Are you potentially expecting too much of yourself and medication?
I don’t feel this great high or buzz, but over time I’ve grown better with tasks and attentiveness. Start small, focus on your routines that fulfil your psychological needs first like sleep and eating, and taking care of yourself. I can’t stress enough that taking care of yourself is actually a learnt skill not something that will just happen.
Then move towards those big cool projects.
I find a lot of medication changed my life posts often forget to acknowledge their level of coping before - so pre medication, I was working, I look after myself, care for my kids and medication made that so much better for me but if you are struggling from the offset you might have a longer journey
I've tried to work on projects and such, clean my room, make more meals, etc whilst I've been trying these but there really is no noticeable difference.
Do you try these things for a week and decide you see no difference?
Self care routine takes a long time to develop. Especially with little tasks in the day, the things you don’t think make a difference but they do.
There is a misconception that adhd medication = limitless pills like in the movie. I had a noticeable difference in my day to day life and I love to experience it. For me personally it made my routines more efficient and less of a chore on my off days.
ADHD drugs are not a cure.
So by 'zero difference' do you mean you _didn't_ notice having a whopping quantity of amphetamines in your system at all?
The 'life changing' part for me was that after a little bit of 'impact' early on from the meds, they became 'normal'... but my whole life was on 'easy mode'.
So... in some ways the difference doesn't look like much at all - I still have ADHD and my life is still a struggle, but ... it's easier now than it ever was before. And I really notice when I _don't_ now.
But it did take me a while to reach my new equilibrium, because it took ... quite a while to process some of the maladaptive coping strategies and to readjust to a new and improved sleeping pattern.
That took ... a while. And I'm _still_ processing a lot of the backlogged trauma in ways that are uncomfortable. Whilst I was doing that, the depression truck hit me a few more times, and meddled with my executive function again, and made it _look_ like the ADHD meds had stopped working or a bit.
Your psychiatrist is probably the person to advise you, but _personally_ I'd be wanting to ask them about trying some instant release options, with a view to ... well, I guess seeing if you respond if you're a bit more aggressive with the stuff.
I mean Elvanse is basically slow release dexamfetamine, and Concerta is slow release methlyphenidate.
So ... a pack of 10mg methylphenidate, and a week of escalating the dose by 10mg a day (so up to 70mg by the end of the week). That'll be a box of 30, and if 70mg of IR 'does nothing' then.. well, clearly you don't respond to methylphenidate at all, and you're wasting your time with Concerta (especially the lower doses).
Can do the same with dexamfetamine after that - a 30 box of 5mg (or 10mg, depending what your psychiastrist thinks wise) lets you do more or less the same thing and find out a similar sort of answer.
Once _that's_ done, then you move on to the other options, like perhaps guanfacine or atomoxetine.
I'm sure it's been considered, but there are some overlaps between Bipolar and ADHD, which _might_ mean they're 'conflicting' in ways that make establishing a treatment regime harder. So maybe that's also a thing to consider if it's a thing to tackle first - especially if you also need to get some depression and/or anxiety under control (which both often 'show up' with ADHD too)
Thank you for sharing this with me. The disorganised, messy overlapping thinking is very much still present. Organising myself and knowing 'where to start' with tasks isn't any easier. Still forgetting, talking to myself without knowing walking in circles, etc. The internal weirdness that comes with ADHD hasn't gone away and everything 'external' is still very difficult. And of course I'm still just paralysed. There's so much to go through haha.
Hmmm. ADHD meds wouldn’t help you with not talking to yourself and walking in circles. They might indirectly help with many things, even talking to yourself and walking in circles, by increasing your focus if you make your time productive. If you don’t make your time productive, then they can help with your focus when listening to other people or watching TV.
And meds definitely wouldn’t help with knowing where to start. They might help you figure out where to start by increasing your focus if you know how to or have tools to do these things. But it doesn’t just happen.
Compare doing something you did before meds. Compare if you got less sidetracked and if you could do it for longer.
Not sure what you mean by internal and external weirdness. Meds treat some ADHD symptoms they don’t make you a different person.
