I haven't been prescribed Adderall yet, and had some questions about its potential effects. Did those who went on Adderall after being newly diagnosed see changes in things other than focus....for example their overall mood, and patience? How about any other symptoms of ADD?

Did those who went on Adderall after being newly diagnosed see changes in things other than focus....for example their overall mood, and patience? I'm glad to see you mention patience... I have yet to read any discussions about medication and an increase in patience levels. That is one of the first changes I noticed is my patience increasing with others and with myself. My normal impatience would cause anger flashes whenever an obstacle impeded my activities.

I would honestly focus anger at the lawn and the trees (or other obstacles) in my yard on the rare occasions that I moewed my lawn. On meds, I am perfectly happy spending the time to mow the lawn. And, a move obstacles without getting angry and pick up sticks and other odds and ends that I would typically mow right over.

I will try to post later on some additional benefits that I am getting, but I am actually going to go outside and help do some yardwork today. At the age of 32, I am actually finally learning to do trivial things that I had never done before. For example, I bought a weed whacker 6 years ago. I turned it on once when I got home, but have never used it. I finally have to go learn how to use it (I know... it can't be that difficult :confused: ).

This is a good thread topic. Can't wait to see if you get a long list of varied responses.

Out of curiosity, have you tried any other treatments for ADD, and have you had any past successes overcoming ADD hurdles?

ChaoticOrder

Very interesting reply.

I've never been treated. I'm awaiting my initial doctor's visit but have taken a bunch of those questionaire type tests and I score very high (as being add).

I was wondering did adderall help with attention to detail for anyone? I have extremely poor attention to detail when I do almost anything. Plus I'm extremely messy/disorganized to begin with.

I was wondering did adderall help with attention to detail for anyone? I have extremely poor attention to detail when I do almost anything. Plus I'm extremely messy/disorganized to begin with.
My experience so far is that it does help quite a bit with attention to detail. For instance, with typing I slow down the speed at which I type and the keys I hit are much more deliberate. Although I type slower on medication, I make less mistakes and don't forget as many of the small details.

I still think that I am going to need some coaching though. When medicated I read much better and in a linear fashion, but I have an ingrained habit of using the mouse scroll-wheel to scroll through (and skip reading) text. My mind is reading linearly, but the habit of just scrolling through web pages is still somewhat persistant.

I quickly learned that medication is not the solution, but a tool that helps us ADDers find the solution. I just read most of the introduction sticky to the ADD coaching forum and found it to be very informative and has reinforced my own feelings as to how medication helps and what it does not help. This is especially true for adult ADDers who were never diagnosed and treated earlier in life. We need to "learn" how to live a somewhat "normal" lifestyle.

My office and living quarters quickly turn into big garbage heaps (with important things tucked into nooks and crannies). Medication helps me to focus on staying on task when I am cleaning. It even makes my actions much more deliberate, so I am more prone to recognize that something in my possession is trash and that I should put it in the garbage, not on the floor or a table. But medication has not taught me organizational techniques. I am in the process of learning how I should organize my affairs, and I have a long ways to go.

I'm sure I'll contribute more to this thread later, but do not want to spill all of my guts at once in a single post that I'd be likely to scroll past myself :rolleyes: .

I skip read all the time, and was hoping medication would help with that and the racing thoughts I have. I know I'll need some coaching too :)

i was on 20mg of adderall ...made me focus on things too much...doc lowered it to 10mg...it seems to work ok...this is how i can tell if its working....it might sound crazy...but here goes....i pray occasionally...well if the tv is on while i am trying to pray its very difficult for me normally..but when i take the adderall...i can focus on one thing at a time..when i first took the adderall i thought my organizing skills were much better.....i felt like when i spoke ...i wasn't lost for words...i could listen and think what i was going to say next..now i am not sure...i am beginning to think that it works better when i took it on a empty stomach...

i was on 20mg of adderall ...made me focus on things too much...doc lowered it to 10mg... Good observation! I am glad someone else has had this experience. It seems I have to keep a keen eye out on the peak therapeutic effect of my dosage. If I go even 5 mg above, it almost starts becoming less effective becaues of the reason you mentioned. For me, so far, I have found my therapeutic effect to be between 15mg and 25mg (if I don't reach it fully with 25 mg, I assume that it is just "one of those days" and more probably won't help). It seems to vary quite a bit on a day-to-day basis.

So, my preferred methodology is to take 15mg, wait 1 1/2 hours to make sure I can pick up on the subtle effects, and then add 2 extra 5 mg if needed with an hour spaced between. I am assuming these thresholds are different for everybody. Maybe this is better off as a new topic (anyone want to jump in?). How much variability do people experience on there medication schedule on a day-to-day basis? And what are the extremes (ex: sometimes 5 mg is fine, sometimes 20mg is fine)? And how do you get the right dosage you need... take a guess and take the medication at one time, or ramp up like I desacribed earlier?

