Posted by utopizen on March 4, 2004, at 18:55:22
In reply to ADHD meds FRUSTRATION!!! pls help!!, posted by Laree on March 4, 2004, at 11:44:08
First of all, you should breathe =)
I've been down the same road. From the start, my doc would simply switch me from Ritalin to Dex, then to Adderall (where I lingered on it for about 9 months) and finally to Desoxyn, which I've now been on for about a year.
Desoxyn was great when I first started, but after several months it just sort of makes me super anxious, emotionally liable, and sort of depressed. Keep in mind I also have narcolepsy as well as ADD, so I also take this to stay awake. Reading is impossible, whereas I remember just a year ago that wasn't an issue with Adderall (I've tried Adderall a few months ago, and it's just slightly less effective than Desoxyn).
You can ask about Desoxyn, but it sounds like you're the type, like me, who needs to switch around every few months to a different stim anyhow.
Why don't you talk about slowly trying out Straterra, and adding Provigil to it (especially if you get tired when you strain your attention-- and if so, please do insist on getting a sleep study!)
I now see two psychiatrists-- one to focus solely on my social anxiety disorder (Klonopin for now). And one who's a sleep psychiatrist, who will focus on my sleep and ADD (they're very related when you have them at the same time).
My other sleep doc, who's a pulmonary specialist, suggested I talk to my sleep psychiatrist about combining Provigil and Straterra.
I've tried Provigil for sleep at 400mg and felt nothing. But he claims he sees ADDers with sleeping disorders who's failed Provigil like me but when taking it with Straterra it works.
Trust me, you initially see the benefits to these stimulants at first, and then eventually as the months pass you realize you still can't manage your time, convince yourself to eat lunch 1/2 the time, have trouble sleeping on a regular schedule, and still have trouble with your ADD.
For me, I also can barely read a book or read notes even without suddenly getting tired.
You can always try augmenting a stimulant like Desoxyn or Ritalin with Straterra while you wait the month or two to see how it goes, but I suggest also trying to combine it with Provigil if you have any problems related to your attention and sleepiness.
And it's not because Provigil alone is likely to work, it's because the combo itself-- Provigil+Straterra-- has seen better results than either one alone, even when Provigil fails alone.
If it helps you, even a little, you can always combine it with your stimulant and it could reduce your anxieties and such from the side effects of the stims, and possibly let you lower your dose of the stim to a point where it's more tolerable while remaining just as-- or more- effective.
But Desoxyn is cute, but I'm on it now, and I'd prefer to have an appetite again and not feel so anxious....
poster:utopizen
thread:320139
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040304/msgs/320317.html