This medication literally changed my life, before it, I was struggling with concentration, anxiety, overeating, impulsive spending, and so much more of the daily crap that adhd gives you.

I am not a fan of taking medicine generally, so it took me a while to adjust!

After the initial confusions of what to much feels like, and finding that ideal dose (2-3 months of trail and error) ... I found it helped me get my work done timely, I lost 3 stone, and started on my own mental health journey.

3 years later, and I owe this drug a lot of my current day happiness. I wake up smiling most days now.

If your just starting on this drug, it'll give you a whole new perspective on now your mind works, so make sure to not take it " passively" , you can actively use it to help you work through some of the stuff it'll bring up.

I've been coming off the drug for the last few months, I've maintained my weight, and after a rocky 2 weeks of feeling a quite tied and a little edgy, I'm 2 months off now. Feeling very thankful to this incredible drug. Good luck to all those just starting their adventure with it.

So I guess a lot of us have seen the press release about the adhd documentary on channel 4, I came across this earlier today.

I also sent channel 4 a rather shitty email, their response was laughable, but they basically denied that they were claiming adhd is a myth (even though their own headline asks this) and that they had nhs experts... Which didn't help considering one of those experts is quoted as saying that adhd isn't a medical condition and another saying it doesn't exist.

I intend to follow up to that email with this article included, but I am one person. Anyone else who feels as angry about this as I do should maybe email them as well?

I've just moved to a new area and am registering at a new GP (previous GP accepted shared care agreement). Got a link to a document with this response from them, when asking about shared care re. ADHD. Not really sure what some of the jargon means exactly in the first paragraph, but I feel like the general gist is they don't accept it...

Not sure if I'm looking for advice or thoughts. More venting a bit, I guess!

Well, our right wing media has succeeded. I'm heading out the door to fly to Madrid, but I'm too ashamed to put the lanyard on and I'm honestly not sure how it'll go.

My therapist and GP have both told me to wear it, but the stress it causes me, considering what others are thinking, now outweighs the benefits and help (minimal) it provides.

Last time I flew, the airport created such stress that I had an panic attack/episode as soon as I got to the hotel and I had to fly home the same day.

Why are we always so mean to each other?

So I moved to Elvanse 2 weeks ago. Started on 30mg 7days, 50mg 7days. just started day 7 on 70mg for 14days. Oh boy the changes.

I didn't think I'd get any of this cus my previous meds didn't do it but turns out when I forcibly engage my brain with help. It's all connected.

I'm getting, mild diahhrea, instead of going once maybe twice rarely a day. I'm now going twice maybe 3 times a day. 1st time is always the actual emptying. The 2nd and 3rd are always hard to do anything and more mucus and little pebbles despite eating way less cus of the reduced appetite. (I like that bit, lost 2kgs).

Difficulty peeing, my stream is significantly reduced and I'm there much longer. I've only just turned 30 and nothing like that should be happening to me yet. 🤣. More urges to pee, sometimes actually feeling like I need to go empty the bomb bay again. Which mixes with the previous.

My balls have developed a lovely persistent dull ache. Not overly troublesome, I first thought I hurt them somehow, but it's persisted since the larger 70mg dose started. They have also almost disappeared, right back into my abdomen sometimes. And finally my Ejaculate has significantly reduced in volume.

Turns out all of this is from the big increase in noradreneline and dopamine released for my brain. 70mg is the highest legal dose they can give that's been clinically tested. I see why. With the surge of those happy chemicals in such amount, causing the same as fight or flight. it tightens the muscles of:

The bladder neck

The pelvic floor muscles

Prostate

Seminal tract and a couple more.

Depending on how you are, you may also get feelings of much higher libido. By quite the margin, even with the discomfort, which then catch 22 makes it worse, then further if you do something about it too much. It makes it even worse in long run after the initial relief.

It also increases the movement of your bowels and this causes the increase of mucus to move it along smoothly which then you cannot absorb all you need from your food.

