I am not sure if I have ADHD or ADD, but want to try amphetamines, help...

[PharmToBe25]

I get antsy in class, I always daze off and text message. I can't sit still I doodle in my notes, and can't really keep straight eye contact with the teachers or listen to them (I rely on the book alot). I am 26 years old now and have never considered myself ADD or ADHD, but I think it's a late onset or I have been ignorant about it perhaps. I want to try adderall and don't know how to go about it with my doctor. I see an internal medicine doctor who prescribes me oxycodone, amitryptiline, and diazepam, for my chronic back pain, sleep problems and constant back spasms, respectively. Should I go see a different doctor?

I went to go see a psychiatrist about this and told her that I and depressed and about the school stuff, but they don't think I have ADD or ADHD, but I can't pay attention for the life of me and I used some of my friends (to try once) and I was totally into school (I didn't tell themI tried it and it worked, however). I believe if I was on a 15mg xr daily I would be much better in school. I put in endless hours of studying (I am graduating with my BS this may), but I am going to pharmacy school and that just means a lot less sleep.

I am sorry if this is a bad way to put it, but is there a way I can find a doctor that will prescribe me this stuff? I just want to try maybe even a smaller dose that'll last 6-8 hours while I am in class. I have the discipline, well kind of, to do homework, etc. but in class I am a mess. Always copying students notes that I miss...

Also, I get Diazepam for back spasms, but that is for anxiety as well, but doesn't help me in that area too much, is there any other benzo that is a big stronger that helps with back spasms and depression/anxiety that I could suggest to my internist?

Help please.

[PharmToBe25]

Thanks for the help. Merrilinda! That is just like me, the moment I leave school 'I already think of being home to do whatever. Even my parents ntoce whenever I leave the house (especially for school) 4/5 days a week I come back for something that I needed to bring, for example: yesterday I had to work, and I have dowm time so I brought my calculus book downstairs, put it on the table and went to make some coffee, next thing I know im 5 minutes from work (which is 30 minutes away) and I didn't bring my Calculus book! This happeps frequently! The last psych I saw (I seen one psychologist and one psychiatrist and they both dont' think I have ADHD, but I think I do, I constantly as people in my class "Whens the test," and "When is the homework due," etc.

Do you think I should look for a different psych? She just wanted to give me Celexa (Citalopram) and she said if that didn't work she'd give me Lexapro (Escitalopram). These are just ISOMERS of each other! (I go to pharmacy school, well start in september). As you see in the names, they both contain citalopram, but one has ES in front of it, this designates E, S configurations (isomers).

So you all think that I should just be straight up? I leaned towards ADD or ADHD in the last visit but she prescribed citalopram, and nothing like ADD.. damn...

[merrilinda]

I don't think it necessarily has to be a psychiatrist who prescribes it, although they might be more likely to prescribe it for you.  If your primary is prescribing Diazepam for you then he/she might prescribe the Adderall as well.  Just express your concerns to them that you just can't pay attention at all.  Do you have other symptoms that you might not be connecting to the ADD?  Like me...I lost my keys every single day.  EVERY...SINGLE....DAY.....it was funny for awhile but after years and years of it, it's not so funny anymore.  That may sound like something everyone does, or something that could be easily fixed with some organization, but it's not that simple for someone who's brain works like mine.  The second I walk in the door my mind is already about 10 steps ahead of myself, if I come in and think about the laundry, then I walk straight in there and lay my keys down.  It drives me crazy, my brain can't focus on the present moment.

So be sure to share any other symptoms you think might be related, losing keys/shoes/books/etc., forgetting appointments, losing track of your conversation with someone, unfinished projects/reports, ...even mood swings and anxiety can be caused by ADD because your brain is so frazzled and frustrated.

[jtssteph]

I would go into the doctor and not mention that you WANT adderal or that you THINK you have ADHD. Just tell him exactly what you told us. Then let him/her decide whether he/she thinks that 's the case.  If you are suffering from severe anxiety, it can have the same efffects of not being able to concentrate. Also, if you arer having trouble sleeping, lack of sleep can also cause anxiety and difficulty in concentrating.

