[anushka]

Can anyone throw some light on these aspects of adhd medicines like adderal?

Does it really worsen headache problems?

I have headache issues and recently went to a neuro doc, he said it's initial stage of migraine and gave me flunarizine and amitriptyline 10mg each said it will get better.... Very less headaches for 1 month now, with these meds.

If i am given adderal or similar meds, are there chances my headache will again start and worsen? If yes, any remedy for that?

Does adderal or similar meds also improve the forgetfulness issue of adhd besides concentration? They say everywhere abt the concentration point, but how will the forgetfulness improve?

Another side question...

I am having very bad time with the symptoms of undiagnosed adhd for a very long time, they have become a maddening struggle each and every single day with each and every single work.... So i have decided to visit a psychiatrist... The ask the therapist section of psych central told me my symptoms aren't simply procrastination or laziness since i am good in studies and am physics grad now pursuing phd, and i keep working inspite of such struggles concentrating and completing and forgetting all the time. Are there chances that the doc i will visit wont believe me and just call me lazy? In that case what can i do? I really feel its about time i take outside help and possibly medicines too since i worked and worked last 2yrs to improve on my all the adhd symptoms which i have been suffering from childhood but i failed and failed to improve. Makes me feel its intrinsic part of me. What can i do if i am judged and called lazy? It will definitely make me disheartened..

Ps: i am not from a developed country so the doc i visit wont be a adhd specialist since there aren't any here. He will just be a general psychiatrist.

[LifeForce]

Originally Posted by anushka

Can anyone throw some light on these aspects of adhd medicines like adderal?


Does it really worsen headache problems?


I have headache issues and recently went to a neuro doc, he said it's initial stage of migraine and gave me flunarizine and amitriptyline 10mg each said it will get better.... Very less headaches for 1 month now, with these meds.


If i am given adderal or similar meds, are there chances my headache will again start and worsen? If yes, any remedy for that?


Does adderal or similar meds also improve the forgetfulness issue of adhd besides concentration? They say everywhere abt the concentration point, but how will the forgetfulness improve?


Another side question...


I am having very bad time with the symptoms of undiagnosed adhd for a very long time, they have become a maddening struggle each and every single day with each and every single work.... So i have decided to visit a psychiatrist... The ask the therapist section of psych central told me my symptoms aren't simply procrastination or laziness since i am good in studies and am physics grad now pursuing phd, and i keep working inspite of such struggles concentrating and completing and forgetting all the time. Are there chances that the doc i will visit wont believe me and just call me lazy? In that case what can i do? I really feel its about time i take outside help and possibly medicines too since i worked and worked last 2yrs to improve on my all the adhd symptoms which i have been suffering from childhood but i failed and failed to improve. Makes me feel its intrinsic part of me. What can i do if i am judged and called lazy? It will definitely make me disheartened..

Just make sure that the psychiatrist you go to works with ADHD patients and ideally has a lot of experience with it. Not all psychiatrists treat ADHD and would, therefore, be more likely to diagnose you with something else.

As for headaches: I’ve suffered from headaches (including migraines) from 9 years of age. They went away when I was following a low-carb diet, and have just recently started again since I’ve got slack with my diet. ADHD medications haven’t made a difference either way.

The forgetfulness associated with ADHD is primarily caused by lack of concentration. If you don’t really take in the information properly, it’s hard to recall it later! So, to the extent that is causing your forgetfulness, the medication should help, but only while its in your system.

I hope this helps!

[anushka]

Hi LifeForce.... This really helps, thank you so much.

Could you also tell me about the diet in a bit of detail??

Also, do you / did you take adhd meds? Do you feel it has helped you quite a lot and its really worth it? Since i am standing on this side of the field, i keep wondering what's on that other side. Is the grass really greener there?

[Miswimmy1]

Hi,

In terms of headaches, I have no idea whether ADHD medications would exacerbate existing migraines. From personal experience, the headaches from stimulant meds would happen when the med was wearing off. It would be similar to a caffeine headache (if you drink coffee all the time and then don't have time to make a cup in the morning type thing). I found that being on the extended release version of the meds makes the headache side effect less extreme.

As for doctor's not believing you, psychiatrists and general care physicians in the U.S. have come under fire for over diagnosing ADHD and overprescribing stimulant drugs. Some will require a full examination and set of testing before they will prescribe you a controlled substance. Others are more relaxed and will prescribe just based off of your personal testimony. It really depends. However, I would say that there are docs out there who are very reluctant to hand out stimulant medications. I don't think anyone will call you lazy though.

[anushka]

Hi Miswimmy1.... These are very valuable information. Thank you so much. Are you taking any adhd med? Would you say its really worth it, comparing the before and afters of the effects of med?

[zhangxuxi]

[LifeForce]

Originally Posted by anushka

Hi LifeForce.... This really helps, thank you so much.

