Could weed actually be the cause of my ADD symptoms? what medication is best ?

[hommebleu]

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PLAY PSYCHIATRIST FOR ME AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND A DILEMMA I HAVE REGARDING MEDICATION??

Hello. I am 52 y/o and I have self-diagnosed myself with ADD after reading all the books, watching all the videos.  The one thing I don’t have is a medical expert/psychiatrist.

I asked my family doctor to help me and she gave me some basic use-as-you-need-it- Ritalin. I tried the minimal dose a couple times and I did not like the anxiety feeling it gave me – sort of like when i took some really strong ginseng one time – a bubbling anxious feeling in my tummy. In general I tend to be very sensitive to side-effects of meds.

One important point I would like to mention and i hope someone can speak to this – I have been an on-and-off recreational weed user for many years. I have noticed that unlike other folks who “self-medicate” with this herb, it does not relax me or make me go to sleep, it actually stimulates me. Do you think this is a significant point in regards to me not doing well with a stimulant like Ritalin?.

With my reading, it seems perhaps I would do better with a non-stimulant or maybe an anti-depressant such as Wellbutrin although I do not suffer with any symptoms of depression or anxiety.  Any other suggestions?

Even though I try to do many things right like nutrition and exercise to improve my chances of countering my ADD tendencies, I often wonder what it would be like to find a medication that would allow me to succeed in getting my paperwork done in a timely fashion making up for all the time lost during the day being inefficient. I often wonder if a medication might help me read more books, write a blog, perhaps that screen play that keeps involving in my head . . .

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to give me some advice.

D. Roy

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[domadhd]

Hi Roy,

I have ADHD. Talking from experience here:

There is no best medication. Each ADHD person is different and will react differently to the medications. My advice , try one at a time and do not “fix” side effects with something else like alcohol or weed or whatever, because you will never know what works. Also try each med and dose of it for at least 4 days. This will tell you for sure what you feeling.

Ritalin, Concerta are same family. I personally found them giving me focus but extreme intense feeling. Also I was very irritated. This one is a no go for me.

Weed works “well” on its own without anything else, problem is you have to constantly smoke it. I find that it takes care of anxiety more so i can make myself work. When I tried smoking with medication (Adderall or Concerta) it made my anxiety worse, plus I actually felt high, which is not what I wanted.

Adderall XR – I am on this right now, since in Canada we are very limited on types of meds we can get. I find it best out all the rest at the moment.
This medication releases half of its dose in 20 minutes after you take it and than the rest during the day. You need to start with 15mg right away or you will get discouraged. If you feeling speedy (kinda anxious) in the morning just after  you take the pill and than you feel it ease up 4 – 5 hours later, than this means that the dose in the morning is too low. In civilized countries they have Adderall IR which would work as a booster in the morning – usually another 5 mg, but in Canada you cannot get that so just go back to the doc and ask for next step up so from 15mg to 20mg or you look on internet how to make your own booster using Adderall XR.

There is another medication Vyvanse. This is a bit different than Adderall but similar as chemical substance. The main difference is the way it is released. You body must start breaking it down before you start feeling effects. I have not tried it but just the mechanism sounds like it will take at least 1 hour before you notice anything. Although a lot of peps say it is good I think that the Shire company is using this as a replacement for Adderall since their patent expires and greedy company needs money. They will prolly lobby to ban Adderall after that since they need to stay monopoly.

There is also more meds like Straterra and other non stimulant crap. they might work for you.

You need to patient with the meds and be self-aware. See what helps and in which way and than go to next med. Do not believe anything you hear without reading about it. Also if the doctor does not want to try other meds for you, just find another doctor right away. Noone understands ADHD better than us – people that have it, doctors are there to write the prescription (I am only relating to ADHD, not other medical conditions), and I am talking form experience here.

Do not be afraid to experiment as well. If you think that something will work better than other, than try it  ( of course with limits ! ) but looking at you age I believe you are responsible enough to take care of your own health.

If you feel like you are abusing the meds in any way, do not tell the doctor or you will be done. You must take control of the meds not the meds take control of you. Frankly speaking keep the weed out of the doctor – patient conversation, as well as any substance abuse or anything illegal. This will save you the trouble of switching doctors due to their lack of understanding. ADHD people are all substance abusers ( well not really since we self medicate ourselves to function properly). People out there do not understand that, but who gives a damn for stupid people anyways.

Hope that helps.

 

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[hommebleu]

@Domadhd – nice response – very kind of you to take the time to explore this question with me! Thanks so much. Your thoughts and sharing of your experience are very helpful.  D. Roy

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[Patte Rosebank]

According to the latest information, one component of weed may help reduce the anxiety that often comes with ADHD, thus making it feel like it’s controlling your ADHD symptoms.

But another component (THC, which is what produces a “high”) causes serious brain-damage, including schizophrenia, especially in developing brains. The danger isn’t so much the THC itself, but the super-high concentration of it that today’s weed—whether recreational or medicinal—has been cultivated to contain. The stuff that grows wild has about 1/10 the level of THC that the cultivated stuff does.

I got this info (and more) from the video “ADHD, Marijuana, and Oh, Look…Cows!”.  ($9.99 at http://www.totallyaddshop.com/products/marijuana).

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[blackdog]

Hi @hommebleu

First, none of us can really “play psychiatrist” for you.  We can support you and tell you what we know from our experiences, but we can’t give you specific medical advice.

In regards to the Ritalin: Takng it just a couple of times is not enough to know if it will work for you or not. It takes at least 3-4 weeks, as a general rule, to feel the full effects of a medication and to adjust to it. Feeling some anxiety the first few days on a new medication is perfectly normal. But if you are concearned that you may experience severe side effects, then I would recommend trying something different, like a slow release medication or a non-stimulant.

Welbutrin seems to work really well for some people, and it is cheap compared to many of the other meds, so that’s a bonus if you don’t have coverage. It’s also not a narcotic, so there are no issues with addiction and it isn’t as tightly controlled, which makes it less of a hassle. It typically has fewer side effects than the the stimulants too, but everyone is different and there is no way to say how you will react. One downside is that it lowers the seizure threshold, meaning it can cause you to have a seizure. If I remember the statistics correctly, it happens in about 1 in 1000 people. And drinking alcohol will increase the risk.

I can’t really comment much on the weed, because I have never used it.  It is generally not very good for your health though, despite what the pro-weed people say. It’s probably also not as bad as the anti-weed camp would have you believe. As for how it affects your ability to tolerate other meds like Ritalin, I can’t really say, but I would think it would make your tolerance higher if anything.

The best place to get advice is probably at your pharmacy. Pharmacists are usually more knowledgeable than doctors when it comes to medications. You can also do your own research online, but be careful of your sources and make sure you are getting information that is accurate and safe.

In regards to getting your paperwork done: I’m afraid that’s up to you. Tbere is no pill that will magically fix everything. Finding the right medication may help, but you still have to do the work. If you don’t choose to focus on your paperwork then it won’t get done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[hommebleu]

Thanks Black Dog and larynxa for your responses. I appreciate all this advice and I will continue reading on the subject to enhance my discussion with the doc.

 

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