ADD and PTSD (tell me what you know)

I know very little. I need to know a lot because I have both.ADD and PTSD. Prozac wiped out my dopamine and made Adderall not only ineffective in increasing much merced dopamine, but releases norepinephrine without dopamine to regulate it.

Throw me links or book titles of you dont want to write content. This is my idea of secondary research. Get me started.

My dopamine is coming back. Im able to sustain entire thoughts. Im coming back. Mad as proverbial Oedkpus but back in the saddle instead of being dragged by my boot.

GABA is the magic key.

Please do stack up some good reading for me. ADD and PTSD.

I was reading about it online Teacake, and everything I read said ADD is the same as ADHD. I was also reading about PTSD and ADHD, and the suggestion was the best thing to do "first" is treat the ADHD. I did not get a chance to look up the medications that have been found to help ADHD, I am tired as it is almost 1am where I am, sorry.

I get overwhelmed reading about ADHD to be honest because my entire life has been trying to deal with that challenge but not knowing what it was in my older brother and my husband. I tried to save them both and I am tired now, wish I had known what it was all these years, would have helped. Yeah, people don't understand them, can be mean to them I try to help but they were mean to me when they needed to vent, my entire life was "protecting them" too.

Well, from what I have read, like I mentioned, treat the ADHD first. With the PTSD the brain is hyjacked by the Amigdala which switches it over to "hyper aware" and with time and "learning, using the brain for learning" it slowly brings the brain back to functioning better.

Teacake

You mentioned a very good point. SSRI's can make ADD worse. It is a serotonin/dopamine seesaw effect.

I read a short book by Dr. Charles Parker called New ADHD Medication Rules. He is in private practice and wrote the book from his own experience (over 43 years worth) with ADD and ADHD patients. He does have a history with the notorious Dr. Amen (a lot of the professional community rather loathes Dr. Amen) but I find this book by Parker very helpful.

It is a very good book IMO outlining outcomes when taking some stimulants and in combo with some antidepressants and what to expect as far as duration of effectiveness of the stimulants and a good amount of help when being treated for comorbid conditions. I don't remember PTSD being mentioned but most of the time when an antidepressant such as Prozac is prescribed he actually cautions the use of SSRI's and stimulants used together when someone has ADD or ADHD as it does, like you say, make the ADD worse. I know a lot of people take both SSRI's and stimulants but I found that Lexapro made my ADHD worse.

I bought the small paperback from Amazon. I hope this helps some.

Take care

ADHD
MDD
GAD

Thank you, sideblinded. That helps a lot.