Posted by jealibeanz on November 15, 2006, at 17:02:05
In reply to Talked to my prof..., posted by jealibeanz on November 15, 2006, at 17:00:17
I said that I wasn’t currently being treated for it, but had in the past. She asked what and why not now. I prefaced my explanation with the fact that it’s hard and scary to keep trying new things when other treatments didn’t go well (definitely shows that I have empathy for patients!). She just nodded with agreement.
I told her about my biofeedback therapy (and that I felt freakish about explaining it, but said, whatever, you may think this is weird, I do, but if nothing else it’s a good case study for you). So I explained I’d been referred to a specialist who measured my brain activity/blood flow, and that there was little/none to the prefrontal cortex, and said, makes sense right? (sorta as a mutual understanding that it’s thought to be a cause of ADHD). And that with therapy, I was able to grow new capillaries in that region, which helped to improve my baseline on attention/functioning. (I actually think that my very casual and non-descriptive explanation shows that I understand a great deal about the physiology, a big plus for me, since it was basically self-education at a younger age).
I told her Adderall was a disaster… lasted five days, cried the entire time, she was pretty surprised. Straterra, was OK, not great, esp for studying. I did notice a difference, like I’d added about 5 hours to my day b/c I didn’t lost things and daily acitivitie and such, but that effect went away. I possibly needed an increase, but maybe just a different med. She asked about Wellbutrin… yup, no help and hated side effects.
I asked for suggestions. She said non-stims were generally used first for adult ADHD, which of course I knew, from her class and my research. Obviously I’d gone that route. I told her I understood that, but apparently needed something stronger, just had fear because of my Adderall nightmare, and that my doc had mentioned Concerta once. She wasn’t completely sure, told me to ask my doc, and that in the mean time she’d do a little research (understandable, she isn’t sure, and is being careful since I’m not her patient).
poster:jealibeanz
thread:700765
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061110/msgs/703990.html