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Old 07-22-2003, 01:23 AM   #1 (permalink)
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ADD/ADHD medication

Hi
I'm trying to find some well reasoned discussion/debate about the group of organic brain "abnormalities" that manifest themselves as a set of symptoms that modern medicine chooses to identify as "Attention Deficit Disorder". I have found a lot of discussion and debate on the issue, but much of it is so extreme and hysterical that it's a waste of time for anybody hoping to get some serious answers.

quick background. I was diagnosed 4 months ago, at the age of 45. The diagnosis at this point is, "Severe Combined type ADD with multiple piggybacking syndromes". The other syndromes center around Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and include Trichotillomania , Narcissism, and Tourettes-which manifests in self-injurious behavior(SIB), physical ticks, and private verbal ticks. The ADD was diagnosed first, and the only medication I am on is Adderall, a stimulant medication to treat the ADD. It has been an incredibly successful treatment for me in countless ways, but it also has some effects that manifest themselves in socially challenging ways. I talk way too much. I play with my thumbnails obsessively(I suddenly stopped biting my fingernails and cuticles when I started the Adderall, but now the SIB seems to be hyperfocused on my thumbnails). After a long term six hour a night sleep cylcle, I am down to 3 or 4 max.

Okay, well, that's enough info for me to see what sort of discussion I get. I am pretty new to the whole message board thing beyond "lurker", so don't beat me up to bad please. I'm not afraid of hard facts, and strong opinions, but frankly I am looking for experential advice above all....There's gotta be somebody out there who's brain is "different" in a similar way.

Thanks
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Old 07-22-2003, 08:32 AM   #2 (permalink)
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I can relate to the ADHD and nervous tic disorders, and I'm somewhat obsessive-coumpulsive. I've been trying a new medicine, Strattera, and it seems to help all three. Stimulants all semed to mess with me in weird ways, low doses of tricyclic antidepressants did, too (after a few weeks on one, I was unable to eat for a week and another exaggerated the tics until my mother thought I was having a siezure.)

Recently, with with the discovery that taking Ritalin with a nervous tic disorder will not cuase Tourettes, I've tried it, and it seems to be like descriptions I've heard of taking speed. My appetite goes away almost completely, my metabolism goes into high gear, I sweat, I drink two to three gallons of water per day, and due to high water consumption and low everything else consumption, my urine turns clear, just water comes out. I have huge amounts of energy, and it's not always pleasant.

I've been fortunate enough to have all of my symptoms of ADHD and related disorders start to fade around age 16-17, and now, at 19, I can do fairly well without medication.

That's my story. I hope you can extract some useful info from it.
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Old 07-22-2003, 01:06 PM   #3 (permalink)
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I have serious ADHD and am slightly lysdexic (Doh!), and used to be on high doses of Ritalin through grade, middle, and high school. Around junior year of high school I weaned myself off of it and tried to learn some discipline.

It worked fairly well, but given I still have work to do and Im here right now, theres still more work to do. It can be done though, and thats the point, otherwise, on the subject of medication:

I took dexedrine for a while, as well as a few other different meds, and methylphenidate (generic Ritalin, as I understand it) worked the best. The SR worked decently well too, but I needed the stronger 4 hour doses.
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Old 10-03-2003, 11:09 PM   #4 (permalink)
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HST13: How and were do you go to get diagnosed? Regular doctor, psychology, psychiatrist, other??

MSD: It's not uncommon for children with ADD/ADHD to grow out of it.
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Old 10-04-2003, 12:16 PM   #5 (permalink)
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My mother who specialized in learning disorders such as those listed is certain that I'm ADHD and maybe even Dyslexic. If I am it is very mild but I don't believe that I am. I did take stuff as a young kid for a while but don't remember what. I just zoned out then and couldn't do anything.

As a teacher I have worked with Dyslexic, Autistic, ADHD and Hyperkinetic among others. I have mostly worked with those kids who were ADHD.

