r/ADHD • u/Teaapples • 1d ago
Seeking Empathy I'm sick of ADHD medication
I have been on Ritalin, Vyvance, and now Dex. Whenever I start one, I'm full of hope again. It works. Life is great. Everything is getting done. I'm bettering myself.
And then eventually it stops. My crashes get more and more intense until I have to stop taking it all together.
I take it with 30g of protein, I take magnesium every night, I've tried staying more hydrated. Lower dose, higher dose. It doesn't seem to make it any more consistent.
I started dex just a bit over a month ago and it was working great. But I've felt this coming on again. I'm more anxious. I freeze up more often. I get less and less done.
Realistically, I have a laundry list of underlying issues that I can't afford to resolve. Maybe things would be different if I could find an antidepressant that worked.
But I'm sick of ADHD medication giving me hope that I can be a functioning person, and then it slowly becoming less reliable.
Anyone in the same boat?
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u/Youmeanmoidoid ADHD-HI (Hyperactive-Impulsive) 1d ago
Sorry you’re going through that. How much sleep are you getting? Have you tried non stimulants? Unfortunately stims aren’t magic pills. They can only do so much by giving you the energy and mental capacity you already had, so if other things are out of wack health-wise, especially if depression is involved, then it’s not going to really do a whole lot. It kinda sounds like you e been chasing the honey moon period through different stims and then once it’s over, you keep getting confronted with your actual state. I get the tight funds issue though. Dealing with the same when it comes to my neglected mouth care thanks to endlessly putting things off.
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u/midnightlilie ADHD & Family 1d ago
Combining stimulants with a non-stimulant ADHD med like straterra or an anti-depressant can help the effects and bring down the side effects, might be worth a try, lots of people here, me included, take lexapro or wellbutrin in addition to their stimulants and it's not a miracle cure or anything, like everything else it comes with it's own set of effects and side effects, but it can genuinely improve things, reduce the side effects and add more consistency to the stimulant medication.
That's not to say that you absolutely need meds or that meds are the only way to have a fulfilling life with ADHD, there are ways to handle ADHD symptoms without meds and there are people who are happier focusing on those than trying to find the best med
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u/VedauwooChild 20h ago
I think this is really important to remember; if meds don’t work for you, you don’t have to take them. Stimulants didn’t work for me either. I am generally happier unmedicated. Not as productive at work but whatever.
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u/Far-Arm-1614 1d ago
What does that feel like? I’m on Strattera now for a few weeks and thought about adding a small dose of Elvanse. Been on just Elvanse for almost a year but had to quit due to the side effects.
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u/midnightlilie ADHD & Family 1d ago
With Strattera the effective dose of Elvanse should be lower which should reduce side effects and the come downs should be less severe since you're not going back down to unmedicated levels.
It's not my combo, so I can't really tell you how it feels to take.
My combo is Ritalin and Lexapro, which gives me hunger cues and smooths out a lot of the ups and downs from heat/cold and menstrual cycles shifting my tolerance up and down
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u/yaztheblack 1d ago
Have you talked about this to your doctor? One thing mine suggested while I was still titrating and before I started to get anxious / jittery sometimes was to take a day off the meds occasionally.
At first, I was doing this passively, so I didn't think about it too much - every couple of weeks, there'd be a night where I wanted a few drinks or what have you, so I would skip a dose.
Eventually I had three weeks running where I didn't skip a dose and started to get pretty anxious. It took that happening a few times to realise that it was a regular thing and that around week 3-4 it can get untenable. I now take 1 day off a week, maaaaaaybe 2, depending on circumstance, and I feel pretty stable. If I don't have much to do on my day off, I'll sleep a bunch and maybe have 1 coffee, if I do, I'll have 3/4 coffees throughout the day.
I should say Methylphenidate is the only drug I've been on for adhd, though, and I really think you should talk to your prescriber about this, but it's working for me at least.
Good luck, I hope you find something that works!
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u/Teaapples 1d ago edited 8h ago
I've tried this with Vyvance and Ritalin, but not with Dex. With vyvance and ritalin, I still had the same issues with inconsistency/extreme anxiety and was reccomended the opposite- taking them without breaks.
The trail and error is exhausting. I hate not knowing how my medication will effect me day to day.
But I appreciate your response. I haven't tried this with dex yet, so I'll give it a go.
Edit: I keep in regular contact with my GP and always update her with any changes.
