Posted by viridis on October 12, 2002, at 12:29:47
In reply to Re: hardwire vs chemical problems with ADD -- IsoM » Jo Ann, posted by IsoM on October 12, 2002, at 2:45:40
Hi IsoM and Jo Ann,
It's striking how similar many of your symptoms sound to mine. I have lists and post-it notes everywhere, and can understand concepts very well -- it's just implementing them that can be a problem. Fortunately, I have no trouble with writing and am frequently asked to edit others' reports, manuscripts, etc. -- I can spot a spelling or grammatical error or inconsistency a mile away. In general, I'm often much better at organizing the work of others than mine. I also perform best under pressure, and when lots of things are happening at once. I'm a pretty successful research scientist, so I've managed to get quite far. But it was a huge struggle without medication; often I became frustrated and planned to give up and do something less intellectually challenging.
This is all mixed together with an anxiety disorder and recurring, major depression, so it took quite a bit of trial and error (about 12 years of tries with various ADs and other drugs plus therapy). Fortunately, I now have a mix that's working well. With respect to ADD, Adderall at low dose is very effective (I tried Wellbutrin and experienced awful side effects, and Provigil was OK but just didn't do the trick). The anxiety is almost completely under control with quite low-dose Klonopin and occasional Xanax (which also took care of anxiety-induced depression). Adderall has the added bonus of relieving residual depression (SSRIs, like Wellbutrin, were terrible for me). I take Neurontin as well for additional stability, although I'm not sure it really contributes much.
Re: the hard-wire vs. chemical issue: I don't doubt that there are differences in brain "circuitry" that explain some of the differences ADDers experience in information processing, and various other mental disorders as well. Separating chemical effects from physical structure within the brain is extremely complex, and the two are so intertwined that I'm not sure it's fully possible. My point was that medications can help greatly with the chemical part of the equation (and perhaps even compensate for some structurally-induced difficulties). I doubt that nutritional supplements alone will solve the problems, except in special cases of real vitamin deficiency etc.
That being said, I do take a range of (what I consider) reasonable supplements at moderate doses -- e.g., Sam-e, fish and various other omega 3 oils, ginkgo, a multivitamin and a little extra B, C, and E vitamins. I figure they won't hurt, are likely to contribute to my overall health, and seem to help make me feel better (even if much of this is just placebo effect). I'm also a strong believer in the value of regular exercise, although I don't always manage to get as much as I think I should.
One last point for Iso-M: I gather you live in Vancouver. That's probably my favorite city (it's a tossup with Victoria). I was born in Vancouver and lived in BC when I was young, and I try to get back to visit whenever possible. So, you're really lucky!
All the best,
Viridis
poster:viridis
thread:122401
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123353.html