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signalnoise
Mar 7, 2008

i was told my old av was distracting
I like YNAB a lot but it is definitely its own method and very noobie. People who are super good at budgets apparently just use Excel

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TheBigBad
Feb 28, 2004

Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, nations and ages it is the rule.
Or... you could just use Mint.

miryei
Oct 11, 2011

Wallet posted:

You may want to put in the effort to use a website or a piece of software to help you, but just having a general idea can make a big difference. If you take an hour to write down a solid list of all of your monthly expenses, then you can fairly easily figure out roughly what you can afford to spend on whatever else. You're going to inevitably gently caress it up if you don't have that information, but it doesn't have to be a super-complicated system that you update monthly, since you'll probably fall behind on keeping it together, and then it will be useless.

If your issue is mostly impulsive, there are a lot of things you can do. You could set up separate bank accounts, so that you can't accidentally overspend. You can also set up roadblocks that give you an extra minute to consider what you're doing: for example, not allowing websites to save your credit card information makes it much harder to make impulsive online purchases.

I do something similar to this, and find it to be less effort than using Mint. About once a year, I add up all my monthly expenses. Any regular expense that isn't the same amount every time (like groceries or gas for the car) gets approximated by going through my bank account history online, and adding up all the purchases in that category for the last 3 months, and then averaging. I round everything up (eg, I'll add rent as $800 instead of $790). Rounding everything up helps to account for when I inevitably forget some small or not-quite-monthly expense. Then I round up the total, same reason. Then I look at my monthly income (rounded down), and use those numbers to figure out how much "spending money" I get.

I have an automatic weekly transfer that puts my weekly spending money into a separate account. Spending money gets spent on anything I want that's nonessential (video games, fast food, beer, frivolous clothing, etc), the main bank account is for necessary things only (rent, groceries, new socks, etc).

This sounds complicated, but it's pretty much just set and forget. You can do it once in no more than an hour or two, and then only have to revisit about once a year unless something changes. If you use this method, and leave a bit of extra in the main bank account as a buffer, you never have to worry about timing bills to your paycheck, it's awesome.

Owl at Home
Dec 25, 2014

Well hoot, I don't know if I can say no to that
Do you live on your own? And if so, what was the transition process from living with a guardian(s) to living on your own (or independent but with roommates, whatever) like? What worked well in this process, and what would you have done differently if you had the chance?

Ausmund
Jan 24, 2007

THUNDERDOME LOSER
Any one here get evaluated with the D-KEFS? My results were all over the place, which was a strong indicator of ADHD. Like I scored "superior range" on letter fluency, motor speed, and non-verbal problem solving strategies. In number sequencing and letter and number switiching I scored way way below average in the inpairment range. Everything else was average. Also my therapist noted I was very nervous and the anxiety might of inhibited some of my scores.

What careers could I pursue with these strengths and weaknesses? I'm 27 and still in retail. I was thinking of maybe going to a trade school for computer programming? But I've always hated school and its brought me nothing but distress and I hate learning, which is why I just gave up on it.

Gucci Loafers
May 20, 2006

Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?


Horrible Smutbeast posted:

Does anyone have any way to budget?

All my necessities such rent, cell phone, car insurance are auto-deducted from my bank account but luxurious like electronics, booze are put on the CC. That's paid off at the end of the month forcing my to recognize the crap I'm buying. Of course, I'm responsible enough to always pay off the CC.

AllPraiseToAllah posted:

So uh, what's a good job for someone with ADD?

Anything that takes a lot of attention to detail but you're able to press CTRL-Z!

IT/Programming tend to work well as you're able to "test" what you're doing before you actually do it.

