this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023

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ADHD

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hello! finally getting on the lemmy bandwagon (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I was diagnosed at 36 (2 years ago), unmedicated so far, too many antidepressants to be taking add meds, hopefully changing it this fall. Good luck to all of you

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

Funny meme.

27, got diagnosed about 1year ago and have been decreasing my anti depressants since then and will start my ADHD meds tomorrow. Here's hoping you get there too!

Kinda scared though not gonna lie, because I read the fucking side effects... Shouldn't have...

Edit: Thought I should give you all some feedback. Took the meds and I'm feeling fine. It's a very small dose for now though. 2.5mg which according to my Dr. should be barely noticeable but we'll adapt as time goes by.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

it's always a trade-off with effects and side-effects. some meds i couldn't deal with the side-effects. some i can, when the main effects are worth it. try them out, you can always go back

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What side effects are you scared of? (I'm nearly 40, got diagnosed and been on medication for about 6 years)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Concerta/Ritalin. Heart failure apparently and potential dependency :/ (not sure if these are the exact conditions in English as I'm not from an English speaking country)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was also afraid of becoming addicted to them. Considering I can't remember to take them, I probably won't have to worry about that

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Lmao that's too funny. But great news too :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

First up - I’m not a doctor, just well versed in this subject as a layman, I’m offering reassurance not medical advice.

If you’re talking about serotonin syndrome you might be worrying too much. It’s a very rare condition, and it is important to understand the side effects and what you need to look out for. If you’ve been honest with your doctor about what medications you take and how much you drink etc, their job is to provide you with the safe medications and advice to treat your condition. Try not to let anxiety about potential side effects creep in. You’ve done the right thing and informed yourself. Stick to your prescription, follow your doctor’s advice about alcohol and lifestyle, and don’t fuck around with your dosages. I’m sure you’ll be ok. This is an exciting time for you. You’ve been working towards this for a year and a new chapter in your life starts tomorrow. You have every reason to look forward to it Waker.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Hey! Thanks, that was a very wholesome read. I usually just lurked around the R named place, but lemmy is lemmy :)

I think the brand name is Concerta/Ritalin and apparently it's been connected to heart failure. And obviously has dependency concerns but... Yeah I'm probably worrying too much.

I don't drink alcohol at all or smoke anything, but I do take too much caffeine. I'll start to reduce it not only for myself but also because my shrink said that, while it's not absolutely necessary, I should try to cut back.

Maybe I'm confusing fear with excitement. :)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which meds?

When I started taking adderall at about your age I felt similar so I tried to make sure I was covering all of my bases-exercise, sleep, diet, supplements, organization.

I’d suggest trying to stick to some new, productive, habits for the first 3-6 months. That will go a long way and set you up to be able to do less or get off over time, ime. Learn healthy habits with medication, easier to do them off the meds.

Good luck!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Concerta

Oh that's great to know! That's what I'm trying to do as well. A bit apprehensive on the exercise because the meds are supposed to mess with your heart and I'm way out of shape. I'm more active for sure, that was part of of getting off some anti depressants.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Consistency over quantity has worked well for me. Getting outside early, as close to when you wake up as possible, and going for a walk is a good way to build up to jogging. 15-30 min of cardio does a lot for cognition, doesn’t have to be intense either.

I regularly exercise on 10-15mg of adderall, and while I definitely sweat more and my HR is higher, I’ve never felt like the meds have made it dangerous to workout for my heart.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thank you so much! Your feedback has left me more at ease. I was likely overthinking it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Overthinking? With adhd??! Lol, I get that. Glad it helps! Nice with the small community here, seems more genuine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not been formally diagnosed but my doctor thinks I have ADHD. Been on antidepressants for about 15 years. Am also taking other meds that seem to help the ADHD symptoms as a side effect. Not really sure how to move forward though. Getting an ADHD diagnosis seems to be less common here though (Australia). Any advice?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I started with a general doctor but after 6months of just anti depressants and no real results I decided to book an appointment with an ADHD expert Dr. After being followed for close to a year now and changing anti depressants I've started ADHD meds today.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Haha genuinely lol’d. Thank you for the laughs

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you wanted to, you could ask your local pharmacist if ADHD meds and stimulants counteract. I don't think they do but i am not the person you should be listening to on that. A pharmacist on the other hand may actually know more about interactions between drugs than your prescriber would.

I've got anxiety, depression and ADHD and I choose to focus on medicating the ADHD instead of the others because for me I have anxiety about not performing well at work and losing my job and access to ADHD meds and depression from feeling inadequate about being able to use my brain properly to perform well at my job. But prior to settling on that, i was taking stimulant meds with antianxiety meds to see if they would work for me, as prescribed by a psychiatrist. But hey, you may already know this about yourself and if so, great!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Same for me. The list of drugs I tried for depression/anxiety before I got diagnosed with ADHD is very long. Treating the ADHD works better for me than any antidepressant. Most of my depressive episodes these days occur when I stop taking my ADHD meds.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

i luckily have a specialist in adult ADD that diagnosed me. We're preparing for my next stage in meds hopefully.

i am glad you found what works for you. i'm still finding out so thanks for helping. much love

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Best of luck to you on your journey!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Wellbutrin was the first thing my bf was prescribed for ADHD, which is also an antidepressant. And I think you can take it at the same time as Adderall? Because his doctor discussed potentially trying that at one point but maybe that's incorrect.

He's only been on Adderall though and it's worked well for him from what I can see

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It sounds like you might be seeing a specialist which is so important. I don’t know if general practitioners can prescribe stimulants in your country, but a good psychiatrist as your partner in the journey is vital - all cases are unique. I hope you feel like you have a health care provider who listens to you genuinely looking to understand your experience and work with you on improving it. I understand it’s good practice to start with the antidepressants as they can offer significant improvement without stimulants. If stimulants are deemed necessary they can be introduced once the depression stabilises. Rolling along for two years, sounds like a journey but you’re getting some traction now. Have you struggled to find the right antidepressant?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

yeah it was tough finding antidepressants that work and don't fuck me up. I had bad withdrawal from one of them, so i was very hesitant to start again. but now I have one that helped, but it feels as if my add got worse. So I'm seeing my ADD specialist again to swap anti-depressants for vyvanse hopefully (or even take them together)

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