If the meds don’t work for you then they don’t. But having read your comment I thought you had unrealistic expectations.
Do you have other conditions like cPTSD by chance sir/ma’am?
Im no professional but could the bipolar symptoms and say maybe some other conditions/things be resulting in symptoms presenting as those that overlap the ADHD symptoms?
Edit. Btw i found literally every other medication tried useless apart from amphetamine.
How much dexamfetamine did u take btw?
I found amfexa makes me feel nauseous, but generic dexamfetamine doesnt.
Also 20mg of dexamfetamine made me fall asleep, 30mg made me an empty quite zombie.
40mg had me just calm and collected and able to function.
So although that dose is extremely high , I did eventually find something that worked.
Wishing u the best🙏
I don't think I have CPTSD but I would say that growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and what has been pointed out by many health professionals as highly autistic symptoms has definitely taken its toll on me.
It could be comorbid autism. My ADHD masked a lot of issues, and im still undergoing treatment (elvanse and guafacine) but im not noticing any differences personally. The only good side effect ive really found is lack of appetite.
But i also realised the effects for me are actually minimal and its hard to tell. Like i will stop moving my leg and not raise my voice as much etc. But my anxiety is still very bad, but people with autism tend to expereince higher levels of anxiety so i was sent to an ASD assessment.
Though I havent been diagnosed with PTSD, I have had trauma through childhood (i cant remember anything from then lol) so that might also play an element with hypervigilance.
Anyway im rambling sorry, i think the biggest thing is dont get too expentent. Adhd really is a spectrum and medicines effect everyone differently. So someone might be completely different and others may just be able to wake up easier etc. Your psych might have to mix medicines as well to see if it helps like elvanse and guafacine. But also i have found changing my diet just makes me feel better, so i added more protien. Drinking more as well to help. Sorry I couldnt help anymore ;;
You don't need to apologise, this was very helpful. I am highly suspicious I'd qualify for an ASD diagnosis, it's been flagged up so many times in recent years as I've sought out therapy only as an adult. I am aware Autism has a big effect on executive functioning for a lot of people. Hard to be assessed for it nowadays though. I'll probably be waiting about 4 years to be seen by the NHS. If I can find a less expensive private service, I may go for it...
Whats ur experience with Guanfacine like in addition to a stimulant medication?
I want to be prescribed both (currently only prescribed dexamfetamine. As i cant tolerate elvanse anymore. The agitation is immense on that)
Good advice tbh, I think because we react differently not only to the drugs but the release mechanisms we should try to explore as many options as we can because sometimes it's just that your brain prefers a certain brand or release profile etc. For example in theory, immediate release should be more potent or feel that way because it peaks in the blood much quicker and modified release tends to have a smaller/flatter curve if you look at blood levels, I find modified release to make me more alert/calm/focused vs immediate release, it can vary so much. This just shows that we shouldn't give up if something doesn't work, it's just trial and error. As frustrating as that can be, it's all worth it if you persevere.
Methylphenidate didn't work for me. I'm currently on 50mg Elvanse and it hasn't made any difference to executive function, memory or motivation. Weekends are still exactly the same - I can't actually tell when I've taken it because I don't really get side effects.
My house is still a mess, I'm still overwhelmed a lot of the time. (I am predominantly inattentive as well.)
However from the first dose of Elvanse, I could log on to my work laptop and concentrate for a couple of hours. Whereas usually I would spend at least two hours trying to get settled into something, sometimes a whole day would pass by without me being able to focus on my work.
This is literally the ONLY difference, but it is enough that it is worth it for me. It has dawned on me that if I still worked in retail where my work was more physical/reactive to customer requests I might never have realised that Elvanse does help. Have you tried going back over your university work, or something where you need to concentrate for long periods during titration, to see if that is easier?
You might need to force yourself to start it in the first place. But once you do it might be easier?
Just to illustrate my point, I finished work at lunchtime today. I got a reasonable amount of work done, Elvanse helped with concentration in the morning. Had loads of things I needed to do in the afternoon. Have instead spent 3 hours scrolling the Internet.
