How well do your ADHD meds work for you?

[Dja427]

I am currently on 54 milligrams of Concerta and I think that it has helped me concentrate pretty well. However it does not help with my impaired Executive functions/processing speed, or my forgetfulness.

[alan1]

Strattera and Methylphenidate
Certainly better than without them. Focus is better (of lnger duration), I am more able to be self aware in the moment (but often forget that as a conversation progresses), somewhat better able to control what comes out of my mouth and less emotionally labile. But on every count, not nearly enough. I would guestimate that I'm 30% better if I had to put a number on it and cannot imagine living without meds any more. Still, I want to be much more in control that I am.

[Targaryen]

Originally Posted by alan1

Strattera and Methylphenidate
Certainly better than without them. Focus is better (of lnger duration), I am more able to be self aware in the moment (but often forget that as a conversation progresses), somewhat better able to control what comes out of my mouth and less emotionally labile. But on every count, not nearly enough. I would guestimate that I'm 30% better if I had to put a number on it and cannot imagine living without meds any more. Still, I want to be much more in control that I am.

How much strattera do you take and what Methylphenidate do you take? My doctor just put me on a trial Ritalin booster 10-20mg as needed in the afternoon when my concerta wears off.

He also mentioned strattera as a option to use with Concerta.

[fracturedstory]

How long have you been on Concerta? It took a few weeks to see an increase in memory on Ritalin. I think I was on 10-20mg twice daily. I'm now on 10-15mg once daily.

I get insta motivation, and and urge to those those important tasks if I dawdle for too long on say, this forum. My meds just wore off and anyway because I've been naughty and didn't have my two day break they were starting to work half as well.
I get chatty, patient, can notice a whole lot more in my environment, as usual objects that are static stop moving around and remain static. There are less bumps and scrapes and burns and swearing on my part.
Prolonged focus means I can read and understand it without putting that extra effort into re-read lines and blinking at the end of a full stop or re-direct my focus from my random thoughts back onto the page. I can write long descriptive chapters, and some of the writing I do requires medication so I don't freak out and become overwhelmed about how to get this difficult sentence structure from my thoughts to the page.
I don't mind people distracting me from my work as much, unless I've been struggling to write.
Less sound/light/touch/emotion sensitivity.
The opposite of impulsive. Takes about 2 hours to know for sure I need to buy a bottle of milk or things I really need.
There is a noticeable memory increase, but executive function takes practice when on and off the medication. I've made progress in that area as I've been medicated for about two years now.

Oh God. I'm off my meds til Thursday. I have to if I want to get the same results as I described above. Wah!

[alan1]

Strattera 80 mg
Methylphenidate (generic) 7.5 mg twice daily

Methylphenidate 20 mg twice daily only was vastly more effective for focus. Unfortunately there were too many adverse effects. Same for higher dose of the Strattera alone. So I take less than I need of both and settle for the results I get hoping that some day there will be medication available that is both more effective and better tolerated.

[BlackorWhite]

ive been on 60 - 65 mg dex for 2 years now and though I still receive benefits from them, sadly enough the pros are getting lighter and the cons are getting heavier. Also, due to those crappy shortages, I couldn't refill in time last month and went 8 days without. I think that's probably the longest I've gone without taking dex since I started. Suprisingly, I was ok, didn't really feel that bad. Was harder to get outa bed, and I ate like I did before the dex. Oh yeah! I also remembered what emotions were!

[sarahsweets]

Originally Posted by BlackorWhite

ive been on 60 - 65 mg dex for 2 years now and though I still receive benefits from them, sadly enough the pros are getting lighter and the cons are getting heavier. Also, due to those crappy shortages, I couldn't refill in time last month and went 8 days without. I think that's probably the longest I've gone without taking dex since I started. Suprisingly, I was ok, didn't really feel that bad. Was harder to get outa bed, and I ate like I did before the dex. Oh yeah! I also remembered what emotions were!

sometimes feeling "flat" can be a side effect of meds and can indicate a need for a change...have you tried adderal?

[ConcertaParent]

I read the research and was very optimistic about medication, but unfortunately, none of the meds have worked yet for my daughter:

1) Vyvanse: serious side effects and had to give up on fourth day after increased to 30mg.
2) Concerta: had to give up on fourth day after increased to 27mg.
3) Biphentin 15mg: not as terrible as the first two, but we and the paediatrician continue to be disappointed with the low benefit/risk ratio.

She went on medication holiday for the summer, and surprisingly seems to be better without the meds, especially less picking/tics even compared to last year BEFORE she took any meds.

[Dja427]

Originally Posted by fracturedstory

How long have you been on Concerta? It took a few weeks to see an increase in memory on Ritalin. I think I was on 10-20mg twice daily. I'm now on 10-15mg once daily.

I get insta motivation, and and urge to those those important tasks if I dawdle for too long on say, this forum. My meds just wore off and anyway because I've been naughty and didn't have my two day break they were starting to work half as well.
I get chatty, patient, can notice a whole lot more in my environment, as usual objects that are static stop moving around and remain static. There are less bumps and scrapes and burns and swearing on my part.
Prolonged focus means I can read and understand it without putting that extra effort into re-read lines and blinking at the end of a full stop or re-direct my focus from my random thoughts back onto the page. I can write long descriptive chapters, and some of the writing I do requires medication so I don't freak out and become overwhelmed about how to get this difficult sentence structure from my thoughts to the page.
I don't mind people distracting me from my work as much, unless I've been struggling to write.
Less sound/light/touch/emotion sensitivity.
The opposite of impulsive. Takes about 2 hours to know for sure I need to buy a bottle of milk or things I really need.
There is a noticeable memory increase, but executive function takes practice when on and off the medication. I've made progress in that area as I've been medicated for about two years now.

Oh God. I'm off my meds til Thursday. I have to if I want to get the same results as I described above. Wah!

Been on Concerta for at least 8 years, didn't help a whole lot until it was increased from 36miligrams to 54miligrams. I don't know my whole ADHD medication history because I was diagnosed around age 5. Unfortunately Concerta has limited my creativity which makes it VERY hard to write my own songs on guitar.Well that and my tendency to start one song, then drop it, and then start another song.

[Dja427]

I'm going to ask my doctor to maybe decrease my Concerta dosage from 54miligrams back to 36miligrams, because I experience very few inattentive symptoms until the Concerta wears off. I'm just really tired of taking these medications because they make me feel like a bum.