Xibanya
Sep 17, 2012




Clever Betty
Yep I work as QA on a software dev team and I like it. It requires attention to detail which seems antithetical to the strengths of someone with ADHD but it also allows you to "own" your work, which I find allows me to get motivated enough to switch into hyper focus mode. For example, one of the things I do is script automation to test the build, and if my automation fails I can keep tweaking it until I get it right, and once it works it's pretty satisfying to say "yep, I did that." I think this is why a lot of ADHD people are drawn to creative pursuits - I know I feel like I don't really have a personality or self outside of whatever I'm acting like at the moment (and others in this thread have reported similar) so being able to look at something and say "without me, this wouldn't exist" is enough to maintain a reasonable level of attention.

That's why I don't recommend customer service type stuff for ADHD people even though at first it seems like a good fit.

Gnossiennes
Jan 7, 2013


Loving chairs more every day!

I'm an industrial designer, and I went through school with a bunch of other ADHD having and possibly having people.

It does still require some focus and patience and persistence, but I'm not customer facing and I have a lot of different hats I can wear work wise to keep it interesting. I could work on concept sketches most of the day, or work in CAD and rendering, or research products/demographics/methods of manufacturing, or do user observations. The only bad parts are meetings because I can't sit still and that sucks and makes me feel like a horrible, rude person

As for school, design disciplines generally don't have a whole lot of lecture-based classes. Lot of studio-based stuff. Lots of drawing, but not really artistic drawing. Lots of CAD work, which I personally enjoy since it's like working a puzzle.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Ausmund posted:

What careers could I pursue with these strengths and weaknesses? I'm 27 and still in retail. I was thinking of maybe going to a trade school for computer programming? But I've always hated school and its brought me nothing but distress and I hate learning, which is why I just gave up on it.

No matter where you go to school, remember that ADHD is a recognized disability, and you can get accommodations for that. My school offers extra test time, earplugs, and a quiet place to take it, in their office.

Horrible Smutbeast
Sep 2, 2011

Tab8715 posted:

All my necessities such rent, cell phone, car insurance are auto-deducted from my bank account but luxurious like electronics, booze are put on the CC. That's paid off at the end of the month forcing my to recognize the crap I'm buying. Of course, I'm responsible enough to always pay off the CC.

I maxed out my credit card unfortunately, hence trying to get my finances under control. It also doesn't help that I have to go to court to sue someone I lived with who now owes me almost up to 10k, which isn't making this easier since trying to get everything together for the court case is pretty hectic.

I'm trying Mint but holy poo poo does it make me feel bad that I'm so bad with money. I'm going to have to work extra hard on fixing this.

gandlethorpe
Aug 16, 2008

:gowron::m10:
Finding it really hard to stay focused at work. The weird thing is, I actually enjoy my job.

It's my first permanent position, I started a little over a month ago, and I can see that the company is a great place to grow in my career. Despite this, I can't seem to keep from constantly distracting myself and wasting time. I haven't screwed up or failed to deliver on work, but I feel extremely guilty about "stealing" hours and feeding bad habits.

Even though my current task is pretty much what I dreamed of doing when I was unemployed, I can't stop myself from looking at my phone for extended periods, spending an hour balancing my budget, or writing this post. It doesn't help that I have a cubicle in a spot that doesn't get much traffic.

I'm not diagosed with ADHD and don't want to self-diagnose, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had it. In any case, I don't think it's so severe that I need medication, but I could definitely use some strategies for maintaining focus at work.

As an aside, can my unfulfilling social life be affecting my focus? If not for the fact that I live with my best friends, I'd have pretty much no social contact. On top of that, being the only gay one and having no gay friends leaves me a bit lonely.

Chin Strap
Nov 24, 2002

I failed my TFLC Toxx, but I no longer need a double chin strap :buddy:
Pillbug
Anyone have tips for desparately trying to cling to structure and routine with a newborn? Our 4.5 month old is draining me and destroying my productivity, mainly because newborns aren't on a regular schedule. Without my routine, my ADHD goes into overdrive and I am the most distracted possible at work. Right now, my Ritalin doesn't feel like it helps at all.

