Hello everyone! I have been quietly perusing these forums for the past few months while going through the rather arduous process of getting diagnosed for adult ADD and, apparently, an "Aural Learning Deficiency." It just means I process sounds in my head differently than others, so far as I can tell.

Anyway, you guys have an amazing support group here and I wanted to thank you all even though you don't "know" me because I have been reading the great advice all this time. Many, many thanks. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to read posts made by those that know what it is like to be frustrated with themselves as much as I have always been.

Anyway, (short story long...:D) I was prescribed Adderall 10 mg X 2 per day and I will go back in for a couple of weeks to possibly have the doseage adjusted accordingly. For the 4 days I have taken it, I am quite pleasantly surprised. I can actually concentrate on the task at hand at work without a zillion mundane thoughts crowding out all of my productivity. Basically, I am very impressed.

There is one thing that I have noticed, however, that struck me as strange.

(please don't think I am crass or this is a "flame" or whatever, I am totally serious and pretty embarrassed to ask this)

I have been urinating like a madman since day 2. I have not made any changes to my diet, fluid intake, vitamin regimen, sleep pattern, or any other lifestyle changes.

I have always drank a lot of water since I frequent the gym quite a bit. I usually drink around a gallon to a gallon-and-a-half a day. I am used to this. I have done it for years.

For the last few days, however, I cannot go a half hour without going to the restroom. The urge is overbearing. It really is quite a head-scratcher. I read the side-effects list and saw that it may cause "diarrhea or constipation" but nothing about urination. So I double-checked (I'm sure at least some of you know how that is). Still nothing.

Is anyone else having this effect? If so, is it temporary?

Thank you in advance to anyone that replies. I do hate that this my first post to the forums has to be about bodily functions, but hey...what can I do, right?

BTW, in case it makes a difference, I am 27 years old, male, with no other ailments. Healthy as a horse.

Thanks,

sd2001

Welcome aboard, SD.

What you describe is very common, but didn't happen to me.

I thought I had an aural learning disabilty because, before Addeall, I couldn't understand what people were telling me - I could not separate the noise and other voices from the voice that was talking to me. I still think I don't hear well, but it is much much better. I had gone fro a hearing test and it was "normal." Could I still have an aural issue? How do I find out? I physically can hear, but it is not always clear. What can I do to correct this?

Hey, you can even start contributing already! Thanks.

My problem is a bit different, though it seems that both of our situations have facets within the same realm.

When I went back to college, I had a real tough time with foreign languages. I would memorize all of the words, study the grammar ruthlessly, and could conjugate verbs like a pro. However, as soon as someone said something to me in that language, no matter if I knew what every single word meant, I would have no idea what they were talking about. It was horrible.

At my first appointment with the psychologist that was recommended to me, I said something about this in passing. Since he was giving me a battery of tests to diagnose my IQ and the possibility of an attention disorder, he wanted to go ahead and throw in a few that dealt with the way in which the brain picks up, process, and reacts to sound.

One of the more substantial of these tests was one in which I was to listen to a series of "blips" and "beeps." Basically, the kinds of sounds your computer occasionally spits out when you're turning it on or off and the ones you hear when you hit the buttons on a phone. A series of sounds would be played in varied pitch and shortly after that, another similar series of sounds would be played. It was my task to distinguish whether the series of sounds were different or the same. The first were the easiest to distinguish and they got progressively more difficult.

About halfway through the test, which I wrongly assumed was near the end, they all began sounding exactly the same. I was absolutely positive that there was no differences in the sounds being played. I honestly thought that the test was flawed. After it was over, I looked at him and expressed this concern. He told me that only 7 out of the last 20 were the same and that I was exhibiting severe symptoms of the disability. He even told me frankly, that he was amazed that I had never thought that I had a problem before.

Now, there have been plenty of times when someone will whisper to me and I have to strain to think about what they said, people will say that they have called my name continuously without me so much as glancing their way, and of me being so engrossed in distuinguishing what the heck it is the people on the television are saying at any volume less than deafening that noone can get my attention. I always just chalked it up to being inattentive. I have always had slightly better than average hearing in both ears.

I think that ADD may have exacerbated this condition quite a bit. He thought the same way.

If you think you have a problem, definitely get checked. I am on no extra medication or anything for it, but at least I can now recognize that it is there and I can make a conscious effort to try to control it. The Adderall seems to help, but it really is too soon to make any kind of an adequate assessment to be sure.

I hope this helps. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you. And yes, I am definitely willing to give back to this forum all that I can.

By the way, it is good to hear that the symptoms that I am experiencing are common. Does anyone know if they are temporary or if this is going to be an ongoing thing? Thanks a lot for your input.



-sd2001

Thanks SD! Your quick and detailed answer was very helpful and appreciated.

Your experience with the hearing subject might be needed by others here, perhaps in other forums.

My hearing test did not get to identifying differences in sounds - it was basically, "click when you hear something, thank you very much." The doc said I hear well. Actually, I've had three of these tests done in the last fifteen years or so. Perhaps I need a more specific one. I don't know if you "hear well" like me, AND have an aural deficiency, or you just don't hear well. Would a psychologist be able to perform the test?

With Adderaal I'm able to focus better on the voice of the person speaking to me in a noisy environment, but I still have problems with people whispering, understanding song lyrics, foreign languages, etc. I cannot listen to a loud TV - it drives me nuts - I hear "well," without the TV being, but sometimes I cannot "assign words to the sounds". Thanks again!

