ADHD - Adults

[TheBinarySheep]

Ok, so today I've noticed 18mg of Concerta has started to wear off after 7 hours. I hadn't noticed that the previous three days.

Around 3pm I started to feel anxious, and found it more difficult to focus my mind on individual thoughts. I also felt less confident in myself and my decisions. On the previous days, I've been able to stop what I'm doing and move onto something else without still thinking about the previous task. After 3pm today, I struggled doing that and I find I'm having to stop myself going back to the task this evening.

Once it started to feel like it wore off, I began feeling less positive about its impact.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. I need to remember that the dose is being increased in another 9 days or so.

[KAgantua]

Interesting topic, my GF has ADHD I think and a lot of the same issues

Mind fog
Mind racing
anxiety
procrastination

How easy is it to get a GP diagnosis and medication like Concerta?

[Fastdruid]

KAgantua said:

Interesting topic, my GF has ADHD I think and a lot of the same issues

Mind fog
Mind racing
anxiety
procrastination

How easy is it to get a GP diagnosis and medication like Concerta?

If you go with NHS then after the initial kicking things off with the GP probably a 1-2 year wait to be seen by a specialist.

You can shorten things with a private specialist but then you either have to pay for a private prescription and actual drug costs or move back to the NHS (either shared care or discharged to GP) which would then mean proscribed by the GP and limited to the NHS prescription charge rate.

[TheBinarySheep]

Fastdruid said:

If you go with NHS then after the initial kicking things off with the GP probably a 1-2 year wait to be seen by a specialist.

You can shorten things with a private specialist but then you either have to pay for a private prescription and actual drug costs or move back to the NHS (either shared care or discharged to GP) which would then mean proscribed by the GP and limited to the NHS prescription charge rate.

^ This.

I initially went to my GP, they referred me but the team I was referred to said I they didn't think I had it. Personally, I just don't think they had the resources and internally had decided they were only taking on the more serious cases.

I ended up going private, cost around £700 for the diagnosis, £199 for my first nurse appointment and then £49 for my first month of meds.

I started the private process at the end of June 23, got a diagnosis in August, but then had to wait as they were not starting new patients on medication due to a medication shortage. Once I'm settled on the meds, they'll request a shared care plan with my GP, so the prescription price will drop.

I'm self employed, to me going private made sense. If it helps me be more productive, helps me focus more, then making back the cost of diagnosis won't take long.

[lifeboat22]

KAgantua said:

Interesting topic, my GF has ADHD I think and a lot of the same issues

Mind fog
Mind racing
anxiety
procrastination

How easy is it to get a GP diagnosis and medication like Concerta?

I went private, got seen, and was on meds within 2 weeks. Costs as follows;

£695 assessment, £52 for first script. June - Concerta 18

£245 titration, £75 script. July - Concerta 18 & 27

£245 titration, £93 script, August - Elvanse 30mg

£250 titration, £120 script October - Elvanse 60mg (due to shortage, had to split them)

£250 titration £132 script December - No Elvanse available, 120x 5mg amfexa

£250 titration, £128 script, Jan - Elvanse 40 mg, 30x 5mg amfexa

£75 repeat script charge, £134 script Feb - Elvanse 40mg, 30x 5mg amfexa


Cheap it is not, but my job is performance related, so I'd pay double if I had to!

[sparkyhx]

Sslink said:

How do those on Elvanse cope with the side-effects?

I had a brief foray on 70mg and whilst I did feel a small improvement in my ability to stay on task and work output, the side-effects were a big step up compared to 50mg.

The biggest one being dry-mouth and loss of appetite. I can pretty much only eat fruit in the morning as my mouth is desert dry. I struggle to eat anything at lunch time without following every mouth full with a sip of water. Then in the evening I KNOW I'm hungry, I know I NEED to eat but it's such a struggle, I'm a slow eater as is, but it's taking me up to an hour to finish a meal sometimes regardless of the time.

Irritability is another one, I take the meds at 6am, so I'm "up" by the time I get to work at 8ish. However, by mid afternoon 2-3, I'm such a rotten mood, everything is bothersome, I have to be very wary of my conduct around this time.

