Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 13:42:24
Has anyone else experienced this? I'm not even convinced that before I went on an SSRI that I was ADD. I may have been mildly ADD but celexa is definitely making it worse. I've been taking adderall to compensate but I'm convinced I wouldn't need adderall at all if I wasn't on an SSRI. Anyone else experience this?
Posted by linkadge on February 27, 2003, at 14:19:52
In reply to SSRI's make ADD worse?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 13:42:24
SSRI's lower dopamine, which in turn may
lowers attention span and concentration.On celexa I found I was just as smart, but
could only do a single tast for 10 min at
a time. Sometimes only a minaute break
would help.Fish oil helped me
Linkadge
Posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 18:32:11
In reply to definately, posted by linkadge on February 27, 2003, at 14:19:52
I was already having trouble but I recently had to go up on the risperdal and I'm finding that I can't concentrate AT ALL!
Posted by linkadge on February 27, 2003, at 19:08:53
In reply to could risperdal make ADD worse too?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 18:32:11
There are only a few mood drugs that
don't affect cogitive function in some way.
Risperdal affects serotonin ht2 receptors
which modulate allertness. It also modulates
dopamine and norepinephrine in certain ways.You can ajust cognitivly to these drugs,
but the extent of the adaption is based
on the dose, and your time on the drug.If the drug interferes with your cognitive
ability too much, talk to your doctor, there
may be alternatives.Linkadge
Posted by ace on February 27, 2003, at 19:51:58
In reply to SSRI's make ADD worse?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 13:42:24
Posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 20:51:02
In reply to Only MY opinion -- SSRIs help hardly anything. (nm), posted by ace on February 27, 2003, at 19:51:58
Thomas- If you're out there in cyber-space, you ere the one that posted what a strange combination adderall and risperdal is - one being an agonist and the other being an antagonist. Does this mean that risperdal could be making my ADD worse? I went up to 2 mg last week and I CAN'T FOCUS! It's driving me crazy! Does this mean I'll probably have to adjust my adderall dose every time I adjust my risperdal dose?
Posted by Thomas123 on February 27, 2003, at 21:24:33
In reply to Thomas123 are you out there?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 20:51:02
I think I would try a lot of options other than Risperdal for ADD before I tried Risperdal. Risperdal blocks dopamine D2 receptors. Adderal increases the level of dopamine. The two conflict with each other to an extent. I think the two can work together in rare circumstances and if the two do work together there is no reason to stop taking them because there is a theoretical conflict between the two.
However, you said you increased the dosage of Risperdal and got worse. From a biological standpoint this makes perfect sense and more importantly the increase was actually ineffective for you.
Still, for a straight ADD problem Risperdal is difficult to see.
Seroquel is only transiently on dopamine D2 receptors, that is Seroquel is on dopamine D2 receptors only part of the day. Seroquel might work better with Adderal. Seroquel is sedating.
There is no reason whatsoever to take an AP for ADD. The only reason to take an AP absent a diagnosis of psychosis is 'I have tried a lot of things and life is much better with a very small amount of an AP on board'. This does happen.
Posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 21:42:54
In reply to Re: Thomas123 are you out there?, posted by Thomas123 on February 27, 2003, at 21:24:33
Thanks Thomas for your reply- I may not have been clear but I am on risperdal for OCD and adderall for ADD. The risperdal works well on the OCD (I have tried several other meds, none of them worked and celexa alone doesn't do it for me) but it seems to make me very ADD. I have never felt this unable to concentrate in my life! And it's worse since I upped the dose about two weeks ago. So what you're saying at least explains, in theory, what's going on. Thanks again for your reply. I'm going to see a psychopharm next week and hopefully get this all ironed out. My primary pdoc wants me to get off the risperdal and try seroquel and from what you're saying, it sounds like that might be a good idea!
Posted by IsoM on February 28, 2003, at 3:02:24
In reply to SSRI's make ADD worse?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 13:42:24
I don't know how it may affect others but I have ADD with hyperactivity. SSRIs did nothing to help with concentration or organization for me. But I did find that it helped curb my impulsiveness. Impulsiveness ususally shows in me as saying what comes to mind or reacting before I've stop the think things through. SSRIs made a diff in that aspect. I don't tend to speak out of term or as silly as before.
Posted by jane d on February 28, 2003, at 12:07:25
In reply to SSRI's make ADD worse?, posted by babs on February 27, 2003, at 13:42:24
> Has anyone else experienced this? I'm not even convinced that before I went on an SSRI that I was ADD. I may have been mildly ADD but celexa is definitely making it worse. I've been taking adderall to compensate but I'm convinced I wouldn't need adderall at all if I wasn't on an SSRI. Anyone else experience this?
Babs,
I certainly have a lot of the problems associated with ADD now and I don't THINK I had them before I started SSRI's but who can remember? I don't have the impulsiveness so I find it interesting that IsoM found that SSRI's improved that in her pre existing ADD.
Jane
Posted by babs on February 28, 2003, at 12:45:00
In reply to I think they may cause it! » babs, posted by jane d on February 28, 2003, at 12:07:25
Jane- I think you're right! I never remember having such difficulty pre-SSRI! And I think celexa in combination woith risperdal is making it even worse! I'm really struggling right now. I'm not impulsive, I just can't concentrate and right now I'm trying to get through grad school. It's making it that much more difficult!
Posted by cybercafe on February 28, 2003, at 17:59:11
In reply to Re: I think they may cause it! » jane d, posted by babs on February 28, 2003, at 12:45:00
> Jane- I think you're right! I never remember having such difficulty pre-SSRI! And I think celexa in combination woith risperdal is making it even worse! I'm really struggling right now. I'm not impulsive, I just can't concentrate and right now I'm trying to get through grad school. It's making it that much more difficult!
yeah i wonder how the different antipsychotics are for concentration...
(i take 2.5 mg zyprexa and have ADHD)any comments on geodon or abilify?
Posted by bozeman on March 1, 2003, at 0:23:42
In reply to Re: I think they may cause it!, posted by cybercafe on February 28, 2003, at 17:59:11
I saw this in another thread recently, so I don't take credit for the idea. . . but it's definitely true for me . . . I have ADD, fairly well controlled without meds (I think, but who knows what I look like from the outside?) After starting Lexapro, I noticed it did appear that I took a slide downhill in the ADD department. However, it took me nearly two months to figure out that I was actually needing more sleep. I was too tired to focus properly, so my attention was wandering, and I was getting jumpy, foot-jiggly, squirmy-in-my-chair, etc. as a result. (My mental focus wasn't sufficient to control the physical symptoms because I was too tired.) Since going on Lexapro, I can sleep more like a normal person, instead of the 4 to 5 hours a night I did my whole life. It took me a while to learn that I needed more sleep, never having been able to *stay* asleep for more than 4 to 6 hours max. In retrospect, my sleeping habits were probably at least in part due to the ADD/ADHD/pick your favorite label.
So, indirectly, Lexapro made my ADD better by making it worse so I'd figure out I needed more sleep (if that made sense.)
Just my two cents worth. YMMV.
bozeman
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