NO medication IS better

[Anonymous]

I have been told by not only the teacher in my school that teaches Psychology that i have *severe* ADHD, but by many many MANY, doctors as well.

Ritalin was my first attempt for medication, 20mgs every 4 hours

The Concerta was 54mgs

BOTH worked, in the sense that they….. shut me up.

PERFECT for everyone but myself. I had no emotion, no creativity, no emotion, no sex drive, no sense of humour, and i was careless.

I was GRAY, DULL, BORING.

As a musician, and a songwriter, that played a big part in my quiting of said meds.

I also had this dillemma where I HAD to eat before i take my meds, or i would spend all day puking blood.

Found that beautiful fact out through personal experience .

I am not the type of person who wakes up and says, “hmmmmm FROSTED FLAKES”

SO i never ate anything. Meaning i simply couldn’t take my meds, because i wasn’t hungry.

ALSO i lost alot of weight. Like im 5’10, and now weigh over 150 pounds. ON meds i weighed less than 120.

NOT HEALTHY!!!! That and my fast metabolism was burning through the meds, like crazy. From 24mg to 54 in 7 days .

My family just couldn’t afford to keep up with the medication.

NOW im healthy, physically at least. I have my personal life organized, fairly decent. My songwriting is better then EVER. I am (supposedly) more enjoyable to be with. My family is no longer spending what few money we have on meds that make me sick. I am much happier without the extra tasks of remembering to eat, AND take my meds.

Im happier than i have EVER been now that i am off, although there are still problems.

I fully believe that my depression/anger problems have arose from my ADHD. I believe that it is a gateway to other issues, much like marijuana is a gateway drug

for those who wanna know, i self medicate with LOTS of caffeine/sugar. I get a sugar rush for 15 minutes, then i SHUT UP and sleep for once. I walk at least 8 miles every other day, and that manages to help me calm down. And music/poetry is a GREAT outlet.

Im 17, meaning you will probly ignore ANYTHING i say. I just want to know from my personal experience, its not a TERRIBLE thing to go unmedicated. You just need the great loving family that i have. And my friends of course. I do not wish to verbally assault anyones personal feelings, im just stating my own. I do not wish to prove/disprove any theories about adhd/add at all. I just thought it would be kinda cool to post my story on this site,

Cuz thanks to “Bills Adventures” and “Rick Rants” i have made leaps and bounds to handling my adhd

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[Anonymous]

I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you!

I’d say that most people here who take meds have gone most of their life without them and found them when they were older (also, not everyone is blessed with supportive friends/family to help.. i sure wasn’t!), so most of us are familiar with being unmedicated. It’s all personal experience/choice though!

I know for me, with my unmedicated ADD, I had no emotion, just stress, no creativity, well, none that i could actually do anything about, i could NEVER write more than one page or finish any project, and definitely no sex drive – it’s no fun if you are thinking about anything and everything EXCEPT what you are doing, was one of my worst stressors, in fact! So my experience is the exact opposite of yours! I am almost 24 and I just started my first round of meds this summer.

And as for the Gateway thing- it is definitely co-morbid with a lot of issues. When I was a teen I was extremely depressed, as I got older it morphed into really bad anxiety. But it’s definitely related to my ADD!

Thanks for sharing your story!

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[munchkin]

Hi Granahan’s – I think it’s kind of cool that you got to at least try out the meds. When I was your age, I had really great support as well, but when I left home things really took a dive, and I had no idea how dependent I had been on those “horrible mean” parents. Plus I didn’t want to believe I had ADD, and fiercely rejected the idea that there was anything “wrong” with me… it was everyone else’s fault for being so darn time obsessed!!

It’s so great that you’re learning all the non-med strategies for ADD and then you always know that the meds are available if you ever find you need them. How cool is that? If you ever do need them, hopefully they will invent something that agrees with your system better…

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[Anonymous]

Hi Granahan,

Thanks for sharing your story. I am sorry that you thought no one would respond to you. I believe you had a lot to offer all of us. It sounds to me like you were very over medicated as a younger person. I cannot imagine being on those dosages. Before I knew all that I know now, I remember children on field trips needing to take their meds just prior to lunch. While the were very active prior to, they did slump into an almost catatonic state and certainly did not eat their lunch! I believe their is much better understanding about the disorder and what can be done with and without meds. One of the webnars has a doc that said how he was treating ADD children years ago would today be considered malpractice.