BTW, you can search for prior messages about urinating, click on search and type a keyword. I have included a link of some of what was said about your question in the past week:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24012&highlight=bathroom

I think the excess urination will go away. Most of the initial side effects do!

Yeah, these tests were not "hearing" tests at all, per se. They didn't measure the ear's ability to hear. They seemed to measure the way the mind processes the information once the ears sends the signal. I have above average hearing in each ear. It's somewhere further down the "pipeline" that things get a little wonky. :)

It was a psychologist that administered the tests and made the diagnosis. It's definitely worth looking into if you think you have a problem and the more that you explain it, the more it sounds like mine, except we are the opposites about the TV. I need it loud so I can pick apart every tiny sound. Your sentence, "but sometimes I cannot 'assign words to the sounds' is dead on. It's the best description I have heard for it ever.

I don't know if there is medication available for it. I wasn't interested since I was weary even starting the Adderall since it's only the third medication I have ever had prescribed to me in my life.

Thanks again for the help and the link. It looks like I'm gonna be one toilet seat lifting-and-lowering son of a gun for the time being! :o

frequent urination

I'v been on Adderall for 3 years now and the frequent urination hasn't let up yet. I awake 3-4 times in a 8-10 hour sleep cycle. Not much urination during day. Used to bother me but I do not have diabetes, or prostate problems and my BUN and blood work for kidney's are OK so I really hate the waking but everything seems to be ok so I guess I won't worry about it anymore......keyword......ANYMORE

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">I have ADD-OCD: I'm constantly changing what I'm completely obsessed with!
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

LOL..that's a crack up...mine would read "I have ADD-OCD: I'm constantly forgetting what I am completely obsessed with"

and, after 3 years of all that unrinating, it must drive you up the wall!!

Thank you

Welcome SD...

I'm 'Newish' to Adderall as well, and I do notice the 'frequency' issue too, but as I am also prescribed an anti-depressant that is known for that side effect, I attributed my frequent 'Powder Room' breaks to it!

Whooops... Must go 'Powder My Nose' immediately! Bye!

Addeline

Give it a few weeks, and see if the urination problem subsides. If not, try cutting back a little on your water intake. Even though you've drank that much for years, that's still quite a bit of water. If you still have problems, talk to your doctor. There are medications available to calm overactive bladders.

As for hearing, I'm weird with auditory processing, too. My hearing is very sensitive. I've always passed hearing tests with flying colors. A lot of people act like I'm nuts when I mention the squealing noise that TVs make. And 128kbps MP3's drive me nuts-- I can't stand how quieter sounds are converted to noises that sound like a computer from a bad 1960s sci-fi movie.

However, my hearing is not at all *selective*. I can never understand what anybody is saying if there's a lot of background noise, no matter how much I'm paying attention to them. It's upsetting to go to a bar/club with a bunch of friends, and watch them talk as if they were sitting in a library. Meanwhile, all I can hear is loud music and a dull roar of people talking.

I don't know where to put this. how about here.

I have never been diagnosed with any hearing problem. I have a question of my own first and then i want to respond to the 'frequency' part of this thread.

I started taking 25 mg. Adderall XR 2 months ago. i have noticed that i can hear the llost yrics of very familiar songs clearly all of a sudden. Songs I have long given up ever figuring out.
Also, my ears ring all the time but it's not a problem. I am 50, so I expect my hearing is worse now. But I'm talking about overall life experience.
I have a terrible time hearing peoples words when there is any other noise around. I have learned to read lips and face expression. Then I just give them the proper response and they're happy.

I read here that Adderall will make me thirsty and it does. I don't think I pee anymore often tho'. I drink twice as much as I used to. The only negative side effect I have is constipation and that may not be Adderall's fault. I also take 100 mg. Zoloft daily.

I have been urinating like a madman since day 2. I have not made any changes to my diet, fluid intake, vitamin regimen, sleep pattern, or any other lifestyle changes.This could be from the stimulant properties of the medication. It may be stimulating muscle contractions in the bladder causing the excess need to urinate. This may go away after a few weeks. However if it doesn't I would report this side effect to the doctor. He/She may have way of helping you reduce this problem through dose adjustment or an additional medication (such as Detrol LA or Vesicare)

Well, Amphetamine is a type of Phenethylamine, and Phenethylamines are known for their diuretic (urinating too much/not holding water) properties.

I had the urination issue for the first month or so I was on the medication. Mainly because the Adderall made me very thirsty, so I drank more, thus urinated more.

Eventually you and your body grow used to the medication, to the point where, if your dosage is right, you shouldn't notice it. Related, I stopped having to use the restroom twice an hour...

As to the hearing, I've always been sensitive to that sense...able to pick out a song, say, in a mall, when no one else can really hear it. Or if I only hear a few notes of one instrument. However, I had a hard time remembering names or information said to me, as my ADD had me focusing on everything and anything but the speaker. Or I'd become overwhelmed in places w/ a lot of stimulation.

Since starting Adderall, I'll focus on whatever I choose to, mainly people speaking to me, and easily retain info and names. I can also appreciate music much better now, as I'm actually listening to it, instead of letting it flow through me.

On a somewhat related, but side, note, my driving skills have definitely improved :) In fact, I find driving has become a good bit of fun, especially since I have a manual and focus on how all the various parts of my car work. Then again, I am a car buff. I've also become a less aggressive, more patient driver.