Methylphenidate and ADD-I?

Post Reply New Topic

My psychiatrist dx me with ADD today.
We went through my childhood today and eventhough my brother was very hyperactiv as a child, my psychiatrist couldn't find any hyperactivity in my behaviour as a child. But I still have trouble focusing.
So eventhough he thought last time, I could also have ADHD, I ended up with an ADD-diagnoses instead.

We also talked about methylphenidate. I'm not sure if I want to try it, but I'm also sceptical because I heard that methylphenidate helps mostly for ADHD and not really for ADD!?
Does anyone with ADD (and quiet childhood) has experiences with methylphenidate or tell me something about it?
And what helps best for ADD inattentive type?

I found methylphenidate ineffective for my ADD-I. I have yet to go back to try other medications since their cost (I don't have insurance) is too high. Theravadan (sp?!) Buddhist meditation (where one develops concentration, then insight) has helped a lot for me. ALso there are tons of lifestyle and behavior mods that have gone a long way for me that at this point, I don't feel the need for medication. Extreme systemizing for me (from AS) has essentially countered ADD-I behaviors, although the underlying cognition still feels scattered (just the difference being evident when I meditate and focus intentionally).

Basically not advising you to not take medication, just saying that there are supportive measures that make medication less needed (it is addictive).

I've been taking it for years, I haven't had bad sideeffects.

I take this Medicine, 6x 5mg a day and it helps me so much, and It has helped me beyond words can say. just don't take after 4pm that is if you want to get to sleep.

My experience of methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) was awful.
Mood swings every few seconds; going from happy to depressed & back again literally every few seconds.
I flushed them down the toilet.

For me Strattera was a LOT better as it actually worked at getting rid of most of the ADHD stuff.
I take 2 40mg capsules per day.

Everyone is different. So what didn't/did work for me may not work/not work for someone else.

concerta [a timed release iteration of methylphenidate] helped reduce my AS symptoms comorbid with ADHD, in addition to ADHD relief, but it made me cross. the only frontal lobe stimulant which didn't make me cross was Strattera.

Thanks for all the answers.

I'm taking Bupropion at the moment. We started it because of my depression, but it also helped me focus a bit better, but just a bit and not significantly. It's an NDRI, a mild dopamine reuptake inhibitor and also a much weaker norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

I'm thinking between methylphenidate and Strattera.
I'm not sure if I want to take methylphenidate and feel strange with it, but on the other hand when it really helps!?

My psychiatrist also always considers my opinion (eventhough if he doesn't always agree with me ). But he just tryes methylphenidate with me, if I really want that. If not I can also stay on Bupropion or I could ask him for Strattera, but I dunno what he thinks about it. We haven't talked about Strattera so far.

the thing about Strattera [atomoxetine outside USA] is that it comes on like a lamb, the onset of effect is subtle. one awakens one day and notices that one's thinking is discernably quicker and more organized, more clear-headed and even of mood.

I'm DXed with ADHD-I and I take Concerta.

It does help, although I find it causes insomnia.