ADD in Adults -- Please look

[Nocturnal]

Anyone here have ADD? Are you currently on medication? I need some help. I am pretty sure I suffer from ADD. I would just like to know, what kind of practitionor can diagnose me, and how long does ones diagnosis period take? (meaning how long does it take for the doctor to issue tests, and the like).

Can my regular doctor diagnose me?

Any and all help is appreciated.

 

[lawaris]

uuuhhhh........

 

[Adul]

talk to your doctor, or try a search on google. that should net you plenty of results.

 

[GasX]

There is no such thing as ADD in....


hold on, I'll be right back.

 

[bmd]

My dad was recently diagnosed w/ ADD, I think it was a psychologist / psychiatrist that diagnosed it. I'm not sure how long it actually took to get the test results, etc back.

 

[Nocturnal]

How is he doing now? Is he better/worse? Have you noticed any improvements?

 

[db]

It takes a specialist to diagnose. Others will claim to be able to diagnose, but there is so much misinformation even in the medical community, that an acknowledged specialist is called for to diagnose.

Rx helps, but not on a consistant basis everyday. Eventually, it's best to learn to cope w/o Rx.

 

[im2smrt4u]

<< There is no such thing as ADD in....
hold on, I'll be right back. >>



ROFLMAO!

 

[cakin]

For what its worth...I would ask your Dr for a referal to take a TOVA test (Test Of Variables Attention). It is a computerized test, that is trully hell for someone with ADD, those without ADD don't seem to have a problem with it. ($100 or less)

Unfortunately Ritalin is now called the "teachers drug," if they have problems with a student, they send them to a Dr for Ritalin.

Funny thing about Ritalin, its impact very closely follows a bell curve and every individual responds differently. If a Dr tries to prescribe Ritalin based on your weight, HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING!

Prescribing Ritalin is a lot like adjusting and old motor using a distributor cap. You have to dial it in. When the timing is just right, everything works great. You are dealing with an electrical imbalance in the brain, just like a mis-timed motor.

Another bad problem with Ritalin and true ADD/ADHD people is that it has spikes in its effectiveness, peaking 30-45 minutes after taking it and then trailing down from there. Concerta is rapidly replacing Ritalin since it effects are spread out over almost a 12 hour period.

As you get older you will find that Ritalin has a tendency to raise your blood pressure, causing headaches. Finding an alternative if you have high blood pressure or a high ocular pressure can be important. Have your eyes tested every 9 months to a year.

Now for the real goody, NEVER EVER take your ritalin with OJ or with a multivitamin. The extra vitamin C taken an hour before or after taking ritalin, negates its value, you might as well not take it. This is a major unplublished cause of trouble with ADD students after the first cold front hits every year.

It took months to convince a teacher of this, she kept calling asking if I had given my son his ritalin each morning if he was having problems. I would ask if he had OJ at school. She just couldn't believe that giving him OJ with his class each morning was the cause of the problem. We now take our OJ at night along with our vitamins.

Also ADD/ADHD is inherited...I have it and yes it does exist in adults (I'm 47), my son has it. My father was never tested for it, but after doing research I would say he had it.

The Royal College of Medicine has a rather disturbing report out, saying that MMR shots cause an inflamed colon for almost a month after being given, this creates something simular to Crones and starves the brain for nutrients during a very important growth period.

 

[b0mbrman]

Just curious...what percentage of those who get tested for it get diagnosed with ADD?

 

[db]

Unbelievable that anybody ever thought that adults didn't/couldn't have this disorder.

 

[Turin39789]

I have started to get worried about this myself(tho i am only 19 closin in on 20)

General lack of attention span, trouble reading. Especially disturbing to me since I was once a really good student. Luckily I can go free to the Doctors here on campus. I am a little worried that I will get an instant write iff. My brother had ADD very bad and was on heavily ritalin since he was a boy.

 

[vital]

i'm an adult and i think i have ADD also... my attention span is getting out of hand and i can't even take notes during class lectures...everytime i try to take
notes and a student walks in late, i would stare at them until they find their seat and sit down...by this time, i've just realized
i lost track of what the professor was lecturing about....and it's pretty hard for me to catch up...i think i might go see my counselor or the
school's health center for help

 

[SiLEighTy]

Isnt it called ADHD?







What were we talking about again?

 

[Turin39789]

im still struggling inside. From the picture I had of myself as a student and intellectual a few years ago, To my inability and ineffectiveness now, I just hate blaming something, it feels like I am skirttailing a problem with a disability

 

[Nocturnal]

ADHD/ADD. They're just about the same, except people with ADD don't have the hyper part. It's real, there is proof. Just search for ADD in adults. It'll explain some what why some people don't suffer from the hyper part of the disease.

