ADHD / ADD Support Group

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.

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Having a little trouble...

jenyerhot73
jenyerhot73
I was diagnosed with adult adhd about 8 months ago. I started on Ritalin and have tried all the different forms of it to see what works the best. All of a sudden I am having some difficulty following the prescription and wanting to take more of it! Let me just say that it helps me a great deal and makes my life so much easier. I feel...semi normal. I'm scared though. I respect the meds and what they can do for me but, I don't want to focus on it so much. Any kind words and feedback is so very welcome.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hi Hon, I think the best thing for you to do is contact your doctor right away and talk to him about the difficulty you are having with the need to take more of it. Sooner you talk to him/her the better you will feel.
antjie
antjie
Hi I had a very similar experience - kep on increasing the dosage, (with the doctor's knowledge - she said I can go up to 100mg per day and I stayed well below that.) She said to distinguish between the EFFECT of Ritalin and the SIDE-EFFECTS. E.g. I was getting hungry more often - that's because the side-effects were settling down, so it didn;t mean I could not focus any more. Also I found out recently that if I sleep about 9 hours a night I cope so much better with enerything and I don't need as much Ritalin, so I've taken my dosage down again. I was only diagnosed a couple of years ago - when I was a kid ADD hadn't been "invented", and I realise I coped OK because my parents had a fairly rigid schedule and early to bed was non-negotiable.

HTH
LABIII
LABIII
I wish to alert folks of a peer reviewed (legitimate) research study that I just got my hands on that seems to suggest some real potential for prescribing "open label placebos" to individuals in order to reduce their long term use (dependency?) on their amphetamine salts for ADD/ADHD. You can find a link to the article here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18171451

If you have a history of addiction in your family, perhaps consider a non-controlled substance (Straterra?).