive years ahead of you. Knowledge, especially self-knowledge, is power.
Good luck!
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