medications going haywire

[FirstNations]

I have atypical medication response, so whatever works for most people either doesn’t work for me, or blazes through my system in half the time it’s supposed to. This means that time-released Welbutrin only last 4/12 hours per dose. Taking another four hours later only builds up the medication faster, and pretty soon I’m overdosed and insane…happened on Adderal, Strattera and Ritalin. I am on a nightmare ride with this stuff. When it drops out I KNOW IT. Instantly I am obsessing, in tears, then enraged, then suicidal. it lasts an hour…but that hour is getting worse every time. Comorbidity is depression. The Welbutrin only barely takes the edge off this and doesn’t even begin to touch the ADHD, which of course is astronomically worse since the medications aren’t working and I’m going to the doctors all the time and dealing with an ADHD husband who thinks he’s bulletproof and 16. I feel like my head is going to explode from the stress this is creating. Other issues in my life have only compounded it. I’m honestly thinking about having myself committed.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Do you have anyone you could talk to about this? Just talking to someone will help you. Try calling the helpline of your local mental health facility or hospital. They will be able to help you. They might recommend that you come in to speak with a specialist. If your situation is an emergency, they will help you get treatment quickly.

The thing about medications for mental issues is that they are never one-size-fits-all. So please don’t think your “atypical response” is unique to you. Everyone reacts differently to medications for mental & mood issues, so the only way to find the med(s) and dose(s) that work for you, is to go through a trial-and-error process, under close medical supervision. I hope that knowing that you’re not alone in this will make you feel more hopeful about your situation.

Depression and Anxiety are common co-morbidities with ADHD. In fact, we often say that when ADHD shows up, it usually brings friends with it. Just treating the ADHD isn’t enough. You need to treat the co-morbidities too. More accurately, you and your doctor need to decide which symptoms you want to treat, and work on them together.

It sounds to me as if your depression might be a bigger issue now than your ADHD. You sound as if you feel very overwhelmed and helpless in your situation. So it’s understandable that you feel depressed. If the Wellbutrin isn’t working on your depression, then you and your doctor need to find another antidepressant that will.

Many of us (including me) are on medications for depression and/or anxiety, as well as for ADHD. This sort of treatment requires a specialist, because certain meds may react with each other.

Are you seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist, or just your regular family doctor? Mental issues are so complex (especially if you may have more that one of them), that a regular family doctor does not have the special training or experience to treat them.

Also, mental & mood issues cannot be treated by medication alone. The medications help, but you also need counselling and coaching, to help you to change the way you approach & react to life’s challenges. Often, a change in your situation can make a difference in how you feel.

Most importantly, if you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or others, you need to get help right away.

Remember, you are not alone. And you deserve the help you need to feel better.

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