Cameron80
05-10-06, 12:42 PM
Wow, this is the best forum I've found yet on ADHD. I'm so glad I found it! I've found a lot of posts here to be very helpful. I'm glad some ADD'ers are going through the same thing(s) as me.
A little bit about me: I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 15 but have mostly used Adderall IR (Immediate Release) to help me with my inattention. I'm now 25 Years Old. I've suffered from anxiety, but I feel like the anxiety stems from bad memories of not being able to focus when the 'spotlight' was put on me.
I've been on a multitude of medications but most recently I went back on Adderall. I used Adderall in college but I was mis-dosed and took too much and felt like I was constantly on speed. At the time I didn't fully realize that you're supposed to be 'calmed' rather than 'sped up.' In addition, I went to school in Colorado and feel like that the medication acted differently at 5,500 ft.
It was only a month ago or so that I started seeing a real therapist that didn't just prescribe meds for me. I now understand how I'm supposed to feel when I take the med. Perhaps the most important thing I've learned is that it is VERY important to get therapy along with taking medication. If you have a good shrink s/he'll show you how to deal with some of the effects of the meds and will help you understand how to cope with the effects. A lot of the time I tend to try to figure out what's going on by myself, but I often find that its better just to ask the doctor. I've found that the combination of meds and a good shrink can be a very successful experience for somebody with ADHD.
In short, I know I'm ADD because when I take the medication at the right dose (7.5 MG) I feel really calm and relaxed. It feels like a blanket of well-being and calm just settles on my shoulders. I feel like the same way when I take a lot of caffeine pills (oddly enough huh?). Most people would be jittery as all hell, but I feel calmer. I feel like I'm in a zone and can get anything done. At the same I feel like a really different person then when I'm not medicated. For example when I do take adderall it's almost painful for me to dream. I feel like I'm looking through a pair of binoculars at the world and seeing a small chunk of it. When I'm not on the drug it feels like I'm looking at the world from a hot air balloon.
7.5 MG (of brand name Adderall) is a very low dose, but I try to remember that everybody is totally different when it comes to dosage. I know people that take 40 MG at once and others who use 5 MG. Find the dosage that fits you and don't question it. Some people react to very little and others need much more med in their system.
Yesterday I tried taking a higher dose of 10 MG and I felt really overstimulated and it didn't work well for me. In addition I had headaches later on in the night as the meds were wearing off (and even a little bit this morning too). I don't want to say that it was hell, but it wasn't particularly fun!
Basically I've been taking a dose of 7.5 MG or lower with good results. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you fellow ADD'ers not to give up on trying to find the right dose. The difference of 1 mg or 2 can send you over the edge from feeling calm and relaxed -------> feeling overstimulated.
Anyway, I'm not Mr. Know It All, but I've been around the block with these Meds and just wanted to share my experiences. Look forward to reading some more of your posts:D
A little bit about me: I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 15 but have mostly used Adderall IR (Immediate Release) to help me with my inattention. I'm now 25 Years Old. I've suffered from anxiety, but I feel like the anxiety stems from bad memories of not being able to focus when the 'spotlight' was put on me.
I've been on a multitude of medications but most recently I went back on Adderall. I used Adderall in college but I was mis-dosed and took too much and felt like I was constantly on speed. At the time I didn't fully realize that you're supposed to be 'calmed' rather than 'sped up.' In addition, I went to school in Colorado and feel like that the medication acted differently at 5,500 ft.
It was only a month ago or so that I started seeing a real therapist that didn't just prescribe meds for me. I now understand how I'm supposed to feel when I take the med. Perhaps the most important thing I've learned is that it is VERY important to get therapy along with taking medication. If you have a good shrink s/he'll show you how to deal with some of the effects of the meds and will help you understand how to cope with the effects. A lot of the time I tend to try to figure out what's going on by myself, but I often find that its better just to ask the doctor. I've found that the combination of meds and a good shrink can be a very successful experience for somebody with ADHD.
In short, I know I'm ADD because when I take the medication at the right dose (7.5 MG) I feel really calm and relaxed. It feels like a blanket of well-being and calm just settles on my shoulders. I feel like the same way when I take a lot of caffeine pills (oddly enough huh?). Most people would be jittery as all hell, but I feel calmer. I feel like I'm in a zone and can get anything done. At the same I feel like a really different person then when I'm not medicated. For example when I do take adderall it's almost painful for me to dream. I feel like I'm looking through a pair of binoculars at the world and seeing a small chunk of it. When I'm not on the drug it feels like I'm looking at the world from a hot air balloon.
7.5 MG (of brand name Adderall) is a very low dose, but I try to remember that everybody is totally different when it comes to dosage. I know people that take 40 MG at once and others who use 5 MG. Find the dosage that fits you and don't question it. Some people react to very little and others need much more med in their system.
Yesterday I tried taking a higher dose of 10 MG and I felt really overstimulated and it didn't work well for me. In addition I had headaches later on in the night as the meds were wearing off (and even a little bit this morning too). I don't want to say that it was hell, but it wasn't particularly fun!
Basically I've been taking a dose of 7.5 MG or lower with good results. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you fellow ADD'ers not to give up on trying to find the right dose. The difference of 1 mg or 2 can send you over the edge from feeling calm and relaxed -------> feeling overstimulated.
Anyway, I'm not Mr. Know It All, but I've been around the block with these Meds and just wanted to share my experiences. Look forward to reading some more of your posts:D