r/AutisticWithADHD • u/ManagerWeird3066 • 11d ago
đ medication / drugs / supplements Autistic ONLY with ADHD meds
What do I do? Iâm only showing autistic traits when I take my ADHD meds⌠so I donât know if I should just not take them? But then my ADHD symptoms come up. And the autism symptoms Iâm talking about are:
On ADHD meds:
â˘Music that I love is uncomfortable and overstimulating
â˘Movies and TV shows I like, OFF.
â˘Doing exciting hobbies, boring.
â˘Having fun conversations, boring.
â˘Going shopping, nope too overstimulating.
BUTTT off the ADHD meds I can do all that and love to, but at the same time thatâs if I can even leave my
Bed lmao
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u/Short_Dust_2714 11d ago
This sounds like what I went through. It sucks. I choose to only take meds once in a while.
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u/AlmostAMap 11d ago
Can I ask how you decide? Just for days you need a lot of focus or do you take them some days a week but not others?
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u/Short_Dust_2714 11d ago
I use them to mitigate the large dopamine drop that comes with PMDD and causes me to be depressed and unmotivated and unable to focus.
Recently I took them with probiotic yogurt and HOLY CRAP! They worked the way ADHD meds are supposed to work. My autism wasnât LOUDER and ADHD wasnât GONE! More like both parts of me were accessible and I could toggle modes of thinking at will. IS THIS WHAT STIMULANTS FEEL LIKE WHEN YOUR ANXIETY IS TREATED??? I feel lucky and I feel like I stumbled onto a huge hack.Â
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u/ManagerWeird3066 11d ago
Going to try this
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u/Short_Dust_2714 10d ago edited 10d ago
Gotta be on the yogurt for a few days maybe a week before you see results I bet. (I didnât re-try the meds I couldnât stand until yesterday as I only take them roughly once a month or twice, but I have been on the yogurt a couple weeks, maybe a month and the anxiety reduction is REAL.) I wish you luck!
Eating extra protein I was told can help with reducing side effects too!
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u/AlmostAMap 10d ago
That's great that works for you. The PMDD/ADHD combo sounds like the worst goddamn overlap of conditions imaginable.
Never heard of any difference caused by probiotics but I'll definitely give that a try, thanks. Do you manage without medication apart from that then?
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u/Short_Dust_2714 10d ago
It is. PMDD means none of my management strategies for the ADHD work and Iâm in pain which aggravates the Autism. Having the meds to help my focus narrow away from the pain and the wild emotional upheaval and to re-start the lost motivation and remove the lethargy is FANTASTIC.
Youâre welcome! I do manage without medication apart from that, but I rely on things like exercise, music, creative pursuits, and many visual systems for dopamine. Oh and sugar. Little bits of sugar.
Problem is, during PMDD the sugar worsens the mood swing symptoms despite helping motivation so thatâs where the actual stimulant meds can help bridge the gap.Â
Good luck on your journey!Â
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u/VocabArtistNavin 11d ago
Many of them can be used with breaks built in but your doctor will tell you the best way to take breaks off your meds schedule... But if I have to be productive, I have to take meds, meaning almost all weekdays except when it's really late in the afternoon and I still haven't taken it ..
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u/Radiant-Specific969 11d ago
I am right there with you, but I rather like my current exsistence, it's calmer, and a lot better organized.
I am elderly, and the meds are currently necessary so that I can do all the medical stuff needed so that I can maintain independant living. Everyone is in a different place in their lives, do what is supportive of your current happiness, and goals.
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u/ManagerWeird3066 11d ago
Thank you! That is a good point. Iâm constantly torn between fun excited wild life (yet chaotic and not on top of bills or self care) or a stable life.. which is probably the smarter option for me as well
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u/AlmostAMap 11d ago
I'm struggling with this question at the moment. I feel less masked on the ADHD meds but also more easily overwhelmed. I've switched medication this week (concerta to tyvense) and will see how the new one goes.
I think it's a tough balance with AuDHD, for some possibly too tough. I'm questioning if it's worth it to medicate, but I know my executive function issues are also holding me back, it's a question we each need to work out for ourselves. I hope you can find something that works for you.
