adult ADD, starting Adderall, questions - ADD / ADHD Message Board

toddlersmom · 03-29-2003, 02:09 PM

Hello, i am 34 yo w/ mild/moderate attn/conc. problems forever (my dad w/ significant ADD symptoms never treated), but only now troubling me to the point i am seeking help. it is my thinking that due to my new admin. job with extreme stress/high degree of responsibility AND the fact that i had first baby 13mon ago...i am no longer able to compensate for the ADD symptoms, and am crashing at work/home, failing to complete projects, missing deadlines, procrastinating, etc. guilt about not doing what i believe to be a good job any longer. PCP started me on Adderall 20mg q day, i took the first dose this a.m. i don't feel funny/weird/affected so far. i am a MH professional (experience mostly with youth, rather than adults) and thus familiar with psych dx and meds, but now the shoe is on the other foot and i need some personal advice/thoughts/experiences as i start on this path. i am wondering if this dose is appropriate, too little, too much. PCP did not order to titrate up to a higher dose at this point. i am to return in 2 wks for followup. i would appreciate thoughts from anyone with adult ADD experience, with or without medication hx. thank you!

payin'attention · 03-30-2003, 12:51 PM

I would suggest you have a complete psych and physical exam to rule out other possible causes. It appears you have a full plate. I, even though I use meds and other behavior modification and diet control, have had to make things simple. I have also, under docs supervision, tried several different meds, dosages, times, etc. I started out on adderol and now take 40mg sustained release ritallin. But first, get a complete exam!!! It takes time to get to know YOUR ADHD, but once you do, it'll be lots easier to control it.

angry green hippo · 03-31-2003, 08:26 AM

I agree with payin' attention about a full examination, just to make sure.

I'm 21 years old, in my senior year of college, and I was only diagnosed this past December. As you said, until this point, I had so many elaborate compensatory habits in place that I always managed to get by very well. But this year, as I moved even further into specialization in my discipline, and also writing an honors thesis, the compensation stopped working. When faced with a long-term project (thesis) that I had to consistently work on, my save-your-work-at-the-last-minute mechanism backfired.

Of course, there were a lot of other factors that prompted my diagnosis than just this, but this experience seemed parallel to the problems you listed.

I started on Ritalin, and now I'm on Adderall. I thought, however, that the first time you try one of these meds, you're supposed to try the smallest possible dose. I'm surprised that you were started on 20 mg without first trying out 10 mg, especially since Adderall has the whole habituation/acclimation thing. But I really don't know--I'm not a doctor. I'm just curious.

Keep us updated on how the meds are working, and I'd love to talk to you about this more. I'm glad to have found someone with a similar experience.

wilarto · 04-03-2003, 11:03 AM

I have suffered since I was child with ADD and now am 44. I recently started taking clozepam .5 mg before bedtime and found that I can focus on a task and am sleeping throught the night and feel so great that I am scared that this is initial and will wear off. I have never felt this good. My husband and co-workers have noticed an big change. I have cleaned the whole house and all the cabinets and I haven't felt like this in years. I don't know if it's the answer but it did wonders for me.

toddlersmom · 04-03-2003, 11:45 AM

thanks to you all for your thoughts/suggestions. the side effects i've noticed are dry mouth, no appetite at all for a noon meal, a sensation of noticing my heartbeat (faster/louder?), and the first 3 nights up much later than normal, but fell asleep as soon as i laid down. the 5th day seemed to catch up with me and i was very tired by 6pm. the increased motivation to get a project done is fantastic, as is the actual ability to complete a task and not get side-tracked 5 times. only time will tell if these positive effects/negative side-effects will last. at this point the positive outweighs the negative to me. to answer the question from hippo, i don't know why the dr. would start me out at 20mg vs. 10mg, i am also relatively small, 110lbs. i do know that in working with child psychiatrists, they start w/very small doses for safety of course, maybe with adults drs are not as guarded. i do know that often times, parents would be frustrated and ready to give up when thier child failed to respond to the initial dosage level of stimulant that was prescribed. maybe this dr. from experience believes not many folks are much affected by the 10mg dose? anyway, what dosage are you on now?