This thread might die quickly as there seems to be a low number of people with this certain subtype of Attentive ADD. But If there is anybody out there that has it and has used adderall to treat it, How is your outcome so far?

Do you have more motivation, energy and are you more talkative?

Let me know. Thanks.

Hi there!
I am inattentive type, and my short answer to your question is:
no, no and no.

:( It does help with focus, though it seems oddly inconsistent with that. Some days I feel like my focus is great. Other days, like today, it seems better, but not as good as it's been other times.

As far as energy, motivation and being more talkative, I haven't seen a great improvement in this. However, I should note that I am an even odder breed, because aside from being inattentive type, I also have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. So these may be inhibiting the Adderall from being as effective as it could be in terms of energy and motivation.

I'm starting Provigil soon to see if that helps more.

Are you currently taking Adderall, or just thinking of trying it?

Hi there!
Are you currently taking Adderall, or just thinking of trying it?No. They put me on Strattera right away (which is understandable) and I have been on that for the past week with unbearable side effects, I would rather not take strattera so I dont have to feel the way I have been for the past week.

I seen my Psychologist today and told him about this specific subtype of inattenttive add that has been recently discovered and showed him a bunch of data and stuff to kinda back my argument up on it and he said he was going to call my family doctor and ask that I be put on adderall or if she does not feel comfortable with it then he was going to ask her to refer me to the phyciatrist instead.

So basically I am just waiting for him to call me back and let me know what the verdict is.

No. They put me on Strattera right away (which is understandable) and I have been on that for the past week with unbearable side effects, I would rather not take strattera so I dont have to feel the way I have been for the past week.

I seen my Psychologist today and told him about this specific subtype of inattenttive add that has been recently discovered and showed him a bunch of data and stuff to kinda back my argument up on it and he said he was going to call my family doctor and ask that I be put on adderall or if she does not feel comfortable with it then he was going to ask her to refer me to the phyciatrist instead.

So basically I am just waiting for him to call me back and let me know what the verdict is.Hey there Jeremy. I'm Ben;) and I'm one of the 'resident' SCT 'experts':p

I know how you feel I think. Strattera sucks if you get the side effects (i.e. especially urological - urinary flow problems, erectile disfunction, etc. as well as the other side effects like feelings of 'dullness'/apathy and sweating and etc.)

Stimulants generally work best for those of us with ADHD-PI/SCT/ADD (whatever you want to call it:p ). I take Adderall XR and it makes me feel focused, calm and sometimes euphoric/overly confident.:D I like a lot better than Strattera...but YMMV. Feel free to send me a PM or post in this thread if you have any questions! I'm here to help, so...;)

-Ben

ETA: I posted in another one of your SCT threads...you said earlier that SCT has been 'recently discovered'...:confused:

But....SCT is by no means 'recent'. It was in the original DSM classifcation back in the 1980's as a 'subgroup' of ADD (back when they had ADD and ADHD;) ) but they ultimately determined that since it was treated the same way as ADHD-PI generally that it made no sense to differentiate them. Of course nowadays we know more...but (as I'm sure Crazy~Feet has told you) around here we like to refer to the 'official' terminology to make sure everybody is on the same page.;)

So in the future, if you would refer to it as ADHD-PI/SCT (i.e. SCT is a subgroup of ADHD-PI) that would be most helpful for other ADDers who don't know what SCT is:)

I had to get mine through the psychiatrist as well.

Is the Straterra helping at all, or just producing bad side effects? And did your doctor say the side effects might go away? Or should a week be long enough to know if it's for you?

I really don't know anything about Straterra, and not much about other meds, but I would say from my own experience, try not to put all your eggs in one med basket. I thought Adderall was going to change my life in dramatic ways and it didn't. I thought I'd be motivated and awake and alive and all the things I want to be.

Didn't do that for me. I found myself very down about it, and then I realized I had set my hopes so high and not allowed for the possibility of it not working like I thought it would. Then I wasn't even able to be happy at first about the ways in which it was working, because I was so upset about what it wasn't doing for me.

