Adult ADD

[padmelupin]

I have (at the moment self-diagnosed) adult ADD. I have an appt with a psychiatrist next month to get her opinion.

I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this. Therapy or meds? Both?

Stimulant meds scare me. I want to try Strattera, but I don't know if I'm a good candidate for it...

[TeePee]

I am 42 and when I was 36, my doctor tried me on Strattera. I almost broke my back teeth grinding them so bad. And honestly think that was the last straw in my break up of my marriage (which looking back now was not a bad thing).

I stopped trying to overcome it on my own until about 6 months ago and my doctor started me on Ritalin (I can't afford anything but generics). It worked ok for the first 3 months but I have since changed to adderall. I love it! It keeps me on track better at work and I have been able to cut down my sleep meds (been using xanax for over 15 yrs now---only use .5 to 1mg a day and have weaned myself down from 3 mgs daily in the last 5 yrs) because I can better control my racing mind and finally at night, stop thinking all the random useless thoughts.

[tinkinpink84]

I am soo never focused! Anytime i do stuff well i start doing three or four different things , in the end it all gets done lol. I always think the most random of thoughts when i should be trying to sleep! thinking about i dunno anything and everything and what ifs and just everything. For all i know i could have adult add. But meh we will see if i can do this school thing with no problems! Im not one to worry about taking myself to a dr , kids come first.
But man when i painted my house. well i think i started about 3 rooms at once. Eventually it all got done. but just gets boring easily. Like ill start an assigment from school then be over here with my coupon binder opened doing something else or decide to look up something else online. Then in the end i got school books opened and coupon binder and a huge mess of papers and coupons everywhere! Husband just thinks im a tad nutty but meh i suppose i am.

[tinkinpink84]

I really dont think what i just wrote made any sense either.

[padmelupin]

I really dont think what i just wrote made any sense either.

Made sense to me! Not sure if that's a good sign though...

[padmelupin]

I am 42 and when I was 36, my doctor tried me on Strattera. I almost broke my back teeth grinding them so bad. And honestly think that was the last straw in my break up of my marriage (which looking back now was not a bad thing).

I stopped trying to overcome it on my own until about 6 months ago and my doctor started me on Ritalin (I can't afford anything but generics). It worked ok for the first 3 months but I have since changed to adderall. I love it! It keeps me on track better at work and I have been able to cut down my sleep meds (been using xanax for over 15 yrs now---only use .5 to 1mg a day and have weaned myself down from 3 mgs daily in the last 5 yrs) because I can better control my racing mind and finally at night, stop thinking all the random useless thoughts.

Thanks for sharing! I'll keep an eye out for side effects. I've had some bad ones from antidepressants.

I'm glad you found something that works for you! I think stimulants scare my mostly because I have an addictive personality. But if the doctor thinks that's what I need, I'll try it.

[TeePee]

I was going to post this last night but got sidetracked

Someone posted this on one of my stepmom boards and it describes me to a TEE!

I once heard ADD/ADHD explained this way...

there is a class of students and the teachers asks who was the first president...most of the kids hands went up except the ADD/ADHD childs hand...

Most of the kids thought processes were like ooooh I know this answer so they think (go in their brain pull out a filing cabinet and search for the folder marked US presidents then they look in the folder and low and behold they have their answer - relatively quick and organized process)

However kids/people w/ ADD/ADHD its like they open the door to the filing cabinet room where they see all the folders strewn on the floor and they have to find the right folder on their hands and knees since they are in no particular order, once they do they think oooo Washington he was the first president he cut down the cherry tree - mmm I like cherries...which reminds me grandma is coming over tonight and she has made us an apple pie mmmm I like apple pie....then flash back to class

But by the time the above process has happened the class has already moved on to the next question.