Concerta 1 year + now, Q with mixing.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I’ve been diagnosed ADHD for a long time, but within the past year and a half now I have been very successfully taking concerta.

I want to just somewhat talk about my experiences with the medication, and how my life has changed. I also want to ask a question, that I’ll get out of the way to some of the more experienced people in here:

Have you taken concerta with a amphetamine type medication booster? IE, Concerta for the day, maybe a low does dexedrine/adderall in the afternoon? If so, how did that work for you?

So anyways, about me:

I was overweight. Lazy, constantly bored; lethargic was a good way to describe me. I felt so irritable in social situations. I lacked self control. I would sleep in all the time regardless of the consequences. I would not brush my teeth. I couldn’t work normal jobs. I had no friends, girlfriends, my teeth were falling apart, and I was becoming severely depressed not being able to complete anything I set out to do.

I had already been diagnosed as ADHD as kid, and in my teenage years and the medications had helped. As an adult, I tried to find a doctor who would prescribe me medications for my ADHD, and they said time and time again: “it’s depression, not ADHD” (regardless of my explanation of previous successes on the medications). I took the bait. It didn’t work.I stopped taking them. I almost ended up homeless, and had starved pretty severely because I couldn’t ask anyone for help.

My biggest mistake was believing the skepticism surrounding ADHD so much so that I doubted it’s existence myself. I thought it was exclusively an inattention disorder, and that everyone has ADHD to some degree( which is true). Boy did those doctors and social perception set me back a few years.

Luckily for me my natural intelligence and luck of being born in Canada had saved me at the last moment before spiraling into a world of total depravity; my application to community college went through, and I received a student loan.

I struggled to get through school, (just one year, but it had a pretty high failure rate). I tried to come back for a second year, but was too consumed by the previous problems I had 2 paragraphs above. I got a job in my field, and had a whole bunch of sick days, but I managed to hold onto it for the 10 months. I then tried to go back to school to finish my second year, when the same problems that plagued me before resurfaced.

I completed a half year of schooling before having to drop out again. I then found a job that truly challenged me. Something I never felt was possible. I stepped up to the challenge of being the head surveyor of a construction company with very limited experience. I had to learn so many things in a short period of time, and because the pressure was on, I learned it FAST. After I learned what I needed to do to get by, complacency set in, and my old behaviours returned. I was fired, and left with unemployment insurance.

This was the first time I had an extended period of time to live without worrying too much about finances. (Not that I did before, Hence almost becoming homeless). During that time the internet, and the stories and similar situations that I seen between myself and people who had also been diagnosed ADHD was staggering.

I had finally accepted ADHD as a interference source in my life. I was raised by a drug addict prostitute mother, who in retrospect also had severe ADHD. The trials and tribulations associated with that life style is insignificant to the impairments caused by my ADHD.

Having been determined that ADHD was my anti-hero I life, I was not accepting no for an answer. I was getting help. I had moved out of the town I lived in, coming to the big oil field city of Calgary. I knew my expertise from my education and my previous work experience would be an asset allowing me to start fresh for myself.

It took three doctors visits to find a doctor who was willing and KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH ABOUT ADHD to recognize and accept how serious of a disorder it was, and that I was not fishing for triplicates. He treated me with 18mg concerta immediately, with a 36mg follow up one week later.

I went through what most people do on ADHD medications: I felt the euphoria of being able to concentrate. I was able to get things done, and I was determined. It also had a distinct “in affect” period, and was obvious when it was working.

After being on the 36mg medications for about a month, that affect had started to wane. I didn’t recognize that the medications were still working. I thought in order for them to work, they needed to create motivation, and I needed to feel them working. That was a large fallacy that a lot of people on ADHD medications don’t recognize:

You absolutely cannot gauge how well your medications are working based on how motivated and abnormally focused you are. The initial euphoria and feelings i had felt were what I didn’t recognize: a false high. I was high on the drugs, even though I didn’t know it, or think it, or even have any impaired rationality that is usually associated with being inebriated.

After a while I thought that they were no longer working, but I continued to take them because in the past I had thought :”these medications would work for anyone, ADHD or not, so the fact that I’m doing well now while on them, just is coincidence”. I had learned from that mistake as my life spiraled down shortly afterwards, and I continued to take it.