Just a friendly word of caution. I've realized now I have to give each med some time and not have too many high hopes for it. And as far as motivation, I've never, ever had any, and I would love it if I could get it from a medication, but I think that's too much to ask. I think what I'm hoping for is enough energy so I can motivate myself. If that makes any sense at all.

Good luck!

This thread might die quickly as there seems to be a low number of people with this certain subtype of Attentive ADD.I agree that this thread might die a fast death, since as of this date, SCT is not recognized as a subtype of ADHD at all. Its simply a theory.

I am assuming you made a typo and meant Inattentive. As to there being a low number of people with Inattentive ADHD...I'd have to say that I believe this is an erroneous statement indeed.

http://www.addresources.org/article_adhd_expand_clark.php

"Another advance in our understanding occurred, when, after years of study, the DSM-IV made it official --there is something called "ADHD, Inattentive Type," without any evident hyperactivity or impulsivity. The label is confusing, since this is the condition most of us once called "A.D.D." The new label has generated a lot of debate and criticism.

In any event, we now know that as many as 40% of all people with ADHD have the "Inattentive Type" only. In the past, children as well as adults with "Inattentive Type" were frequently criticized but rarely diagnosed. This is slowly changing."

Of course this is only one study ;) but considering how many people here are Dxed Inattentive? I can hardly accept in any way, shape or form that the Inattentive type might be considered to be rare. In fact, to me, what seems to be rather uncommon as far as I can see is the purely Hyperactive type. I know of exactly TWO in this whole place, although of course there may easily be more.


Do you have more motivation, energy and are you more talkative? No, no and no again. Of all the meds I have tried, Adderall was the absolute worst.

I do take an amphetamine now, dexedrine...and the answers are still no, no and no. AFAIK, meds are not so much inclined to assist with motivation, energy and talkativeness.

I find that even when medicated, I am perfectly capable of procrastination. Motivation is a thing one has to work at, and meds may or may not assist with this. I do not think that they are meant create motivation at all.

Energy, same story. I may or may not see an increase in energy...what exactly is meant by "energy" in this scenario? I think I need more clarification to give a proper answer. :)

Talkativeness, absolutely not! Not a shred. In fact, my daughter and I when unmedicated are among those that exhibit the hyperspeech phenomenon, and if anything, medications definitely decreased this tendency. To this day, a sure way to tell that our medications have worn off is for someone to realize that, once again, we are hyperspeaking. We, of course, never notice the difference *shrugs*.

Boy, good timing. My 16 yr old dd definitely exhibits the traits of SCT. She's been treated with methylphenidate products since dx about 8 years ago. Her primary care added Strattera last winter, but it didn't really help. She was so unmotivated, lethargic, withdrawn, etc. we thought first of depression. This spring, we took her to a Pdoc at a local major children's hospital who added Lexapro to her Daytrana 30 mg. She slept ALL the time, including at school - even on 30 mg Daytrana! So that didn't work. We then began trying to figure out whether her Daytrana 30 mg (and previously Concerta 56 mg) were too high a dose and causing sedation. You can probably find my other posts asking about "Ritalin zombie" and whether meds really provide all the relief listed in the sticky under general medications. All my research over the summer has seemed to indicate that 1) b/c Daytrana is metabolized more efficiently over time (per Dr. Jones and others), 30 mg is actually more than 30mg over time; 2) ADHD-PI (or SCT) does better on LOW doses of methylphenidates; 3) maybe Wellbutrin would be a better choice for depression; 4) Adderall or some other form of amphetamine may be a better stimulant for ADHD-PI.

We see the primary care today to rule out hypothyroidism, then a new Pdoc next week. I've dragged her through the first two years of high school, but she can't live her whole life this way (and neither can I - lol). I've seen a lot lately about SCT and ADD-PI being primarily a problem with Dopamine production, not just reuptake.

