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Ray-

Did you have the issue when standing up or sitting down suddenly? And are you on the 25mg or 40mg dose to start? I think for adult males the typical starting point is 40mg, but my doc started me at the 25mg level to try and minimize side effects.

Please keep us posted on how everything goes!

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[turbo]

Sorry to hear this med hasn’t worked for you.

But…it is a process….so……take a deep breath, try and relax. Tomorrow AM, talk to your doctor and decide what your next step is. There are plenty of other options for you. Strattera might be an option for you — it gives me a feeling of inner calmness.

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[turbo]

As a tax accountant, I can tell you that for 2010 the tax credit will be worth $1,524 to a resident of Ontario with a taxable income of $35,000.

For those with lower taxable incomes (but which are still significantly above the basic personal exemption amount) it may be worth as much as ~$1,800 if it reduces your Ontario income tax to the point that the Ontario tax reduction calculation kicks in.

CRA currently approves disability tax credit certificates for 15 year periods at a time. At the end of 15 years, a new application must be submitted for you to continue claiming the tax credit.

I guess one could extrapolate a total value of 15 x $1,524 = $22,860 on the credit assuming the credit amount stays the same over the next 15 years.

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[turbo]

ADD is potentially the explanation, NOT an excuse.

No disrespect towards your parents, but fighting ignorance is an uphill battle. Arm yourself appropriately. I know when I first discussed the matter with my parents it was a nightmare. They were “stick their head in the sand” kind of people

If you do open a dialog with your parents, you might want to start by saying something like “you know, I’ve done a lot of reading and the medical professionals are quite clear that ADD has to do with the way a brain is ‘wired’ inside — it is not caused by weak morals or bad parenting which are old wives tales still being circulated today”. Science has also found genetic markers in DNA that have been CONCLUSIVELY linked to ADD which is another important point you can make.

It could be your parents will be defensive if they’ve heard the old wive’s tales themselves. In my case, BOTH my parents share many of the traits I have. They were, in part, being defensive because my bringing the subject up, and information into their household, meant they had to face the fact they too might have this issue.

It also might help to identify some very successful people who have coped with AND EXCELLED BECAUSE OF their adhd. People like Richard Branson, Mark Twain, John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Princess Diana, Buzz Aldrin, Harrison Ford, etc…..

Read about it some more, relax and when the time is right start the dialog with them. It may also help to tackle the issue with one of them at a time. I also think the suggestion to watch the video alongside them is a good one.

Cheers!

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Ray-

The totallyadd.com WEBsite has some great videos about meds and their uses you should dig around for and watch. In addition, the caddra.ca and caddac.ca WEBsites have info about meds and potential side effects.

I have not read about any “irreversible” side effects from any of the front-line ADHD treatment meds in medical literature or studies so the natural assumption is that if any bad side effects creep up, they will disappear when you discontinue the meds. As always, talk to your doctor about this stuff, though, as they are experts.

For some people, being properly medicated has allowed them to literally transform their lives. That is where I am looking to go.

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[turbo]

Irisheyes – you can buy the DVD on the totallyadd.com WEBsite. Global Television also had it available on the WEBsite last time I looked – I believe it was on the “currents” television show they air.

I tried to watch the program again last week on the PBS channel, and their frequent fundraising interruptions fragmented the show too much for me — I bought a copy for myself as I know I’ll watch it again a few times.

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Sarge-

I’ve experienced a bit of the dry mouth with Strattera (it doesn’t bother me that much), as well as appetite suppression. As I’m trying to lose a substantial amount of weight, the second issue is not a biggie for me Can I ask if you had any other side effects with it?

I’ve been experiencing the urine retention/low flow and sexual timing side effects, as well as occasional pain down in my “package”. I found a way to almost completely eliminate the last problem, and if I could take care of just one of the other 2 side effects I think I’d be happy staying on these meds while I get my life together, so to speak.

My brother, who has also been diagnosed with ADD, saw benefits from both Ritalin and Dexedrine. I, on the other hand, noticed almost no benefit from either of these meds.

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Hey Sarge-

I’ve read that some people get tired from it, and that others have problems with sleeplessness.

For me, Strattera stopped the 200MPH train that seemed to always be running in my brain. It may be this is what enabled me to finally get some restful sleep, as I slept better during the time I was on it than at any time I can ever remember. I was taking the meds first thing in the morning with breakfast on a once-a-day dosage.

I don’t recall having a negative response to Wellbutrin myself (just no effect at all, really) but I can tell you that the SSRI Effexor REALLY messed me up. It was like waking up one day, 2 months later and wondering what the hell happened during the 2 months I was on it. That one scared me.