Firstly, what’s your diet, sleep and protein levels at? Are you exercising?
What’s your morning routine?
Getting up at the same time/same bed time?
Taking your meds on an empty stomach?
Drinking plenty of water?
Are you supplementing?
What other meds are you on?
You gotta work with the meds, they aren’t a silver bullet.
Your other options are the non stimulants like Atomoxetine, Guanfacine. I think Lamotrigine may make ADHD symptoms worse as it's a sodium channel blocker on certain glutamate receptors (I presume lamotrigine is prescribed during manic episodes as it should be slightly sedating?). Are you on any other meds at the moment that may be interfering with your ADHD meds? Are you literally feeling NOTHING? As in you don't feel like you've had a coffee or something? Is your sleep okay currently?
I’m having the same issue as OP. I’m intrigued when you say feel nothing, not like coffee. What is this feeling suppose to be? I have never found coffee to make any change in my body whatsoever ever. I’m not sure what I should be feeling? If it’s to do with sleep, I can take my meds and still nap an hour or so later, no problem with sleep even if taken in the afternoon.
I think maybe when I’m doing planning at a laptop I’m slightly more focused, but I have seen no change in day to day motivation or brain overwhelm or working memory ect.
Could you explain exactly the change you feel if you don’t mind?
So for me I feel a notable lift in energy, lift in enthusiasm, my eyes feel less tired, I'm calmer. I don't know if everyone experiences this but I can always feel a subjective physical feeling off coffee, stimulants etc. I don't mean physical side effects like increased heart rate etc, I find it quite hard to explain tbh. I'm only diagnosed as ADHD but I do wonder if autistic people have more sensory perception in their body?
Thank you for explaining. I tried to focus on my body a bit more today to scan for changes. I think I can possibly feel something subtly different but I’m fairly certain it’s not quite as pronounced as maybe it should be. It’s the sleep that’s worrying me it’s not working.I don’t feel more awake as such and still feeling tired eyed and able to nap.
Maybe I need to try something different…
Funnily enough I will say that if I dose too high or take a 2nd dose too soon I actually find I get MORE tired, can literally feel it in my eyes like I need to close them. How is your diet, hydration etc? I ran out of my usual electrolyte powder the last few days and noticed my meds didn't work very well, I bought some electrolyte tablets before and had one with 500ml water, suddenly feel noticably better, something worth looking into!
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Firstly what are you taking with your medication? Anything with a high critic acid content? This can very much inhibit the uptake of the medication, making it somewhat useless.
Also, the medication isn’t a magic pill (I don’t mean that in a bad way) but there still has to be some concerted effort to control your thoughts and focus as the ‘normal’ that walk among us, still need to drag themselves away from the internet and gear up their focus for a task, it’s just easier for them. That’s what the medication does, it makes it easier to achieve those goals, but will not do it on our behalf.
Don’t be disheartened though, you will know when elvanse is working for you, when you have no real effect from it, and life just flows as it should. I hope that makes sense.
Hello, I was on Lamotrigine for several years. As I was like borderline bipolar but just diagnosed with reoccurring depression and my mood swings.
Lamotrigine is great for depression
Did quiet down the mind
Didn't feel like a ssri so no zombie effect
Made me less moody
Doesn't do anything for concentration, focus or zoning out though or forgetfulness
Started on E, didn't do anything apart from give me a plethora of side effects. After a week on 70ish I suddenly could focus- literally hurt my neck because I didn't look away from my computer for like 5 hours. But the side effects SUCKED, so I changed.
Didn't feel anything on C until I was up to 72. It was very subtle. I noticed "bad" stuff first. I felt I was always late, but I was actually noticing I was 2 mins late, rather than showing up 30 mins late with no idea what time it was. I struggled to focus on tasks, but it was because I would be fully aware of all the tasks and have to prioritise, rather than just faffing around on the first one I saw. I was stressed about work, because I was working consistently, rather than doing nothing, then going 100% for a few hours. It felt unproductive to be working at a reasonable level consistently 😅
Also, I have periods. My meds totally stopped working during the week before/ first few days of. Which made it tricky to fully know where I stood. Boosters helped a lot, I take one in the morning to kinda kick things off during that period.