I remember one little girl who could not concentrate or sit still in class. She was constantly wiggling in her chair and unable to get her schoolwork done in the amount of time that the other kids were. She was very bright and could understand concepts easy but actually doing the work was difficult to keep her on task. She had been on drugs (I do not know what) and they had messed her up so much that nothing at all got done. Her parents took her off the drugs and she was still able to do the work. Her parents worked with her every evening and checked to make sure her schoolwork was done. It was a lot of work for her to concentrate and a lot of work for me as a teacher to keep her on task.

I have worked with children on mainly Ritalin and one child who was taking St John's Wort. The one one St John's Wort did succeed in getting more work done and concentrating better but still had to work at it. I've seen some kids who could not do without the medication because their problems were so severe and other's who were able WITH guidance and help to accomplish their tasks. I think if are able and you have someone who can help you and show you different ways of concentrating and developing coping skills then you can eventually go without drugs alltogether.

I have in my files a number of things a student can do to compensate for some of the problems that they have. If needed or desired I will be happy to look them up. I have seen St. John's Wort work but you can't use that if you are girl and on the pill it will cause problems. There are a few other drug interactions that you should check on it. Also when reading - especially for Dyslexic laying a sheet or just a strip of red cellophane on the page for some reason (I can't remember what right now. I'm a bit rusty) can help you follow the words better and keep your eyes on the page. Another thing you can do to help train yourself is to break up tasks into much smaller portions and set a timer for each portion. You can push yourself to complete a small thing easier when you aren't thinking about everything else that you have to do.

I hope these thoughts were what you were looking for. Glad you feel free enough to post here. The motivation to get other peoples outlooks and suggestions may carry into your ability to overcome some of the things that hold you back. Good Luck.
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Last edited by raeanna74; 10-04-2003 at 12:19 PM..
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Old 10-04-2003, 10:14 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally posted by motdakasha
HST13: How and were do you go to get diagnosed? Regular doctor, psychology, psychiatrist, other??

MSD: It's not uncommon for children with ADD/ADHD to grow out of it.
have you ever heard of someone growing into it? i swear, over teh last few years i've developed a really bad case of it...
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Old 10-05-2003, 03:29 AM   #7 (permalink)
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I have a serious case of ADHD. I am very rowdy, have trouble paying attention, bad cases of anger swings, and very low tolerence for anger, as well as other things. I am currently on Adarol, which seems to work fairly well. Restraint and practice does nothing for me.
 
Old 10-08-2003, 07:14 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Hello All,

I to am also on Aderall, 30mg daily. Though I have noticed a decline in the overall effectiveness of the drug. Lately, I have started to become spacey under stress as well as suffering from mood swings. I have looked into Stratera as a non-stimulant alternative. If anyone has experience with Stratera I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

As a note to the inital post:

If you do some searching about genes and alleles dealing with 'add' and 'addiction', there have been many theories that add is actually the manifestations of addictive behavior (in the serious cases). From my personal experiences, I have seen that people who have a serious family history of drug and or alcohol addiction have been diagnosed with add. Without getting too far into the topic, do a little searching, I think the Journal of the American Medical Association did a bit on it.

-SF
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Old 10-12-2003, 09:29 PM   #9 (permalink)
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When I was 19 my mother suspected I had ADD and had me tested for it. The tests were inconclusive but I was still prescribed Ritalin, of which I only took two pills after feeling the effects.
My opinion on the whole ADD issue is that there isn't a clear enough definition of what it is or a refined enough method of treatment to combat it. Most of the medicines given for ADD were happened upon by accident, they don't know why they work but they seem to. It could be that most people today are taking medicines that will one day be considered the stone axes and furs of medication since they arent patient specific enough.

One thing I've noticed about people who think they might have ADD is they all have one thing in common; intelligence. This makes me think that the world itself isn't moving fast enough for them and they might be capable of taking in information faster than most people if trained properly.

