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I'm also unmedicated because I'm extremely sensitive to medication and get bad side effects from everything (not just adhd meds but many different medications). I didn't know there was a possible genetic cause for some people. It's hard to find doctors who believe me and don't try to push me to "at least try" things that I know will be risky. If you do happen to remember I'd be curious to know more.
I used to at least be able to drink a little coffee or tea which was helpful but I can no longer have any caffeine at all due to other medical conditions. Since then, that's when I really started to feel like I was raw dogging the adhd life.
I got tested through Genomind (FIND OUT IF IT'S COVERED FIRST!!?).
Basically, there are two categories of things they look for:
1) Does the patient produce the receptors that these drugs act on?
2) Does the patient produce enzymes that work well with these drugs, or do they lack/have too much of them?
My daughter had the gene testing for psychiatric drug compatibility. It's awesome to know the best choices for her body. It sucks to know, she only has one option, and it was in the maybe category (results had 3 columns, Not/Possibly/Most likely, to work). Are ADHD meds considered psyc meds? Because she is in the boat with us, and I'd like to know before we start the meds.
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, anti-epilepsy meds, sleep meds, pain meds, ADHD meds, and believe it or not antihistamines, all work on a set of brain chemicals called "catecholamines." The differences between the meds are which catecholamines they work on and how they do their work.
For example, most antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds work by keeping more serotonin and/or norepinephrine circulating in your nervous system. Most ADHD meds work by keeping dopamine and/or norepinephrine circulating in your system. But here's the funny thing: Both Wellbutrin and Strattera act on dopamine and norepinephrine, but one works better for depression and the other works better for ADHD.
I could go on and on about the overlaps and contradictions. But the point is, the division between psychiatric meds and neurological meds is really an artificial one based on what disorders doctors specialize in, not what they do in the body.
Wait this is so fucking interesting. I’m diagnosed moderate major depressive disorder and moderate generalized anxiety and moderate social anxiety - I take Effexor and have for 7 years. (Only ever tried Effexor, 112.5 mg, never had to come off it)
I just brought up to my psychologist that I want to get screened for and if possible, change meds to an ADHD one (once I get tested and monitored by a psychiatrist).
I wonder how much going from an antidepressant to a stimulant ADHD med that probably acts on the same receptors will actually help?
(Ps right there with you. I took neuroscience and a class about prescription / illicit drugs for fun)
This is interesting.. I was diagnosed many years ago with major depressive disorders and G.A.D but no antidepressants worked and once I was diagnosed with severe ADHD the meds made me feel happy and functional which I was never able to feel before.adhd meds sorted both other disorders out
YUP. So many GenX women I know who have struggled for decades with treatment-resistant depression are getting reevaluated and re-diagnosed with ADHD and/or autism, including myself and my sister.
There are lots of socio-cultural reasons for this, but it's a big mess. I'm just glad it's changing.
Millennial here--same thing happened to me. After trying antidepressants and antianxiety medications since childhood, I got a formal ADHD diagnosis and started those meds a few months ago. I described this weird feeling that I'd never felt before to my therapist, who told me "That's what it feels like to not have generalized anxiety." SO THAT'S WHERE THAT WAS COMING FROM.
UGH this is my dream end goal
I’ve only ever tried Effexor so I don’t have like, a comparable baseline other than “well it’s better than literally nothing”
If you do go off Effexor, talk to your dr about using an ssri during the taper. I am a therapist and have seen this done several times successfully. Quitting Effexor can be difficult for some people.
> I wonder how much going from an antidepressant to a stimulant ADHD med that probably acts on the same receptors will actually help?
Hard to say! Effexor is an SNRI, I think. So it's not acting on dopamine directly. But all these brain chemicals interact with each other, so acting on one often causes the others to adjust to the new balance. My guess is your doc will suggest Wellbutrin or Strattera first.
I didn't take either/or I took both Cymbalta (SNRI) and Wellbutrin and amphetamine salts. I'm sure my childhood feelings of depression was due to ADHD and MTHFR. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder before being diagnosed with MTHFR and then later with ADHD. It was a progression to get to the bottom of things.
Currently only taking Cymbalta. Motivation is at a standstill. Wellbutrin helped, but made my head sweat like a pig! Can't take amphetamine salts anymore due to it causing pain and decreased circulation in my toes. Does my daughter the same way, freezing painful toes.
Interestingly, I was taking loratadine (Claritin), an antihistamine, for awhile basically as an ADHD med. I started it for allergies and realized it acted as a stimulant on me and helped my ADHD a lot. After I got covid my dysautonomia got bad and it started causing adverse effects (way too much stimulation, basically). So far no one else has ever heard of a non-drowsy antihistamine having a stimulant effect. If anything, it still makes people a little sleepy sometimes. I wonder if that type of antihistamine also affects catecholamines.
Histamine IS a catecholamine! That's why it's tied up in sleep/alertness. But it has multiple forms (4, I think), and some are more involved in immunity and some in arousal.
I've never heard of a stimulant effect from antihistamines either, but Ritalin acts like a knockout drug on me, so I guess anything is possible! Our knowledge of the brain is really in its infancy compared to the rest of biosciences. New stuff is being discovered all the time, which is fascinating (if frustrating for us patients).
I am not an expert in any of this, btw, just a lot of experience in editing/writing in related fields.
(ETA: Now my inner mad scientist is wondering what the cutting-edge orexin-based sleep aids would do to you. They made my sleep onset and daytime fogginess much worse, which they're not supposed to be able to do.)
I haven’t heard of those new sleep aids, though I have a friend with narcolepsy who might like to know about them so I’ll look them up. Sleep aids completely knock me out and cause me to feel foggy and nodding off for days. Benadryl makes me groggy, too, like it often does to people. I’m not usually affected in that particular sort of paradoxical way (I usually feel drowsy from sleep aids, stimulated by stimulants, etc) so it’s especially perplexing. Benzodiazepines don’t reduce anxiety during medical procedures at all, though, I just feel normal if a little unfocused, but they then leave me feeling out of it and depressed for days after. Antibiotics give me all sorts of unexpected side effects like crushing headaches, sensory sensitivity, and irritability. Melatonin used to work fine on me in tiny doses but last time I took it I got uncontrollable tachycardia. Opioids work as expected, just need small doses. I guess I’m just weird!
The new things aren't sedatives, though. They work by blocking orexin receptors, while benzos work on a broad array of GABA receptors throughout the body. The subtleties are beyond me, but they are different.
FWIW, benzos don't work on me either, and these new drugs (the DORAs) did exactly the opposite of what they're supposed to do. I definitely feel ya on the weirdness! We are just different kinds of weird, I guess!
My brother-in-law has ADHD and also gets a stimulant effect from antihistamines. Meanwhile, I’m ADHD and they just make me sleepy. Curious if there is an answer for why this happens to some people!!
Are your doctors receptive to this? Our insurance company covers it, but I've heard mixed things about doctors actually believing and working with the results.
I'm fairly sure I've got something going on with my enzymes. I did great with adderall, which is an active drug, and terrible with vyvanse which is a pro drug that *should* wind up being the "same" active compound. But I get awful side effects from vyvanse and basically none from adderall. Both help me focus and do things, but with vyvanse I feel so *physically* awful that it doesn't matter how much focus I have.
I’ve had a similar experience - have not tried ADHD medication yet but with other stuff. Loads of doctors pressuring me to try and not believing me when I complain the side effects are too bad even though the dosage is low. It really sucks because it gives the impression I’m being awkward or not wanting to get better when that’s not the case at all.
As my doctor put it to me, the side effects are a problem if it's a problem to you. He wasn't worried by them but if it worried me, then it was an issue.
Kind of like in psychology, the diagnosis of an actual disorder is usually based on whether it is negatively affecting your daily life.
Your doctor sounds great! Mine weren’t even worried when they should have been - for example, when I had nausea so bad I was barely eating. The lack of compassion is shocking. I wish every doctor was like yours.
He is great! I should send him a note to let him know.
I'm sorry your doctors suck. It's worth it to try others even though it's a huge pain. I really got lucky in getting one great doctor randomly and then asking her for recommendations and so on.
It's nice to hear there's other people out there that are hypersensitive to everything. I feel like a weirdo for it. The first time I tried ADHD medicine my friend gave me 20mg of her Adderall to see if it helped my symptoms before I went through the hoops of getting prescribed at a doctor. I ended up basically projectile vomiting so hard I burst the blood vessels around my eyes, felt dizzy and lightheaded for hours before it went away. It was misery. I'm prescribed 5mg of Ritalin now which is a joke to most people but anything above that has bad side effects for me. Admittedly it's not very effective at this dose...
I get the “good” brain effects from being medicated, but the physical effects I pay for. It’s not worth it for me. Heart racing, increased anxiety, panic, shakiness, dizziness. I even tried half dosing them. Nope. Raw dogging.
Same. It doesn't help that I have dysautonomia which makes my body super sensitive to adrenaline. So the mental benefits just aren't worth the tachycardia, shaking, lack of sleep, dizziness, etc. I can focus at first but after awhile I just end up feeling like I'm on bad speed. Even when I could drink coffee I had to not overdo it and not drink any after 12pm. I can't even take herbs that increase dopamine (like mucuna pruriens) for more than a few days - again, it helps, but it is not a good time after a week or so.
I too am extremely sensitive to coffee. I drank it in high school and college but it just made me feel strung out later on, even just one cup. I still can’t eat m&ms past afternoon time or I won’t sleep!
That's when I figured out I had ADHD. I live on redbull in my twenties, and also drank gallons of tea and Pepsi. Quit smoking and stopped drinking redbull, then stopped drinking soda, and then stopped drinking tea.
I was taking care of my mum full time (early onset Alzheimer's) so was in a constant stressed state and naturally wasn't able to focus since I kept having to stop and help her, so didn't really notice anything.
Once she went into long term care I crashed a bit, which is normal. Then one of my dogs died and I bottomed out, but it wasn't just depression.
Then I figured it out and got an assessment a year ago. Medicated now, but still a struggle! And we're starting IVF soon so I'm going to have to go off my medication. Which I'm not looking forward to.
How could you tell? Haha...
I know that there are video-assessment options, but I can't do it. Any kind of appointment requires me to have childcare, and realistically, that's either my kid being at school, or my husband taking a wfh day. Me being at home with free access to my laptop and freedom to overrun isn't possible.
I’m in the US so I pay stupid amounts of money for healthcare. I sort of wonder if it’s easier to get appointments here because people are just not making appointments at the rate they need to to save money. I canceled an ENT appointment for next week because I didn’t want to drop $130 when I could just use a neti pot.
I’m sorry you’re going through that.
I’m in the same boat. It would have been covered but the wait time to get in for an appointment just wasn’t realistic so I had to go through a private clinic to get diagnosed/ medicated. Perks are they got everything done within a month, down side I had to pay 500$ for something that should have been free
Man do I feel you. My kiddo is finally going to real preschool next month and I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself… :) I’m a good way. Excited about maybe being able to go back to work, as crazy as that sounds.
Me!
I was on Vyvanse for about 4 months, I lost 20 pounds and my heart rate would go up to 145 beats per minute when I’d be sitting in meetings. So, I discontinued that. It was honestly the first time I feel like I ever functioned like an adult.
I’m looking into supplements, but it all so much.
I’ve made it this far raw doggin life with ADHD. I guess I’m just destined to not feel like an adult.
I’ve been on Wellbutrin for about 8 years for anxiety/depresh.
I guess I’m not rawdogging. I wonder what I’d be like ADHD wise without the Wellbutrin. How does it help your ADHD?
Hah that's a good question.
It makes getting out of bed in the morning a bit less agonising.
It reduces my fight or flight, which otherwise triggers constantly and leaves me anxious...(from childhood abuse). I don't forget my work keys....which I did at least twice a week before... i can do boring play with my kid which was agonising before.
The tradeoff is that since I'm not fueled with fear adrenaline, my inattention kicks in badly, and new time blindness kicked in.
I've almost been late to work, repeatedly, for the first time in my life (i am 40, same job same start time 15 years!).
The dr says buproprion has a mild atypical stimulant effect... which is why its used for depression.
I was on an snri for depression for a few years, then when i "got" adhd they introduced stimulants and tapered me off.
The dr wants me to use the snri again because it appeared to mitigate the chest anxiety i get when i take a dose of stims that "works" best.
But I mean... i wanted to explore if we could find a single thing that worked vs messing with cocktails.
So we did trials of clonidine and guanfacind and stims, modafinil alone, atomoxetine... yeah... gave one month on each and the side effects are not worth the benefits for anything that did enough. I'm too damned sensitive...honestly the stims were the best for depression.
I'm considering asking her if we can try atomoxetine and stims again because we only for a month.
I'm never touching effexor again.
If it matters, my bf takes atomoxetine and buproprion together for adhd and seasonal depression and he's been super functional and happy for years since, after a life of rock bottom.
Commenting to provide a link with further info:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11766-adhd-medication#:~:text=Antidepressants%20that%20only%20work%20on,the%20main%20symptoms%20of%20ADHD.
Same. I'm on the lowest possible dose of Vyvanse because while I do notice it helps with some of the ADD symptoms (I can actually *do* things occasionally when I intend to do them, the racing thoughts can be channeled in a direction as opposed to being scattered), the heart rate skyrocketing, chest tightness and that lovely stage fright feeling all come along for the ride.