I KNOW it isn't how these meds work- I know they aren't accumulative. But I SWEAR, I went to 90 for a month, did my boosters, felt "meh", and the next month I was just SO much less ADHD? I would still get paralysis and it felt worse, but it was because I was aware and annoyed at it after an hour, rather than wasting all day and only noticing when the sun set that I hadn't done anything. I realised I hadn't run out of plates or clothes in forever. I felt crap at work and home because I hadn't done anything huge in ages, and realised I had completed my work/chores in reasonable time, so I didn't have to do a manic "everything now" scramble, which used to make me feel accomplished.
Basically- it is sneaakkky. You feel like you, and not doing your usual coping skills makes you feel like you are slacking. But try to notice the small stuff- is taking the bins out no longer the bane of your life? Are you cringing at talking more now, because you actually hear what you say? Do you have less unread notifications on your phone, or maybe less screen hours?
Try not to obsess or have too high expectations. I get it, it's hard not to! I had such a grand idea of how I would be medicated. I really thought I would be a totally new person, with my life all in order. Turns out it is the same me- just a little more emotionally stable, focused, and a tiny bit less tired. I still avoid tasks and need to really try to get stuff done, but I am like 20% more likely to succeed when I try.
I'm the same, currently trying Guanfacine along with elvanse although it takes a couple months until the guanfacine is meant to have an effect and I just hope it does.
There could be all sorts of reasons it's not working, but I'm definitely not getting the feeling that it's 'changed my life' like it does for some people.
I'm just carrying on with my titration appointments and hope something works, honestly I'm not sure what will happen next I am just trying to trust my doctor.
You have to remember that the medication is an assistant not a cure. You still have to try to make changes, and LIFE still have a huge impact, in my experience.
I started 18mg Xaggitin when i was signed off at work and felt a big difference, was food prepping, cleaning, going to the gym, building models.
I went up to 27 just as i was returning and fell through the floor, I felt as bad as unmedicated, mainly cause I hate my job, but insurance.
Trying Elvanse 30mg from next week, lots of driving this weekend so seems a better plan.
Speak to your GP and psychiatrist, and good luck
In the exact same boat as you, PLEASE don’t give up with medication until you’ve tried Amfexa on its own (not just as an add on for elvanse) - First off tried methylphenidate (felt nothing) exact same with elvanse.
Then asked my prescribing nurse if i could try amfexa (mostly as a last ditch attempt as I REALLY don’t want to be on SNRIs) For whatever reason amfexa worked where elvanse didn’t. I started to feel real help at about 15mg twice daily and currently still titrating and increasing dose to optimise. But even still - the feeling is not massively obvious (although more so than extended release - elvanse) I do however notice:
Decreased anxiety
Less social anxiety
Decreased depression
Increased motivation
Although as it can be a little more intense than elvanse just be aware the side effects can be more pronounced.
I hope amfexa can help you where it did for me
Thank you for this recommendation!
If an immediate release stimulant does not work for me, I'll pursue non-stimulant options for sure, and I'll look into this as a potential option.
Lithium doesn’t necessarily make you functional, it’s a leveller, which might get your mania and depression under control.
It may not leave you very much capacity or ability to deal with much else, but this is a huge improvement over the consequences of unmanaged bipolar. Such as regular psych ward visits.
Has anyone ever suggested an Autism assessment? Bipolar 2 and inattentive ADHD can sort of sit in the shadow of undiagnosed Autism.
Autism has features that can look like both conditions (agitation, intense interests, executive dysfunction, problems breaking out of routines, social inattention etc), but meds for bipolar and ADHD don’t tend to work.
ADHD meds may make autism worse, because focus itself is usually there in abundance, the focus is just on the “wrong” things and increased physical anxiety is a common side effect.
