inattentive AD/HD meds and AS rigidity

Post Reply New Topic

I'm taking strattera ....it works for me.....I'm in my last year of my degree and it helps me focus and get through topics or courses that I must take to get my degree but am not interested in. I think taking the meds has made me more anxious (I have panic attacks in situations where I have sensory overload.......this has gotten worse...these have become more frequent). I've also become much more rigid about routines and having things a certain way which is driving my family crazy. Also the meds have increased my insomnia. So..........I have a prescription for a lower dose but I'm afraid to fill it because I am in my last year of uni (or close to...I have this summer and possibly one more semester next fall). I'm already starting to lose motivation for school (except in certain aspects of one course....related to my current obsession) and I still have a lot of inattentive symptoms (losing things, "tuning out in conversations etc) on the high dose of these meds.I'm worried the lower dose won't be effective and I won't be focused and motivated to finish my degree. Any advice or suggestions?

Should I put this in the “other conditions” thread? I wasn’t sure…….

I'm interested to see other replies to your thread. We just took my son off of 100 mg. of Strattera (AND he was on 171 mg. of Concerta) because he was seeing no benefits, but was having all sorts of anxiety problems. I'm intrigued that Strattera seemed to work for you -- and I see that it works for a lot of people. That's why I'm sort of frustrated that it didn't seem to help my son.

I hope you get some answers or other people relating their experiences on lower doses of Strattera.

Whoa, your son was on 171mg of Concerta?! I'm not surprised that he would feel anxious. 54mg once daily works for me; 171mg is two-and-a-half times the maximum recommended dose. Did your son build a tolerance to Concerta over the years?

daydreamer84, Strattera never relieved my symptoms when I was taking it (100mg, same as you). So I asked the doctor for something else, and she prescribed Concerta. I've also been on Adderall XR, Vyvanse, and Focalin XR at different points during the years, and those stimulants are equally effective in controlling my ADHD. Nonstimulants (Strattera and Wellbutrin) have proven useless in my case. Perhaps you should consider trying another ADHD medication, because what works for one person won't work for another. Everyone is unique when it comes to finding the right treatment regiment.

Yeah, 171 mg. and the kid is YAWNING. He is frustrated, and so am I. The Concerta helps slightly, in that it helps with his speed in doing homework -- but according my son, it does nothing for him as far as paying attention in school. Go figure.

Thank heavens they will not go any higher in dosage than 171 mg. I think that they will end up changing his meds back to metadate or ritalin. Metadate has been the only medication that worked, for a while. I'm assuming this doctor will have my son try it again but at a higher dosage. I think both my son and I are so discouraged, we don't expect anything to work anymore.

Maybe you could try some anti-anxiety medication to help with your panic attacks? Assuming you aren't already.

Have you tried the stimulants? Might be worth giving them a try, to see if there's less side effects.

I became anxious on Ritalin too. Stimulants are probably worse for anxiety. I took my dose way down to 5mg though it still feels pretty high to me. Do you have breaks? Breaking is important so you don't build up a tolerance. Also, eating more healthy meals can make the drug more effective. I've noticed it's very common on the autistic spectrum to be very sensitive to medications.

With a dx of ADHD and AS don't you think you could get some special services in the university/college? You should be able to and it could take the stress off.
You could try anti-anxiety meds but I think CBT works better. You've got to be one of those people that really assert themselves though.

My psychiatrist wanted to try lowering the dose of the ADHD meds before prescribing something like an SSRI for the anxiety. I have benzodiazepines for panic attacks to take on an as needed basis.........but they are tranquilizers(they knock me out) and I've been getting panic attacks on the bus on the way to school bcs I have to get on a crowded noisy bus to make it on time. I wouldn't be able to concentrate in class after taking a tranquilizer!

Stimulants had REALLY bad side effects...............horrible agitation..............which is why I was put on Strattera. I'm pretty sensitive to meds in general

Last edited by daydreamer84 on 05 Apr 2011, 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This is Strattera which isn't even a stimulant.........it blocks the reuptake of norepinephrine. I tried Ritalin as the first medication when I was 13 and just diagnosed and it made me incredibly agitated so I went off AD/HD meds for a long time. When I returned to finish university at 24 years old (after dropping out earlier) and had to drop a course because I missed the midterm as I scheduled the exam on my organizer for November 2nd when it was actually on October 2nd...I decided that it was time to give meds another try...so they put me on Strattera specifically because of the way I reacted tot he stimulants. I didn't have as strong a reaction as I did to Ritalin but in did increase my already high anxiety. This drug you can't take breaks from....it's a bit like an SSRI........you have to take it everyday and it builds up its effectiveness over time.

I do have services at uni (extra time on tests/exams......and I write them in a separate individual room to avoid sensory overload. I actually have ADHD (PI), AS, NVLD and an GAD (generalized anxiety).......so I definitely qualify for services....I'm super disabled It does help to write my exams in a separate room.....noisy+ crowded=BAD!

I know I should do CBT..............I'm studying abnormal psych and biological psych........and CBT is way more effective than meds for anxiety.............the problems are no time and no money! I spend a lot of time studying............I don’t even take a full course load and don't work and live at home............but I still need to spend a lot of time studying to do well. Therefore I don't have time for CBT homework..........I am planning to try it when I graduate though. Also I've been officially declared disabled and dependent on my mom for the purpose of my being covered by her insurance for as long as I live at home so I get 80% of the costs of my meds paid for (my mom has really good benefits)! CBT is really expensive though and.......no extra money.......I think I will do it eventually though bcs in the long run it's more cost effective than being dependent on meds indefinitely!

CBT cost me $20 for a book. And the exercises take 5-10 minutes. I don't rely on therapy from others. I just do it myself. Anyway it helped me some.

That sucks. If I couldn't have breaks I'd become too tolerable. Although I have issues starting the drug again every week but at least I don't have to keep taking a higher dose.

What book do you use?