Adults that take adhd medication?

[Pumpkin5piced]

My son has adhd and I need to start researching medication. I thought it might be a good idea to get the perspective of people who actually take it. What it feels like? Pros cons? Especially if you took it as a child.

Don't have it myself but know a few people that do.

DH was given it as a child, he never liked it. Stopped as soon as he could and never used it again.

My brother was diagnosed as an adult and is using it almost daily because he feels it makes him more focused at work.

A friend uses medication only when he feels he really needs it. If he has a test or need to write a report.

Another friend only recently got diagnosed and she loves the medication. She says it helps her focus her mind.

So I think it's very personal. But again I don't have it myself this is just what I see around me.

It was a bit euphoric initially and I mistakenly thought this was part of its effect -very calming. It took a while to get the dose right but now I don't usually notice any side effects. Get a bit of jaw tightness now and then - magnesium is meant to help but I don't bother as it's unusual and mild.
If I have a lie in and take it late in the day, I sometimes struggle to fall asleep if going to bed at my usual time.

Only taken it as an adult

My 19 year old son, calls his meds his 'concentration tablets'. He takes them for college and work experience, doesn't bother at weekends / holidays

Check out ADHD groups on reddit, thousands of adults talking about their medication.

For me it stops the music in my head, makes me focus better. It doesn't last long.
It also makes me a bit jittery and causes me to tense so badly I ended up with severe back pain, so I've stopped taking it for now.

It's probably not relevant, but taking the medication will mean not passing the medical required for operating heavy machinery - such as flying a plane. This also put me off.

I don't have ADHD but my ds, dss and friend does they all take medication for it.
Ds (still a child) also has asd and says that he can't handle outside without them as his mind races through all his anxiety making it worse 🤷‍♀️ he certainly seems much calmer and has less meltdowns and can almost string a coherent sentence with them.
Dss took them from his teens onwards and says its like between trying to swim with your hands tied (off meds) and swimming unincumberd (with meds)
My friend quite frankly can't function without her meds and she's the 1st to admit it
As a parent I was extremely concerned about giving my then 5 year old such powerful meds that can have serious side effects however doing so was and still is the right thing for him and this point was hammered home when we recently had to move him over to tear 2 meds (having maxed out on the tear 1 meds) due to being a new med you have to start at the lowest dose and increase it each month until its right for him, to say that this was a difficult 6 months would be a massive understatement but thankfully we have the right dose now and he doesn't have any side effects

A friend takes speed for it (prescribed).

my adult daughter was recently diagnosed, it's been life changing for her in a good way

the titration to find the right dose has been testing at times but overall great

they had her try xaggitin, 1 x 18mg for 2 weeks

then 2 x 18mg for 2 weeks

then 3x 18mg for 2 weeks

The only problem was she got some nausea, and as an emetophobe she found that quite testing mentally. However, she eventually settled on 2 x 18mg and now the nausea is gone, and no further problems

She's doing amazing on them now (executive function wise, getting all tasks and work done, 95% better timekeeping etc)

The main issue my ds would say he struggles with because of his adhd is anger, and emotions. The emotions side of it could be because he potentially has asd too but he is quick to anger, shouts a lot and is impulsive when angry. Hyperactivity isn’t a huge problem.
School would say that behaviour is the main issue and engagement with learning. I understand meds could help with concentration but I’m not convinced concentration is the issue but if tibia, o guess medication aiding that could improve his chances of doing well at school and having greater life outcomes.
I’m wondering would it help with the emotional outbursts too?
But I don’t want to change him with medication. I feel so bad for considering it even. He doesn’t want it, he’s 9.

Have a look at the Adhd Foundation resources & also look at Additude articles. It's better if you understand where the emotional dysregulation & frustration comes from. Hyperactivity isn't always physical, it's mental & he's probably got a few other issues too, like rejection sensitivity.

Also "How to ADHD" on YouTube.

I'm not medicated but you're not being cruel to consider meds, it's a tool in the arsenal hell require to be ND in an NT world.

I take Concerta (72mg a day, although some days I stick at 54mg if I don't need the top up).

It's done wonders for my executive function, as I hoped. But it's also dealt with some of the other things I didn't realise were part of ADHD (or caused by the symptoms of it, anyway). Being extremely quick to anger all the time has gone away, and my permanent exhaustion is gone - I don't know if that was from always feeling either under or over stimulated, or what, but now I'm medicated it's so much better.

It's so personal - a friend who was diagnosed as a child didn't like meds then, he wasn't old enough to understand why he felt 'different' on them and didn't like it. Now he's an adult he tried again and says they have changed his life. My nephew, who also has ADHD and is 11 years old, takes his meds on school days and likes not feeling like the odd one out in class who can't just sit and and do his work like the others, so they're great for him.

I'd say not to think of it as changing him with meds, but as giving him tools. If he needed glasses to see the whiteboard at school, you'd get them for him. He (might) need medication to enable him to learn efficiently, so give it a shot - they're not right for everyone, but if they are right for him then it will be worth it.

Plus, having experienced first-hand what untreated (not necessarily by meds, but any treatment) ADHD can do to someone's self esteem and educational experience, I'd be a strong supporter of trying to help my child however possible - it doesn't have to be meds, but they're an option, and one which can make a real difference.

I’m on Xaggatin and it’s completely changed my life but not quite perfect

That sounds amazing, @scarpa. Could I ask how/where you got assessed? And anyone else on the thread?