[Geoduck]

Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine. Maybe similar to adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine). However, maybe there is something with the “lis” part of the equation that makes Vyvanse work better for you than Adderall. Who knows?

I have a similar problem with ritalyn. Puts me right to sleep. With either drug, adderall or ritalyn, I can’t say there is ever a “stimulated” feeling. I assumed that was because I actually have adhd, and it’s just bringing me to normal, not stimulating me. It clears the fog, and a painfully tired feeling I get when I don’t have it: Cranky, bitchy, with a heavy head. My whole life I thought THAT was normal. Well, now I know the over-tired ritalyn feeling isn’t right, and the cranky heavy head feeling without meds isn’t right. The adderall seems to work for me, but the ritalyn put me right to sleep. I’m sure that was great for my loved ones, in that I’m not cranky and bitchy while I’m asleep, but it wasn’t a very functional state at all.

Maybe it’s just the wrong med for you. I would definitely call your doc back and tell him this just isn’t working. The small difference in the meds could be the problem. Mom made me call mine when I was complaining about ritalyn. She was right. Always listen to Mom. Mine’s pretty smart, anyway

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[Geoduck]

Watched Mastering It.

You know, there is this stubborn streak in me that resists doing stuff like that. However, since hubby watched it with me, I’m in trouble. LOL! Now I GOTTA!

Gee, thanks, Rick! Could warn a gal.

Actually, I look forward to trying these things out. I already do the whole put everything by the door thing. I’ve started carrying a purse, which substitutes for the “bucket” Dr. Jain recommends on one of the website videos. Hubby really enjoyed the video. Loves the silliness, and the slapstick feel of it. I enjoyed seeing others with ADHD succeeding.

So far, my favorite tip is the meditation you do while walking. Just feeling each step. Now if I can remember to do it. I went for a walk with that purpose in mind, and got so distracted by the dog doing her “thing” in the wrong place, that I forgot.

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[Geoduck]

Did you see your post??? You’re not repressing. Have you noticed how long posts get on this site? Usually all one paragraph? Yup, our hyperactivity strikes again!!! LOL!

Anyway, tight hip flexors and shoulder muscles come from sitting all day. If you were made to sit, because you were a squirmer, than yes, those will be tight.

I do think you’ve stumbled upon something extremely interesting, though. If you aren’t getting some sort of physical outlet, and especially if you are a physically hyperactive person, it would makes sense that your body would start resenting you in that fashion. Sounds definitely like something that needs research, if it hasn’t been researched already.

Posture training might help some of those things, if you wanted to suffer a bit less. Yoga gets you some posture training, meditation, and physical release. If you haven’t tried it, lock the kiddos in the basement and give it ago.

Just kidding. Don’t lock them in the basement. Everyone knows the closet is the best place.

Okay, just kidding again

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[Geoduck]

Oh, here’s a great library alternative. On-line, so no fines

http://openlibrary.org/

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[Geoduck]

I owe the Seattle Public Library and the King County Library System fines from oh, about 20 years ago. I really gotta remember to pay those. LOL!

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[Geoduck]

That’s hilarious! I would’ve been too tempted to leave the barf shot in. Still, especially when you are making a film about ADHD, better to limit unnecessary distractions, I suppose. Love the carnival background. Feels like a carnival in my head. One of those carnivals where I keep playing every game, and never win. Great analogy on several levels, there.

The one about malpractice. That’s a great one. Made me think of my brother. My brother was treated in the 70’s and 80’s, back when they told parents kids outgrow it. I cannot convince him that nobody believes that anymore. He is now delighting in teasing me about this, because “he no longer has it.” I saw that bit about malpractice and actually feel more sorry for him, now. He was “treated,” but it wasn’t as effective as it could’ve been, and he can be getting so much more help, now. Probably wouldn’t have to live in his father-in-law’s basement. Probably could’ve saved him tons of grief in his early 20’s, too.

Oh, and that part about spouses….I got lucky, like Patrick. But again, thought about my same brother who has an extremely controlling, rude, mean spouse. She sounds just like a 3rd grade teacher my brother had, that really used to lay into him. He seems to be playing the role of the school kid again. They’ve been together almost 20 years, but he’s not happy. Wish you could change things for people, but I guess change comes from within.