I am not suggesting that you go back on meds but if things began to unravel, I suggest seeking a couple of opinions and research the drugs and dosages currently prescribed.( lots of info on this site) I still shudder when I think of the high doses you were taking. Poor lil’guy. I know your folks were trying to do what was best for you. It sounds like they love you very much and are very supportive of YOU. The fact that you realize that, is something I long to hear from my own sons….at least I hope to live long enough.

All the best young creative man! You sound pretty cool to me. ( yes, “cool” is a term we used many eons ago, but I think you get my “drift”? Oh, I better go, I am feeling older by the sentence.

PS: would love to hear your music, maybe these guys could set something up on this site for you musicians out there?(” Toofat” are you reading this?) That would be “way cool!”…ok, i did not say “groovy”, for the record, I never said groovy, honest.

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[Anonymous]

Hi Granahan,

Thanks for sharing your story. I am sorry that you thought no one would respond to you. I believe you had a lot to offer all of us. It sounds to me like you were very over medicated as a younger person. I cannot imagine being on those dosages. Before I knew all that I know now, I remember children on field trips needing to take their meds just prior to lunch. While the were very active prior to, they did slump into an almost catatonic state and certainly did not eat their lunch! I believe their is much better understanding about the disorder and what can be done with and without meds. One of the webnars has a doc that said how he was treating ADD children years ago would today be considered malpractice.

I am not suggesting that you go back on meds but if things began to unravel, I suggest seeking a couple of opinions and research the drugs and dosages currently prescribed.( lots of info on this site) I still shudder when I think of the high doses you were taking. Poor lil’guy. I know your folks were trying to do what was best for you. It sounds like they love you very much and are very supportive of YOU. The fact that you realize that, is something I long to hear from my own sons….at least I hope to live long enough.

All the best young creative man! You sound pretty cool to me. ( yes, “cool” is a term we used many eons ago, but I think you get my “drift”? Oh, I better go, I am feeling older by the sentence.

PS: would love to hear your music, maybe these guys could set something up on this site for you musicians out there?(” Toofat” are you reading this?) That would be “way cool!”…ok, i did not say “groovy”, for the record, I never said groovy, honest.

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[Anonymous]

Sorry, not sure why that posted twice…

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[Anonymous]

I think every case is different and it really depends on each individual and they’re doctor to determine what is best for you. Maybe no medication seems better for you then overmedication, but it doesnt mean the correct medication or a little is not better then none. t all depends on each person.

What is important however, is to feel as best you can, both personnaly and socialy.

Whatever floats your boat as they say.

If I have a suggestion to make, especially at 17, try to pick up an endurance sport like running or biking or what not, it will do wonders for your add as it will boost your seratonin levels.

It is what kept me going from 17 to 25 as I used to compete in cycling and had an active life. When I stopped due to my entrepreneurial obligations is when all the symptoms just semed to soar to the surface and the issues became troublesome.

I have recently started again and I can clearly see a difference. It is also good for social reasons as well.

As for Caffeine, it gives you a rush, but the afterburn of it gave me terrible headaches, intestinal issues, occasionally hartburn and made me more irritable and moody. Not for me I guess.

Good luck man!

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[Geoduck]

“Im 17, meaning you will probly ignore ANYTHING i say.”- Actually, I’m thinking it might be the other way around. It almost sounds like you are looking for an argument. You won’t find one here- well, maybe on this site, it is an ADHD site- but not with me.

Nobody here will get on you for not taking ADHD meds. That would just be mean thing to do. Everybody is different, and we all are just doing what we can to get by in life.

Great for you. That’s actually how I got through HS algebra class. Coca-cola and Hostess Donuts.

Other things that you don’t mention, like regular exercise (old people don’t do that so much) tend to really, really help me. In my senior year of HS, I was on the track and field (I was a thrower), and had a physically demanding job at a grocery store. That semester that I did both, I got the best grades in HS ever! I ended up with a 3.4. I gotta say maybe the exercise helped.