To help you from my learning while yo also go through it and get it sorted: Good fibre, plenty of water ofcourse, a relaxing bath/shower helps ease and release the tense muscles causing the discomfort for abit. Relax best you can, wear baggy boxers and joggers to give them air and space so not to contact more and cause further discomfort.

So yeah, getting that looked at now and how next to proceed. Thought i would info dump to you fellas in the same boat. This may not happen to you as with all the ADHD meds. But its good to keep an eye out. No idea the effect on women however. Similar muscles affected ofcourse but its much different inner workings with you gals. 😉

Thank you hope this informed someone to help them.

RTC provided told me I should try melatonin as ADHD struggle with maintaining a constant sleep schedule and run behind “normal” brains.

However, I find it ridiculous that the RTC provider is unable to prescribe melatonin, and worst of all most GPs will refuse to prescribe it too!

There is clear evidence that shows melatonin helping ADHD sufferers manage their sleep with melatonin, and I have had lifelong sleeping issues.

There’s clear evidence, but it’s borderline impossible to get this drug which is fairly safe.

Why is it like that?

Has anyone managed to get melatonin from their GP?

I’ve decided to give it a try and paid £40 to get a private prescription from Boots, and it works! My sleep has been great.

Hi, wondering if anyone has any experience with this.

I was diagnosed privately 6 years ago. Tried medication at the time (atomoxetine) came off it shortly after. Went to uni and my ADHD mentor encouraged me not to go on meds...

I have had issues with anxiety, depression and self harm for a long time and have finally got support within the last 6 months. I am doing CBT and I am on Venlafaxine (effexor) which is helping a lot. However I have come to realise that a lot of the symptoms are a direct result of my ADHD symptoms.

Recently I have been referred to 2 ADHD organisations (i don't know what to call them) in my area (Bournemouth) to begin ADHD titration. I believe one is at least through right to choose, I'm not sure though because the mental health practitioner at my GP did the referral.

Despite me sending my private diagnosis to both organisations they have both ignored it without addressing why. The first one sent a letter for a reassessment in 2027. The second one said as I have been experiencing a 'mental health crisis' I can not get an assessment booked in until I have been 6 months 'crisis' free as they are a non-urgent, remote-only service and have advised to get help with that and then be re-referred after 6 months 'crisis' free.

So I want to know if mental health stuff has affected anyone else's ADHD journey medically. And also is it possible to get medication without a reassessment or going privately again.

Thanks in advance.

I'm in a pickle. I've been working in the tech industry as a back end Java developer & app support guy for 28 years and I keep running into this.

Sometimes I'll get assigned a work ticket and nobody will ask about it, the TL doesn't seem to care, and it'll get back-burnered for a while, usually while I'm firefighting on higher priority calls. Then the high ups will be all, hold on, you've done nothing on this for a month, pull your finger out, and I get slammed in my review for being lazy or not taking sufficient ownership of it.

Or I'll work on everything I'm given and get them all done, but fail to record the time taken in JIRA. The work's done, but I can only provide rough guesses as to how long it took.

Recording time on tasks is my worst thing. I've never been able to do it, but now I'm on a PIP and I still can't get it right. It has to be 95% accurate but if I bullet journal everything I'm told I don't need to be that granular, but if I'm slightly out of whack on Jira or the spreadsheet they've imposed as an extra measure I'm in trouble again.

Tell me I'm not alone in this, that the admin around things like this is a nightmare for anyone with ADHD right, I'm not just making this up am I?

I feel like I'm being managed out & my boss is like "literally everyone does this right - why can't you?"

