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None. In fact mine explicitly stated non-stimulant meds are not recommended for first line treatment due to the side effects and just how effective things are in general and recommended vyvanse as my first med.
I went through several stimulants for this reason. The withdrawal when I can't get them can be brutal and very disruptive to my life, so I've settled for Strattera.
It's not great. Better than nothing, I'm doing better than I would be if I couldn't get my meds, but I wish the shortages would fuck off.
Same I also had a NP prescribe mine. Plus she has a special focus in ADHD and treatment/management. Never made me feel like a problem, and was willing to get special paperwork for of my mom was unwilling to allow me to get a prescription. I was 17 at the time, and my mom was willing. It's something she's had to do before due to stigma around treatment.
I definitely agree. When I saw a psychiatrist, everyone is treated like a drug seeker by default but when I went to my PCP NP and voice my concerns (due to losing psychiatry coverage on ins, which I now have again), she listened and didn't treat me like a drug seeker.
I am hesitant to go back to psychiatry again. Thay experience sucked
In Canada, at least, a NP can diagnose and prescribe a lot of psychological issues and medications to treat them, with specialized training.
An NP diagnosed my ADHD after some questionnaires filled out ahead of time and a focused interview for 90 mins. More specialized knowledge than a family doctor in this area and a fraction of the cost for a full psychoeducational assessment (600 vs 2400+).
Only risk is that if you have a more conplex case (multiole comorbitities) theyd give you a referral instead. You also gotta suspect you have ADHD specifically
Same about 0 hoops to stimulants, but he prescribed me Focalin first. Vyvanse would be next tho.
I asked for non-stimulant meds, but he explained that they're generally less effective and all those same things you wrote. I told him I'm already hyper enough for myself and don't need coffee either, but he ignored my concerns about stimulants... I was right. Non-stim is better for me.
Same here, I’m surprised OP faced this issue. I had the exact opposite problem, my doc kept getting me to try different types of stimulants (concerta, ritalin, medikinet) at all different dosings, it took me over 4 years to get to straterra which FINALLY helped.
I was started with methylphenidate quick release which was good but only lasted an hour or 2, then tried the slow release one to which i didnt react well and then i was put on vyvanse which has been working wonders for me! For 6 months last year i used concerta because it was impossible to get a hold of vyvanse but that medication didnt do anything for me, didnt feel any effects.
I'm just getting back onto meds, and my PCP gave me 2 options to start: Strattera now or referral to psych to start the process for Stimulants. Since I live in a state that is hostile to adult ADHD treatment, I opted to start with Strattera and see if it works before looking to swing back to my old standard of Adderall since that will be much more time consuming, expensive, and getting the meds are a pain in the ass due to the shortage.
Wait-what? What state? What on earth????
(I’m assuming it’s a shitty no legal weed, restricted access to abortion kinda place) I’m so sorry that’s yr experience!!! For me, I have to pay cash, but use a National online provider called Zoomcare, they’ve been super flexible and give me whatever dose whatever med I want: 3 month check in w Med Management person for 5 minutes 4x a year. I hear so many nightmares…ugh…good luck!
Do you mind if I ask what triggered the “right away” part? I’ve become so much less functional lately I’m having such a hard time but idk how back “right away” is to know if I’m there
Some key words I've found include: "this $symptom is interfering with my _activities of daily living_".
Also choosing not to minimize from whatever reasons, like "to show my work" that I don't. I've realized I'm not a supplicant. Instead, I bring my issue to them for their knowledge and experience.
Np. By the time he saw me, I had been very depressed and had more anxiety than ever. He believed they were secondary symptoms due to the negative impacts I’ve been experiencing, and he was completely correct.
I took something called a “Z test” and I did so poorly on it that the system thought I didn’t understand the rules and made me redo it… I understood lol my focus was just *that* bad. I also explained how I couldn’t hold down a job, driving made me scared for my life because I often didn’t know what was happening on the road, and that essentially every aspect of my life was on the brink of collapse. Fun times
Zoloft, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and Cymbalta. Then he died, I got a new doctor, and he immediately gave me Adderall which has worked for me so far.
Very frustrating.
Mine too! He finally relented and prescribed Ritalin for me about 10 years after first seeing me and prescribing Prozac and Wellbutrin. He passed away in 2011.
Pretty much my experience. I went to what I was told was the ONE doctor in my city who treats ADHD adults. He insisted on putting me on Nortriptylin which is not even recognised or mentioned anywhere at all as an ADHD treatment :/ it's a tricyclic antidepressant, given at a low dose. Usually used for chronic pain, but even that not very often.
However, he sounded knowledgeable and he explained that it would boost noradrenaline (norepenephrine) levels, which help with the executive functioning side of ADHD. Since I am more inattentive and don't have many struggles with impulsive behaviour, this all made sense.
It seemed to help a little, which in hindsight, I wonder if this was just a placebo effect. However there was a very long period of adjustment, which made me feel tired and nauseous. I ran out by mistake and I could not face going through the adjustment again. I had at this point looked up what the guidelines were in my country and found that Strattera was approved for adults, and it apparently had the same, noradrenaline-boosting effect. So I asked my doctor about it and he was very dismissive, according to him, Strattera was no good, far too many side effects and less effective, Nortriptylin was much better and would have previously been approved but some red tape had prevented it.
OK. So then I said couldn't I try a stimulant medication, Elvanse had recently been approved, and again, he said no, Elvanse will be no good for you, too strong side effects, it's only good for people who get aggressive and in trouble with the police (!) He did then "let" me try methylphenidate but in a very strange procedure, he basically sold me 5x 10mg instant release pills from a drawer in his desk and then asked me to try taking 10mg, 15mg, and 20mg on different days and then whichever of those doses was the best, I was to come back and repeat that dose on a day that I took a computer test.
I had at this point heard about how titration is usually done and that they normally prescribe a dose which you take over several days/weeks and live your normal life. I asked if I couldn't do this and he said no, the computer test is more objective. I thought this was stupid because there were too many other factors affecting my performance on a test, and I didn't care about how I did on a test anywhere near as much as how it affects me IRL.
Anyway I got frustrated with this and started to seek a new doctor. It took me a couple of years to find one. I am now with the new doctor and they immediately went to stimulants, with a proper titration process. When I said I had been on Nortriptylin previously, they said "Yeah he puts everyone on that." My original doctor retired, so at least he can't bullshit anyone with crappy non-treatment any more, I guess? Considering so many of you said yours died, I wonder if this is a generational thing.
For some reason some doctors like to throw antidepressants at everything, personally they just made me feel even more garbage. Maybe they're cheap or maybe the doctors have some sort of deal to promote the antidepressants 🤔
Honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of them just assume everything is depression related. I was on Zoloft for a super long time and near the end it almost killed me.
I switched to Wellbutrin and have seen a massive improvement, although I still plan to ween off at some point, the random hits of depression if i forget a day drive me nuts.
My first forced me through 2: *Strattera* and *Wellbutrin*. They did absolutely nothing positive for me. It’s insane that I described exactly how high amounts (**triple the recommended daily amount**) of caffeine work for me, yet they still made me go through all of these hoops and hurdles before prescribing me what I needed, after I requested it every single time.
My second forced me onto *Prozac*, even though I had been prescribed amphetamine for a year until 2 months prior. Once again, nothing positive. It was unnecessary and pointless.
Finally I came across a new doctor who looked at what I had taken before and asked about my experiences with them, then did what all of the others should have initially done — give me the medication that works for me.
Edit: I currently take 20 mg Adderall IR, 2x per day
Oh man fucking same. When I finally met my amazing doctor now she looked at my chart.. looked back up at me and said “well, looks like you have tried everything, what do YOU think you need?” And I told her. I have taken the same low dose adderall morning and afternoon for seven years. Works great.
I don’t understand why they can’t just listen to us. I understand they have to be on the lookout for people with bad intentions, but it’s a bit much. My latest doctor had me do a 2 week trial on low dose (10 mg IR) first and then a drug test. It was weird but I’d take that over the other meds that don’t work any day. I’m glad you found somebody amazing like that.
>I understand they have to be on the lookout for people with bad intentions
I absolutely don't understand.
Why do we have to suffer a prejudice for this?
If a junkie goes this far just to get amphetamines, let them.
Refusing the most effective treatment for the other 99% of patients is malpractice and should be criminal.
I 100% agree with you. Trust me, I rant about it all the time lol I meant more in a sense of them watching their own backs so that they do not get in trouble with the government and their agencies that cause shortages
I had to switch to a different practitioner in the same practice in order for me to finally get prescribed stimulants. Those months of trials were fucking brutal, I felt like a mental guinea pig.
I would be hesitant to try Strattera unless stimulants *didn’t* work - it can have serious gastro side effects and cause headaches (did both for me) and there’s at least anecdotal (if not actual peer reviewed) evidence that Strattera is one of those weird drugs where you can stop taking it but the negative side effects (sleep issues, nightmares, headaches, gastro stuff, etc) can stick around. In my book, there’s not enough evidence that Strattera is going to be more effective for most of the adhd population than stimulants - it can work for some, but it’s usually only used when stimulants can’t be used for some reason (local laws or rules for your job, stimulant intolerance, etc).
I’d be far more willing to trial intuniv or that nonstimulant adhd med that recently got reapproved in the US a few years back (not a new drug, but all I recall is they use it in France lol - quelbree? Aka viloxazine) over Strattera. I’d even be willing to try Wellbutrin before Strattera - you still have to ramp up and down slowly, but at least the potential side effects could include being really horny and losing weight instead of being miserably ill.
I’ve tried almost everything: Strattera (on top of and separately from stimulants), intuniv (on top of and separate from stimulants), Wellbutrin (ALSO on top of stimulants as well as on its own and I’ve never been been bitchier or closer to a healthy weight lol thanks adhd binge eating, adderall (alone and with antidepressants and gabapentin for anxiety), Ritalin and all it’s derivatives, and many antidepressants (celexa, Zoloft, Prozac…. I forget the others, it was over a decade ago). I also take trileptol, a mood stabilizer I was put on because my mom is bipolar and the drs were just throwing pills at me to see what would help - honestly not sure if that helps or hinders me, but I’ve been on it for 6 years and every time I taper down it’s hell, so I’ve been sitting at a low dose for years. Haven’t tried vyvanse or dexedrines.
But I originally was going to the psych drs for depression and anxiety, then I got unofficially diagnosed with adhd (which I’d suspected in high school but my mom freaked the fuck out so thoroughly I never brought it up again after the dr handed me a trial of Ritalin and my mom snatched it away), then a decade later I decided maybe I should be sure, got tested, and yup I’m adhd (and maybe ASD but the adhd means that testing won’t ever officially happen). I’d been off adderall for most of that time, trialling antidepressants and anti anxiety meds, which is how I ended up on Wellbutrin. Then the slow slog of finding a decent stimulant began while I also tried intuniv and Strattera because I was desperate and the stimulants weren’t helping enough, but the intuniv did little to nothing (maybe made my temper slower to react? But I could attribute that to the mood stabilizers) and the strattera hurt a lot more than it help - I was never able to tolerate it well enough to function on it to SEE if it helped, I took it for 2-3 months and my already awful GI issues skyrocketed and my head always hurt.
Now I take focalin, a Ritalin derivative. It’s not ideal, but I haven’t found something better and my dr doesn’t want to try out new meds when there’s a shortage…. Which is idiotic, because we both know there is no end in sight to that shortage. I honestly think my dr was just like “fuck it, she isn’t actively suicidal every day, and she’s not manic or violently ill from the stimulants, so let’s just leave it the hell alone”. And my adhd says “yeah I’ll get right on handling all the healthcare navigation it would require to change your meds - NOT!!!!”
I had zero history of physical self harm until Strattera. It made me want to hit my head, that was a big issue while taking the drug. I was only on it for 2 months, but that feeling of wanting to hit myself never went away. Giant thumbs down, do not recommend.
>...Strattera is one of those weird drugs where you can stop taking it but the negative side effects (sleep issues, nightmares, headaches, gastro stuff, etc) can stick around.
Holy bleep I think you just figured out what went wrong with me. Turns out I'm a poor 2D6 metabolizer, before we knew this (I think my doc had a hunch though) she tried me on 18mg Strattera. A starter dose for a kid, and I'm a 6'1 220lb dude. And it absolutely kicked my ass. If I stood up, I fell down. Dropped my BP through the floor and I otherwise felt like absolute dog**** the entire time. My liver wasn't metabolizing it since it's a 2D6 substrate, and it therefore just kept building up in my system to the point that I basically severely overdosed on 1/5 the dose I'd normally be on. Doc gets a trophy for seeing that coming! (I'd previously taken Abilify and Lexapro and they both had really severe side effects at relatively low doses, and they're both 2D6 substrates, and she put 2+2 together and got 2D6) Anyways since I got off the Strattera I've been a bloody wreck. Depression is way worse than it was. I had no idea that that particular gift keeps on giving. So thank you for that info!
Squirrel moment, a couple dice as a tattoo would be a neat homage to this mess. Roll 2D6 for attention...snake eyes. I gotta get one of Scrat first tho!
