Ok, so a couple days before Christmas I came to the realization that my meds were actually making some aspects of my life worse rather than better and the bad far outweighed the good so....I quit taking them. This isn't a decision I made lightly and believe me, I really really really wish I could continue to take them but Vyvanse has given me something called "medication induced anorexia" and has elevated my anxiety to inlolerable levels. I was/am also taking Zoloft (which my Dr says helps with anxiety, therefore I souldn't have anxiety). Honesly, I think she's a complete idiot and is one of the reasons I decided to just stop taking my meds. She doesn't allow me to be a part of my treatment and she never listens to my feedback on how the drugs are making me feel. Any complaints I've had she's told me are "all in my ead" and I "don't know what I'm talking about". This is inexcusable to me, especially after months of me having the same complaints. I'm searching for a new Dr. I can't believe se won't allow me to be proactive in my own treatment. The worse part is that my depression isn't being dealt with with the zoloft at all.
I have more to say i just can't focus long enough to say it...bleh:mad:

So sorry to hear this, Cold Turkey.

It's cavalier docs like this who give ADHD meds a bad name, IMHO.

Of COURSE you should be working with the doc. And the doc should be using rating scales each visit, so you can more objectively track what symptoms are getting better.....or worse.

I know that, for many people with ADHD, it can take a few years and much dogged perseverance to optimize the meds -- a cruel irony, given ADHD itself, right?

And while I'm not a physician, I also know that the stimulants can backsuppress serotonin in parts of the brain. That means that a stimulant (especially an amphetamine type) could worsen anxiety or depression, etc.
By the same token, some people with ADHD find their ADHD symptoms worsen due to taking only a serotonin med, because it backsuppresses dopamine in parts of the brain. It's a big balancing act.

The basic protocol is to try several choices in one stimulant class (MPH or AMP), starting at a low dosage and going up very slowly. Then, if that doesn't work, try the other class.

I have a personal bias against starting with AMP, because they have a more complex action in the brain; it just makes more sense to me to start as simply as possible. They can also pose a higher risk of increasing irritability and decrease insight. That said, AMP might be the best choice for some people. Some knowledgeable docs also recommend boosting B vitamins when taking the AMP class to mitigate side effects, including the rebound.

It's amazing how simple the protocols are and how few docs follow them (or even know they exist!)

Good luck in finding a workable strategy.

I'm so sorry and I feel your pain. You deserve a doc who listens to you- and helps you be part of your own case management, as it were.
I know you'll find the doc you need- and the right meds, with time. Don't give up on getting help. In the meantime can you do something to help take care of yourself? Eat what you can/high protein/high calorie? exercise and get some sunlight every day? And know that this is so difficult...
Good job looking out for yourself;)

Thanks for your comments guys.

GinaPera, My 1st red flag was when she told me not to go online "looking for answers". That I wouldn't find anything useful..I should have run away and found another Dr then. One good thing I can say came from this experience is that I now know what I'm NOT looking for in someone new. It's kinda like dating, eh?

I'm not afraid of the difficulty. I've been living with this my whole life and that's been hard enough (as you all know). I just want a Dr that's willing to listen to me when I'm having issues with the meds they prescribed and to be proactive about helping me figure out what combination works right for me. There is no "miracle" combination that works for any and all. I do wonder if she's so pushy with the Vyvanse because of kickbacks and whatnot from the drug company...I've never really had much cause to think about it before but it really really irks me to think that she won't work with me to find what's right for me because they're lining her pockets to write this script to as many people as possible. Hmmm..

Oh and on a bit of a side note. When I was discussing discontinuing my meds with my mom and sister, my sister said "I don't see why you need the drugs anyways. You've survived your life so far without them so why do you need them?" Um...define survived? That I'm still breathing....? Because other than that one fact, there's not much more to say. I am a 28 yr old unemployed mother of 2 going through a divorce from an abusive man, I have horrible credit, no bank account and my only education is a GED that took me 5+ years to get. I don't really call that surviving. Eh...There's not much I can do to help them see things from my field of vision..