In fact, all my siblings, save about 2 others besides myself (there’s 10 of us), have issues with spouses. My eldest brother found a mean school teacher, like literally. He divorced and finally settled with a great gal. Others of my siblings, though, have found fixer-uppers, and that’s failed miserably. Is that an ADHD thing, too? The settling for fixer-uppers? Repeatedly?

Still, looking at that, I feel damned lucky with my hubby. I keep thinking I’ll screw it up, somehow, though. That never feeling quite good enough thing.

Oh, I could go on forever…Watching second film today or tomorrow. Can’t wait!!!

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[Geoduck]

The test that was on here (is it still there) was the same one my doc gave me. However, that wasn’t his only criteria. He is also my PCP, so he knew me for 2-3 years, seen my children, heard the stories about my dad and my brothers, put up with my excessive chattiness (VERY nice, patient guy). By the time I asked him about ADHD, he was relieved that I was finally willing to talk about it directly. I got the test, but he had about 2 years of notes he had been taking the whole time I had been seeing him.

I don’t think I could trust his diagnosis if he had just gone on the test alone. It’s just one part of the whole picture. Make sure your doc is doing a whole profile, not just the one test.

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[Geoduck]

Hey! The backslash is back in. Killer. The T-Shirts are still valid!!!

I gotta remember to get one of those. I know I’d remember to do it if the AD and HD were separated by the Binder Clip Dinosaur (hint).

Oh, and how come nothing about perseveration, or hyperfocus on the TV?

I’m 8 and 6! Truly an ADHD giant. I know it makes me “combined,” where I could swear it was just inattentive, before. There’s all the social conversation stuff in part A2 that I don’t remember from the doc’s office, or the quiz on this site (same thing, actually). Frankly, the feeling like your driven by a motor and the running at the mouth thing could be combined. I definitely have a motor-mouth.

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[Geoduck]

My idiot brother thinks he’s outgrown his ADHD, just because a doc told him he would, when he was a kid. He said to me, “Funny how you got more hyper as you aged, and I didn’t, huh?”

You mean like how you DON’T say the most inappropriate thing on your mind at the moment? Oh, and how you DON’T have such a problem with finances that you had to move in with your Father-In-Law? Oh, and how you don’t smoke or drink to deal with the ever-present fog in your head? Yeah. Right, bro.

I’ve been meaning to send him that “binder clip dinosaur” link for a while. I might do that, now. Although, then I’d have to discuss how he doesn’t have ADHD, and he outgrew it…again, because he doesn’t remember we’ve had that conversation a million times.

Wait…did I already send that to him? Possibly…

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[Geoduck]

Here’s the deal as I understand it:

ADHD is like the flu. Lots of things look like the flu, as they have flu like symptoms, but the flu is the flu, not all those other things. ADHD is like that. Lots of things cause ADHD-like symptoms, but then there is actual ADHD, and ADHD is ADHD, not all the other things.

Now of course you can have the flu and something else, just like you can have ADHD and something else (called a comorbidity), but if that’s the case, both need to be treated. Unless you have ADHD and the flu. In that case, skip the ritalin, and just head to bed. It’s not worth the fight.

In all seriousness, though, if you have anxiety, doesn’t it make sense that you would have a hard time concentrating on things? Also, it makes sense that if you have ADHD, this could cause some anxiety, especially with relationships or deadlines. Things like this is why a good diagnosis can be hard to get , sometimes.

However, the ritalin worked, so maybe some of it is ADHD? Unless, of course, ritalyn works for other things besides ADHD – possible, I’m no doctor or pharmacologist.

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[Geoduck]

I smell EVERYTHING!!! I’ve always had a pretty good sense of smell, but since my 1st pregnancy, I can smell things from very far away. It never went away.

Women do have a better sense of smell, and then it increases during pregnancy. Supposedly, it’s because of the estrogen. Evolution-wise, it’s supposedly so moms can smell trouble from a distance. It’s stuff like this that is how we always seem to know what the kids are doing, at any given point. LOL!

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[Geoduck]

@no_dopamine,

You’re probably already gone, and not reading this, but you will be missed.

I have a feeling it wasn’t so much the avatar as maybe you just aren’t getting what you need, any longer. I find that with group settings, no matter where I am. Taking a break is a great idea, although it sounds more permanent than just a break. Well, if you change your mind, we’ll be here!

As far as spam goes, this is part of life on the internet. If it’s not reported, it continues. Frankly, we’ve been having so much fun abusing the spammers with our ADHD, that maybe some of it goes unreported (it is soooo much fun, though). Still, I experience far less spam here than I’d expect, it being advertised through the PBS video, and mods do seem to take it seriously.