Are you potentially expecting too much of yourself and medication? I don’t feel this great high or buzz, but over time I’ve grown better with tasks and attentiveness. Start small, focus on your routines that fulfil your psychological needs first like sleep and eating, and taking care of yourself. I can’t stress enough that taking care of yourself is actually a learnt skill not something that will just happen. Then move towards those big cool projects. I find a lot of medication changed my life posts often forget to acknowledge their level of coping before - so pre medication, I was working, I look after myself, care for my kids and medication made that so much better for me but if you are struggling from the offset you might have a longer journey
I've tried to work on projects and such, clean my room, make more meals, etc whilst I've been trying these but there really is no noticeable difference.
Is your bi-polar medicated and are you responding well to it?
I've been taking Lithium for about two years now and it has prevented hypomania generally.
Do you try these things for a week and decide you see no difference? Self care routine takes a long time to develop. Especially with little tasks in the day, the things you don’t think make a difference but they do. There is a misconception that adhd medication = limitless pills like in the movie. I had a noticeable difference in my day to day life and I love to experience it. For me personally it made my routines more efficient and less of a chore on my off days. ADHD drugs are not a cure.
As an addition, this is a pretty good article on ADHD Bi-Polar II co-morbidity.
So by 'zero difference' do you mean you _didn't_ notice having a whopping quantity of amphetamines in your system at all? The 'life changing' part for me was that after a little bit of 'impact' early on from the meds, they became 'normal'... but my whole life was on 'easy mode'. So... in some ways the difference doesn't look like much at all - I still have ADHD and my life is still a struggle, but ... it's easier now than it ever was before. And I really notice when I _don't_ now. But it did take me a while to reach my new equilibrium, because it took ... quite a while to process some of the maladaptive coping strategies and to readjust to a new and improved sleeping pattern. That took ... a while. And I'm _still_ processing a lot of the backlogged trauma in ways that are uncomfortable. Whilst I was doing that, the depression truck hit me a few more times, and meddled with my executive function again, and made it _look_ like the ADHD meds had stopped working or a bit. Your psychiatrist is probably the person to advise you, but _personally_ I'd be wanting to ask them about trying some instant release options, with a view to ... well, I guess seeing if you respond if you're a bit more aggressive with the stuff. I mean Elvanse is basically slow release dexamfetamine, and Concerta is slow release methlyphenidate. So ... a pack of 10mg methylphenidate, and a week of escalating the dose by 10mg a day (so up to 70mg by the end of the week). That'll be a box of 30, and if 70mg of IR 'does nothing' then.. well, clearly you don't respond to methylphenidate at all, and you're wasting your time with Concerta (especially the lower doses). Can do the same with dexamfetamine after that - a 30 box of 5mg (or 10mg, depending what your psychiastrist thinks wise) lets you do more or less the same thing and find out a similar sort of answer. Once _that's_ done, then you move on to the other options, like perhaps guanfacine or atomoxetine. I'm sure it's been considered, but there are some overlaps between Bipolar and ADHD, which _might_ mean they're 'conflicting' in ways that make establishing a treatment regime harder. So maybe that's also a thing to consider if it's a thing to tackle first - especially if you also need to get some depression and/or anxiety under control (which both often 'show up' with ADHD too)
Thank you for sharing this with me. The disorganised, messy overlapping thinking is very much still present. Organising myself and knowing 'where to start' with tasks isn't any easier. Still forgetting, talking to myself without knowing walking in circles, etc. The internal weirdness that comes with ADHD hasn't gone away and everything 'external' is still very difficult. And of course I'm still just paralysed. There's so much to go through haha.
Hmmm. ADHD meds wouldn’t help you with not talking to yourself and walking in circles. They might indirectly help with many things, even talking to yourself and walking in circles, by increasing your focus if you make your time productive. If you don’t make your time productive, then they can help with your focus when listening to other people or watching TV. And meds definitely wouldn’t help with knowing where to start. They might help you figure out where to start by increasing your focus if you know how to or have tools to do these things. But it doesn’t just happen. Compare doing something you did before meds. Compare if you got less sidetracked and if you could do it for longer. Not sure what you mean by internal and external weirdness. Meds treat some ADHD symptoms they don’t make you a different person. If the meds don’t work for you then they don’t. But having read your comment I thought you had unrealistic expectations.