Sooo . . . . glad you posted jeremynd and ben, I look forward to any wisdom you and others can impart as we try this NEW way of looking at what's going on. I'll keep checking this thread because I'll bet there are PLENTY of folks (I guess around 40-50% who are ADHD-PI/SCT/ADD)

Of course nowadays we know more...but (as I'm sure Crazy~Feet has told you) around here we like to refer to the 'official' terminology to make sure everybody is on the same page.;):D Ben, you know me all too well.

<laughs>

:D Ben, you know me all too well.

<laughs>
</laughs>Like clockwork:D

Anyway Jeremy, I know where you are - I started on the same page, been there done that and I started a lot of the same threads you've started way back when:p. It's new to you and you're getting an information overload.

My advice - go back through the archives (use the search function) if you have specific questions. If you can't find anything, PM me (especially if it relates to SCT/ADHD-PI or amphetamines - those are my 'areas':p of expertise) or somebody else. Start a thread ONLY if it's something that hasn't been done before.

I mean, dont' start stuff like "How will Adderall make me feel?" or "Do you guys think SCT is real?" or "Which type of drug should I take?" or etc. Chances are you will find that somebody has already started a multi-page thread that covers everything you want you know.;)

2) ADHD-PI (or SCT) does better on LOW doses of methylphenidates;Then either my daughter and I are not inattentive, or there is some merit to what I keep contending:

Some people respond to some meds in some manner sometimes.

Considering that she and I responded only to relatively high doses of methylphenidates (high being subjective to begin with) and that this carries over into the amphetamine class where, again, we require relatively high doses for maximum relief...I am inclined to think the latter is closer to the mark.

My 2C free as always. :)

Like clockwork:D

Anyway Jeremy, I know where you are - I started on the same page, been there done that and I started a lot of the same threads you've started way back when:p. It's new to you and you're getting an information overload.

My advice - go back through the archives (use the search function) if you have specific questions. If you can't find anything, PM me (especially if it relates to SCT/ADHD-PI or amphetamines - those are my 'areas':p of expertise) or somebody else. Start a thread ONLY if it's something that hasn't been done before.

I mean, dont' start stuff like "How will Adderall make me feel?" or "Do you guys think SCT is real?" or "Which type of drug should I take?" or etc. Chances are you will find that somebody has already started a multi-page thread that covers everything you want you know.;)LMAO! And he saw me coming again...are you a psychic? Because if you are, I am considering starting this circus side-show and taking it on the road...:D J/K.

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CF, you're certainly correct about everyone responding differently to meds. I prefer aspirin for headaches and my mom likes Tylenol. Biodiversity is what keeps us from becoming extinct. :) Because I don't have ADHD myself, I'm poorly equipped to articulate the effect meds have on my dd. I was referring mainly to the information that was in the Adult section in this thread: http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25541&highlight=sct
which cited a presentation by Barkley, an NIH study and a few others. I haven't read through all of the links, though, so I may be chasing rabbits.

I always liked you Wifeandmom :) your desire to understand the "ADDed Dimension" is something that you exhibit to a great degree.

We are lucky to have you and so is your family.

Thanks for the kind words. I don't mean to hyjack the thread. I'm just aching so for my dd. She's so smart and clever and a real jewel, but as time goes on she seems to be getting more and more beaten down by things like school, uncaring teachers, an indifferent administration, social cliques, etc. To me, she's like an English speaker in big city like Hong Kong. She speaks a little bit of the language, but has to translate everything into English, then back again to communicate. She doesn't "get" the customs, so she can't tell if she's offended someone or she misses their friendly gesture. I just hate that things have to be so hard for her. :\

I agree that this thread might die a fast death, since as of this date, SCT is not recognized as a subtype of ADHD at all. Its simply a theory.

I am assuming you made a typo and meant Inattentive. As to there being a low number of people with Inattentive ADHD...I'd have to say that I believe this is an erroneous statement indeed.

http://www.addresources.org/article_adhd_expand_clark.php

"Another advance in our understanding occurred, when, after years of study, the DSM-IV made it official --there is something called "ADHD, Inattentive Type," without any evident hyperactivity or impulsivity. The label is confusing, since this is the condition most of us once called "A.D.D." The new label has generated a lot of debate and criticism.