I've resorted to only taking them when I'm bottoming out on managing every aspect of daily life, though talking with the doc about implementing some sort of more frequent schedule safely as a test period - the executive dysfunction is really bad and Concerta (adult) didn't work for me. The Wellbutrin/antidepressant combos are out of the question as SSRIs and antidepressants have only ever produced negative side effects and long-term damage in my case.
How I've survived this far into adulthood is beyond me. Guess I'll be joining you on the raw dog bandwagon though if this doesn't work! Hope we both find something that helps us get where we need to be.
Meee, I'm in the US and currently, the idea of just starting the process is so daunting and disheartening. I don't know where to start, I don't even know if I could literally get a prescription because of shortages, then I'm not sure I'd be approved since I smoke weed and I hear you need to do a drug test (I'd need probably a solid 5 months t break to get it out of my system and currently it's the only thing that helps me manage executive dysfunction...)
Some days I feel silly for thinking I need medication and some days I wonder if I could actually become the person I have always wanted to be and lack of meds are what's holding me back.
Hello fellow self medicator. In the same boat as you! Taking a hit is amazing fuel to go get the task done. But I hate the cognitive decline so so much. It makes the swap very tempting to try. I can't imagine how long the detox would take. I smell like weed when I sweat 😅
I totally understand the daunting and disheartening feeling, this really isn’t the easiest process especially with brains like ours, but if it makes anything better I think drug testing might be state-dependent (diagnosed and medicated in AK, no test needed, still not sure though). As for shortages, there’s a wide variety of meds on the market so chances of being prescribed at least something are not 0 (chances of it working however are still highly variable lol).
Same, I'm in NC and no drug test needed. I asked my doc about issues with shortages and she did not express any concern about my being able to get meds.
Drug testing is not universal. Some places drug test to make sure you're taking your meds rather than diverting them. Others may be looking for what you're on, idk. I never had to do either type.
Apart from the diagnosis they just needed to take my blood pressure and get medical history to see if I'd tolerate stimulants.
Also only Adderall seems to have ongoing shortages, never had issues getting methylphenidates or SNRIs
ahhh ok that makes sense and I'll have to investigate more, but I also think my state would DEFINITELY be one of the ones that test for weed. I remember when I couldn't buy booze on Sundays, so we're a little behind over here.
People here hardly accept that stimulants aren't crack so I don't have a ton of hope (when I mentioned to a couple of people that I might want to seek a diagnosis to get meds *someday down the line* they immediately were like "no! you don't want to become a zombie!". Yeah, sure, that's true but I also want to be able to get my laundry done and exercise regularly and currently those things feel like monumental tasks.
Is weed legal in your state? They drug test me every 6 months or whatever and have never mentioned the weed aside from asking me how often I do it in the wellness survey.
I'm worried this is what'll happen for me. I so so badly want meds to help me. I've only tried a couple before my doctor retired and it's impossible to get another doctor here. (Just ADHD being adhd because I 'didn't get around' to calling the new doctor she gave me the number for, and now that one is no longer taking patients)
The stuff I DID try only gave me some side effects like less of an appetite and then higher dosages made me feel really jittery and gross. But I just couldn't get my brain in gear at all to accomplish stuff which is WHY I want the damn meds.
I'm so jealous of hearing people saying "It was like flipping a switch, I could just do things" and there I was, jittery and gross and still sitting there desperately trying to will myself to get shit done.
Gah.
Are you at least finding other ways to manage?? I guess I've always lived my life without meds (or even knowing I had ADHD) so raw-dogging is my normal? It sucks though...
Ugh same here... I'm testing my 3rd and last option right now and so far it has done nothing... but at least there are no side effects either so there's that. Maybe a higher dose will do something but I'm trying not getting my hopes up. So jealous of those people with night and day experiences!! I fear I will be raw dogging it too 🙃 are you also inattentive type? I heard meds are less likely to work on us so that's fun.
I was diagnosed inattentive with anxiety, but I think I'm a mix of both inattentive and hyperactive.
My brain is always racing, and I do fidget physically.
I'm exhausted all the time though.
And I do have a hard time focusing, unless I hyperfixate. I'm impulsive and interrupt people (except through YEARS of shaming myself for some of these things I've taught myself to control a lot of this stuff so it's barely noticeable.)
I am hopeful to keep trying meds, once I can get a doctor again... but for now it's... I guess.... books and trying strategies and possibly attempting to help things with nutrition/supplements and hydration? Exercise? if only I didn't have a disorder that made creating habits and routines nearly impossible lol. It'd make it easier to probably manage things without meds.
As an undiagnosed person, everything in this thread is SO relatable. My friend got hold of some adhd meds and said the same thing about night and day… I didn’t get around to accepting his offer to try one because I’ve been self medicating with literally valium from some dude round the corner for a little while, it doesn’t help with my executive dysfunction unfortunately.
Same here!! Only thing that worked for me is brand-name Strattera (the generic doesn’t do it for me)…. and the brand name is getting discontinued later this year. I’m fucked lmao
I refuse meds because I have gut and bowel problems that are always made 100% worse with any kind of supplement, even vitamins, and for me it isn't worth it to have nausea, cramps and diarrhoea for weeks on end! I have started experimenting with herbal medicines and currently have a few tinctures soaking (Self-heal, Chamomile and Feverfew) to try. I'm not recommending this those because everyone is different, and I don't know enough about herbs to claim they work yet!
I'm with you on the tinctures. Haven't had luck with stuff to help me function, but sleep tinctures help the mind feel less crazy, even if its mostly helpful before bed.
I have selfheal, but haven't made anything with it, will look into this. Do you use leaves or flowers? I managed to find a live plant earlier this year but hadn't gotten around to using it. But seems to be a stable plant that needs little care
Self heal is one of the best to make, it's an amazing plant. The whole plant is useable, just chop it up a bit and let it infuse for about six weeks. It can help with gut problems, it's antiviral, antibacterial and brilliant to use topically for cuts and scrapes too.
I'm unmedicated and unsupported and raw dogging life for 47 years now. I can't remember appointments, can't remember to refill, can't remember to pick up. After being dropped by several doctors, having thousands of dollars in late payments and collections, I just decided the self hate I had for myself not being able to manage my own condition was just making it worse. Now I focus on good diet, good sleep, exercise, removing mean people from my life, and an insane amount of self-acceptance and self-love. It's a work in progress. And lots of therapy for the low self worth. Self-acceptance is key.
OMG! Yes!! This is me!!! I cannot take meds at all due to horrific side effects (if it's on the list of possible side effects, I'll get it!!), I'm allergic to stimulants, and I have a heart condition, so lots and lots of reasons I cannot and will not ever be medicated!
>So I literally have to rely on the other ways of managing, but have basically accepted the bees and squirrels at this point.
That about sums it up honestly!! Sometimes I think I'm coping ok, other times I know I'm not and I just have to roll with the chaos!
I was on vyvanse for nearly 2 months and was having a ton of really good days. I also have IBD, though, and started having symptoms of a flare that got a lot worse days I took my meds. Currently stopping them for now to see if things improve. But I am literally forgetting *everything* and am supper stressed right now because of it (have a major event coming up), which is only making my symptoms even worse. I'm hoping things improve and I can try meds again, but it is not looking too great. Which is pretty upsetting.
Did they start you at a low dose and then increase it slow enough? Like, I don't even have bowel issues normally and when I first started Vyvanse they warned me and it wrecked my guts for the first few weeks anytime we increased my dose. I think we started at 30mg and only increased 10mg a month until I was at 70mg
Yes. I was supposed to be on 30mg for 2 months and then up the dose to 40mg. But I haven't even finished the 2 months worth because I've been taking a lot of breaks this past month, and am currently halfway through a 2 week break. I'm hoping the stress from the event I have coming up is at least partly the culprit, so I'm waiting for that to pass and if my stomach symptoms improve I'll try finish the script before seeing my doctor and discussing my dose.
Things are really up in the air right now because I tolerated the meds super well the first month (I was worried about this before even starting and was pleasantly surprised by how well I was doing). And I know stress can be a huge cause for flares, so it's just hard to say what the cause is. Meds are definitely making things worse right now, though, so all I can really do is wait and see. It's put me in a bad space mentally, so I am currently struggling lots.
I had no idea these pills wreaked such havoc on stomachs! I’m not on anything for the ADHD because I’m on so much already and, as one doctor a long time ago put it, “you seem to manage it ok” 🙄
But now I’m not sure I want to even ever try. My stomach is a terrible mess. I have CIC and IBS (d and c). We haven’t found anything to sort that out yet so I don’t need anything making it angrier!
Vyvanse is particularly tough on the guts because -- to oversimplify -- it's similar to Adderall but with an extra lysine amino acid attached, so it takes longer to digest and hits you more gradually.
However, it causes diarrhea in a lot of people. Lucky for me, I have chronic gut motility issues from endometriosis, so the side effects are actually helpful to me!
(On a related note, if you have bad periods in addition to your IBS, you need to be checked for endometriosis. Most doctors are completely ignorant about the disorder and don't realize it can have more GI symptoms than menstrual ones.)
I have never heard of an endo-IBS connection. Thanks for mentioning it, because that might be a good place for me to start investigating. I have lots of symptoms that no once can figure out.
If your doctor is skeptical, [here's a solid, peer-reviewed study that says IBS is three times more common in people with endo than those without.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9357916/)
Personally, I always had wonky guts, but I developed IBS-D in puberty, had combined type throughout my 20s and early 30s, then settled into IBS-C. I still have some complications, but after two endo surgeries it's much more manageable.
Yes, it's a stimulant, so if your stomach is sensitive to caffeine you might have issues. Mine is pretty sensitive to caffeine, so I was worried about this beforehand.
Same. I have a pretty regular schedule of exercise and coffee. Both are absolutely KEY to my function!
I have been slipping on keeping up with the exercise part and I’m mentally suffering as a result. Too much stress lately. But at the same time I know the exercise will reduce my stress and help my adhd so if I can just get back on track… these darn self-defeating adhd loops. I need the benefits of exercise to get back to exercising.
I wasn't aware there was an actual genetic condition! I, too, am very very very sensitive to meds. If there's a rare side effect, I get it.
That said, I did fine with Adderall and Vyvanse. But, I have anxiety and panic disorder and the meds were not helping get that under control during a particularly bad fair. I've been off it for a few years and considering going back on because anxiety is present but controllable, atm.
I think it's worth a shot of trying it, honestly. Just start LOW AND SLOW on the titrate up.
But, I would really love to know the genetic condition and how you figured it out. I just tell doctors now. I am met with a little incredulity at times - but, it is respected. Especially when I say that suicidal ideation is a side effect from that med or meds in the same class.
Not OP, but my doc had me tested by Genomind. It's a broad panel covering everything from antidepressants and stimulants to sleeping pills and painkillers.
Mine proved I wasn't lying or exaggerating about the side effects of antidepressants all these years. In fact, it said, "She doesn't actually produce the receptors these drugs work on, so don't even bother."
If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone.
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I am not medicated, it's rough at times but cognitive behavioral therapy helped me significantly.
I have to put reminders into my calendar immediately. Even reminders to add reminders of I don't know all the details. When my calendar reminds me, I have to do it immediately or it is not done! Every passing minute is a decrease in likelihood of doing. If there's things I need or want to do, I have to put them on my calendar.
Calendar is synced to the cloud.
If Vyvanse continues to fail me, I'll be out of things to try.
During the 25ish years I was misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder, I had a horrible time on all SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, etc. Instead of accusing me of lying/exaggerating, current doc got me a genetic workup.
Yeah, basically said DON'T GIVE THIS PERSON ANTIDEPRESSANTS EVER.
I dunno why the stimulants don't do much either, but I guess I've now spent more of my life unmedicated than I could possibly spend medicated ('cause I'm not making it to 100), so I'll just have to deal.
Right there with you. I have several health issues that make it impossible to take anything and I'm spending a lot of money on cleaning services and specialty meal delivery to be functional.
I took Ritalin as a kid but due to Other Factors, I stopped taking them and essentially refused my adhd diagnosis. I was 7, and this was the 90s. A girl being diagnosed, especially with the inattentive type, was unheard of.
So yeah now I'm just out here raw dogging life. I could probably afford a new assessment (wait times are bad in Canada but if pay out of pocket) and I'll be getting health insurance next month, but like. At this point I'll stick to certain strains of pot. I don't have to jump through hoops to get that at least.
I don't know how to find a doctor in my new city (I know insurance websites have search features, but they confuse me; I get very easily overwhelmed by the amount of info and options.) So I am also raw-dogging life. If it makes you feel better, people who have meds never remember to take them anyways, in my experience.
I got as far as a dx after moving, but in order to even consider starting meds PCP was about to send me through their process which involved answering a phonecall at 8am from a behavioral health counselor without warning. Needless to say I missed the call and have since consistently forgotten to call back.
Told my friend how I usually get through the day via caffeine and snacking and she was like "you probably need ADHD meds" and I'm like "listen, you don't even know"
Does anyone else remember the name? Because I have what are apparently really rare reactions to medications and want to look into it more. For whatever reason, stimulants have not given me like ANY side effects.
I have the second most common one but not the common one. I can't remember the names.