The Earl of ToeJam
Jan 22, 2012

gandlethorpe posted:

Finding it really hard to stay focused at work. The weird thing is, I actually enjoy my job.

It's my first permanent position, I started a little over a month ago, and I can see that the company is a great place to grow in my career. Despite this, I can't seem to keep from constantly distracting myself and wasting time. I haven't screwed up or failed to deliver on work, but I feel extremely guilty about "stealing" hours and feeding bad habits.

Even though my current task is pretty much what I dreamed of doing when I was unemployed, I can't stop myself from looking at my phone for extended periods, spending an hour balancing my budget, or writing this post. It doesn't help that I have a cubicle in a spot that doesn't get much traffic.

I'm not diagosed with ADHD and don't want to self-diagnose, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had it. In any case, I don't think it's so severe that I need medication, but I could definitely use some strategies for maintaining focus at work.

As an aside, can my unfulfilling social life be affecting my focus? If not for the fact that I live with my best friends, I'd have pretty much no social contact. On top of that, being the only gay one and having no gay friends leaves me a bit lonely.

If you're getting all your work done, I wouldn't worry about it too incredibly much. Lots of people seem to bullshit around while at work, and as long as you're productive, it shouldn't be a huge issue. That said, it's hard to guess what bosses would do if they catch you messing around. I'd recommend looking into developing better time management habits. Make small goals throughout the day to help you stay on task. For example, if you have a project that you know will take about two hours to finish, set a goal to have it done two hours from now. It may help to even break it down into smaller chunks, like working intently on it for 30 minutes, taking a short break (working on an easier project, facebook break, whatever), then going at it again. If you have enough work to keep this going throughout the day, you might be less inclined to waste time on other things. For me, anyway, the feeling of meeting a goal and "being productive" is a good driving force. Lots of people recommend Habitica (formerly HabitRPG) to give you more-or-less tangible results for meeting goals and developing habits and whatever. Granted, I don't work in an office, so call me out if this advice sounds like bullshit.

I struggle with my social life too. Not sure how much I can help besides saying "get out more!" which is incredibly tough to do, even putting aside possible issues like social anxiety and depression that can exacerbate the issue. I'm a huge fan of therapy for things like this, because there may be underlying issues that make it difficult to have a fulfilling social life. Hopefully this isn't the case for you, but it may be worth looking into. Sorry I can't help more.


Now for my issues.

I've been struggling with a constant brain fog for the past 4 or 5 years. Everything's hazy all the time, and nothing feels "real". I describe it as the same sort of feeling as being really sleep-deprived...Difficulty concentrating, frequent daydreaming, something you did yesterday feels like it happened several weeks ago, etc. I pretty much feel like I just want to sleep all the time. I've been seeing psychiatrists about it for a few years, but so far nothing I've tried has helped. My current psychiatrist put me through an ADHD/Learning Disability test barrage, and concluded that I have mild-to-moderate ADHD inattentive and dysthymia. Since then, I've tried Adderall XR 40mg, which didn't seem to do anything, and I'm currently on Concerta 81mg. This is supposedly kind of a huge dose, but I still don't feel any effect in terms of the brain fog. There's a possibility that it makes me slightly more productive/energetic in getting things done, but I haven't noticed any other effects.

Has anybody tried Modafinil to treat their ADHD? Does anyone have similar symptoms to mine? Does it even sound like ADHD? I had a sleep study done a couple years ago that supposedly ruled out any sleep abnormalities. I also tried various antidepressants for a while, none of which seemed to do anything whatsoever. Am I just a weird person who isn't affected by meds? Is it all in my head, and I just need to get over it? I'm ranting now. It's just frustrating to have gone through this for so long without making any headway. Any advice?

Oh, and I guess it's worth mentioning that I've also been in therapy for a couple years, and will continue to do so to help with the dysthymia and other things.

Authentic You
Mar 4, 2007

Listen now this is your
captain calling:
Your captain is dead.

