ADD / ADHD Community

Up until it was taken off the market I had been using Cylert for ADD fairly successfully. For the last year or so I've run through Ritlan, Medidate, Stratera, and some others I don't remember. For the last four months I have been getting by using herbs. I'm kind of at a loss just now, because though the herbal medicine helps alot I'm barely getting things done.

Dear Steve4545,

Have you considered talking to your doctor about trying medication and herbs together? I know that with ADD and ADHD, figuring out the right combination of treatments can sometimes take a lot of persistance and efforts. Have you tried any other therapies other than herbs and medication?

I know Dr. Sogn often makes some good suggestions on his expert board. You might take a look over there if you haven't already.

I hope the weekend is a good one,

Byroney

"Have you tried any other therapies other than herbs and medication?"

I'm not aware of any other therapies. It would be great if there was some type of mental exercise one could do.

When things get really fruitless I've done crossword puzzles just so I could have the satisfaction of being able to complete some task. I thought doing them might train my mind to stay focused on other work. The only benefit I noticed was that I got very good at crossword puzzles.

My two biggest problems with ADHD are focus and forgetfullness.

Focus is helped a lot with medication although, like some other people on this board, medications begin to lose their effectiveness after a few weeks. So far I take moderate amounts of Adderall or Vyvanse a few days a week to try and prolong their effectiveness.

Like you I am a note-taker for my memory. I don't use stickey-notes that much but carry around a pad of paper all day that I can scribble reminders onto. The only problem with that is remembering to look at my notepad before I go home and ensure that I have finished everything.

Basically, I don't have any one solution but have had to settle for numerous coping techniques. It sometimes feels like a full-time job.

"So far I take moderate amounts of Adderall or Vyvanse a few days a week to try and prolong their effectiveness. "

I've recently noticed that a once or twice a week cycle has worked well for me also. It seems to be a more effective use of the medication since a smaller dose continues to be effective.

take Ritalin LA....it works well for hyperactivity which for me leads to chronic fatigue. my adhd was caused by a concussion so i have many other issues as well. Overall thats about all that helps, so i hope that some of you have ideas outside the obvious.

randa

"Like you I am a note-taker for my memory. I don't use stickey-notes that much but carry around a pad of paper all day that I can scribble reminders onto. The only problem with that is remembering to look at my notepad before I go home and ensure that I have finished everything. "- Tom

I have this same issue too. wish there was something that could help.

What Helps? Poll

Currently, I use Adderall SR - twice a day. I take one with breakfast and one with lunch. As someone who works full time and attend classes online (full time) in my 40's I find that if I try to do those things that require attention to detail and focus earlier in the day, I have the evenings to unwind - and the quality of the things I've done is so much better. I try to keep some sort of routine to my life - I am ex-military and what I learned about structure has been a sanity and life-saver! . I know this isn't great advise for everyone, but It has helped me balance and keep on the straight and narrow.

I'm a note-taker too, but I lose them. Even in the grocery, I'll get halfway done and discover that my list is still somewhere in produce! If it was socially acceptable, I'd just use may hands and arms for those reminders!

Anyway~ good luck to all of us!

Hi, aside from taking my Adderall and I am on a very high dosage, I take notes like crazy! I use a daytimer at work, my Outlook calendar both at home and at work, and use the calendar on my cell phone! Geez!

I support a CEO, and have to be extremely detail oriented. Prior to being diagnosed with ADHD my mind was all over the place at times; at other times, I would HYPER-focus, so I didn't think I had it. What I found is if you're doing something that you truly enjoy, it's easy to slip into the hyperfocus piece or I'll spend WAY too much time doing one thing...PERFECTLY.

you know what's funny? When ADHD became more prevalent in the media, people started telling me, constantly, "You're seriously ADHD" and I always thought that this was a joke... but now i'm getting older and I see that me being fidgety, restless, and BORED all the time was not normal. While other people around me were just laid back and relaxed, I had to be up and DOING SOMETHING. I just never thought I had ADHD because, while my mind was all over the place, there were times when I'd HYPER-FOCUS on things that i liked to do... ex, paint, draw, read about cars, etc... and then I realized that I had been online for about three hours researching ADHD... and hadn't moved from my cross legged spot on the floor with the lap top in front of me for a long period of time. I don't know... I really thought ADHD was an excuse by kids at school for why they acted up. Really. But here, I am, sitting at the computer, looking up bi polar disorder cuz I'm twenty years old and can't figure out why my life isn't working out but I don't have the symptoms of bipolarism... But yeah got off track... so basically, what I mean is... if you're ADHD that doesn't mean you are inattentive all the time, right?? Because, if i'M interested in a subject well enough, I will read up on it. I'm actually pretty smart. I got kicked out of talented and gifted classes because, although i was intelligent, my inability to focus kind of interfered with the way i interacted with my peers. anyway... um....I've never really hit up a forum before. I feel kind of dumb now.... but i just want to see if i can relate to anyone out there. i feel really alone in all of this. and is there anyone who self-diagnosed themself the way I did? i just want to make sure i'm not a hypochondriac as well. LOL. i'm not crazy.

Dear SwEetCanDee,

Glad you found us, but I'm sorry you've felt alone and like you were the only one. Now that you think you fit the symptoms, you need to find a doctor/psychiatrist in your area who is familiar with ADHD in adults. Like with any condition, finding a doctor who has experience with it is an important part of figuring out how to deal with it.

You may want to use the "start a discussion" button on this board so other members can meet you and share their information and experiences with you. When you post on an already establish thread, sometimes your post is less visible to people.

Hope that helps,

Byroney

Hi! I am new to this site--but I have ADHD all my life--took until my forties to get proper diagnosis. I too have tried a lot of different meds for the symptoms--and I have the Classic ADD symptoms. I am now on 70 mg of Vyvanse which is new to the market. I have had no side effects so far and have been on it now for about 3 months.

Ladybug17331 Welcome!

Glad you found us here. I'm also glad to hear that Vynase is helping you without side effects. Sometimes those side effects can make it really tough to continue with a medication, even if you think it's helping. Sadly, many ADHD sufferers spend a long time without a disgnosis and can have issues with self-esteem by the time it's found.

If you have a question or problem for the folks around here, just use the orange 'start discussion' button and ask away. Sometimes it gets quiet around here for a bit, but people will chime in if they think they can offer you some help.

Best wishes,

Byroney