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Re: ADULTS W/ ADD AND MEDS THAT WORK

Posted by jim on September 6, 1998, at 8:27:45

In reply to ADULTS W/ ADD AND MEDS THAT WORK, posted by TRACIE on July 28, 1998, at 13:08:51

> I HAVE TAKEN RITALIN FOR 2 YRS AND NOW CHANGED TO
> ADDERALL 20MG 2XDAILY BUT ON MY OWN I HAVE TRIED IT 3
> TO 4 TIMES A DAY DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE MY
> TASKS.I HAVE HAD TWO SURGERIES IN THE PAST SIX MTHS &
> HAVE GAINED 30 LBS WITHOUT ANY LUCK OF LOOSING AT THIS
> TIME.MY METABOLISM IS SHOT AND I HAVE LITTLE ENERGY TO
> COMPLETE THINGS.I ALSO TAKE DEPAKOTE FOR MY MIGRAINES
> (IMITREX DID NOT WK)THE ADDERALL,I HAVE NOW TAKEN FOR
> 8 WEEKS,I WANT TO HEAR FROM OTHERS, I AM 38 YRS OLD.

Hi Traci,

Hang in there - sorry to hear about your difficulties. I am 40 and suffer from migraines and am learning to live w/ADHD.

I was diagnosed with the migraines about 10 years ago. I have seen several doctors about it (due to moving, retiring, changing ins plans...) but between 'only' having ~2 migraines/month, never being able to find a prophylactic that worked, and finding that Midrin (and later Imitrex) were effective symptomatic approaches, I am not on daily stuff for the migraine.

So after seeing my year-old marriage disintegrate, my suspicions of this ADHD stuff grow, and the level of complexity in my life grow to the point something needed to change, about 3 months ago I went to a recommended doctor who gave me a computer-based TOVA test. It indicated I had ADHD but primarily with the component of distractability as opposed to impulsivity.

I started on Ritalin about the time my wife moved out and the stuff worked pretty good but the effectiveness seemd to taper off after a month or so. I was at 60 mg/day. The doc switched me over to adderall at 20 mg/day. The dosing fits my lifestyle better (i.e., fewer times a day doesn't require me to remember to take it!).

This stuff is a scream. I can sit down and get stuff done. The house is almost transforming itself! The little adderall elves have almost finished cleaning my office at work too. I'm getting projects completed that should have been finished years ago and started grad school this semester. I don't sit down at my computer to get work done and hold down the ALT-TAB keys and watch the windows rotary at 90 mph trying to figure out what project I want to get back into for the next 60-120 seconds prior to 'vectoring' again.

If I could just get my wife back. It warmed my heart to see Julie's post that her husband was accepting of her symptoms. I think most of the problems in my marriage can be tied to this ADHD in some way or another. She can't seem to come to terms with it, me, or my new changes. Go figure. There are definitely some advantages to ADHD - it's not all bad. That's not to say I wouldn't be shed of it given the opportunity - it amazes me sometimes that other people can't seem to 'think around corners' like it seems I sometimes do. (My favorite term about this stuff.)

I have lost weight but that's OK too. I was carrying ~20# too many and am also getting back into shape to run races and marathons again.

The only advice I can give is three things:

1) Keep trying to find a doctor that WORKS FOR YOU. I never cease to be amazed at how many of them are total hammerheads. You'd think that the hurdle of all those years of school might indicate their intelligence would be higher than the rest of us but it seems doubtful - maybe they are just white mice that learn to run the maze a little better than others. You sound like yours is probably OK.

2) I am not a 'running nut' but I can say it has helped me immensely. If you can't run - walk! Just get out and do something regularly and consistently. When stress is eating me up I leave it all out there on the road during a run. I think it would address some of the migraines, sleep problems, and possibly appetite as well. I think some form of exercise is soooooo important for soooooo many different reasons. If you can't run/walk get a bike. There is an activity of some sort for all of us.

3) Since migraines and ADHD are both undoubtedly related to some sort of brain chemical imbalance, any/all of us would be fools for not trying to be sure we are getting all the nutrients/vitamins/whatnot that we should. While I don't eat right, I have started to eat one of those multivitamin pills when I 'should'.


I hope things work out for you. Keep pluggin' away at it.

Jim


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:jim thread:208
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990301/msgs/545.html