Funddevi posted:

I'm currently on Concerta 81mg.

Motherfuck :stonk:

Do you sleep?? Kinda blows my mind because 54mg messed me up pretty bad - I'd fly off the handle at petty poo poo and had terrible insomnia, even when I took the dose early in the morning. Went back down to 36 after that and remain there.

If you're not seeing improvement from such a huge dose of a stimulant, maybe the root of your issue isn't the dopamine circuitry (as is generally the case with ADHD)? Grasping at straws with my non-medical knowledge here, but I had a family friend who was experiencing bad brain fog, and after ruling out a bunch of poo poo, her doc suggested trying a gluten-free diet to see if it was a gluten sensitivity, and that worked really well for her. What's your diet and physical activity like? I know I feel extra lovely and less lucid/mindful if I eat crap and don't exercise, even if I'm also taking the meds.


gandlethorpe posted:

Finding it really hard to stay focused at work. The weird thing is, I actually enjoy my job.

It's my first permanent position, I started a little over a month ago, and I can see that the company is a great place to grow in my career. Despite this, I can't seem to keep from constantly distracting myself and wasting time. I haven't screwed up or failed to deliver on work, but I feel extremely guilty about "stealing" hours and feeding bad habits.

Even though my current task is pretty much what I dreamed of doing when I was unemployed, I can't stop myself from looking at my phone for extended periods, spending an hour balancing my budget, or writing this post. It doesn't help that I have a cubicle in a spot that doesn't get much traffic.

I'm not diagosed with ADHD and don't want to self-diagnose, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had it. In any case, I don't think it's so severe that I need medication, but I could definitely use some strategies for maintaining focus at work.

As an aside, can my unfulfilling social life be affecting my focus? If not for the fact that I live with my best friends, I'd have pretty much no social contact. On top of that, being the only gay one and having no gay friends leaves me a bit lonely.

You sound pretty much exactly like me at my job. I like my work just fine but still find myself drifting for no good reason. The meds made it a lot better for me, but to really improve habits, I've been doing CBT and making progress. Which reminds me, I need to be mindful and get back to work.

TheBigBad
Feb 28, 2004

Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, nations and ages it is the rule.

Chin Strap posted:

Anyone have tips for desparately trying to cling to structure and routine with a newborn? Our 4.5 month old is draining me and destroying my productivity, mainly because newborns aren't on a regular schedule. Without my routine, my ADHD goes into overdrive and I am the most distracted possible at work. Right now, my Ritalin doesn't feel like it helps at all.
Are you mommy or daddy?

Newborns should be on a schedule, and in fact should operate like clockwork. That's what our pediatrician taught us and said- do your own thing at your own risk. It will become exponentially harder to implement a schedule later. It should really be naturally occurring anyway. (Unless you have a colicky baby- then bless you).

So, yeah you feed them when ever they tell you they are hungry, and they require your complete attention when awake but at 4.5 months he/she should be sleeping every two hours for two hour stretches. (Babies sleep on a about a 40 minute cycle. So 3 cycles is 2 hours. If baby wakes up with a wet diaper at 40 mins, you can very easily change and put them back down. 2 cycles becomes a judgement call). I recommend talking to your pediatrician about parent-centered care rather than attachment parenting especially for us, and if you don't know their cries I can recommend a dvd that teaches them. That can add to the chaotic feeling of being pulled in all directions.

Work should understand you're a new parent and are basically useless because you're freaking exhausted (and probably terrified if this is your first one) beyond all get out. Which is the root cause of the overdrive- a lack of sleep. My wife and I divided care into shifts and that allowed me more continuous sleep than I would have gotten in an ad hoc situation. When the baby sleeps you (both) sleep. Instead of ride bikes and sticking to a routine, you should focus on- getting as much sleep as possible and zone coverage.