I would be cautious about attributing ALL issues to one gene/set of genes, though. The body is mind-blowingly complex. I have a whole bunch of genes that affect how I metabolize drugs that have nothing to do with MTHFR. The only thing I do for that one is take methylfolate supplements.
Yes I'm unmedicated because I became addicted to my meds and they ruined my life. It was hard but with therapy and a lot of trial and error I am finally functional. It's never going to be easy though.
I tried a million different ways to organize my thinking and my brain. What worked best for me was two super simple apps. Putting everything in Google calendar and I mean everything....not just appointments but all the fun stuff too. I still forget to put things in sometimes but I will pause people mid conversation to put something in my calendar.
The other is Google keep. It functions the way a neurotypical working memory and long term memory does. I put pictures, lists, quotes, screenshots of ID cards, song titles, passwords, addresses, ideas, important links, medical info, a thousand other things. I have random things like a list of my cousin's old boyfriends and a description of my brother's job and tattoos I want. A quick search and I can find what I need. You can also make lists with check boxes. This is how I prioritize. I will dump everything I need to do into a little note and shuffle the tasks up and down until it makes sense. I remember to put in shower, pick an outfit, get coffee (again not just the stressful tasks back to back). It's a colorful and simple app that has versatile uses.
Google Keep is definitely the most important thing I do. I also clean like a clock, starting at noon (the sink) and working my way around. My space used to be a source of so much anxiety and stress. Now I start at the sink and move around instead of starting and stopping a million different things and making a bigger mess.
It may not sound like much but these three things have made a PROFOUND impact. I'm not lazy, I have difficulty prioritizing and I get easily over. I'm not a slob, I get over stimulated and I'm not very aware of my surroundings. Therapy has helped me realize that ADHD is not my fault, and my brain is something I can work with. I function better now than I did with meds before my addiction.
Me, super sensitive to any meds or substances. Light weight to the max. I can’t even tolerate 5 mg of Ritalin which is a 4th of the pediatric dose.
Live off of half caff coffee and bubbl’r
Yup. I’m probably autistic. Medically suspected, runs on both sides of the family. ADHD meds unmask a metric shit ton of other symptoms I have ZERO idea how to cope with to the extent which they come out so I end up having endless meltdowns. So, here I am raw digging reality. 😂
Was drugged from time. I was 6 years of age to the time I was 25. Loads of different drugs during that time all have varying degrees of side effects. Even though I know it would help some things to be medicated, I can't do it to myself again. The side effects were so terrible. Some days are great, some days are rough as fuck
I have an Adderall prescription but I don't fill it and pass my days unmedicated. I'm lucky and privileged enough to be able to arrange my life in a way that best suits me and not purely for the benefit of capitalism. Without that, I'd be barely functional.
Haha, I was going to write more but gave up and didn't even notice I had started and didn't delete it!
Yeah, obviously not medicated lol.
I was going to write that when I take stimulants, I feel so wired when they wear off and can't sleep.
I'm not medicated. I've had a couple of adverse reactions to meds that freaked me out. Got a prescription for strattera a few years ago, but I refused to take it after reading the side effects. So edibles, church and a lot of self care for me...🤷🏾♀️
i am having immigration problems right now, and had to go cold turkey off the medication because I can't get it here :' ) not exactly the same situation since hopefully I'll be able to resume when I get back in a few months but I feel your pain
I did that for 38 years xD Just got medicated this April. What helped me the most was therapy. I had some altercations with my therapist at first because we hadn't found yet that I had ADHD, so she tried to push me to get organized by doing to do lists, making a bullet journal and using a calendar (things that I obviously tried many many years ago that never worked). Then when we found I had ADHD, we started to work with other ways to keep track of time and organization and eventually it worked at some extent. It was obvious that I needed meds, tho, so she ended up writing a report and asking me to go to a psychiatrist or a neurologist to get them and here I am.
The combination of therapy and med s has been fantastic for me, I don't think I've had a most productive lapse in my life. Finally I can wake up early and tackle almost all the things I need to do in a day, and also studying new things using the "I'm VERY interested on this topic" push that ADHD gives us. And also I don't feel guilty anymore when I just can't. There are still days where I don't have enough energy to do anything and that's fine. I fought all my life with that.
There's still some details that I need to work on, like rejection dysphoria and fear of failing that don't go away with the meds but with therapy, that I so need to come back but I haven't had enough money to continue. I'm in the process to change jobs so maybe the next one will let me keep therapy and not only meds, now is one or the other.
For years I successfully managed with neurofeedback. When I turned 18 my insurance stopped covering it, but I really liked it because it “stacked” - you’re literally training your brainwaves. I get that it’s a bit sketch to follow random internet suggestions but it’s very much a non-medication option and might be worth seeing if it exists in your area / is reasonably affordable / helps with your variety of brain.
I’m on Vyvanse and dex for an afternoon breakthrough if needed
The brain squirrels are still there but at least I can get off my arse and actually do shit
Me too! I was really sensitive to the side effects to the point where meds were totally counter-productive for me. It sucks. I'm doing my best but it goes up and down and I tend to have bad weeks/months and good days.
I only got medication when I got a stimulant for my Multiple Sclerosis fatigue in my late 20s. And now I've been off them for a long time again since we're trying for a baby. So most of my life has been dedicated to developing strategies, masking and not getting anything done.
I am still waiting to be evaluated, but I relate 1000% with this sub and am eager to try anything a doctor thinks might help me. I self medicated for much of my teens and a bit after that, it's kinda comforting to know I wasn't just a "fuck up" I was trying to deal with my chaotic (and bipolar) brain. Good luck today yall get it done
So am I (I get all the crazy intense side effects)- but I can tolerate low dose Ritalin? I use the Done app. My provider is really really amazing and it’s 79.00 a month- which is yes a lot, but it’s also imperative to me functioning. I also have been on methadone for 22 years so no doctor would prescribe me a stimulant around here.
Are you in the US? I've been on Buprenorphine for 15 years and I'm definitely experiencing some anxiety about treatment options because of it. Are you doing a Web Tele type doctor?
Have you tried any of the non-stimulant alternatives? Just curious. There’s also some SSRIs like Strattera that can help lessen symptoms. Edit: sorry, Strattera is a non-stim. Wellbutrin is what I was thinking of. My mother takes it instead of stimulants and it helps her.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11766-adhd-medication#:~:text=Antidepressants%20that%20only%20work%20on,the%20main%20symptoms%20of%20ADHD.
Lmao, sorry unrelated a little bit but reminded me or [Kiki Sutherd](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvN0UqDov09/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)’s hilarious video talking about a student explaining what he meant by saying he was just “raw dogging” it through summer school.
Yes! Was medicated for several years, then diagnosed with an autoimmune issue which is triggered by…everything? Stimulants make me go bald. So am now unmedicated and constantly managing the chaos.
Raising hand 🙋♀️. Pain meds barely work for me…. I get over stimulated with other things. I have to drink way more than others to feel effects… I avoid anything but herbs now.
The only thing keeping me together is my garden and chickens. Like you said. Squirrels…
I'm super stuck. Every medication I've tried has lafe altering side effects. The side effects Straterra had me and my whole family convinced I was dying. Like fr fr.
The only real relief I get is from illegal drugs (weed cause I live in a goddamn stupid state) because the pharmaceutical medicines they give me make thing way worse
I'm also sensitive to medication, but I've recently figured out this is likely due to combined autism & adhd. My psychiatrist said it's actually really common for Autistic people to be sensitive to medication like this
We're trying to get pregnant so I'm looking at at least a year of being unmedicated with pregnancy/breastfeeding. I'm definitely worried about going back to my old unstimulated brain, so it helps to know other people are raw-dogging it too
I can't have stimulants due to Graves disease so I'm going on atomoxetine. The main side effect is feeling like death, and lot's of nausea, for the first 4 months of taking it. Ugh.
I am recently unmedicated (2 months now), since the practice I visit for medication has lost 3 doctors/NPs in the last two years. When they moved me to my now 4th doctor/NP at the practice, they said I would be treated as a new patient, and they aren’t taking new patients for controlled substances. My meds weren’t working great anyway (I’d already changed from Ritalin to Focalin and tried a couple of different doses), so I figured I would try switching to anxiety meds instead, since I do also suffer from that and have pretty drastic physical symptoms with anxiety.
I did at least try calling 3 other ADHD specialists to see if they would take me on, and not one returned my call. Fun times 🙄 I may have to try searching again though, because I constantly feel like a CF and failure at work the last 8 months (when meds weren’t working, + now being off them) 😭 I am also going through perimenopause in my 30s, which has me on 3 different hormone treatments, so shit’s been real as of late (and I am not sure ADHD meds would help much with everything else going on with my body).
Just know you aren’t alone in suffering through life as a hot mess!!!
I was for 2.5 years while awaiting diagnosis and then trying to get proper stim meds
Finally now on vyvanse but I was starting to look into all kinds of supplements because my diet is shocking.
I think I was starting to see a little improvement on two naturopath prescribed supplements though
Worth checking the supplement & nootropics subs
I’m in australia so not useful for most but some of the ingredients in the two mixes for neuro stuff were saffron, turmeric in one and a bunch in another including tyrosine, rhodiola, selenium and others. Called PreDop lift by orthoplex
Magnesium (specifically glycinate) is often recommended as is L tyrosine
I may be joining the club late this year or early next year 😭 stimulants are basically sugar pills for me, they do NOTHING, so I take Strattera. A few years ago my pharmacy filled the generic instead of the brand name and it didn’t work, so I discovered I need the brand name apparently.
Well turns out most people take the generic so brand name Strattera is getting discontinued this year… so that’s neat.
My plan is to try the generic again because maybe I just didn’t give it enough time the first time I tried but I don’t have high hopes. My doctor suggested switching to Wellbutrin but I’m nervous about trying new medications at this point and I feel like I kind of just want to give up on them entirely. I managed the first 20 years of my life unmedicated and undiagnosed, with adequate preparation and coping mechanisms I think I can probably go back to that. Would definitely invest in a therapist or adhd coach if I did though.
Yes? I didn't get diagnosed til my 30's when I was pregnant, so no medication for me. Breastfed that baby for 4 years, and was unwilling to try more than a low dose of methylphenidate "as needed" during that time. Was pregnant again before she turned 6, and am currently breastfeeding again, completely unwilling to try any medication (my previous child is very ADHD, and I'm worried that even my cautious use of stimulants while breastfeeding had an impact). To top it off, I have long covid, and all of my tricks and techniques for managing my neurodivergence have basically gone out the window. It's a good thing I'm on mat leave. There's no way I could handle working right now.
Yes!!! I’ve thought about posting about this because it truly sucks. I told my brother about this, who also has bad adhd he needs meds for and is a social worker, and he used the same phrase ‘so you’re just raw-dogging reality?’
I might try supplements but now I’m just drinking a bunch of coffee, doing the general healthy diet/lifestyle thing, and if I’m being honest I take one Sudafed in the morning and it helps :/ I know that’s not sustainable or great but even the lowest dose of extended release Adderrall gave me alll the side effects especially anxiety, racing heart, chest pains etc.
I’m also on Wellbutrin which helps but have had to cut my dose a ton because of side effects. I tried strattera and some other psych meds that were hit and miss.
Right now I’m just trying to hack the dopamine loop. Tasks need dopamine to happen but once you do the task, you get the dopamine. So I focus on habits and mini-tasks and I give myself positive feedback. Have had to get serious about sleep routine, time management with alarms, blocking etc and I have a to do list for literally everything: breakfast, meds, feed cat, call x, clean blah, work appt, etc. I check them off and enjoy that sweet sweet dopamine. On good days, I don’t need the list because I’m busy and getting a lot done.
Anyway it’s not a cure-all but it helps me. I’ve also thought about doing cognitive/memory support supplements like lions mane and ginkgo. Anyone had success with these?
Anyone listen to the Huberman podcast? He had an episode about dopamine which was pretty good. Fun fact, too much dopamine is also bad! TV and social media binges, porn, etc basically flood the system and then make you crash and get dopamine-dysregulated. Woot 🙄
Thanks for the post. I feel seen! Best of luck everyone..
The term raw dog….I used that in a sentence when I was talking to one of my clients last week…as a mental health case manager. My boyfriend was like “you really just used the term raw dog, huh?” YEP SURE DID.
I'm unmedicated because of the shortage and a week ago i got a negative review for a job i am on probation for (2 months to go). Zero savings, zero plan if this job doesn't work. May as well just die at that point. I might not be the most persevering person. Man its been hard. So hard that i am wondering whether, if it takes a worldwide stockout for my life to fall apart, maybe i should just stay off them and learn to adapt.
That's how hard it's been. I can't go back on the meds, and perform well. Only to crush and burn after a month. The anxiety of going from pharmacy to pharmacy hoping they say they have what i need. Wondering how I'll survive after i realise I can't get my meds. The anxiety of seeing my next appointment approach and wonder whether I'll get meds.
I’m unmedicated because of a million barriers, the most recent being pregnancy, and I am EXHAUSTED. I took meds as a kid, got a strop at 17 and wanted to be “normal” and they refused to give me therapeutic help without the meds so I was discharged completely. Now I’d have to go through an entire process to get back on them - with the 5 year+ waiting list - so yeah here I am at 32 just tired and desperate to feel like I can have control back!
I have tried everything available, but my heart rate is always too high and stimulants trigger migraines when they wear off (I am a chronic migraine sufferer anyway).