Could you also tell me about the diet in a bit of detail??

Also, do you / did you take adhd meds? Do you feel it has helped you quite a lot and its really worth it? Since i am standing on this side of the field, i keep wondering what's on that other side. Is the grass really greener there?

Sorry I’ve taken so long to respond. I just saw your message now.

I am on stimulant meds and have been since I was diagnosed at age 30. As for the difference they make: its like night and day for me. My biggest regret is that I wasn’t diagnosed and put on medication as a child, because my life would have gone in quite a different direction!

Unfortunately, the meds can’t make up for what you missed out on as a child as a result of your ADHD. For those of us diagnosed as adults, I don’t think that medication alone is enough. I’ve realised that for me, at least, an ADHD coach is essential. But the coaching would be useless without the meds.

Not all ADHD meds work for everyone, but they do work for most. The only way to know how well they would work for you is to do a medication trial. In case this is a concern for you, my experience has been that they are not addictive and I’ve read research that backs that up (when used for ADHD). The researchers concluded that, taken as tablets, the stimulants enter the bloodstream too slowly to cause the “rush” that is apparently necessary for addiction.

I will answer your questions about my diet in a separate post.

[LifeForce]

Originally Posted by anushka

Can anyone throw some light on these aspects of adhd medicines like adderal?

Does it really worsen headache problems?

I have headache issues and recently went to a neuro doc, he said it's initial stage of migraine and gave me flunarizine and amitriptyline 10mg each said it will get better.... Very less headaches for 1 month now, with these meds.

If i am given adderal or similar meds, are there chances my headache will again start and worsen? If yes, any remedy for that?

Does adderal or similar meds also improve the forgetfulness issue of adhd besides concentration? They say everywhere abt the concentration point, but how will the forgetfulness improve?

Another side question...

I am having very bad time with the symptoms of undiagnosed adhd for a very long time, they have become a maddening struggle each and every single day with each and every single work.... So i have decided to visit a psychiatrist... The ask the therapist section of psych central told me my symptoms aren't simply procrastination or laziness since i am good in studies and am physics grad now pursuing phd, and i keep working inspite of such struggles concentrating and completing and forgetting all the time. Are there chances that the doc i will visit wont believe me and just call me lazy? In that case what can i do? I really feel its about time i take outside help and possibly medicines too since i worked and worked last 2yrs to improve on my all the adhd symptoms which i have been suffering from childhood but i failed and failed to improve. Makes me feel its intrinsic part of me. What can i do if i am judged and called lazy? It will definitely make me disheartened..

Ps: i am not from a developed country so the doc i visit wont be a adhd specialist since there aren't any here. He will just be a general psychiatrist.

The diet I follow is called the Banting diet, aka LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat). You should find a ton of info on it if you do a search. Atkins also works. I try to keep my net carbs under 50 grams per day, but the exact number can differ from person to person. Most people start with 20 grams daily for at least the first couple of weeks.

Just a word of warning: you will probably feel awful for the first few days on the diet, as your body adapts. Drinking bone broth helps a lot with that, so its a good idea to have some made before starting the diet. Once you’ve been on the diet for around two weeks you should start feeling really good; possibly better than you’ve felt in a long time! If you do decide to try the diet, I recommend that you join an online support group. There are some on Facebook. It helps a lot to be able to ask questions of people who have gone through it all before!

[anushka]

hi LifeForce, thanks a lot for your replies. Helps me a lott really.

Some updates here. I visited a psychiatrist. Again, he is just a general psychiatrist, not adhd specialist. You really cant find any specialist in my country.

1st, his assistant psychologist heard my issue. I didnt say "ADHD" but just described what i go through. What she wrote on the paper was very accurate terms of adhd, like "disorganization, inattention, forgetfulness, etc etc" plus she also wrote anxiety as the last point. But the main psychiatrist read through those points and only focused on the last word "anxiety" and concluded that i have anxiety and gave me anxiety pill and recommended therapy. I know this is not merely anxiety, coz anxiety is a recent issue and the adhd symptoms were present right from 5-6 years of age.

Anxiety medicine(Sertraline) will help me be more calm and all but wont improve my concentration issue, isnt it?

What should I do now?? please give me some suggestions, i am totally lost.

[Nocalove]

I was on Adderall for about 5 years. I have Bipolar and it made me hyper. My doctor switched me to Strattera but I found that was depressing me. So she prescribed Trintellix. It is suppose to help with concentration.

[BrieG11]

In my personal experience Adderall gave me serious tension headaches that would last for days with no relief from any medication. I started getting massages and this helped but at least twice a month I would experience one of these severe migraines.

My doctor switched my to Vyvance and this has made a huge change for me. I also did not get an upset stomach from the Vyvance. Vyvance is more expensive, but has been worth it to me.