Adult ADD

Has anyone used any other medication besides adderall?

This one is working, but in blips if that makes sense.
Im aware enough to get things under control and work with what I know helps, but as I have said before, I still run into days of disarray and I may not even notice until the next day, or later IN the day...

My very creative, artistic, life-long suffering daughter just started taking Vyvance. She says it's helping a great deal with her ability to concentrate and apply herself to tasks, but that she has no appetite whatsoever. Although she's not a breakfast eater she eats in the morning, shortly after taking her meds, because she knows she's not going to eat much the rest of the day.

I don't know that it's changed her artistic outlook or ability (she's dying her hair dark blue this morning), but she says that the ability to focus is worth having to remember to eat. Also, there's no generic alternative so we've got a $30 monthly co-pay vs $10 and it had to be authorized by the insurance co/dr before they would cover it at all.

Edit: her dr recommended this over Adderoll because it has fewer side effects and is less habit forming.

I will talk to my doctor about that..

but I notice that it says its specifically for ADHD.
I dont have the activity or anxiety issue with mine. Mine is simply lack of focus and ability to recognize steps and maintain thought processes.

I never realized it, but there is a big difference between the two.

I wonder if the medications are beneficial to both diagnosis?
Did you notice an effect in her activity or anxiety levels with that med change ?

When your daughter even says " i like you now" .....you know something is right :0)

Looking at your before and after shots, I find it interesting that the ADD has to do with a lack of focus, yet the difference I see in the before and after shots is exactly that. The "before" shots have a sharp focus that captured a moment in time at just the right moment of light, shadow and reflection and the "after" shot doesn't have a point of focus.

I wonder if in the "before" shots, the "distraction" is the change in light and position that caused you to immediately focus and shoot that rather than shooting the whole "scene." I see that manifested in the color shot with the sunglasses. You shot the whole scene rather than waiting for that captured moment of distraction when you're in the right position and the scene gets reflected in the lenses of the sunglasses.

I think you'll be able to easily retrain your eye with a bit of practice. There already is improvement in the shots from a few months ago and the most current one of Wally.

Wow, glad you're coming through this, SheWolf. I've major concentration issues, but when I really decide to focus, I'm usually able to get things under control. Though I joke almost daily that I have ADD. I'm confident though I will not need medication.

So at what point did you decide you needed a diagnosis? A lot of people just learn to live around their ADD as far as I know.

My understanding is that marijuana only has efficacy with ADHD if you actually have ADHD, otherwise marijuana has the effects you refer to. For me the effects of marijuana are the way you suggest; exaggerating the senses (and perhaps creativity) while making it more difficult to perform disciplines such as mathematics.

Remember that Ritalin is actually a stimulant, yet it works in the reverse to what you would expect for those with ADHD, making those with ADHD more able to focus not less as you might expect!

At least that's what I've read, as I do not have ADHD, and have never taken any mood altering prescription drugs, nor for that matter much in the way of any drugs of any kind.

"... nor for that matter much in the way of any drugs of any kind. "

That's pretty confusing because here you say your wife gave you some pot for Xmas: http://able2know.org/topic/165754-1#post-4454511

Perhaps there's a possibility that your understanding is wrong as there's a lot of variability of Attention Deficit issues and treatments and efficacies.

Im sensing a line that seems to dwell on an artists work quality while untreated in ADD. Ive found that, with my painting (not my day job). My abil;ity to focus now allows me the advantage of "astarting over" on a watercolor that doesnt match my minds eye creation. I ould never have done that in the past.

It was said that Andrew Wyeth was symptomatic of an ADDiac as a yound man, He receieved coaching to improve his habits and his work from his late 20's and on were the emblematic tempera works that are masterworks of his own style of abstraction and symbol.

... which then speaks highly of the need to learn coping skills to deal with his affliction - learning a behavior that helped him be more productive.

I HATE THAT DOCTORS PUT LABELS ON PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM THINK THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY IN A SENSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN SKIN COLOR AND A FEW BIRTH DEFECTS BUT OTHER THAN THAT ADD IS JUST AN EMOTION JUST LIKE BIPOLAR IS JUST AN EMOTION WE ALL HAVE BIPOLAR WE ALL HAVE ADD SOME CAN CONTROL THERES BETTER THAN OTHERS YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM ME DONT LET ANYBODY GIVE YOU A PILL AND THEN TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE DIFFERENT I HATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT JUST BE YOU ....

Another satisfied customer

This gal has Asperger's and writes about Adderall in her blog...
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/23/will-taking-drugs-help-your-career-maybe-you-need-adderall/

Oh no! Are you a Scientologist?

If not, please tell me if you would suggest a diabetic go without insulin?

If so, well..... I just don't know what to tell you except maybe to tell you that there is a button on your keyboard labeled "Caps Lock" and if you hit it once you can type in both capital and lower case letters.

...BUT, BUT,BUT, THEY'LL HEAR ME BETTER~

I recall quite vividly the post in question; and yes it's true Mrs. Chumly did gift me a modest amount of marijuana.

It should be noted however that I've been with Mrs. Chumly for well nigh 13 years, and this is not only the first time she has supplied such a gift, but it's the fist time I've consumed any marijuana in at least 30 years.

At the rate I'm consuming it I expect this $20.00 amount to last for a year; kind of boring I suppose, mind you vaporizers are stunningly efficient I have found.

Not sure exactly why you respond this way, but it's all good - just raises curiosity. Your own personal pot usage and/or recreational drug usage isn't relevant to me. In fact, truth be known, I have used pot. It's you that brought it up here and at your recent thread on Cannabis, which indicates otherwise (#164577). http://able2know.org/topic/164577-1

It's probably me, but it just muddies the water here about the point you're making. BTW, I wish I could find a friend or contact that would sell ONLY $20 worth of pot.

For consideration: http://420441.blogspot.com/

ok.
well, an update .

I have been on the 10mg for a while now. And the difference I saw before is still just.. amazing to me.
But I can tell it has begun to lose its strength. The piles of food have returned. Getting lost while driving, I forgot a client last week..blah blah blah.
I have started doing a few new things to help combat the spacey feeling.

I have google email set up to notify my phone when my calendar sends a work reminder. So not only willI see it on my computer, but on the off chance I dont make it home, I am getting mobile updates too.
THIS.. has been wonderful.

Yellow sticky notes on things help too

and keeping a small notebook near me. My phone, which I call a "semi smart phone (Its not android or anything, but carries internet and has tons of features ) allows me to start writing notes any where , any time and stores them all by date. So even if I am working, and I remember something, I can pause, write the note and set it for an update.
I feel scattered with all of these "update" options.. but.. it works. So until it is refined... here we are . ha

Just saw my doc yesterday and explained the lack of effectiveness...so he upped the drug.
I am not really looking forward to this. The buzzy feeling from the 10mg has finally subsided , and i bet it will come back now. Sometimes it makes me sweaty. Just gross.
But, I was productive, and turning my jobs around. I actually HAD projects that I was able to finish and now putting into calendars... Advertising..etc..
Again.. I see the benefit...just loathe the side effects..