Hi and Thank you

[Anonymous]

Hi there to the folk running this site and those using it and THANK YOU. I am 42 years old and always knew i wasn’t quite right. my career is kinda failing i ended one marriage due to lack of communication. When i was a child i was diagnosed as hyper at 3 or 4 and was on Ritalin till the age of 16 and even during my years in the military I knew I was not like the others but never could put my finger on it. I just yesterday saw the ADD and loving it ,,by accident well i was channel surfing. So i saw stuff that was ME then I went on the web site. Well I didnt say no to a single question. It is kinda earth shaking and frightening and relieving all at the same time. You see my biggest fear in my life is that i would wind up alone in some mental institution with my mind lost, I am such a scatter brain. But I also thought “is every one like this do they think this way” well now I know why ,so fear of “am I actually Losing my marbles” comes to my mind. And finally the feeling of pressure kinda releases. Now I know. Now I can try to deal with the issues. You folks have opened my eyes and in a way that I am not ashamed,(which is alot after the way i was raised and was thought because i was hyperactive). Fortunately I have a wonderfull partner she is my best friend and in the last 2 years has helped me grow in ways I didnt think were possible. If I had found this out 3 years ago I cant say it would have ended well. But now I have support and help and now with the tools provided by this site I hope to see a proper doctor and be professionally diagnossed so I can use this as a strength instead of a stumbling block. So to all those involved a very VERY heart felt thank you.

PS: I cant beleive that I can fit so many of the symptoms and no one ever thought I had this

John

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Funny how just about all of us had our “a-ha!” moments by watching ADD And Loving It! Welcome aboard!

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Well just to update. I went to my doctor who sent me to a Psychologist for the diagnosis. So I figured I better go in armed and I did I took alot of online questionaires from various sites. So I printed off some of them and brought them with me. What really sucks is these tests are the only tests I have ever scored so damn high on and was hoping for a fail LOL. So he said yep I have it. He perscribed concerta at 27 mg so after going to see another doctor to get the actual percrption made I have the medication and today is my first day on it. So of course I am now hpyersensitive to evrything going with my body, thank God my better half is keeping me sane and calming me down. So now I wait to see what this stuff will do hopefully give me the focus i need. again just thought i would give a update. Have fun folks

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Just so you know, when I was first on Concerta, I had insomnia for 3 nights in a row before I was able to adjust to it. Don’t freak out if it happens to you, you finally adjust.

REPORT ABUSE

[Lindstr7]

Is it extended release? If not, 27mgs seems a tad high for a first dose, but i’m not a doctor! If you feel jittery or “speedy” don’t throw in the towel. For some people it takes a few tries to get it just right. Most start you low and will increase if the initial dosage isn’t having much effect. Lucky you have a supportive partner to help you through this! keep us posted please.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Yep I did feel jittery and “speedy” the world seemed a bit more intense, colors more intense, lights brighter. The most surprising thing was dealing with contractor at the plant, I found in my conversations I was very assertive, NOT aggressive, but assertive. That is something new for me normally I am the understanding doormat or a raging lunatic THIS was a completely new experience for me not sure if it was the concerta or just the way my job is right now. I did have a lot of people say I seemed different today not my usual wired for sound self that i seemed much more controlled. So I wasnt sure what to expect but this was more than i hoped for for the first pill. I expect it will balance out eventually. Is it normal to have this kind of reaction to the meds right off or did my over active mind help things along

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

yes it is extended release

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Onion Chop! Balony Chin!!

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Ok so now that I got that previous comment out of my system, I would like to further comment on how beneficial and educational this website is for both diagnosed and “normal” people. SALAD MONSTER IS A MEAT EATER! Ok, so the previous comment and this one is IT. Now, it’s time to proceed with “normality”. I was diagnosed with “an unusual form of ADD” as a young child (age when we first moved here. My mother proceeded to enroll me in a group therapy class with other children my age. I walked out and said “mom those kids are weird!”! The psychologist then informed my mother that it was a misdiagnosis, “What is he doing here? Your son does not have ADD!” After much more psych testing, I discovered I have a Central Auditory Processing Disorder and Non Verbal Learning Disability. In highschool, I still was not happy with my lack of focus and being constantly distracted, so I went to a Pediatrician who specializes in ADD. After he reviewed my report cards, and I answered a quiz, he informed me that I do indeed have ADHD. He put me on Dexedrine, which caused me to lose a lot of weight and I was already very slight. In addition to this adverse effect, I became belligerent and more aggressive than usual, so I stopped the medication. In my first senior year, at this special arts school, I became very depressed and manifested symptoms of OCD and Anxiety/Panic Disorder. A very good psychiatrist who specializes in mood disorders prescribed Paxil and I’ve been on it now for 9 years. I took the test tonight, “Got ADD” and scored with an inattentive subtype of ADD. It makes a lot of sense, but I refuse to go on any other meds. Hopefully I can learn effective non-med treatment for this common neurological disorder. Thanks for reading my story.