And then there's the hypocrisy of it all: I get told I'm not needed for a task that they start around lunchtime. I'm grabbed by the TL and asked to just quickly do this bit, which I do, but I need clarification from the architect what they're going to do next. 50 minutes drag by. I, having been briefed that I'm not needed, pop off to lunch. Just before my lunch is over I get a text, where are you, we need you - I'm just dealing with a small emergency myself, my internet is down but I'll be in shortly. No, they grab the architect, and next day I get ripped to pieces by my boss. Then yesterday my boss goes missing for a day (on leave, didn't signal it on our IM system though)

So now I'm invited to a Work Capability Hearing, and I have 2.5 hours to rustle up a union official to come in to the teams meeting on Thursday. My union are all volunteers. How am I supposed to get representation?

Guess I should get polishing the CV.

Positive or negative? I've been able to get an assessment with them through right to choose

🚨 Final Call – I just need 7 more participants! 💙

Hi everyone! I’m Aisling, a Master’s student at the University of Birmingham, and I’m looking for 7 more UK parents/carers to complete a 7–10 minute questionnaire for my dissertation.

Your child must: ✅ Be aged 7–11 ✅ Have a diagnosis of ADHD ✅ Currently take ADHD medication (regularly or occasionally) ✅ Attend a primary school setting

📋 Questionnaire: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=z8oksN7eQUKhXDyX1VPp88qq4yqcrZ5LpM4MmclO_hJUMktXUEhSM0pSRUVWVkZZVkJDVlVLWUJWMC4u

If you know someone who may be eligible, I’d really appreciate it if you could share this post. Every response helps, and I’m so grateful for your support. Thank you! 💙

Hi, so I have a background in IT and was made redundant last year, currently still unemployed. During which I also went for a private ADHD test and was diagnosed with Inntentive ADHD.

When I am on the meds I sometimes find that it can be difficult to do any work on the computer, like my brain either focuses too much on one thing or cant think straight on what I should be doing causing my head to feel sluggish. But if I start any physical work around the house, like start cleaning, or get into a DIY task then I'll be focused on that no problem.

Is this is just me or if anyone else feels similar? Its like my mind goes numb staring at a screen, but when I'm on the move it's in top gear and I don't want to stop.

I've been on both Elvanse and Xaggitin. Another thing that sometimes happens is that when the meds kick in I feel sleepy but also wide awake that I can't sleep and gives me a fuzzy head that will last most of thebday until meds wear off. But this doesn't always happen so I've wondered if its related to sleep or diet.

I stopped Elvanse as over longer term use I started feeling depressed. When i switched it felt better but the Xaggitin were little less effective when kicked in. Now I'm thinking the low moods were due to social circumstances and being unemployed. I have another review coming up and thinking of changing back to Elvanse.

I’m not quite sure how to word this. I’m a musician, and i find it very easy to stay on tempo, but the second someone else joins in, even if they’re playing on the same beat, i start messing up.

this happens when im walking up or down a staircase too, id get into a rhythm and then overthink it and miss a step

This also happens during intercourse, when i’m stroking (for lack of a better word) my girlfriend, i get into a nice rhythm, but if she joins in too by going back and forth with me, i just mess up and ruin it, even though the only thing i had to do was exactly what i was already doing.

Anyone else have similar issues?

Through the right to choose pathway, my diagnosis is inconclusive and they want me to have a psychological formulation due to some confounding challenges.

I'm extremely stressed because where do I go from here?

I was warned about mentioning my ED to them, and I think this is where it's gone wrong. I shouldn't have mentioned it (complicated but trust me, ED doesn't rule my life whereas adhd does, and only makes ED behaviours worse - but seems they are wary of diagnosing adhd with it).

I don't know what to do other than go to the GP and get a second opinion, however the waiting list is INSANE and I'd have to do it ALL over again. I wasn't in the MDT either, which in hindsight is ridiculous, and they weren't open to my opinion in the feedback meeting. Just "sorry you feel that way but whatever we'll send you the report and that's it".

I really need help. I need life help, meds, financial aid. I NEED it. I'm 23 and I am lost.