I've always covered the mornings. Had various babysitters in the afternoon, wife takes over when she gets home from work, and then from Friday to Monday morning unless she needs sleep or has plans. (Baby goes to sleep at 6:30 so she needed more time on the weekends). We just had his first birthday three weeks ago and he still goes down at his 9am nap time with no fuss because I was always consistent on that. It pays off and you can build your routine back around it.

I would continue the pattern at work. I would focus for 2 hours, then be more social or do simpler tasks for 2 hours. Spend my breaks meditating. I wish I could siesta, because I would have. Then as the new world became more normal I could extend the focus time gradually.

The Earl of ToeJam
Jan 22, 2012

Authentic You posted:

Motherfuck :stonk:

Do you sleep?? Kinda blows my mind because 54mg messed me up pretty bad - I'd fly off the handle at petty poo poo and had terrible insomnia, even when I took the dose early in the morning. Went back down to 36 after that and remain there.

If you're not seeing improvement from such a huge dose of a stimulant, maybe the root of your issue isn't the dopamine circuitry (as is generally the case with ADHD)? Grasping at straws with my non-medical knowledge here, but I had a family friend who was experiencing bad brain fog, and after ruling out a bunch of poo poo, her doc suggested trying a gluten-free diet to see if it was a gluten sensitivity, and that worked really well for her. What's your diet and physical activity like? I know I feel extra lovely and less lucid/mindful if I eat crap and don't exercise, even if I'm also taking the meds.

Yeah, I haven't had any issues with insomnia, or any other side effects for that matter. I feel pretty much the same, stimulants or no. My doc suggested that I might metabolize meds abnormally quickly, which is why he was willing to go so high on the dose. If this doesn't work, I'll probably give up on the traditional ADHD stimulants. He seemed open to the possibility of prescribing Modafinil, which is why I'd like to hear other peoples' experience with it if possible.

I'm kinda thinking the same thing - the ADHD-type symptoms are probably being caused by something else entirely. I was really hopeful about taking the ADHD test, because nobody in the past was willing to see if stimulants helped. But it looks like stimulants don't help, so I'm back to square one. :sigh: There's a definite possibility of gluten issues, since both my mom and grandma have some kind of gluten-sensitive celiac/crohn's disease. I briefly tried eating gluten-free, but gave up pretty soon after not noticing any change. Probably did about two weeks gluten-free, but I have no clue how long it would take to know for sure whether or not it's a problem. I'll do more research.

My diet is generally pretty good. I mostly eat cheap, healthy stuff. Lots of rice, beans, slowcooked clearance meat, etc. I do drink an absurd amount of milk (something like half a gallon of whole milk per day), but that's because I'd lose weight without it. Which isn't great at 5'10" and ~130lbs. I should probably cut down on milk and just eat way more real food, now that I think about it... And add more fruits and veggies. Now that I think about it, my diet is probably pretty bad. Exercise is something I really need to work on. I have a fairly active job and walk a lot, but I'm far from being in shape. Hopefully I can make time to work out once the gym opens this semester. It's one of those things that sounds great in my head, but never actually happens. Maybe this time it'll work, said literally everyone ever.

Thanks for giving me some things to think about.

Authentic You
Mar 4, 2007

Listen now this is your
captain calling:
Your captain is dead.

Funddevi posted:

I do drink an absurd amount of milk (something like half a gallon of whole milk per day)

If that's the case, you might want to get yourself checked out for iron deficiency anemia. Milk is delicious, filling, and nourishing (I loving love milk myself, but I only go through a gallon or so per week), but a side effect of drinking a shitton of it is reduced iron absorption, which can result in anemia. When I was little, my mom always nagged me about becoming anemic if I kept drinking so much milk.

Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and poor appetite, among a number of other things. Definitely worth looking into.