As time went on I no longer felt anything at all while on my medications. NOTHING special. My motivation was no longer influenced by the medications. Or so I thought. There was a big difference between now and before. Even though my motivation to do things that I didn’t want to do wasn’t there, I was still getting it done. I went to work. I brushed my teeth every night. I made sure my bills were paid. I wasn’t restless in social situations anymore. I was being me.

After a year, I had NO sick days. Instead of being fired like my previous jobs, I had received TWO raises! I had 4000 dollars worth of dental work done, and no longer felt embarrassed to smile. I had become an adult I had lost 20 pounds (through selective eating, and not through appetite suppression). My family had saw me in September and couldn’t believe my changes. The physical were startling enough, but the emotional, and social growth I had showed was even more significant.

I have made more money in the past year then I had from ages 16-25. (I’m 27 now). I own my first car, (a $27k car). Paid off student loans, and have become an effective member of society. All while not feeling ANYTHING from my medications.

I have my good days and bad. No amount of medication will change that. I just want to emphasize a few things here that may or may not be realized by most people here:

-Adhd is not exclusively about inattention. Inattention is a bi-product of restlessness and bordem experienced by adhd.

-ADHD drugs don’t necessarily build motivation. Nor do they solve your problems overnight. Even if they give you the illusion when you’re starting out. That euphoria and abnormal concentration you get is NOT how it’s going to be.

-Give them time to work. You cannot gauge feelings and sensations as your benchmark for success. You need to set observable behaviours as your basis for comparison. IE: Take a behaviour that you used to do/not do, and see if you’ve regressed back into old habits to determine if the medications are the source of your failure. For me, I use brushing my teeth as my guide. When I’m totally ADHD, I dont brush them. When my medications work, my teeth are taken care of.

-Not everything is ADHD. ADHD is comorbid with many disorders. Depression being the big one. Just as you can’t always control your adhd. You need to accept what is you, and what isn’t. Responsibility can be shared with your disorder, but you need to learn who you are and adjust your lifestyle accordingly, so that ADHD isn’t your scapegoat.

-Physical well-being has an impact on symptoms. The less factors you have working against you the better you will be able to combat your adhd. Being overweight, having diabetes, eating lots of processed foods, not exercising all produce or enhance ADHD behaviours. To better cope with this disorder, you need to eliminate as much physical factors that you can.

-Medications aren’t the only solution. Different lifestyle habits and oraganization skills can help you mitigate some of the issues associated with ADHD. Not everyone only takes drugs to help. There are lots of things you can do to help. You need to have the mindfulness to see what works for you and what doesn’t and structure your life around those parameters.

Just wanted to share that cause boredom did sneak in. And I’d really like to know if anyone has tried a combination of the concerta + amphetamine based medications?

I used to take concerta 18mg in the afternoon, but I noticed my mindfulness is being tanked to the point of impairment.

Thanks for reading a brief summary of my story. Even if it seems long. lol.

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[Anonymous]

wow congratulations on doing well .. and thankyou for writing in, and it was great to read about you and ADHD, there are

really good points you make. I am on different meds .. straterra and wellbutrin, so can’t help with that question, sorry. good luck

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[Scattybird]

What a fantastic story – thank you for sharing it and well done in turning your life around!

I can’t answer your meds question, but I was interested to read what you said about them. I am new to meds and have gone through the phase where I think they’e great and am now wondering if they work but I think deep down I know they do…but it’s not obvious because it’s subtle.

My psych won’t let me try amphetamines until I have exhausted the ritalin. But what you say about ADHD being more than a motivational thing is true.

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[Anonymous]

Wow, it’s great to know someone shares a very similar story! This answered all my questions about my medication and why i felt like it was not working. I too have been on concerta for about a year and found the initial boost to be the motivation of my day. Now that “boost” has disappeared, I was concerned that the medication had stopped working. Of course, my pshy tricking me into believing exactly that. I too have good days and bad days but i always seem to blame the medication for me having this kind of distinction between my days. As far as exercise goes, its an absolute must for me. If i do not run at least a mile every day while on concerta, my evenings and nights are awful. I also have found myself wanting to be more isolated and alone more often and avoid anything or thought that could create a negative feeling. One challenge i face with this is once a negative provoking thought comes to mind or are likely to follow creating a sea of negative emotion and thoughts. I feel this might be directly correlated with me having to excerise every evening so i can combat that the negatives i have carried throughout the day. One question i have for you is if you have a similar experience? how do you combat negatives feelings? (if you have any that is). I am by no means a depressing person or depressed by the way.

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