ADHD and research

At ten this (hypothetical) morning I remembered that I have a meeting at six. And then from 11 through 3 I worked on other stuff and had zero thoughts about that meeting. Maybe even thought about what I was gonna do with my evening at home. Got attached to the idea of taking the time to make a good dinner, maybe play some video games.

And then at three I said, "Oh! Fuck!" and remembered again, hopefully long enough to set an alarm. And then I went to the bathroom and remembered that I need to clean the counter and spent twenty minutes cleaning the bathroom and went to get a snack and then at five I said, "OH! FUCK!" and had to scramble to dress like a real adult and get out the door.

if you need to set an alarm to remember to eat — it’s good that you found a way to get yourself to eat!

if you need to put sticky notes all over the house in order to remember to do chores — amazing, incredible, it’s good that it works for you!

if you have a timer that reminds you to drink water — fantastic that you’re staying hydrated!

I can’t speak for all a ADHD meds, only Adderall, so someone else can always chime in here if they are on another med! 

What I have learned is that when you take Adderall, it can be good to make a game plan. If you need things to be done, make sure you are set to do it. Because it does make you focus better, but if you get distracted with lets say video games for example, your meds might really let you focus on video games and you will not accomplish your tasks lol. I do find my mind is a lot quieter and it tends to lower my RSD symptoms. It can be hard to describe but I do feel generally more stable? 

I do think I have room to go up on dosage on my meds tho, but my experiences so far have been positive. I have been able to draw again, something I could not do without Adderall (I have talked about that a bit more on my blog about how it has helped, if you search through my adhd tags you should find it). 

I haven’t taken college classes with it it yet, but I have taken those free online classes for fun and I DO find that it helps. When I’ve been on it, I can take notes and actually understand and remember the material. I sometimes I struggle to read long paragraphs, but generally I can actually process the material. I remember reading an article and taking notes as my Adderall went off, and I found myself completely unable to focus and write notes and felt my brain getting frustrated. There is a very noticeable difference. 

For me, it takes about 30 minutes to fully kick in after I take it. It stays in my system for about 4 hours. Keep in mind there are symptoms, the biggest ones for me are lack of appetite and unable to sleep when meds are in your system (which is very normal). I have sleep issues, so it keeps me awake during the day, so it is my saving grace for that alone tbh.

basic summary: it does help me focus, I can find that I can read and process information better, I do feel like my mind is a lot clearer, I generally feel less hyperactive and more stable, and all around just feel a lot more capable of handling tasks. I get less frustrated about things. My RSD does not affect me as bad. 

Concerta: 

Concerta stays in your system for about 6 hours, depending on dosage and your body.

All meds have different side effects for each person. I personally experienced the following:

insomnia (slightly common)

lack of appetite (very common, although not to the degree where you aren’t eating 3 meals a day)

(on high dose) Depressive episodes (uncommon if you do not have depression)

worse anxiety (common if you have anxiety)

(because of worse anxiety) worse rsd

It also made me feel as if i lost my personality when i was on it. I felt like a completely different person on weekends and holidays when i didn’t take it

how it helped:

focus

hyperactivity (to an extent)

My conclusion about Concerta:

 Look i was on it for 8 years, it works to help focus. Now that i’m on Stratera i will never go back personally. I know plenty of people who find that Concerta is the best for them and they don’t experience many of the side affects that i had.

Ritalin:

Stays active in system for about 4 hours. Personally experience huge crash after, but i know people who don’t.

I’ve only ever taken in conjunction with Concerta or Stratera, so I can’t tell you what it’s like by itself.

I find this great for supplementing my focus when I’m tired and need to study or do homework. 

I typically am not hungry the evenings when I take it, bu that may just be because i feel very tired.

Stratera :

My current medication. Not sure how long exactly it stays active in your system for, but at least 24 hours.

Stratera is a non-stimulant medication. It is also extremely long acting.

My Side effects:

when i was getting used to it it made me a bit grumpy

tired soon after taking it (which is why you take at night)

I don’t experience that many side affects from Stratera, but i have a friend who was allergic to it, it made her throw up.

How it helps:

focus

(slightly) anxiety relief

helps me go to sleep

Have a better grasp on time

My Conclusion:

While Stratera doesn’t help with my hyperactivity as much as Concerta did, I feel so much better on it. My marks are better this year (except maths). It doesn’t change my personality like Concerta did. But the biggest change for me from concerta is the fact that  I actually get hungry. I’ve been on Stratera for around 6 months now and my family and I are still getting used to the fact that I’m wanting lunch instead of forcing myself to eat it. 

Its also strange realising that I do in fact have combined type ADHD, when i was initially diagnosed with ADD. My hyperactivity is more apparent now than when I was younger

I can’t say how much it helps my anxiety on its own, because 1) i am on anxiety medication and 2) I’m in my last year of high school which is extremely stressful.