[bpdruins]

I'm waiting to see a doctor, and kind of wondered if I have ADHD, as a child psychologist when I was little seemed to think I had it. Anyway, I took someone else's concerta when I was in college, and it made feel like really good. I no longer felt depressed and could concentrate, felt motivated and everything. The bad point was that I didn't sleep for maybe 2 days. I'm thinking that I don't have ADHD because it sounds like not being able to sleep for 2 days is not what the medicine is supposed to do. Or am I wrong? What do you guys feel like on these meds?

I should add that I took the adult adhd test: http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

It said highly likely. I read some of the symptoms on other sites and didn't identify with them all the way, although I remember when I was a kid I was pretty hyper and did some innappropiate things without thinking of the consequences. When I was a teenager, I kind of grew reserved and reluctant to open myself up to others because I think I feared my embarrasing behavior would come out.

[7NKI]

The tricky thing about stimulants is they are just that- stimulants. In my experience the only time they "keep me up all night" is if I take too high of a dose, or take it too late in the day. When I was diagnosed my psychiatrist said that I had one of the most severe cases she'd ever seen, and she started me on a dose much higher than normal. Guess what? after the first 2 or 3 days it really didn't help at all. my current dose is double what my original dose was, and it still doesn't work by the beginning of the 2nd wk, but I have found that taking a "medication vacation" for a couple/few days once or twice a month is very helpful for "resetting" my tolerance and helping the medicine to work how it's supposed to. Get diagnosed professionally (try writing an "essay" of symptoms you've experienced in the past/present if you can- this can be very helpful for remembering everything once you're at your appointment and your mind goes blank lol) and be honest with your ADHD dr about having tried concerta before- it is incredibly common for adult non-diagnosed ADHDer's to have self-medicated at one point or another so your dr won't be shocked, and if it "solved your problems" then it's possible you DO need the medication,, just in a lower dose so it doesn't amp you up so much. good luck!

[sunrise]

bpdruins, if I take my stimulant medication too late in the day, yes, I do have insomnia. I think just because you couldn't sleep for 2 days doesn't mean you don't have ADHD. The dose could have been too high or it is not the right med for you. It is best not to experiment with meds on your own but get your diagnosis and prescriptions from a clinician. If they think you have ADHD, they can titrate the med over time to reach the right dose for you. That's great you have an appointment with a doctor. Good luck!

[AniManiac]

Stimulants are performance enhancers for anyone, not just people with ADHD. That's why they're controlled meds and have a street value!

Not sleeping for 2 days is not the usual reaction, like others said. It could have been the wrong dosage, or depending on the dose, it could also mean that you don't need it. For me, the standard dosages last most of the day, but peter out around 3 PM, so I often had to take a second dose at mid-day to stay functional all day.

The first time I took ADHD meds, they weren't my own, and they actually made me function normally! The second time, it was a higher dose, and I got so high I was hallucinating (that would likely be due to bipolar, I've occasionally had psychotic symptoms when triggered by the wrong rx's.) So, lesson learned: go to a doctor and make sure they get it right, because it's potentially dangerous stuff to screw around with.

I actually had my 3rd ADHD evaluation this week. This time it was a computer-based test, which is somewhat more objective than the usual clinical interview self-report. It confirmed the obvious, so I'm going back on Concerta as soon as my insurance authorizes it.

[bpdruins]

Not sleeping for 2 days is not the usual reaction, like others said. It could have been the wrong dosage, or depending on the dose, it could also mean that you don't need it. For me, the standard dosages last most of the day, but peter out around 3 PM, so I often had to take a second dose at mid-day to stay functional all day.

I'm pretty sure it was a high dose, it didn't make me hallucinate or anything but made me feel like euphoric, which I thought concerta is not known to induce euphoria. I was also able to finally finish writing a complete song, which I never do, just felt real good. I got it from this guy I knew while I was in college and i'm pretty sure he had severe ADHD.

I think I took another concerta again at some other time and nothing happened to me, made me a bit jittery maybe. Kind of foggy about that.

