Hi,
Just wondering if anyone else with ADD gets teary-eyed very easily? My husband and I have noticed that this seems to have gotten worse since he started his meds. He is on Concerta 54 mg.

Just talking about it even makes his eyes "well" up. I asked if he actually feels emotional when this happens, and he says no. I know this really does bother him and I can understand that. It must be hard for a man to be having a conversation with others and have teary eyes! I notice it more when he is talking about himself, not when someone has said something to him. My son (also ADD) also appears to look like he is about to cry when trying to express himself, but he does get upset easily to the point of crying. This is on or off medication though.

My H dr suggested he try a lower dose to see if it makes a difference, but I know the lower dose didn't work for his symptoms. He also told him he might just have tolerate it if he wants the meds to work for his ADD symptoms. There is another drug called Biphentin (apparently only here in Canada) that my son is on and it is the same drug as Concerta but is delivered (absorbed)differently so can effect you differently. He might try that.

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks :)

geez - it's horrible. I was trying to explain to my boss that I'm going in for ADD treatment and you'd have thought my dog just died, my dad had taken away my inheritance and my favorite t-shirt had been washed with a red towel.

I agree - it's not that you feel emotional you just get emotional. I don't know why I do it and i get embarassed about it all the time. lol

Thanks for your reply Frapster. Are you taking meds yet? Just wondering if it intensifies or gets worse (eyes welling up)because of the meds.

Thanks for your reply Frapster. Are you taking meds yet? Just wondering if it intensifies or gets worse (eyes welling up)because of the meds.
oh - no - sorry. Not yet - i'll let you know if/when I do.

I got teary eyed at the slightest thing in my life, When i went on Strattera it got better.

I then realised alot of it was the hormonal changes in my body due to perimenopause. I

now on Estrogen and progesterone. I havent had one episode of crying since.

The doctor might want to draw some blood and see if the medication is at a therputice level.

Alot of medications is trial and error unfortunately. You just have to find the right one

your husband and his system Good luck.

Thanks for the responses, I was hoping there may have been more of you that have had some experiences with this but I guess this is so individual.

I did that some on my Adderall in the beginning. I have been on a myriad of meds since I was dx in 1994. Concerta made me too aggitated to enjoy any benefits of relief from ADD...

My perspective from the Adderall XR is this> and it works very well for me. Been on it over a year now. Is that...once I got all the gobblty goop out of my mind...could sit and think about things...wihtout getting distracted....I began to deal with things. The effects of not being productive...the relief of finding something that finally worked..the regrets..the damage the low self-esteem....and it just came out? Maybe cause I couldn't concentrate long enough before to really deal with things? And talking about it, or things that were emotional , it just comes pooring out....I have had times, the tears just come..and I don't even know why..or feel the boohoo coming on?

I did the same thing..when I got dx with BPDII last year...I am not a crier...at all. But I found once again, when I leveled out, I had to concentrate on me more...and the tears came easier?

I don't know if this is what is happening to him, or it's some weird side effect, although in all my own research, I havn't come across it. He's a man , right, don't know if he would say he felt like crying every time he did, since it would indicate..."weakness" on his part , as most men seem to feel if they cry?

Dunno, but I hope that might give you another perspective on why it's happening? Esp if he was dx as an adult, went though a lot of trials as a result of his ADD...and is coming to terms with it all now.

Thanks justhope, I was kinda thinking that maybe it was that (having the ability now to really focus on himself and feelings) because of the meds.

I am just wondering if any others with ADD are more "sensitive" etc and maybe that is a symptom as well and when on meds it all just gets magnified because they see things they didn't see (or feel) before meds.

So you are saying that in time possibly, he will have the time needed to "heal" any pain etc from being on meds longer. Does that make sense?

It is said that people with ADHD wear their hearts on their sleeves. Is your husband's diagnosis fairly recent? It took me two years to get used to the "new me" after my diagnosis and the grieving period that went with it. The meds helped, not hindered the healing. Are you worried about your husband taking medication?

Oh THANK YOU, I'm not the only adult male with ADD that gets weepy eyes easily. Much worse before Adderall XR, better now.

NJTrout

Tell your husband that makes two of us. I'm a man who gets teary eyed for no known reason. It can occur when someone is looking me in the eye and speaking to me, not often, but it happens. I don't know why it does this. I don't feel sad or emotional, just a welling up of tears. A few times I did feel this surge of emotion I figure that overcame me, not happy, not sad, just there. Nothing provoked it, it just happened. I haven't really cried in a long time.

