ADHD

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A casual community for people with ADHD

Values:

Acceptance, Openness, Understanding, Equality, Reciprocity.

Rules:

No abusive, derogatory, or offensive post/comments.
No porn, gore, spam, or advertisements allowed.
Do not request for donations.
Do not link to other social media or paywalled content.
Do not gatekeep or diagnose.
Mark NSFW content accordingly.
No racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, or ageism.
Respectful venting, including dealing with oppressive neurotypical culture, is okay.
Discussing other neurological problems like autism, anxiety, ptsd, and brain injury are allowed.
Discussions regarding medication are allowed as long as you are describing your own situation and not telling others what to do (only qualified medical practitioners can prescribe medication).

Encouraged:

Funny memes.
Welcoming and accepting attitudes.
Questions on confusing situations.
Seeking and sharing support.
Engagement in our values.

Relevant Lemmy communities:

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

lemmy.world/c/adhd will happily promote other ND communities as long as said communities demonstrate that they share our values.

founded 1 year ago

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How do I know if the meds are working? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi everyone, Years ago I was on a Ritalin generic, and it ended up just being like strapping a jet engine to a bicycle: couldn't focus at all.

And now I'm trying it again, but I'm on Concerta. Was on a starter dose, didn't feel anything, now I'm on double that dose from today, waiting to see if I can feel anything.

How do you know if it's working?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I'm on the same. I've personally found they work best when you can't feel them. I've had days where I can't remember if I took them. However, on those days, if I look back over it, I can tell the effect.

The best method (I've found) is slow, but effective. Titrate up, around every 2 weeks to a month (under doctors guidance). Each time, you'll initially feel it, then it will fade. Once you have a slight jittery feeling left behind, you're about there, if it's strong, you've over shot, ask to go down 1 dose. The last jitter will fade off over a few months. This is your maximum optimal dose.

Interestingly, the higher doses will likely feel more productive, this is a false feeling. While the high dose will help focus, it has begun to disrupt other mental systems. The overall effect is a net loss, compared to a slightly lower dose. This is also what happens to a normal brain on the drugs. They feel more focused and productive, but, when actually measured, are worse off than unmedicated. We get a long term boost, but it's not unlimited. We hit the same limit, eventually.