I don't put my foot in my mouth as often on Adderall. But sometimes I do find myself talking a lot about weird stuff. But its still a good trade off.

Did those who went on Adderall after being newly diagnosed see changes in things other than focus....for example their overall mood, and patience? How about any other symptoms of ADD?Overall mood was better - but that leveled off when I became accustomed to Adderall. Then my mood dropped - mostly out of the sad realization of how much I had missed out on for so many years and how silly my life had become.

Mostly now I think in a more linear fashion. I'm really not sure it it focus. I go from A to B to C to D, etc. I never did that before. I can multitask for the first time in my life. I can organize my thought, my life and all parts thereof.

I am also much more patient - which is the last thing I would have expected from a stimulant - ADD or not. I am more tolerant of other people.

One last thing - my blood pressure is lower. My shrink and I figure that it is the removal of stress from tring to work within a "cloud".

Many years ago I had taken up flying airplanes (single prop) as a hobby. I was great at flying and handling the thing. When it came to adding navigation - that is - trying to figure out how to get somewhere - I went over my limit. I guess this was the ultimate multitask, and I blew it - so badly, I almost crashed on day out of confusion. I would really like to try it now on adderall. I really think I can handle mutiple tasks at once. I think I'll talk to my shrink about that soon.

i started at 20mg it really helped with being on the ball with organizing my thoughts ... saying the right things at the right time...i didn't have problem thinking what i was going to say next... ..i swear i had people's attention all eyes were :confused: on me for once in my life.. ..when i spoke .. also it got me up early in the mornings... more patience...but i focused too much and the anxiety hit...

lowered to 10mg...anxiety has disappeared and the focusing is good...thats about it.
I am wondering if 20mg was too high to start with..was i suppose to start at 10mg and gradually move up to 20mg...or is there a 15mg..

( I WATCHED A SHOW WHERE THEY DID A STUDY ON PEOPLE WITH ADD .. WHEN WE THINK TOO HARD ARE MINDS SHUT DOWN AND GO BLANK..isn't that another happy thought)
Someone wrote about skip reading...i think everyone who has add does skip read...does everyone agree with that????????

For me; research was key. Your dr. has all the answers, but if you go into ur appt. armed with good questions, some that might be specific to you that otherwise wouldnt be addresses, youll have a much better understanding.

The FDA has a ton of studies and info; infact althogh my dr. said that the doseage is based on weight 1kg(weight) to 1mg; the drug trials indicated that as opposed to adderall sr; doubling the dose didnt double effectiveness for xr and that for those weighing under 75kg/165lbs; the benefits with 40 + 60mg, were the same as those with 20mg. Which is interesting, I think.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/esum/2005/21303s009_Adderall_Psych_BPCA.pdf

Also, the more you know about a drugs potential interactions with other meds/foods/allergies/pre-existing health, the more you will be able to help yourself. Esp. when you look at the instances of sudden death, which were few and rare, but even if mistakes were made by health professionals in those cases, had the patients or parents had knowledge of the possible risks or been able to researched the drug, maybe these tragedies could have been prevented. Everyone makes mistakes, even dr.'s, but if you (as the patient) learn all you can from reputable sources which are abundant esp w/ the internet, your more likely to avoid these mistakes. This applies to everything in life; fault doesnt always matter in the end.

The bottom line is that research pays; dont just base your decisions about your health on one source or one persons opinion, expert or not; do your homework. better safe than sorry, right?

The other point I stress is that medication is really there to take the edge off, but its not a cure all. Initially you feel better, but you soon realize that meds are only half the solution, the other half is talk therapy for behavior modification or coaching, so that you can identify and correct/change your learned coping dysfunctions.

my problem is i took stattera..what it did for me was unbelievable...i got a taste of what it was like not to have add...it was if i was deaf...then i could hear...it also gave me motivation..alertness..got up early..and look forward to the day.. it only lasted about 3 weeks...then it went down hill...my add even got worst..had to stop using it ...so many side effects ....i guess i am yearning for that feeling again..

I think when mine is working I forget that I have adhd. In the areas it doesn't work it is obvious. Praying, I always had tremendous guilt that I couldn't accomplish that without a million thoughts (often inappropriate-like someone annoying me) bouncing around in my head. Well I still have that problem but I don't feel as guilty about it now. I just ask God to forgive my ADDness.
I still wonder around the house from chore to chore but now when I notice a school paper on the floor I actually bend over and pick it up instead of telling myself I need to pick that up sometime.
Solitary sex (hehe) I could never understand the appeal to people because it was not something I could stay focused on - well it didn't help that.

The most important thing seems to be the ability to make myself follow through on something in order to retrain myself. I wish I had been diagnosed in my twenties simply because I think I would have been very trainable. Now I think I have hormonely things working against me and my adderal is trying to swim upcurrent.