Last edited by yellowgowild; 10-12-2003 at 10:03 PM..
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Old 10-19-2003, 01:13 PM   #10 (permalink)
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i was diagnosed for ADD when i was 2 years old. I was extremely violent, had a 20 second attention span (on good days) and could not sit in a school desk when I entered kindergarten.
But I was not given any drugs. My parents taught me constantly how to control myself and we practiced exercises meant for me to increase my attention span. It was an arduous childhood. I was rejected from school groups because I was "wierd"- I wouldn't listen anyone, and got into fights easily. But slowly and surely I've mastered this. Occasionally i'll do some kind of irrational thing (once I took apart a phone while i talked to my girlfriend and only realized what i was doing when the line went dead) but overall I feel i've conquered my ADD without the use of drugs. I'm currently a Comp Sci. undergrad.

i don't believe in the use of drugs to control this disorder. My cousin was prescribed ritalin when he was younger, and he is in serious trouble. He has a dependance on the drug, and recently he has stopped taking it and is now living in toronto- doing hard drugs and he is now stealing. This is pruely personal experience and i am sure there have been many successful treatments with ritalin but it definetly did not work on my cousin and when I saw him take the medication a few years ago the change the underwent in him was scary to say the least. Have any others successfully fought ADD on your own and won? I'd like to hear your stories
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Old 10-20-2003, 08:42 AM   #11 (permalink)
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I think you are absolutely right about ADD and intelligence. My little brother (13) has been diagnosed with ADHD for quite some time now. They had him on some drug (not ritalin) for a while, and eventually it started to not work. Apparently the doctors said this was normal for that drug, and moved him onto Adderal. He is now taking 30 or 40mg in the once daily tablets. I tell you, if you are taking the pills 2 or 3 times a day, go to your doctor and ask about the time release caplets, they are a godsend. He used to get really bad and twitchy, reckless, and spasy between doses, and right after his last one wore off. With the time release he is good all day, and it slowly wears off at night, without the sudden recoil of the drug wearing off.

Anyway, back to smart people. Seems to me like ADD kids are *usually*, not always....oh man, not always.... very intelligent. Not just "wow hes smart" but "oh damn....that kids a friggin genious" kind of smart. Personally, i think this makes their condition that much worse. Again, i am not ADD, but i deal with my brother all the time. He is very bright. Take math for example. Hes in algebra and they are doing those 2 and 3 variable questions. Reasonably tough stuff for the beginning/middle of 8th grade. He solves most of them in his head. Thus math is very tough for him. He cant comprehend the reason for showing his work, or why he should do the steps they tell him to, if you can just solve it in your head. So naturally he gets irritated, starts stressing and getting on everyones nerves. Not because he is a bad kid, but because the rest of the world just doesn't move as fast as he does.

Also, ADD definately expresses itself in different ways for different people. reanna, im glad to hear that as a teacher you have looked into ADD and how to deal with it. Sadly, my brother wasn't so lucky to have teachers like you. ADD is a recognized disability. Therefore, teachers are required to try and accomodate students with learning disabilities. So my parents set up a plan for my brother to work with his teachers to deal with his problems. Nothing major, but stuff like asking him personally to turn in his papers, and watching him get them out. Or letting him come by after school to check and make sure he had written down his homework. Sadly though, so many teachers these days are lazy. Or dont care, im not sure which. And they just refuse to do anything to help or aid students with these problems.

My brother (my closes reference to ADD) has a very low tolerance for written production. He can sit down at a computer and blast out his thoughts pretty easily. But make him sit down and write it by hand or copy something thats already printed and its a source of infinite frustration for him. Luckily with technology becoming more abundant in life, teachers are finding ways to accomodate this, such as e-mailing him assignments list for the dayt or week, or having a web page with the homework.