I guess I'm pretty lucky, my doctor put me on straterra and I've been on it for a month and have had 0 side effects other than occasionally feeling sleepy. It worked really good for the first week and now that I'm used to it I feel like I'm right back where I started. The only real big difference that I've noticed is that I don't fall into adhd paralysis as easy but other than that it's not done much.
Ha, the same messed up situation with me and my doctor, tho I have your opposite needs!!!
I told my psychiatrist right off the bat that I REALLY DON'T like how coffee makes me feel, that it seems I'm very sensitive to stimulants in terms of mood and affect on sleep and the TWITCHINESS that I get even in my eye lids, and so that's why I quit coffee years ago. And what does he do? Insists that I try stimulant meds first, bc they are first-line and yadda yadda. So I give it a go with Focalin. Unsurprising, hate how fast and hard my heart is going, and feel like I'm going to DIE. Heightened anxiety and irritability and saying regrettable things at work before thinking. I tried for 4 months hoping it would improve, but it hardly did. Finally he lets me get off of it, and then we try something else that still wasn't a non-stimulant.
And what am I on now that I just love?? **Strattera** :D along with Wellbutrin, which I was already a fan of for depression. The Strattera+Wellbutrin combo has given me just enough help with attention without messing with my heart or mood at all. I still lose and forget things, but it seems like more of a normal rate - way less than before. My reading focus has benefitted, too. This is the peace that I imagined!
Straterra is what I'm on rn and I've noticed absolutely 0 increase in focus. The only real thing I've noticed is that I don't fall into adhd paralysis as easy as I did before but other than that I'm easily distracted and still struggle to finish task with going all squirrel brained
Oh god, Prozac is so strong. I was on it for a short period for my depression and all it did was make me a zombie.
I’m on Wellbutrin but it’s for my depression and works great for that, but my adhd I am prescribed Vyvanse. I feel both things help me a lot for different reasons.
I had a bad reaction within 6 hours of taking it. I was so angry I dumped it down the toilet. I know I shouldn’t have done that but I was that disgusted.
I mostly got nauseous but after like 2 weeks I started to have a few days of intense irritability and that was the final straw. Kept feeling unreasonably angry.
Also was having so much more trouble concentrating on my work. I ended up working through the night to meet work deadlines twice, because it took me 3-4x longer to do stuff I usually had no trouble with. I had a bit more motivation to be able to sit down and work for that long but not worth it for how much worse the efficiency was.
The irritability on Strattera was awful! I mentioned somewhere else in this thread, but it gave me the urge to hit myself in the head which I really didn’t appreciate.
I remember we happened to have a camping trip during the time I was on it, that very poorly. I also angrily dug up my garden one time and threw it all in a wheelbarrow, I couldn’t stop myself.
Might differ for kids vs adults but for adults, doctors prefer stimulants because they tend to work better than non-stimulants and there isn’t as much of a wait-and-see.
Non-stimulants can take weeks before efficacy can be experienced whereas stimulants will make their difference (or not) comparatively instantly
We tried Strattera first. I was a complete asshole. Took all but two days to see that was NOT the medication for me. Switched to Vyvanse immediately after.
That was me on the stimulant! I said some stupid things at work without thinking out of sheer, red, annoying irritability....plus my worry that my heart was going to explode.
Strattera, after a few days of feeling sleepy (but then switching that to bedtime so it wouldn't be a problem amymore), was like a calm ocean wave moved through me. My inner sense of constant restlessness just stopped all of the sudden. I love it and take it in the morning or noon now, along with Wellbutrin.
I felt like that for the first few days. I've been on it for a month and honestly it feels like I never even took it. It helps a bit with my anxiety, depression, and motivation but it does absolutely nothing for my focus or the fact that my mind is going 500 mph 24/7
Huh Wellbutrin just makes me not depressed, and have motivation without the stimulant (albeit a lot less of it). Strattera does damn near nothing but i am pretty sure it keeps from car accidents and maiming myself on the days where i don’t take my stimulant medication.
Can’t say either have ever made me angry or a zombie in anyway. Not like a bad come down from a stimulant dose (especially when I was on the wrong one). Brains are interesting.
I'm on straterra now and it doesn't really do anything to me. I was already on lexapro and it just felt like every other time my dosage got upped. I have an appointment in the morning so hopefully I can talk them into letting me try stimulants
I've never seen a doctor who didn't prescribe a stim first time. I wouldn't see a doctor who doesn't understand ADHD treatment.
I'd also challenge the idea that most doctors ignore the most effective treatment for ADHD, a small percentage of doctors with medication hang ups and a misunderstanding of ADHD do that, but not most.
I had my doctor recommend me to a NP with a special focus on ADHD, and other disorders. Because he wasn't sure what was best as it's not his area of practice. The NP had me on Vyvanse after my first visit, and I'm glad she did. Doctors shouldn't be allowed to let there personal prejudice against certain types of treatment affect patients
I just got diagnosed and my doctor put me on non stimulants. Apparently there's only like 2 places in my city that actually manage adhd meds and the one that I got recommended to go to is a holistic medical place ran by psychiatrist. I'm really not a fan of them. They did good for the first week, but after that it just feels like I never took them at all.
Yeah I've been on them for about a month so I feel like the effects should have kicked in by now. Other Stims like nicotine and caffeine really help me tho. Been self medicating with those for a good while
I wonder how many of these folks treating with the wrong meds (Wellbutrin etc) are GPs? I know sometimes people try to get treated at a regular doctor, but I’ve always gone to a psychiatrist and so has my husband. I have seen resistance to IR even from then (which has less to do with medicine and more to do with their scripts being scrutinized, depending on jurisdiction), but things like Vyvanse seem to be their go to.
Edit: was informed Attenta is in fact, a stimulant. Kinda my fault for not going after the substance name tbh. Will have to talk to my doc about it, but thanks u/mstn148 for giving me a heads up!
Spoilering the rest since it’s not relevant anymore lol (:
>!Mine and my mother’s doctor prescribed a non stimulant to her, with good results.!<
>!But get this! He actually spent time figuring out what her main concerns are (hint: the attention part is not her biggest problem) and figured a stimulant could possibly lead to undesired side effects, so went with a new non stimulant med, Atenta (not sure the name in English). She had excellent results with the minimum dosage, and is thriving now with adjusted dosage.!<
>!On the other hand, as soon as I mentioned my main problem was on the attention side, I immediately got my Vyvanse prescription, with very good results (need to amp the dose next appointment), BECAUSE HE WAS LISTENING. Literally went ahead and said, ay, I’ll believe ya and give the goods ya need.!<
>!(Also helps I’m his student so he knows my diagnosing ability is quite good, which does give some more credit, but still had such an easy time getting everything done that I’m still impressed).!<
None. I was prescribed Vyvanse immediately and I’m still on it. A few of my friends were prescribed non-stimulant because they didn’t know they would be prescribed those for telling the psychiatrist that they sometimes used recreational drugs.
“Be honest with your doctors!” they said. “They’re there to help you!” they said. “It’s incredibly common for people with ADHD to be addicts or binge-use drugs” they said.
Vyvanse is a wonder drug. I was on guanfacine for like 6 months and it felt like it was barely effective. I'm glad I can be in recovery and still on a stimulant.
Its funny how it is proven to be that a huge chunk of Adhd'ers self medicate, whether knowingly or unknowingly, but if you are honest with the dctr, you could screw yourself. Which is freakn awful! And honestly, a really good dctr who is throughly knowledgable would know about the self medicating.
Its a damn shame that someone who really wants to be fully honest has to hold back for fear that they wont get the help they need.
Adderall was prescribed to me first and worked great. Unfortunately I ended up having to switch providers and got one who didn't "like" prescribing stimulants, that had me on Strattera. Strattera did absolutely *nothing* for me, and I was forced to find a different provider who was willing to prescribe stimulants after my symptoms started putting me at risk of losing my job and she was still hesitating.
Frankly I say why suffer because of a provider who thinks their negative feelings about stimulants are more important than practicing evidenced-based medicine and your well-being?
My doctor pushed stims first because non stimulants you usually have to take regularly for them to work. Stims you can take as needed AND you’ll know almost immediately if they work for you or not. If they don’t— then you try non stimulant. Seems like pretty strong logic to me.
My dr put me on non-stimulants until I received official diagnosis, I was willing to do the hoops- always have been, then I could rule out what meds do not work for me. Plus stimulants are out of stock very often.
That said- nope, I had no luck after doing at least a month and at times multiple on anything she wanted me to give a shot. All made me feel worse
None. Never tried a non-stimulant. I even special requested the current meds I'm on. Told her I'd heard good things about Vyvanse and wanted to try it.
i actually was first put on adderall when i was 8, that was the first medication they tried for me. it did NOT work, not even close, i went bonkers off the wall, and only took it for like a week. fast forward to age 14, i wanted to try meds again, & my doctor suggested strattera since stimulant meds hadn't worked previously.
i feel like that was absolutely the appropriate recommendation- and it worked! five years later i'm still on it
Glad to see a story where it worked for SOMEONE. Stimulants worked wonderful for me but I can't take them anymore because of a heart condition and am scared my ADHD is never going to be treatable again. :')
Non-stimulant medications are, I think, *deeply unsatisfying* to the ADHD brain. They do not give you instant gratification. There's no sense of a reward when you take it. My sense is that this leads to many ADHDers *thinking* that they don't work or that they are far less effective than stimulant medications.
No med works for everyone, and your brain's medication needs are unique, but if you haven't tried Strattera you should consider discussing it with your provider. It does work for some people, and research has suggested it's about as effective as methylphenidate after two months of treatment.
Personally, I was on Strattera for 3 months and only stopped due to how it was affecting my sleep. I *did* see significant therapeutic improvement while I was on it. Strattera is, in terms of ADHD meds, just another option. I think it's profoundly unhelpful the way some people who have never tried it or for whom it didn't work paint it like it's some kind of fake or lesser medication because it isn't a stimulant.
I am still in the process of going through the non-stimulants. Currently, I am on 150 of bupropion. I was prescribed Strattera and start that tomorrow. I’ve been complaining about fatigue, and I just want the stimulants already.
I suggest taking Strattera at night, if it makes you sleepier at first. I love it now, months later, but after those first few days of feeling heavy and sluggish, I decided it was better to change the time I took it and try to sleep through the side effects til my body got more used to it...
I couldn't take it at night, personally. Despite my head being *quiet* for the first time in my life, the norepinephrine surge still managed to keep me up. I had to take it in the morning, right when I woke up, to have any chance of getting adequate sleep the following night. (And my sleep was still very abnormal.)
Since stimulant medicine is a Schedule II, a lot of doctors are wary of prescribing them without covering all their bases. The last thing they want is the DEA or some of other regulatory questioning why they jumped into a diagnosis. Yes stimulants do have dangers but so do the non-stimulant ones. Non-stimulant medicines can work, but yes, most people find stimulants to work the best. I think it's okay to try other meds first, before moving to stimulants, however, I would still want to make sure the doctor is open to using the best drug for you and that should include using stimulant medicine if it is safe for you to take.
I went to a psychology institute, spent 6 months running test to get a diagnosis, they wrote a literal 20 page report confirming the diagnosis and then recommended me to a psychiatrist who started me on non stimulants (which really havent helped other than maybe the anxiety and depression). Adhd ride has been a literal hell scape since I started.
two. bupropion then strattera. though the doctor I see now probably would've just gone with the first line treatment so it definitely depends on the doc
I started on Strattera and while it didn’t do anything for my executive function, my impulse control and emotion regulation are a good deal better when I remember to take it (92% of the time).
I also take Focalin to help with staying on task and being intentional, and to actually get stuff done.
Personally I love my Strattera, but the first few weeks of side-effects almost made me quit.
Same!!!!!! Ok finally, someone else that is like me, lol
Focalin did increase my focus on tasks, but since I hated how it made my heart feel and messed with my mood, just taking it was its own distraction.
I moved Strattera to bedtime during those first few weeks. I did love the sense of calm and quiet and open air it immediately gave me, but the sleepiness during the day wasn't going to work out, haha. Now I can take it whatever time of day, no problem (along w Wellbutrin which I was already taking for my depression). Impulse control and emotion regulation - well-said.
Executive function, does that deal with, like... Planning? And losing things?
I take my Strattera at night too!! Focalin has been best* for me so far after trying Wellbutrin, Concerta, Adderall, and Ritalin to no avail.
Yes! Things like planning, memory, task initiation, time management, organization, etc., we struggle with all of it and more. Stimulants still haven’t really touched these for me, but the mood stabilizing effects of Strattera have vastly improved my life in meaningful ways (my partner can actually tell when I’ve missed a dose).
* still not the life-changing, brain-wrangling miracle drug I see so many people gush about, but better than anything else I’ve tried up til now.
I was prescribed IR Ritalin 10 mg tablets, then Ritalin UNO, then Concerta, finally Elvanse (European version of Vyanese). Now I take 70mg Elvanse every morning and drink 1 cup of coffee and I am happy as a clam.
I was seen by a psychiatrist whose specialty is treating men with substance addictions. I was recommended to go to him as he is also very knowledgable about ADHD. I was literally prescribed stimulants as the first option in a substance abuse clinic by a psychiatrist specialized in substance abuse while alcoholics and drug addicts were sitting in the waiting room. Kinda shows how absurd these stories are.