Sarge’s advice is important for everybody dealing with this issue. If your meds aren’t working right for you, then talk to your doctor about other possible solutions

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[turbo]

I’m not sure Haldol is prescribed for anxiety. It used to be a frontline treatment for Tourette syndrome, and is also used for treatment of schizophrenia, and for emergency treatment of the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Could your doc be prescribing this to help control your tics?

Actually, reading up about Haldol and the complications that can arise from using it is what caused me to stick my head in the sand for 15 years about my own Tourette’s. I’m curious if you have ever tried Clonidine or Guafacine? I recall reading that these are from the ‘newer generation’ of Tourette’s treatments. They’re also anti-hypertensive agents and I recall reading a study which showed positive improvement for children with ADD as well which fits with the other issues you’ve mentioned in your posts.

Everything I’ve read indicated that the stimulant’s by themselves will not cause a tic disorder. The papers I read said that, although it is possible their use will reveal latent tics, cesation of the meds lead to the tics receeding as well.

Hope everything continues to improve for you. Keep chugging away on the job market and I’m sure something will come up!

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[turbo]

The first time I tried Strattera I felt positive improvement within 1 week of starting a 40mg dose (optimal for me is calculated at ~100mg/day). It absolutely amazed my doctor I felt a positive effect so quickly. It helped with both my mood (depression related) and adhd impairment.

I felt more energy, could focus on work, had a feeling of “calmness” inside, and actually WANTED to get out of bed in the morning. I was also sleeping MUCH better than before.

Some very obtrusive side effects slowly crept up on me, though, so I discontinued use and the side effects all went away. I’ve tried 5 other meds since then and none of them have had the same positive response for me that Strattera did. I experienced occasional minimal improvement with Ritalin, but nothing with any of the others I tried.

Hope this helps.

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Miguel-

How bad were your tics before you started to take Ritalin?

May I ask what meds you are taking for anxiety at this point?

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Dr J- do drugs like Clonidine reduce the amount of adrenaline in the body or increase it? Am I correct in understanding that Strattera will increase adrenaline levels in the body?

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mstr- I don’t believe you need to worry. I believe Guanfacine is available in Canada. If you want to confirm, call a Canadian drug store and ask them to check pricing on it. Look up a number for a “Shoppers Drug Mart” store in the Canadian province you may be moving to and call them to ask.

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Hey T-Rex,

I have been diagnosed with both ADD and a Tourette spectrum disorder, which I long suspected I had. My tics go through the roof when I’m anxious, and calm down significantly when I’m relaxed.

When trying ritalin I found my tics would sometimes increase, and sometimes decrease. Given the situations I was in at the time, and the fact I also have anxiety issues, I was pretty sure my tic behaviour was more related to anxiety.

I’m on Strattera now, and find that it generally makes me feel calm inside (whereas I normally feel like I’m running at 200MPH). I have not noticed a change in my tics but have not been on it long enough to conclude this is the case or to see if the calming will lead to a decrease in anxiety which might also decrease my tics.

I have done quite a bit of reading about ADD medications and tic disorders over the last few years trying to find articles and research papers relevant to my case. Although I did come across numerous articles suggesting stimulants could increase tic severity, the general consensus (from what I recall) was that if motor tics appeared after begining stimulant treatment they were latent tics that were already present. Given enough anxiety, one might speculate that a latent tic would resurface all on it’s own.

I did find one research paper where ADDers also diagnosed with tourette’s were treated with a combination of Ritalin and Clonidine (or it’s newer version Guanfacine) and the researchers found an overall reduction in BOTH tics AND adhd impairment for the patients on both meds. Furthermore, they found the improvements in ADHD impairment were better than patients that were on either Ritalin or Clonidine alone.

Hope this helps.

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Kammiee-

I’m not a doctor but from what you describe it sounds to me like he may still have an addiction problem. From what I’ve read, 90 Ritalin in 5 days is NOT a typical dosage for ADD improvement.

Has he ever been in rehab to actually kick the habit? Not to put any more on your plate, but perhaps it’s time?

Has he ever admitted it is a problem and he’d like help with it?

What I would say, is that it is NOT normal for a person to have to lock up their meds (or money, or jewellery, or keys, or…) from their spouse. Although I hope the med locker works, I think it’s important to realize that it’s just a band-aid and NOT a solution.

If your spouse is giving or selling the pills to friends there are possible legal consequences, and if he’s abusing them himself there is the issue of his personal safety, as well as your kids and any family members who are with him.

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