Saying that, from 8-2 I feel like a new man. Trying to get on shared care now though as the clinic I'm with no longer has nurses to do reviews so the price has gone from £120 to £220, then a ~£100 prescription, it's getting really expensive and I can't afford it.

Does anyone have any tips on pushing for shared care with GP?

side effects are personal, some have them others dont or do but not to the same extent. Do whatever works for you and as long as the benefits outweigh the disadvantages then I'd say crack on.

I have Elvanse, I'm not convince they work until I dont have them and thats when I and others around me notice the difference.

My son doesnt take any meds for his ADHD any more and he runs on turbo drive all the time. I struggle to be around him, if I'm brutally honest, as he drives me insane after a while, imagine a 30 year old adult bouncing off the walls like a 7 year old.

When he was diagnosed he was on the verge of being excluded from school in his GCSE year. He came out with 7 GCSE's and went to Uni got himself a degree. Then he stopped taking the meds. If he hadn't been diagnosed and taken the meds originally I dread to think where he would be now. He is now a primary school teacher and TBH his ADHD probably helps, he just saves all the madness for when he is home.

[Woodrow Wilson]

TheBinarySheep said:

Ok, so today I've noticed 18mg of Concerta has started to wear off after 7 hours. I hadn't noticed that the previous three days.

Around 3pm I started to feel anxious, and found it more difficult to focus my mind on individual thoughts. I also felt less confident in myself and my decisions. On the previous days, I've been able to stop what I'm doing and move onto something else without still thinking about the previous task. After 3pm today, I struggled doing that and I find I'm having to stop myself going back to the task this evening.

Once it started to feel like it wore off, I began feeling less positive about its impact.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. I need to remember that the dose is being increased in another 9 days or so.

I can only speak for myself, but I did wonder about the extent of the positive effects that you described previously and wonder if there was a strong placebo effect.

18mg is apparently considered a low child's dose.

I take 72mpg, didn't notice any drop in appetite, but initially lost a bit of weight (I'm lean anyway) and had no issues with sleep. Stimulants don't have much effect on me. I can drink strong coffee and go to sleep. Dental anaesthetic doesn't work well on me either.

When I began taking Concerta XL I felt a deep lull for around 20 minutes in the early evening, although it is much less pronounced/zero now.

I am at my best when I am busy and required to make decisions. I am at my worst when unstimulated with time on my hands.

I have been very busy at work recently and have been able to put in some long days, amix of desk and site/technical stuff. It all depends what I am doing. Writing dull reports kills me.

Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Wednesday 14th February 21:16

[roscopervis]

Mr Whippy said:

Bloxxcreative said:

Desiderata said:

Bloxxcreative said:

Desiderata said:

I've just discovered this thread, and though I haven't read all the way through (and probably never will, you all know how it is!) it has been a revelation. So many stories just like mine.
Recognised as being a "gifted" but "difficult" child, sailed through school with little effort but lots of scrapes, left with good results but dropped out of two universities. A number of varied "careers" which I loved, rapidly rose through the ranks, then got bored with and moved on. Nothing particularly well paid but I worked hard for stupid hours and always had a side hustle or two on the go. Anything with a little glamour or adventure, I especially drifted towards the dangerous side of things like fishing boats, demolition, security, rope access work etc.
I've recently retired for the third and hopefully final time at the age of 60 and already looking like a child in a sweet shop at the potential for new adventures.
Regrets? No, not really. Parents and teachers were disappointed, saw the unrealised potential but didn't get that this was me, the wild recklessness was as much a part of me as the high IQ and manic drive. This is me. That's why I don't get the way this conversation has been going for the last few pages. Looking for medication, drugs, a cure? To make you better? To make you a different person? Please don't, just be yourselves, the world needs us just the way we are.

For some people, they can make their adhd work for them. For others, it can work most of the time. But when the balance shifts and you're struggling more than you aren't, medication can be a huge saving grace. For example, in my teens and early 20s, knowledge of my adhd and medication probably would have helped me focus in uni, not be a risk taking douchebag in my personal life, and put me in a better place in areas of my life today. That said, maybe I'd be a boring bugger. Actually after reassessing my life I landed some work that suited my adhd etc and for about 6 years or so felt great. Then after growing the family the last few years I've really struggled and thought medication may be worth pursuing again.