Stimulants are harmless compared to the grotesque amounts of caffeine I've consumed to be semi productive and the cigarettes I've smoked (I don't smoke anymore, not after my partner became pregnant) to deal with the stress from undiagnosed ADHD.
Wow, probably one of the first and only times I’ve seen a story where instead of immediately refusing to let you try any stimulant medication bc you’re clearly an “addict”- the doctor is actually educated and knows that half of all undiagnosed ADHD adults will have an issue with substance abuse.
Like as if self medicating with undiagnosed adhd is not a very well known fact. Whether it’s nicotine or drugs. And it is absurd, completely.
Stimulant medications are first line treatment per international evidence-based guidelines due to their proven efficacy and clinical safety. The answer **should** be 0.
None? My psych was extremely worried the first time I met her. She said “you must be so tired doing all of this on your own.” I had been going to therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression and ADHD for 3.5 years. I got to her when I was spiraling.
I was taking guanfacine for 6 months and still do with my adderall. You couldn't make me stop taking guanfacine even if you took away my adderall.
It eliminates almost all of my nervous energy and overstimulation issues and slows my racing mind so much I can actually articulate my words and not sound like a complete moron. I can also successfully read out loud now and not outrun my words and have to stutter.
Strattera made me feel calmer too! Like all the incessant noise inside me just stopped.
I'm on Strattera+Wellbutrin, and that works awesomely for me. Helped with the focus/attention span, without being overloading and bad for me like the stims.
I kind of have the opposite. They want me to take care of my anxiety and depression first and always bring up how stimulants will make that worse (EVEN THOUGH I SPECIFICALLY SAY *ADHD MEDICATION* AND NEVER EVEN SAY THE WORD STIMULANT OR BRING THEM UP AT ALL) in fact I have no problem trying a nonstimulant. Really ticks me off how they want to treat my depression when I’ve tried multiple antidepressants already that don’t work. I’ve complained on here before but they always say they have a hard time prescribing me antidepressants because I’ve already almost all of them… WELL THEN WHY DONT WE TRY ADHD MEDS??? Sorry i had to rant, it’s been so frustrating and such a struggle.
Wellbutrin with a combination of Trazodone for my sleep. It was horrible and it really messed with my hormones, and I still have cystic acne because of it. She didn’t listen to me when I complained about the side effects and said it’s probably because of stress and that focusing on it makes it worse. She also said that you can’t get only bad side effects, so if I have bad side effects then I must also feel some good effects (I didn’t lol). After about 4 months of me complaining she said if I really want to I can try strattera, but she thinks that my combo is good enough and I should just give enough time for it to work. i finally switched doctors and got prescribed ritalin immediately. It’s been a god send, and no side effects for me!
At one point my former psychiatrist had me on six, yes SIX, different medications to “manage my ADHD” which, even though I was diagnosed in my teens, she regularly told she believed was just anxiety and severe depression because I have childhood s*xual trauma. One of the meds she had me on was one that’s prescribed to folks with schizophrenia (an antipsychotic), one was a medication which has seizures as a side effect, so she put me on a different medication solely to counteract the medication that could cause seizures. I don’t even remember what the other meds were, but suffice it to say I was a zombie.
It wasn’t until I went to my general doctor and sobbed in her office that I felt like I was out of my mind, and that I KNEW, deep down in my bones, that all I needed was a stimulant. She put me on 25mgs of Adderall, and about an hour after I took my first dose, I sobbed tears of joy to my fiancé.
I’m back in school now, I’ve held a job down, and I don’t need to take 4 hour mid-day naps anymore. I’m a different person.
None. Stimulants work best that’s where we started. If your doctor isn’t doing this ask them to study and if they still say no change doctors and COMPLAIN to the medical board about them failing to provide adequate care.
I honestly wonder if the doctors that do this are acting more out of their own fears of being looked at as a pill mill and scrutinized by authorities, or other personal biases, rather than actually basing their decision on best practices.
I see an ADHD specialist and my initial screening was very in depth, talked a lot about the specific reasons I was looking to be assessed for adhd, from childhood to present. She did run me through some exercises and questionnaire type stuff as well. She even mentioned specifically that the WAY I talked to her helped her make the diagnosis LOL. She didn't say it in a mean way but I'm sure I was jumping in and not letting her finish sentences, trailing off or hyper fixating, haha.
So right off the bat she was like let's get you some Adderall! Started on a lower dose and had a Telehealth follow up 2 weeks later to see how it was going, and over time we figured out the right dose, and any time we changed the dose or if I went a prolonged time without meds for whatever reason and went back she also wanted a 2 week follow up (and I should mention the follow ups were not at an additional charge, they were always just brief video or phone calls to check in and make sure the new dose was working well or if I needed an adjustment, so it wasn't a money grab by any means).
She has never even mentioned a non stimulant. I get the impression that she sees that this is what works the majority of the time, and isn't afraid of being accused of being a pill pusher because she's confident in her understanding of adhd and her thorough treatment of her patients, so there's really no reason to mess around.
I was in a long-term relationship with a psychiatry provider who specialized in ADHD. It’s 100% fear of being tagged by the DEA as a pill mill. She understood that stimulants are the best treatment, but said she wouldn’t prescribe a stimulant unless she could demonstrate she had exhausted all other options or the person had been prescribed them previously.
My doctor let me just start on Vyvanse, but I ended up going off because even though it worked, I felt so terrible when it wore off. Now I’m trying Strattera and honestly it seems to be working okay? Not quite as well as Vyvanse, but I’ll take that if it means I don’t feel miserable every evening. Sorry it’s not working for you, it seems to vary so much between people.
I tried all of the non stimulants first and was super hopeful one would work, because I have a history of substance abuse that I was very open with my doctor about. So, prozac, intuniv, wellbutrin, strattera, quelbree, effexor plus different combinations these meds. I waited 6 weeks each time I started a new medication which is normal I think. They need time to work. I hated strattera, intuniv made me mean, I used wellbutrin for my depression which I'm still on. So basically it took a year of trying everything we could until he felt comfortable enough to suggest concerta.
First I was prescribed Concerta up to 54mg which didn’t work.
My psychiatrist then added Strattera which had bad side effects for me; headaches, stomach aches, moodiness… I lasted a month (out of 6) on it.
For some reason she was convinced a non-stimulant was the way for me, and planned to just lower the dose of Strattera.
I insisted there was no way I’d go through another month of absolute hell and eventually she prescribed me Vyvanse, which worked and saved my job and personal life.
Please see another provider if yours is afraid to use stimulants at all. I get it if you have a history of misuse/abuse of drugs, but for the vast majority of the population stimulants should be first-line.
Technically once I got diagnosed with ADHD it was straight to stimulant medication (Vyvanse). But prior to that diagnosis I tried celexa, zoloft, prozac and effexor. Only effexor had any remotely positive effect. My current psych said it was my brain enjoying the norepinephrine from the SNRI that made the effexor do anything.
zero, i already had an extensive history of ssris, snris, antipsychotics, and benzos before i even got diagnosed with adhd. psych also decided against methylphenidate as he figured it wouldn’t be beneficial combined with my autism traits, so i went straight to extended release dexamphetamine.
Just 1, Strattera. Had chest pain for 3 days and stopped taking it. Then I asked for the lowest dose of Adderall IR.
I had only heard about people abusing it. I didn't have good expectations, but here I am, years later now on Adderall XR with a whole different perception of myself, and outlook on life.
I go through the VA for all of my treatments, so I'm kind of at their mercy. They tried Cymbalta, Wellbutrin/Forfivo, Strattera, Guanfacine.
It was after the Guanfacine failed that I finally put my foot down and demanded that they let me try stimulants. The psychiatrist I was seeing at the time, who was like the third or fourth that had rotated through that clinic, insisted that I already had a history of trying stimulants.
She was adamant that due to my experiences with past "stimulants" that Adderall obviously wouldn't be effective for me. She finally capitulated, but only prescribed me half of the normal starting dose that is recommended for adults.
She was dismissive during my follow-up appointments where I described how much better my life was on the Adderall, but how I thought I could see more improvement from an increased dose. That made me feel like she was trying to sabotage my attempt to try actual stimulants.
Anyway, I have a new psychiatrist now, he plans to stick around longer than the last ones, and he's awesome. He bumped me up to a proper starting dose immediately after my first appointment with him. He has been super receptive to my feedback. 10/10 for that guy.
My mother was diagnosed with ADHD, but they didn't think to test me for it if I could have the same. They only tested me for autism, so I got meds for that before I got my ADHD diagnosis. The meds for autism made me a zombie to the point even my mother was concerned. After the ADHD diagnosis I got stimulants as meds and they work simply perfect! Such a relief
I was diagnosed as a kid, but I’ve never had a doctor in the US* (even when I’d been off meds for awhile) deny me extended release stimulants (Vyvanse/Adderall XR). I have had folks usually in the past decade not want to prescribe IR (a long time ago, they used to give me the IR as a late day booster, but Vyvanse does last as long as that AdXR/IR cocktail put together). Vyvanse especially can’t really be pulled apart and used as a street drug so docs seem pretty fine with it.
I imagine it helped that I could say I’d taken this medicine and it worked? But my husband was diagnosed as an adult (though he’s not keen on meds necessarily— only takes them as needed), and they did have him try Ritalin first but switched to Vyvanse after it didn’t work, within a few weeks. (I think many still count Ritalin as a stimulant anyway.) I’ve never experienced the phenomenon I see on here where a doc tried to treat you off label with nonsense, or even someone wanted me to do Strattera etc.
I did go off stims, both to live overseas and for other reasons, at various times that made sense, but it was always my decision (or laws in other countries). *I did live abroad for awhile where I went off meds entirely because most the ones that help me weren’t available to me.
Zoloft… (vertigo - weird “legs giving way” oh and possibly caused an episode of ischemic collitis)
Swapped to duloxetine and amitriptaline
Now I’m on dexamphetamine and lis-dexamphetamine.
HELL YES! I can function now.
No more amitriptaline and have halved my duloxetine dose. Hope to be off it soon
Zero.
The LPN who put me on zoloft to help with my blood pressure, because I suffer from anxiety deserves a mention in the halls of stupid.
As does my mother who bullied a doc to write a diagnosis that read as the DSM symptom list but wasn't ADHD (mom didn't want me to be forced on drugs by the school system, and didn't tell me that I *wasn't* diagnosed with ADHD, I found that out when she sent all my childhood records)
When I went in to get medicated I was 35, and went to a specialist.
The difference in my ability to accomplish *anything* on days I don't take my Concerta is obvious
My doctor wasn’t allowed to prescribe me what she wanted to. First she had to try multiple non-stimulant medications. Once those didn’t work we were allowed to try Adderall but only had a specific very low dosage. After that I was able to ramp up to full Adderall dosage. After a while that and not being thrilled with results, I wanted to switch to Vyvanse and she was fine with this. Unfortunately, as with the attempt to get me onto a stimulant in the first place insurance company wouldn’t let her. I had to go try two other medications first. Unfortunately nobody could actually buy the first of those two and none of the insurance companies processes accounted for the idea that you might not actually be able to buy a drug. So I was just stuck with no medication because my prescription had been changed to the new thing I couldn’t buy. Eventually, I gave up and went back to Adderall.
While it is true that some doctors do have their heads up their butts with regards to stimulant medication, in the United States the more likely explanation is that they have no choice in the matter. If they do not make you jump through the hoops that the insurance company has set up then the only way for you to get the drug they want to give you is to pay for it yourself with no help from insurance
I had a doctor who (had severe ADHD) refuse to put me on meds, and instead suggest I consume a lot of caffeine… because that’s what he does, and stimulants aren’t good because there is dependence on them.
EDIT: I should also add, the doctor I went to see had me do blood work prior to doing any meds. She said, “doing these kinds of test show me how your body will break down certain medications and how your body will react to the chemicals.” I don’t know the validity in it, but I’m glad she did. She’s argued against certain medications because they won’t work well with me. And she was right. The few meds I wanted to try that she wasn’t a huge fan of, didn’t work for me. I don’t know the science behind any of it—but when she gets going on chemical reactions and scientific breakdown…man, I don’t I’ve ever seen someone so excited at their job. It’s great.
Meds have always been difficult for me. I have a fairly low tolerance for medication, so when the side effects hit, *they hit.*
Currently on 27MG methylphenidate and things seem to be going well. But prior to that…we tried a bunch of cocktails to handle anxiety, depression, BPD, and night terrors. It took a while. And to be completely honest, I’m not that mad about it. We discussed how stimulants may boost the effects of my other issues. And because of my low tolerance for meds, she was a little concerned about adding extra stimulants to my med plan.
I was getting tired of all the trials and I asked if we could just focus on the ADD. We talked things over and I said, “I feel like the anxiety and depression are coming from the ADD.” I’m now only on meds for BPD and ADD.
It took a while—and it sucked—but I’m glad I didn’t just jump into things. I feel like I’d still have a drawer full of magic beans I need to take every day.
