Posted by Plucky on November 4, 2003, at 17:13:52
In reply to Re: Straterra approval., posted by deLane on October 9, 2003, at 17:59:44
> I noticed that bige was in his third year of law school and is taking strattera. I am trying desperately to do well on my LSAT but am having difficulty concentrating on the passages without my mind wondering. Plus, I'm having to read over the statements continuously before I can even go to an answer. I went to the Dr today and he gave me a sample to try. I'm taking my LSAT on 12/6. I was supposed to take it on 10/4 but my score wasn't high enough due to my problem. How long is this going to take to kick in and how long will I have this side effect of an upset stomach? The upset stomach is pretty bad.
> My Dr wouldn't put me on adderol because he said I would have to take numerous tests to see if I really had ADD. Did everyone else who is on this had to have a ton of tests before it was prescribed to them?
> Just curious.....
DeLane:I definitely understand your concern about your upcoming LSAT. I'm in my thirties and went back to school (pre-med) last year, but only after I was able to get myself on ADD meds.
I did not have to undergo *any* tests to see if I really had ADD -- I just had to go over a detailed history of my symptoms with a psychiatrist. The trick, though, was to actually find a shrink who specialized in adult ADD; when I had first spoken to my PCP, and then to another shrink, both had the outdated belief that ADD is something that only affects children (and boys, at that). Being an adult who should have been diagnosed as a young girl, but never was, I essentially diagnosed myself after reading books on the subject. I then sought out an adult ADD specialist, who recognized my textbook (textbook, that is, for an inattentive woman, not a hyperactive little boy) case of ADD in about two seconds. He prescribed Adderall after our first meeting.
My experience was that the Adderall worked immediately -- the best thing is that it just helps me get started doing the things I have to do. (And yes, it does help me stay focused when I'm reading) I did have trouble with the side effects at first (especially the anxiety, which seemed to increase if I took a higher dose), and as a result tried a bunch of other meds, but all had even worse side efects. So, I eventually returned to Adderall, and have now been on it for about two years. Of course, the side effects did wear off after about a month or two, but before they did, none of them actually reduced my ability to focus on reading.
Six months ago, I took a three-week "drug holiday" (that term cracks me up - as if going off your meds is some sort of a vacation!), and literally spent the whole time staring off into space.
If you want to try Adderall, I would encourage you to find another doc who is willing to start you on it BEFORE you have to take your LSAT -- it could help immensely. I am just starting on Straterra, so I can't offer much info to compare that med, but from everything I've read here, and from what my pdoc days, it seems to take *at least* a few weeks to take effect. Given that your LSAT is only a month away, you may find it more helpful to get going on a med that kicks in faster, so that you can actually benefit from it in time for such an important exam.
One more bit of Adderall advice: I started on Adderall before they came out with either the generic version or the XR, and have tried them all now, but find only the old-fashioned, brand name, standard-release one works for me, as it allows me more control over my dosing (I can take a dose about a half-hour to an hour before a class or an exam, and it makes a huge difference in my ability to focus). Also, I found the generic formulation seemed to kick in and out much more quickly than the brand name pill -- I had symptoms similar to OD/withdrawal (anxiety and itching all over my body when it kicked in too forcefully, then sudden, incredible sleepiness as it wore off ) two or three times a day. None of that with the brand name version. My pdoc initials "brand name only" on the prescription and it doesn't cost me anything more (with insurance).
Best of luck to you!
Plucky
poster:Plucky
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031030/msgs/276574.html