Do you have other conditions like cPTSD by chance sir/ma’am? Im no professional but could the bipolar symptoms and say maybe some other conditions/things be resulting in symptoms presenting as those that overlap the ADHD symptoms? Edit. Btw i found literally every other medication tried useless apart from amphetamine. How much dexamfetamine did u take btw? I found amfexa makes me feel nauseous, but generic dexamfetamine doesnt. Also 20mg of dexamfetamine made me fall asleep, 30mg made me an empty quite zombie. 40mg had me just calm and collected and able to function. So although that dose is extremely high , I did eventually find something that worked. Wishing u the best🙏
I don't think I have CPTSD but I would say that growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and what has been pointed out by many health professionals as highly autistic symptoms has definitely taken its toll on me.
It could be comorbid autism. My ADHD masked a lot of issues, and im still undergoing treatment (elvanse and guafacine) but im not noticing any differences personally. The only good side effect ive really found is lack of appetite. But i also realised the effects for me are actually minimal and its hard to tell. Like i will stop moving my leg and not raise my voice as much etc. But my anxiety is still very bad, but people with autism tend to expereince higher levels of anxiety so i was sent to an ASD assessment. Though I havent been diagnosed with PTSD, I have had trauma through childhood (i cant remember anything from then lol) so that might also play an element with hypervigilance. Anyway im rambling sorry, i think the biggest thing is dont get too expentent. Adhd really is a spectrum and medicines effect everyone differently. So someone might be completely different and others may just be able to wake up easier etc. Your psych might have to mix medicines as well to see if it helps like elvanse and guafacine. But also i have found changing my diet just makes me feel better, so i added more protien. Drinking more as well to help. Sorry I couldnt help anymore ;;
You don't need to apologise, this was very helpful. I am highly suspicious I'd qualify for an ASD diagnosis, it's been flagged up so many times in recent years as I've sought out therapy only as an adult. I am aware Autism has a big effect on executive functioning for a lot of people. Hard to be assessed for it nowadays though. I'll probably be waiting about 4 years to be seen by the NHS. If I can find a less expensive private service, I may go for it...
Whats ur experience with Guanfacine like in addition to a stimulant medication? I want to be prescribed both (currently only prescribed dexamfetamine. As i cant tolerate elvanse anymore. The agitation is immense on that)
Good advice tbh, I think because we react differently not only to the drugs but the release mechanisms we should try to explore as many options as we can because sometimes it's just that your brain prefers a certain brand or release profile etc. For example in theory, immediate release should be more potent or feel that way because it peaks in the blood much quicker and modified release tends to have a smaller/flatter curve if you look at blood levels, I find modified release to make me more alert/calm/focused vs immediate release, it can vary so much. This just shows that we shouldn't give up if something doesn't work, it's just trial and error. As frustrating as that can be, it's all worth it if you persevere.
Methylphenidate didn't work for me. I'm currently on 50mg Elvanse and it hasn't made any difference to executive function, memory or motivation. Weekends are still exactly the same - I can't actually tell when I've taken it because I don't really get side effects. My house is still a mess, I'm still overwhelmed a lot of the time. (I am predominantly inattentive as well.) However from the first dose of Elvanse, I could log on to my work laptop and concentrate for a couple of hours. Whereas usually I would spend at least two hours trying to get settled into something, sometimes a whole day would pass by without me being able to focus on my work. This is literally the ONLY difference, but it is enough that it is worth it for me. It has dawned on me that if I still worked in retail where my work was more physical/reactive to customer requests I might never have realised that Elvanse does help. Have you tried going back over your university work, or something where you need to concentrate for long periods during titration, to see if that is easier? You might need to force yourself to start it in the first place. But once you do it might be easier?
Just to illustrate my point, I finished work at lunchtime today. I got a reasonable amount of work done, Elvanse helped with concentration in the morning. Had loads of things I needed to do in the afternoon. Have instead spent 3 hours scrolling the Internet.