In any event, we now know that as many as 40% of all people with ADHD have the "Inattentive Type" only. In the past, children as well as adults with "Inattentive Type" were frequently criticized but rarely diagnosed. This is slowly changing."

Of course this is only one study ;) but considering how many people here are Dxed Inattentive? I can hardly accept in any way, shape or form that the Inattentive type might be considered to be rare. In fact, to me, what seems to be rather uncommon as far as I can see is the purely Hyperactive type. I know of exactly TWO in this whole place, although of course there may easily be more.

No, no and no again. Of all the meds I have tried, Adderall was the absolute worst.

I do take an amphetamine now, dexedrine...and the answers are still no, no and no. AFAIK, meds are not so much inclined to assist with motivation, energy and talkativeness.

I find that even when medicated, I am perfectly capable of procrastination. Motivation is a thing one has to work at, and meds may or may not assist with this. I do not think that they are meant create motivation at all.

Energy, same story. I may or may not see an increase in energy...what exactly is meant by "energy" in this scenario? I think I need more clarification to give a proper answer. :)

Talkativeness, absolutely not! Not a shred. In fact, my daughter and I when unmedicated are among those that exhibit the hyperspeech phenomenon, and if anything, medications definitely decreased this tendency. To this day, a sure way to tell that our medications have worn off is for someone to realize that, once again, we are hyperspeaking. We, of course, never notice the difference *shrugs*.



Quick question. Was it you that said you had some bipolar?

And yes, I meant InAttentive.

Quick question. Was it you that said you had some bipolar?I may have stated that I have a form of bipolar disorder, a bipolar spectrum disorder, if you will. Then again, many people here might have stated that same thing. The comorbity rate from BP to ADHD is truly enormous. That means that most people with BP also have ADHD.

A word of advice? If you asked me this question in order to begin a discussion about the impact of co-morbid BP upon ADHD, or vice versa? I would urge you to begin another thread, maybe somewhere in General Co-Existing. Maybe in General ADD, but I am not entirely sure if it would remain there, maybe, maybe not.

And yes, I meant InAttentive. Yea I figured that. I mean, how would we account for something like Attentive ADHD, huh? :D I kid, I kid!

I would certainly leave open the fact that maybe your Bibolar disorder could have been interfering with the adderalls responds?

Just an idea.

I would certainly leave open the fact that maybe your Bibolar disorder could have been interfering with the adderalls responds?

Just an idea.Ideas are cropping up here all the time, that's one of the things that makes this place the great place that it is. :)

But I would have to say that no, bipolar disorder did not interfere with Adderall and how it worked, or in this case did NOT work. A large percentage of Adderall is pure dexedrine, to my understanding, and dexedrine works fine for me.

Its more the other way around, in this scenario... stimulants tend to provoke bipolar disorder. So what would be inclined to happen is for Adderall to interfere with bipolar treatment. In my case, (and in many other people's cases) it didn't interfere at all.

I'm currently a student at Harvard Law School and have been on adderall since 9th grade. I would absolutely describe myself as a person that perfectly fits the SCT description, which I have only learned about recently. Particularly, the "in a fog" effect is the best characterization I have ever found of my problems. Daydreaming, being socially shy (although I would say that my baseline personality, without the SCT is extroverted - leading to much internal conflict), etc. all fit my issues. I have never really had motivation issues internally, but externally the frequent frustration I felt certainly contributed to the appearance of lack of motivation.

The adderall treatment has worked very well for me, at least work-wise. For the effective period (usually about 2-3 hours), I have no problems with thinking clearly, being productive, and getting a ton of work done. But it has had adverse effects on my social abilities, as I often feel a lack of emotion that makes me seem very disconnected and "stiff," for lack of a better word, to many of my peers. Since I don't take adderall on the weekends for the most part, many of my friends have mentioned to me how differently I act in social settings on those occasions.