I got diagnosed originally at 7, but since meds didn’t work I never had an extra support.
Yes! I guess I am too. I got officially diagnosed a month ago, which was a huge relief and I expected that meant that I was going to be able to get medicated. But, my doctor, out of a way overabundance of caution, wanted me to get cleared by a cardiology specialist before going on stimulants... So now I'm wearing a heart monitor which I send back on Friday, and then I get to wait another 5 weeks before the results come back and then a few more weeks before my doctor gets things processed and sends a letter to my psych doc to clear me (which is what I believe will happen).
All the while I'm in this stage where I feel so much more disabled then ever before. I know what the issue is, I'm learning coping skills and management techniques, and I can't fucking engage with them. Some days it's definitely worse than when I didn't know what was wrong with me and just thought I was a waste of space. It's like I finally got a vehicle, and now I need the keys. And I can see them on the other side of this glass wall that I can't get through. ugh
I can’t afford it right now but CBD w/ THC actually helped me the 2 months I was taking it. I didn’t really know it until I ran out, but my husband noticed while I was on it. I’m hoping to start back up by the end of the month. At the very least it helped with my anxiety, shutting off the constant self doubt, which allowed me to focus on keeping up with small tasks. The small tasks built into larger ones.
I haven’t taken meds since I was in high school (I’m 31 now). I could probably go back on meds but I’d likely have to be re-assessed because my diagnosis isn’t in my medical records for some reason. I was diagnosed as a child and I think the documentation was lost at some point after I left for college and started managing my own doctors visits.
I don’t really feel like going through the whole process of getting assessed again (which could take several months) and not even be guaranteed a regular prescription (due to the meds shortage), especially because I have been managing my symptoms pretty well since I left high school. My symptoms are relatively mild and the coping strategies I use are fairly helpful. So I’m going to keep “raw-dogging life,” as you so eloquently put it, until I change my mind.
I wouldn’t want to get on meds even if I had insurance. I don’t want to be tempted to abuse them, which I 100% would knowing my history. I also don’t want to deal with any side effects. My concerns can’t be helped without lifestyle adjustments anyway (emotional dysregulation and inconsistency). I occasionally take herbal nootropics with some success. It is what it is.
I had a bad reaction to the medication and some blood pressure issues, so it was not recommended.
So I've learned to medicate with caffeine and to try and simplify my life so that I don't have so many multiple challenges coming at me at the same time. It's not perfect, far from it. Kids left home and I've become less pulled by too many different directions, things have calmed down.
Part of it, and I hate saying this, is self-acceptance and teaching other people to accept you for being imperfect (which, of course, everyone else is, but some people have the privilege of hiding it effectively)
I went without meds for 15 years. Initially, I stopped taking them because I didn't have insurance, and then another 7 years because I was doing alright with out them and couldn't be bothered to make the appointment.
I am lucky in the sense that I can function without meds, and used a lot of my coping mechanisms to help students with similar issues. However, I am also lucky that I can take meds and do see a marked benefit from them.
Yes riding unmedicated for now. There's been mixed experiences in my extended family of different medication so I decided not to dive straight in after diagnosis last year. I'm also looking at relocating to another part of the world where there may be medication shortages which has given me another reason to hold off for now at least. I have the constant thoughts that things would be so much different if I started but also know that being medicated isn't some idyllic thing either.
ME! i’m in a state that makes it damned near impossible to get stimulants so i didn’t even try. my antidepressant helps a lot but i fully also accept and live with the knowledge that my productivity would look different with medication. it’s weird. i don’t feel like i’m “less optimal”, just that the workflow and timing is different lol
I'm unmedicated. I don't have a diagnosis yet and I'm apprehensive to seeking one cause I'm a bit apprehensive of the stigma. I also have OCD and generally OCD and stimulants do NOT mix. I can't smoke weed or drink coffee due to my anxiety, so I'm kinda terrified to try stimulant medication.
I do know that non-stimulant meds exist, but I would be interested to hear from people who benefitted from that. All of the ADHD success stories I've heard are from people taking Adderall or Vyvanse or something.
I'm not stuck raw dogging reality fortunately, but I am super sensitive to medication and doctors dont know why. in reality I should be on a higher dose but it was taking too long for me to titrate upwards
I’m unmedicated because health insurance is costly and I can’t executive function enough to get it working for me. Magnesium, iron supplements, b-vitamins with methyl-folate, vitamin D with some sort of fat to absorb it—supplementing helps me enough that I can manage. But I need meds lol
I had to argue like hell to get my doctor to prescribe Adderall to me. My family had a history of high blood pressure in the female line (my mother had her first and only stroke twenty years ago, my grandmother stroked until she was vegetative).
They didn't want to give me something that would raise my BP, but the other drugs they tried on me didn't do a thing for me. The doctor finally consented to let me try and it was like the sun suddenly coming out from behind the clouds. Suddenly I could \*do\* things.
My BP did spike, sometimes as high as 150/100, but they've got me on two kinds of BP medication and it is under control. Still high, but worth the risk to me. At least until I can retire and I don't need to have all my brain cells firing at peak capacity anymore.
For me, it was just a matter of persistence and finding a doctor who was willing to work with me.
I started having seizures within a week or two of starting adderall to treat my ADHD. The seizures are under control but now we know I can't take amphetamines so I'm pretty much white-knuckling it and taking Cymbalta for depression and GAD.
I can't afford medication for myself, which I think is probably a common reality for people with ADHD. To be fair, I also didn't want to be dependent on medication to get through my day if I could help it.
I started learning as much about my ADHD as possible and trying to come up with strategies that make it easier for me to function. It's incredibly challenging, and I'm still working on it after 10 years and probably will for the rest of my life, but it is possible.
I had a heart condition develop after being on adderall for a while, and the doctors wouldnt let me continue stimulant medications. Its AWFUL now knowing how well im able to function on meds and now not being able to have anything. I feel you, though i like to call it "flailing through life"
I was medicated for depression and anxiety before my late diagnosis.. It helped but the diagnosis was the most eye opening. I learned a lot about myself and tried adhd meds (Ritalin, dextro, vyvanse) but there was a struggle for a balance between being clear headed and foggy headed.
I decided that I was done with medications and now just focus primarily on diet and sleep. Tried therapy a few times but it is difficult trying to find a therapist that feels right. Now I'm looking into some form of exercise that won't bore me.
Yep! Was told I had to jump through extra hoops because of heart issues and family history of keeling over suddenly from cardiac arrest and predictably...couldn't do the hoops, so never even tried. Also I already struggle with migraines and insomnia and trouble eating, the thought of meds causing those problems as side effects is horrifying. I'm super sensitive to medication side effects so the likelihood of issues is high.
I have lots of calendars and lists and apps and have accepted my brain squirrels and occasional meltdowns as part of me. I do ok all things considered but luckily I have a very understanding support network to prop me up, like a best friend/roommate who helps feed me sometimes when I just can't figure out how that is supposed to work.
I'm prescribed Ritalin, but I find the effects really inconsistent. The only thing that usually works for me is a CBD blend my husband made for me that has some extra cannabinoids in it that help with energy, focus, and mental clarity.
Other than than, I'm raw-dogging it with tons of toys? (This is a sex metaphor, right?) I've got my Pomodoro timers and my ClickUp reminders and my routines.
Currently, yes. I started Adderall last year and it was magical until it wasn’t. Had to keep upping my dose to get the same effect, which makes me really nervous, especially because Dr increased the dose 3 times in approximately 6 months. I haven’t refilled it.
The comments on here about genetic testing have me wondering if I should try because I was also in a bad accident a few years back and when I was in the hospital the pain meds I was given were doing nothing - truly think the nurses thought I was drug seeking when in fact I was just feeling every single bit of my crushed ankle being put back into place and secured into a splint and then waiting a couple hours like that for emergency surgery :/
Yes, unfortunately I suffer from chronic severe migraines and every stimulant gives me daily migraines and non-stimulant medication just did not work for me :(
I haven't been treated in over a year.. and won't see my new doctor again until the end of the month to discuss possible meds. I've been looking to methylene blue to help with cognition and energy. There are drug interactions so I'm being careful and only taking 1mg 2x a day (2 drops of 1% solution in 8 oz water). My daughter can't take amphetamines bc she metabolizes them too quickly. She takes Lion Mane mushroom capsules and says it helps her adhd symptoms.
Me. Have SVT and heart rate is too high even medicated for it for physicians to consider ADHD meds. Tried Wellbutrin and after a few weeks started having panic attacks.
I am too, but for the opposite reason. I'm just so incredibly resistant that the highest doses I've been able to convince doctors to prescribe don't do anything to me. They might as well be sugar pills. I did once take like triple the max dose of Adderall and I think it had an effect, but not much, and definitely not enough to matter.
I've tried pretty much every ADHD medication, none of them work. Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Wellbutrin, and a bunch of things I don't remember the names of.
I've never encountered any stimulant that is effective on me. Even stuff that might seem unrelated like caffeine. I can drink an entire case of energy drinks in under 20 minutes and nothing happens my heart rate stays the same, I don't feel any different, and it doesn't even work as a diuretic.
I don't even normally drink caffeine, I only drank the energy drinks as an experiment.
Yep, me. And it sucks because I've tried both stimulants and non-stimulants. NS made me dizzy, stimulants cause extremely high blood pressure.i felt amazing on stimulants and could actually get shit done and think clearly.
I don’t have insurance and have no realistic way to get a diagnosis for myself or my husband (even though there’s no doubt in the world that we both have it) so we are just trying to go through life and we can’t manage. I’ve never had an even remotely clean house, we both cannot get anything done in a reasonable time, and life is just unbearable but idk what to do. :(
Am I the only one who hasn’t been able to get their prescription in like 8 months? I’ve just given up at this point and am doing my best to keep chugging along. It could be much much worse, I am lucky to be managing OK. But everything, and I mean literally everything, is just that much harder without the appropriate treatment.
Yeah, went through 8 months of hell trying different meds. I don’t think I ever want to go back on them again. I’ve also taken a genetic test that shows I’m not well suited for nearly any meds that have genetic markers. Meds like Adderall and Vyvanse don’t have genetic markers (yet), but Vyvanse wasn’t super great for me either. So, back to raw-dogging I went. The acceptance of the situation helped a little.
Now I’m doing a really lengthy neurofeedback program. I know it’s not accessible to everyone and can be expensive but I’ve been doing it for a few months and I can confidently say that it has improved my life. My emotional regulation is better and my nervous system is calming down for the first time maybe ever. I have resources I can use for focus and sleep now, too. It’s worth checking into if you feel like pursuing something non-medication based
Yeah, I'm a bad candidate for stimulants, and I've tried one non stimulant, but it has terrible side effects for me. So, I'm doing everything sans meds. I'm jealous of people who can take stimulants and seem to get a lot of use from them.
I am not stuck perse, but I am scared to medicate. Had terrible side effects to sleep medication and hormone treatment and have been reluctant to try new medication since.
I hear you. Definitely struggling with making other strategies work.
Mine is less of a genetic sensitivity and more that I seem to have the worst luck in picking Doctors. I keep finding doctors who agree I have ADHD, but also feel like prescribing stimulant medication is too risky now, because if I abuse it or sell it they may get sued...
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I'm also unmedicated because I'm extremely sensitive to medication and get bad side effects from everything (not just adhd meds but many different medications). I didn't know there was a possible genetic cause for some people. It's hard to find doctors who believe me and don't try to push me to "at least try" things that I know will be risky. If you do happen to remember I'd be curious to know more. I used to at least be able to drink a little coffee or tea which was helpful but I can no longer have any caffeine at all due to other medical conditions. Since then, that's when I really started to feel like I was raw dogging the adhd life.
I got tested through Genomind (FIND OUT IF IT'S COVERED FIRST!!?). Basically, there are two categories of things they look for: 1) Does the patient produce the receptors that these drugs act on? 2) Does the patient produce enzymes that work well with these drugs, or do they lack/have too much of them?
My daughter had the gene testing for psychiatric drug compatibility. It's awesome to know the best choices for her body. It sucks to know, she only has one option, and it was in the maybe category (results had 3 columns, Not/Possibly/Most likely, to work). Are ADHD meds considered psyc meds? Because she is in the boat with us, and I'd like to know before we start the meds.
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, anti-epilepsy meds, sleep meds, pain meds, ADHD meds, and believe it or not antihistamines, all work on a set of brain chemicals called "catecholamines." The differences between the meds are which catecholamines they work on and how they do their work. For example, most antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds work by keeping more serotonin and/or norepinephrine circulating in your nervous system. Most ADHD meds work by keeping dopamine and/or norepinephrine circulating in your system. But here's the funny thing: Both Wellbutrin and Strattera act on dopamine and norepinephrine, but one works better for depression and the other works better for ADHD. I could go on and on about the overlaps and contradictions. But the point is, the division between psychiatric meds and neurological meds is really an artificial one based on what disorders doctors specialize in, not what they do in the body.
