Hi starseed, I was diagnosed with ADHD about 16 years ago and then BP two years later with associated anxiety. The first doc (ADHD) put me on a high dose of Ritalin. I ended up becoming addicted to it and sleeping only a few hours a night. Needless to say, my mania shot through the roof. I was lucky enough to have a friend who is a pdoc. She took me off of Ritalin immediately and put me on a high dose of Lithium. I went from 200 mph to 5mph in just a few days. Over the years we got the bp meds balanced (lithium, lamictal, seroquel and zoloft), but I still felt like I was unable to 'get to things'. I knew I had to do things, but I couldn't get up enough energy and concentration to do them. We tried Adderall 20mg, which was way to high for me, and I didn't need to feel focused all day, just when I had to do things. After trial and error, I now take 5mg Adderall when I need it, when I need to focus intently or just can't seem to do something I need to do. As I can't work, I don't need to take it every day. I probably take less than 15 a month.


So, I take my bp/anxiety meds daily, which are at good levels, and I take Adderall 5mg when needed.

I hope this helps!