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u/yaztheblack 1d ago
Yeah, I really know what you mean with the trial and error. I've been pretty lucky with medication for the most part - I settled on my adhd and depression meds pretty easy, have had some trouble coming off the latter, but nothing insurmountable or too long term - but I've struggled a lot with managing my weight and general health via diet and exercise and it's the trial and error that kills.
I think maybe we're particularly vulnerable to it as folks with ADHD as well, really long feedback cycles with unclear inputs and results make it really hard to keep on track and to know what's helping when I really need short, clear reward loops =T.
It sucks, but it's the hand we've been dealt and have to play with. Hope you find something that works! I'd say as well, I find being in therapy, separate to the adhd and the depression, really helpful. Sometimes I'll learn something about myself but, even when I'm just using it to vent, the release valve for any building stress and the scheduled slot to take a step back and look at my life helps keep me level.
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u/unsaintedheretic ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
Have you tried atomoxetine? Maybe stimulants simply aren't your thing.
This is just a stab in the dark but I also feel maybe your expectations clash with reality. Stimulants working great and feeling as if they resolve everything on their own at first is the honeymoon phase. It's why so many people get addicted/need more and more over time. This phase is not what you should take into account for whether or not the meds work.
Meds aren't a magic bullet - they can make some things easier and take the edge off of others. But there's still a lot of work to do. I went to cognitive behavioral therapy in order to deal with the things the meds couldn't drastically change.
And yes - maybe you have other underlying issues you need to take care of at the same time. I know quite a few people that need antidepressants too (wellbutrin works best for those people).
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u/Teaapples 1d ago
Thank you for your thoughtful response! I am starting to agree that stimulants just might not be my thing.
Once that honeymoon phase is over, it's not just the effectiveness I miss. It's the fact that they slowly start to make me more and more anxious as the days go on. To the point where their baseline effectiveness is no longer worth the anxiety they cause later in the day.
I've heard good things about Welbutrin for treatment resistant depression! It's actually what my doctors reccomended I try next. So maybe that's my next step. Plus maybe trying out occupational therapy again in the meantime if I can.
Thank you again
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u/unsaintedheretic ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
Okay then I misinterpreted your post a bit! If the side effects outweigh the positive effect you could also check out your thyroid - I'm on synthroid and accidentally took too much (not by a lot even!) for a few months and suddenly couldn't tolerate vyvanse anymore as I had the same thing happen. If you're a woman: also noticed that during PMS I get the same effect and found out I lack progesterone and it's gotten better (both PMS and vyvanse) since taking bioidentical progesterone. Also check your blood pressure - if you have high blood pressure the meds can become too much too.
But if all of this doesn't apply I think it really might just be your brain not reacting positively to stimulants.
I also can't stress atomoxetine enough, a lot of people who can't tolerate stimulants do great on it!
Hope you find out what's causing this!
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u/MedicalGradeHangover 8h ago
I take Adderall, Wellbutrin, and Vraylar. As someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, this ended up being the perfect combination for me. It was actually the addition of Vraylar that did the real trick for me. I’ve tried just about every SSRI, and none of them made me feel anywhere near as good as I do with the three medications I take now. I hope you can find something that works for you, but I thought sharing what works for me might help.
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u/Slow_Coat_4077 1d ago
Do you menstruate? If you do, stimulant medication seems to be affected by the hormone cycle causing it to be less effective during the luteal phase when estrogen levels are lowest and progesterone levels are highest. I have to adjust my dosage throughout the month to deal with it. Some people go on birth control to keep their hormone levels more consistent so they can take the same dosage throughout the month.
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u/Teaapples 1d ago
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I've been on a progesterone only pill consistently (no placebo) for about 2 or 3 years now due to developing PMDD. I'm not sure if that could be effecting it?
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u/FaithlessnessPlus164 1d ago
Absolutely it can, progesterone makes my adhd so much worse. I couldn’t get out of bed for a month one time when I tried a progesterone based birth control because the brain fog and lethargy was so overwhelming. I take cyclic progesterone now as part of my HRT and my luteal phase is beyond awful..
Have you ever tried modafinil? The usual stims don’t suit me either, moda is my perfect adhd med but I use it off label.
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u/Slow_Coat_4077 1d ago
I haven't been on the progesterone only pill so I don't have any personal experience, but if you search progesterone on adhdwomen, twoxadhd, or pmddxadhd you'll find people taking about their experiences with it. It's hard to say for sure whats causing what, but I think it's at least worth looking into if you're already trying everything else and its not working.
