TLDR: What is ADHD medication supposed to feel like? Is it supposed to feel like anything at all? Will someone with ADHD feel really gacked out/high? does it change based on food intake or other factors?
So I received an unofficial diagnosis from my AuDHD psychologist a while ago, and then my psychiatrist did a very short written assessment on me and determined a positive diagnosis. I really want to get a full assessment one day, but for now I was prescribed Focalin (dexmethylphenidate). I originally wanted it as a prn.
The first time I took it, I definitely felt "peppy", needing to stand while gaming, needing to move around more frequently, generally more awake. I didn't eat breakfast, and had coffee. My blood pressure was also very high. Within a couple of days I took it again, but being good and eating in the morning with no coffee. I couldn't even tell if it was working. I may have taken it another time soon after and did not notice a difference, so I stopped taking it. I've been extremely fatigued and my executive dysfunction has been off the charts so I tried taking it again. Yesterday I didn't eat right away, and I felt gacked. Tight jaw, jittery, like definitely felt like I was on stimulants. I felt like that today as well; I tried to eat a little something this morning but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. It kicked in during a client appointment, too. Jaw tight, jittery, making a ton of typing mistakes, my body feeling fuzzy.
So, is it something where you should be able to notice a difference when you take ADHD meds? I'm assuming that I felt it so intensely because I didn't eat, but when I do it it literally doesn't feel like anything has changed. I may also not even have ADHD at all and was misdiagnosed (I was informally dx'ed with ADHD, Autism and bipolar disorder).
You're either not adhd or on too high a dose.
The main effect for me is just feeling space between my thoughts, being able to grab them, choose which ones to keep and which ones to throw away. It makes it easier to line up a coherent series of thoughts.
Yep, that hasn't been my experience. It's day 4 of taking them consecutively; I ate more in the morning and I feel like that helped but I was still way more interested in talking to coworkers than focusin on anything. I'm extremely burnt out and VERY VERY resistant to staying on task regardless of taking meds. I definitely feel wired, but I feel like I"m just doing what I would do regardless, just more alert. When you very first started did you have an adjustment period at all or it kinda just clicked in the way you're describing?
There was a period of like, becoming less anxious while I was on it, but the benefits were immediate.
yeah, I'm not seeing that with this stuff. I have also read a lot of shitty experiences with this specific drug though so I'm gonna keep trying and then see if I can switch to something else. I get super jealous of reading people's accounts being like "my meds changed my life I could focus and get things done and now I exercise 6 days a week and I'm on time for work and I love hanging out with my friends!!!" like, gimme that ;~; I am glad for you and them but still
Tbc, I'm talking about Vyvanse. Foalin made me wired and angry. It really is just a matter of which drug, yknow?
Totally. Today is day 5 and I'll give it a bit longer but may just see if I can switch. I just wanna be motivated to do anything at all again!