Question about ADD books from Dr.Hallowell

[Plognark]

Originally Posted by ana futura

So many of the horror stories you hear about stimulants are because people simply don't use them correctly. You'll read about this whole list of side effects they're experiencing, but they keep on taking the med at the prescribed dose- which is often too high. Doctors are to blame as well, although well-intentioned. It seems like there is trend of starting patients on higher doses than necessary, and switching to non-stimulant med instead of simply lowering the dose if the side effects are too great.

Some people can take 20 mg of ritalin and feel nothing. Others can take that same amount and get jittery, deydrated, mentally unstable, or physically ill. For some bizarre reason, they keep taking it, even though their body is clearly telling them to lower the dose. Chances are their body could have handled 5 mg of ritalin and benefited from it. Because they don't listen to their own body, they have this horrible experience, swear off stimulants forever, and then launch into tirades on sites like this about how dangerous stimulants are.

Stimulants are perfectly safe when used correctly. Unfortunately, "correctly" is not the same for everyone. Listen to your body. If you feel physically ill, lower your dose. This medication will not suddenly kill you in your sleep. The side effects are obvious, and as soon as you stop the med or lower your dose, they will go away.

Start with a very slow dose, and see how you tolerate it.There will be several warning signs well before any damage results from stimulant use. If you head them, you will be fine. Side effects don't happen for everyone, and if more people were on the correct dose and titration schedule, they'd happen far less often.

Also, STOP TAKING CAFFEINE when you start. Caffeine is such a crazy wild card when combined with ADHD stimulants. Eliminate variables to get a handle on what's really happening!

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by Beekeeper

Specifically the "gifty" aspect of Delivered.... I think I got through maybe two chapters before I got irritated, thinking, "this is not a gift! Stop writing like ADHD is a good thing to have! This is making my life so much harder, so I call bulls***!" If that aspect of it gets better, I might be able to talk myself into picking it back up. I just have a hard time with that "you're so lucky to have ADHD!!!!!" attitude. No, I am not. I'm a trainwreck, lol... So that's what I was asking about.

I think it does get better, because the information in the back is pretty practical. There is some very worthwhile info in that book, just skip straight over any case studies and head to the section on management and treatment (part 4)

[noradd]

Originally Posted by Barliman

Secondly- the risks of stimulants are much lower than all other psych drugs, and significantly lower than most other non psychiatric drugs with the possible exception of one asthma drug (sodium chromoglycate).

The labelling on drug packets does not include adequate information about relative risk.

Look closely at this article about Prozac.
Prozac is presented as a much safer drug than dexamphetamine- but this may change your mind:
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles...gression.shtml

I read the Ritalin warnings and they were much more scary than the warnings of Celexa for example. Maybe SSRI aren't safer than Ritalin but at least for me the warnings play a huge role. Ritalin had such an awful list of side effects that I directly thought there is no way I can take this.
I also took Celexa and Remeron without success and stopped them more or less cold turkey without any effects.
I am also sceptical of the whole serotonine stuff. I mean if depression is caused by low serotonine why didn't Celexa work for me or why didn't Remeron work?
I don't think that every kind of depression can be cured by antidepressants. For example if you're depressed because your circumstances are simply depressing then how can taking a pill make you not depressed?

[ana futura]

The difference between ritalin and an ssri is that you can tell what ritalin's going to do for you right away, and if you are titrating correctly whatever side effects you do see should go away very quickly. If after a week or two you don't think the side effects are worth it, you can just stop taking it. You can stop taking it after a day if you want.

SSRI's and other psych meds require you to go through an acclimation period before you can even see what the med will do for you.

Seriously, you need to get over this, you are way over thinking it. Just try the flipping ritalin. If you don't like it, don't take it.

I don't like taking any prescription meds. I can't tell you how often I've gone to doctor with a complaint, been issued a script for something, then decided it wasn't worth filling after I looked up the side effects. The only reason I even considered taking stimulants is that they are so simple- In and out, like a cup of coffee. I am someone who would not even take meds for cholesterol or diabetes, I would do everything I could to solve it through diet alone. You couldn't pay me to take an SSRI and I won't even consider straterra, as I'm not willing to go through the acclimation period and I don't want something in my system all the time.

Ritalin has been around forever, it's one of the oldest prescription meds still in use. We know what it does. Many of the newer meds like straterra don't have much of a track record yet.

[ana futura]

The only reason for you to be this cautious is if you or someone in your family has a heart abnormality.