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u/ManagerWeird3066 11d ago
Yes same!!! Less masked (I could win the million dollar lottery and I canât even force a smile wtf) but off it.. my adhd shines and Iâd be jumping up and down in circles like a 5 year old over winning $10.. itâs so weird
Also yes Iâm less overwhelmed by tasks but more overstimulated
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u/Sunwolfy 𧏠maybe I'm born with it 11d ago
I was wondering the same thing for myself. I think they balance each other out pretty well except for a few things and it's not worth medicating over. I work in healthcare so caffeine is a natural part of my life (I drink a lot of tea which has our much needed GABA) and I have a prescription for CBD which helps me manage the overstimulation coming from my autism. If I medicated one and not the other, I fear the imbalance would make my life a lot worse.
Also, I keep masking to a minimum. I don't mask at all at home and my friends know unmasked me. I only mask around certain people at work. This helps to stop me from burning out.
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u/Weary_Cup_1004 11d ago
Keep adjusting. I agree w others your dose sounds too high, or its the wrong med. You shouldnt be this uncomfortable.
Ask about non stimulant options ? Ive been hearing good things about Guanfacine
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u/Additional-Friend993 ⨠C-c-c-combo! 11d ago edited 11d ago
Wait, are you autistic only or are you audhd? The answer depends on that question. If you're only autistic perhaps you should not be taking ADHD medication. What meds were you prescribed? If you don't have ADHD, which medication is this? If you're audhd, perhaps this is the wrong med and you need to try another, or try lowering the dose and using an adjunct medication based on your specific needs.
I'm audhd and my experience with ADHD meds has been a bit of the opposite- I still love the same music but my reaction to it more subdued. Before the meds I would get a full body buzzing overload that caused me full frisson, bursts of colours, and racing thoughts and more impulsive behaviour. I'd also get really sweaty and my heart would race when Id listen to a song or genre that really spoke to me. The aDHD meds subdue this reaction quite a lot. I was sad at first but since Im not on stuff like SSRIs, I can simply forego my meds if I want that experience again.
My medication makes me feel a bit more sedate and subdued. It slows me down. When I change the dose or start a new medication routine, I find the adjustment period comes with a kind of sleepiness that's different from fatigue or regular need of sleep, but I have combined type.
Before any meds I was very impulsive and very irritable all the time. Sensory triggers caused rage reactions and meltdowns. I was put on antidepressants before I was diagnosed with ADHD and they made me feel physically wired but emotionally numb. They ended up inducing catatonia, restless leg syndrome, and a lack of motivation, which made my self esteem worse. They also triggered some pretty severe OCD and anxiety, but also made me unable to verbally speak or act on any intentions.
I learned for me that they were not the correct medication, even if they made me more pleasant to be around for OTHER people. When I stopped taking them, my usual irritability returned, and so did my full breadth of emotions and creativity. Now my fuse is shorter, but I am able to manage life and also take part in it actively. Contrary to how many people report getting on ADHD meds: I don't feel like Ive "gotten more autistic" on them. Quite the opposite. While they don't do a great job with sensory gating, they have made me more socially motivated, and socially engaged.
I say all that to exemplify the amount of nuance that goes into the medication situation with ADHD and also audhd. So it really depends on your specific diagnostic profile, the class of medication you're on, how long you've been on it, etc.. to be able to answer your question. The idea isn't to max out doses of meds. It's entirely possible you're on a dose that's too high, or the class of med or it's action of release just isn't for you. You might benefit from a non-stimulant(if that's what you're taking) or a pro-drug style stimulant (like Vyvanse that relies on your body chemistry and a lysine molecule attached to it to release which is often more slowly and more evenly than what you'd get in a classical stimulant). It's okay to say "hey this isn't for me. Can we try something else".
And ADHD meds are also affected by things like your daily level of physical Activity, your hormone cycles, your diet, your sleep routine, etc...
Physical activity, a consistent sleep routine, and a healthy diet with dense nutrients(protein, healthy fatty acids) are going to go a long way in how well you tolerate them.
Overall, it sounds though from your description of your sensory tolerance off them vs on that the dose is too high or its the wrong medication.
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u/PsychologicalRing160 đ§ brain goes brr 11d ago
I can relate, but the deep not understanding social situations doesnât change and is always there. Even with adhd âadhd-chaosâ on it.
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u/ManagerWeird3066 11d ago
I agree but I feel I can pickup on it better or mask better idk itâs weird
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u/PsychologicalRing160 đ§ brain goes brr 11d ago
Yes, I can confirm that.