I suppose I've got the benefit of hindsight, having finished with all the career and earning a living stuff and all the worry is in the past. But please don't underestimate yourself. Life isn't all about a good career and towing the line. Enjoy who you are. The people who really care about you will appreciate you the way you are.

Appreciate the post, in my case they do, it's just more the frustrations with myself in my situation, but it could be much worse. For me it's the effort of chasing the job I want, cba as its too much effort / a change / not worth the increase in £. The marketing services company I'm setting up, similar now that my motivation has gone. The book I'm writing. Similar. Even though it would be a really good read (once run through an editor). The gym. Similar. Family life is great but I struggle to appreciate it at times because of all of this noise. Sleeping...nah my brain goes a mile a minute.

The problem is I'm quite good at things.m, just struggle to stick things through which is very draining and depressing. Can see value in meds if they help with this.

But that’s not what’s being said.

If you’re naturally like that then you’re basically taking drugs to compensate for your own view of yourself as a negative.

That in itself should ring alarm bells because most mental illness is based on poor self image/esteem/value etc…

I don’t think you understand what ADHD is with that answer. If you have ADHD, then that’s exactly what the drugs do - they provide you with the motivation and consistency that the disorder takes away. When, throughout your life you consistently face the same issues with motivation, consistency, and these then lead to micro injuries to your self esteem that build up over time, which can lead to anxiety and depression (mental illness).

These are secondary to the foundational disorder though, is a chemical deficiency which can be treated with drugs and which really can improve your self image and esteem as confidence is boosted as you feel that you really can see things through.

[richwain24]

Is it a common thing to lose weight once taking ADHD medication? If so, what do you think is the reason?

[roscopervis]

richwain24 said:

Is it a common thing to lose weight once taking ADHD medication? If so, what do you think is the reason?

Yes. The medication is either a stimulant or stimulant adjacent. These will suppress your appetite and increase your physiological responses to Adrenalin, even if your mind is calmer. That means your heart rate will be a bit higher and ultimately, your metabolism will be increased slightly.

Edited by roscopervis on Monday 19th February 19:32

[sparkyhx]

Yey...............Shared Care set up winner winner chicken dinner no more £130 monthly bills

[Desiderata]

You might find this interesting.

https://www.sciencealert.com/adhd-traits-may-have-...

An possible evolutionary explanation for ADHD.

[cashmax]

roscopervis said:

richwain24 said:

Is it a common thing to lose weight once taking ADHD medication? If so, what do you think is the reason?

Yes. The medication is either a stimulant or stimulant adjacent. These will suppress your appetite and increase your physiological responses to Adrenalin, even if your mind is calmer. That means your heart rate will be a bit higher and ultimately, your metabolism will be increased slightly.

Edited by roscopervis on Monday 19th February 19:32

You are taking speed, it suppresses the appetite and as above raises your metabolism.

[KTMsm]

Desiderata said:

You might find this interesting.

https://www.sciencealert.com/adhd-traits-may-have-...

An possible evolutionary explanation for ADHD.

I think those of us with "functioning" ADHD already knew why it's beneficial to the human race

We are the quick thinkers and reactors who are great in a crisis, which is why jobs like the Army and Police appeal

The risk taking side also explains why it's advantageous for the species for only a small percentage to have it

Nature is a wonderful thing but you have to understand that all the parts are there for the benefit of the whole, not necessarily for the benefit of the individual

[RSTurboPaul]

Hi all,

With apologies for not reading the prior thread because I am irritatingly busy at the moment...


Please may I ask if anyone might have a view on amitriptyline as a treatment for not-yet-officially-diagnosed teenage ADHD?

A friend (yes, really. lol) has been suggested it by the GP as an interim measure because getting assessment/diagnosis for the child is going to take months.

Any comments gratefully received!

