Commented on November 26, 20086:24 pm
AdultADDandSuccessfulwrote:
“There are some comments about people who tried medication and went off it because they didn’t like the way they reacted to the meds. ….The important thing is to work with a psychiatrist (they have medical degrees) who specializes in ADD treatment. They will work with you to find the right combination of medications and dosages. It takes time for these drugs to work, too, and sometimes there are side effects in the first few weeks that eventually go away.
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That’s so true. It takes patience and careful tracking to find the right medication (or a combo) at the right dosage.
The trouble is, most prescribing docs have no clue about the protocols for treating adult ADHD. Too many just “wing it” with “here, try this and see how you do” and “Oh, that’s causing bad side effects…well, double the dosage!”
I’m afraid this is the norm, not the exception. One famous study on ADHD in children found that “community care” standards (that which you’d find in the average ADHD-treating physician’s office) resulted in much lower symptom -cessation rates (only 30%, compared to 90% when established protocols were followed by the study’s researchers). And from what I’ve seen in my advocacy work, the same is true for adults — if not worse.
So, if you have a bad/unsatisfactory reaction with your first forays into ADHD medication, don’t give up. Find better sources of information, and let your care provider know that you need help and are willing to work with him/her. But you expect to have a plan and a method — “winging it” is just not good enough.
Gina Pera
ADHDRollerCoaster.com
— Gina Pera