I can understand if it’s time for you to go, however, then you should go. Again, you will be missed.

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[Geoduck]

Warning: I know I’m hijacking a thread, but don’t know how else to respond to someone else’s post:

@Robbo. Yup. PTSD sucks, it doesn’t go away, and I have a feeling is strongly linked with ADHD. Think about it. Your brain has a hard time with the concept of time, in the first place. PTSD plays into that well, because with PTSD, you can’t subconsciously put events in the past. When you have an episode, you literally are experiencing the event as if it were a current event. It is also hereditary, like ADHD, from what I understand. Also, it causes ADHD like symptoms.

When I go through periods of PTSD issues, my ADHD is doubled, and even medication doesn’t always help like it should. Maybe you aren’t immune to the ritalyn, as much as experiencing a tough bout of PTSD, and there just isn’t enough ritalyn in the world to help out.

I also find that PTSD doesn’t just strike for one trauma for me, but can be an issue with any trauma you may experience throughout your life, no matter how severe. I found that my friend dying almost 2 years ago, became a whole new event that I now have issues with, on top of other issues I already had.

Yes, I concur, September does indeed suck. My last 3 falls have completely sucked. I have my birthday in September, too. That didn’t suck so much and was a nice reprieve from normal suckiness.

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[Geoduck]

I don’t know that it effects how the medication itself works, but it can make the ADHD symptoms different. The medication does what it does, but if the symptoms are worse that day, the meds only go so far. Make sense? I’ve noticed an effect as I’m aging. Stress and exhaustion both make it worse, too. Really, though, the medication does what it does, but sometimes my ADHD just won’t be helped by my meds sometimes, depending on any other conditions (hormones, stress, insomnia) I may be experiencing at the time.

Although, it does make sense to me that meds may work differently depending on your water content, or metabolism, or how much you eat or drink, maybe. I dunno. Definitely ask your doc.

Thanks for posting, though. I’m thinking about going back on the pill. This post makes me wonder how those hormonal changes will influence my medication.

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[Geoduck]

Can’t read all the posts…not enough time, so I’m commenting on one or two chunks that I saw while skimming. Read the first post completely, though.

I take the generic! Amphetamine salts/D-Amphetamine salts, depending on the pharmacy. Usually, I take the ER (XR). But I take the IR, when I’ve missed my morning ER. I took the IR at first, to see how I did on the meds. Nothing like having to deal with something that doesn’t work for 12 hours, instead of 6, at least that was the reasoning at the time.

I’m extremely sensitive to medications. I did find that my heart raced, at first, and so I adjusted the IR dose down to 15mg per dose, vs. 20. That helped a bit. However, I also lost a ton of weight during that time (NOT related to the meds, related more to diet), and that was another reason to cut back.

If I take the ER (15mg/day) after 9 am, I am up all night , ideal dosing time being 8am for me. I have issues with insomnia, anyway, but the meds make that worse, if taken too late. For the IR, if it’s past 3:00pm, I don’t bother taking the second dose. The ideal dosage time for the IR is 8am and 2pm for me.

I still can’t drink coffee when I’m on the meds, it really makes my heart unhappy for about an hour or two after drinking it. Doc said up to 2 cups was okay, but I’m just that sensitive.

The biggest side effect for me is thirst. I need to have water near me at all times while on the meds.

About the IR- I thought I was supposed to take 10mg 2x a day, but I wasn’t. The pharmacist just labeled it wrong. To get the same effect as a 20mg ER pill (which is what I was taking at first), I was supposed to be taking 20mg in the am, and 20 in the afternoon. It only stays in the system for about 6 hours, which sounds like you are describing.

Talk with your doc and make sure you are taking the pills as you are supposed to be taking them. Also, talk with him about the possibility of taking them so it more conforms with your schedule. I’d say go nuts, and do what works, but then I could be setting you up for huge health problems, which is why I’m not a doctor. Too much responsibility. LOL.

Also, yeah, you’re gonna feel like crap when you start some big thing like working with your ADHD. You’re learning a ton about it, and how it has effected you and everyone around you for years. I don’t think it’s the meds, but again, ask a doc. Still, yeah, I can see why you feel emotional about it. It’s a very emotional thing. For myself, I felt angry that nobody helped me and denied my experience. Having ADHD has such a big impact on us. Expect emotions.

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