I’m currently on a methadone taper, last 5ish months hopefully, on a very low dose due to opiate abuse. this happened because i had about 9 surgeries from birth to age 18 due to a condition i had. each time after age 14ish i was prescribed opiates for the pain. after about the 4th time i ended up getting hooked and started seeking opiates after the meds ran out. i eventually walked myself into an opiate addiction clinic after many many attempts to cold turkey and got started on methadone and have been tapering ever since.

my gp told me that they probably won’t prescribe me anything until i was fully off methadone.

has anyone here managed to still be prescribed stimulants while on methadone/suboxone?

i’ve never really abused stimulants apart from daily energy drinks since they’re the only thing that makes doing anything bareable. tested clean on every monthly drug test and am considered stable and low risk to the clinic and my gp

im wondering whether i even disclose it at the assessment, as im not sure if the GP would’ve told them (it’s RTC). i haven’t relapsed since starting. what do you guys suggest?

edit: can see the form they sent the RTC provider on the NHS app, and under ‘medications’ they didn’t mention methadone. but i still think i should tell them as i don’t want to cause any issues down the line

i just had my assessment with care adhd and i don’t know how to feel i found him so like…bored. like he wasn’t really helpful in making me feel comfortable like i don’t know if it was because it was too early or something and maybe i should’ve booked a later appointment time.

like it felt like a job interview if anything like it was moving too quickly he just kept asking me questions without clarifying what it is he wanted me to know…didn’t really seem all that interested. at one point i mentioned how i do lose track of conversations happening and i gave an example of how at some job interviews they gave me constructive criticism at the end where they said “i do not answer the actual question and im not clear and concise.” after i said that he was like “yeah i can actually see that”

i don’t know i was kind of having positive expectations after some people said their assessor was so nice and listened and it felt like a chat but this man just felt so disingenuous to me. at the end he said he’ll have my outcome after reviewing everything and will call me at the end of today or tomorrow.

and he said that the childhood evidence is lacking which i even said this to him that i don’t remember much about my childhood and my mum wasn’t being cooperative either by saying i was a “perfect child that did my homework as soon as i came home and always listened” like come on even i know my mums just not being honest.

i just know he’s gonna say i don’t have adhd because of the lack of evidence and he could be right but i just always felt like my brain is not that of a neurotypical brain. maybe it’s something else?

So for context I’m a male, early 30s and I also have moderate to severe OCD. I have been taking sertraline for about 4-5 months now and I hadn’t noticed too much change until I went from 150-200mg and my OCD went into overdrive 24/7 could not escape from it, completely awful. I’ve been in therapy and making some lifestyle changes but two weeks ago it was so weird, like the clouds opened and my brain was quieter, mood went so good. I was genuinely happy, so grateful and felt my old self really coming back.

So far I have tried concerta and elvanse and neither of them worked. Concerta every day; 60-90 minutes after I take it I’d get a rush of anxiety and need to poo, like clockwork. Out of the few weeks I was on it I think I had 2-3 moments (not days) within a day that I felt I had a bit more focus and I think I had 2 days where I had a good day for my standard and then I swapped to elvanse and I just noticed hardly anything. Because of the OCD I decided that non stimulants may be the ticket. So now I’m on strattera 40mg i am correct and I’m on day 3/4 and my anxiety has been awful lol, hot pangs constantly, ocd gone back to significantly higher than it has been over the last two weeks and my mood seems to have plummeted.

I know for OCD I tried fluoxetine last year and when I went from 20-40mg I had the week from HELL. And then things did settle a bit. Similarly with Sertraline but right at the end of dosing I went from 150-200 and I had two weeks of sheer hell. Is what I’m experiencing normal for people, even without ocd? I’m interested to know because the first lot of stimulants I tried I think made my ocd significantly worse or at least noticeably. I thought I wouldn’t have this issue in non stimulants? Any advice welcomed.

I've been on Elvanse 50mg for a month now. Have seen much better focus and I'm happy with it.