Im glad to hear many people have outgrown this, becuase we have been working very hard and very closely with him and those people around him, to make him able to function like a normal person on the medication. At that point, its good to know there is a possibility of slowly weaning him off of it. For those of you dealing with it, i wish you the best of luck, and for those of you dealing with those who have it, be patient with them, and good luck.
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Old 10-20-2003, 08:49 AM   #12 (permalink)
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i was diagnosed about 2 years ago with adult add & my doc prescribed me wellbutrin. it was described to me as a mild antidepressant that has been used to help smokers quit.

i seem to be able to focus at work better.......
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Old 10-21-2003, 06:34 AM   #13 (permalink)
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My son has ADD/ADHD and Asperger's syndrome which manifests itself through OCD and other physical tics. He is on Adderall and Paxil (which is basically an anti-depressant but also has a nice effect on OCD). It has helped him immensely.
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Old 10-21-2003, 08:43 AM   #14 (permalink)
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Update:
Keep meds around.. I've recently been having serious trouble keeping myself under control, but I've been working through it, but its always a good idea to keep some around, because sometimes you really do need some meds to just get something done and behind you.
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Old 10-26-2003, 09:38 AM   #15 (permalink)
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I don't have ADD but am prescribed 20mg of Adderall daily in the slow release tablets. I actually kinda have the opposite of ADD and am very lethargic and sleep alot and the Adderall helps to keep me awake (even though I still take naps when I'am on it!) But I have noticed Obbessive Complusive Tendencies like constantly pulling out body hair and even once pulling my own toenails off, because I was bored!
But I asked a therapist what would cause ADD in a person. She said people who have ADD or ADHD have a smaller frontal lobe than those who don't. And Adderall or Ritalin calms those people down or can make them zombie like. While people without ADD get hyper while using Adderall.
Also it is good to know if the medication you are on is giving you weird side effects, IT'S NOT WORKING!!!! Tell your doctor and what side effects it is giving you. There are alot of medicatins out there to try, different meds. effect people differently! You want the med. to make you feel better, not add new problems.
New medications also take about a month to absorb into your system and take action, so it is not good to switch meds. every week.
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Old 10-26-2003, 11:56 AM   #16 (permalink)
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er, Crazy/Beautiful, you may want to check your sources, because Ritalin is a stimulant. While it may calm us ADDers down, it does not make anyone lethargic. Think of it as a more powerful version of caffeine.

ADD is more of a chem imbalance than anything else.
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Old 10-27-2003, 12:00 PM   #17 (permalink)
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My sister had this...I personally found it a load of crap. But I saw the changes my sister went through when she was on medicine. She has taken every different medicine and in some ways they have helped her, but the side effects are really bad. I just don't see the point in taking a drug to make you concentrate better. I think it all comes from the inside, in the end I think it is the person that wants to concentrate. But my cousin was the exception she couldn't sit down for 5 minutes if her life depended on it. I think some doctors are too quick to perscribe medicine, but there are those people who have a serious problem.
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Old 10-31-2003, 12:22 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally posted by numist
er, Crazy/Beautiful, you may want to check your sources, because Ritalin is a stimulant. While it may calm us ADDers down, it does not make anyone lethargic. Think of it as a more powerful version of caffeine.