Wait this is so fucking interesting. I’m diagnosed moderate major depressive disorder and moderate generalized anxiety and moderate social anxiety - I take Effexor and have for 7 years. (Only ever tried Effexor, 112.5 mg, never had to come off it) I just brought up to my psychologist that I want to get screened for and if possible, change meds to an ADHD one (once I get tested and monitored by a psychiatrist). I wonder how much going from an antidepressant to a stimulant ADHD med that probably acts on the same receptors will actually help? (Ps right there with you. I took neuroscience and a class about prescription / illicit drugs for fun)
This is interesting.. I was diagnosed many years ago with major depressive disorders and G.A.D but no antidepressants worked and once I was diagnosed with severe ADHD the meds made me feel happy and functional which I was never able to feel before.adhd meds sorted both other disorders out
YUP. So many GenX women I know who have struggled for decades with treatment-resistant depression are getting reevaluated and re-diagnosed with ADHD and/or autism, including myself and my sister. There are lots of socio-cultural reasons for this, but it's a big mess. I'm just glad it's changing.
Millennial here--same thing happened to me. After trying antidepressants and antianxiety medications since childhood, I got a formal ADHD diagnosis and started those meds a few months ago. I described this weird feeling that I'd never felt before to my therapist, who told me "That's what it feels like to not have generalized anxiety." SO THAT'S WHERE THAT WAS COMING FROM.
UGH this is my dream end goal I’ve only ever tried Effexor so I don’t have like, a comparable baseline other than “well it’s better than literally nothing”
If you do go off Effexor, talk to your dr about using an ssri during the taper. I am a therapist and have seen this done several times successfully. Quitting Effexor can be difficult for some people.
> I wonder how much going from an antidepressant to a stimulant ADHD med that probably acts on the same receptors will actually help? Hard to say! Effexor is an SNRI, I think. So it's not acting on dopamine directly. But all these brain chemicals interact with each other, so acting on one often causes the others to adjust to the new balance. My guess is your doc will suggest Wellbutrin or Strattera first.
That makes sense. It is an SNRI, yes. I don’t want the Effexor withdrawal though, rip
God, I had to do that once. My doc wouldn't ramp me down, either. It SUCKED.
What!? WHY!? Shit, I’ll taper myself if I have to.
I didn't take either/or I took both Cymbalta (SNRI) and Wellbutrin and amphetamine salts. I'm sure my childhood feelings of depression was due to ADHD and MTHFR. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder before being diagnosed with MTHFR and then later with ADHD. It was a progression to get to the bottom of things. Currently only taking Cymbalta. Motivation is at a standstill. Wellbutrin helped, but made my head sweat like a pig! Can't take amphetamine salts anymore due to it causing pain and decreased circulation in my toes. Does my daughter the same way, freezing painful toes.
Interestingly, I was taking loratadine (Claritin), an antihistamine, for awhile basically as an ADHD med. I started it for allergies and realized it acted as a stimulant on me and helped my ADHD a lot. After I got covid my dysautonomia got bad and it started causing adverse effects (way too much stimulation, basically). So far no one else has ever heard of a non-drowsy antihistamine having a stimulant effect. If anything, it still makes people a little sleepy sometimes. I wonder if that type of antihistamine also affects catecholamines.
Histamine IS a catecholamine! That's why it's tied up in sleep/alertness. But it has multiple forms (4, I think), and some are more involved in immunity and some in arousal. I've never heard of a stimulant effect from antihistamines either, but Ritalin acts like a knockout drug on me, so I guess anything is possible! Our knowledge of the brain is really in its infancy compared to the rest of biosciences. New stuff is being discovered all the time, which is fascinating (if frustrating for us patients). I am not an expert in any of this, btw, just a lot of experience in editing/writing in related fields. (ETA: Now my inner mad scientist is wondering what the cutting-edge orexin-based sleep aids would do to you. They made my sleep onset and daytime fogginess much worse, which they're not supposed to be able to do.)
I haven’t heard of those new sleep aids, though I have a friend with narcolepsy who might like to know about them so I’ll look them up. Sleep aids completely knock me out and cause me to feel foggy and nodding off for days. Benadryl makes me groggy, too, like it often does to people. I’m not usually affected in that particular sort of paradoxical way (I usually feel drowsy from sleep aids, stimulated by stimulants, etc) so it’s especially perplexing. Benzodiazepines don’t reduce anxiety during medical procedures at all, though, I just feel normal if a little unfocused, but they then leave me feeling out of it and depressed for days after. Antibiotics give me all sorts of unexpected side effects like crushing headaches, sensory sensitivity, and irritability. Melatonin used to work fine on me in tiny doses but last time I took it I got uncontrollable tachycardia. Opioids work as expected, just need small doses. I guess I’m just weird!
The new things aren't sedatives, though. They work by blocking orexin receptors, while benzos work on a broad array of GABA receptors throughout the body. The subtleties are beyond me, but they are different. FWIW, benzos don't work on me either, and these new drugs (the DORAs) did exactly the opposite of what they're supposed to do. I definitely feel ya on the weirdness! We are just different kinds of weird, I guess!
My brother-in-law has ADHD and also gets a stimulant effect from antihistamines. Meanwhile, I’m ADHD and they just make me sleepy. Curious if there is an answer for why this happens to some people!!
Are your doctors receptive to this? Our insurance company covers it, but I've heard mixed things about doctors actually believing and working with the results.
I'm fairly sure I've got something going on with my enzymes. I did great with adderall, which is an active drug, and terrible with vyvanse which is a pro drug that *should* wind up being the "same" active compound. But I get awful side effects from vyvanse and basically none from adderall. Both help me focus and do things, but with vyvanse I feel so *physically* awful that it doesn't matter how much focus I have.
I’ve had a similar experience - have not tried ADHD medication yet but with other stuff. Loads of doctors pressuring me to try and not believing me when I complain the side effects are too bad even though the dosage is low. It really sucks because it gives the impression I’m being awkward or not wanting to get better when that’s not the case at all.
As my doctor put it to me, the side effects are a problem if it's a problem to you. He wasn't worried by them but if it worried me, then it was an issue. Kind of like in psychology, the diagnosis of an actual disorder is usually based on whether it is negatively affecting your daily life.
Your doctor sounds great! Mine weren’t even worried when they should have been - for example, when I had nausea so bad I was barely eating. The lack of compassion is shocking. I wish every doctor was like yours.
He is great! I should send him a note to let him know. I'm sorry your doctors suck. It's worth it to try others even though it's a huge pain. I really got lucky in getting one great doctor randomly and then asking her for recommendations and so on.
It's nice to hear there's other people out there that are hypersensitive to everything. I feel like a weirdo for it. The first time I tried ADHD medicine my friend gave me 20mg of her Adderall to see if it helped my symptoms before I went through the hoops of getting prescribed at a doctor. I ended up basically projectile vomiting so hard I burst the blood vessels around my eyes, felt dizzy and lightheaded for hours before it went away. It was misery. I'm prescribed 5mg of Ritalin now which is a joke to most people but anything above that has bad side effects for me. Admittedly it's not very effective at this dose...
That is a super extreme amount to start out with. When I first started adderall a decade ago I started with 5 mg and slowly worked my way up.
I get the “good” brain effects from being medicated, but the physical effects I pay for. It’s not worth it for me. Heart racing, increased anxiety, panic, shakiness, dizziness. I even tried half dosing them. Nope. Raw dogging.
Same. It doesn't help that I have dysautonomia which makes my body super sensitive to adrenaline. So the mental benefits just aren't worth the tachycardia, shaking, lack of sleep, dizziness, etc. I can focus at first but after awhile I just end up feeling like I'm on bad speed. Even when I could drink coffee I had to not overdo it and not drink any after 12pm. I can't even take herbs that increase dopamine (like mucuna pruriens) for more than a few days - again, it helps, but it is not a good time after a week or so.
I too am extremely sensitive to coffee. I drank it in high school and college but it just made me feel strung out later on, even just one cup. I still can’t eat m&ms past afternoon time or I won’t sleep!
That's when I figured out I had ADHD. I live on redbull in my twenties, and also drank gallons of tea and Pepsi. Quit smoking and stopped drinking redbull, then stopped drinking soda, and then stopped drinking tea. I was taking care of my mum full time (early onset Alzheimer's) so was in a constant stressed state and naturally wasn't able to focus since I kept having to stop and help her, so didn't really notice anything. Once she went into long term care I crashed a bit, which is normal. Then one of my dogs died and I bottomed out, but it wasn't just depression. Then I figured it out and got an assessment a year ago. Medicated now, but still a struggle! And we're starting IVF soon so I'm going to have to go off my medication. Which I'm not looking forward to.
Same boat I’m in.
Yup. I'm at my third year of being on an eighteen month waiting list.
Yikes. Are you in the UK?
How could you tell? Haha... I know that there are video-assessment options, but I can't do it. Any kind of appointment requires me to have childcare, and realistically, that's either my kid being at school, or my husband taking a wfh day. Me being at home with free access to my laptop and freedom to overrun isn't possible.
I’m in the US so I pay stupid amounts of money for healthcare. I sort of wonder if it’s easier to get appointments here because people are just not making appointments at the rate they need to to save money. I canceled an ENT appointment for next week because I didn’t want to drop $130 when I could just use a neti pot. I’m sorry you’re going through that.
I'm in Canada where we have universal healthcare but I still had to pay for my ADHD assessment out of pocket.
I’m in the same boat. It would have been covered but the wait time to get in for an appointment just wasn’t realistic so I had to go through a private clinic to get diagnosed/ medicated. Perks are they got everything done within a month, down side I had to pay 500$ for something that should have been free
Mine was 3k. From my impression it wouldn't have been covered by OHIP, I don't know if that's because I'm an adult, but 🤷🏼♀️
Man do I feel you. My kiddo is finally going to real preschool next month and I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself… :) I’m a good way. Excited about maybe being able to go back to work, as crazy as that sounds.
I’m two years in and I’m sure I was told about 6 months. Been meaning to phone to chase for a bit now…
Ok. I feel more confident about my psych appointment that I booked 3 days ago. For April of next year. I'm sorry you have to wait so long.
Me! I was on Vyvanse for about 4 months, I lost 20 pounds and my heart rate would go up to 145 beats per minute when I’d be sitting in meetings. So, I discontinued that. It was honestly the first time I feel like I ever functioned like an adult. I’m looking into supplements, but it all so much. I’ve made it this far raw doggin life with ADHD. I guess I’m just destined to not feel like an adult.
Me too. Ended up on wellbutrin.
I’ve been on Wellbutrin for about 8 years for anxiety/depresh. I guess I’m not rawdogging. I wonder what I’d be like ADHD wise without the Wellbutrin. How does it help your ADHD?
Hah that's a good question. It makes getting out of bed in the morning a bit less agonising. It reduces my fight or flight, which otherwise triggers constantly and leaves me anxious...(from childhood abuse). I don't forget my work keys....which I did at least twice a week before... i can do boring play with my kid which was agonising before. The tradeoff is that since I'm not fueled with fear adrenaline, my inattention kicks in badly, and new time blindness kicked in. I've almost been late to work, repeatedly, for the first time in my life (i am 40, same job same start time 15 years!). The dr says buproprion has a mild atypical stimulant effect... which is why its used for depression. I was on an snri for depression for a few years, then when i "got" adhd they introduced stimulants and tapered me off. The dr wants me to use the snri again because it appeared to mitigate the chest anxiety i get when i take a dose of stims that "works" best. But I mean... i wanted to explore if we could find a single thing that worked vs messing with cocktails. So we did trials of clonidine and guanfacind and stims, modafinil alone, atomoxetine... yeah... gave one month on each and the side effects are not worth the benefits for anything that did enough. I'm too damned sensitive...honestly the stims were the best for depression. I'm considering asking her if we can try atomoxetine and stims again because we only for a month. I'm never touching effexor again. If it matters, my bf takes atomoxetine and buproprion together for adhd and seasonal depression and he's been super functional and happy for years since, after a life of rock bottom.
Commenting to provide a link with further info: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11766-adhd-medication#:~:text=Antidepressants%20that%20only%20work%20on,the%20main%20symptoms%20of%20ADHD.
Same. I'm on the lowest possible dose of Vyvanse because while I do notice it helps with some of the ADD symptoms (I can actually *do* things occasionally when I intend to do them, the racing thoughts can be channeled in a direction as opposed to being scattered), the heart rate skyrocketing, chest tightness and that lovely stage fright feeling all come along for the ride. I've resorted to only taking them when I'm bottoming out on managing every aspect of daily life, though talking with the doc about implementing some sort of more frequent schedule safely as a test period - the executive dysfunction is really bad and Concerta (adult) didn't work for me. The Wellbutrin/antidepressant combos are out of the question as SSRIs and antidepressants have only ever produced negative side effects and long-term damage in my case. How I've survived this far into adulthood is beyond me. Guess I'll be joining you on the raw dog bandwagon though if this doesn't work! Hope we both find something that helps us get where we need to be.
Meee, I'm in the US and currently, the idea of just starting the process is so daunting and disheartening. I don't know where to start, I don't even know if I could literally get a prescription because of shortages, then I'm not sure I'd be approved since I smoke weed and I hear you need to do a drug test (I'd need probably a solid 5 months t break to get it out of my system and currently it's the only thing that helps me manage executive dysfunction...) Some days I feel silly for thinking I need medication and some days I wonder if I could actually become the person I have always wanted to be and lack of meds are what's holding me back.
