Adult ADHD?

[Samckitt]

Anyone here suffer from it, what are you taking for it if anything?

[TonyL]

I should be taking something. Im IDHD. 2 of my 4 kids take straterra.

I've considered going on meds just to help me get things done at work and at home. I always have 10 projects going at once, and rarely finish anything when I should.


/Hey look a SQUIRREL!

[chicane67]

What are we talking about again ??

Wanna go ride bikes ??

[99 BUCKET]

its worth going to some one about. I thought I was ADD. but turns out sometimes bipolar can be mis diagnosed (sp? ) certian things are different. I take a few meds. my father does too for the same thing. My sister is bipolar as well.
yea, holidays can be a riot.....

[muthstryker]

i have a slight case of add, they first stuck me on bipolar meds (most of the people in my family are bipolar) well once they stuck me on the meds i was the meanest kid ever. once they took me off of that, they stuck me on ritalin.


now ritalin made me feel like i wanted to litterally kill or hurt someone really bad, and i hated that. the slightest thing pissed me off.

i will say meds are out of the question for me. dont know how alot of you people feel about them

[Samckitt]

I was at the Doc today & asked about ADD, he had me answer 20 questions or so & said it looked like I have it. I figured. He told me to look at Straterra's (sp?) website. Wondering if it helps those who use it & if you have any side affects.

[Samckitt]

PS. That's probably why I can't get anything done!

[chicane67]

Wow. I found this thread again. :hmm:

Seriously. As a child... it was an experiment with Ritalin. My feelings (and findings from some years ago, when I recieved all of the transcripts/medical records of this time period (1971-1976) back in 1990) was that the med's really had no effect. Their medical opinion was formed long before they coined the term ADD or ADHD years later... as it was a new study, so none the less it was an interesting read. Mainly because I remember everything I was tested for. Sleep disorders, hyperactivity, deprivation testing, I had multiple EEG's, multiple IQ test's... etc, etc. And all of this was observed between the age's of 3-5.

Their finding's were... that quickly I lost interest in things that were not considered an "over-riding challenge", mentally... coupled with an IQ of 174. At the ripe age of 4.

So like many here, I understand when someone says they have 10 things going on at once. I am the same way, with the only difference being.... I'm at that level but, with a multiplier of 10. No meds beyond age 4-5. I figured out that I just needed to keep myself busy with things that peak my interest and are a constant challenge... or I get bored with it... and it then falls to the way side, rarely or never to be delt with again or if it was it was not with the same enthusiasm.

Now, I work in the edge of chaos, of "chaos management"... as it keeps me quite busy.

[Bandit]

My buddy at work has selective ADD, I think--well he claims has ADD and can't concentrate on anything at work, but when it comes to talking cars somehow he manages to focus...haha

[pav8427]

Used to be not long ago, this and a few others were the 'carpel tunnel' of mental evaluations. In other words if you showed any symptoms of these you were 'labeled' with it and medicated.
Don't be 100% with the docs '20?s' unless you look into it real good.
There are alot of other stuff out there and the treatment isn't always the same. The wife just went to another training on Anxiety,and it will look like adhd,add,cod etc. depending on severity.

Doug

[Zed]

ADD is real, there may be a genetic link to depression, bipolar disorder and other mind problems. It wouldn't hurt to check it out with a professional. The upside is that most folks with this disorder are extremely intelligent, we just start to many projects.

[andrewb70]

ADD is real, but I bet less than 10% of the people that are diagnosed with it truly have it.

"just take these pills for the rest of your life and it will be OK" :smoke:

Andrew

[68Formula]

My buddy at work has selective ADD, I think--well he claims has ADD and can't concentrate on anything at work, but when it comes to talking cars somehow he manages to focus...haha

Funny, I didn't realize we work with the same guy.:rotfl:

[harshman]

i still take vitamine T

[Tony_SS]

My buddy at work has selective ADD, I think--well he claims has ADD and can't concentrate on anything at work, but when it comes to talking cars somehow he manages to focus...haha

Ha!

I have too many irons on the fire as well... Maybe I have some form of it? Oh well, playing with the half deck that I was delt...

[69CamaroRacer]

I havv ADD and I have been treating it for the last year and half. They started me on Straterra which was horrible because it made me sick and all I wanted to do was lay in bead and have mean thoughts.... They usuly try to perscribe Straterra first because it is a non stimulant but most people including myself have great results with Adderall. Adderall is basicly a leagal medicinal form of crystal meth.. it is a mix of anphedimine salts that give you extream focous and loads of extra energy. Alot of college kids abuse it because it will allow them to study for 8 hours at a time with out even batting an eye.. Now in an ADD/ADHD fellow like myself it makes it so that I can keep the same train of thought for more than 30 sec and instead of starting 50 small projects and maby getting 2 done, I am able to organize myself and get everything done with time and energy left over to boot... When you first start taking the drug it make you feel like superman because you go from not fininshing everyting to doing in one day would have taken you 2 weeks to accomplish. Basicly what even you need to do it makes you able to do it and at a level that you were never before able to achieve. Overall it has had a tremendous effect on my life my job performance has gone up and my organizational skill have increased greatly. I used to feel like a prisioner in my own body wanting to do simple tasks but just not able to do them and now I get it done and feel great about myself for doing it...