I would look into the side-effects of the medications that you are currently taking and see if any of your symptoms are side-effects of the drugs you are already on. You may need to have your doctor change your meds if the side effects are what are causing your troubles.

Good luck with your doctor.

[IHaveASecret]

i would say you cant pay attention cuz either your just not into it or you need more sleep or you got too much stuff on your mind. concerta is a 8 hour thing and has some anxiety stuff in it. and pretty sure the anxiety stuff ur taking is actualy bad if you do have depression... so idk..... try medical marajana!? haha i have no idea. but pretty sure if you 26 doctors wouldnt question you and think your asking for it for all the wrong reasons.... but if you get too high of a dose of ADD meds.... it will worsen your anxiety... when i uped mine... i went crazy haha

[PharmToBe25]

Thank you! I hope to find a doctor to prescribe me adderall, I don't want to be considered a doctor shopper, but does it have to be a psych that prescribes it? I mean you got it from your primary? I will have to find one that would be considerate enough to let me try it at least. And I would probalby only take it during school days. I have the same thing like you, find one thing wrong and while in the process of trying to take care of that something else pops up and the other task just dissapears, until later of course. Thanks for the concern, I will take it all into consideration and see where I can find some stuff.

Take Care

[merrilinda]

If you genuinely believe you have ADD (which to me sounds like you do), keep trying until you find a doctor who will believe you.  Your symptoms sound exactly like mine and my pdoc diagnosed me with ADD, I couldn't finish a single task, couldn't pay attention, procrastinated every single thing in my life, couldn't finish a conversation without losing interest...etc.  The best example I gave my doctor was how my days usually went when I was at home:  I would go to the laundry room to wash clothes, see my shoes on the floor, take them to the bedroom closet, see the bed was unmade so I'd try to make it, realize the sheets were dirty,...back to the laundry room, pass dirty dishes on the table, off to the kitchen, get to the kitchen and realize I was thirsty and go to the refrigerator,..there I'd see a bill stuck to the fridge and off I'd go to find my checkbook.  After all of that not a SINGLE thing had gotten done! Blech!!

Anyhoo.....please, if you find a doc to prescribe you Adderall, be very, very careful!  I thought Adderall was a god-send for about 4 months and then it turned into living hell!  I have suffered permanent side-effects from it and every dose eventually lost it's potency and I had to go to the next dose.  I absolutely refuse to keep upping my dose, so now I'm actually asking my doctor to lower it so I can get off of it.  It will make you feel fantastic for awhile and will seem to cure every thing that you've complained of,...but maybe just for a few months.  If you decide to take it,...start off at a low dose and don't take it all the time.  If you need it during the week for class, then take a "medicine-break" on the weekends...or only take it for the classes you really need it for.  That way your body won't become accustomed to it so quickly.

But please check up on the long-term side effects, it seems like a fantastic blessing in the beginning, but there are possible horrible effects.  I lost about 30 pounds in 2 months (and I didn't have it to lose), my hair fell out for about 4 months, my blood pressure is much higher all the time now, and it ramped up my adrenaline output to the point where it affected my kidneys and I was hospitalized with low potassium.  Now...not everyone will react to the medicine the same way, I just wanted to share my story.

If you use them wisely and *sparingly* it will do exactly what you need it to do! Just be informed! :)

[PharmToBe25]

Furthermore, the psych I seen once, prescribed me citalopram (celexa) and I didn't get it filled and obviously didn't take it, why? Because I have an uncle that gets it prescribed and I tried it once (same amount I was prescribed) and I got sick the entire next day.

But she said that if this doesn't work she would give me Lexapro, and it's generic name EScitalopram, notice anything? Yeah, it's the same thing! But different ISOMER... geeze.. thats just a little more additional information.