ADD is more of a chem imbalance than anything else.
I didn't say that Adderall (not Ritalin) made me lethargic, I said I took Adderall because I 'm lethargic without it. I have depression which causes lethary and I'm prescribed Adderall to wake me up. Please read more carefully
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Old 12-01-2003, 06:57 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Btw, you can't grow out of ADD/ADHD or grow into it.. you either have it or you don't.
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Old 12-02-2003, 11:39 AM   #20 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mehoni
Btw, you can't grow out of ADD/ADHD or grow into it.. you either have it or you don't.
You are right. It deals with your brain chemicals and just how you are wired. But You CAN learn coping skills that help it not be so disruptive. You learn ways to work around it and can train yourself to compensate for some things.
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Old 12-03-2003, 06:44 PM   #21 (permalink)
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I think many people are prescribed ADD/ADHD drugs when not necessary. I think a lot of parents and teachers just dont have enough time to work with students and think medicine is a quick fix.
My own experience was a few years ago when I was prescribed dexedrine. I thought at the time that it helped a lot, but eventually I believe it disrupted me quit a bit. I never ate, had lost a lot of weight but had plenty of energy at the same time (normal cues your body has that you need to rest go completely out the door). I became very anxious all the time and very detached between the new person I had become and the "old" me. When I'de go to the Psychiatrist for my monthly check up he would weight me, ask how was school, then send me on my way. It is frightengly easy to get and stay on these sort of drugs. I'm shocked how he would keep prescribing me at the sad state I was in. Finally I mentioned how maybe this wasnt right for me. Thats when he prescribed me Paxil to take with it. To lessen the anxiety problems associated with Dexedrine. Well after a few months of both I had had enough and went completely cold turkey. It was a struggle to piece my life back together and deal with withdrawal.
Now after being off the drug I see how unnecessary it was. We all learn different and I think thats why so many kids are seen as problems. School systems and our society in general has a very narrow focus on how we should do/teach things. People who dont fit this mold either have to overcompensate or struggle.

I think you need to evaulate what you expect to get from taking medicine. How you are able to handle life at the moment. (If things are going fine why mess it up with drugs?) Medicine should be a last resort! I also strongly advocate not taking them if you have any anxiety problems because they will increase them drastically. I would also suggest to get a second opinion since many of these problems are very closely related. A lot of things can help your life which shouldnt be all that surprising, but your diet for one, Getting enough sleep, giving yourself time for things is important. I am by no means an expert but Ive had bad experiences with doctors AND medicine, so just know what you are getting yourself into.
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Old 12-05-2003, 12:30 PM   #22 (permalink)
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I was diagnosed with ADD (inattentive type) about two years ago. It took quite some time because I also have bipolar disorder and they have similar symptoms. Once I finally learned to get my bipolar symptoms under control through what I later learned was self-imposed cognitive therapy, I really ran into a wall with the ADD symptoms. My case is rather severe, to the point where I can hardly accomplish daily activities. It turns out that most of my depression seems to stem from that, rather than my concentration problems stemming from depression as the doctors always told me.

Getting to the topic, I've tried practically all the ADD medications out there. I was on Wellbutrin before the diagnosis, and though they say it's supposed to help, I didn't find much relief other than a general sense of greater awareness of my surroundings. I couldn't concentrate any better. I took Adderall and Concerta (long-acting form of ritalin) but they made me really edgy and uncomfortable. I tried Strattera, hoping that a non-stimulant would help me more, but unfortunately it doesn't react well with the albuterol inhalers I use for asthma, and I ended up with panic attacks and very high blood pressure. Right now, I've been taken off my other stimulant medications and weaned myself off all caffeine (difficult, since I used that to concentrate for many years) and am starting on Adderall again. It seems to be helping.

In other areas, I'm working on getting more exercise, since that's said to help with ADD, and I'm taking fish oil and ginkgo biloba, which I hear good things about but don't seem to help me much. Next, I'm going to look into changing my diet, since some think certain foods have an effect on ADD. I'm also looking into Zen meditation, which can increase focus and help keep the mind on track.
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Old 12-06-2003, 08:17 AM   #23 (permalink)
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The FDA proved that ginkgo biloba does not work. Save your money. Intense exercise has helped me alot though.
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Old 12-06-2003, 07:23 PM   #24 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally posted by tedrlord
In other areas, I'm working on getting more exercise, since that's said to help with ADD, and I'm taking fish oil and ginkgo biloba, which I hear good things about but don't seem to help me much. Next, I'm going to look into changing my diet, since some think certain foods have an effect on ADD. I'm also looking into Zen meditation, which can increase focus and help keep the mind on track.

Fish oil is good for your cholesterol, and not good for anything else really. Ginko as said above has done nothing for people in standardized trials, and any befefit you get from it is probably coincidental. Exercise is one of the best things you can do. It's been proven that people get much less exercise nowadays as compared to what they used to, and incidence of conditions like this has risen exponentially.

