Did medication help after being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult?

[elm26]

I’m 33 and have my ADHD assessment tomorrow, I KNOW deep down that I have it and I’ve never felt like I can function “normally”.

Did a diagnosis and medication help you?

Of course the drugs made me feel better- amphetamine based drugs that improve performance are bound to make a person feel better in the short term. I regret taking them though and it’s been bitterly difficult trying to come off them

Ritalin and dex are short acting meds.

DH trialled vyvanse this year at the age of 71. It's been a huge change in quality of life for him and the rest of us.

After being misdiagnosed with depression for many years, we paid for our daughter to have a private ADHD test, and it came back she had ADHD, she was 28 at the time. It all made sense after years of misdiagnosis.

She was prescribed Xenidate which has helped her a lot in terms of concentration and attention span etc.

She feels better for taking it.

I wish you all the best...

What do you mean by ‘function normally’? I know how I function on a day to day basis, I know other people function differently, but I wouldn’t claim that they function ‘normally’ and I don’t, or vice versa.
The few people I know who have been diagnosed as adults and have taken medication don’t seem to function any differently from an outside perspective. My nephew would argue that medication actually made him feel worse, because he didn’t feel ‘himself’ any more and he’s now stopped taking it. I’ve witnessed children who’ve been medicated and observed a 50/50 positive impact on their ability to function well in a classroom, resulting in a good improvement in their ability to learn. For those who didn’t show a difference in their ability to function well and therefore learn one common variable was that their parents believed meds alone would be the cure - they didn’t think they would benefit from a change of parenting style.

Can i ask how?

Although you are sure that you have ADHD, still an assessment can bring more clarity and provide suitable management options for you.

Elvanse helps me, but I'm not great at explaining how... basically, if I take it and manage to get myself to start what I'm meant to be doing, I'll kind of be glued to the spot, intensely focused and really efficient.

It doesn't make me be able to get started or be more organised on a macro level.

I'd like to try some kind of top-up like Ritalin for times when it would be helpful to not have it wear off at 6pm, but the GP said to keep a diary of times when it would've been beneficial. Super helpful...

Edited to add, just realised the assessment must've been today, hope it went the way you were wanting it to.

Elvanse is a game-changer while I’m at uni (mid-life career change), but don’t think I’ll need it when I return to work and settled into a job again.
Medikinet made me think I was going mad and put me in a terrible place. If you decide to medicate don’t be afraid to try different ones if they don’t suit.
The medications are designed to act over a period of time (normally 10-12 hours) so they help you with work/everyday stuff, then by the evening you can relax and sleep at night.

Can I ask why?

I personally didn't find the stronger stimulant types of medication very helpful and decided not to medicate in the end.

Elvanse had reduced my anxiety, quietened the chatter in my brain and enabled me to focus for longer than 5 seconds. I zone out less too. I'm still very much me, just a more chilled version!

I've waited for two years to get to the point of been offered medication and from day one it has been a game changer. I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD at the age of 61 and when I was told that, my whole life made sense. I have been on anti-depressants for 30 years but the first time I took Xenidate I felt so uplifted, positive and able to actually feel like I wanted to work, engage with people, and contribute to family life. I am now about 4 weeks in and the change in me is immeasurable.

Yes. I am still impaired by my ADHD but the combination of medication, self-education and putting systems into place in my environment has absolutely increased my functioning to the point where I'm basically OK now.

Elvanse (vyvanse) has helped hugely. It feels like a big deep breath for my brain after years of being out of breath. I can think clearly, my head is quiet and I can hold onto a thought/plan. I’m better at task initiation too. I think this is how other people feel all the time.

elvanse needs to be metabolised to work so it can’t be misused and is unlikely to cause dependency issues. Talk this through with your dr if it’s a worry.

Good luck tomorrow. It’s a strange old experience and I was surprised as how sad I felt for my younger self and the unseen, additional challenges I had lived.

I take methylphenidate Xaggitin XL every day, and have done for theee years. It’s life changing. I’m happier, have no anxiety, eat better, want to live my body more and and more productive. Getting a diagnosis also helped me out in boundaries with people and situations, and I am open with everyone that I can’t handle too much social interaction without recharging. It’s honestly been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m still a woman with adhd and forget lots of things, get drained easily, and get a bit foggy but nothing in comparison to how I used to be, and the medication has helped me find ways to function that suit me and my lifestyle

He's able to focus on stuff. He's less for want of a better word ditsy. He tried ritalin and dex and they were both a disaster for him.

Wow, this is like me.

I was given antidepressants at age 12 after a tough childhood and 21 years later I’ve never been able to come off them.

My younger brother and sister both have ADHD, so does my Father and my Uncle.

I feel like I don’t “belong” anywhere if that makes sense, even though I’ve had the same friendship group since I was in school and married my first ever boyfriend (and love of my life, met at 13, married at 21).

I still have a sense of not belonging, like I’m an imposter in my own life, like I don’t fit in even though I do. It’s the weirdest thing. I have never held down a job (luckily we have our own business so have worked for 6 years for that but feels different as it’s ours) before that I would leave a job within 7/8 months. I procrastinate a LOT. I’m disorganised and lose my car keys/phone/other important items daily. When I say lose I mean I forget where I put it then find it an hour later. I’m late everywhere. I interrupt but I hate doing it, it’s like I can’t help myself, I often find myself daydreaming when somebody’s talking to me and only hear half of what they’ve said.

I’m reckless when it comes to money, I don’t think about consequences until after I’ve already spent.

I have a deep feeling of restlessness all of the time, I’m exhausted being me basically.

Anyway, I have now been diagnosed with ADHD and OCD and hopefully will have a plan soon regarding meds/therapies.

Thanks everyone x