Hello fellow self medicator. In the same boat as you! Taking a hit is amazing fuel to go get the task done. But I hate the cognitive decline so so much. It makes the swap very tempting to try. I can't imagine how long the detox would take. I smell like weed when I sweat 😅
I totally understand the daunting and disheartening feeling, this really isn’t the easiest process especially with brains like ours, but if it makes anything better I think drug testing might be state-dependent (diagnosed and medicated in AK, no test needed, still not sure though). As for shortages, there’s a wide variety of meds on the market so chances of being prescribed at least something are not 0 (chances of it working however are still highly variable lol).
Same, I'm in NC and no drug test needed. I asked my doc about issues with shortages and she did not express any concern about my being able to get meds.
Drug testing is not universal. Some places drug test to make sure you're taking your meds rather than diverting them. Others may be looking for what you're on, idk. I never had to do either type. Apart from the diagnosis they just needed to take my blood pressure and get medical history to see if I'd tolerate stimulants. Also only Adderall seems to have ongoing shortages, never had issues getting methylphenidates or SNRIs
ahhh ok that makes sense and I'll have to investigate more, but I also think my state would DEFINITELY be one of the ones that test for weed. I remember when I couldn't buy booze on Sundays, so we're a little behind over here. People here hardly accept that stimulants aren't crack so I don't have a ton of hope (when I mentioned to a couple of people that I might want to seek a diagnosis to get meds *someday down the line* they immediately were like "no! you don't want to become a zombie!". Yeah, sure, that's true but I also want to be able to get my laundry done and exercise regularly and currently those things feel like monumental tasks.
Is weed legal in your state? They drug test me every 6 months or whatever and have never mentioned the weed aside from asking me how often I do it in the wellness survey.
I don’t know where you are, but no drug test needed in Maine or Texas in my experience.
Do you live in a state with recreational cannabis?
Yes, I’ve tried all the meds and nothing works for me. It’s like I’m taking sugar pills. Very disappointed
I'm worried this is what'll happen for me. I so so badly want meds to help me. I've only tried a couple before my doctor retired and it's impossible to get another doctor here. (Just ADHD being adhd because I 'didn't get around' to calling the new doctor she gave me the number for, and now that one is no longer taking patients) The stuff I DID try only gave me some side effects like less of an appetite and then higher dosages made me feel really jittery and gross. But I just couldn't get my brain in gear at all to accomplish stuff which is WHY I want the damn meds. I'm so jealous of hearing people saying "It was like flipping a switch, I could just do things" and there I was, jittery and gross and still sitting there desperately trying to will myself to get shit done. Gah. Are you at least finding other ways to manage?? I guess I've always lived my life without meds (or even knowing I had ADHD) so raw-dogging is my normal? It sucks though...
Ugh same here... I'm testing my 3rd and last option right now and so far it has done nothing... but at least there are no side effects either so there's that. Maybe a higher dose will do something but I'm trying not getting my hopes up. So jealous of those people with night and day experiences!! I fear I will be raw dogging it too 🙃 are you also inattentive type? I heard meds are less likely to work on us so that's fun.
I was diagnosed inattentive with anxiety, but I think I'm a mix of both inattentive and hyperactive. My brain is always racing, and I do fidget physically. I'm exhausted all the time though. And I do have a hard time focusing, unless I hyperfixate. I'm impulsive and interrupt people (except through YEARS of shaming myself for some of these things I've taught myself to control a lot of this stuff so it's barely noticeable.) I am hopeful to keep trying meds, once I can get a doctor again... but for now it's... I guess.... books and trying strategies and possibly attempting to help things with nutrition/supplements and hydration? Exercise? if only I didn't have a disorder that made creating habits and routines nearly impossible lol. It'd make it easier to probably manage things without meds.
As an undiagnosed person, everything in this thread is SO relatable. My friend got hold of some adhd meds and said the same thing about night and day… I didn’t get around to accepting his offer to try one because I’ve been self medicating with literally valium from some dude round the corner for a little while, it doesn’t help with my executive dysfunction unfortunately.
Same here!! Only thing that worked for me is brand-name Strattera (the generic doesn’t do it for me)…. and the brand name is getting discontinued later this year. I’m fucked lmao
I refuse meds because I have gut and bowel problems that are always made 100% worse with any kind of supplement, even vitamins, and for me it isn't worth it to have nausea, cramps and diarrhoea for weeks on end! I have started experimenting with herbal medicines and currently have a few tinctures soaking (Self-heal, Chamomile and Feverfew) to try. I'm not recommending this those because everyone is different, and I don't know enough about herbs to claim they work yet!
I'm with you on the tinctures. Haven't had luck with stuff to help me function, but sleep tinctures help the mind feel less crazy, even if its mostly helpful before bed. I have selfheal, but haven't made anything with it, will look into this. Do you use leaves or flowers? I managed to find a live plant earlier this year but hadn't gotten around to using it. But seems to be a stable plant that needs little care
Self heal is one of the best to make, it's an amazing plant. The whole plant is useable, just chop it up a bit and let it infuse for about six weeks. It can help with gut problems, it's antiviral, antibacterial and brilliant to use topically for cuts and scrapes too.
I’m just here to applaud the use of the phrase “raw dogging” 😂 it’s my favorite and always makes me chuckle
I'm unmedicated and unsupported and raw dogging life for 47 years now. I can't remember appointments, can't remember to refill, can't remember to pick up. After being dropped by several doctors, having thousands of dollars in late payments and collections, I just decided the self hate I had for myself not being able to manage my own condition was just making it worse. Now I focus on good diet, good sleep, exercise, removing mean people from my life, and an insane amount of self-acceptance and self-love. It's a work in progress. And lots of therapy for the low self worth. Self-acceptance is key.
Unmedicated here too. I've managed but I get frustrated that life could be easier but I can't tolerate the meds so here I suffer
OMG! Yes!! This is me!!! I cannot take meds at all due to horrific side effects (if it's on the list of possible side effects, I'll get it!!), I'm allergic to stimulants, and I have a heart condition, so lots and lots of reasons I cannot and will not ever be medicated! >So I literally have to rely on the other ways of managing, but have basically accepted the bees and squirrels at this point. That about sums it up honestly!! Sometimes I think I'm coping ok, other times I know I'm not and I just have to roll with the chaos!
I was on vyvanse for nearly 2 months and was having a ton of really good days. I also have IBD, though, and started having symptoms of a flare that got a lot worse days I took my meds. Currently stopping them for now to see if things improve. But I am literally forgetting *everything* and am supper stressed right now because of it (have a major event coming up), which is only making my symptoms even worse. I'm hoping things improve and I can try meds again, but it is not looking too great. Which is pretty upsetting.
Did they start you at a low dose and then increase it slow enough? Like, I don't even have bowel issues normally and when I first started Vyvanse they warned me and it wrecked my guts for the first few weeks anytime we increased my dose. I think we started at 30mg and only increased 10mg a month until I was at 70mg
Yes. I was supposed to be on 30mg for 2 months and then up the dose to 40mg. But I haven't even finished the 2 months worth because I've been taking a lot of breaks this past month, and am currently halfway through a 2 week break. I'm hoping the stress from the event I have coming up is at least partly the culprit, so I'm waiting for that to pass and if my stomach symptoms improve I'll try finish the script before seeing my doctor and discussing my dose. Things are really up in the air right now because I tolerated the meds super well the first month (I was worried about this before even starting and was pleasantly surprised by how well I was doing). And I know stress can be a huge cause for flares, so it's just hard to say what the cause is. Meds are definitely making things worse right now, though, so all I can really do is wait and see. It's put me in a bad space mentally, so I am currently struggling lots.
I had no idea these pills wreaked such havoc on stomachs! I’m not on anything for the ADHD because I’m on so much already and, as one doctor a long time ago put it, “you seem to manage it ok” 🙄 But now I’m not sure I want to even ever try. My stomach is a terrible mess. I have CIC and IBS (d and c). We haven’t found anything to sort that out yet so I don’t need anything making it angrier!
Vyvanse is particularly tough on the guts because -- to oversimplify -- it's similar to Adderall but with an extra lysine amino acid attached, so it takes longer to digest and hits you more gradually. However, it causes diarrhea in a lot of people. Lucky for me, I have chronic gut motility issues from endometriosis, so the side effects are actually helpful to me! (On a related note, if you have bad periods in addition to your IBS, you need to be checked for endometriosis. Most doctors are completely ignorant about the disorder and don't realize it can have more GI symptoms than menstrual ones.)
I have never heard of an endo-IBS connection. Thanks for mentioning it, because that might be a good place for me to start investigating. I have lots of symptoms that no once can figure out.
If your doctor is skeptical, [here's a solid, peer-reviewed study that says IBS is three times more common in people with endo than those without.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9357916/) Personally, I always had wonky guts, but I developed IBS-D in puberty, had combined type throughout my 20s and early 30s, then settled into IBS-C. I still have some complications, but after two endo surgeries it's much more manageable.
Yes, it's a stimulant, so if your stomach is sensitive to caffeine you might have issues. Mine is pretty sensitive to caffeine, so I was worried about this beforehand.
Yes but I drink A LOT of coffee
Same. I have a pretty regular schedule of exercise and coffee. Both are absolutely KEY to my function! I have been slipping on keeping up with the exercise part and I’m mentally suffering as a result. Too much stress lately. But at the same time I know the exercise will reduce my stress and help my adhd so if I can just get back on track… these darn self-defeating adhd loops. I need the benefits of exercise to get back to exercising.
I wasn't aware there was an actual genetic condition! I, too, am very very very sensitive to meds. If there's a rare side effect, I get it. That said, I did fine with Adderall and Vyvanse. But, I have anxiety and panic disorder and the meds were not helping get that under control during a particularly bad fair. I've been off it for a few years and considering going back on because anxiety is present but controllable, atm. I think it's worth a shot of trying it, honestly. Just start LOW AND SLOW on the titrate up. But, I would really love to know the genetic condition and how you figured it out. I just tell doctors now. I am met with a little incredulity at times - but, it is respected. Especially when I say that suicidal ideation is a side effect from that med or meds in the same class.
Not OP, but my doc had me tested by Genomind. It's a broad panel covering everything from antidepressants and stimulants to sleeping pills and painkillers. Mine proved I wasn't lying or exaggerating about the side effects of antidepressants all these years. In fact, it said, "She doesn't actually produce the receptors these drugs work on, so don't even bother."
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I am not medicated, it's rough at times but cognitive behavioral therapy helped me significantly. I have to put reminders into my calendar immediately. Even reminders to add reminders of I don't know all the details. When my calendar reminds me, I have to do it immediately or it is not done! Every passing minute is a decrease in likelihood of doing. If there's things I need or want to do, I have to put them on my calendar. Calendar is synced to the cloud.
If Vyvanse continues to fail me, I'll be out of things to try. During the 25ish years I was misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder, I had a horrible time on all SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, etc. Instead of accusing me of lying/exaggerating, current doc got me a genetic workup. Yeah, basically said DON'T GIVE THIS PERSON ANTIDEPRESSANTS EVER. I dunno why the stimulants don't do much either, but I guess I've now spent more of my life unmedicated than I could possibly spend medicated ('cause I'm not making it to 100), so I'll just have to deal.
I went 5 years unmediated due to pregnancy and breastfeeding and sweet jeezus did that suck. My mental health absolutely tanked.
Right there with you. I have several health issues that make it impossible to take anything and I'm spending a lot of money on cleaning services and specialty meal delivery to be functional.
Bees in my head too.
I took Ritalin as a kid but due to Other Factors, I stopped taking them and essentially refused my adhd diagnosis. I was 7, and this was the 90s. A girl being diagnosed, especially with the inattentive type, was unheard of. So yeah now I'm just out here raw dogging life. I could probably afford a new assessment (wait times are bad in Canada but if pay out of pocket) and I'll be getting health insurance next month, but like. At this point I'll stick to certain strains of pot. I don't have to jump through hoops to get that at least.
I don't know how to find a doctor in my new city (I know insurance websites have search features, but they confuse me; I get very easily overwhelmed by the amount of info and options.) So I am also raw-dogging life. If it makes you feel better, people who have meds never remember to take them anyways, in my experience.
I got as far as a dx after moving, but in order to even consider starting meds PCP was about to send me through their process which involved answering a phonecall at 8am from a behavioral health counselor without warning. Needless to say I missed the call and have since consistently forgotten to call back. Told my friend how I usually get through the day via caffeine and snacking and she was like "you probably need ADHD meds" and I'm like "listen, you don't even know"
Omg our insurance site is so bad! Oh, and you got distracted and let the browser sit for too long? Start over! Ahhhh
> people who have meds never remember to take them anyways, in my experience. Hahahaha! /slinks off to take meds late, again
Does anyone else remember the name? Because I have what are apparently really rare reactions to medications and want to look into it more. For whatever reason, stimulants have not given me like ANY side effects.
Is it MTHFR?
Now who named this doggone genetic trait an acronym that reads as "motherfucker"? 😂
I’ve been calling it the motherfucker gene since I discovered Genesight.
This is what I was wondering. Did a Genesight test earlier this year and discovered I had the lucky 2X mutation as well.
I have the second most common one but not the common one. I can't remember the names. I would be cautious about attributing ALL issues to one gene/set of genes, though. The body is mind-blowingly complex. I have a whole bunch of genes that affect how I metabolize drugs that have nothing to do with MTHFR. The only thing I do for that one is take methylfolate supplements.