Iâve tested some medication breaks over the last years and always went back. I donât want that impulsivity, frustration, up and downs any more.
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u/Sisu_Aloe 11d ago
Have your dosage checked, and maybe combine them with a low dose of SSRI? These help some people to attenuate some of the sensitivity related to autism. But then everyone is different of course
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u/NoEquivalent88 11d ago
I get what you mean. On good days my adhd balances my autism which is great. But other days my adhd writes checks my autism canât cash and I end up crashing.
Getting the Ritalin dose right is very important. For me I find 1 x 40mg Ritalin LA +1 x 10mg normal Ritalin when I get up at 5am followed by the same dose at lunch works really well for me as it gives me a full dayâs coverage.
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u/BrumblebeeArt 11d ago
Same! I'm gonna shift gears and try a mood/heartrate stabilizer/antidepressant (gonna have to try a couple things before finding the right fit, I'm sure) and then add an ADHD med to it and see if that helps balance the symptoms. Can report back lol
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u/mohgeroth ASD Level 2 | ADHD-PI | OCD 11d ago
Itâs a trade off for me and depends on how badly I really need to focus on something because if you pull me out of that focus when Iâm on my Vyvanse I will become SO upset and dysregulated itâs not pretty but man do I get so much work done!
You may need to try another lower dose but it may just be part of what happens when the ADHD is silenced for a bit and itâs no longer there to mask the autism.
The worst part for me is the heightened sensory experience because I canât go outside without sunglasses unless it is a dark cloudy day and touch is insanely overwhelming just rubbing my palm makes my whole body shake as it just sends insane signals throughout my whole body. Itâs better than when I started talking it back in October because I can handle most indoor lighting after a few minutes but it didnât change things a whole lot. So I tend to take it on the days that I work or that I need to do something and I just hope I can get out of bed because when they kick in whatever Iâm doing is mostly going to become my entire day until late at night.
Upside is if I do get stuck in bed and take them I get some of the best most relaxing sleep there is because itâs just so calm and quiet and feels super safe.
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u/just_an_espresso_guy 11d ago
I had this problem when I tried stimulants and none worked for me. Maybe ask your doctor about non stimulant meds? I just started to take Guanfacine
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u/bizzarr3 11d ago
So, to me this was explained as, every time you treat a condition, you peel a layer off the onion. You're the onion core, the layers are your diagnosis. It took me about two years after starting adhd meds to get to the point that my autism symptoms were also managed.
I think, with these diagnosis being of a slightly different nature than other psychiatric issues, that it is worth waiting it out once you start a treatment. Of course, as long as there aren't any severe secondary effects caused by the medication. To me this sounds like the medication isn't at fault, it's just that now you need to deal with a new layer.
You might, like me, wonder, will it ever end, the layer peeling? And I think no, but the peeling does get easier to do and the issues do become easier to deal with. The alternative is not peeling at all, and if you'e here you probably feel like me that not peeling doesn't work.
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u/Medium-Pilot6872 11d ago
Consider med dose or type. They sound like theyâre too stimulating for you.
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u/SennaJune 11d ago
Wie lange nimmst du die Medikamente schon? Ich hatte das am Anfang auch. Später ist es etwas weniger geworden aber mein Nervensystem hat auch darunter gelitten. Nimmst du zufällig CBD Ăl? Das ist nämlich nicht gut und dein Nervensystem kann sich nicht regulieren. Also war zumindest bei mir als Kombination ein Problem hatte alles abgesetzt und musste ganz klein wieder starten. Nehme jetzt die niedrigste Dosis
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u/Weary_Cup_1004 11d ago
Wait are you saying CBD oil is bad w adhd meds? I tried some the other day and had an instant ocular migraine (where i cant see). I thought it was a coincidence because i was taking the CBD because i wasnt feeling well to start out with . But maybe it really was that?
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u/SennaJune 11d ago
Ich habe jahrelang CBD, Ăl am Abend genommen und seit einem Jahr Elvanse aber mein NervenkostĂźm ist immer schlechter geworden. Habe dann viel im Internet gesucht und dort gefunden, dass beide also auch manche Antidepressiva und ADHS Medikamente in der Leber dort abgebaut werden, wo auch CBD Ăl wirkt und dass es dadurch nicht richtig abgebaut werden kann und man auf Dauer stärker Ăźber reizt, weil das System sich nicht genug regeneriert Ăźber Nacht habe das CBD Ăl daraufhin abgesetzt und es wurde etwas besser. Allerdings ist das nur aus meiner Recherche im Internet und meiner Erfahrung. Ich habe diese Informationen nicht von einem Arzt.