The Earl of ToeJam
Jan 22, 2012

Authentic You posted:

If that's the case, you might want to get yourself checked out for iron deficiency anemia. Milk is delicious, filling, and nourishing (I loving love milk myself, but I only go through a gallon or so per week), but a side effect of drinking a shitton of it is reduced iron absorption, which can result in anemia. When I was little, my mom always nagged me about becoming anemic if I kept drinking so much milk.

Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and poor appetite, among a number of other things. Definitely worth looking into.

Interesting, I hadn't heard of that before. I did have blood work done some time ago that came back clean, but I'll look into it. Probably taper back on the milk too. Cheers!

signalnoise
Mar 7, 2008

i was told my old av was distracting
Hey

I know this can't be done for C2 medications, which a lot of ours are, but I thought I'd go ahead and share a cool thing. There's this company called PillPack which I am not affiliated with, but they are a super good online pharmacy. What makes them cool is that they deliver a box that has a bunch of pouches of your meds.



They pack every individual time in a separate pouch. That means if you take 3 pills at 10am, 2 pills at 2pm, and then 1 at night, every day will have 3 pouches and it'll list everything in that pouch right on the pouch, along with the time. The pouches tear off of a strip and can be torn open on one side with your fingers. They also have a full range of OTC medications, meaning if you're the type that would love to take a multivitamin but forget to get to the multivitamin bottle every morning, that's no problem.

They will automatically contact your doctor when you need a refill, and they will contact you if the doctor declines. And it's all MAILED to you. It's by far the most ADHD-friendly medicine system I've ever seen, and it costs no more than going to a brick and mortar pharmacy because they work with your insurance.

Only downside is that they can't do C2 scrips, but, well I dunno about you but that's the one medication I NEVER forget.

Horrible Smutbeast
Sep 2, 2011
^ that's a really good idea. I know here in Canada almost every pharmacy has an option that you can pay to have them assemble blister packs for your medication instead of getting them loose in a little container. You might have to pay for it if you aren't covered by the gov or don't have more than 3 different types for chronic illnesses, but it's a nice option!

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

AllPraiseToAllah posted:

So uh, what's a good job for someone with ADD?

It should be in a field you have a genuine interest in, first and foremost. You're probably going to have a hard time applying yourself in a job you don't like or are only doing for the paycheck. Knowing intellectually that a job is important for your livelihood and wanting to do a good job for the sake of pride and self-esteem just won't properly translate to motivation and focus on account of the whole "having brain damage that causes executive function impairments" thing.

Maybe my thought process will shed some light; I recently quit my intolerable office job after five years and am starting grad school in a week to get a masters in clinical social work. Therapy is something where there are no deadlines and very little scut work, in an area (mental health) I'm super interested in and passionate about. Plus the work itself is collaborative and conversational -- which makes it easy for me to focus and doesn't make me rely on myself to begin work or stay on task -- and in a situation where it's essentially impossible to become distracted or procrastinate, since I'm not exactly going to start browsing the internet in the middle of a session. Plus clinicians generally work 20-30 hours a week, which is great since I have a really hard time functioning in an 8-hour work day; after a while my brain just gets completely fried, regardless of meds.

Basically, think about your own strengths and weaknesses first, then try to figure out what suits you. Jobs aren't inherently ADD-friendly or unfriendly.

Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Aug 23, 2015

The Earl of ToeJam
Jan 22, 2012
Switched from stupid-high dose of concerta to a starting dose of strattera. Let's hope getting some norepinephrine action going will help.

The Earl of ToeJam
Jan 22, 2012
Haha, strattera is like 140 bucks for a month's worth through my insurance. Guess that's not gonna happen

Astrofig
Oct 26, 2009
See if your doc can hook you up with a starter pack. 45 days of sweet sweet titration.

Freudian
Mar 23, 2011

I have an appointment with the god drat specialist clinic finally. The NHS is free but my god does it make you wait for loving ever.