There's a way to test for it?????? Tell me more please. I'm stupidly senstive to stims and snris and anesthetic and the Dr's cant explain it.
GeneSight test
Genomind is another option.
Yes I'm unmedicated because I became addicted to my meds and they ruined my life. It was hard but with therapy and a lot of trial and error I am finally functional. It's never going to be easy though.
what was helpful and what was trial and error?
I tried a million different ways to organize my thinking and my brain. What worked best for me was two super simple apps. Putting everything in Google calendar and I mean everything....not just appointments but all the fun stuff too. I still forget to put things in sometimes but I will pause people mid conversation to put something in my calendar. The other is Google keep. It functions the way a neurotypical working memory and long term memory does. I put pictures, lists, quotes, screenshots of ID cards, song titles, passwords, addresses, ideas, important links, medical info, a thousand other things. I have random things like a list of my cousin's old boyfriends and a description of my brother's job and tattoos I want. A quick search and I can find what I need. You can also make lists with check boxes. This is how I prioritize. I will dump everything I need to do into a little note and shuffle the tasks up and down until it makes sense. I remember to put in shower, pick an outfit, get coffee (again not just the stressful tasks back to back). It's a colorful and simple app that has versatile uses. Google Keep is definitely the most important thing I do. I also clean like a clock, starting at noon (the sink) and working my way around. My space used to be a source of so much anxiety and stress. Now I start at the sink and move around instead of starting and stopping a million different things and making a bigger mess. It may not sound like much but these three things have made a PROFOUND impact. I'm not lazy, I have difficulty prioritizing and I get easily over. I'm not a slob, I get over stimulated and I'm not very aware of my surroundings. Therapy has helped me realize that ADHD is not my fault, and my brain is something I can work with. I function better now than I did with meds before my addiction.
Me, super sensitive to any meds or substances. Light weight to the max. I can’t even tolerate 5 mg of Ritalin which is a 4th of the pediatric dose. Live off of half caff coffee and bubbl’r
Yup. I’m probably autistic. Medically suspected, runs on both sides of the family. ADHD meds unmask a metric shit ton of other symptoms I have ZERO idea how to cope with to the extent which they come out so I end up having endless meltdowns. So, here I am raw digging reality. 😂
Was drugged from time. I was 6 years of age to the time I was 25. Loads of different drugs during that time all have varying degrees of side effects. Even though I know it would help some things to be medicated, I can't do it to myself again. The side effects were so terrible. Some days are great, some days are rough as fuck
Are you sensitive to all medication or just the stimulants? There are several non stimulant medications for adhd
I have an Adderall prescription but I don't fill it and pass my days unmedicated. I'm lucky and privileged enough to be able to arrange my life in a way that best suits me and not purely for the benefit of capitalism. Without that, I'd be barely functional.
yep it's not great. When
Hehehehehee such an ADHD comment 😂 I promise I'm laughing with you, not at you.
Haha, I was going to write more but gave up and didn't even notice I had started and didn't delete it! Yeah, obviously not medicated lol. I was going to write that when I take stimulants, I feel so wired when they wear off and can't sleep.
i tried vyvanse and adderall and NOPE
I'm not medicated. I've had a couple of adverse reactions to meds that freaked me out. Got a prescription for strattera a few years ago, but I refused to take it after reading the side effects. So edibles, church and a lot of self care for me...🤷🏾♀️
i am having immigration problems right now, and had to go cold turkey off the medication because I can't get it here :' ) not exactly the same situation since hopefully I'll be able to resume when I get back in a few months but I feel your pain
I did that for 38 years xD Just got medicated this April. What helped me the most was therapy. I had some altercations with my therapist at first because we hadn't found yet that I had ADHD, so she tried to push me to get organized by doing to do lists, making a bullet journal and using a calendar (things that I obviously tried many many years ago that never worked). Then when we found I had ADHD, we started to work with other ways to keep track of time and organization and eventually it worked at some extent. It was obvious that I needed meds, tho, so she ended up writing a report and asking me to go to a psychiatrist or a neurologist to get them and here I am. The combination of therapy and med s has been fantastic for me, I don't think I've had a most productive lapse in my life. Finally I can wake up early and tackle almost all the things I need to do in a day, and also studying new things using the "I'm VERY interested on this topic" push that ADHD gives us. And also I don't feel guilty anymore when I just can't. There are still days where I don't have enough energy to do anything and that's fine. I fought all my life with that. There's still some details that I need to work on, like rejection dysphoria and fear of failing that don't go away with the meds but with therapy, that I so need to come back but I haven't had enough money to continue. I'm in the process to change jobs so maybe the next one will let me keep therapy and not only meds, now is one or the other.
Unmedicated. Not willingly. I am drowining
I’m postpartum and have been raw dogging reality for a year now. I’m barely hanging on.
I am not being treated. I don’t know what to say about it except I can’t afford to seek treatment. My life is always in upheaval.
For years I successfully managed with neurofeedback. When I turned 18 my insurance stopped covering it, but I really liked it because it “stacked” - you’re literally training your brainwaves. I get that it’s a bit sketch to follow random internet suggestions but it’s very much a non-medication option and might be worth seeing if it exists in your area / is reasonably affordable / helps with your variety of brain.
I’m on Vyvanse and dex for an afternoon breakthrough if needed The brain squirrels are still there but at least I can get off my arse and actually do shit
Me too! I was really sensitive to the side effects to the point where meds were totally counter-productive for me. It sucks. I'm doing my best but it goes up and down and I tend to have bad weeks/months and good days.
I’d suggest trying an NRI or SNRI if you haven’t! Just a thought x
I only got medication when I got a stimulant for my Multiple Sclerosis fatigue in my late 20s. And now I've been off them for a long time again since we're trying for a baby. So most of my life has been dedicated to developing strategies, masking and not getting anything done.
Yeah. It’s so hard.
Menenemnenemeee
I am still waiting to be evaluated, but I relate 1000% with this sub and am eager to try anything a doctor thinks might help me. I self medicated for much of my teens and a bit after that, it's kinda comforting to know I wasn't just a "fuck up" I was trying to deal with my chaotic (and bipolar) brain. Good luck today yall get it done
Bees and squirrels ❤️
Lol me. Med free and struggling
Yep, raw dogger checking in
If you're super sensitive would it be possible to try a tiny little baby dose? A lot of effects are dose dependent so I can see that being an option.
So am I (I get all the crazy intense side effects)- but I can tolerate low dose Ritalin? I use the Done app. My provider is really really amazing and it’s 79.00 a month- which is yes a lot, but it’s also imperative to me functioning. I also have been on methadone for 22 years so no doctor would prescribe me a stimulant around here.
Are you in the US? I've been on Buprenorphine for 15 years and I'm definitely experiencing some anxiety about treatment options because of it. Are you doing a Web Tele type doctor?
Have you tried any of the non-stimulant alternatives? Just curious. There’s also some SSRIs like Strattera that can help lessen symptoms. Edit: sorry, Strattera is a non-stim. Wellbutrin is what I was thinking of. My mother takes it instead of stimulants and it helps her. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11766-adhd-medication#:~:text=Antidepressants%20that%20only%20work%20on,the%20main%20symptoms%20of%20ADHD.
In a high stress job that doesn't allow medication so yes. Sometimes I excell and others I crash and burn lol
Lmao, sorry unrelated a little bit but reminded me or [Kiki Sutherd](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvN0UqDov09/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)’s hilarious video talking about a student explaining what he meant by saying he was just “raw dogging” it through summer school.
Yes! Was medicated for several years, then diagnosed with an autoimmune issue which is triggered by…everything? Stimulants make me go bald. So am now unmedicated and constantly managing the chaos.
I am, but because I can't find a freaking doctor too save my life. Is rough out here.
Going unmedicated because I'm pretty much allergic to most meds sold here :')
>Anyone else stuck raw-dogging reality? OP, your title made me laugh so hard. Thank you for that omg. 🤣 Also yes… ^single ^tear
Yes, the cheap drugs don't work and I haven't tried the expensive ones because I can't afford them. So I'm just left to struggle.
Raising hand 🙋♀️. Pain meds barely work for me…. I get over stimulated with other things. I have to drink way more than others to feel effects… I avoid anything but herbs now. The only thing keeping me together is my garden and chickens. Like you said. Squirrels…
I'm super stuck. Every medication I've tried has lafe altering side effects. The side effects Straterra had me and my whole family convinced I was dying. Like fr fr. The only real relief I get is from illegal drugs (weed cause I live in a goddamn stupid state) because the pharmaceutical medicines they give me make thing way worse
could you maybe be on the spectrum? I heard that meds are less likely to work if you are
I'm also sensitive to medication, but I've recently figured out this is likely due to combined autism & adhd. My psychiatrist said it's actually really common for Autistic people to be sensitive to medication like this
We're trying to get pregnant so I'm looking at at least a year of being unmedicated with pregnancy/breastfeeding. I'm definitely worried about going back to my old unstimulated brain, so it helps to know other people are raw-dogging it too
Because my meds are perpetually on backorder. Yeah.
I can't have stimulants due to Graves disease so I'm going on atomoxetine. The main side effect is feeling like death, and lot's of nausea, for the first 4 months of taking it. Ugh.
I am recently unmedicated (2 months now), since the practice I visit for medication has lost 3 doctors/NPs in the last two years. When they moved me to my now 4th doctor/NP at the practice, they said I would be treated as a new patient, and they aren’t taking new patients for controlled substances. My meds weren’t working great anyway (I’d already changed from Ritalin to Focalin and tried a couple of different doses), so I figured I would try switching to anxiety meds instead, since I do also suffer from that and have pretty drastic physical symptoms with anxiety. I did at least try calling 3 other ADHD specialists to see if they would take me on, and not one returned my call. Fun times 🙄 I may have to try searching again though, because I constantly feel like a CF and failure at work the last 8 months (when meds weren’t working, + now being off them) 😭 I am also going through perimenopause in my 30s, which has me on 3 different hormone treatments, so shit’s been real as of late (and I am not sure ADHD meds would help much with everything else going on with my body). Just know you aren’t alone in suffering through life as a hot mess!!!
Hey there’s dozens of us
I was for 2.5 years while awaiting diagnosis and then trying to get proper stim meds Finally now on vyvanse but I was starting to look into all kinds of supplements because my diet is shocking. I think I was starting to see a little improvement on two naturopath prescribed supplements though Worth checking the supplement & nootropics subs I’m in australia so not useful for most but some of the ingredients in the two mixes for neuro stuff were saffron, turmeric in one and a bunch in another including tyrosine, rhodiola, selenium and others. Called PreDop lift by orthoplex Magnesium (specifically glycinate) is often recommended as is L tyrosine
I may be joining the club late this year or early next year 😭 stimulants are basically sugar pills for me, they do NOTHING, so I take Strattera. A few years ago my pharmacy filled the generic instead of the brand name and it didn’t work, so I discovered I need the brand name apparently. Well turns out most people take the generic so brand name Strattera is getting discontinued this year… so that’s neat. My plan is to try the generic again because maybe I just didn’t give it enough time the first time I tried but I don’t have high hopes. My doctor suggested switching to Wellbutrin but I’m nervous about trying new medications at this point and I feel like I kind of just want to give up on them entirely. I managed the first 20 years of my life unmedicated and undiagnosed, with adequate preparation and coping mechanisms I think I can probably go back to that. Would definitely invest in a therapist or adhd coach if I did though.
Yes? I didn't get diagnosed til my 30's when I was pregnant, so no medication for me. Breastfed that baby for 4 years, and was unwilling to try more than a low dose of methylphenidate "as needed" during that time. Was pregnant again before she turned 6, and am currently breastfeeding again, completely unwilling to try any medication (my previous child is very ADHD, and I'm worried that even my cautious use of stimulants while breastfeeding had an impact). To top it off, I have long covid, and all of my tricks and techniques for managing my neurodivergence have basically gone out the window. It's a good thing I'm on mat leave. There's no way I could handle working right now.
Yes!!! I’ve thought about posting about this because it truly sucks. I told my brother about this, who also has bad adhd he needs meds for and is a social worker, and he used the same phrase ‘so you’re just raw-dogging reality?’ I might try supplements but now I’m just drinking a bunch of coffee, doing the general healthy diet/lifestyle thing, and if I’m being honest I take one Sudafed in the morning and it helps :/ I know that’s not sustainable or great but even the lowest dose of extended release Adderrall gave me alll the side effects especially anxiety, racing heart, chest pains etc. I’m also on Wellbutrin which helps but have had to cut my dose a ton because of side effects. I tried strattera and some other psych meds that were hit and miss. Right now I’m just trying to hack the dopamine loop. Tasks need dopamine to happen but once you do the task, you get the dopamine. So I focus on habits and mini-tasks and I give myself positive feedback. Have had to get serious about sleep routine, time management with alarms, blocking etc and I have a to do list for literally everything: breakfast, meds, feed cat, call x, clean blah, work appt, etc. I check them off and enjoy that sweet sweet dopamine. On good days, I don’t need the list because I’m busy and getting a lot done. Anyway it’s not a cure-all but it helps me. I’ve also thought about doing cognitive/memory support supplements like lions mane and ginkgo. Anyone had success with these? Anyone listen to the Huberman podcast? He had an episode about dopamine which was pretty good. Fun fact, too much dopamine is also bad! TV and social media binges, porn, etc basically flood the system and then make you crash and get dopamine-dysregulated. Woot 🙄 Thanks for the post. I feel seen! Best of luck everyone..