[4birdman]

I've been on Strattera for a little over a year and I absolutely love it. I was on Dexedrine for about 10 years and I got a little concerned about my heart with taking an amphetamine and all. So I dumped it and flew solo for a few years, but I was having all kinds of problems, so I got mack on meds.

Strattera is an amazing drug, I highly recommend it. It does make some people feel kind of sick, sometimes it makes me feel crappy too. But holy ****, my concentration and motivation have gone through the roof! :twothumbs

[BonzoHansen]

My buddy at work has selective ADD, I think--well he claims has ADD and can't concentrate on anything at work, but when it comes to talking cars somehow he manages to focus...hahaActually, people with ADD can concentrate on particular when they really try. Kids with it are often able to zone in on things like video games.

I used to believe all this was a crock. But my (now) 6 ½” year old just couldn’t sit still. We started to really notice it around 3. When he got to 1st grade, where there is a bit more structure and requirements to concentrate, he started having trouble. Academics were surprisingly above par, but he couldn’t sit still or stay in his seat, made noises, especially during times when the teacher was reading to the class and such. Basically when he wasn’t doing something ‘hands on’. We did all sorts of stuff with him, even a daily journal from the teacher about his day (she rules, thank god we got a caring teacher).

Once I started to really pay attention to every little thing he did, I realized he literally couldn’t stand still. Standing in line at McDonalds was torture. You could see him trying, but he couldn’t do it, you could see him straining to stand still, and it upset me a lot. The kid has a running motor in him. He could do anything you asked if it involved moving/doing. But he couldn’t put it in neutral. After months of trying everything but meds, we tried something called focaline. We have been doing the minimum dose and it has been perfect. Holy hat. We often skip the weekends, hoping he won’t build any tolerance and need a higher dosage. I’m also hoping he grows out of most of it – the docs seem to think he will.

Back to adult ADD. He & I are a lot alike. I just never realized it until we sat down with medical professionals and went through all the tests & questionnaires. I totally have it. I had many of the same issues he did when I was young (and some even today). But I guess I learned to cope, somehow. I guess eventually I got old enough to realize I had to ‘deal’. I don’t think a 6 year old understands that concept enough to actually consciously do it. I actually find my morning Red Bull helps me a bunch. I buy it by the case at Sam’s Club.

[Samckitt]

When I was a kid I was on ritalin for a while. My parents said it helped, but I don't know why they took me off of it. Recently the subject of ADHD had come up so I took an online test for it & my score showed that I have ADHD. So I asked the doc about it Friday. He told me to go to Stratera's website & if I want to try it he will write a prescription. Maybe it will help me get stuff done around the house. I have too many projects started, & very little finished. Once the challenge is gone, I am not interested in it any more.

[Samckitt]

I started Stratera today, I told my wife to pay attention & see if there is any difference in the next week or so. Hopefully I won't have any side affects to it.

[MonzaRacer]

Tried to tell me I had ADD then doc did a EEG and told me my brain was working like one of his autism patients, 900 miles a minute of the regular persons brain running in the fast lane of 65 to 70.
wanted to stick me on a downer UH no.
Another doctor agreed and then had my IQ tested, again, as it wasdone in high school as I got bored too easy. Well it coinsides with that rating. HS 189 then 191.
Got tons of calls from different schools to go into testing regimes to verify and clinical studies and such.
Heck I tookan MIT math course amny moons ago and got the highest grade ever inthe class AND had to take a proctored exam to prove I didnt cheat,,and beat my first score by 12 points.
So as I am a normal operating functional person ,,but diagnosed as autistic.
Heck I got called to put my child in an autism institute (uh not a child and none here )its me thats got this rare issue (its not listed as a problem or a disability, just in my official med records haha).
They did a EEG test when I was back in 8th grade as they thought I had a brain tumor (just acute sinsitus) ans kept waking me up as when I started dreaming my mind would speed up as I wasnt processing any outside information (I now sleep better with a radio on). I can work better/faster and more organized if I listen to some good old rock and roll.
Come to find out if I was a lead guitarist I would be great as a good guitar solo or riff really focuses me.
Used to crank one song when I drag raced. When the starter got tired of it ,he told me to shut off radio and couldnt cut lights for crap.
Oh well gotta go work on car.
Good luck to all who have some type of problem.
Lee

[bookends]

I was on adderall when I was in my early twenties. but now I pretty much just use good old fashioned caffene. I still have days that I can't get anything done but it's not as bad as the side effects I got from the meds, i.e. dry mouth, nervous jitters, ect.