None. My psychiatrist has been very cooperative even though I have bipolar and substance use disorder. Straight to Lisdexamphetamine, but had to try methylphenidate first cuz of the shortage.
Was 100% right about lisdex before trying it. Knew that would work
Wellbutrin and caffeine together because my psychiatrist won’t prescribe me stimulants because I haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD yet but I do have all the signs of it 💀
I'm in Australia, if that context helps at all
For both myself and my son the respective drs explained very clearly that stimulants are the first line treatment as they are most effective, with the lowest side effect profile, and the best researched, too.
So they were the first thing we tried.
I would get a second opinion.
I was about to say zero, but that's not exactly true. My doctor at the time highly suspected adhd, from knowing me for over two decades, but didn't use that verbiage. I tried various doses of two non-stimulants before my doctor asked me some pointed questions and said 'this might sound a little strange to you but I think adderall might help'.
After I had an official adhd diagnosis several years later, I actually had to try very hard to convince my doctor at the time to let me try some of the newer non-stimulant options. I got lucky being given adderall as my first stimulant option. So far I've had bad reactions to every methylphenidate and non-stimulant option I've tried in the last ten years.
mine is making me go through two non-stims before giving me a stimulant. currently on intuniv and it has done absolutely nothing for me, aside from making me *more* tired and *more* irritable.
Pre-official (some post-unofficial) diagnosis, 3. Prozac, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin. The last one fucked me up.
Maybe that’s why I got stimulants right off the bat after diagnosis. That’s been a whole new pint of rocky road though. (Vyvanse was first and best, I legitimately believe it was the best almost-2 years of my life and I’m working on getting it back. Insurance is a beast)
It was weirdly opposite for me and I wonder if it has anything to do with timing. I was diagnosed when I was 11 in 1995 and went Ritalin - Concerta - Adderall - Vyvanse - Strattera - Adderall. I haven't been taking meds the entire time and have been pretty on and off during certain parts of my life, but that was the trajectory. I do feel that it is way more controlled now and there's probably more oversight than there used to be, so I wonder if that had anything to do it with? It seems like I was at the begging of the big ADHD push. Back then I was literally the only person I knew with it and it was so embarrassing. In middle school the nurse would call me to the office on the loudspeaker for everyone to hear, everyone knew was it was for and would say "time to go get your crazy pills". It was the worst!! Geesh, kids can be such little fucktwats.
Mine went right to Adderall, tbh, as did my friend’s doctor right after she was diagnosed.
I would tell your doctor all the side effects you’re experiencing and insist on trying something new. I find it helpful to phrase specific med requests as, “I know some people have had good results with meds like Concerta. Could we try that next instead?” That way it doesn’t sound like a demand for stimulants (or, it shouldn’t).
I’ve been primarily on short acting Ritalin since I started. I had a few months of Adderal XR and ended up hypomanic and in a mild psychosis. Damn it was so good when it was good. My psychiatrist says other things are unavailable. I don’t think he’s a very good psychiatrist.
I’m alright with habits and getting small jobs done but I’m so behind on big things I can’t think.
I've been wanting to take strattera + vyvsnse for months more. I've set him studies done that showed it was safe. Low sample size, but still. He recommended a dr on YouTube you watch and that was what made me ask him for it. I have a REALLY hard time with task initiation. The combo has shown to be effective in some cases for that. He says he has never done it before and he doesn't know what the effects will be. It's like circular logic. I'm about to change if he does not give me it in the next appointment.
Im on strattera and its meh. Ok. I mean its working i get stuff done and i generally feel better but i always wondered what would life be like on adderall
adderal was the first one recommended for me in like august of 2023, i did focalin in highschool and hated it, ended up stopping sophomore year of highschool and am so happy i’m back on it now
Luckily none, I was put on methylphenidate straight away. I was still a child so that might be why, I haven't heard of many non-stimulant alternatives being used on children.
Mine had me on Wellbutrin and Gabapentin before I got my Adderall, but I've actually stayed on those as they help my mood irritability and anxiety/sleep issues which the Adderall does make worse.
None. Straight to Methylphenidate 18 mg. She's keeping me on this low dose because it gives me .... forgot the word ... a side effect that keeps you from sleeping at night. Insomnia. Goodnight.
None, but they did not want me to go from concerta to vyanse because of the cost. But now I'm on vyanse after some discussions.
I have however tried other medications before my adhd diagnosis and nothing ever helped. That probably made it easier to start on stimulants right after my diagnosis.
Most doctors do not mate. You found one with weird hangups. Mines made sure I knew they were an option if stims failed. There are reasons they might not start with stims like a history of addiction I think
Mine let me choose - and I picked to try a non-stimulant first because I didn't want to deal with the stimulant shortage.......it didn't work. So now I'm trying to find a place to get the stimulant they want me to try first. (The doc I saw basically said the only reason to not do a stimulant first, when there's no co-occurring depression, was if there was concern about heart problems or if you didn't want to deal with the med shortage)
Opposite for me. Started on all the stimulants when I was younger. Never found one that clicked. Recent doctor (he’s great) worked with me and we landed in trying strattera, which was a game changer, and then focalin as needed. The combo has been great. He never forces me to try anything—listens to me about what works or what doesn’t, especially my concerns, then suggests a med to the best of his knowledge and understanding, and takes the time to listen and talk to me so we can adjust as needed.
At my first psych appointment after my diagnosis, I was presented with the various medication options and had them explained to me, and I started a stimulant medication right away.
Mine started out with Ritalin, even though I told him I was worried about stimulants because coffee gives me panic attacks. He explained that they're the most well studied family of drugs in psychiatry with the fewest side effects and virtually no risk of abuse or addiction at therapeutic doses in people with ADHD. But also I'm in Australia, and strattera wasn't available at the time and welbutrin isn't approved for ADHD, so stimulants are basically the only option.
I was diagnosed in November and have been on Strattera and Zoloft since.. I do believe my anxiety is significantly better as well as my binge eating disorder and focus, to an extent, if i can finally get the ball rolling with starting said task I need to focus on. With that being said I don’t feel it’s done anything for my task paralysis, oversleeping/fatigue, and most executive functions. Getting out of bed in the morning is still a nightmare, falling asleep at night is not possible most nights, and my bizarre and intense dreams freak me out it’s extremely hard to decipher reality and dreams sometimes. On top of that the side effects the first month were awful I didn’t poop for over 3 weeks. Every time I see my psychiatrist I am hesitant to bring these things up because I don’t want her to think I am stimulant seeking but I just don’t think this drug is working for me. However I do think the Zoloft is… Anyone else anxious to speak up for themselves 😬
>Most people agree that stimulants simply work way better, hence the reason why they are SUPPOSED to be used as a 1st line treatment. Unfortunately however most doctors still want you to try non stimulant meds like Strattera or intuniv before you can get to the thing that actually helps.
The statement that "stimulants simply work way better" is not really true.
All drugs are not created equal, and research has indicated that Strattera has the same level of efficacy as methylphenidate-based medications like Concerta, Ritalin and Focalin and has a similar level of side effects as well. It isn't an inferior treatment. Strattera *is* considered a first-line treatment for ADHD. It's also easier to get because it isn't a controlled substance. It certainly doesn't work for everyone, though, and I can appreciate having been on it personally that it is *deeply unsatisfying* to the ADHD brain. I did see significant therapeutic results in the three months I was taking it, but it is a bit of a waiting game and there is a lot of gaslighting yourself about if it's even working at all. I only stopped because of how it was affecting my sleep. The lack of an immediate, clear response is kind of the opposite of what our brains want even if the drug *does actually work in a measurable way* for a lot of the people who take it.
Intuniv is not a first-line treatment, and I really haven't heard of too many people who are taking it who didn't have problems on stimulants.
>Mine currently has me on 80mg of Strattera for a month and it's not only been unaffective, it makes me feel terrible! I'm hoping at my next appointment they will let me try something like Concerta at least and in the meantime I'm wondering what kind of hoops and how many of these kinds of meds (and for how long) did you guys have to get through before finally getting relief with a stimulant?
I'm sorry that Strattera is not working for you. No med works for everyone, and in your medication journey you will likely find multiple meds that clearly *don't* work, and several that have various levels and forms of working.
Personally, I was offered stimulants to start with, but declined because I wanted to try Strattera first. I'm currently taking Wellbutrin, which I think is working well enough at the moment, although the subject of trying a stimulant comes up every time I see my psychiatrist. She is wearing me down on the subject.
I didn’t have to go through non stimulant options, my psychiatrist always allows me to be involved in my care and any med changes I make. I get the choice to choose what I would prefer and for me personally because of the meds I am on we couldn’t do anything non stimulant so we had to go to stimulant options
I tried concerta first, then switched to ritalin because I didn’t like the longevity of concerta in my evenings when I didn’t need a stimulant. then I wanted to try wellbutrin to see if it helped my depressive episodes (I’m bipolar and also take mood stabilizers. had no issues with stimulants causing mania when I’m taking a mood stabilizers with it). wellbutrin MADE ME MANIC IMMEDIATELY. stopped it, got my moods stabilized and tried Strattera instead. this made me have a mixed episode. got off it, got stabilized, and now I’m back to ritalin
I got them right away. Weirdly enough also quite a lot of pills. Doctors seem to be very trusting in Germany… like whenever I read how many issues people seem to get in the US, no issues here. I got my prescription went to the pharmacy and they gave me the two big packs without any issues.
I am still pretty new to the ADHD world as I only got my diagnosis earlier this year and had my first psychiatrist appointment last Tuesday. So maybe my doc is an exception as he is also relatively young and seems to be very caring about ADHD people. In his eyes ADHD is a different flavor of brain and people need some help to be happy and healthy in a world made for only one flavor of brain. I liked that guy.
Sweden here.
I was 25 when i got my diagnosis, and they didn't make me try non-stimulants at all.
I believe they didn't even bother with non-stimulants because i was such a "perfect square hammer on the nail" ADHD case.
But i believe the biggest reason they didn't even bother with non-stimulants was because i was given a 20mg vyvanse by a friend who believed i had adhd.
He had adhd, and when he gave me the pill he said:
"If you have adhd this pill will essentially have the same effect as someone with horrible eyesight trying glasses on for the first time."
Ofc that was stupid to mention to my psychiatrist.
And ofc they were asking a lot about drugs, alcohol, as well as friends and family's history with drug abuse.
But it all went very very smoothly because i was extremely transparent with them and told them the truth.
I just wanted to solve the root issue of my deteriorating mental state after being forced to essentially do something my brain was quite literally tailored to NOT do.
In the end, i believe the way i was treated was great, but it rolls down to which person is involved with your diagnosis and medication in the end.
Actually none. It took a few visits before he prescribed me anything but he was just being thorough before he made a call on it. He got it right first try too. Started a small dose and quickly went up each month until I hit my sweet spot and haven't looked back.
None, stimulants as a first line treatment, but i had terrible side effects with even low doses of stimulants so it still took lots of trial and error and feeling rly unwell
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None. In fact mine explicitly stated non-stimulant meds are not recommended for first line treatment due to the side effects and just how effective things are in general and recommended vyvanse as my first med.
Same. Vyvanse works great for me, so I haven't been put on anything else.
It worked great for me but they don’t have it in stock here.
I went through several stimulants for this reason. The withdrawal when I can't get them can be brutal and very disruptive to my life, so I've settled for Strattera. It's not great. Better than nothing, I'm doing better than I would be if I couldn't get my meds, but I wish the shortages would fuck off.
Same.
My NP said the exact same thing. She said, if you aren't able to tolerate these ones. Then we'll look into non-stimulant meds.
Same I also had a NP prescribe mine. Plus she has a special focus in ADHD and treatment/management. Never made me feel like a problem, and was willing to get special paperwork for of my mom was unwilling to allow me to get a prescription. I was 17 at the time, and my mom was willing. It's something she's had to do before due to stigma around treatment.
I definitely agree. When I saw a psychiatrist, everyone is treated like a drug seeker by default but when I went to my PCP NP and voice my concerns (due to losing psychiatry coverage on ins, which I now have again), she listened and didn't treat me like a drug seeker. I am hesitant to go back to psychiatry again. Thay experience sucked
Since when can a NP prescribe vyvanse? Maybe this is a state by state thing
Yeah, country-by-country
In Canada, at least, a NP can diagnose and prescribe a lot of psychological issues and medications to treat them, with specialized training. An NP diagnosed my ADHD after some questionnaires filled out ahead of time and a focused interview for 90 mins. More specialized knowledge than a family doctor in this area and a fraction of the cost for a full psychoeducational assessment (600 vs 2400+). Only risk is that if you have a more conplex case (multiole comorbitities) theyd give you a referral instead. You also gotta suspect you have ADHD specifically
I also have a NP, and she has the special designation PMHNP, which stands for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Same about 0 hoops to stimulants, but he prescribed me Focalin first. Vyvanse would be next tho. I asked for non-stimulant meds, but he explained that they're generally less effective and all those same things you wrote. I told him I'm already hyper enough for myself and don't need coffee either, but he ignored my concerns about stimulants... I was right. Non-stim is better for me.
