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Adult ADHD and Medication Options

November 25, 2013 Elizabeth Prager

I have been finding out all sorts of things as of late about Adult ADHD and medication options. Since I watched those lectures by Dr. Russell Barkley (read Adult ADHD as Not a Gift), I've been looking into a bunch of the things he talked about -- and he definitely mentioned a lot about adult ADHD medications. This post is going to be half-informative, half-information-seeking. I know the adult ADHD drugs I've taken in the past for this disorder and I have questions about some that I haven't. Let's get started!

My Experiences With Adult ADHD Medications

Adult ADHD medications have pluses and minuses. I discuss my experiences with different adult ADHD drugs, adding insight into how they worked for me.Let's do this systematically. The first Adult ADHD drug I took after my eye-opening Adult ADHD diagnosis is the same drug I'm taking now: Concerta. This was a magic pill for me for a few years. Once I found the right dose, I had about 10-12 hours of attention and focus to take me through my college days. I could read books and write essays and actually understand what I was doing. Sure, I didn't eat for the first month and didn't sleep well for quite some time either, but the ends justified the side-effects.

Next, Adderall. I'm not sure why my college doc decided to nix the Concerta and go ahead and try the Adderall, but we did it. One major difference I found on Adderall was the amount of time I spent feeling dehydrated went up by about a billion. Adderall is an amphetamine mixed salt and it left me thirsty all the time. I was completely willing to just increase my fluid intake, though, until I started to have eye tics. Yikes! The eye tics! My eyes would spontaneously, unexpectedly and strongly close - like pinch close. It looked weird and people noticed. The looking weird wasn't even the real issue - it was the headaches that accompanied the tics. I stopped taking this after about a year - the tics started about 8 months into my time on Adderall.

My next medication was my favorite by far: Provigil. It's now under the new name and formula: Nuvigil. It's meant for narcolepsy, but it worked for my ADHD. Unfortunately, the FDA did some studies and it proved to be ineffective for ADHD, so I had to stop taking it. Sad face.

I took a while off of Adult ADHD medications once I started dating my now-wife, but began a few years ago with Concerta again. I like it alright, but I hate that it wears off before I can even study at nighttime and I hate that I'm not that hungry during the day and STARVING once it tapers off. I have heard tell of a new drug, Daytrana, that could solve all of my issues.

Daytrana is a patch that consistently releases the drug into your system. I have never tried it and I have never had a doctor talk to me about it, so I'm wondering if any of you have ever taken it? I would love to know more and I would love to know what your worst side-effects and best working Adult ADHD medications have been. Let's share!

You might also want to check out Adult ADHD Medications Benefits and Drawbacks.

You can also connect with Elizabeth Prager on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.

APA Reference
Prager, E. (2013, November 25). Adult ADHD and Medication Options, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, October 31 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/livingwithadultadhd/2013/11/adult-adhd-and-medication-options



Author: Elizabeth Prager

Tammy
November, 27 2013 at 3:05 pm

I have been on Adderall for a few years now. Initially, my previous doctor prescribed it to me to "stimulate" my mood as he put it. I took it at first and weight started dropping at a steady rate due to the fact I had no appetite. I lost approximately 70 pounds and felt great. I was put on another med that causes weight gain, and eventually I ended up gaining it all back and am not obese and stuck at the weight I am. The Adderall makes me be able to concentrate. Before I couldn't focus much attention on anything. I don't nap during the day. I stay away and get errands done.

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