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...
~2 years after being diagnosed and beginning treatment for ADHD I'm starting my first day of grad school today, after 5 years of working a job I hated because it was secure and I didn't think I was capable of doing anything else. Feeling pretty :unsmith: right now

Solkanar512
Dec 28, 2006

by the sex ghost

Mechafunkzilla posted:

~2 years after being diagnosed and beginning treatment for ADHD I'm starting my first day of grad school today, after 5 years of working a job I hated because it was secure and I didn't think I was capable of doing anything else. Feeling pretty :unsmith: right now

Rock on! What are you studying?

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

Solkanar512 posted:

Rock on! What are you studying?

Getting a masters in social work, in a clinical-focused program.

Faux-Ass Nonsense
Feb 9, 2013

by Lowtax
I'm starting to suspect that this disorder could be factoring into the faggy stuff my brain's been doing for pretty much as long as I can remember. It would be really annoying if it turns out that this could've been dealt with before it had a chance to embed itself to this extent..

Pucklynn
Sep 8, 2010

chop chop chop
Has anyone taken Trazodone for insomnia?

I'm taking 10mg of Adderall XR in the mornings before class, and 10mg of Brintellix for anxiety/depression at night before bed. Due to my fluctuating class schedule, I'd end up taking them too close together in a day (9am Adderall, 11pm Brintellix) and it would gently caress up my ability to sleep. I've since instituted a strict 2400-0730 sleep schedule and take the medications as far apart as possible. My psychiatrist prescribed 10mg of trazodone to help me reset my sleep schedule, and I've been taking half-pills every night with the Brintellix.

This whole past week (the first week of school, and of this new regimen), my energy levels have been really unreliable. I get sleepy around 4pm and super useless all evening. Thank god for syllabus week. This long weekend, I have had the worst ADHD-brain I can ever remember having since I don't take the Adderall over the weekends, and I'm uselessly sleepy all day. Exercise and caffeine helps a little bit, but only with the sleepiness. My current theory is that the trazodone dose is still too high (I'm tiny, ~100lbs) and it's loving me up. Since my sleep schedule is back on track, I'm thinking about leaving it out and seeing how it goes.

Has anyone dealt with anything similar?

TheBigBad
Feb 28, 2004

Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, nations and ages it is the rule.

Pucklynn posted:

Has anyone taken Trazodone for insomnia?

I'm taking 10mg of Adderall XR in the mornings before class, and 10mg of Brintellix for anxiety/depression at night before bed. Due to my fluctuating class schedule, I'd end up taking them too close together in a day (9am Adderall, 11pm Brintellix) and it would gently caress up my ability to sleep. I've since instituted a strict 2400-0730 sleep schedule and take the medications as far apart as possible. My psychiatrist prescribed 10mg of trazodone to help me reset my sleep schedule, and I've been taking half-pills every night with the Brintellix.

This whole past week (the first week of school, and of this new regimen), my energy levels have been really unreliable. I get sleepy around 4pm and super useless all evening. Thank god for syllabus week. This long weekend, I have had the worst ADHD-brain I can ever remember having since I don't take the Adderall over the weekends, and I'm uselessly sleepy all day. Exercise and caffeine helps a little bit, but only with the sleepiness. My current theory is that the trazodone dose is still too high (I'm tiny, ~100lbs) and it's loving me up. Since my sleep schedule is back on track, I'm thinking about leaving it out and seeing how it goes.

Has anyone dealt with anything similar?

Yes I take it and Adderall XR. You describe it to a T. Also stress plays a huge factor so keep that in mind when you transition i.e. mid terms and finals. I would split your Trazodone or even quarter it til you find the right dose.

mrfart
May 26, 2004

Dear diary, today I
became a captain.
Do you guys know of any good self help books?
Specifically for creative people who have to live with ADD/crippling insecurity/anxiety.
I've listen to/read some books already, but nothing really impressed me.

Pucklynn
Sep 8, 2010

chop chop chop

mrfart posted:

Do you guys know of any good self help books?
Specifically for creative people who have to live with ADD/crippling insecurity/anxiety.
I've listen to/read some books already, but nothing really impressed me.