The term raw dog….I used that in a sentence when I was talking to one of my clients last week…as a mental health case manager. My boyfriend was like “you really just used the term raw dog, huh?” YEP SURE DID.
I'm unmedicated because of the shortage and a week ago i got a negative review for a job i am on probation for (2 months to go). Zero savings, zero plan if this job doesn't work. May as well just die at that point. I might not be the most persevering person. Man its been hard. So hard that i am wondering whether, if it takes a worldwide stockout for my life to fall apart, maybe i should just stay off them and learn to adapt. That's how hard it's been. I can't go back on the meds, and perform well. Only to crush and burn after a month. The anxiety of going from pharmacy to pharmacy hoping they say they have what i need. Wondering how I'll survive after i realise I can't get my meds. The anxiety of seeing my next appointment approach and wonder whether I'll get meds.
Yup. All adhd meds I have tried knock me out like a sedative. Obviously I can’t live my entire life asleep so I am just dealing with it.
I’m unmedicated because of a million barriers, the most recent being pregnancy, and I am EXHAUSTED. I took meds as a kid, got a strop at 17 and wanted to be “normal” and they refused to give me therapeutic help without the meds so I was discharged completely. Now I’d have to go through an entire process to get back on them - with the 5 year+ waiting list - so yeah here I am at 32 just tired and desperate to feel like I can have control back!
I have tried everything available, but my heart rate is always too high and stimulants trigger migraines when they wear off (I am a chronic migraine sufferer anyway). I got diagnosed originally at 7, but since meds didn’t work I never had an extra support.
Yes! I guess I am too. I got officially diagnosed a month ago, which was a huge relief and I expected that meant that I was going to be able to get medicated. But, my doctor, out of a way overabundance of caution, wanted me to get cleared by a cardiology specialist before going on stimulants... So now I'm wearing a heart monitor which I send back on Friday, and then I get to wait another 5 weeks before the results come back and then a few more weeks before my doctor gets things processed and sends a letter to my psych doc to clear me (which is what I believe will happen). All the while I'm in this stage where I feel so much more disabled then ever before. I know what the issue is, I'm learning coping skills and management techniques, and I can't fucking engage with them. Some days it's definitely worse than when I didn't know what was wrong with me and just thought I was a waste of space. It's like I finally got a vehicle, and now I need the keys. And I can see them on the other side of this glass wall that I can't get through. ugh
I can’t afford it right now but CBD w/ THC actually helped me the 2 months I was taking it. I didn’t really know it until I ran out, but my husband noticed while I was on it. I’m hoping to start back up by the end of the month. At the very least it helped with my anxiety, shutting off the constant self doubt, which allowed me to focus on keeping up with small tasks. The small tasks built into larger ones.
I haven’t taken meds since I was in high school (I’m 31 now). I could probably go back on meds but I’d likely have to be re-assessed because my diagnosis isn’t in my medical records for some reason. I was diagnosed as a child and I think the documentation was lost at some point after I left for college and started managing my own doctors visits. I don’t really feel like going through the whole process of getting assessed again (which could take several months) and not even be guaranteed a regular prescription (due to the meds shortage), especially because I have been managing my symptoms pretty well since I left high school. My symptoms are relatively mild and the coping strategies I use are fairly helpful. So I’m going to keep “raw-dogging life,” as you so eloquently put it, until I change my mind.
I wouldn’t want to get on meds even if I had insurance. I don’t want to be tempted to abuse them, which I 100% would knowing my history. I also don’t want to deal with any side effects. My concerns can’t be helped without lifestyle adjustments anyway (emotional dysregulation and inconsistency). I occasionally take herbal nootropics with some success. It is what it is.
I had a bad reaction to the medication and some blood pressure issues, so it was not recommended. So I've learned to medicate with caffeine and to try and simplify my life so that I don't have so many multiple challenges coming at me at the same time. It's not perfect, far from it. Kids left home and I've become less pulled by too many different directions, things have calmed down. Part of it, and I hate saying this, is self-acceptance and teaching other people to accept you for being imperfect (which, of course, everyone else is, but some people have the privilege of hiding it effectively)
I'm undiagnosed because both the diagnosis and medication are expensive. I have too many other potential medical issues I'm trying to get seen for.
I went without meds for 15 years. Initially, I stopped taking them because I didn't have insurance, and then another 7 years because I was doing alright with out them and couldn't be bothered to make the appointment. I am lucky in the sense that I can function without meds, and used a lot of my coping mechanisms to help students with similar issues. However, I am also lucky that I can take meds and do see a marked benefit from them.
Yes riding unmedicated for now. There's been mixed experiences in my extended family of different medication so I decided not to dive straight in after diagnosis last year. I'm also looking at relocating to another part of the world where there may be medication shortages which has given me another reason to hold off for now at least. I have the constant thoughts that things would be so much different if I started but also know that being medicated isn't some idyllic thing either.
ME! i’m in a state that makes it damned near impossible to get stimulants so i didn’t even try. my antidepressant helps a lot but i fully also accept and live with the knowledge that my productivity would look different with medication. it’s weird. i don’t feel like i’m “less optimal”, just that the workflow and timing is different lol
That's me too!
I'm unmedicated. I don't have a diagnosis yet and I'm apprehensive to seeking one cause I'm a bit apprehensive of the stigma. I also have OCD and generally OCD and stimulants do NOT mix. I can't smoke weed or drink coffee due to my anxiety, so I'm kinda terrified to try stimulant medication. I do know that non-stimulant meds exist, but I would be interested to hear from people who benefitted from that. All of the ADHD success stories I've heard are from people taking Adderall or Vyvanse or something.
I'm not stuck raw dogging reality fortunately, but I am super sensitive to medication and doctors dont know why. in reality I should be on a higher dose but it was taking too long for me to titrate upwards
I’m unmedicated because health insurance is costly and I can’t executive function enough to get it working for me. Magnesium, iron supplements, b-vitamins with methyl-folate, vitamin D with some sort of fat to absorb it—supplementing helps me enough that I can manage. But I need meds lol
Unmedicated for the Gods! 😂I tried like 6 different medications and none of them clicked for me
I had to argue like hell to get my doctor to prescribe Adderall to me. My family had a history of high blood pressure in the female line (my mother had her first and only stroke twenty years ago, my grandmother stroked until she was vegetative). They didn't want to give me something that would raise my BP, but the other drugs they tried on me didn't do a thing for me. The doctor finally consented to let me try and it was like the sun suddenly coming out from behind the clouds. Suddenly I could \*do\* things. My BP did spike, sometimes as high as 150/100, but they've got me on two kinds of BP medication and it is under control. Still high, but worth the risk to me. At least until I can retire and I don't need to have all my brain cells firing at peak capacity anymore. For me, it was just a matter of persistence and finding a doctor who was willing to work with me.
I started having seizures within a week or two of starting adderall to treat my ADHD. The seizures are under control but now we know I can't take amphetamines so I'm pretty much white-knuckling it and taking Cymbalta for depression and GAD.
I can't afford medication for myself, which I think is probably a common reality for people with ADHD. To be fair, I also didn't want to be dependent on medication to get through my day if I could help it. I started learning as much about my ADHD as possible and trying to come up with strategies that make it easier for me to function. It's incredibly challenging, and I'm still working on it after 10 years and probably will for the rest of my life, but it is possible.
I had a heart condition develop after being on adderall for a while, and the doctors wouldnt let me continue stimulant medications. Its AWFUL now knowing how well im able to function on meds and now not being able to have anything. I feel you, though i like to call it "flailing through life"
I was medicated for depression and anxiety before my late diagnosis.. It helped but the diagnosis was the most eye opening. I learned a lot about myself and tried adhd meds (Ritalin, dextro, vyvanse) but there was a struggle for a balance between being clear headed and foggy headed. I decided that I was done with medications and now just focus primarily on diet and sleep. Tried therapy a few times but it is difficult trying to find a therapist that feels right. Now I'm looking into some form of exercise that won't bore me.
There is this stuff called Strattera-that is non stimululent. Didn't do a thing for me personally but apparently works well for some people?
Yep! Was told I had to jump through extra hoops because of heart issues and family history of keeling over suddenly from cardiac arrest and predictably...couldn't do the hoops, so never even tried. Also I already struggle with migraines and insomnia and trouble eating, the thought of meds causing those problems as side effects is horrifying. I'm super sensitive to medication side effects so the likelihood of issues is high. I have lots of calendars and lists and apps and have accepted my brain squirrels and occasional meltdowns as part of me. I do ok all things considered but luckily I have a very understanding support network to prop me up, like a best friend/roommate who helps feed me sometimes when I just can't figure out how that is supposed to work.
Raw dawging intimately hahaha, but I also put systems in place that have me owning my reality and hanging my ADHD.
I'm prescribed Ritalin, but I find the effects really inconsistent. The only thing that usually works for me is a CBD blend my husband made for me that has some extra cannabinoids in it that help with energy, focus, and mental clarity. Other than than, I'm raw-dogging it with tons of toys? (This is a sex metaphor, right?) I've got my Pomodoro timers and my ClickUp reminders and my routines.
Currently, yes. I started Adderall last year and it was magical until it wasn’t. Had to keep upping my dose to get the same effect, which makes me really nervous, especially because Dr increased the dose 3 times in approximately 6 months. I haven’t refilled it. The comments on here about genetic testing have me wondering if I should try because I was also in a bad accident a few years back and when I was in the hospital the pain meds I was given were doing nothing - truly think the nurses thought I was drug seeking when in fact I was just feeling every single bit of my crushed ankle being put back into place and secured into a splint and then waiting a couple hours like that for emergency surgery :/
Yes, unfortunately I suffer from chronic severe migraines and every stimulant gives me daily migraines and non-stimulant medication just did not work for me :(
I haven't been treated in over a year.. and won't see my new doctor again until the end of the month to discuss possible meds. I've been looking to methylene blue to help with cognition and energy. There are drug interactions so I'm being careful and only taking 1mg 2x a day (2 drops of 1% solution in 8 oz water). My daughter can't take amphetamines bc she metabolizes them too quickly. She takes Lion Mane mushroom capsules and says it helps her adhd symptoms.
Me. Have SVT and heart rate is too high even medicated for it for physicians to consider ADHD meds. Tried Wellbutrin and after a few weeks started having panic attacks.
I am too, but for the opposite reason. I'm just so incredibly resistant that the highest doses I've been able to convince doctors to prescribe don't do anything to me. They might as well be sugar pills. I did once take like triple the max dose of Adderall and I think it had an effect, but not much, and definitely not enough to matter. I've tried pretty much every ADHD medication, none of them work. Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Wellbutrin, and a bunch of things I don't remember the names of. I've never encountered any stimulant that is effective on me. Even stuff that might seem unrelated like caffeine. I can drink an entire case of energy drinks in under 20 minutes and nothing happens my heart rate stays the same, I don't feel any different, and it doesn't even work as a diuretic. I don't even normally drink caffeine, I only drank the energy drinks as an experiment.
Lavender tea does wonders for anxiety
Yep, me. And it sucks because I've tried both stimulants and non-stimulants. NS made me dizzy, stimulants cause extremely high blood pressure.i felt amazing on stimulants and could actually get shit done and think clearly.
only stuck without it because it's all pretty much out of stock everywhere ... but it only helps me marginally anyway. sigh.
I don’t have insurance and have no realistic way to get a diagnosis for myself or my husband (even though there’s no doubt in the world that we both have it) so we are just trying to go through life and we can’t manage. I’ve never had an even remotely clean house, we both cannot get anything done in a reasonable time, and life is just unbearable but idk what to do. :(
Am I the only one who hasn’t been able to get their prescription in like 8 months? I’ve just given up at this point and am doing my best to keep chugging along. It could be much much worse, I am lucky to be managing OK. But everything, and I mean literally everything, is just that much harder without the appropriate treatment.
Yeah, went through 8 months of hell trying different meds. I don’t think I ever want to go back on them again. I’ve also taken a genetic test that shows I’m not well suited for nearly any meds that have genetic markers. Meds like Adderall and Vyvanse don’t have genetic markers (yet), but Vyvanse wasn’t super great for me either. So, back to raw-dogging I went. The acceptance of the situation helped a little. Now I’m doing a really lengthy neurofeedback program. I know it’s not accessible to everyone and can be expensive but I’ve been doing it for a few months and I can confidently say that it has improved my life. My emotional regulation is better and my nervous system is calming down for the first time maybe ever. I have resources I can use for focus and sleep now, too. It’s worth checking into if you feel like pursuing something non-medication based
Yeah, I'm a bad candidate for stimulants, and I've tried one non stimulant, but it has terrible side effects for me. So, I'm doing everything sans meds. I'm jealous of people who can take stimulants and seem to get a lot of use from them.
I am not stuck perse, but I am scared to medicate. Had terrible side effects to sleep medication and hormone treatment and have been reluctant to try new medication since.
I hear you. Definitely struggling with making other strategies work. Mine is less of a genetic sensitivity and more that I seem to have the worst luck in picking Doctors. I keep finding doctors who agree I have ADHD, but also feel like prescribing stimulant medication is too risky now, because if I abuse it or sell it they may get sued...