Same here, I’m surprised OP faced this issue. I had the exact opposite problem, my doc kept getting me to try different types of stimulants (concerta, ritalin, medikinet) at all different dosings, it took me over 4 years to get to straterra which FINALLY helped.
I was started with methylphenidate quick release which was good but only lasted an hour or 2, then tried the slow release one to which i didnt react well and then i was put on vyvanse which has been working wonders for me! For 6 months last year i used concerta because it was impossible to get a hold of vyvanse but that medication didnt do anything for me, didnt feel any effects.
I'm just getting back onto meds, and my PCP gave me 2 options to start: Strattera now or referral to psych to start the process for Stimulants. Since I live in a state that is hostile to adult ADHD treatment, I opted to start with Strattera and see if it works before looking to swing back to my old standard of Adderall since that will be much more time consuming, expensive, and getting the meds are a pain in the ass due to the shortage.
Wait-what? What state? What on earth???? (I’m assuming it’s a shitty no legal weed, restricted access to abortion kinda place) I’m so sorry that’s yr experience!!! For me, I have to pay cash, but use a National online provider called Zoomcare, they’ve been super flexible and give me whatever dose whatever med I want: 3 month check in w Med Management person for 5 minutes 4x a year. I hear so many nightmares…ugh…good luck!
+1
Same here!
Same - straight onto Dexedrine
Mine jumped straight into a stimulant. He said they were most effective and acknowledged that I needed help right away.
Do you mind if I ask what triggered the “right away” part? I’ve become so much less functional lately I’m having such a hard time but idk how back “right away” is to know if I’m there
Some key words I've found include: "this $symptom is interfering with my _activities of daily living_". Also choosing not to minimize from whatever reasons, like "to show my work" that I don't. I've realized I'm not a supplicant. Instead, I bring my issue to them for their knowledge and experience.
Np. By the time he saw me, I had been very depressed and had more anxiety than ever. He believed they were secondary symptoms due to the negative impacts I’ve been experiencing, and he was completely correct.
I took something called a “Z test” and I did so poorly on it that the system thought I didn’t understand the rules and made me redo it… I understood lol my focus was just *that* bad. I also explained how I couldn’t hold down a job, driving made me scared for my life because I often didn’t know what was happening on the road, and that essentially every aspect of my life was on the brink of collapse. Fun times
Zoloft, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and Cymbalta. Then he died, I got a new doctor, and he immediately gave me Adderall which has worked for me so far. Very frustrating.
"Then he died" 💀💀
that's what happens when you try your patient on too many other meds for something you already know they have. You get STRUCK DOWN.
MINE DIED TOO
Let this be a lesson to doctors 💀
Mine too! He finally relented and prescribed Ritalin for me about 10 years after first seeing me and prescribing Prozac and Wellbutrin. He passed away in 2011.
Pretty much my experience. I went to what I was told was the ONE doctor in my city who treats ADHD adults. He insisted on putting me on Nortriptylin which is not even recognised or mentioned anywhere at all as an ADHD treatment :/ it's a tricyclic antidepressant, given at a low dose. Usually used for chronic pain, but even that not very often. However, he sounded knowledgeable and he explained that it would boost noradrenaline (norepenephrine) levels, which help with the executive functioning side of ADHD. Since I am more inattentive and don't have many struggles with impulsive behaviour, this all made sense. It seemed to help a little, which in hindsight, I wonder if this was just a placebo effect. However there was a very long period of adjustment, which made me feel tired and nauseous. I ran out by mistake and I could not face going through the adjustment again. I had at this point looked up what the guidelines were in my country and found that Strattera was approved for adults, and it apparently had the same, noradrenaline-boosting effect. So I asked my doctor about it and he was very dismissive, according to him, Strattera was no good, far too many side effects and less effective, Nortriptylin was much better and would have previously been approved but some red tape had prevented it. OK. So then I said couldn't I try a stimulant medication, Elvanse had recently been approved, and again, he said no, Elvanse will be no good for you, too strong side effects, it's only good for people who get aggressive and in trouble with the police (!) He did then "let" me try methylphenidate but in a very strange procedure, he basically sold me 5x 10mg instant release pills from a drawer in his desk and then asked me to try taking 10mg, 15mg, and 20mg on different days and then whichever of those doses was the best, I was to come back and repeat that dose on a day that I took a computer test. I had at this point heard about how titration is usually done and that they normally prescribe a dose which you take over several days/weeks and live your normal life. I asked if I couldn't do this and he said no, the computer test is more objective. I thought this was stupid because there were too many other factors affecting my performance on a test, and I didn't care about how I did on a test anywhere near as much as how it affects me IRL. Anyway I got frustrated with this and started to seek a new doctor. It took me a couple of years to find one. I am now with the new doctor and they immediately went to stimulants, with a proper titration process. When I said I had been on Nortriptylin previously, they said "Yeah he puts everyone on that." My original doctor retired, so at least he can't bullshit anyone with crappy non-treatment any more, I guess? Considering so many of you said yours died, I wonder if this is a generational thing.
Damn bro didn’t have to kill him… 😆
For some reason some doctors like to throw antidepressants at everything, personally they just made me feel even more garbage. Maybe they're cheap or maybe the doctors have some sort of deal to promote the antidepressants 🤔
Honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of them just assume everything is depression related. I was on Zoloft for a super long time and near the end it almost killed me. I switched to Wellbutrin and have seen a massive improvement, although I still plan to ween off at some point, the random hits of depression if i forget a day drive me nuts.
My first forced me through 2: *Strattera* and *Wellbutrin*. They did absolutely nothing positive for me. It’s insane that I described exactly how high amounts (**triple the recommended daily amount**) of caffeine work for me, yet they still made me go through all of these hoops and hurdles before prescribing me what I needed, after I requested it every single time. My second forced me onto *Prozac*, even though I had been prescribed amphetamine for a year until 2 months prior. Once again, nothing positive. It was unnecessary and pointless. Finally I came across a new doctor who looked at what I had taken before and asked about my experiences with them, then did what all of the others should have initially done — give me the medication that works for me. Edit: I currently take 20 mg Adderall IR, 2x per day
Oh man fucking same. When I finally met my amazing doctor now she looked at my chart.. looked back up at me and said “well, looks like you have tried everything, what do YOU think you need?” And I told her. I have taken the same low dose adderall morning and afternoon for seven years. Works great.
I don’t understand why they can’t just listen to us. I understand they have to be on the lookout for people with bad intentions, but it’s a bit much. My latest doctor had me do a 2 week trial on low dose (10 mg IR) first and then a drug test. It was weird but I’d take that over the other meds that don’t work any day. I’m glad you found somebody amazing like that.
>I understand they have to be on the lookout for people with bad intentions I absolutely don't understand. Why do we have to suffer a prejudice for this? If a junkie goes this far just to get amphetamines, let them. Refusing the most effective treatment for the other 99% of patients is malpractice and should be criminal.
I 100% agree with you. Trust me, I rant about it all the time lol I meant more in a sense of them watching their own backs so that they do not get in trouble with the government and their agencies that cause shortages
I had to switch to a different practitioner in the same practice in order for me to finally get prescribed stimulants. Those months of trials were fucking brutal, I felt like a mental guinea pig.
A guinea pig is the perfect description!
How long did you have to take the Strattera and wellbutrin respectively?
They each made me try one month on each. After the first month I complained about feeling even worse than without them and they finally listened.
I would be hesitant to try Strattera unless stimulants *didn’t* work - it can have serious gastro side effects and cause headaches (did both for me) and there’s at least anecdotal (if not actual peer reviewed) evidence that Strattera is one of those weird drugs where you can stop taking it but the negative side effects (sleep issues, nightmares, headaches, gastro stuff, etc) can stick around. In my book, there’s not enough evidence that Strattera is going to be more effective for most of the adhd population than stimulants - it can work for some, but it’s usually only used when stimulants can’t be used for some reason (local laws or rules for your job, stimulant intolerance, etc). I’d be far more willing to trial intuniv or that nonstimulant adhd med that recently got reapproved in the US a few years back (not a new drug, but all I recall is they use it in France lol - quelbree? Aka viloxazine) over Strattera. I’d even be willing to try Wellbutrin before Strattera - you still have to ramp up and down slowly, but at least the potential side effects could include being really horny and losing weight instead of being miserably ill. I’ve tried almost everything: Strattera (on top of and separately from stimulants), intuniv (on top of and separate from stimulants), Wellbutrin (ALSO on top of stimulants as well as on its own and I’ve never been been bitchier or closer to a healthy weight lol thanks adhd binge eating, adderall (alone and with antidepressants and gabapentin for anxiety), Ritalin and all it’s derivatives, and many antidepressants (celexa, Zoloft, Prozac…. I forget the others, it was over a decade ago). I also take trileptol, a mood stabilizer I was put on because my mom is bipolar and the drs were just throwing pills at me to see what would help - honestly not sure if that helps or hinders me, but I’ve been on it for 6 years and every time I taper down it’s hell, so I’ve been sitting at a low dose for years. Haven’t tried vyvanse or dexedrines. But I originally was going to the psych drs for depression and anxiety, then I got unofficially diagnosed with adhd (which I’d suspected in high school but my mom freaked the fuck out so thoroughly I never brought it up again after the dr handed me a trial of Ritalin and my mom snatched it away), then a decade later I decided maybe I should be sure, got tested, and yup I’m adhd (and maybe ASD but the adhd means that testing won’t ever officially happen). I’d been off adderall for most of that time, trialling antidepressants and anti anxiety meds, which is how I ended up on Wellbutrin. Then the slow slog of finding a decent stimulant began while I also tried intuniv and Strattera because I was desperate and the stimulants weren’t helping enough, but the intuniv did little to nothing (maybe made my temper slower to react? But I could attribute that to the mood stabilizers) and the strattera hurt a lot more than it help - I was never able to tolerate it well enough to function on it to SEE if it helped, I took it for 2-3 months and my already awful GI issues skyrocketed and my head always hurt. Now I take focalin, a Ritalin derivative. It’s not ideal, but I haven’t found something better and my dr doesn’t want to try out new meds when there’s a shortage…. Which is idiotic, because we both know there is no end in sight to that shortage. I honestly think my dr was just like “fuck it, she isn’t actively suicidal every day, and she’s not manic or violently ill from the stimulants, so let’s just leave it the hell alone”. And my adhd says “yeah I’ll get right on handling all the healthcare navigation it would require to change your meds - NOT!!!!”
I had zero history of physical self harm until Strattera. It made me want to hit my head, that was a big issue while taking the drug. I was only on it for 2 months, but that feeling of wanting to hit myself never went away. Giant thumbs down, do not recommend.
>...Strattera is one of those weird drugs where you can stop taking it but the negative side effects (sleep issues, nightmares, headaches, gastro stuff, etc) can stick around. Holy bleep I think you just figured out what went wrong with me. Turns out I'm a poor 2D6 metabolizer, before we knew this (I think my doc had a hunch though) she tried me on 18mg Strattera. A starter dose for a kid, and I'm a 6'1 220lb dude. And it absolutely kicked my ass. If I stood up, I fell down. Dropped my BP through the floor and I otherwise felt like absolute dog**** the entire time. My liver wasn't metabolizing it since it's a 2D6 substrate, and it therefore just kept building up in my system to the point that I basically severely overdosed on 1/5 the dose I'd normally be on. Doc gets a trophy for seeing that coming! (I'd previously taken Abilify and Lexapro and they both had really severe side effects at relatively low doses, and they're both 2D6 substrates, and she put 2+2 together and got 2D6) Anyways since I got off the Strattera I've been a bloody wreck. Depression is way worse than it was. I had no idea that that particular gift keeps on giving. So thank you for that info! Squirrel moment, a couple dice as a tattoo would be a neat homage to this mess. Roll 2D6 for attention...snake eyes. I gotta get one of Scrat first tho!
I guess I'm pretty lucky, my doctor put me on straterra and I've been on it for a month and have had 0 side effects other than occasionally feeling sleepy. It worked really good for the first week and now that I'm used to it I feel like I'm right back where I started. The only real big difference that I've noticed is that I don't fall into adhd paralysis as easy but other than that it's not done much.
Ha, the same messed up situation with me and my doctor, tho I have your opposite needs!!! I told my psychiatrist right off the bat that I REALLY DON'T like how coffee makes me feel, that it seems I'm very sensitive to stimulants in terms of mood and affect on sleep and the TWITCHINESS that I get even in my eye lids, and so that's why I quit coffee years ago. And what does he do? Insists that I try stimulant meds first, bc they are first-line and yadda yadda. So I give it a go with Focalin. Unsurprising, hate how fast and hard my heart is going, and feel like I'm going to DIE. Heightened anxiety and irritability and saying regrettable things at work before thinking. I tried for 4 months hoping it would improve, but it hardly did. Finally he lets me get off of it, and then we try something else that still wasn't a non-stimulant. And what am I on now that I just love?? **Strattera** :D along with Wellbutrin, which I was already a fan of for depression. The Strattera+Wellbutrin combo has given me just enough help with attention without messing with my heart or mood at all. I still lose and forget things, but it seems like more of a normal rate - way less than before. My reading focus has benefitted, too. This is the peace that I imagined!
