Hi-

I am just curious of ADD symptoms some of you ladies have? I teach 4th grade and see it in kids all of the time. However, I don't want to jump overboard with myself. I am Bipolar and take meds. for that. I am now beginning to wonder if some of my distractions and disorganization is from ADD. My doctor and I are going to discuss it on my next visit in a couple of weeks and possibly try me on concerta or something. My issues are mainly disorganization, attention, and forgetfulness. Please tell share some experiences. Anyone out there with Bipolar and ADD???
THanks
Sassy

Yes, I am ADHD (combined) and Cyclothymia Bi-Polar. I just started taking Ritalin for the ADHD and I am not sure if it is the right medicine for me. What type of meds do you take for your Bi-polar? The three issues you mention in your post are the same items that made me decide to see a Psychologist for a diagnosis. I was surprised when the outcome of her diagnosis included Cyclothymia, however, after she explained it to me - it make complete sense. My 15 yo daughter is extremely ADHD and I believe that she may also have OCD. She has been on and off meds for the past seven years. When she is not on her medication, she is very unorganized, loud, makes strange noises (a puppy whining, etc.) and is very argumentive. I presently am still educating myself about Cyclothymia and trying to find the right ADHD medication for me (if any). I also take Wellbutrin 300mg per day. My Psychologist firmly stated no Strattera and no mood stabilizers, however, my physician put me on Topamax (which I have not started taking yet) and tried to prescribe Strattera. When I told him she stated no Strattera - he immediately started me on Concerta. I would locate an Adult ADHD symptoms checklist online (addresources.org/article_checklist.php) and take this with you to your next doctor appointment.

Let's see... chronic, almost crippling procrastination, inability to sustain focus for long very long. Even if I somehow managed to focus, I couldn't retain anything. Focusing left me mentally exhausted, to the point I would have to take a nap. Mentally disorganized. It was hard for me to gather my thoughts and put them all down in a logical manner.

I also tended to do better at jobs where I was moving all the time vs. sitting down in one spot. It seemed odd to me at the time, but my job at the coffee shop was actually the perfect job for me and my ADD. You're constantly moving, interacting with people but still doing your own thing, there is a routine but you had to be able to be quick and jump into another role if need be... chaos but organized.

Do you get frustrated easily? I teach children. It keeps me on the move, but I don't have time to be frustrated or aggravated. I see my doctor in a couple of weeks. I hope he can help.

symptoms: daydreamy and out of it as a kid, always out of step with the activities in progress. Socially awkward. Eventually, withdrawn and isolated; repressingthe anxiety and sadness and eventually numbing my distress with an eating disorder. Disorganized... as in, no clue how to begin to get organized. Always missing papers, forgetting assignments. And when I did know aboutthem, procrastinating for reasons I could not fathom, and feeling sicker and more tense about the project but still not starting it. And then after high school, a couple of desultory stabs at college, and then trying to fit into a family business... in which my parents and sisters were whizzbang BRILLIANT at the job and I was... ummm.... competent on my very best days. It was a number of years before I got the courage (or became frustrated enough with life) to really go to college and get my own career.

As an adult, even now, feeling way over my head with the responsibilities a woman is supposed to just naturally be able to handle, and guilt that goes along with that. And feeling flooded and overloaded with too much going on at once, especially sound, and then I'd just SNAP and my nearestand dearest would think I was being "controlling" when I'd try to sort them out, when all I was really tryingto do was get the noise and overload to STOP. They don't really undersand why I can't tune them out... they talk a lot and they talk loud and after a while I just can't keep it out anymore, sometimes. But we're all getting better at seeing that coming and the noisy debaters go to another room so I can have blessed peace.
"impatient" was a label applied to me for many years until I finally BLEW at my family and explained to them that they had no iea what I had been patient with and for how long, they had no idea how much energy they unthinkingly drained from me as though it was their right, with never a thought to putting it back; my family still thinks my brain is hanging out in my cranium for their convenience, as a handy receptacle for their every incontinent passing thought. Since I'm the Mom I'm supposed to just be there, waiting, ready to listen, ready to drop anything in my brain so as to givethem allllllllllllmy attention.... and that's a struggle sometimes.

