ADHD- Meds help??

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I have adult adhd with my Autism, was diagnosed recently adding to my fun list of quirks. I had it when I was a kid but the meds gave me hypertension... then after school ended I never thought of it again. I was told that I should start medication but I am not a fan of drugs. Despite that I took some for over a month but I saw nothing worth noting. I do want to be less.. flighty but are there any natural ways to help? I hate how distracted I get, and how my mind jumps towards 20 different things... anyway, the first drug's side effects were not worth the small help and honestly I am scared to try another one... Any ideas?

As far as tips go, I can only tell you what worked for me, which isn't drugs. What I had to do was to throw out my TV, and watch very little video. TV does terrible things to the attention spans of everybody who watches it more than occasionally. TV rarely demands an attention span of over three minutes. TV demands nothing of us. Accordingly, it is something we never get any better at doing, no matter how much of it we do.

What I would replace TV with is something that challenges your attention span, such as difficult nonfiction books but in a field that interests you. I go out and do some light exercise, such as taking a mile walk, then read difficult materials for about an hour a day. Though some days I just can't do it, most days I can if I put my mind to it. Overall this technique has helped me immensely. My attention span is well above average now.

Well most common ADHD meds are stimulants, so you could maybe look into if any non-stimulant meds are availible, I don't really know much about that though.

Coffee works for me. Of course, I take ADHD meds daily, but if I forget to get them refilled and run out, I drink a lot of coffee. But that might raise your blood pressure.

Well, this is a special interest of mine. The best meds for me, in order of highest effectiveness to least side-effects are...

1. Desoxyn
2. Dexedrine IR
3. Adderalll IR
4. Adderall XR or Dexedrine Spansules
5. Vyvanse

I really like dunnyveg's suggestions -- those make a lot of sense to me...

Having said that, I know a great doctor who specializes in ADHD/ADD patients and who can do skype with out-of-state patients. He's done some great things for my son, when no other doctor had come close. If you want his name and number, PM when you get the chance.

Having said that, the meds situation is such that you have to just keep trying different meds until you find the one that works -- and even the ones that work have side effects that you may need to tweek with anti-anxiety/depression/anti-tic medications.

I have read that a lot of people do well just using coffee -- as a stimulant, it must have the REVERSE effect on people who need stimulants.

I have also read that exercise is good for those with ADHD.

Exercise is good, I've found... the only semester in college that I made straight A's I was also riding my bike an hour each way to my then-girlfriend's house.

My heart doctor just told me that I'll probably have to give up the ADHD meds (or go on beta blockers to counteract their cardiac side-effects... not too sure about that one!). Guess I'll have to step up my exercise and hope for the best.

That gives me some hope ^^ thank you!

awesome! if I go back to the doctor I will give them this list!

Thanks, but I have a doctor that specializes in ADHD as well It's hard for me to explain to her what I feel though XD so it's why I haven't tried other drugs

Coffee puts me to sleep for some reason :/ also too bitter and makes my stomach hurt

I have been told that just recently I was going to sign up for Yoga to help with the anxiety as well as adhd
Thanks

I'll have to up my regular exercise and try that first ^^ thanks
and good luck

Last edited by Trinidy on 11 Jan 2012, 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hmm I wonder if Diet Dew would work the same o.o that would be awesome if drinking more of that helped lol!

Since I started ADHD meds I had to give up on coffee. I just got jittery, sleepy, stiff in head.

Early on I got shakiness from the meds but it went away. My dose is the lowest you can have too.

I could not live without my meds and I do everything else to help with ADHD symptoms; take time away from TV/ computer to read, write, exercise, eat healthy, train my brain with exercises, etc. But I still lack that motivation or can't focus because my mind is interested in 6 things at once and I think a new thought every minute.

I hope you find a med that is right for you. Sometimes I take omega 3 fish oil to give me a short burst of concentration. It doesn't have a crash like caffeine. I think I'm a rare specimen where the fish oil works in me within an hour. Supposedly it's supposed to take 2 weeks to work. I have a very sensitive brain.

[quote="pensieve"][/quote]I got SO sick the first week I started the drugs. and my dose was also the lowest. I just hope that I can find one that helps. Ya I try some of the stuff, but like you were saying I lack the focus and motivation. XD I never heard about the fish oil! thanks for the tip!

Meds never worked well with me or my family. we are sensitive too.

What's the lowest dose you tried? When I started with generics of Ritalin, it was suggested to me to start with 2,5mg twice a day but I went ahead and started with 5mg twice a day and increased the dose in steps of 5mg instead of 2,5mg. (I'm glad I did because I need to take about 20mg for methylphenidate to work for the next few hours.) I know that some people start out with a dose of 10mg once or twice a day to see how they react to the meds and to get an idea of how long the new meds last and if there's a third or fourth dose needed in the afternoon/evening but that doesn't seem to work for those really few odd adults who (for whatever reason) are better of with doses of 7,5mg or even just 5mg several times a day. Stimulants no matter the dose may just not work as desired for some people though.

I don't remember the numbers. The octor said it was the lowest dose, and one of the safest for blood pressure issues
I had just one pill a day
as I said I never reacted with meds properly.. I just can't function anymore being this scattered... not if I want to get the future I want

You may try a much lower dose. Sometimes that helps. There's also Strattera, which is a non-stimulant medication; and extended-release versions of the stimulants.

Caffeine is a natural option. It's going to give you more physical jitteriness, and you'll develop a tolerance; on the other hand, it's one of the safest drugs out there. Go off it on weekends to prevent tolerance issues.

As for hypertension: Since you have that medical history, you need to mention that to your doctor and get regular monitoring of your blood pressure when you start the medication, so that if it starts to go up, you can stop the medication. If it were me (though remember I'm not a doctor) I would try the non-stimulant or extended-release versions, and at a lower dose than normal.

There are lots of options that don't involve meds at all, though, natural or synthetic. There's something called an ADHD coach--this is just a word for a counselor or occupational therapist who helps you learn organization and self-regulation, and helps you learn to use things like lists, planners, reminders, etc. Most of the time, people who get this sort of training are also on meds, and being on the meds makes it easier to learn; but in the long run, it also often means that they can lower the dose, or even in mild cases stop taking medication altogether, because of how their newly learned skills now help them deal with their mental disorganization.

Go back to that doctor and ask for help with learning organization skills; and don't immediately discard the idea of medication. While I'd love to never take another pill again, life is better for me with the meds than without it, despite the drawbacks of medication. If that's the case for you--if you get more benefit than drawback--then medication could be helpful. It's probably worth a try.

[quote="Callista"][/quote]I have never heard of an ADHD coach o.o I will mention it to my doctors
See asking for help with organizing my life is how I got into this mess >.< I just wanted to be a bit more successful in my life and Poof new diagnoses! Poof more meds! Poof a therapist XD but I will definitely ask about the coach!