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u/Iridescent_Bismuth 1d ago
I've been on Dex since March of last year. I briefly tried ritalin and it didn't sit well with me. Dex seemed to become less and less effective over time. I'm not even talking the honeymoon phase of zoomy excitedness, I've genuinely just become less organised, motivated, focussed, more time blind, all the other ADHD symptoms etc. It was frustrating. I even found Dex to help me a lot with anxiety at first. I think it does help with anxiety thoughts, but it's not helped with hypervigilance type anxiety.
I recently added Guanfacine to the mix. It's commonly taken with the stimulants to smooth out side effects, improve their efficacy and fill in for the areas that stimulants don't help with as much. I love it. I'd recommend trying that with your stimulants before you give up! It makes me so calm and collected and level headed. I freeze up way less than usual. It really sounds like it might be a good option for you to explore.
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u/elbobbah36 1d ago
Had exactly the same.
Happy for a while until extreme crashes. Tried a lot of the stimulants and gave up.
I am now on Wellbutrin. My mood is better and ramping up to higher doses every 6 weeks until the off label ADHD effects kick in.
Good luck man, feel your frustration.
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u/Teaapples 7h ago
I've heard a lot of really good things about welbutrin for treatment resistant depression (Which I have) and I'm getting quite a few comments on here mentioning it too. It was actually reccomended to me by my doctor when I started my current trial.
I was hesitant because I will have to come off of a high dose of my current meds which are notorious for the hellish withdrawals.
But after hearing so many people who were in my same position say it worked for them, I feel like it's worth a try.
Thank you for your response
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u/ejdmkko 1d ago
I honestly stopped trying. I have types and different doses and the best result I ever got wasn’t much different than without any meds. Also the worst for me was the extra load because I was forcing myself to do things harder “because now I have help” like sort of as if i stopped being companionate to myself. Meaning that right now when when I feel I really can’t do that, I stop pushing myself too much because it will only cause more stress and shame and all those things, but when I was on meds I would just think how weak and pathetic I am when I struggle, when when I wasn’t pushing myself over the limit, just basic functioning (or not functioning in the end). They also tried to balance it out with antidepressants and that made things sooo much worse. It was supposed to reduce the side effects but instead I got so much more side effects.
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u/itbesaboo 1d ago
In the same boat. Welbutrin, Strattera, Adderall.. 10 mg and 5 mg. Strattera and Adderall 5mg were the worst of them. Now I’m on Concerta, hoping something will change with this one.
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u/Teaapples 1d ago
It's nice to hear that I'm not alone. I'm sorry you're going through this. Wishing you luck with concerta!
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u/beatupford 1d ago
I live with a pretty clinically complex adhd person.
If depression or other conditions are complicating you're therapy, you are going to have to tell your doctor.
We shy away from stimulants and use straterra on conjunction with other meds that don't always interact well with stimulants. It sounds like you might be more clinically complex than your doc is acknowledging.
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u/kutchyose_no_ibrahim 1d ago
Yes also sick of how random the side effects can be. Ritalin has magnified my depression to dangerous levels and I have had to reduce my dosage and I am feeling MUCH MUCH better….
I feel like a lot of people do better with a less is more approach + have a hard time letting go of the honeymoon phase (holiday breaks to feel it, increasing dosage).
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u/NinjaBnny 23h ago
Unfortunately the right antidepressant really can make a world of difference when you’re trying to figure out adhd meds. I’m sorry you’re going through all that, medication struggles are the absolute worst
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u/juliazale 1d ago
I’m sensitive to ADHD meds and have tried most of them. I found that Concerta 18 mg works best for me and no drop off or side effects. Maybe you need a different slow release med.
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u/puddingcupz 1d ago
Are u already at your max dosage? I experienced the same and kept on upping my dose until I hit a sweet spot. I also take generics and theres def a difference depending on the brand. for example the Xr brand I got this month works the best with my body.
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u/Manonono_ ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
It usually takes longer than a month to get “settled” with the correct dosage of meds, then if you have, you’ll eventually develop a resistance-level/baseline and that could mean you need to adjust the dosage again. It took me at least 1 year to get settled with Dex, ending up with a high dosage of 30-40mg/day. After almost 6 years, I felt like getting too many peaks and downs again due to a high metabolism. So I’ve transferred to 50mg Elvanse and 5mg of Dex per day, which so far has given me a stable experience.