You guys are going to have me crying if you keep this up.

Thanks justhope, I was kinda thinking that maybe it was that (having the ability now to really focus on himself and feelings) because of the meds.

I am just wondering if any others with ADD are more "sensitive" etc and maybe that is a symptom as well and when on meds it all just gets magnified because they see things they didn't see (or feel) before meds.

So you are saying that in time possibly, he will have the time needed to "heal" any pain etc from being on meds longer. Does that make sense?
Yes that is what I am saying, and yes it makes sense. And it appears that might be the case, since not only 2 females here (myself & Imnapl) but 2 other men....confirmed it.
I am pretty sure since he's pretty "new" it will die down in time. After all the pieces come together and things balance out. It's all so overwhelming in the beginning.... :)

Don't they call this emotional lability, or is that something else.

Don't they call this emotional lability, or is that something else.Now you've got me thinking. When does being sensitive, "thin skinned" become emotional lability requiring help from a professional?
From:
From:
http://www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com/feb01/npr_feb01_adhd.html

The investigators administered the questions to 167 adults with ADHD and 839 normal subjects. A factor analysis of the responses revealed four distinct factors, which were labeled Inattention/Cognitive Problems, Hyperactivity/ Restlessness, Impulsivity/Emotional Lability, and Problems with Self- Concept. According to Dr. Conners, the Inattention/Cognitive factor is analogous to the inattention that characterizes ADHD in children, although in adults it encompasses a variety of cognitive problems, including difficulties with executive functions and with starting and completing tasks. The Hyperactivity/Restlessness factor encompasses not only motor hyperactivity but also feelings of inner restlessness, distractibility, risk taking, and a tendency to become bored easily. The Impulsivity/Emotional Lability factor resembles childhood impulsivity but also includes impulsive verbal outbursts, "hot temper," stress intolerance, irritability, and labile mood.

* * * * * *

When I was a teenager I rarely cried unless it was pretty serious like a breakup or something. I always thought it was kind of "weak" to cry so much. It seems the older I get the more emotional I am. I just started treatment a few months ago and every time I think about it or try to talk to someone about ADD I get choked up. When I talk about other things that would make some people emotional I have no issues...it's usually only when I talk about myself.

I think a lot of it (for me anyway) is due to actually dealing with all the problems associated with ADD. And the longer you go undiagnosed/untreated, the worse that onslaught is when you finally start dealing with your life. So many years of feeling inadequate, of immense self-doubt, of not living up to unrealistic expectations of yourself...all that ADD comes with...sure is a lot to deal with at once. And having ADD makes it even harder to deal with stuff like this, so it is just that much worse! Then the medication....helps or hinders this whole thing depending on the person and the med.

More clever Canadians. Is this a revolution?

Oh THANK YOU, I'm not the only adult male with ADD that gets weepy eyes easily. Much worse before Adderall XR, better now.

NJTroutp

no i too seem to have that paticular condition. i sometimes even get moist eyed at halmark comercials though i would never admit it directly to any one. I sometimes would have to watch touched by an angel alone so that I would not embarass my self. so to the one that said we adhd people wear our hearts on our sleaves that is so true.

Mrs. A, thank you for posting such a great thread topic. Who knew? Let's hear it for the boys.

Thank you to all!!! This will make it so much easier for my husband to see that it will take some time but can improve. It has been almost a year since he was diagnosed and then getting on meds that did something took quite a while. Also, he just started to acknowledge what it has done in his life and only started learning about it in the last couple of months so I guess time will definitely help.
Thanks again,

Thank you all,
Especially my wife, Mrs A for bringing up this topic. yes it seems that what i am starting to face is the beginning of a whole new life. I was alway some what teary eyed growing up, but i always thought that was because of my upbringing, but since i started on these meds (concerta) i have found that i too have the same problem with welling up at a halmark card or some other sappy type thing. Yes some women and men would think --a what a wimp, my same thoughts as well. What i have found though is that i have a better grasp on what is in front of me, i see what hurt is now, i see what true pain is now and am able to what pain i have caused for many years. I think that the meds have made me find the softer side in me as well( possibly part of the tears) I know thereare many MEN out there that wont admit to this problem, but that is OK, dont feel that you are any less of a person for tears===== you are probably a stronger person now then you ever have been.