Aside from the ability to focus at work for longer periods of time, a few other things are different since I started Adderal.

MOOD - definitely improved. I've battled chronic depression most of my life. Before Adderal, despite 300mg of Wellbutrin and 50mg of Zoloft (which helped part the clouds), 90% of the time, I was in a state of low-level depression (dysthymia). Even though I'm very grateful for all the good in my life, it took something extraordinarily good to feel happy, and of course any time the smallest thing went wrong, it felt like the world was crashing down on my head. Since starting the Adderal, not only are the clouds parted, but the shine is shining and I can feel its warmth. :) I feel like I can handle anything that comes my way and I'm much more able to enjoy the blessings in my life. I feel settled, calm and content for the first time in ages.

PATIENCE - I think patience goes hand-in-hand with mood... My mood is better, I'm less tired and cranky, and patience comes naturally.

SLEEP - Adderal is a stimulant, but I am sleeping better at night. I think there are a few reasons for this. 1) My mood is better and I feel calmer. My mind isn't racing at bedtime, worry about everything I should have (or not) done. 2) I get more accomplished during my waking hours. This gives me less to worry about at bedtime. 3) I'm expending more energy during the day getting things done. I feel like I have the energy to exercise (so I do) and I also get a lot of "busy work" done at home. I'm not sitting on my butt feeling overwhelmed and sorry for myself. Because I'm expending more energy during the day, I'm more "ready" for sleep.

DIET - My appetite hasn't really decreased, but I am making better food choices. I love fruit and veggies, but I always craved junk food like crazy... PayDays bars, dark chocolate and ice cream... I didn't eat the healthy stuff because I didn't crave it. Interestingly, I crave the good stuff now, especially fruit. Fattening food just doesn't seem appealing anymore.

Another big benefit diet-wise... Before Adderal, when I would start eating, it was as if a switch went off and I couldn't stop eating until I was so stuffed I could hardly move and the food was all gone from sight. Since being on Adderal, I get to a point where my body recognizes "I'm full" and I just stop eating. It is nice to feel in control of the quantity I'm eating. :)

EXERCISE - I'm running more regularly again. I am much more mentally healthy when I'm running regularly... running gives me all those happy hormones. :) I got into a major rut where I was always feeling tired and overwhelmed and running found its way to the bottom of my priority list. This was not good!!!! When I go through these phases, my brain gets deprived of happy hormones and I feel worse and worse and the dysthemia turns into a major bout of depression... Then I end up on some kind of antidepressent for awhile until I can level out into a routine again. Adderal has helped boot me out of the rut.

I am really not proud of being on two antidepressents and Adderal. I don't discuss it with anyone except my fiance. I hate "needing" these chemicals to keep myself in balance. The drugs don't fix me or my life, but they enable me to do what I need to do to fix it. I prefer to think that instead of changing me, the drugs unmask me. Biochemical and/or hormone imbalances are the mask... without the imbalance, the real me can shine through and live my life the way I want to live it. :)

I still think that I am going to need some coaching though. When medicated I read much better and in a linear fashion, but I have an ingrained habit of using the mouse scroll-wheel to scroll through (and skip reading) text. My mind is reading linearly, but the habit of just scrolling through web pages is still somewhat persistant.


My office and living quarters quickly turn into big garbage heaps (with important things tucked into nooks and crannies). Medication helps me to focus on staying on task when I am cleaning. It even makes my actions much more deliberate, so I am more prone to recognize that something in my possession is trash and that I should put it in the garbage, not on the floor or a table. But medication has not taught me organizational techniques. I am in the process of learning how I should organize my affairs, and I have a long ways to go.

I'm sure I'll contribute more to this thread later, but do not want to spill all of my guts at once in a single post that I'd be likely to scroll past myself :rolleyes: . I feel like I have met my twin!! Lol

I have been on adderall less than a week, but I notice how I read slower at work and really look at what I reading and grasp it. Before I would skim, not get it, skim, not get it, skim, not get it. Over and over I had to read something before I finally got it.

My home is SO unorganized and crazy. I hate it.

So I am glad I finally have a reason WHY I am like this...and hopefully now meds and the doctor can help me change my ingrained patterns.

My husband has ADHD too...

I have noticed that I am able to form sentences more easily in conversation and I am expanding my vocabulary.

Also, I think that my general mood had changed from very pessimistic and judgemental to less critical.

Something I noticed early on with the adderal. Even if I woke up sad the adderal would get me out of bed. It was like robot mode but at least I was moving. Then the day would gradually seem better. It was almost like the adderal wouldn't let me wallow in the depression.

I have also noticed with my house, the more cluttered it gets the more confused I feel. I think that is why I have finally gotten to the point where I can throw things away. I used to be a saver of sentimental stuff. Most of hte time now I figure if I can't remember it without a trinket it wasn't worth remembering. I'm even learning to throw away the out of focus pictures.