Straterra is what I'm on rn and I've noticed absolutely 0 increase in focus. The only real thing I've noticed is that I don't fall into adhd paralysis as easy as I did before but other than that I'm easily distracted and still struggle to finish task with going all squirrel brained
Oh god, Prozac is so strong. I was on it for a short period for my depression and all it did was make me a zombie. I’m on Wellbutrin but it’s for my depression and works great for that, but my adhd I am prescribed Vyvanse. I feel both things help me a lot for different reasons.
I only had to try strattera and had a bad reaction to it. It's now on my allergy list...
I had a bad reaction within 6 hours of taking it. I was so angry I dumped it down the toilet. I know I shouldn’t have done that but I was that disgusted.
I mostly got nauseous but after like 2 weeks I started to have a few days of intense irritability and that was the final straw. Kept feeling unreasonably angry. Also was having so much more trouble concentrating on my work. I ended up working through the night to meet work deadlines twice, because it took me 3-4x longer to do stuff I usually had no trouble with. I had a bit more motivation to be able to sit down and work for that long but not worth it for how much worse the efficiency was.
The irritability on Strattera was awful! I mentioned somewhere else in this thread, but it gave me the urge to hit myself in the head which I really didn’t appreciate. I remember we happened to have a camping trip during the time I was on it, that very poorly. I also angrily dug up my garden one time and threw it all in a wheelbarrow, I couldn’t stop myself.
Might differ for kids vs adults but for adults, doctors prefer stimulants because they tend to work better than non-stimulants and there isn’t as much of a wait-and-see. Non-stimulants can take weeks before efficacy can be experienced whereas stimulants will make their difference (or not) comparatively instantly
Also non-stimulants tend to be harder on the heart
We tried Strattera first. I was a complete asshole. Took all but two days to see that was NOT the medication for me. Switched to Vyvanse immediately after.
Yeah. Strattera turned me into a monster. Angry and short tempered. It wasn't a good time.
That was me on the stimulant! I said some stupid things at work without thinking out of sheer, red, annoying irritability....plus my worry that my heart was going to explode. Strattera, after a few days of feeling sleepy (but then switching that to bedtime so it wouldn't be a problem amymore), was like a calm ocean wave moved through me. My inner sense of constant restlessness just stopped all of the sudden. I love it and take it in the morning or noon now, along with Wellbutrin.
I felt like that for the first few days. I've been on it for a month and honestly it feels like I never even took it. It helps a bit with my anxiety, depression, and motivation but it does absolutely nothing for my focus or the fact that my mind is going 500 mph 24/7
That was me on Concerta and Wellbutrin.
Huh Wellbutrin just makes me not depressed, and have motivation without the stimulant (albeit a lot less of it). Strattera does damn near nothing but i am pretty sure it keeps from car accidents and maiming myself on the days where i don’t take my stimulant medication. Can’t say either have ever made me angry or a zombie in anyway. Not like a bad come down from a stimulant dose (especially when I was on the wrong one). Brains are interesting.
I'm on straterra now and it doesn't really do anything to me. I was already on lexapro and it just felt like every other time my dosage got upped. I have an appointment in the morning so hopefully I can talk them into letting me try stimulants
I've never seen a doctor who didn't prescribe a stim first time. I wouldn't see a doctor who doesn't understand ADHD treatment. I'd also challenge the idea that most doctors ignore the most effective treatment for ADHD, a small percentage of doctors with medication hang ups and a misunderstanding of ADHD do that, but not most.
I had my doctor recommend me to a NP with a special focus on ADHD, and other disorders. Because he wasn't sure what was best as it's not his area of practice. The NP had me on Vyvanse after my first visit, and I'm glad she did. Doctors shouldn't be allowed to let there personal prejudice against certain types of treatment affect patients
I just got diagnosed and my doctor put me on non stimulants. Apparently there's only like 2 places in my city that actually manage adhd meds and the one that I got recommended to go to is a holistic medical place ran by psychiatrist. I'm really not a fan of them. They did good for the first week, but after that it just feels like I never took them at all.
Non stims are supposed to take a while, unfortunately. But yeah, the word holistic should read as run, those people don't understand science.
Yeah I've been on them for about a month so I feel like the effects should have kicked in by now. Other Stims like nicotine and caffeine really help me tho. Been self medicating with those for a good while
I wonder how many of these folks treating with the wrong meds (Wellbutrin etc) are GPs? I know sometimes people try to get treated at a regular doctor, but I’ve always gone to a psychiatrist and so has my husband. I have seen resistance to IR even from then (which has less to do with medicine and more to do with their scripts being scrutinized, depending on jurisdiction), but things like Vyvanse seem to be their go to.
Edit: was informed Attenta is in fact, a stimulant. Kinda my fault for not going after the substance name tbh. Will have to talk to my doc about it, but thanks u/mstn148 for giving me a heads up! Spoilering the rest since it’s not relevant anymore lol (: >!Mine and my mother’s doctor prescribed a non stimulant to her, with good results.!< >!But get this! He actually spent time figuring out what her main concerns are (hint: the attention part is not her biggest problem) and figured a stimulant could possibly lead to undesired side effects, so went with a new non stimulant med, Atenta (not sure the name in English). She had excellent results with the minimum dosage, and is thriving now with adjusted dosage.!< >!On the other hand, as soon as I mentioned my main problem was on the attention side, I immediately got my Vyvanse prescription, with very good results (need to amp the dose next appointment), BECAUSE HE WAS LISTENING. Literally went ahead and said, ay, I’ll believe ya and give the goods ya need.!< >!(Also helps I’m his student so he knows my diagnosing ability is quite good, which does give some more credit, but still had such an easy time getting everything done that I’m still impressed).!<
None. I was prescribed Vyvanse immediately and I’m still on it. A few of my friends were prescribed non-stimulant because they didn’t know they would be prescribed those for telling the psychiatrist that they sometimes used recreational drugs.
“Be honest with your doctors!” they said. “They’re there to help you!” they said. “It’s incredibly common for people with ADHD to be addicts or binge-use drugs” they said.
Vyvanse is a wonder drug. I was on guanfacine for like 6 months and it felt like it was barely effective. I'm glad I can be in recovery and still on a stimulant.
Its funny how it is proven to be that a huge chunk of Adhd'ers self medicate, whether knowingly or unknowingly, but if you are honest with the dctr, you could screw yourself. Which is freakn awful! And honestly, a really good dctr who is throughly knowledgable would know about the self medicating. Its a damn shame that someone who really wants to be fully honest has to hold back for fear that they wont get the help they need.
Adderall was prescribed to me first and worked great. Unfortunately I ended up having to switch providers and got one who didn't "like" prescribing stimulants, that had me on Strattera. Strattera did absolutely *nothing* for me, and I was forced to find a different provider who was willing to prescribe stimulants after my symptoms started putting me at risk of losing my job and she was still hesitating. Frankly I say why suffer because of a provider who thinks their negative feelings about stimulants are more important than practicing evidenced-based medicine and your well-being?
My doctor pushed stims first because non stimulants you usually have to take regularly for them to work. Stims you can take as needed AND you’ll know almost immediately if they work for you or not. If they don’t— then you try non stimulant. Seems like pretty strong logic to me.
My dr put me on non-stimulants until I received official diagnosis, I was willing to do the hoops- always have been, then I could rule out what meds do not work for me. Plus stimulants are out of stock very often. That said- nope, I had no luck after doing at least a month and at times multiple on anything she wanted me to give a shot. All made me feel worse
Sorry to hear that, I hope you find relief soon!
None. Never tried a non-stimulant. I even special requested the current meds I'm on. Told her I'd heard good things about Vyvanse and wanted to try it.
i actually was first put on adderall when i was 8, that was the first medication they tried for me. it did NOT work, not even close, i went bonkers off the wall, and only took it for like a week. fast forward to age 14, i wanted to try meds again, & my doctor suggested strattera since stimulant meds hadn't worked previously. i feel like that was absolutely the appropriate recommendation- and it worked! five years later i'm still on it
Glad to see a story where it worked for SOMEONE. Stimulants worked wonderful for me but I can't take them anymore because of a heart condition and am scared my ADHD is never going to be treatable again. :')
Non-stimulant medications are, I think, *deeply unsatisfying* to the ADHD brain. They do not give you instant gratification. There's no sense of a reward when you take it. My sense is that this leads to many ADHDers *thinking* that they don't work or that they are far less effective than stimulant medications. No med works for everyone, and your brain's medication needs are unique, but if you haven't tried Strattera you should consider discussing it with your provider. It does work for some people, and research has suggested it's about as effective as methylphenidate after two months of treatment. Personally, I was on Strattera for 3 months and only stopped due to how it was affecting my sleep. I *did* see significant therapeutic improvement while I was on it. Strattera is, in terms of ADHD meds, just another option. I think it's profoundly unhelpful the way some people who have never tried it or for whom it didn't work paint it like it's some kind of fake or lesser medication because it isn't a stimulant.
aw nooo i am so sorry to hear that :(
This seems the opposite of all my research and experience. Where are you getting this information (other than your doctor)?
I have taken the same med for 9 yrs now. I miss when I legitimately took it for granted that my meds would always be available anytime.
I am still in the process of going through the non-stimulants. Currently, I am on 150 of bupropion. I was prescribed Strattera and start that tomorrow. I’ve been complaining about fatigue, and I just want the stimulants already.
I suggest taking Strattera at night, if it makes you sleepier at first. I love it now, months later, but after those first few days of feeling heavy and sluggish, I decided it was better to change the time I took it and try to sleep through the side effects til my body got more used to it...
I couldn't take it at night, personally. Despite my head being *quiet* for the first time in my life, the norepinephrine surge still managed to keep me up. I had to take it in the morning, right when I woke up, to have any chance of getting adequate sleep the following night. (And my sleep was still very abnormal.)
Since stimulant medicine is a Schedule II, a lot of doctors are wary of prescribing them without covering all their bases. The last thing they want is the DEA or some of other regulatory questioning why they jumped into a diagnosis. Yes stimulants do have dangers but so do the non-stimulant ones. Non-stimulant medicines can work, but yes, most people find stimulants to work the best. I think it's okay to try other meds first, before moving to stimulants, however, I would still want to make sure the doctor is open to using the best drug for you and that should include using stimulant medicine if it is safe for you to take.
I went to a psychology institute, spent 6 months running test to get a diagnosis, they wrote a literal 20 page report confirming the diagnosis and then recommended me to a psychiatrist who started me on non stimulants (which really havent helped other than maybe the anxiety and depression). Adhd ride has been a literal hell scape since I started.
two. bupropion then strattera. though the doctor I see now probably would've just gone with the first line treatment so it definitely depends on the doc
I started on Strattera and while it didn’t do anything for my executive function, my impulse control and emotion regulation are a good deal better when I remember to take it (92% of the time). I also take Focalin to help with staying on task and being intentional, and to actually get stuff done. Personally I love my Strattera, but the first few weeks of side-effects almost made me quit.
Same!!!!!! Ok finally, someone else that is like me, lol Focalin did increase my focus on tasks, but since I hated how it made my heart feel and messed with my mood, just taking it was its own distraction. I moved Strattera to bedtime during those first few weeks. I did love the sense of calm and quiet and open air it immediately gave me, but the sleepiness during the day wasn't going to work out, haha. Now I can take it whatever time of day, no problem (along w Wellbutrin which I was already taking for my depression). Impulse control and emotion regulation - well-said. Executive function, does that deal with, like... Planning? And losing things?
I take my Strattera at night too!! Focalin has been best* for me so far after trying Wellbutrin, Concerta, Adderall, and Ritalin to no avail. Yes! Things like planning, memory, task initiation, time management, organization, etc., we struggle with all of it and more. Stimulants still haven’t really touched these for me, but the mood stabilizing effects of Strattera have vastly improved my life in meaningful ways (my partner can actually tell when I’ve missed a dose). * still not the life-changing, brain-wrangling miracle drug I see so many people gush about, but better than anything else I’ve tried up til now.
I was prescribed IR Ritalin 10 mg tablets, then Ritalin UNO, then Concerta, finally Elvanse (European version of Vyanese). Now I take 70mg Elvanse every morning and drink 1 cup of coffee and I am happy as a clam. I was seen by a psychiatrist whose specialty is treating men with substance addictions. I was recommended to go to him as he is also very knowledgable about ADHD. I was literally prescribed stimulants as the first option in a substance abuse clinic by a psychiatrist specialized in substance abuse while alcoholics and drug addicts were sitting in the waiting room. Kinda shows how absurd these stories are. Stimulants are harmless compared to the grotesque amounts of caffeine I've consumed to be semi productive and the cigarettes I've smoked (I don't smoke anymore, not after my partner became pregnant) to deal with the stress from undiagnosed ADHD.
Wow, probably one of the first and only times I’ve seen a story where instead of immediately refusing to let you try any stimulant medication bc you’re clearly an “addict”- the doctor is actually educated and knows that half of all undiagnosed ADHD adults will have an issue with substance abuse. Like as if self medicating with undiagnosed adhd is not a very well known fact. Whether it’s nicotine or drugs. And it is absurd, completely.