[67velle]

Ocd for me ..........celexa,and before lexapro, I get less done , but I,m much better to be around.My ten year old daughter is adhd and on concerta.. much better grades but I,m not to sure about these doctors.........:hmm:

[1badchevelle]

I had to take my son to the Doc and he was diagnosed with adhd. What made it Funny was so was I. Mid way into th session the Doc started asking me ? By the time we walked out it all kind of made sense.
He is also a car nut and he's only 4.

[6'9"Witha69]

He is also a car nut and he's only 4.Ahhhh, the sicknesses we pass on to our children!!

I could swear, and so can my wife, that I have some form of ADD. I start one thing. THen, while doing it, realize there is something else that needs to be done. 1/2 hour later, I have started 5 things and maybe 2 are done. Drives the wife nuts. I always called it multitasking.

[Samckitt]

I started a project last week & actually got it ALL done without starting something else. Well I guess I didn't start it last week, actually about a year ago I stripped the wall paper off of our half bath to paint. Then on Monday I went to take the tank off the toilet to get the rest of the paper off the wall & in the process broke the tank. So off to Home Depot for a new toilet. Hey while that is off I should rip up the vinyl flooring & put tile down, so off to Menards for that. So now I/we have a new bathroom. All new except for the sink top. But I will change that too when we find one we like.

[trapin]

I have a wife for my ADD. Works wonders.

[BonzoHansen]

Old thread from the ashes! Since it is back up I'm happy to report my son is now 8 and in 3rd grade and off the Focalin. He grew out of some of his issues and is learning to control himself better (he is still one bouncy ramped up kid when he gets going). I think part of the key was we started him on a low dose and only gave it to him before school and when he was doing something where it might help (like little league games) – so we never experienced the ‘dependencies’ or need to up the dosage that some report. We eventually stopped it on all but school days and at the end of 2nd grade started weaning him off it for school. We had the teacher report back to us how he was doing. So for you with kids with these issues there is hope. And we found caring teachers was the biggest key since they are a big part of the child’s life.

Little guy totally reminds me of me. He rips through math with ease to the point of boredom; they pushed him into the advanced math program. He just gets it. He barely studies, takes once glance at his spelling words and he is done. I never had to study either it all just sank in (until AP Calc, lol). His last report card was straight A’s. And he overdoes his involved work, like a report he had to do – totally over the top of the requirement, with pictures and everything. I do that too. I call it the ‘while I’m there’ syndrome.

[MonzaRacer]

Wow. I found this thread again. :hmm:

Seriously. As a child... it was an experiment with Ritalin. My feelings (and findings from some years ago, when I recieved all of the transcripts/medical records of this time period (1971-1976) back in 1990) was that the med's really had no effect. Their medical opinion was formed long before they coined the term ADD or ADHD years later... as it was a new study, so none the less it was an interesting read. Mainly because I remember everything I was tested for. Sleep disorders, hyperactivity, deprivation testing, I had multiple EEG's, multiple IQ test's... etc, etc. And all of this was observed between the age's of 3-5.

Their finding's were... that quickly I lost interest in things that were not considered an "over-riding challenge", mentally... coupled with an IQ of 174. At the ripe age of 4.

So like many here, I understand when someone says they have 10 things going on at once. I am the same way, with the only difference being.... I'm at that level but, with a multiplier of 10. No meds beyond age 4-5. I figured out that I just needed to keep myself busy with things that peak my interest and are a constant challenge... or I get bored with it... and it then falls to the way side, rarely or never to be delt with again or if it was it was not with the same enthusiasm.

Now, I work in the edge of chaos, of "chaos management"... as it keeps me quite busy.


Ok my non attention to things has been diagnosed as the ADD/ADHD with a touch of autism(very slight, I forget the actual term) these together with an IQ test of 189 but focusing on the problem at hand is hard.
Now give me mechanical things and i can do wonders with them, my brother who learned all he needed in nuke school in nave, and is probably one of 5 or 6 people in his field of nondestructive testing (he can work CT scanning miracles with crap equipment) can figure out how I can in my mind "design" then take raw metal/parts and make some pretty incredible parts.
My first few cars were built with my hand tools, dads elcheapo 6"in bench grinder, a 4" makita grinder, a 10 dollar tap and die set, and few other small tools.
I Can fix just about anything, I has what is equal to a Masters Degree in figuring out these things the new engineers call cars.
My focus is hard to believe when I can get it pointed right.
Building cars is a passion, and working on cars is what I like to do.
I cant figure it out but cars focus me, and a doctor saw what I had been told, agreed with the diag and cant figure out how i can focus so well, then I fixed his cars, he was delirious.
Just dont ask me to do large math problems, I get bored.
Now if you do a search for natural and homeopathic treatments and look for the mental exercises some use to get OFF the meds due to adverse reactions.
If it doesnt work you have lost nothing.
Good Luck