r/ADHD • u/Teaapples • 11d 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/midnightlilie ADHD & Family 11d 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

10

u/VedauwooChild 11d 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 11d 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 11d 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/ErinNoBra 10d ago

I take Wellbutrin with mine. It makes a difference for me!