Just Diagnosed With ADHD (Adults)
Newly Diagnosed - Prescribed Intuniv/Guanfacine
I am so majorly frustrated that I can barely even type this…
I was just diagnosed with ADHD. I’m 30 years old, and have been suspecting this for a few years now. It’s gotten SO bad!
I’m 100% sure that my new Psychiatrist properly diagnosed me…but I really believe he prescribed me the WRONG medicine. This is supposed to be a “new” treatment for ADHD and I took it once and I will never take it again!
Before you reply with, “Oh it takes a few weeks to get in your system and to work properly”...let me explain:
At first he was going to prescribe me Wellbutrin, which I quickly shot down. I HATE Wellbutrin! I’ve taken it before for about a month, when I was in my early twenties. It turned me into a zombie and made my focus issues even worse! I wasn’t prescribed the medicine (it was my mom’s who was newly diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder). And even though the dosage wasn’t tailored for me, it made me itchy and just feel weird and bad. I don’t think anyone should have to stay on something that has side effects that are intolerable.
And that is what happened when I took the Guanfacine that one night when it was prescribed for me. I know it was just one time, but the Doc said to take it in the morning (I don’t wake up in the morning. I wake up in the afternoon, because I stay up until 3 or 4am screwing around on the internet) but I decided to try to take it at night to test what it would do for me.
It not only made me suuuuper sleepy (it’s the lowest dose) but it made me feel groggy like I’d just taken a large amount of cough syrup - and it made me wake up from my sleep every 20 to 30 minutes. It also gave me disturbing dreams/nightmares. And when I woke up the next day, I felt comatose!!! I was so out of it getting up to make my coffee that I bumped into everything on the way!!! It was just ridiculous!
I CAN NOT deal with these kinds of side effects for 3 weeks while my system gets used to it! And it seems just taking it that one time made me even angrier and more agitated than I usually am (which is saying a lot).
I work in a spa, I’m a licensed Esthetician and I tried to get my doctor to realize that this is the kind of job where you have to be SUPER organized to succeed! I am the exact opposite of that. I’ve been suffering my whole life, not knowing as a child that I had this disorder and it’s gotten worse every year. I’m at a breaking point right now and I LOVE my job. I’m afraid I will get fired if I don’t get proper treatment soon. I’ve been making mistakes that could cost me my job and I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time before they find out! Or it gets worse!
So, what I’m saying is…are there any adults on here that are taking Guanfacine? What is it doing to you? What kind of jobs do you have?
I was really hoping for a more traditional treatment of ADHD. I’ve been doing a lot of research and lurking on ADHD forums for a while now, and people who are going through the exact same thing as me are praising stimulant treatments and saying how much it has changed their life and what they have done for them.
I used to take a prescription diet pill called phentermine (which has been known to be dangerous, I realize) and this was before I suspected I had ADHD. I had never been so hyper-focused in my entire life! That gives me a strong feeling that a traditional treatment may be best for me.
I’ve made an appointment to see another Psychiatrist because mine seems very close-minded and he doesn’t really listen to me. He didn’t even let me talk half the time I was in his office! We just didn’t click.
I know if I went back to him and told him that Guanfacine didn’t work after that one time, and I can’t afford to have these kinds of side effects with the kind of job I have - he will just tell me to take it consistently…and even after that, he would just change the dose - not the medicine.
I don’t have time to screw around with things that I know won’t work! I feel like I’m on the verge of another nervous/emotional breakdown.
***Maybe he didn’t want to prescribe stimulants to me because of my history of eating disorders? (Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating). I currently have a problem with binge eating…stimulants are supposed to HELP with this! My impulsivity is out of of control (no pun intended)!!!
I’m sorry this post was so long :(
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Replies
Find a psychiatrist (or behavioral medicine doc or nurse practitioner) whom you feel comfortable with and who will work with you and listen to your concerns and given you reasonable explanations. Finding the right medication is often trial and error.
Oh how I feel for you!!! I got diagnosed a few years ago, after my son was diagnosed. I have found my PCP actually knows more about ADHD than his Pediatrician. It is so frustrating. For as much hype about this disorder, one would think the Pediatrician would be a reliable source but there not.
I just recently found through my own research, that there are up to 5 different types of ADD. Each of these types react to treatment completely different. You need a new doctor, that medication will make you tired and taking it in the morning would be awful.
You seem so stressed. :-( Start with some of the directory’s via this website and national ones. The correct med should work ASAP, and Guanfacine is meant to be added to your regimen. I use Adderall 15mg twice a day,generic is much cheaper than the brand XR even though the XR would be more predictable. I also drink caffeine/coffee or 5hr energy to help at work. It’s a delicate balance that is unpredictable at times, which is so frustrating. Be careful with the caffeine and an empty stomach, it can be a bit tough. I can only drink 1/2 of the energy shot.
Keep in mind ADHD/ADD is co-morbid with many other disorders such as anxiety,obsessive compulsive behavior, and depression just to name few. Best of luck to you.
I too can sense your frustration so I would suggest that you start at the beginning and become grounded at first and then work toward gaining a well-rounded integrated approach. In my profession we say “pills don’t give you skills”, so getting upset and frustrated about a single element in dealing with being ADHD is neither appropriate nor helpful. For instance: You will have to spend a lot of time getting the proper medication and dosage correct. What many clinicians don”Ēt realize is that it takes a multi-faceted approach to achieve the life enhancements you seek after the initial euphoria of diagnoses.
Ari Tuckman wrote the book and has an excellent website entitled Integrated Treatment for Adult ADHD. The subtitle says it all: a four-part comprehensive treatment model that includes:
? Family education as a clinical intervention.
? Effective medication options.
? Coaching for better time management, organization, and self-esteem issues.
? Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, anxiety, and more.
Once you put the medication aspect in its proper perspective and understand that there is no way for your clinician to know which medication will be most effective. However it is an extremely well proven and clear fact that a stimulant medication is the single most effective treatment for many of the symptoms that have held you back in the past. I have experimented with all of the amphetamines and with guanfacine. The best combination for me so far is Vyvance, which is a dextroamphetamine salt in a metabolically induced time release, and guanfacine 1 mg taken with the Vyvance. Intuniv is a time release guanfacine that is approved to be taken with amphetamines and might be a better selection for you. Remember you will need to do the research because your physician will simply not be able to know what is best for you.
A well-trained ADHD coach can help you coordinate all of these elements that are essential to a highly fulfilled life. Bob Hathcock.
http://addventurecoaching.com/
Thank you so much for the replies. I appreciate the help
And I wanted to clear something up…I know pills are not magic, and are not a “cure all”. I used to tell my mother the very same thing about her bi-polar disorder meds.
I just feel like getting the proper treatment starts with the right medicine. And I’ve already started to change things. I’ve been talking more about my frustrations - not with a therapist (yet), but with someone who definitely understands what I’m going through.
Just being able to type out what I feel on these forums are really helping! I’m also cutting back on sugar in my diet again. I know that always helps too. Too much sugar just kills my focus almost completely.
But yeah, thank you everyone!
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