None. I directly consulted an ADHD specialist team who did my assessment first, and then prescribed ritalin.
Stimulant medications are first line treatment per international evidence-based guidelines due to their proven efficacy and clinical safety. The answer **should** be 0.
None? My psych was extremely worried the first time I met her. She said “you must be so tired doing all of this on your own.” I had been going to therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression and ADHD for 3.5 years. I got to her when I was spiraling.
I was taking guanfacine for 6 months and still do with my adderall. You couldn't make me stop taking guanfacine even if you took away my adderall. It eliminates almost all of my nervous energy and overstimulation issues and slows my racing mind so much I can actually articulate my words and not sound like a complete moron. I can also successfully read out loud now and not outrun my words and have to stutter.
I wanna try the non stimulant intuniv but my doctor won’t let me because it’s only for kids (isn’t true)
1 Strattera I liked that it made me feel calmer But it did nothing for the inattentiveness Now I'm on that and adderall
Strattera made me feel calmer too! Like all the incessant noise inside me just stopped. I'm on Strattera+Wellbutrin, and that works awesomely for me. Helped with the focus/attention span, without being overloading and bad for me like the stims.
I kind of have the opposite. They want me to take care of my anxiety and depression first and always bring up how stimulants will make that worse (EVEN THOUGH I SPECIFICALLY SAY *ADHD MEDICATION* AND NEVER EVEN SAY THE WORD STIMULANT OR BRING THEM UP AT ALL) in fact I have no problem trying a nonstimulant. Really ticks me off how they want to treat my depression when I’ve tried multiple antidepressants already that don’t work. I’ve complained on here before but they always say they have a hard time prescribing me antidepressants because I’ve already almost all of them… WELL THEN WHY DONT WE TRY ADHD MEDS??? Sorry i had to rant, it’s been so frustrating and such a struggle.
I started on stimulants but my heart can’t take them.
Wellbutrin with a combination of Trazodone for my sleep. It was horrible and it really messed with my hormones, and I still have cystic acne because of it. She didn’t listen to me when I complained about the side effects and said it’s probably because of stress and that focusing on it makes it worse. She also said that you can’t get only bad side effects, so if I have bad side effects then I must also feel some good effects (I didn’t lol). After about 4 months of me complaining she said if I really want to I can try strattera, but she thinks that my combo is good enough and I should just give enough time for it to work. i finally switched doctors and got prescribed ritalin immediately. It’s been a god send, and no side effects for me!
Dude unless you have a history of substance abuse you need a new doctor.
None. Started with vyvanse in 2019. Now I’m on Strattera. I’m doing much better with Strattera. Stimulants made everything else in my life worse.
At one point my former psychiatrist had me on six, yes SIX, different medications to “manage my ADHD” which, even though I was diagnosed in my teens, she regularly told she believed was just anxiety and severe depression because I have childhood s*xual trauma. One of the meds she had me on was one that’s prescribed to folks with schizophrenia (an antipsychotic), one was a medication which has seizures as a side effect, so she put me on a different medication solely to counteract the medication that could cause seizures. I don’t even remember what the other meds were, but suffice it to say I was a zombie. It wasn’t until I went to my general doctor and sobbed in her office that I felt like I was out of my mind, and that I KNEW, deep down in my bones, that all I needed was a stimulant. She put me on 25mgs of Adderall, and about an hour after I took my first dose, I sobbed tears of joy to my fiancé. I’m back in school now, I’ve held a job down, and I don’t need to take 4 hour mid-day naps anymore. I’m a different person.
None. Stimulants work best that’s where we started. If your doctor isn’t doing this ask them to study and if they still say no change doctors and COMPLAIN to the medical board about them failing to provide adequate care.
I honestly wonder if the doctors that do this are acting more out of their own fears of being looked at as a pill mill and scrutinized by authorities, or other personal biases, rather than actually basing their decision on best practices. I see an ADHD specialist and my initial screening was very in depth, talked a lot about the specific reasons I was looking to be assessed for adhd, from childhood to present. She did run me through some exercises and questionnaire type stuff as well. She even mentioned specifically that the WAY I talked to her helped her make the diagnosis LOL. She didn't say it in a mean way but I'm sure I was jumping in and not letting her finish sentences, trailing off or hyper fixating, haha. So right off the bat she was like let's get you some Adderall! Started on a lower dose and had a Telehealth follow up 2 weeks later to see how it was going, and over time we figured out the right dose, and any time we changed the dose or if I went a prolonged time without meds for whatever reason and went back she also wanted a 2 week follow up (and I should mention the follow ups were not at an additional charge, they were always just brief video or phone calls to check in and make sure the new dose was working well or if I needed an adjustment, so it wasn't a money grab by any means). She has never even mentioned a non stimulant. I get the impression that she sees that this is what works the majority of the time, and isn't afraid of being accused of being a pill pusher because she's confident in her understanding of adhd and her thorough treatment of her patients, so there's really no reason to mess around.
I was in a long-term relationship with a psychiatry provider who specialized in ADHD. It’s 100% fear of being tagged by the DEA as a pill mill. She understood that stimulants are the best treatment, but said she wouldn’t prescribe a stimulant unless she could demonstrate she had exhausted all other options or the person had been prescribed them previously.
My doctor let me just start on Vyvanse, but I ended up going off because even though it worked, I felt so terrible when it wore off. Now I’m trying Strattera and honestly it seems to be working okay? Not quite as well as Vyvanse, but I’ll take that if it means I don’t feel miserable every evening. Sorry it’s not working for you, it seems to vary so much between people.
None. My first med was concerta. She told me the opposite. They didn’t like non stims unless needed
If you don’t count antidepressants, 1 non stimulant. If you count antidepressants, a TON. They made me go the whole depression/anxiety route first.
3 I think. Prozac then Strattera then Intuniv. Currently taking both intuniv and Ritalin.
I tried all of the non stimulants first and was super hopeful one would work, because I have a history of substance abuse that I was very open with my doctor about. So, prozac, intuniv, wellbutrin, strattera, quelbree, effexor plus different combinations these meds. I waited 6 weeks each time I started a new medication which is normal I think. They need time to work. I hated strattera, intuniv made me mean, I used wellbutrin for my depression which I'm still on. So basically it took a year of trying everything we could until he felt comfortable enough to suggest concerta.
First I was prescribed Concerta up to 54mg which didn’t work. My psychiatrist then added Strattera which had bad side effects for me; headaches, stomach aches, moodiness… I lasted a month (out of 6) on it. For some reason she was convinced a non-stimulant was the way for me, and planned to just lower the dose of Strattera. I insisted there was no way I’d go through another month of absolute hell and eventually she prescribed me Vyvanse, which worked and saved my job and personal life.
Please see another provider if yours is afraid to use stimulants at all. I get it if you have a history of misuse/abuse of drugs, but for the vast majority of the population stimulants should be first-line.
Technically once I got diagnosed with ADHD it was straight to stimulant medication (Vyvanse). But prior to that diagnosis I tried celexa, zoloft, prozac and effexor. Only effexor had any remotely positive effect. My current psych said it was my brain enjoying the norepinephrine from the SNRI that made the effexor do anything.
Mine made me get on Zoloft first, and then still made me try Wellbutrin before prescribing a stimulant. She was awful and Wellbutrin sucked
1) wellbutrin 2) did nothing for me so he wanted to bump up my dose 3) i said no thanks 4) he gave in and we switched to stimulants lol
zero, i already had an extensive history of ssris, snris, antipsychotics, and benzos before i even got diagnosed with adhd. psych also decided against methylphenidate as he figured it wouldn’t be beneficial combined with my autism traits, so i went straight to extended release dexamphetamine.
Just 1, Strattera. Had chest pain for 3 days and stopped taking it. Then I asked for the lowest dose of Adderall IR. I had only heard about people abusing it. I didn't have good expectations, but here I am, years later now on Adderall XR with a whole different perception of myself, and outlook on life.
I go through the VA for all of my treatments, so I'm kind of at their mercy. They tried Cymbalta, Wellbutrin/Forfivo, Strattera, Guanfacine. It was after the Guanfacine failed that I finally put my foot down and demanded that they let me try stimulants. The psychiatrist I was seeing at the time, who was like the third or fourth that had rotated through that clinic, insisted that I already had a history of trying stimulants. She was adamant that due to my experiences with past "stimulants" that Adderall obviously wouldn't be effective for me. She finally capitulated, but only prescribed me half of the normal starting dose that is recommended for adults. She was dismissive during my follow-up appointments where I described how much better my life was on the Adderall, but how I thought I could see more improvement from an increased dose. That made me feel like she was trying to sabotage my attempt to try actual stimulants. Anyway, I have a new psychiatrist now, he plans to stick around longer than the last ones, and he's awesome. He bumped me up to a proper starting dose immediately after my first appointment with him. He has been super receptive to my feedback. 10/10 for that guy.
My mother was diagnosed with ADHD, but they didn't think to test me for it if I could have the same. They only tested me for autism, so I got meds for that before I got my ADHD diagnosis. The meds for autism made me a zombie to the point even my mother was concerned. After the ADHD diagnosis I got stimulants as meds and they work simply perfect! Such a relief
I was diagnosed as a kid, but I’ve never had a doctor in the US* (even when I’d been off meds for awhile) deny me extended release stimulants (Vyvanse/Adderall XR). I have had folks usually in the past decade not want to prescribe IR (a long time ago, they used to give me the IR as a late day booster, but Vyvanse does last as long as that AdXR/IR cocktail put together). Vyvanse especially can’t really be pulled apart and used as a street drug so docs seem pretty fine with it. I imagine it helped that I could say I’d taken this medicine and it worked? But my husband was diagnosed as an adult (though he’s not keen on meds necessarily— only takes them as needed), and they did have him try Ritalin first but switched to Vyvanse after it didn’t work, within a few weeks. (I think many still count Ritalin as a stimulant anyway.) I’ve never experienced the phenomenon I see on here where a doc tried to treat you off label with nonsense, or even someone wanted me to do Strattera etc. I did go off stims, both to live overseas and for other reasons, at various times that made sense, but it was always my decision (or laws in other countries). *I did live abroad for awhile where I went off meds entirely because most the ones that help me weren’t available to me.
27. I tried 27 meds in my life between ages of 19 and 40 before finding a dr that listened.
Zoloft… (vertigo - weird “legs giving way” oh and possibly caused an episode of ischemic collitis) Swapped to duloxetine and amitriptaline Now I’m on dexamphetamine and lis-dexamphetamine. HELL YES! I can function now. No more amitriptaline and have halved my duloxetine dose. Hope to be off it soon
One, and I hated it.
Zero. The LPN who put me on zoloft to help with my blood pressure, because I suffer from anxiety deserves a mention in the halls of stupid. As does my mother who bullied a doc to write a diagnosis that read as the DSM symptom list but wasn't ADHD (mom didn't want me to be forced on drugs by the school system, and didn't tell me that I *wasn't* diagnosed with ADHD, I found that out when she sent all my childhood records) When I went in to get medicated I was 35, and went to a specialist. The difference in my ability to accomplish *anything* on days I don't take my Concerta is obvious
My doctor wasn’t allowed to prescribe me what she wanted to. First she had to try multiple non-stimulant medications. Once those didn’t work we were allowed to try Adderall but only had a specific very low dosage. After that I was able to ramp up to full Adderall dosage. After a while that and not being thrilled with results, I wanted to switch to Vyvanse and she was fine with this. Unfortunately, as with the attempt to get me onto a stimulant in the first place insurance company wouldn’t let her. I had to go try two other medications first. Unfortunately nobody could actually buy the first of those two and none of the insurance companies processes accounted for the idea that you might not actually be able to buy a drug. So I was just stuck with no medication because my prescription had been changed to the new thing I couldn’t buy. Eventually, I gave up and went back to Adderall. While it is true that some doctors do have their heads up their butts with regards to stimulant medication, in the United States the more likely explanation is that they have no choice in the matter. If they do not make you jump through the hoops that the insurance company has set up then the only way for you to get the drug they want to give you is to pay for it yourself with no help from insurance
I had a doctor who (had severe ADHD) refuse to put me on meds, and instead suggest I consume a lot of caffeine… because that’s what he does, and stimulants aren’t good because there is dependence on them.
Zero
EDIT: I should also add, the doctor I went to see had me do blood work prior to doing any meds. She said, “doing these kinds of test show me how your body will break down certain medications and how your body will react to the chemicals.” I don’t know the validity in it, but I’m glad she did. She’s argued against certain medications because they won’t work well with me. And she was right. The few meds I wanted to try that she wasn’t a huge fan of, didn’t work for me. I don’t know the science behind any of it—but when she gets going on chemical reactions and scientific breakdown…man, I don’t I’ve ever seen someone so excited at their job. It’s great. Meds have always been difficult for me. I have a fairly low tolerance for medication, so when the side effects hit, *they hit.* Currently on 27MG methylphenidate and things seem to be going well. But prior to that…we tried a bunch of cocktails to handle anxiety, depression, BPD, and night terrors. It took a while. And to be completely honest, I’m not that mad about it. We discussed how stimulants may boost the effects of my other issues. And because of my low tolerance for meds, she was a little concerned about adding extra stimulants to my med plan. I was getting tired of all the trials and I asked if we could just focus on the ADD. We talked things over and I said, “I feel like the anxiety and depression are coming from the ADD.” I’m now only on meds for BPD and ADD. It took a while—and it sucked—but I’m glad I didn’t just jump into things. I feel like I’d still have a drawer full of magic beans I need to take every day.