For anyone who doesn't know Concerta (often misspelled in this topic) is an extended release form of Ritalin, so you don't have to take it as often. Adderall (also repeatedly misspelled) is an amphetamine combo that is similar, but not the same. They are all stimulants. Sleep loss and maybe some nervousness is common, amongst a bunch of other side effects. Imagine how a cup of coffee helps a lot of people focus on their work in the mornings. Now take someone who has a much bigger problem focusing, and greatly increasing the stimulant potency of that coffee.

Every pharmacist I have ever spoken with (including myself, albeit i am only a student but not for to much longer) has agreed that Ritalin and its counterparts are the most over-prescribed drugs in the country. Now I'm not saying any of you or your children shouldn't be on it, but that in fact there are a lot of people out there, mostly children who shouldn't be. Many parents just won't take the time to work with their children and instead take them to the doc and demand ritalin because the kids are wild. People also often have the misconception that it's nonaddictive. To those who would say that I encourage to go to your local pharmacy and ask where they keep it. There is a reason it's locked up in a safe with the morphine and percocet etc...

We are breeding a generation of meth addicts.

Eating a healthy diet, working hard at discliplining yourself and exercise can all help, then go medications. To everyone who is on it I also highly suggest you discuss with your doctor the potential for taking drug holidays, and even trying to ween yourself from it over time. This can be beaten with work and effort, but it will never go away if you just pop a pill and forget about it.
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Old 12-09-2003, 05:55 PM   #25 (permalink)
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Yeah, I didn't really figure ginkgo biloba had any effect, but I thought I'd try it. So far it hasn't done anything and I wasn't planning on getting it again.

Fish oil, on the other hand, does have some demonstrated impact on the brain. Controlled studies seem to have shown that it is helpful with bipolar disorder, for instance, which I also have. There has also been a link drawn between ADD and Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, but I don't know too much about it. I do know that they're pretty important in the brain, though.
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Old 06-04-2004, 12:59 PM   #26 (permalink)
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The thing that I find curious in discussions about ADD is that there seems to be kind of an assumption that if you have ADD you must be hyperactive as well. I was diagnosed with ADD in 4th grade and took Ritalin until the 7th grade, I believe.

I've never, ever been accused of being hyperactive in my life, although it's well known that it is incredibly easy to distract me. I'm not impatient. I can wait my turn. I don't really fidget very much. It's just that I get distracted so quickly and easily that it can really impede productivity at work and at home.
 
Old 12-09-2006, 04:08 AM   #27 (permalink)
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ADD

Quote:
Originally Posted by tedrlord
I was diagnosed with ADD (inattentive type) about two years ago. It took quite some time because I also have bipolar disorder and they have similar symptoms. Once I finally learned to get my bipolar symptoms under control through what I later learned was self-imposed cognitive therapy, I really ran into a wall with the ADD symptoms. My case is rather severe, to the point where I can hardly accomplish daily activities. It turns out that most of my depression seems to stem from that, rather than my concentration problems stemming from depression as the doctors always told me.

Getting to the topic, I've tried practically all the ADD medications out there. I was on Wellbutrin before the diagnosis, and though they say it's supposed to help, I didn't find much relief other than a general sense of greater awareness of my surroundings. I couldn't concentrate any better. I took Adderall and Concerta (long-acting form of ritalin) but they made me really edgy and uncomfortable. I tried Strattera, hoping that a non-stimulant would help me more, but unfortunately it doesn't react well with the albuterol inhalers I use for asthma, and I ended up with panic attacks and very high blood pressure. Right now, I've been taken off my other stimulant medications and weaned myself off all caffeine (difficult, since I used that to concentrate for many years) and am starting on Adderall again. It seems to be helping.

