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I really don't feel that much better to be honest. I mean, my anxiety is a little better, and i will find myself just a tiny bit more better at finishing things, but I am still not feeling much different.

I am only at 25mg...very low compared to some of the personal reviews i have read.

But even at this low dose, i have had many side effects. The worst is the insomnia, constipation, and break through bleeding. At only 25mg, I am scared to go higher if i am already getting all that at such a low dose.

My doctor doesn't really seem to be all that 'in' to my care. When I first went ot him I said 'I think I might have ADD or ADHD' his immediate response was "we can try these drugs"

It wasn't a 'why do you think that' or anything like that. So i am actually not looking forward to my appointment on Thursday with him.

If i just totally stop right now i will get this ROCKING headache. I forgot to take a pill about a week ago and though my brain was going to crack...it hurt.

uggg....this finding meds crap is for the birds.

Fill out a Jasper-Goldberg Assessment tool prior to each appointment with your doctor and give it to him. Your doc probably gets requests all the time for amphetimines because they are performance enhancers even for people who don't have adhd. Here is a printable one.

http://www.healthyparent.com/ADD-AdultQ.pdf

You physician should use a screening tool like this to help guage need for medications and improvement when on medications. Usually you can tell more quickly when a med change is needed by monitoring via these assessment tools.

Most adult patients seem to do better on Vyvance or Adderal but physicians with less experience with adhd tend to shy away from these medicines.

Did your physician start you at 25 mg or titrate you up to that slowly? Even a low dose like that should be titrated slowly to minimize side effects.

Treating ADHD takes some time and effort to match the right drug to the patient at the right dose. Most doctors dont have the experience or patience to do this correctly. You may need to find a doc more experienced in treating afult ADHD.

Your dose is likely too low to control your symptoms, but because you are experiencing these side effects you may need to try another drug.

To help with the insomnia i would recommend melatonin. Also taking omega 3 is recommended for ADHD. I like mega red.

The following is copied and pasted from additudemag.com:

PROTEIN

Foods rich in protein — lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, soy, and dairy products — are used by the body to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by brain cells to communicate with each other. Protein can prevent surges in blood sugar, which increase hyperactivity.

“Because the body makes brain-awakening neurotransmitters when you eat protein, start your day with a breakfast that includes it,” says Laura Stevens, M.S., a nutritionist at Purdue University and author of 12 Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child: Drug-Free Alternatives. “Don’t stop there. Look for ways to slip in lean protein during the day, as well.”

BALANCED MEALS

Hallowell suggests that you divide your lunch and dinner plate in the following way: Half of the plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, one fourth with a protein, and the remaining fourth with a carbohydrate, preferably one rich in fiber — whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice.

This combination of foods will minimize swings in behavior caused by hunger or by a shortfall of a particular nutrient. Fiber prevents blood-sugar levels from spiking and plummeting, which can increase inattention.

Brain-Boosting Supplements

“Many diets are deficient in key vitamins and minerals that may improve attention and alertness,” says Brown. Supplements can often fill in the dietary gaps.

MULTIVITAMIN/MULTIMINERAL

If your child is a picky eater or eats lots of take-out food, he won’t get the daily recommended value of vitamins and minerals. A daily multivitamin/multimineral will ensure that he does, no matter how finicky he is.

B VITAMINS

Studies suggest that giving children who have low levels of B vitamins a supplement improved IQ scores (by 16 points) and reduced aggression and antisocial behavior. “Vitamin B-6 seems to increase the brain’s levels of dopamine, which improves alertness,” says Brown.

ZINC, IRON, and MAGNESIUM

Zinc synthesizes dopamine and augments the effects of methylphenidate. Low levels of this mineral correlate with inattention.

Iron is also necessary for making dopamine. In one small study, ferritin levels (a measure of iron stores) were low in 84 percent of ADHD children compared to 18 percent of the control group. Low iron levels correlate with cognitive deficits and severe ADHD.

“Adequate levels of magnesium have a calming effect on the brain,” says Brown.

End cut and paste.

I have found this website really helpful for me personally (I have ADHD, as well as my BH and 2 of my kids): http://www.sharischreiber.com/ADD.html

Feel free to PM me if I can help.

Strattera never did anything to me other than make me nauseous (above 50 mg).

Amphetamines were great, though, with no nausea.

Strat isn't classed as a stimulant, so you can get a refillable 'script. It has at least lots of the same side effects, though. I figure Swire paid someone off to get it classed as a non-stimulant.

guanfacine - Tenex & Intuniv - are non-stimulants. I tried Intuniv, but got hit with one of its side effects - sleep disturbance. It's a soporific, so I fell asleep quickly, but IIRC I had awful dreams that woke me after a few hours of good sleep. A cousin who's a shrink said she sometimes prescribes it to be taken half at night and half in the AM, but I had given up on meds for me by that point.

You might check out Edward Hallowell's books on dealing with AD(H)D as well as the author suggested by Bax.

Personally, I'd take a headache for a couple of days to get rid of nausea forever, but it's probably better to talk to your doc first. There may be a way to avoid both. Of course, that means you have to remember to call him, which is so difficult with AD(H)D....

Good luck - a med that works for this is a godsend.

[This message edited by sisoon at 1:47 PM, October 23rd (Wednesday)]

Of course, that means you have to remember to call him, which is so difficult with AD(H)D

I know that this is supposed to be funny....but soooo true.

BH said he didn't use Stattera with any of his ADHD patients. He did say he found it to be very effective with a few patients (some of his colleagues used it), but his experience was that it wasn't effective for most so he would try other meds first.

I don't think intunive is approved for use to treat ADHD in adults. It works better for hyperactivity and impulse control I think.

What kind of doc are you seeing? You should have had an assessment done to see if you in fact HAVE ADHD before giving you meds -- many different things can present with ADHD-like symptoms. So it may be that its not working because you don't have ADHD. You should see a psychologist first, or a psychiatrist. If this is a psychiatrist but he didn't do a thorough assessment you need a new doc!

That said, even if it is ADHD, its completely common that the first med you try is not the one that works. So it may be you need a different class of med. But I think you need a different doc -- its irresponsible to give you psychoactive drugs without assessing.

During the stresses of the A my psych said give it a try he started me on a lower dose than 25 and I was supposed to titrate up. I do have ADHD was a Ritalin kid. I took it less than a week. It did nothing but make me wanna rip everyone's head off from 3-6 pm. I stopped it. I just dealt with the anxiety with a benzo and was vigilant with my list making It was a struggle for about 2 months but then got better.