Posted by vicki on December 25, 1998, at 0:59:07
In reply to Re: ADULT w/ ADD & MEDS; ADDERALL 15MGS NO EFFECT!! , posted by Mistica on December 21, 1998, at 19:34:35
> >
> > > Question, what do you mean when you say it has no effect? Do you mean to say that you don't feel any anxiety (because stimulants can possibly perpetuate any vulnerability or feeling of anxiety), or even your heart rate being faster? Does it keep you awake, make you feel less sleepy when you are tired, or make you sleepy, relaxed, calm, put you out like a baby that just had a bottle? Effect, of a drug it not all or nothing, it works for some symptoms and not others (it rarely works for all ADD symptoms), similarly, it will not "take-away" symptoms for you, it cannot make you concentrate, all meds can do is allow/help you help yourself!!!
> > > I myself was discouraged by the results of Ritalin when I first took it (also when i was 21), I noticed a difference but thought that it would do more (i.e., since it took care of most symptoms I thought that this would directly translate into tasks being easier, concentration being better etc.) it wasn't until a few months later that it I really started to see how it benefited me and how it helped me to help myself. It was months later that I noticed a change in my own behavior, even though others noticed immediately!
> > > I hope I was of some help to you. Hang in there!!
> >
> > Hi, THank You Both!
> > It actually seems to of late have some less than positive effects on me, I have felt less content or excited, or happy, My heartbeat has been going quite fast for about 2 or 3 weeks before I began the adderall, I have been unable to concentrate on any books, and have found difficulty reading, as well as some difficulty now with organization, almost seems that a bit more than before, do you think its possible that this might only be the medication? and that if its either: I havent been on it long enough, or the medication isnt for me, then is it possible that another medication might work for me?
> > And May I ask you a question, How has Riddalin changed you? how has your behaviour changed? Please if you could, be unbiased to your previous.I am most most curiouse about this!!
> > Thanx Again!!
> > love
> > joshua
>
> I have another question: How much Adderall do you take at one time and how many times daily? I am assuming you are taking 15 mg once daily.
> I would like to say again, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, that the Ritalin has not "changed me," a medication does not have that kind of magical power, matter of fact, people often find it extremely difficult to change their own selves. Any change is due to the helpful effects of the Ritalin, and my ability to deal with things better. For example, I am not nearly as frustrated as before ritalin when I would end-up wasting the day away and getting nothing accomplished when all I had done was sit and attempt to read or do homework. Previous to the Ritalin this was the story of every day of the week, and I felt so incompetent and helpless to take control of it. Also, I realize that the difficulty I had was due to inability to concentrate on material rather than a lack of intelligence on my part. What the Ritalin has helped me do is to monitor my concentration or attention so I notice when my head is drifting -off, and since now I notice it happening while vs. several hrs. into the drifting, but most of the work is done by me; I still have to be disciplined and say to myself you can't let yourself go off daydreaming or on a tangent because you have responsibilities (i.e., homework) that need to be taken care of first.
> Perhaps the most helpful effect of the Ritalin has been its ability to reduce the hyperactivity. This I attribute fully to the Ritalin, since I believe the constant flow of energy underneath my skin is largely involuntary, it is also very uncomfortable not to constantly move something on my body in order to decrease the feeling of "Mexican jumping beans" under my skin.
> Also, another major help that came from the Ritalin was an increased ability to understand how most people go about organizing their thoughts in order to write papers or during conversation. However, I still must actively exhert effort in order to do this the way most seem to do it as second nature. It is just easier to see a logical flow to something or to put my own ideas or sentences into a logical coherent whole.
> I have never really heard of a stimulant med. not having any effect on a person (unless they weren't ADD), so to tell you the truth I am somewhat at a lost of what to say. Call your doctor and ask him what he thinks is going on!! I do have a suggestion, if the Adderall seemed to work at 5mg than maybe the dose your taking now is just not a therapeutic dose for you and maybe you would benefit from decreasing back to 5mg to see if it seems to work better for you. Do not do this without first talking to your doctor!!! Do not take my advice in place of a doctors, I am not a professional!!!
> Take a look at the previous months for other posts and responses regarding ADD, I know there were some good ones. Especially, look at responses made by Toby, he is an extremely knowledgable and competent source for us.!!! I hope I helped. I hope I answered your questions adequately. Peace and love to all!!!
this is a very interesting discussion and Ihope it is ok that I put my "2 cents" in. I have been one
adderall for around 2 years. it has been the wonder drug for me. I can go to work and not be distracted
by every thing going on around me. It has also slowed me down a lot--sometimes too much because I
want to make sure i have covered everything that I need to ....i started at 5 mg also, which had a nervous energy type of effect on me. At 15 mg. I fall asleep after I take
my morning dose, if I am not careful. When I take 5mg at noon along with prozac, I also get very relaxed.
It does not have the side effects on me that amphetimines have on others. my doctor says that is an indicator
that I truly have add.I am not a doctor, but i certainly agree with the advise given by the others---give the medicine some more
time and see how it does, an immediate result is sort of like a loading dose, it will take the biochemistry of t
the brain a while to adjust to the new state that it finds itself in. If however, you have not seen any effects,
by all means contact your doctor. even before the 4-6 adjustment period is over. they are in the best
position to work with you on med adjustments. and there is no reason to suffer with symptoms that are not
being taken care of by this medicine when there are many others available that one could try.I hope that you get some relief of your symptoms.
sincerely
vicki
poster:vicki
thread:1646
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19981201/msgs/1710.html