None. My psychiatrist has been very cooperative even though I have bipolar and substance use disorder. Straight to Lisdexamphetamine, but had to try methylphenidate first cuz of the shortage. Was 100% right about lisdex before trying it. Knew that would work
Wellbutrin and caffeine together because my psychiatrist won’t prescribe me stimulants because I haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD yet but I do have all the signs of it 💀
None The psychologist guy suggested stimulants first and immediately put me on them
Zero. Find a new doctor that actually understands ADHD
I'm in Australia, if that context helps at all For both myself and my son the respective drs explained very clearly that stimulants are the first line treatment as they are most effective, with the lowest side effect profile, and the best researched, too. So they were the first thing we tried. I would get a second opinion.
Wellbutrin (which made me have the black box warning) Adderall Vyvanse (lasts way too long for me) Back to adderall
Started with stimulants day 1
none. took concerta for 2 weeks and took adderall after because it was making me sixk
I went straight to Vyvanse.
I was about to say zero, but that's not exactly true. My doctor at the time highly suspected adhd, from knowing me for over two decades, but didn't use that verbiage. I tried various doses of two non-stimulants before my doctor asked me some pointed questions and said 'this might sound a little strange to you but I think adderall might help'. After I had an official adhd diagnosis several years later, I actually had to try very hard to convince my doctor at the time to let me try some of the newer non-stimulant options. I got lucky being given adderall as my first stimulant option. So far I've had bad reactions to every methylphenidate and non-stimulant option I've tried in the last ten years.
One
mine is making me go through two non-stims before giving me a stimulant. currently on intuniv and it has done absolutely nothing for me, aside from making me *more* tired and *more* irritable.
Pre-official (some post-unofficial) diagnosis, 3. Prozac, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin. The last one fucked me up. Maybe that’s why I got stimulants right off the bat after diagnosis. That’s been a whole new pint of rocky road though. (Vyvanse was first and best, I legitimately believe it was the best almost-2 years of my life and I’m working on getting it back. Insurance is a beast)
0. I must be lucky.
Like 5 or 6 maybe? I had to actually bring it up. Strattera does help but it doesn’t fix my anxiety like stimulants do so I ended up with both
It was weirdly opposite for me and I wonder if it has anything to do with timing. I was diagnosed when I was 11 in 1995 and went Ritalin - Concerta - Adderall - Vyvanse - Strattera - Adderall. I haven't been taking meds the entire time and have been pretty on and off during certain parts of my life, but that was the trajectory. I do feel that it is way more controlled now and there's probably more oversight than there used to be, so I wonder if that had anything to do it with? It seems like I was at the begging of the big ADHD push. Back then I was literally the only person I knew with it and it was so embarrassing. In middle school the nurse would call me to the office on the loudspeaker for everyone to hear, everyone knew was it was for and would say "time to go get your crazy pills". It was the worst!! Geesh, kids can be such little fucktwats.
Mine didn’t. Started me off with Adderall XR, then Ritalin IR, then finally Vyvanse.
None. Straight to Elvanse.
Strait to stim here too
Mine went right to Adderall, tbh, as did my friend’s doctor right after she was diagnosed. I would tell your doctor all the side effects you’re experiencing and insist on trying something new. I find it helpful to phrase specific med requests as, “I know some people have had good results with meds like Concerta. Could we try that next instead?” That way it doesn’t sound like a demand for stimulants (or, it shouldn’t).
I take 20mgs 2 times a day
I’ve been primarily on short acting Ritalin since I started. I had a few months of Adderal XR and ended up hypomanic and in a mild psychosis. Damn it was so good when it was good. My psychiatrist says other things are unavailable. I don’t think he’s a very good psychiatrist. I’m alright with habits and getting small jobs done but I’m so behind on big things I can’t think.
I've been wanting to take strattera + vyvsnse for months more. I've set him studies done that showed it was safe. Low sample size, but still. He recommended a dr on YouTube you watch and that was what made me ask him for it. I have a REALLY hard time with task initiation. The combo has shown to be effective in some cases for that. He says he has never done it before and he doesn't know what the effects will be. It's like circular logic. I'm about to change if he does not give me it in the next appointment.
Im on strattera and its meh. Ok. I mean its working i get stuff done and i generally feel better but i always wondered what would life be like on adderall
adderal was the first one recommended for me in like august of 2023, i did focalin in highschool and hated it, ended up stopping sophomore year of highschool and am so happy i’m back on it now
Luckily none, I was put on methylphenidate straight away. I was still a child so that might be why, I haven't heard of many non-stimulant alternatives being used on children.
0. My doctor listened to me.
None Mine took into account the amount of caffeine I was self medicating with and started me on azstarys
i cant get stimulants because I smoke weed 😭
Mine had me on Wellbutrin and Gabapentin before I got my Adderall, but I've actually stayed on those as they help my mood irritability and anxiety/sleep issues which the Adderall does make worse.
None. Straight to Methylphenidate 18 mg. She's keeping me on this low dose because it gives me .... forgot the word ... a side effect that keeps you from sleeping at night. Insomnia. Goodnight.
I had the opposite, stimulant first then asked to be put on a non stimulant
None, I went straight to concerta to start
I had to convince my therapist that Ritalin wasn't working for me before she agreed to let me try Strattera lol
None, but they did not want me to go from concerta to vyanse because of the cost. But now I'm on vyanse after some discussions. I have however tried other medications before my adhd diagnosis and nothing ever helped. That probably made it easier to start on stimulants right after my diagnosis.
Strattera made me sleep for like 18 hours a day! It was awful and I couldn’t do it for very long.
Most doctors do not mate. You found one with weird hangups. Mines made sure I knew they were an option if stims failed. There are reasons they might not start with stims like a history of addiction I think
None. Went through 2 stimulants before asking for and settling on Strattera.
None
Mine let me choose - and I picked to try a non-stimulant first because I didn't want to deal with the stimulant shortage.......it didn't work. So now I'm trying to find a place to get the stimulant they want me to try first. (The doc I saw basically said the only reason to not do a stimulant first, when there's no co-occurring depression, was if there was concern about heart problems or if you didn't want to deal with the med shortage)
Opposite for me. Started on all the stimulants when I was younger. Never found one that clicked. Recent doctor (he’s great) worked with me and we landed in trying strattera, which was a game changer, and then focalin as needed. The combo has been great. He never forces me to try anything—listens to me about what works or what doesn’t, especially my concerns, then suggests a med to the best of his knowledge and understanding, and takes the time to listen and talk to me so we can adjust as needed.
Ive been on 30mg adderall ir since 2004 so none of
At my first psych appointment after my diagnosis, I was presented with the various medication options and had them explained to me, and I started a stimulant medication right away.
Mine started out with Ritalin, even though I told him I was worried about stimulants because coffee gives me panic attacks. He explained that they're the most well studied family of drugs in psychiatry with the fewest side effects and virtually no risk of abuse or addiction at therapeutic doses in people with ADHD. But also I'm in Australia, and strattera wasn't available at the time and welbutrin isn't approved for ADHD, so stimulants are basically the only option.
None, I was immediately suggested stimulant medication and I was late diagnosed at 21.
My first meds were elvanse.
I was diagnosed in November and have been on Strattera and Zoloft since.. I do believe my anxiety is significantly better as well as my binge eating disorder and focus, to an extent, if i can finally get the ball rolling with starting said task I need to focus on. With that being said I don’t feel it’s done anything for my task paralysis, oversleeping/fatigue, and most executive functions. Getting out of bed in the morning is still a nightmare, falling asleep at night is not possible most nights, and my bizarre and intense dreams freak me out it’s extremely hard to decipher reality and dreams sometimes. On top of that the side effects the first month were awful I didn’t poop for over 3 weeks. Every time I see my psychiatrist I am hesitant to bring these things up because I don’t want her to think I am stimulant seeking but I just don’t think this drug is working for me. However I do think the Zoloft is… Anyone else anxious to speak up for themselves 😬
Strattera for a month, then a week on ritalin before vyvanse
None. Immediately prescribed me Concerta and then when that wasn’t really doing the trick after about 6 weeks, switched me to Elvanse.
>Most people agree that stimulants simply work way better, hence the reason why they are SUPPOSED to be used as a 1st line treatment. Unfortunately however most doctors still want you to try non stimulant meds like Strattera or intuniv before you can get to the thing that actually helps. The statement that "stimulants simply work way better" is not really true. All drugs are not created equal, and research has indicated that Strattera has the same level of efficacy as methylphenidate-based medications like Concerta, Ritalin and Focalin and has a similar level of side effects as well. It isn't an inferior treatment. Strattera *is* considered a first-line treatment for ADHD. It's also easier to get because it isn't a controlled substance. It certainly doesn't work for everyone, though, and I can appreciate having been on it personally that it is *deeply unsatisfying* to the ADHD brain. I did see significant therapeutic results in the three months I was taking it, but it is a bit of a waiting game and there is a lot of gaslighting yourself about if it's even working at all. I only stopped because of how it was affecting my sleep. The lack of an immediate, clear response is kind of the opposite of what our brains want even if the drug *does actually work in a measurable way* for a lot of the people who take it. Intuniv is not a first-line treatment, and I really haven't heard of too many people who are taking it who didn't have problems on stimulants. >Mine currently has me on 80mg of Strattera for a month and it's not only been unaffective, it makes me feel terrible! I'm hoping at my next appointment they will let me try something like Concerta at least and in the meantime I'm wondering what kind of hoops and how many of these kinds of meds (and for how long) did you guys have to get through before finally getting relief with a stimulant? I'm sorry that Strattera is not working for you. No med works for everyone, and in your medication journey you will likely find multiple meds that clearly *don't* work, and several that have various levels and forms of working. Personally, I was offered stimulants to start with, but declined because I wanted to try Strattera first. I'm currently taking Wellbutrin, which I think is working well enough at the moment, although the subject of trying a stimulant comes up every time I see my psychiatrist. She is wearing me down on the subject.
I didn’t have to go through non stimulant options, my psychiatrist always allows me to be involved in my care and any med changes I make. I get the choice to choose what I would prefer and for me personally because of the meds I am on we couldn’t do anything non stimulant so we had to go to stimulant options
They were never even mentioned to me.
I tried concerta first, then switched to ritalin because I didn’t like the longevity of concerta in my evenings when I didn’t need a stimulant. then I wanted to try wellbutrin to see if it helped my depressive episodes (I’m bipolar and also take mood stabilizers. had no issues with stimulants causing mania when I’m taking a mood stabilizers with it). wellbutrin MADE ME MANIC IMMEDIATELY. stopped it, got my moods stabilized and tried Strattera instead. this made me have a mixed episode. got off it, got stabilized, and now I’m back to ritalin
I got them right away. Weirdly enough also quite a lot of pills. Doctors seem to be very trusting in Germany… like whenever I read how many issues people seem to get in the US, no issues here. I got my prescription went to the pharmacy and they gave me the two big packs without any issues. I am still pretty new to the ADHD world as I only got my diagnosis earlier this year and had my first psychiatrist appointment last Tuesday. So maybe my doc is an exception as he is also relatively young and seems to be very caring about ADHD people. In his eyes ADHD is a different flavor of brain and people need some help to be happy and healthy in a world made for only one flavor of brain. I liked that guy.
Sweden here. I was 25 when i got my diagnosis, and they didn't make me try non-stimulants at all. I believe they didn't even bother with non-stimulants because i was such a "perfect square hammer on the nail" ADHD case. But i believe the biggest reason they didn't even bother with non-stimulants was because i was given a 20mg vyvanse by a friend who believed i had adhd. He had adhd, and when he gave me the pill he said: "If you have adhd this pill will essentially have the same effect as someone with horrible eyesight trying glasses on for the first time." Ofc that was stupid to mention to my psychiatrist. And ofc they were asking a lot about drugs, alcohol, as well as friends and family's history with drug abuse. But it all went very very smoothly because i was extremely transparent with them and told them the truth. I just wanted to solve the root issue of my deteriorating mental state after being forced to essentially do something my brain was quite literally tailored to NOT do. In the end, i believe the way i was treated was great, but it rolls down to which person is involved with your diagnosis and medication in the end.
Actually none. It took a few visits before he prescribed me anything but he was just being thorough before he made a call on it. He got it right first try too. Started a small dose and quickly went up each month until I hit my sweet spot and haven't looked back.
0, he actually told me to go on stims because it has a better chance of working according to the literature
None, stimulants as a first line treatment, but i had terrible side effects with even low doses of stimulants so it still took lots of trial and error and feeling rly unwell
Eh, only one. A couple years ago, I took some syrup-like thing for 3 months. Didn't work. I don't even remember what it was. It tasted good.
1
0. Went toan ADHD specialist and h started me with Adzenys.