I agree I was reckless taking those types of pills, because the side effects can be pretty bad.

[bpdruins]

Well just got back from therapists appt. Hadn't been to him for 6 months and he noted to me that he wrote down attenion deficit disorder the last time he saw me. That's the second therapist so far that made that note. Starting to wonder if I'm on the wrong drugs, because the antipsychs that I'm on are making the motivation/concentration/memory problems more difficult instead of better. I've also noticed I can be very paranoid at times, which was not the case before. Pretty sure I'm being mis dx'd.

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by bpdruins

Well just got back from therapists appt. Hadn't been to him for 6 months and he noted to me that he wrote down attenion deficit disorder the last time he saw me. That's the second therapist so far that made that note. Starting to wonder if I'm on the wrong drugs, because the antipsychs that I'm on are making the motivation/concentration/memory problems more difficult instead of better. I've also noticed I can be very paranoid at times, which was not the case before. Pretty sure I'm being mis dx'd.

If you've had a couple of therapists note ADD as a possible issue, it's time to go see a pdoc or learning specialist for a proper diagnosis. Other psych meds do cause memory/concentration problems (as do other psych conditions) so you may well need the ADD meds. Antipsychotics aren't used for ADD (as far as I know, could be wrong) so unless you're on them for another reason, I'd definitely go see a pdoc and try to get this figured out.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by AniManiac

If you've had a couple of therapists note ADD as a possible issue, it's time to go see a pdoc or learning specialist for a proper diagnosis.

Are therapists not allowed to diagnose ADHD? I'm curious because my therapist suspected I might have ADHD and he referred me out to someone else (a psychiatric nurse practitioner) to make a diagnosis. This seems to jibe with what you're saying AniManiac. I know therapists diagnose depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc., but not ADHD?

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by sunrise

Are therapists not allowed to diagnose ADHD? I'm curious because my therapist suspected I might have ADHD and he referred me out to someone else (a psychiatric nurse practitioner) to make a diagnosis. This seems to jibe with what you're saying AniManiac. I know therapists diagnose depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc., but not ADHD?

As far as I know, therapists aren't supposed to officially diagnose anything. Basically it seems that if they can prescribe, they can diagnose. If they aren't allowed to prescribe, they aren't supposed to make anything more than a tentative diagnosis. I think it has to do with the training that they received.

Ironically, GP's can diagnose even though they would often know less about the conditions and meds than therapists. I had GP-based diagnosis in the past, and no one in the psych field will believe those diagnoses.

I heard yesterday (from my T) that the surest way to evaluate ADHD is to prescribe meds. If they make you all hopped-up, then you don't need 'em and you don't have ADHD. If they make you focused, then bingo! The catch with that is that people who have DEA approval for prescribing controlled substances are very, very careful about who gets what meds because it can be a big, big mess (for them) if they're not.

Another distinguishing detail is the the mental health nurse practitioners can generally prescribe controlled substances (DEA schedule 2) but that's not true of all NP's. When I was getting my ADHD prescription through the university health center, I had to specify that I needed an ADHD refill when I called for an appointment so that they would set me up with the right person rather than someone who can't write that rx.

[bpdruins]

Are therapists not allowed to diagnose ADHD? I'm curious because my therapist suspected I might have ADHD and he referred me out to someone else (a psychiatric nurse practitioner) to make a diagnosis. This seems to jibe with what you're saying AniManiac. I know therapists diagnose depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc., but not ADHD?

Yes, I don't think they are. They can write down tentative dx but only nurse practitioner or psychiatrist or someone that can write prescriptions can officially diagnose.

I heard yesterday (from my T) that the surest way to evaluate ADHD is to prescribe meds. If they make you all hopped-up, then you don't need 'em and you don't have ADHD. If they make you focused, then bingo! The catch with that is that people who have DEA approval for prescribing controlled substances are very, very careful about who gets what meds because it can be a big, big mess (for them) if they're not.

