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Original poster

Do ADHD meds "flatten" you?

18 replies

GlamGiraffe · 25/12/2022 19:54

Diagnosed with inattentive adhd and meds have been suggested.
I am concerned there might be the possibility that whilst they can improve my concentration etc, they might "flatten" my feelings and take away my excitable streak which I consider a great part of me. Does anyone have any experience if this? I'm not hyperactive and score lowly on this scale, but do have a lively nature which i don't want to loose.

OP posts:
Prokupatuscrakedatus · 25/12/2022 19:58

Definitely not - you stay the person that you are but without the chaos in your head (2 adult DC on medication)
DD started only recently and she lives now without panic attacks, constant stomach pains, etc. but her creative side and her fine tuned art of meeting deadlines are still there

PlainJaneSuperbrainthe2nd · 25/12/2022 20:06

A good friend of mine did change after ADHD meds. He's still lovely and he is happier being able to pay bills etc so I get it, but he's less fun, there's a spark that's just not there any more that I miss. I would never say this him of course and I don't think it would make any difference exsude he prefers his life with the meds

HairyKitty · 25/12/2022 20:07

It varies but you’ve got nothing to
loae by trying them? Generally I would guess the better controlled your symptoms the more likely flattening is to occur? You can try more than one if you don’t like the side effects.

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LimePickles · 25/12/2022 20:18

They do a little bit but you can lower the dose to avoid this.

When I spoke to my consultant about this issue, while I was getting used to the medication, he said said something along the lines of “you have to decide how much of your personality you are prepared to lose vs the benefits”. That sounds a bit harsh but I understand what he was saying.

When I was talking a higher dose I was frequently described as “calm” by people I met who had never known me before mediation (I was never described as ‘calm’ in over 30 years of my life before that, often as ‘bubbly’ or ‘lively’ though!). Being calm was all very well, and it was good to have such a quiet mind in some ways, but in others I missed the constant ideas and little tagents my mind would go off on…

Eventually I settled on just 5mg of methylphenidate 3 times a day most days. Enough for me to remember where things are (no more losing car keys and debit cards every 5 minutes) and to avoid getting lost, to manage the basic everyday stuff a bit more smoothly, but I still feel like me.

When I did teacher training though I did increase the dose during the week for that year, as there was so much to take in that I needed to stay a bit more even and focused. That is the nice thing about being able to vary the dose, you can adapt it to the situation

LimePickles · 25/12/2022 20:20

*medication, still haven’t managed meditation!

GoT1904 · 25/12/2022 20:23

My DP is on them and he's still his silly little self, but is soooooooo much more productive and less overwhelmed with life. They've been a godsend for us.

GoT1904 · 25/12/2022 20:24

FWIW, he is on medikinet AKA Ritalin

Didiplanthis · 25/12/2022 20:24

Depends on the meds... concerta xl made me feel really flat and robotic, elvanse is probably a little less effective but just makes me a more effective version of me so I like it. Every one us different...I know people who hate elvanse but got on great with concerta..

Rainbows89 · 25/12/2022 21:12

I don’t think so. I used to have low overwhelmed periods interspersed with occasional bouts of hyper focus.

now I am more consistently productive and coping with things.

so yes I do feel different but in a good way.

but the best thing to do is just try them and see how you feel. If you don’t like how you feel then you can just stop.

CasparBloomberg · 25/12/2022 21:29

DS response to taking them was along the lines of “omg if that’s how everyone else feels, no wonder they can get stuff done”. However we have noticed no difference in his personality other than being able to focus when he wants to.

His have a very obvious point when they kick in about an hour after taking it, then wear out about 8 hours later, and psychiatrist said they don’t stay in the system so if he didn’t like them, could just not take them. He takes one a day. Some days he chooses not to take them if he’s not studying or working. His worst side effect can be actually over doing it while on them so is absolutely burned out by the evening.

PopUpMoon · 25/12/2022 21:34

I was less concerned about my personality (especially after years on Benzos/other strong meds) and more concerned about the fact I could no longer stand to live how I was, because even the most basic shit was beyond me.

They improved my life immeasurably (Elvanse, 70mg and Dex 20mg top up), I became efficient in every aspect of my life, which boosted my non existent self esteem, emotionally regulated, no more panic attacks, all of which made me happier and a much better mother.

Its been 6 years now and I wish I’d had them at 20 rather than 30.

DuchessDandelion · 25/12/2022 21:49

Following for future reference.

HeBeaverandSheBeaver · 25/12/2022 23:55

Same as duchess

momamama · 25/12/2022 23:58

No at all. They are actually stimulants. They stimulate the executive function areas of the brain and allow the brain to process inputs in a more typical manner.

HappyBinosaur · 26/12/2022 00:19

Concerta made me flat and numb but Elvanse is much better for me. I take a fairly high dose of Elvanse but even a small dose of concerta made me feel like shit.
It flattens me in the sense that it has numbed/erased the constant anxiety that I had always struggled with but I’m still animated and ‘myself’ albeit more focused and measured.
I do take the Elvanse every day as I found when I missed days I ended up getting sides effects.
My teenagers take concerta and are fine with it so it really does depend on the person.

Oher · 26/12/2022 00:21

I know two people who take meds for their ADHD and trust me they still have extremely high energy and excitability!

What the meds have done is give them impulse control. Before the meds they’d be randomly mean, now that’s stopped.

MessiTheGoat · 26/12/2022 00:29

My 18 year old used to take meds when she was younger. It helped her get through school, it helped her learn, her helped her with life. It definitely took away her spark at times though.

She now doesn't medicate at all but she's managing just fine. She needs help with organisation and planning etc but generally, she's doing well. She doesn't like changing her personality. She was on Equasym XL.

HerRoyalNotness · 26/12/2022 00:30

My son says it just helps him focus. He’s on intuniv. He sees upbeat otherwise but if he doesn’t take them he’s off the scale upbeat

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