REPORT ABUSE

[Lindstr7]

Mex- I had a pretty much instantaneous reaction too. All good except for a headache as it wore off and sleep not great for first two days. Now, no headaches and still working like a charm. It didn’t turn me into a different person, just more productive, both physically and mentally.

I asked my psych. if it would “go away” this feeling of clarity, the way an anti-depressant might “plateau” but he assured me that it would not. Also recommended therapy with a group in my area for ADHDrs. I gotta say…. so far so good and I’m still feeling great and most of all moving forward. Its given me the boost I needed to recognize bad patterns and I don’t slack off nearly as much.

I know what you mean about the doormat or rage thing. I found that I’m more self confident in expressing myself and I now edit myself before speaking up and I don’t finish other peoples sentences, which is big for me.

Glad to hear it was a good start for you. Good luck, keep us posted.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Well heres a update for you fine folks

I think they are probably going to be uping the dosage because after a great first 2 weeks it seems to have dropped off. I will admit I have been on a little bit of a stress roller coaster so I am not sure if that is adding to it. My focus seems to have gone a few steps back, I am not completly back to the scatter brain i was but it is a little disheartening. I am going back to the Doc in 10 days so i will see what he says. but otherwise verything is still moving forward I find know is at least half the battle.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Hey Mekcanix,

I think someone ‘way back when’ must have thought you had ADHD since you stated that you had been on Ritalin from about 4 years until you were 16. Ritalin was THE drug of choice for us ADHD people before all the newer alternatives came out.

The dosages of Concerta and Ritalin are not the same. So if someone on a dosage of Ritalin of 20mg that is switched to Concerta wouldn’t be given a dosage of 20 mg (even though they are both methylphenidate). I guess it has something to do with the way the drug is released into our systems.

I take a 72 mg dose of Concerta and it does wonders for me. I started out on 18 mg which was upped to 36 mg after one week. The 18 mg told me it was ‘there’ but it wasn’t until I reached a dose of 72 mg that I received the optimum benefit. My specialist has even considered upping my dose but I am so thrilled with where I am now that I’m not even interested in it.

Keep us updated on your progress. The meds sure have helped me get some life changes under way. Yes, we still have to do the work but it sure is much easier when we can actually focus on the task at hand!

😉

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Well I go on monday to the Doc’s and I will admit I am not having much fun right now.

I feel like the medicine is barely doing anything anymore except making me angry. My normally short fuse is now non-exsistant at times. I can still work but I am almost back to square one. I am finding this part of the procces very frustrating. I had the focus, clarity of thought, I could speak for the first time without a stammer and intelegently. Now it feels like its all gone. Its like I went from a child to being a adult only to have it taken away. I know that there will be ups and downs till they figure out how much i should be on or if Concerta is the right thing for me. Plus knowing what is going on gives me a semblance of self control but it is so damn hard. Well monday cant come qwuick enough for me and hopefully in a few eeks I can come back and report that I am back on trac. Thanks folks

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

So they upped the dose one notch to 36mg. I do feel abit better now after about a week but man was that rough haul. I figure he will up it agian at my next visit. The strange part of what he told me was that what i felt the first week I might not ever get that again. Why would that be?

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I read a post earlier today from Byron and I mentioned this to him, it’s a long shot, but something that my psychiatrist pointed out to me and to this day ‘hounds’ me about. Do you drink a moderate to large amount of caffeine? I was told that caffeine intake counteracts my Vyvanse and makes it have to ‘work harder’ which of course defeats the purpose and leads to more issues with me. I was pretty much addicted to caffeine and energy drinks because I felt like they helped with my concentration. Getting on meds for ADHD and continuing ingesting the amount of coffee that I did (or even pop or tea) was basically me chasing my tail. Frustrating and futile.

It will DEFINITELY take a few attempts to get you regulated on any meds. Our bodies metabolize the medication at different rates. It can seem frustrating, ESPECIALLY after the ‘honeymoon period’ when you first start your meds. I was able to sit and write for 6 hours after I was started on the Vyvanse, it was miraculous! I still have good days and bad, but typically the good outweigh the bad. Just remember you are on the right course in that a) you are getting help and b) you are concious of your body and behavior. It’s a process. Just remember, this is what I ALWAYS tell myself, you’ve had this for your entire life, it is definitely going to take a minute to get it right.

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts