Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 20:23:35
I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADD. I BELIEVE IN FOLLOWING
ROLE MODELS. I suffer with depression along with add I am not hyper but more introvert. Please if you could help me with the best medication you have found worked for you.I know we are not all the same but experience does help. Thankyou from Wayne 36 year old male.
Posted by Kerry on June 20, 2000, at 20:48:27
In reply to looking for experienced add people, posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 20:23:35
Wayne,
I'm not much of a role model but we have a few things in common and could support each other. I have also been diagnosed w/ ADD along with depression/dysthymia, and like you, not hyper but inattentive. JohnL and AndrewB have recommended some meds that I am currently investigating-- Amisulpride and Adrafinal. By their descriptions and the studies published about them, they both seem to address the problem of lack of focus/inattentiveness in addition to depression, negative thoughts, self loathing, etc. Almost sounds too good to be true. The catch is that they're not available in the US--but you can get them through the internet without a prescription.I've read the literature (mostly on the internet, though I could also recommend some books, primarily Driven to Distraction) and most sources recommend that medication be supplemented with therapy and "coaching." Coaching is somewhat different than therapy, though I'm still learning about it.
Good luck and keep in touch.
Posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 21:31:56
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people, posted by Kerry on June 20, 2000, at 20:48:27
Kerry wow your response was fast. Thank you for the info. Its nice to know there are other people out there like myself.I would like to hear from you and maybe exchange some thoughts. From Wayne
please mail me captainW@mweb.co.za
Posted by danf on June 21, 2000, at 5:16:29
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people » Kerry, posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 21:31:56
what you describe is a routine part of depression.
if the depression is effectively treated, the blurry thought & distraction & feeling of poor self worth dissipate.
Celexa has been effective, as have been the other SSRIs.
Posted by Libby on June 21, 2000, at 14:15:13
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people, posted by danf on June 21, 2000, at 5:16:29
> what you describe is a routine part of depression.
A lot of the symptoms are similar, especially in adults. The difference I've seen is that AD medication doesn't help these symptoms. As a
matter of fact, increasing the dose of my AD
caused MORE suicidal thoughts, more self-loathing, more inability to concentrate, more
crying, more irritability, even rage, etc.
Because of the increased agitation, I am
now tapering off my AD, am taking Depakote
to see if it helps. Doc thinks I'm either Bipolar, Rapid Cycling or ADD. I'm being tested for ADD in a couple of weeks. I personally believe I am ADD, since my symptoms have been pretty much unchanged since I was a child,
whereas the onset of bipolar tends to be
later in life.> if the depression is effectively treated, the blurry thought & distraction & feeling of poor self worth dissipate.
>Unless you're bipolar or ADD. In the case
of Bipolar, AD's can kick off a manic episode
and start you on one heck of an emotional rollercoaster ride. It's possible to be
manic and still have a dysphoric mood.
In the case of ADD, the AD meds may have no
effect at all or they may have a partial
effect. And, of course, ADD can coexist with
depression or bipolar, which makes it even
tougher to find the right combo of meds.> Celexa has been effective, as have been the other SSRIs.
And as long as the AD meds work, no problem.
I just wanted to add the perspective of
someone who has battled terrible mood swings
for a year while trying to find the right AD.
Turns out that for me, AD's alone are probably
not the answer.Thanks...
L.
Posted by KarenB on June 21, 2000, at 15:24:24
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people, posted by danf on June 21, 2000, at 5:16:29
> what you describe is a routine part of depression.
It can appear that way BUT ADD really is a different animal and as such needs to be treated differently. I was misdiagnosed many years by doctors who thought I was suffering simply depression and gave me SSRI after SSRI, none of which helped me at all, but made the depression worse and increased my feelings of hopelessness. It certainly would be simple if depression had but one cause and an SSRI worked for everyone. There are many reasons for depression and Seratonin depletion is but one.
> if the depression is effectively treated, the blurry thought & distraction & feeling of poor self worth dissipate.
Oh, how I wish this were true for me! Again, this may be true if you are just dealing with depression. My mother in law started Prozac about 7 years ago, I think, and knew from the very first dose that it was the right one for her. She still takes it, no poop out - works great. It happens that way for some but definitely not for everyone.
> Celexa has been effective, as have been the other SSRIs.
For some.
Oh, and to answer the original question, Wayne, Adderall is good, sometimes better when combined with an AD. Provigil is being tested for ADD but is currently being marketed for Narcolepsy. If The conventional stims don't work as well as you'd like, get your doc to let you try it.
Hope you find the right meds for you, quickly and painlessly.
Karen
Posted by danf on June 21, 2000, at 17:54:57
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people, posted by Libby on June 21, 2000, at 14:15:13
What I was saying is that the described SX are those of depression. They may well & often do coexist with other problems. For full remission all has to be treated. If one is on a med program & those SX persist, then it is not fully treated.
It may well take a multiple med program.
Good luck ! our thoughts are with you.
Posted by Sara T on June 21, 2000, at 19:05:31
In reply to looking for experienced add people, posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 20:23:35
> I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADD. I BELIEVE IN FOLLOWING
> ROLE MODELS. I suffer with depression along with add I am not hyper but more introvert. Please if you could help me with the best medication you have found worked for you.I know we are not all the same but experience does help. Thankyou from Wayne 36 year old male.Wayne,
I started on Prozac about three years ago and when I did my depression lifted and it was like coming out of a fog. And at least for me my ability to focus did improve and it helped curb some of my impulsiveness. I no longer interrupted people in conversation with my runaway thoughts. But I can't say it really improved the distractability issue. So I guess a good part of clearing out the cobbwebs was to treat the depression.
At the time, however, I really had never considered ADD and didn't have it as part of my own diagnostic picture. Since then I have had myself evaluated for ADD and my pdoc agreed, but thought it was mild.
Medications that have worked? For me, I have had success with Prozac and Ritalin, and Zoloft with Ritalin SR (time release). But the best combo by far was Effexor with Ritalin, which I had to stop due to blood pressure problems. Many people find Wellbutrin works well for ADD because it acts on dopamine. It didn't for me (but your experience might be different). My son, who is VERY ADHD and also mildly autistic has had excellent results with Zoloft and Adderall. He also had good result with Prozac and ritalin but they tended to poop out and the backlash from the Ritalin was hard to take. The time release form of Ritalin is smoother without so much backlash.
One of the very best things I have done was to exercise several times a week, it helped me to sleep and improved my mental functioning to the point where I almost felt high at times. When I don't do it I can tell the cobwebs grow back.
But meds really are an adjunct to therapy and retraining yourself out of those maladaptive habits you have probably built up over the years of trying to cope with ADD untreated.
As some of the others have mentioned, a good place to start looking is CHADD, they have a website. There are other very good websites with a great deal of info. ADDA, is a national organization of Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. Finally, you may want to look into a coach. The above mentioned organizations have info on that.
Hope this helps alittle.
Sara T.
Posted by SarahB on June 22, 2000, at 17:44:58
In reply to Re: looking for experienced add people, posted by Sara T on June 21, 2000, at 19:05:31
Hi there... I have been ADD inattentive type my whole life. At one point I did have some depression that was treated effectively with Elavil. SSRI's never seemed to work for me. I was also treated with Effexor for the ADD, but it never worked and actually made me feel worse! I am now on Adderall 30mg/day. It seems to be working wonderfully so far. (7-8mos) I noticed when my ADD was treated directly with stims, I could get a better hold on the symptoms. No med will get rid of ADD. It is something I will die with. I have done some studying on the subject and I am very lucky to have a wonderful Doc so I can ask any question on my mind. I just can't make myself clear enough on the fact that true ADD in adults just doesn't go away and you can't "fix it". A person needs the meds that work to make it easier to control and basically "reprogramming". I have become used to the stims and the effects of them and know the part of the day to get my work done and also when to take the doses so I can sleep, eat, ... I have also started last week with a CISW who specializes in adult ADD to learn new behaviors and ways that will make getting things done much more effective for me and my ADD habits. Basically, I am learning how to be more in tune to my rythyms and behavior and spot my ADD moments so I can grab myself and say "Whoa, there, don't do it" or just plain ole get off my butt and do what I need to do! Two really good coping methods I have found very helpful are to MAKE LISTS!! and make a schedule and stick with it! One thing to keep in mind is to pace yourself, ADDers tend to bite off more than they can chew and give up. Be realistic with your expectations, especially in the begining. Basically, one is just trying to reprogram bad habits for more effective ones that keep the ADD in mind. I hope I have helped some and not sent you into a deeper depression! :-) It is a struggle to learn new tricks, but when you do, you will be sooooo much happier with your self! BTW, I'm a 32 yr old female.
Sarah
Posted by KarenB on June 23, 2000, at 0:05:59
In reply to Long one!, posted by SarahB on June 22, 2000, at 17:44:58
Sarah,
I asked you this once before but the question probably got lost in my own LONG post: Can you tell me the times you take your Adderall doses and how you split them up? (10-10-10?) I ask because your posts from a few months ago are what got me researching ADD in the first place. From what I remember, our symptom profile is similar.
BTW, my doc wrote me a script for Provigil today. I start tomorrow (afternoon - pharmacy has to order it). I'll post after a few days how it is working for me and the differences I see from the Adderall, if you are interested. I am checking alternatives because the Adderall triggers migraines, so I am (reluctantly) taking Inderal to prevent them. If I could take a stimulant that does not trigger headaches or cause muscle tension, it would be better for me, because I could then bail the Inderal. Provigil has been known to increase motivation, as well as energy and this sounds good too - hope it does all this for me.
Karen
Posted by SarahB on June 23, 2000, at 0:55:28
In reply to Re: You call THAT long?!:) » SarahB, posted by KarenB on June 23, 2000, at 0:05:59
Hi, Karen! I usually take 15-20mgs in the AM, and then the rest mid afternoon. I try not to take the last dose after 3 or I end up all night. The Adderall is working great for me. I did have problems with headaches, but I stopped caffine and have had no problems since. I do have muscle tension mostly in my jaw, but I try to be aware of it and do some relaxation exercises. (kinda funny, used to have NO problems relaxing, the recliner was my fav place!) I am not going to try anything new for now while the Adderall is working so well. I feel great and hope it lasts for a LONG time! Nice to hear from you again...
Sarah
Posted by stjames on June 24, 2000, at 0:24:29
In reply to looking for experienced add people, posted by wayne on June 20, 2000, at 20:23:35
This is a really good ADD list, we actually talk about ADD !
To check out our FILES, LINKS or to change your
subscription status, go to the AADD MAINPAGE:
http://www.onelist.com/community/aaddOnce I learned some coping skills (meds so my brain was not running at the speed of 40 million floating point operations per second and mood under control. Psychoanalysis to better understand myself and the real issues.) and got some insight into to ADD and myself. I find I like having ADD, the pluses outweigh the downsides. Without the treatment and meds I would hate having ADD.
Meds.... the most common are stims and AD's, some are on one or the other but the combo seems to be very effective.
james
Posted by Renee N on June 24, 2000, at 1:02:40
In reply to Re: You call THAT long?!:) » SarahB, posted by KarenB on June 23, 2000, at 0:05:59
Karen,
I am going to see my pdoc nest week for the first time since I took the TOVA test back in March. I forgot my last appointment...I think I am going to ask to try Provigil. Keep me posted on your Povigil experience. Hope it helps you. Renee N
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