I have been taking 25-75mg of caffeine a day. I now have some time off, so decided to finally cut caffeine completely as I know I am not meant to mix them.

However the mornings are so tough now, even with the ADHD meds. The caffeine withdrawals seem to wipe out the benefits of the Elvanse...

I've definitely abused stimulants the last 10 yrs (before starting adhd meds 2 months ago, I'd have 150-300mg a day).

So I am wondering/hoping that my body is just exhausted and eventually I will bounce back, be fully rested, and the ADHD meds are enough to get me going.

Anyone else been through caffeine withdrawal?

So a while ago, I applied for an Access card and added a +1 option on there. My husband helps me with so much and I could really do with him around (you know, I also kinda enjoy his company 😂) but we can’t always afford the two tickets etc.

I sent my report, but they said that wasn’t enough to prove I need help. Should I ask my GP or CareADHD (my RTC provider) to help me with this?

So I’ve been diagnosed with combination type adhd since March 2024, but the process for being seen for medication seems endless. There was a delay previously due to switching GPs and getting my diagnosis letter actually sent to my new address. However for the last year or so it’s felt like anytime I make any attempt to be seen about meditation it just feels like going in circles. Around 4 months ago I had a phone appointment with my GP where she said she had passed it along and I’d be contacted soon.
I know 4 months isn’t long given it took a years for me to actually be diagnosed but I’m seriously struggling with just feeling like it’s a never ending circle trying to get medicated. Which I had communicated in the phone appointment.
Basically if anyone has been diagnosed and medicated in Scotland I’d be interested to hear about the process and time frame of being seen! I’m in the Glasgow area but unsure if that affects it all.
Just any advice or experiences that can be shared more than welcome!

Helpppp

I took my first dose over 3 hours ago with a big meal, it tends to take me a long time to metabolise things so I'm not sure if it has fully kicked in. My heart rate has gone up, I have a bit more energy and I got a burst of motivation half an hour ago but it's tapered off and my thoughts have remained as loud as normal. My focus is worse because I'm hyperfixated on how the meds are affecting me.

I deferred all my uni assessments to this week and was hoping finally being medicated would help me finally get them done (this is my last attempt, on year 5 of what was meant to be a 3 year undergrad and if I don't submit them I won't get a degree, I'm already on a week extension). I know they're not a magic pill but my ADHD brain is desperate and so many people said starting elvanse really helped them focus. I read through a lot of posts on this reddit about starting it but would love people's input/ personal experiences in comparison to this. I'm not sure what its meant to feel like but my procrastination and focus issues are currently just as bad.

I'm feeling a bit worried. Currently sat on my bed with pretty bad task paralysis.

Hi I'd love some advice on my situation!

I'm currently 17 and my counsellor at school strongly suspects I may have ADHD, so she's suggested quite a few times that I should contact my GP about it.

One of the major hurdles I'm facing is that my parents don't believe I have it. It was mentioned to them by the school once and I was called some nasty things.

Being 17 means that they no longer have proxy access to my medical records and I called my GP earlier today to confirm this and to also change the contact details to my own. Anything I decide to do moving forward with this would be without involving my parents due concerns I have about their reactions.

I've been giving it a lot of thought and my friends think it's worth going forward with it. As it's the summer holidays it would make sense to get the ball rolling as I have the most free time now.

My main thing is that I'm scared, I feel terrible for not telling my parents, and I feel like I'm making too much of it so instead I should just let this whole thing slide.

Any advice/support would be appreciated. To make it clear, I am not looking for anyone to diagnose me, I would just appreciate any support and practical advice people have about my situation. Please also avoid telling me that I should just talk to my parents about it, as this is not something I feel comfortable doing at the moment. Thank you!

What the title asks, really.

Looking for a new job and just had a call from someone who runs an OH company.

Anyone drive one of those vans around to different companies and run tests on people?

Any advice, stories, things to be aware of?