If you mean all hopped up, you mean like put you into a manic state or make you hyper? I can't recall if the medicine did that or not. It seemed like I did get more things done than usual and was able to focus very well. I also had a lot of motivation. And it completely cured my depression, like I was another person. But like I said it made it so I couldn't go to sleep. Maybe I did have excess energy it's kind of foggy.

Well, regardless my therapist is putting me through tests to see if it is ADHD next week. I recently spoke with a nurse practitioner and he said he was pretty sure that's what it was as well and wanted to prescribe wellbutrin or straterra to me, but decided to wait out on testing. So after the 16th I'll follow up on this thread let everyone know what's going on.

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by bpdruins

If you mean all hopped up, you mean like put you into a manic state or make you hyper? I can't recall if the medicine did that or not. It seemed like I did get more things done than usual and was able to focus very well. I also had a lot of motivation. And it completely cured my depression, like I was another person. But like I said it made it so I couldn't go to sleep. Maybe I did have excess energy it's kind of foggy.

I think that he meant, makes you hyper - but manic can look like hyper, so it's hard to draw the line for some people. It could be the case that it was just too high of a dose, as has been said before, so good thing that you're getting it checked out!

Originally Posted by bpdruins

Well, regardless my therapist is putting me through tests to see if it is ADHD next week. I recently spoke with a nurse practitioner and he said he was pretty sure that's what it was as well and wanted to prescribe wellbutrin or straterra to me, but decided to wait out on testing. So after the 16th I'll follow up on this thread let everyone know what's going on.

Good luck! Wellbutrin and Strattera are the main non-habit-forming options, so generally a good starting place. I hope they figure out what's going on and find a way to help!

[sunrise]

I checked it out in my state and here, diagnosing is not linked to being able to prescribe. Because a therapist must be able to make a diagnosis in order to be able to give the client the right kind of treatment. So for example, a psychologist or a LCSW therapist can indeed diagnose. Also, they have to be able to put down a diagnosis to get reimbursed by insurance in my state. I don't know about ADHD, though. It probably depends on whether the therapist or psychologist is trained for that. I think there are psychologists who do have expertise in ADHD. My therapist just didn't feel like ADHD was up his alley, I think, and so he wanted to refer me out to someone with more expertise in ADHD. But he definitely diagnoses things like depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, GAD, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, adjustment disorder, personality disorders, etc. If he believes the person may benefit from medication in addition to psychotherapy he refers them out to a prescriber.

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by sunrise

I checked it out in my state and here, diagnosing is not linked to being able to prescribe. Because a therapist must be able to make a diagnosis in order to be able to give the client the right kind of treatment. So for example, a psychologist or a LCSW therapist can indeed diagnose. Also, they have to be able to put down a diagnosis to get reimbursed by insurance in my state. I don't know about ADHD, though. It probably depends on whether the therapist or psychologist is trained for that. I think there are psychologists who do have expertise in ADHD. My therapist just didn't feel like ADHD was up his alley, I think, and so he wanted to refer me out to someone with more expertise in ADHD. But he definitely diagnoses things like depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, GAD, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, adjustment disorder, personality disorders, etc. If he believes the person may benefit from medication in addition to psychotherapy he refers them out to a prescriber.

Interesting - just another way that the mental health system is so confusing! I had several psychologists and therapists give me a bipolar diagnosis, but everyone said I needed to go to a psychiatrist for formal diagnosis and meds. My therapist wanted a diagnosis from the psychiatrist so he would know what to do for treatment, even though he also agrees that I'm bipolar.

I guess it might also have to do with the "seriousness" of the condition. I had no trouble getting dx's and meds for ADHD from my GP, but getting the dx for bipolar took a year and 5 separate evaluations, all of which came up with the same "tentative" diagnosis.

[sunrise]

You're right, it is confusing! My GP, for example, doesn't diagnose ADHD (at least in adults). She refers out to a specialist for that. Another GP I know will diagnose ADHD and prescribe non-stimulant medication to adults. But he says if they want stimulants, they need to go to a specialist. I wonder if this is related to some sort of cap they try to stay under for prescription of controlled substances?