So yeah, I see how it works well for you.

Anyway, I’m older now, tired a lot with 3 kids, and those things just stopped working. I had a 2 cup a day habit, and couldn’t drink more because my heart would skip beats (tachycardia developed in my third pregnancy and never went away). After I’d drink the coffee, I found I was actually only focused for a small bit, and then had a huge crash. It just didn’t sustain me, and I couldn’t just drink it all day.

It sounds like stimulant meds weren’t your friend. Ritalyn wasn’t my friend, either. It just made me tired and sleepy. Really sleepy, like I was pregnant (soooo tired). I take adderall, and it’s working for now. It does the same thing as coffee, except without the crash. Basically, it removes the fog. I still have to eat right, exercise, make lists, etc. Basically, all the stuff I was doing to cope before, just taking adderall because the coffee was to “up and down” for me.

FWIW, sugar doesn’t make you hyper, that’s a myth. People don’t get hyper on sugar. People tend to get hyper because of the events around the sugar. Like cake at birthday parties. Notice how half the kids don’t eat the cake, but they are still climbing the walls. Take a look at this: <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1994.tb01415.x/abstract&gt;. Scroll down and read the abstract. Ask your science teacher what an abstract is, they’ll tell you, if they are worth their salt as a science teacher, anyway.

I think the deal with ADHD and sugar is that it is too quick of a release of energy, leading to a big crash, which makes us tired, irritable, and distracted. Yeah, that’s pretty much me after sugar, and it sounds like you, too. Well, probably anybody, but if you have a problem with those things in the first place, it’s not going to help any, right?

Everybody is different, so it’s just the way it is. Not all meds for any problem ever work for everyone. Even antibiotics can differ from person to person. There are non-stimulant meds that people have success with. Maybe your ADHD isn’t manifesting itself in a way that meds help. Who knows???Only you do, really, and the people who live and work with you.

Good for you for finding what works.

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[billd]

Hyper? Agreed – myth. Sugar, no, protein, yeah.

Drugs? They act differently on different people, and at different doses. That’s only a couple of the possible drugs, there are so many others now.

For me, I’ve gone 54 years with no meds, and it sucks. I’m HOPING something will help. It’s cost me a lot to be this way and not have any treatment. The docs, esp the N-P says he’s all for treatment with meds, among OTHER things.

Being off his meds almost cost my son his life. Being on them helps him – a LOT.

I’ve tried two different meds, side effects, yes, help, no. but that was just 2 of the many possibilities.

I must eat after getting up. For one thing, it’s the best thing in the world to eat and get the metabolism going right away. Scientists, nutritionists, doctors, MOST of them agree -breakfast is the single most important meal of the day. I found that by eating a decent balanced breakfast every morning, I LOST weight! Yes, LOST weight. It got my body charged. Exercise first thing is also best. Late evening or after work, no, do it early. There was a lot of discussion about these two things when I was a farmer – we’d meet at the coop and compare notes – most farmers will tell you exercise and breakfast first thing means your day will be much better.

At this point, I’d give up the last 5 years of my life to have a little of it under control and live the other remaining years at my best.

But that’s me.

Anyone who can deal with it not being on meds, that’s fine. I will never tell anyone they really need them. In my case, I do. But if you have found ways – bravo, and I wish you only the very best.

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[Anonymous]

The thing with meds is that if you have enough support in other areas, you don’t need to take them forever, and when you do, it’s only as a boost. I am 30 years old, was diagnosed at 12, and have only gone on meds for the first time in the last few months. With a supportive family who knew my triggers I was able to get through high school without meds, but I didn’t do well at University. I ended up dropping out and working for minimum wage in retail. It’s been a long hard road getting to a place where I have a real career instead of just a job, and I’ve been able to do it all without meds, but I wondered if I had struggled more than I needed to, and I wasn’t performing well at work. The meds have helped, but I only plan to be on them long enough to reach my goals and make them habits. It definitely sounds like the OP was over medicated, and on the wrong medication, (puking blood is a pretty severe side effect!) so I applaud your efforts to go it “alone”. Don’t completely discount the value of meds, as long as you NEVER let anyone tell you that you have to take them or that it’s the only solution. They are a crutch, not a cure.