I don't mean, I resent doing it, I mean, I resent when it's taken for granted; does my darling husband think he's really just so fascinating that I am able to listen with effortlessly rapt attention when he's, say, driving and talking about "Where am I going to park? Should I look for a space close, and maybe we will have to drive around for ten minutes until I find one, or maybe we won't find one and we will have wasted that time, or should I go ahead and park a few blocks away to start with and not bother looking for a closer space? I know you dont' like to waste time and we will be wasting time if we drive around lookingfor a space and don't find one. So should we park on this street? Or this one? Or that one? Or..." I'm not kidding, he can talk for a good long while about ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!


And both misreading and insulting me at the same time with the "wasting time" thing, which means, how impatient I am... umm yes, not with the driving dear, with the CONTINUAL MEANINGLESS BLATHER. And he's a wonderful man and I love him very much but it does take concerted effort to make him feel appreciated and valued when he's trying to put me into a COMA. I mean, just park the car, with no conversation about THAT, and we can use our brilliant minds for a stimulating conversation about world events, or about our undying passion for each other. I mean, the trivia of life is consuming most of my TIME. It does not need to consume my BRAIN, too.

Is that ADD? From what I read, I think so. Needing stimulation in the sense of, interesting things, but needing less stimulation in the sense of, being bombarded with trivia and noise. Many people wouldn't be driven so NUTS by the stream-of-consciousness musings, and could tune it out better than I. I'm impatient with the trivia of life and giving it my brain... can't you see I'm THINKING?

So your question was, symptoms of ADD. And for me, it plays out in relationships, because my role as Mom seems to require all these non-ADD skills and it's hard for me.

I am having a hard time deciding if my issues are ADD or my bipolar. I can get very frustrated at noises, etc. at times, but that that is also realted to BP. My main concerns are disorganization, can't find things, feel like "I'm everywhere," etc. My Depakote for Bipolar seems to help the frustration for noises and excessive movements. I see my doctor May 16

Hi Sassy...and welcome...


I am BPDII rapid cycler too!
I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADD first, age 24 over 12 year ago.
The depression..and well 12 year later ....BPD...
The ADD meds worked for the distraction, hyperfocus, etc. But the anti-depressants never work for the aggitation, anger,,,or mood swings.
Finally as I got older and the symptoms worsened..and Hypomania really kicked in I got the diagnoses.

While I was building my Lamictal levels, I came off of my Adderall XR 40mg. My doctor and I wanted to test the theroy and see if I was indeed ADD or just misdiagnosed since they tend to mimic each other before the extremes kick in. Well after almost 2months off of the Adderall......I discovered...I am ADD as well...
ONce the moods were under better control, I started back on the Adderall, I just take a lower dosage now, 20mg and I don't use it all the time. Mostly for work where my mundane tasks need my attention...and sometimes I use it on the weekends if I am doing a lot...or out in public where I tend to get overwhelmed and distracted..and frustrated....

The Lamictal has really helped me the most with the aggitation, anger issues.
The Adderall has helped me with my distractions, impulsivity...daydreaming issues.

I used a journal to track not only how the BPD meds were doing, but also the ADD behavoir issues I ws having..since I needed to "see" them...know the difference in the BPD tendencies...and also because by the time I got to the doctor I would have forgotten everything and blabber on about just about everything but that...LOL...

it's a fairly normal co-morbid..and from what the doctor told me I was a little unusual, as most get the BPD diagnoses first, then the ADD...oh well I have always been a little backwards...

Low Frustration Tolerance is a symptom too, sometimes. Yup. (Can lead to emotional meltdowns.)

Helpful...:faint:

Low frustration level is a symptom for many things...BPD being the biggie...especially when you are cycling. My depressive states were either me sleeping or aggitated. My hypomania was well no sleep extreme hyperfocus..and outbursts if disturbed...But then again, add'er can hyperfocus and get aggitated when disturbed...

So there are many crossover symptoms. If you are leveled out on moodstablizers and having those symptoms...then your doctor (if he is well studied in both things should be able to tell) and if you respond well to ADD medications you will get the answer.. Just like BPD ADD meds are a test of patience. YOu might get lucky and have the first one work well, and you might not...but be patient.

Let us know how it goes...Best of luck to you!

THank you so much ladies guys. This is really frustrating. I am in a funk right now because I decided to try a different mood stabalizer for my BP to reduce side effects. I am back on Depakote right now. That seems to be the only thing that works for me the best (what ever best is). It is difficult right now getting stabalized. In the mornings I freak out having to get out and start daily routines. AAAggggghhhhhhhhh! I want to get back to that happy me.