My therapist recommended Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, by Russell Barkley (who I just realized possibly also wrote my econ textbook??). It was pretty helpful when I was first sorting out coping methods.

Pikestaff
Feb 17, 2013

Came here to bark at you




So I was diagnosed with this as a kid and was on medication for a while to help with schoolwork. But I quit treatment in college when I started having weird side effects from the Adderall. (Long story short I also have severe anxiety and Adderall tends to make it worse, unless I'm also on an anti-anxiety med to "smooth it over".)

For a while I figured I was "over" ADD and didn't do anything about it but I'm starting to feel like that's not actually the case. :downs: I have this weird issue with my brain where I can't keep track of several things at once because it overwhelms me. It means I have to do things very slowly, one at a time, and I worry that it's affecting my productivity at work and stuff. (i.e. I can't set projects aside for later because it makes me anxious, also I'll probably forget about it.)

Could this be an ADD thing? And if so, has anyone else been to the doc and been like "Hey I was on meds for this as a kid, can I be on meds again?" I feel like that would be weird, haha.

Mechafunkzilla
Sep 11, 2006

If you want a vision of the future...

Pikestaff posted:

So I was diagnosed with this as a kid and was on medication for a while to help with schoolwork. But I quit treatment in college when I started having weird side effects from the Adderall. (Long story short I also have severe anxiety and Adderall tends to make it worse, unless I'm also on an anti-anxiety med to "smooth it over".)

For a while I figured I was "over" ADD and didn't do anything about it but I'm starting to feel like that's not actually the case. :downs: I have this weird issue with my brain where I can't keep track of several things at once because it overwhelms me. It means I have to do things very slowly, one at a time, and I worry that it's affecting my productivity at work and stuff. (i.e. I can't set projects aside for later because it makes me anxious, also I'll probably forget about it.)

Could this be an ADD thing? And if so, has anyone else been to the doc and been like "Hey I was on meds for this as a kid, can I be on meds again?" I feel like that would be weird, haha.

The thing you're having trouble with is called 'working memory', and it's one of the executive functions that is impaired when you have ADHD. I don't think a psychiatrist would find it weird at all that you want to resume treatment for a developmental disorder.

Pikestaff
Feb 17, 2013

Came here to bark at you




Mechafunkzilla posted:

The thing you're having trouble with is called 'working memory', and it's one of the executive functions that is impaired when you have ADHD. I don't think a psychiatrist would find it weird at all that you want to resume treatment for a developmental disorder.

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't heard of working memory before, but maybe a doc is something I'll have to look into.

Deadmeat5150
Nov 21, 2005

OLD MAN YELLS AT CLAN
Hey thread, I have a question for ya. Is anyone else on a drug cocktail they take in the morning?

I'm taking Vyvanse, Welbutrin, and Prozac in the morning just so I can begin to normalize but I'm a little worried what it'll do to me in the long term.

TheBigBad
Feb 28, 2004

Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, nations and ages it is the rule.
Also treating the anxiety with cognitive behavior therapy will help prevent that cocktail of anxiety and treatment you mentioned.

Cnut the Great
Mar 30, 2014
So...people who've been on Strattera:

Do the nausea, headaches, chills, and painful orgasms go away eventually? Because I've only been on it for a few days and I'm not sure if I want to keep taking it for 4-6 weeks at this rate. Googling gives me mixed testimonials.

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Gucci Loafers
May 20, 2006

Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?


Have you told your doctor about that? I'd stop using it ASAP.

Question for the thread, is there a difference between a 5MG and a 10MG Adderall prescription? I didn't up my dosage but the pharmacist recommended 10MG as I may split the pills and it's cheaper but I almost feel like the effect is gone?

It's like I received bunk pills and someone told me I could have been given a trial. Would my doctor even do that for someone who's been diagnosed as a child and as an adult for ADHD?

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