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[Patte Rosebank]

I’d change the title of this thread to “NO medication IS better for ME”.

After all, it’s different for each person. Not being on meds may work better for YOU, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work better for everyone else.

All generalizations are false. Including this one. ;-P

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[memzak]

Well said Larynxa!

I tried meds but after only 6 weeks they became ineffective. Things in my life are starting to fall into place in ways I never expected. I still need to be on disability for more than just my ADD and that process is progressing. If things continue to progress and the network I am building continues to grow I may not ever need meds again. Now energy drinks and coffee are another story 😆

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[billd]

@Larynxa – bravo, well said!!! Too true.

I’ve tried it 54 years, no drugs. Companies I’ve worked for have tried organizational things, PDAs, logs, lists, you name it, no worky

Personal relationships have suffered, I’m on 3rd wife and thank GOD (sorry for the non-believers) she is who SHE is, or I’d be single again.

She “puts up with me”. There’s just something there that has clicked. Maybe we BOTH know that each of us is very hard to live with and we’ve adapted. Dunno.

The drugs are now having little impact – but while they worked, I did find that decisions, right or wrong, were a bit easier, my speech was shorter, to the point, less rambling, and my wife herself noticed that when she asked for me or my help, there was no argument, it was a “I’ll be right there” instead of being upset at the interruption. Now if SHE noticed, then the meds helped.

I’ve seen counselors, etc as well…….

For me personally with MY brand of ADD as SEVERE as I PERSONALLY have it, in the combination of effects I personally have, 3 doctors including a neuro-psychologist, sleep doctor and behavioral specialist all agreed – MEDS, THEN work on the rest when the meds help break down the walls ADD put up. Meds will help tear down SOME walls in SOME cases, the rest will still be up to …. ME.

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[caper]

@Larynxa: I completely agree. Is that a generalization?

@memzak: Some of George Bush’s research shows long-term improvements in brain function after 6 wks of MPH use.

http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/martinos/people/showPerson.php?people_id=18

I find the meds help break the emotional habit of loosing my temper; i.e. I couldn’t break the habits without the meds since I have such poor BI. With the meds I can choose not to loose my temper, and over time my emotional brain learns the new (calm) response to the irritating stimuli. To tie it back in to the topic title, no medication is better, if you can get your brain to function as well off the meds as it does on the meds. I’m on meds 4 months now (was as high as 80mg/day) , and think I’ll be able to wean myself mostly off them within a couple years.

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[billd]

Being a tried and true, dyed in the wool car person, I can relate to MPH in but one fashion – GO REALLY FAST!

So can someone help – what’s MPH in non-automotive terms?

My favorite MPH is about 85………….. but I tend to get tickets for that.

Frankly, I see at least 3 scenarios:

A. Mild ADD, or ADD where the person has symptoms they can control at least to an extent, or can control with aid of a coach, devices, adaptive technology, whatever. Lower end of the spectrum, more highly functional

B. Middle of the road ADD where the symptoms are pretty severe or debilitating, tried the non-med methods, not much luck, goes on meds, gets brain re-trained with adaptive technology, coaching, habit changes, etc. and can eventually wean off meds

C. Higher severity or where the symptoms are combined in such a way that no other method seems to work for the long term (me, tried other ways) Meds help some of the symptoms, not all – not all meds work well, have to keep trying different meds, combinations, doses, etc. – will probably need them for life, although some symptoms may be helped with changes in habits and “crutches” other than meds.

Probably some in between the above, but like other issues that affect the human condition – we’re all different. My wife any I both got sick after the same party. Same thing, the doc says, yet she got sick in the gut a lot worse, me, I’m dizzy, tired, worn out, throat and sinus problems. She was in the bathroom all last week. This weekend it came back, and again, the symptoms differ although it’s the same bug.

The flu kills some, for others it is a minor annoyance and they don’t miss work. I missed 1 day, she missed 2.

So how can we say something as complex as ADD impacting something as complex as the brain has a single solution?

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[Author]

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