ADHD and Stimulants

Hidden dangers of failure to diagnose ADHD correctly-
01 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
IT SOUNDS like a mad idea, but it works. Take children who are unruly and unable to focus on their schoolwork, and give them amphetamine-like stimulants. Far from making them bounce off the walls, the drugs can turn little terrors into attentive students.

I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that I have some form of ADD. I have trouble focusing on one thing for too long at work and my forgetfulness is legendary. But, when I take some ephedrine, I feel focused.

Does anyone else suffer from similar problems? If so, do you take anything for it?

I’m just a better human being in general when I’m taking ephedrine three times a day. My blood pressure gets out of hand so I have to go off it, otherwise I would stay on it forever.

[quote]erikeve wrote:
Hidden dangers of failure to diagnose ADHD correctly-
01 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
IT SOUNDS like a mad idea, but it works. Take children who are unruly and unable to focus on their schoolwork, and give them amphetamine-like stimulants. Far from making them bounce off the walls, the drugs can turn little terrors into attentive students.

I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that I have some form of ADD. I have trouble focusing on one thing for too long at work and my forgetfulness is legendary. But, when I take some ephedrine, I feel focused.

Does anyone else suffer from similar problems? If so, do you take anything for it?

[/quote]

I was on rittilin for ADD in high school and when I enlisted in the Marines, I was told to stop taking it and did. Ever since then I hadn’t resumed, and never noticed that my ADD had gotten much worse. Long story short, I’m on Concerta now and the world is much better.

Life sucked when I was not on medication for it. Like a tv that CONSTANTLY changed stations and was the most forgetfull person in the world. Life is much better now.

Interesting, my mind is CONSTANTLY “changing channels” like that, and I have become the most forgetful person in the world. I’m 31, and I think I’ve only gotten worse over the years. A female “friend” of mine is convinced I have ADD, and lent me a couple of generic 10 mg Adderall tablets to try. They made me thirsty as hell, but DEFINATELY more focused and productive. I wonder if I should try to get a prescription, and just use it on the days when I’m really dragging and/or not able to focus.

[quote]bigflamer wrote:
erikeve wrote:
Hidden dangers of failure to diagnose ADHD correctly-
01 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
IT SOUNDS like a mad idea, but it works. Take children who are unruly and unable to focus on their schoolwork, and give them amphetamine-like stimulants. Far from making them bounce off the walls, the drugs can turn little terrors into attentive students.

I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that I have some form of ADD. I have trouble focusing on one thing for too long at work and my forgetfulness is legendary. But, when I take some ephedrine, I feel focused.

Does anyone else suffer from similar problems? If so, do you take anything for it?

I was on rittilin for ADD in high school and when I enlisted in the Marines, I was told to stop taking it and did. Ever since then I hadn’t resumed, and never noticed that my ADD had gotten much worse. Long story short, I’m on Concerta now and the world is much better.

Life sucked when I was not on medication for it. Like a tv that CONSTANTLY changed stations and was the most forgetfull person in the world. Life is much better now.

[/quote]

[quote]Damici wrote:
Interesting, my mind is CONSTANTLY “changing channels” like that, and I have become the most forgetful person in the world. I’m 31, and I think I’ve only gotten worse over the years. A female “friend” of mine is convinced I have ADD, and lent me a couple of generic 10 mg Adderall tablets to try. They made me thirsty as hell, but DEFINATELY more focused and productive. I wonder if I should try to get a prescrition, and just use it on the days when I’m really dragging and/or not able to focus.
[/quote]

I can’t think of a better way to describr ADD than a constant changing of channels. Concerta has been great for me so far.

I would definitely reccomend talking things over with your doctor though. He/She could, if needed, set you up on the right prescription at the right dose. These meds can have adverse effects that could be contradictory to any medical condition you might have.

Talk it over with your doc and good luck!!

I have been reading up on ADHD as of late since my girlfriend has it. She has the “predominantly inattentive” version.

I always kind of brushed ADHD off as just an excuse people used for being lazy, but now that I know someone who has it, I understand how much it sucks. Distraction really isn’t the worst of it for her. I have been reading a lot about how it affects mood and sleep and it’s pretty much dead on with what she goes through. She wakes several times during the night and often finds it hard to fall asleep. Her mood is good about 90% of the time, then she will just emotionally crash and call me sobbing on the phone or just fall apart for no reason at all.

There seems to be a lot of research done with concerns to nutrition and ADHD. Her diet sucks big time but we have made a lot of progress there and I have her eating breakfast every morning and taking a few Metabolic Drive bars to work with her. She used to eat for the first time when she got home from work at 5. I read something about EFAs being very beneficial in relieving symptoms. I’m going to order her some Flameout when it comes back in stock.

I was wondering, does Spike help symptoms at all?

I hate to use the standard line, but if you feel this is the case, get it diagnosed by a professional. Medication can make a big difference in certain circumstances, and in others, you might be seeing something that isn’t really there, or is just transient.

I would like to talk it over with my doctor, but my doctor is really a general practitioner whose specialty is internal medicine, so, although I’m sure he’s familiar with this stuff in general (and is known as “Dr. Feelgood” for dolling out whatever drug someone wants), is he really going to be one to talk to about this?

Additionally, it’s a big, factory-like process in his office, where I often see one of his “junior doctors” and not actually him. Would they be of help to me, or should I look into finding a certain type of specialist who would know about ADD?

Thanks in advance.

[quote]analog_kid wrote:
I have been reading up on ADHD as of late since my girlfriend has it. She has the “predominantly inattentive” version.

I always kind of brushed ADHD off as just an excuse people used for being lazy, but now that I know someone who has it, I understand how much it sucks. Distraction really isn’t the worst of it for her. I have been reading a lot about how it affects mood and sleep and it’s pretty much dead on with what she goes through. She wakes several times during the night and often finds it hard to fall asleep. Her mood is good about 90% of the time, then she will just emotionally crash and call me sobbing on the phone or just fall apart for no reason at all.

There seems to be a lot of research done with concerns to nutrition and ADHD. Her diet sucks big time but we have made a lot of progress there and I have her eating breakfast every morning and taking a few Metabolic Drive bars to work with her. She used to eat for the first time when she got home from work at 5. I read something about EFAs being very beneficial in relieving symptoms. I’m going to order her some Flameout when it comes back in stock.

I was wondering, does Spike help symptoms at all? [/quote]

Wow. I’ve always kind of been a bad sleeper but never really associated the two togethor. I tried Spike but it didn’t seem to get me as focused as ephedrine does. Maybe I wasn’t taking enough. I seem to have built up a resistance to stimulants. No amount of coffee can get me revved up. I would like to find an alternative to the ephadrine to stay focused. I don’t take it very often because of some side effects that I have experienced.