So recently I decided to go a week in school without using adderall. While I have definitely gone for long stretches of time without use of medication (on vacations, etc.), I have never done so while in school or at work. Thus far, I'm finding that the "in the fog" effect hasn't changed a bit since I was in high school. For subjects that I find interesting, for the most part I can focus and perform well, but for other subjects the experience is very comparable to repeatedly hitting my head against a brick wall - the more I try to focus, the cloudier my head gets.

My big question is - are there any medications that have the efficacy of Adderall in treating the focusing problems of SCT without the subsequent loss of emotion that so impairs sociability? Or is there some way to use Adderall and not suffer the loss of emotion? Thanks a ton guys!
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Anyone try Amisulpride for the motivation difficulties? Anyone try galantamine for the fatigue and executive function problems?

I've tried Concerta, Adderall XR, and Adderall XR/Wellbutrin. And I've gone upto as much as 60mg Adderall prescribed, but tried 90mg for a couple of days to test for a better effect.

So far, I would have to say Adderall has not been a tremendous success. It definitely helps with energy, staring into space, and picking up around the house. But focus and working memory are still horrible. I actually find wellbutrin helps slightly more. But the combination of the two or too much adderall locks my mind onto the first task remotely interesting and I spend the next 6 hours on it.

I plan to try Strattera or a combination of Strattera and Adderall to see how that works. I think (at least in my case) there must be some norepinephrine issues going on. The concerta and adderall focus on dopamine reuptake/release mostly, but the wellbutrin works on norepinephrine nearly as much as dopamine (I think 25% to 50% of the effect is on norepinephrine).

I believe myself to be SCT, inattentive.

And adderall was a wonder-drug for me, made me funny intelligent, sociable etc etc. I felt like i could accomplish anything while on the drug, and life w/o it just wasn't worth living. unfortunately i've burnt out my dopamine receptors and am now rendered incapable of sustained daily dosages.

life these days has been comparably ****ty. Things were just so effortless before, got all schoolwork done, now i'm living like a hermit, the only social interaction i get is with my roommates in passing. The words just don't come to me, i'm sure you understand what i mean if you have SCT. Oh and for the energy part... definitely, I also have chronic fatigue so the adderall made me more than just wide-awake and alert, it made being awake enjoyable, it was euphoric.

in addition, the energy enhancing qualities are no joke. I ran faster, was more agile, and near impervious to fatigue while on adderall.

Particularly, the "in a fog" effect is the best characterization I have ever found of my problems. Daydreaming, being socially...<!-- / message --><!-- controls --> http://www.addforums.com/forums/images/buttons/quote.gif (http://www.addforums.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=552700)


Same story... After the onset of my condition, I have always been brain-fogged, sort of dizzy, daydreaming all the time, lethargic, lacking any motivation, sleeping bad. I don't have official diagnosis of SCT, but the symptom list fits me just perfectly. At least much better than any symptom list I am aware of, and I have been trying to fit myself into many for all these years the condition lasted.

From what I can tell, Adderall is the most effective drug I have tried. At last I am able to focus and stay focused again. I have started doing things, rediscovered "lost" hobbies, and even emotions. I feel Adderall kind of shuts down some emotions, but there are periods when I feel natural emotions again, like when smth makes you happy and you really feel it, not just try to pretend to be happy. Or going out to the beach and really feeling the pleasure of walking on hot sand, ocean breeze, all these genuine emotions I still remember from childhood but which I haven't had for so long until I started Adderall.