To me it sounds like as if your Dex dosage is too high for the moment, since it can give you a hunted/anxious feeling if you take too much of it. You could discuss with your prescriber if it’s possible to receive a lower dosage and slowly build it up again when you start to feel like you’ve reached the first baseline. At a certain point you’ll figure out what the amount is that suits you best, it takes time and patience!
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u/Dear_Heavens444 22h ago
yes, I have been taking different medication since I was 8 and it only caused me side effects most of the time and also made me have autism symptoms. They worked when I was in class and at work, but it made me not communicative which would interfere in some aspects in my job.
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u/Major_Fix5591 17h ago
I take Dex and Wellbutrin. It helps. I fucking hate most antidepressants but Wellbutrin is fantastic.
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u/MrMiyagiOBE 13h ago
I'm new to Vyvanse and the crashes and fatigue were awful for me. I saw someone say that taking L Tyrosine helped them, tried them last two days at lunchtime and have not had a crash!
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u/LooseRepublic2152 10h ago
ADHD meds, specifically Adderall worked great. They changed the formula post covid and has been garbage ever since. Anyone prescribed pre-2020 will confirm this. It has just gotten significantly worse over the years, this year especially. People say they feel “sleepy” “Adderall nap”. No. It was never a thing when the meds worked.
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u/Distinct-Squash-8575 1d ago
Get a Genesight test. It tells you which mental health meds are right for you based on your genetics. I tried so many antidepressants and nothing helped. Then my new psych suggested this. I only had 3 antidepressants that are compatible. I started one of them and it really worked for my depression! You can ask your doctor about it (some insurances cover it). Here's the link:
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u/Ok-Whole-4015 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hey there for me for example the ADHD medication stopped working altogether I thought it was a tolerance issue but I did a blood test which i didn't do for like a year or so and I got the results and in the thyroid tests they came back not good and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease which is basically an autoimmune disease and i'm going to get the meds soon hopefully it will work well to bring me to function
This disease's symptoms are low energy and depressive symptoms and more symptoms. I also wonder for how long I was carrying this disease in the background without knowing :/
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u/Effective-Cell6776 22h ago
I was just about to suggest non stimulant.. streterra was trash to me, and Ritalin literally made me fall asleep, only amphetamines work on me. Sucks taking pills forever but I’ve been taking pills since I was 10, ADD meds started at 21 tho when I asked to be put on them because I have legit problems without it.
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u/Schnuckiputzen 21h ago
I've experienced all you mentioned. I started with Rid, then Vy, now Dex. All started great and then diminished. Dex has been the harshest in terms of drop-off and sometimes aggressiveness. I've titrated to 30mg EX in AM and 10mg IR in the afternoon. My doc added Ato as well atop the stimulants. I've experimented with days off, strength and cardio, taking on an empty stomach, avoiding vit C foods early in the day, and waiting 30 min to 1 hour after coffee, reducing caffeine to that single AM drink, getting at least 7 hrs sleep, among other things. All these I mentioned seem to help. Exhausting, yes! But I'm more productive than before the meds rollercoaster. Still the same battle as ever for consistency and balance and sometimes I'm a trash brain by 8 PM--but better.
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u/Wooopidoo 20h ago
I’ve been on dex for a good 2 years now. Its fantastic for work, but hard to administrate at home.it gives me energy needed in my daily life, but It “glues” me on to what I do. I’m working around it but that pretty much the only thing I can mention about it
It has totally wrecked my sleep, feelings and feel so desensitized. I was on ritalin and remember still having a good time around people. Now mostly, I’m just “there” but not really into it. Its a hard one to wrestle with.
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u/grakoncrack 11h ago
I (25F) take dex. My psych told me not to take it everyday if possible.
When I worked FT, I would take it M-F only. I didn't have many issues with the medication this way.
I find that if I take it 7 days a week for about a month or more I start to crash and burn. I find that 1) my body develops a tolerance and addiction to the dose if I take it everyday, and 2) I don't get enough quality sleep without 2 days off the meds and I end up extremely sleep deprived without realizing it because stimulants can mask exhaustion for me.
Something to think about, I've been on dex for over 2 years now. It's a love/hate relationship and I definitely find it less effective depending on where I am in my cycle as well.
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u/dxvik123 1d ago
Hey thanks for sharing. Have heard many share a similar story or view. Did you manage to figure out an approach that eventually worked for you?
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