[sparkyhx]

RSTurboPaul said:

Hi all,

With apologies for not reading the prior thread because I am irritatingly busy at the moment...


Please may I ask if anyone might have a view on amitriptyline as a treatment for not-yet-officially-diagnosed teenage ADHD?

A friend (yes, really. lol) has been suggested it by the GP as an interim measure because getting assessment/diagnosis for the child is going to take months.

Any comments gratefully received!

In the meantime, have you tried some of the behavioural techniques, They take practise so don't expect immediate results.
- routine
- short bursts of activity
- short bursts with a 'reward'
- Organisation, lists, alarms, consistent locations, routine, do things now not later (although this is double edged) , prioritisation - do it now or add it to a list)
- use your phone - especially these days where 'you youngsters' have them surgically attached :-) - use alarms, use diary/calendar, use lists, use it as a 'reward target' 5mins of TikTok, quick game, but limit that time with another alarm.
- Pomodoro method - coupled with phone rather than the 'clock'
- remove distractions, this may be your phone, turn of notifications, the world will not stop cos you don't answer a message!!!! immediately.

Phones can be a great aid in organisation, but also a major source of distractions. It depends how disciplined you are as to whether removing the phone (other side of the room, in another room, not confiscation)

Anyhoooooo back to answering your question

amitriptyline is a recognised alternative to stimulant drugs, and tends to be given to 'inattentive' ADHD rather than Hyperactive ADHD.

There are some 'unintended' benefits over stimulant drugs, it's not a controlled drug and as far as i know readily available. Stimulant drugs are experiencing severe shortages/lack of availability at the moment, prescriptions frequency and availability, potential travel issues. .Amitriptyline has to be taken regularly unlike the stimulant meds where some people take around their lifestyle e.g. stop the stimulants at the weekend or only take them when they absolutely need to get something done.

Like all drugs there are benefits and potential side effects, and its a balance whether the benefits outweigh the downsides. Its not compulsory. You do what you like. Even when you get a diagnosis and take 'stimulant meds' they may not suit you in general, the Dr's may try a few different ones before they get it right for you and they will titrate |(find the right dose) over a few months, so its not 'take this off you trot''.

Basically, what I'm saying is, If you find a drug doesn't suit don't then give up, it can be a process of trying different meds and different doses taking several months (3-6 or longer).
If at the end of that process they run out of ideas and you don't tolerate or don't like how any of the meds make you feel, then you can say you tried and you can rely on some of the behavioural methods

[Teddy Lop]

sparkyhx said:

Yey...............Shared Care set up winner winner chicken dinner no more £130 monthly bills

does anyone else find this no end of aggro ?

Between the jobsworth ****s in the GP surgery, the incompetent ****s in the pharmany and the clowns who can't even seem to make and distribute some highly profitable yet fairly benign compounds I swear it's like they're all tag-teaming each other in a conspiracy to stop me having the medication.

I spent several grand getting the "authorisation" if you will yet I'm tired with being made to jump through hoops continuously. i'm done with it. I'm wondering if I can just buy something funky from a guy in a blacked out funny smelling audi and down mix it far enough it'll do the job. is there a dark-web way of procuring the stuff? (all jokes BTW mods don't delete me)

I should really keep taking something as while i'm disinclined to throw hyperbole around, I'm an electrician and what brought all this about was I was making mistakes due to lapses in attention and brain fog that made my blood run cold with what the outcomes could have been. i'm self employed, there's no-one to sign me off and pay me sick. there's the peverse incentive of when my moral duty to stop taking calls and simply stop work should kick in.

[RSTurboPaul]

sparkyhx said:

RSTurboPaul said:

Hi all,

With apologies for not reading the prior thread because I am irritatingly busy at the moment...


Please may I ask if anyone might have a view on amitriptyline as a treatment for not-yet-officially-diagnosed teenage ADHD?

A friend (yes, really. lol) has been suggested it by the GP as an interim measure because getting assessment/diagnosis for the child is going to take months.

Any comments gratefully received!