So yeah, I feel that Adderall helps me a lot. I have side effects, like occassional insomnia, and increased dehydration, no matter how much water I drink; but at least I feel closer to normal again.

sct theory describes me perfectly.

i am intentive type and i take adderall xr 20mg. it helps me focus but not always.

it make me want to talk more but not to be confused with actually making me talk more because i still have trouble find words to say.

i beleive it give me energy because im usally sluggish, tired, and sleepy all the time. i am also unmotivated to do the simplest task and the aderall makes me want to get up and do something.

however with all that being said if i take my meds and dont do anything for the day i get this overbearing pressure on my body like a build up of adrenalen. i also get mood swing like going from angry, to happy, to sad, and back to angry again in a matter of minutes.

weird right? i know. it wasnt always like that. it just happened.

its about 50 50 for me. it helps me but at the same time it has a weird or bad effect on me.

i had to stop taking it everyday. it got a little overbearing and my friend started noticing the mood changes who by the way dont know i have ADD.

The SCT subtype of ADHD-PI labels me exactly as well. I am exceedingly hopful that it will make it into the DSM-V!

I responded well to 20-30mg of Adderall, however I had social anxiety and muscle tension problems at 30mg. I switched to dexedrine for about 4 months with alot of success, but my to do list seemed to grow and grow. I swithced back to adderall + added .01mg of clonidine at night. Last month I bumped the clonidine .02mg in the morning and its working very well. I'm trying dexedrine with clonidine this month to see if its any different productivity wize. (prehaps the anxiety decreased my productivity before)

Clonidine effects blood pressure so definitly not for the hypotensive.

Clonidine reduces NE levels so maybe the SCT subtype is more dopamine deficient or has a problem with NE metabolism?

BobC

I believe myself to be SCT, inattentive.

And adderall was a wonder-drug for me, made me funny intelligent, sociable etc etc. I felt like i could accomplish anything while on the drug, and life w/o it just wasn't worth living. unfortunately i've burnt out my dopamine receptors and am now rendered incapable of sustained daily dosages.


Whoa how did u burn out ur dopamine receptors????

So, is the general consensus that Adderall is the best med for SCT/Inattentive???

I found that Adderall was helpful with SCT but not quite the magic bullet I was hoping for. Of course, no drug is. But I certainly do think the Adderall was helpful to ME. I do hope that there will be more research in the future that will lead to drugs specifically targeted toward SCT.

Unfortunately it isn't a magical pill that makes me motivated. It helps in other ways though. If it does boost my tempo it's an hour after taking it. It dies down really quick though.

Unfortunately it isn't a magical pill that makes me motivated. It helps in other ways though. If it does boost my tempo it's an hour after taking it. It dies down really quick though.

I've found this to be true as well! None of the meds last more than 2 hours for me but if I take more the side effects are very much compounded.

I've tried XR & IR forms of Adderall and the IR form of Dex. What can I do to get a longer benefit? I don't take citrus acid or anything like that. Is it just my metabolism???

I'm just adding this tidbit, adhd is a spectrum disorder as well and can look very much like bi polar disorder depending on the environment and the emotional support and educational status that each individual falls into. What I'm saying is that many adhd cases that are out there can spin out of control and go through rapid mood cycles daily due primarily to stress and has nothing to do with bi polar disorder. I'm not saying that anyone posting fit this description I'm just adding my two cents to the equation. Sometimes it's just adhd in a bad social environment, and no matter what adhd folks go through med rebounds and mood swings based on their attentional status. In my masters program in college I did a research paper on bi polar disorder and the adhd link . There are more people with bipolar disorder that had late dual diagnosis of adhd comorbidity and the rates of early treated adhd disorder through adult did not correlate with high rates of developing bi polar disorder. This basically means that treated adhd prevents adhd cycling of moods and depression in those that have not been diagnosed as adhd early on in life. Many would think that if they were truly correlational that it wouldn't matter if you were previously treated for adhd or not but the fact remains that most bi polars have never been treated for adhd or got dual diagnosis with bipolar later on in life

there were times when adderall worked like magic, especially when i first got on it. Socializing would be swift and effortless, work would get done, i'd feel great. too bad it doesn't work for me anymore

No, i dont think it was a typo, I think he meant SCT !!

I think everyone has a SCT (procrastinates) to a certain extent but, with ADD its awful

Whoa how did u burn out ur dopamine receptors????

by taking larger and larger amounts of adderall, that'll do it