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16613731 tn?1449676204

I need your help.


To be blunt, I am not very familiar with this website, but I need some help.

(I want to apologize for the rambles you are about to read.)

I am an eighteen year old who was diagnosed with ADHD at seven or eight years old. When I was in the first grade the school said my aggressive behavior was becoming an issue and the doctor prescribed Concerta. The amount of milligrams I would take daily has been adjusted over the years, but I currently take thirty six milligrams daily. This is the only medication I use frequently (once a day).

On another side of the fence. I have been an insomniac since my childhood. My mother and I can remember the nights I would lie awake in the living room and watching infomercials. I would not fall asleep until the morning. The doctor had prescribed Clonidine and it would knock me out until one or two o'clock in the afternoon. I cannot recall the reason why I ditched the medication. It was not until I was seventeen that the doctors would write out different medications each month to see what worked and what didn't again. They blamed it on anxiety, my OCD, my surroundings, depression - you could call it. Eventually I quit accepting their suggestions because I felt like a lab rat.

Please forgive me for my rambling.

I have been battling with an issue that was not evident until now; meaning I did not take it seriously in the past year. See. I am homeschooled (I was not getting along with the students) and am in the twelfth grade. My schooling is done through online courses with a Dell laptop. Now here comes the issue. The household and my surroundings are usually calm, but I cannot concentrate. It is not as if I am thinking about other things or fooling around because I am glued to one spot - staring at the screen. Almost like there is a brick blocking the entrance to my brain. I believe my lack of concentration has to do with the fatigue I am plagued with every day. As I mentioned before that I am an insomniac, but I feel exhausted when I have the right amount of sleep too. I do not know what to do.

My mother has also complained about how much hair I am beginning to lose. I have taken notice of it as well, but it did not concern me until a small clump of hair slid down my back while I was showering. Reversing backwards. I made an appointment with the doctor within six months because what was happening (except the hair loss) and they performed blood tests along with a urine sample. My results came back normal.

Symptoms:

- Lack of concentration.

- Fatigue.

- Hair loss.

I have done my research on the internet to no avail. It is beginning to make me frustrated because my grades are struggling. Any feedback will be helpful.


Sincerely,

Bird.
5 Responses
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Avatar universal
You might want to get blood work done to test ferritin, D3, magnesium and B12
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Nico,

This message spoke to me.  I am very much into holistics and finding the natural cure for everything.  I'm taking Concerta 54mg but I have noticed although it works better than when not taking it at all (which I attribute probably to the withdrawals), it also definitely doesn't work as well as it first did in the beginning.  

I've tried several times weening myself off, but the depressive state that follows is extremely scary and the unease that I experience on a mental front usually leads me to starting back up even though I feel as though I am not getting my money's worth.  I recently started a new job where focus and concentration needed to be a major priority but I'm still having
tremendous trouble focussing and being there and not in a mental fog.

I feel lethargic from the moment I wake, and it only piles on until very late after a full day's of training and homework.  Vision is blurry and almost as if things narrow in and get dark around the training I'm trying to pay attention to.  The headaches are extremely debilitating also.  The part that scares me the most is that when I'm extremely tired, toward the end of the day...I start to see things.  I think it's half due to the drugs, half due to being delusional from being so tired.

I could also add that the training takes care of accomodations as it's in another city. However, because I am put in a hotel room, eating appropriately is very hard.  Prepackaged or premade everything essentially.  Im worried that my health is suffering and I understand that this is necessary as training and it'll naturally be more stressful but I want to not crumble under stress and somehow find ways to make it manageable.

All this to say I need help and don't know where to look or what to do.  I know I am extremely into holistics and extremely into everything natural but weening myself off scares me and I don't want it to affect my state of mind and/or jeopardize my state of mind anymore than now.

Thank you,

I know that was a lot to read but feedback is greatly appreciated :)

Helpful - 0
1530171 tn?1448129593
My first suspicion would be low thyroid function.
You may have had standard thyroid tests which miss more times than not
Low thyroid function. This is not indicated on serum levels!
So you need Free T3, Free T4 and Reverse T3 to rule this out.
Low thyroid function is associated with fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues
and a lot more.

The other suspicion raised by Sassylassie, is estrogen dominance.
But before you go ahead with the cream suggestion, do a screening
quizz/questionnaire. Don't take a shot in the dark.
Do a search online or let me know and I can send you some links.
Also the treatment is  not as simple as it seems.

Concerta is a very controversial drug and if you can get your doctor to wean you off it, there are numerous safer and more effective alternatives.
You probably need to see a holistic practitioner who does not prescribe drugs and can treat you with natural herbs and supplements.
I am totally opposed to the "Ritalin Nation", that society has accepted as normal??????? Where are we going with this?

Your life can get normalized, but you need the right help to achieve this.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you need more details .
Best wishes,
Niko
Helpful - 0
363281 tn?1643235611
Hello,

The hair loss could be a side effect of the drug, the other symptoms could be due to fibromyalgia, have they done any blood work to test your immune system? It could also be hormone related. Women's hormones fluctuate lots in the teen years and can cause all kinds of trouble.

I would try some bio-identical progesterone cream. You can get this at any, good health food store. It can help all types of issues, and it is great for relaxation and sleeplessness.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Assuming I read your description correctly, you are still taking Concerta, right? If that's the case then be advised that Concerta, like all stimulants, has the side effect of hair loss(http://www.drugs.com/sfx/concerta-side-effects.html). It's likely that most doctors won't mention this, because it isn't a very prevalent side effect. In regards to a lack of concentration, it could be possible that the dosage of Concerta you're currently on isn't high enough, or Concerta simply isn't working out, but definitely talk to your doctor about this. Also, if you're having trouble sleeping, try adjusting the environment your sleeping.
Helpful - 0
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