In the meantime, have you tried some of the behavioural techniques, They take practise so don't expect immediate results.
- routine
- short bursts of activity
- short bursts with a 'reward'
- Organisation, lists, alarms, consistent locations, routine, do things now not later (although this is double edged) , prioritisation - do it now or add it to a list)
- use your phone - especially these days where 'you youngsters' have them surgically attached :-) - use alarms, use diary/calendar, use lists, use it as a 'reward target' 5mins of TikTok, quick game, but limit that time with another alarm.
- Pomodoro method - coupled with phone rather than the 'clock'
- remove distractions, this may be your phone, turn of notifications, the world will not stop cos you don't answer a message!!!! immediately.

Phones can be a great aid in organisation, but also a major source of distractions. It depends how disciplined you are as to whether removing the phone (other side of the room, in another room, not confiscation)

Anyhoooooo back to answering your question

amitriptyline is a recognised alternative to stimulant drugs, and tends to be given to 'inattentive' ADHD rather than Hyperactive ADHD.

There are some 'unintended' benefits over stimulant drugs, it's not a controlled drug and as far as i know readily available. Stimulant drugs are experiencing severe shortages/lack of availability at the moment, prescriptions frequency and availability, potential travel issues. .Amitriptyline has to be taken regularly unlike the stimulant meds where some people take around their lifestyle e.g. stop the stimulants at the weekend or only take them when they absolutely need to get something done.

Like all drugs there are benefits and potential side effects, and its a balance whether the benefits outweigh the downsides. Its not compulsory. You do what you like. Even when you get a diagnosis and take 'stimulant meds' they may not suit you in general, the Dr's may try a few different ones before they get it right for you and they will titrate |(find the right dose) over a few months, so its not 'take this off you trot''.

Basically, what I'm saying is, If you find a drug doesn't suit don't then give up, it can be a process of trying different meds and different doses taking several months (3-6 or longer).
If at the end of that process they run out of ideas and you don't tolerate or don't like how any of the meds make you feel, then you can say you tried and you can rely on some of the behavioural methods

Thank you very much for the detailed reply, will pass it on

[KTMsm]

Teddy Lop said:

Between the jobsworth ****s in the GP surgery, the incompetent ****s in the pharmany and the clowns who can't even seem to make and distribute some highly profitable yet fairly benign compounds I swear it's like they're all tag-teaming each other in a conspiracy to stop me having the medication.

I'm wondering if I can just buy something funky from a guy in a blacked out funny smelling audi and down mix it far enough it'll do the job. is there a dark-web way of procuring the stuff? (all jokes BTW mods don't delete me)

I thought the same - happy to buy the end of line / out of date pills etc

But google suggests not only do they frequently sell duds (no surprise) sometimes they fill them with the wrong drugs and there have been deaths - what's the world coming to when you can't even trust a drug dealer

[lifeboat22]

Teddy Lop said:

sparkyhx said:

Yey...............Shared Care set up winner winner chicken dinner no more £130 monthly bills

does anyone else find this no end of aggro ?

Between the jobsworth ****s in the GP surgery, the incompetent ****s in the pharmany and the clowns who can't even seem to make and distribute some highly profitable yet fairly benign compounds I swear it's like they're all tag-teaming each other in a conspiracy to stop me having the medication.

I spent several grand getting the "authorisation" if you will yet I'm tired with being made to jump through hoops continuously. i'm done with it. I'm wondering if I can just buy something funky from a guy in a blacked out funny smelling audi and down mix it far enough it'll do the job. is there a dark-web way of procuring the stuff? (all jokes BTW mods don't delete me)

I should really keep taking something as while i'm disinclined to throw hyperbole around, I'm an electrician and what brought all this about was I was making mistakes due to lapses in attention and brain fog that made my blood run cold with what the outcomes could have been. i'm self employed, there's no-one to sign me off and pay me sick. there's the peverse incentive of when my moral duty to stop taking calls and simply stop work should kick in.

I can go onto shared care, but for £130 I get to stay in control of where I get my medication (ie, where it's available) and I generally get my prescription within a day or two of it being due.

I am also self-employed and I earn the £130 back many, many times over as I can now actually do my job.

Money well spent.