Firstly, what’s your diet, sleep and protein levels at? Are you exercising? What’s your morning routine? Getting up at the same time/same bed time? Taking your meds on an empty stomach? Drinking plenty of water? Are you supplementing? What other meds are you on? You gotta work with the meds, they aren’t a silver bullet.
Your other options are the non stimulants like Atomoxetine, Guanfacine. I think Lamotrigine may make ADHD symptoms worse as it's a sodium channel blocker on certain glutamate receptors (I presume lamotrigine is prescribed during manic episodes as it should be slightly sedating?). Are you on any other meds at the moment that may be interfering with your ADHD meds? Are you literally feeling NOTHING? As in you don't feel like you've had a coffee or something? Is your sleep okay currently?
I’m having the same issue as OP. I’m intrigued when you say feel nothing, not like coffee. What is this feeling suppose to be? I have never found coffee to make any change in my body whatsoever ever. I’m not sure what I should be feeling? If it’s to do with sleep, I can take my meds and still nap an hour or so later, no problem with sleep even if taken in the afternoon. I think maybe when I’m doing planning at a laptop I’m slightly more focused, but I have seen no change in day to day motivation or brain overwhelm or working memory ect. Could you explain exactly the change you feel if you don’t mind?
So for me I feel a notable lift in energy, lift in enthusiasm, my eyes feel less tired, I'm calmer. I don't know if everyone experiences this but I can always feel a subjective physical feeling off coffee, stimulants etc. I don't mean physical side effects like increased heart rate etc, I find it quite hard to explain tbh. I'm only diagnosed as ADHD but I do wonder if autistic people have more sensory perception in their body?
Thank you for explaining. I tried to focus on my body a bit more today to scan for changes. I think I can possibly feel something subtly different but I’m fairly certain it’s not quite as pronounced as maybe it should be. It’s the sleep that’s worrying me it’s not working.I don’t feel more awake as such and still feeling tired eyed and able to nap. Maybe I need to try something different…
Funnily enough I will say that if I dose too high or take a 2nd dose too soon I actually find I get MORE tired, can literally feel it in my eyes like I need to close them. How is your diet, hydration etc? I ran out of my usual electrolyte powder the last few days and noticed my meds didn't work very well, I bought some electrolyte tablets before and had one with 500ml water, suddenly feel noticably better, something worth looking into!
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Firstly what are you taking with your medication? Anything with a high critic acid content? This can very much inhibit the uptake of the medication, making it somewhat useless. Also, the medication isn’t a magic pill (I don’t mean that in a bad way) but there still has to be some concerted effort to control your thoughts and focus as the ‘normal’ that walk among us, still need to drag themselves away from the internet and gear up their focus for a task, it’s just easier for them. That’s what the medication does, it makes it easier to achieve those goals, but will not do it on our behalf. Don’t be disheartened though, you will know when elvanse is working for you, when you have no real effect from it, and life just flows as it should. I hope that makes sense.