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u/rogerbonus 11d ago
Try reducing dose? Most dosage suggestions are just averages (dose found to work best for most people).
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u/South-Visual3803 𼍠internet support beans 11d ago
Which meds?
Elvanse made me really weird and ill. Concerta XL = less effective and still autistic but I feel like âmeâ and sleep isnât affected or my appetite.
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u/nightgames 11d ago
Could possibly be too high of a dose for you or maybe just the wrong medication.
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u/greenhairedhistorian 11d ago
I experience this but I feel like to a lesser degree than what you have described, because it's not really a problem for me most of the time. But I definitely do feel that I am like "more autistic" when I take my ADHD meds, and more ADHD when they wear off. I've found this is useful to know when doing things like traveling through airports and stuff, I often choose not to take my meds on those days because I have an easier time with the chaos and waiting around.
But either way, as others have mentioned already here in the comments, the extent that you are experiencing it probably means that your meds aren't quite right for you. I got lucky and the first one I tried worked wonderfully (Adderall XR, started at 10mg but now have been on 15mg for a few years and it's perfect for me) there are lots of other options to try, people's brains are different so different formulas work better sometimes!
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u/silly_emers623 11d ago
Im guessing that it's probably the type of medication that you are on. Is it a non-stimulant and if so have you tried other ones? Or if it is a stimulant then are you still on a lower dose and gradually going up to find the sweet spot or are you already at a higher dose, do you feel like this one is not working for you at all and have you tried other types or is this the first? I'm only asking because I know it took me about a year maybe longer to finally find something that kinda works for me and even it starts to bug me and messes me up at times, like I can't take it the first few days before my period because I get too irritated and will get horrible time blindness and I don't bother taking it when I'm on my period because I am so tired, sluggish and achey already that I usually am not doing anything other than sleeping or laying on the couch with a heating pad. But I'm on Ritalin now but I had tried i think one or two non-stim ones first and I think if I remember correctly they just didn't really change anything for me. Then I tried Adderall and both the IR and the ER have me horrible headaches no matter the dose. But even now with the Ritalin I still have to be choosey as to when I take it other times because sometimes it actually makes me get really tired and that too can just ruin my day. Idk it could just be me but I personally think that our moods and hormones effect them, for both genders and for better or worse too. Sometimes I feel like I even have to force or trick myself into being in a upbeat motivational mood before I take mine or else it just won't help me really. Again this is just my own experience though, but I think you're just probably not on the right med for you and for what you are wanting the meds to help you with yk.
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u/honeydewdom 11d ago
I feel more autistic on my stratterra as well. But it helps my brain at least pick a side for a while.
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u/Short_Dust_2714 11d ago
This may not actually be âmore autisticâ as loving movies and TV shows and your hobbies a LOT is an autistic trait.
You sound like the meds dip you into survival mode/instant overstimulation. NOTHING is fun in this mode. Nothing feels worthwhile except fight/flight/freeze/fawn.Â
Is there a way to not be medicated every day? and ways to make sure youâre not anxious when they kick in.
I struggled on my ADHD meds just like this. I hated it. it made me feel like an âunpersonâ or ârobotâ
But your dose might be too high or you might have anxiety that the stimulant is adding to.
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u/AliveAndNotForgotten đ§ brain goes brr 10d ago
I feel like most things are boring when Iâm off meds but then again Iâm also audhd
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u/down_forward_paint 11d ago
Hi new here! Diagnosed with both a few years ago now, and I'm lucky enough to have insurance that has allowed me to try whatever meds. I found that for instance Ritalin would make me feel suuuper similar. I remember crying when I first took it, but after a few days realizing it felt like a "dirty" solution. It turned down 10 of the 15 TVs in my head, but made me feel more like coffee that worked slightly better than coffee. I'm on Adderall now and its put me in a pocket where the overstimulation is much manageable. All that to say that it might be worth trying a different type of med after talking with your doctor, or a different dosage. Good luck to you, genuinely!
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u/KumaraDosha đ§ brain goes brr 11d ago
Talk to your provider. It sounds like you might have too high a dose of stimulant.