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@music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs

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After a bit of an absence I’m back — and now off Strattera.

Although the FloMax had solved the most problematic side effect, after stepping up to 65MG of Strat it’s effeciency began to lessen. That coupled with some fast heart-rate issues and a minimal benefit lead me to decide to go in a different direction. Big Sigh.

Now….where to go from here? I tried Ritalin last year *hoping* I would get SOME benefit from it – but nothing. I discussed trying Clonidine with Ritalin a while ago with my doc, so I guess that’s one option.

I’m curious if anyone has ever seen positive results from long acting formulations like Concerta or Biphentin but received NO benefit from Ritalin itself. I’ve also thought about trying dexedrine but am curious if it’s dramatically different from Adderall, which gave me no benefit.

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jeneticallymodified wrote:

“…and my shoulders are jacked up to around my ears with tension…”

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You mean like in your avatar? I’m not sure i would call that “tension”

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In his lecture series Dr Jain spoke about the importance of maintaining good “sleep hygene”. He said it is even more important for people with ADD.

Among the tips I remember:

1) set a bedtime and stick to it. Go to bed at the same time every night (or 6 days per week) and set your alarm to awake at the same time in the morning. Over-the-counter sleep aids like melatonin can help you fall asleep at your set time until your body takes the routine on itself;

2) do not use any electronic devices within 1 hour of your “bedtime”. His rule was, if it plugs into the wall, avoid it. He says any additional stimulation to your brain at this point can keep it motoring on for hours after you get to “sleep”, preventing your brain from getting the “rest” it needs;

3) Instead of watching TV, listening to music or playing games he said read a bit. Not a good book either, because you don’t want lots of stimulation or to get hooked wanting to read the next chapter. Instead go for magazines with short articles, or even heavy reading like the tax act;

4) develop a night time routine. Putting stuff away, getting in your PJs, brushing your teeth, etc – and do the same routine every night. He said your body will eventually begin to recognize it’s “bed time” once you start your routine.

As for waking up in the morning, he reccomends splashing cold water on your face immediately. This triggers a chemical reaction inside your brain to “wake” you up fully and avoids a slow, groggy start to your morning as your body wakes up slowly.

The other posts here make some important points too. If someone is having difficulty getting good rest a sleep study can help rule out or identify other conditions. Some of these, like sleep apnea, can also be very dangerous.

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Ringo-

Out of curiosity what is the humidity level in your home like? Mine drops pretty quickly as the winter goes on (got down to <30% in January) and that can cause your nose to plug up too.

Not sure if this is your problem, or may be contributing to it.

I now use a humidifier in the bedroom and run it until water is just begining to condense on the windows. I do find it easier to breathe and that I am not so “dired out” come morning time.

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[turbo]

I too have an AD/HD “rockstar” t-shirt.

I use the shirt as a mental boost. I wear it for me, not to start a conversation (although this does happen) or “advertise” my condition.

Wearing it is a reminder of all the positive traits that ADHD people have — the fact we can do and accomplish things “normal” people just can’t. It is a reminder that the most successful people in the world -people like Richard Branson- have ADD, and that those of us with ADD have traits and abilities which just can’t be taught.

Mentally, it is my “rock star” shirt. I wear it when I want to remind myself I too am a “rock star”. It gives me a confidence boost, and extra focus. I’m not putting on a shirt, it’s almost like I’m pulling on a second skin made of Ritalin sometimes.

I often wear it below a casual long sleeve shirt worn unbuttoned, but have also worn it fully concealed beneath a dress shirt. I know it’s there, and sometimes catch myself brushing my chest to feel the logo imprinted on it. I’ve never worn it on it’s own, but no doubt will sometimes once the summer gets here.

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[turbo]

One piece of advice I can offer, for what it’s worth, is to educate yourself but do not go overboard or let the ADD diagnosis consume you.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was doing that to me. It was also like I had put an “ADHD” label on my forehead and mentally was using it as an excuse for everything I had done wrong, and was still doing “wrong”, rather than focussing on my positive attributes and using knowledge to deal with the condition.

I also found I began “analyzing” everyone else I met or dealt with for whether they had ADD. Perhaps I was trying to make myself “fit in” more, but it became a bit of an obsession and was very counter-productive.

To all 3 of you, best wishes for a safe journey to becoming the person you always wanted to be

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[turbo]

Getting a formal diagnosis can help put a name to a condition. It will allow you to learn about the condition and understand it’s implications for you – both short term and long term. Self-diagnosis is dangerous, especially with a condition like this that has some characteristics that are common to other disorders.

For instance, did you know that if you take a person and chronically deprive them of sleep they will begin to function in a way that clinically looks like they have ADD?

The doctor who helped put together this WEBsite wants paitents that are comfortable with the medications using them to facilitate changes to their lives. Once we develop better routines and habits, you can try life off of medications and see if things are improved to the point you can live without meds.

I feel that ruling out medication before even looking at the potential benefits is ignorant. It has changed many people’s lives.

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[turbo]

Glad to hear it’s going well.

One question – when you commented that “my anxiety for the most part is gone” are you referring to anxiety you initially experienced as a “side effect” of using the medication? Or did you have anxiety issues before?

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njadd- I don’t think he was looking for reccomendations on software specific to his industry, but rather software that works well with the ADD brain.

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Megatron, if you had something else to do to fill your time would that help? Some jobs are just like that – boom or bust. If during the “boom” you end up working overtime, then it stands to reason during the “bust” period you should get time off, rather than having to sit at your desk at work.

If it’s just the normal ebb and flow during a 40 hour week, one option might be to talk to your supervisor and see if there are other small projects -that are interesting and will hold your attention- which you could work on in between. Another option, if your work environment allows, would be to work on a project of your own making either for you or the office. Perhaps you have a project or two from home you can bring in to work on discreetly when time allows?

Although some people might not think it’s right, I can tell you that while working at every job I’ve had since age 18 I was also running my own small business out of the cubicle during “down time”. SOmetimes, even during the “up time”

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[turbo]

This isn’t answering the questions you posed, but there may be other medications you can try yet, to see if they help. You could try a short acting version of Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderal. You could try a med like Wellbutrin that’s prescribed off label for ADD sometimes, or even look at Tenex. It’s a med that has been used for treatment of Tourettes but I’ve read studies where it helps with ADD behaviour, and when combined with Ritalin is more effective than either med was at treating the ADD alone. Just an idea or two to try.

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[turbo]

May I ask how fast the Metamucil works for you? Is it like an overnight thing? I used to go every morning, almost like clockwork, so once every 4 days or so is unsettling and it would be great to change that.

You know- I’m not sure if this is the Strattera’s doing or not, but I’d comment that most of “us” would just end up being 10 minutes late for work in your situation

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Do you mean you go 3-4 times every morning? Or that things stop for a bit and then when they get moving you go 3 or 4 times? The second one is what I’ve experienced. I’ll look into the metamucil and see if maybe it will help me become more ….errrr…… regular

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[turbo]

Personally I found Quickbooks to be a total disaster. Then again, I’m a tax accountant so I am used to using “real” accounting programs which quickbooks certainly is NOT. I don’t mind a user-friendly ‘front end”, but the program should have a proper back end complete with GL accounts and codes. That is what MYOB always offered that Quickbooks never did.

Quickbooks bought out MYOB about 10 years ago, then proceeded to kill it off as it was a “competing” product. SO you’re going to be hard pressed to find an old copy of MYOB anywhere. HOWEVER a bright spot on the horizon is that apparently MYOB USA has come to Canada. I’ve heard they will be releasing a new package sometime during 2011. Hopefully, it will be as good as the old MYOB.

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