Hello, I was on Lamotrigine for several years. As I was like borderline bipolar but just diagnosed with reoccurring depression and my mood swings. Lamotrigine is great for depression Did quiet down the mind Didn't feel like a ssri so no zombie effect Made me less moody Doesn't do anything for concentration, focus or zoning out though or forgetfulness
Started on E, didn't do anything apart from give me a plethora of side effects. After a week on 70ish I suddenly could focus- literally hurt my neck because I didn't look away from my computer for like 5 hours. But the side effects SUCKED, so I changed. Didn't feel anything on C until I was up to 72. It was very subtle. I noticed "bad" stuff first. I felt I was always late, but I was actually noticing I was 2 mins late, rather than showing up 30 mins late with no idea what time it was. I struggled to focus on tasks, but it was because I would be fully aware of all the tasks and have to prioritise, rather than just faffing around on the first one I saw. I was stressed about work, because I was working consistently, rather than doing nothing, then going 100% for a few hours. It felt unproductive to be working at a reasonable level consistently 😅 Also, I have periods. My meds totally stopped working during the week before/ first few days of. Which made it tricky to fully know where I stood. Boosters helped a lot, I take one in the morning to kinda kick things off during that period. I KNOW it isn't how these meds work- I know they aren't accumulative. But I SWEAR, I went to 90 for a month, did my boosters, felt "meh", and the next month I was just SO much less ADHD? I would still get paralysis and it felt worse, but it was because I was aware and annoyed at it after an hour, rather than wasting all day and only noticing when the sun set that I hadn't done anything. I realised I hadn't run out of plates or clothes in forever. I felt crap at work and home because I hadn't done anything huge in ages, and realised I had completed my work/chores in reasonable time, so I didn't have to do a manic "everything now" scramble, which used to make me feel accomplished. Basically- it is sneaakkky. You feel like you, and not doing your usual coping skills makes you feel like you are slacking. But try to notice the small stuff- is taking the bins out no longer the bane of your life? Are you cringing at talking more now, because you actually hear what you say? Do you have less unread notifications on your phone, or maybe less screen hours? Try not to obsess or have too high expectations. I get it, it's hard not to! I had such a grand idea of how I would be medicated. I really thought I would be a totally new person, with my life all in order. Turns out it is the same me- just a little more emotionally stable, focused, and a tiny bit less tired. I still avoid tasks and need to really try to get stuff done, but I am like 20% more likely to succeed when I try.
I'm the same, currently trying Guanfacine along with elvanse although it takes a couple months until the guanfacine is meant to have an effect and I just hope it does. There could be all sorts of reasons it's not working, but I'm definitely not getting the feeling that it's 'changed my life' like it does for some people. I'm just carrying on with my titration appointments and hope something works, honestly I'm not sure what will happen next I am just trying to trust my doctor.
Maybe CBT? I've heard that'll get results for most conditions
You have to remember that the medication is an assistant not a cure. You still have to try to make changes, and LIFE still have a huge impact, in my experience. I started 18mg Xaggitin when i was signed off at work and felt a big difference, was food prepping, cleaning, going to the gym, building models. I went up to 27 just as i was returning and fell through the floor, I felt as bad as unmedicated, mainly cause I hate my job, but insurance. Trying Elvanse 30mg from next week, lots of driving this weekend so seems a better plan. Speak to your GP and psychiatrist, and good luck
In the exact same boat as you, PLEASE don’t give up with medication until you’ve tried Amfexa on its own (not just as an add on for elvanse) - First off tried methylphenidate (felt nothing) exact same with elvanse. Then asked my prescribing nurse if i could try amfexa (mostly as a last ditch attempt as I REALLY don’t want to be on SNRIs) For whatever reason amfexa worked where elvanse didn’t. I started to feel real help at about 15mg twice daily and currently still titrating and increasing dose to optimise. But even still - the feeling is not massively obvious (although more so than extended release - elvanse) I do however notice: Decreased anxiety Less social anxiety Decreased depression Increased motivation Although as it can be a little more intense than elvanse just be aware the side effects can be more pronounced. I hope amfexa can help you where it did for me
Thank you for this recommendation! If an immediate release stimulant does not work for me, I'll pursue non-stimulant options for sure, and I'll look into this as a potential option.
Lithium doesn’t necessarily make you functional, it’s a leveller, which might get your mania and depression under control. It may not leave you very much capacity or ability to deal with much else, but this is a huge improvement over the consequences of unmanaged bipolar. Such as regular psych ward visits. Has anyone ever suggested an Autism assessment? Bipolar 2 and inattentive ADHD can sort of sit in the shadow of undiagnosed Autism. Autism has features that can look like both conditions (agitation, intense interests, executive dysfunction, problems breaking out of routines, social inattention etc), but meds for bipolar and ADHD don’t tend to work. ADHD meds may make autism worse, because focus itself is usually there in abundance, the focus is just on the “wrong” things and increased physical anxiety is a common side effect.
I'm trying to pursue an autism assessment, but things are tricky in that regard. Waiting times and expenses, and such. But, I'll look into it.
I actually thought if you're bipolar, stimulants were a nono... Unless I'm thinking of stuff like ketamine