New and need some help, am I just lazy??

[T-Rex65]

I've been on and off it for years, and my body is pretty acclimated to it. So no real issues with side effects, other than a slight increase in blood pressure. I think it helps my ADHD. It doesn't completely fix it by any means, but I believe I perform better on Wellbutrin than without it.

It's going to take a few weeks before your body gets used to it. So be patient if you can. The side effect that I disliked the most was being *very* irritable for a while. It lasted maybe a couple of weeks or so? I can't remember. But it did finally pass. So if you feel like biting someone's head off during the next month or so, remember that it's probably just the meds, and not them.

[Sentient6]

Is that all you take? Its been almost a week and I dont feel too different. Just exhausted in the afternoon. Despite being exhausted I sleep way lighter than usual.

[T-Rex65]

Seriously, give it a few more weeks before giving up on it.

In addition to Wellbutrin, I take Prozac (for depression and anxiety), Synthroid (mild hypothyroidism), and Adderall XR. I sometimes add Adderall IR or a nicotine lozenge, depending on how I'm responding that day. I also have Klonopin to take as needed for anxiety, which can be worse with Wellbutrin and Adderall.

It sounds like a lot of meds, even to me. I may try to drop the Wellbutrin and the Prozac for a while, to see if the stimulants alone are enough to manage my depression. But I'm not going to attempt that for at least a few more weeks.

[Sentient6]

Well it has been a week. Kicked the dose up to 150mg a few days ago. Maybe a slight motivation increase. Now that im aware of my problem I am trying to change habits, but I am still set in my ways as far as pretty much all my ADD symptoms.

Should I call my psychiatrist and tell him I am a little underwhelmed? I have an appointment in 2 weeks but impatience is getting the best of me.

[hoolio]

It takes a bit for the Wellbutrin to really take full effect...which kind of sucks because the side effects in the beginning can be a real bugger!

The light sleeping, and often very vivid dreams (I had horrible nightmares and was exhausted) and the irritability (now that is putting it mildly for what I was like! lol) lasted the first probably 2-3 weeks or so when I started it (@ 150 mg) and then were better (came back but only slightly and short-lived when they upped me to 300 mg around 5 weeks). But stick with it (for at least 4-6 weeks) before deciding if it is working.

Wellbutrin is an anti-depressant but it has shown some helpfulness in treating ADHD (that is why my pdoc put me on it - and because the depression was the bigger concern at the time). Once it was in full effect and seemed to be managing the depression then we assessed if it was doing anything for the ADHD... which it wasn't for me so then I started Vyvanse.

It is really a lot of trial and error to find the right med (or combination of meds) at the right dose... which is why it is sometimes easier to start/work with one med at a time (easier to determine what med is doing what - in terms of both benefits and side effects).

Unfortunately, patience is not a strong suit for most us.... but when you finally do find that perfect med (or combination) at the perfect dose FOR YOU... it is well worth the hassle!

In the meantime... stick around here and do lots of reading etc. There is a lot of great info and support... it's been a real treasure for me in the last year!

[Slo-mo a-go-go]

Glad you got yourself to a doc and diag'd!

Here's 2 podcasts that I wish I had heard right after diagnosed.
It's hard living with undiagnosed ADD and I developed depression and anxitey from the experience.
These podcasts help me bc the approach is spot on, imformative & reassuring w/o being dry or syruoy sweet.
They're both by the same guy- Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA.
He has a bunch more if you find them helpful

1)
"A Million Things to Make Your Life Better"

ADHD can make your life really difficult-before you know what’s tripping you up. Once you know it’s ADHD, life gets much easier. Then you know what you’re wrestling with and can start to get a hold of it. Then it becomes a fair fight.

The goal here is merely to tilt the odds of success, to make you more likely to do the right thing at the right time. Not all the time, but most of the time. Not perfect, but better.

-Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA

http://adultadhdbook.com/uncategoriz...r-life-better/

2)
To speak to that problem of feeling at your wit's end,
this podcast is snaps my optimism back into action,. I replay it when I feel overwhelmed. Just reading title makes me smile.
"You’d Have to Be Crazy to Not Feel Crazy"
http://adultadhdbook.com/uncategoriz...ot-feel-crazy/

[Slo-mo a-go-go]

Sorry copy and pasted to the wrong post!
Then got distracted while I was fixing it and my edit time expired!

But here's what I said:

Yes speak up! Like hoolio said, it's trial and error.

"What are my options" is a great question to ask you doc so you have a choice to pick what you can try next.

Because the depression issue, which I have history with, my doc said stimulants can be too "rough" as they wear off, and to be safe, I take a low dose of an anti-depressant that I was being treated w/ while I was depressed.

[hoolio]

Originally Posted by Slo-mo a-go-go

Glad you got yourself to a doc and diag'd!

Here's 2 podcasts that I wish I had heard right after diagnosed.
It's hard living with undiagnosed ADD and I developed depression and anxitey from the experience.
These podcasts help me bc the approach is spot on, imformative & reassuring w/o being dry or syruoy sweet.
They're both by the same guy- Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA.
He has a bunch more if you find them helpful

1)
"A Million Things to Make Your Life Better"
-Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA

http://adultadhdbook.com/uncategoriz...r-life-better/

2)
To speak to that problem of feeling at your wit's end,
this podcast is snaps my optimism back into action,. I replay it when I feel overwhelmed. Just reading title makes me smile.
"You’d Have to Be Crazy to Not Feel Crazy"
http://adultadhdbook.com/uncategoriz...ot-feel-crazy/

Have to agree... I have a bunch of Ari Tuckman's podcasts on my phone & iPod and they have been really helpful! Not only for me, but sometimes I will play one for someone else (on a specific area I have trouble with or that is particularly frustrating for them to understand) as he has a great way of explaining things... much better than I can with my addled brain cells!

[T-Rex65]

Originally Posted by hoolio

...the irritability (now that is putting it mildly for what I was like! lol) lasted the first probably 2-3 weeks or so when I started it (@ 150 mg) and then were better

Ha! It's nice to know that I wasn't the only one feeling snarly.

[T-Rex65]

Originally Posted by Sentient6

Should I call my psychiatrist and tell him I am a little underwhelmed? I have an appointment in 2 weeks but impatience is getting the best of me.

Patience, Grasshopper! If you go too far, too fast, you may have a bad reaction to the meds. And that's no fun at all. Better to up your dosage slowly.

[mathonwy]

Originally Posted by T-Rex65

Patience, Grasshopper! If you go too far, too fast, you may have a bad reaction to the meds. And that's no fun at all. Better to up your dosage slowly.

Patience and documentation is the key.

Two things the unmedicated ADHD person aren't very good at.

Mental illness is more art than science. You gotta figure out what works best for you but you got to play the doctor's game. And the medical doctor needs to put you on meds for a period of time to see what happens.

Help yourself and help your doc by documenting everything. A good tool is verbalize whatever frustration you're feeling and create a scale to go along with it.

For example, brain fogginess

1 = Nothing 10 = Worst day ever.

Day 1
Woke up and was at brain foggy factor 8
Took 20mg of Ritalin and brought that factor down to 3.
At 2pm, brain foggy factor went back up to 6.
Took 20mg of Ritalin and brought that down to 3 again.

If you do this, you take control of your disorder and you help your doctor establish history. Remember, your doctor ain't a miracle worker. The more you help him, the more you help yourself and improve your own quality of life.