In other areas, I'm working on getting more exercise, since that's said to help with ADD, and I'm taking fish oil and ginkgo biloba, which I hear good things about but don't seem to help me much. Next, I'm going to look into changing my diet, since some think certain foods have an effect on ADD. I'm also looking into Zen meditation, which can increase focus and help keep the mind on track.
- 20 y.o. male

Ted,

your case and mine are very similiar.....i was diagnosed bipolar type 2 when i was a child and recently add.....i take 7000 mb of fish oil a day and was recently prescribed 100 mg bupropion which i look forward to getting titrated up to therapeutic dosage... like you i also note that greater sense of awareness in addition to visual clarity...

i am also interested in meditation...which i did a great deal of as a youth

im very lethargic, unmotivated, unemployed... without space to breathe and in a counter productive stress inducing enviornment that exasperpate the symptoms of both of the disorders

i have a feeling things will take off when i get a job and get the medication regulated..im hoping to get on a bupropion (wellbutrin) adderral combo

i have a membership at the following website http://www.healingwell.com/community...12&m=669073and made writtances under the add section

if interested...id like to talk with you more and comparitively share experiences, diagnoses , treatments etc
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Old 12-31-2006, 02:56 PM   #28 (permalink)
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ADD gets Worse

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peryn
Hes in algebra and they are doing those 2 and 3 variable questions. Reasonably tough stuff for the beginning/middle of 8th grade. He solves most of them in his head. Thus math is very tough for him. He cant comprehend the reason for showing his work, or why he should do the steps they tell him to, if you can just solve it in your head. So naturally he gets irritated, starts stressing and getting on everyones nerves. Not because he is a bad kid, but because the rest of the world just doesn't move as fast as he does.
Um... I would say that I was in the exact same situation five or six years back when I was in the seventh and eighth grades, I won some serious academic prizes for tests and stuff in math. But then a terrible thing happened, math got to a point where the indices where too complex for me to quickly arrange solutions in my mind, I mean, mathematics, in the Ontario educatin system where I live, gets into parabolic equasions at the tenth grade level, and suddenly all the detail management, memorization and carefull process which had seemed like an excess burden before became crucial to acheivement, and it didn't matter how fast I could think, because only practice and long term-attentiveness to tedious assignments could help me.
The main dificulty has been with attention and memorization of very specific detail that cannot be produced through abstract thinking and every day concept connection, eventually I found myself unable to maintain performance in sciences, which i love as much as math, I can't accept significant speaking parts in my community theatre troupe because I'm unable to memorize lines and am unpredictable onstage because I forget blocking, I have difficulty at my job because I lack attention to detail, and now in university I am unable to complete assignments on time and I am receiving the lowest grades of my life even though I am attending an excelent institution.
For many years I've tried to discipline myself when I lost my belongings, tried my best to concentrate on study materials and begin assignments in advanced and tried to improve my performance at my job, also I've struggled with my weight. Alll this has only resulted in my having a abysmaly low self estem.
I am still very knowledgable, an excelent conversationalist, a decent poet, and I wan't to try to make my life work, and for that reason, for the first time in eighteen years, I've booked a doctor's appointment and I'm going to try to get some medicine and some help outside my familly and friends.
I think fooling someone intp thinking they can handle recurring mental health issues without medication is potentialy very dagerous, If i had flat feet, I'd get secial suports in my shoes, if I had diabeities I'd get isuline, but I have a sick mind, and it maddens me that scocietal bias against medicine for these kinds of issues has persuaded me to go without professional help for so long.
brandenR13 is offline  
Old 09-08-2009, 01:52 AM   #29 (permalink)
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I have a daughter who was diagnosed with an adhd. It is really very hard on my part coz its my first time to encounter this kind of syndrome or disorder. She is doing good at school but when her syndrome strikes she can't stop arguing and discussing things that she don't want to be distracted. Medications are not dangerous but has its side effect. Like me I don't go taking an ADD ADHD treatment drugs as for her medication but more on therapy and counseling. It's been about almost 2 months until now through therapy but slowly getting her control over her syndrome.
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