That's why it is hardly ever detected in people who don't have the hyper activitiy part in them. Most kids who are sent to doctors is because they find them to be acting hyper and they cant sit still through class most of the time.

webmd.com forum's is pretty good place.

 

[Turin39789]

Ah then I should say my brother had ADHD. It was tough being his little brother, as he was prone to fighting

 

[Nocturnal]

ADD/ADHD is passed on through the ages.

So if you're brother has it, and you feel you may have it, you should get checked out. Quite possibly you may have it.

I mean it sounds bad, but hey, I'm willing to do whatever it takes in order to get a decent education in life and get a good job later on down the road instead of me not doing anything about it then becoming a construction worker for the rest of my life, or being homeless one day.

i just wanna get through school, and do good, and get a decent job so i can raise a family.

 

[myputer]

You should talk to your Doctor about it. My son and my husband both have it, of course my husband denied he had it until he was in his late 20's.

I have read Wellbutrin is a great drug for adults with ADD. My husband took it when he was quitting smoking, it was the only time in the 15 years we have been together that he actually had an attention span and a memory!

 

[myputer]

Unfortunately Ritalin is now called the "teachers drug," if they have problems with a student, they send them to a Dr for Ritalin

Remember parents, just say no!!!


Cakin- I was wondering if your child has a 504 plan through your school. And if he does what types of modifications do you have in place to to help him ?

 

[cakin]

myputer,

We just finished his yearly IEP (in Oklahoma), probably the same as your 504. We also have reviews every 60 days. Now that show season is almost over, I have the opportunity to visit the classroom almost every Monday morning and Friday afternoon.

We actually started my son at the age of 3 on ritalin. The problem is there is no consistent screening process in place today.
When I was younger, I really needed ritalin. While I was visiting with my Dr, he was watching my son outside the window with my wife and asked if we had tested my son. On his advice we started with a challenge dose, my son was able to sit still, concentrate and answer questions about the book that was just read to him, before ritalin that would have been impossible.

I and my son have participated in several drug studies and the most interesting was with pycnogenol. It works but the effective dosage level is so high, you can't afford to take it. At low levels it was useless, very much like the classic bell curve in effectiveness.

For most parents, I would echo your thoughts of "just say no". However, under the proper conditions and with the right testing and challenge dosages for effectiveness, ritalin is a very effective drug with minimal side effects. The horror stories you hear about are normally of people that had not been properly diagnosed, whose Dr gave ritalin based on body weight (30 years ago it was).

The real difficulty is determining if this is just a behavior problem or is it really a medical issue.

 

[obiwaynekenobi]

<< Isnt it called ADHD?

What were we talking about again? >>



ok enough with the smart ass remarks already.

The different between ADD and ADHD is the *H* Hyperactive. you can have ADD without being hyper. just as Cakin Said (Kudos to you, for beng educated) it a disorder anyone who thinks that adult can't get it is full of it. it's a cheminal imbalence in the brain. it is heritdary, it does get passed down it does have a tedniceny to skip a generation. A therpist or a specialist that might also have counsling in it could have someone who could test for it.

in most cases you need a refferal from your doctor for your Insurence to cover it. it sadly has become a teaching drug and if misused can cause SERIOUS medical problems. Ritalin is different for eveyrone. It can casuse Frequent urination, dry mouth, sleeplyness, loss of appitiute (great for anyone who wants to lose some weight! SIDE BONUS! ) They have the extened Pills which last for 8 to 10 hours and the have the twice a day which can last about 12 hours. the effectiveness doesn't kick in for nearly an hour. and it tapers off near the end of the day It is a tightly controlled drug it is monitored. atleast for me it was

I have VERY severe ADHD I tested nearly off of the chart. I have a realtive who DID test off of the chart.

I was told as a kid it was something that you could control... This may be true to an extent. but not completely.

 

[myputer]

<< myputer,

We just finished his yearly IEP (in Oklahoma), probably the same as your 504. We also have reviews every 60 days. Now that show season is almost over, I have the opportunity to visit the classroom almost every Monday morning and Friday afternoon.

We actually started my son at the age of 3 on ritalin. The problem is there is no consistent screening process in place today.
When I was younger, I really needed ritalin. While I was visiting with my Dr, he was watching my son outside the window with my wife and asked if we had tested my son. On his advice we started with a challenge dose, my son was able to sit still, concentrate and answer questions about the book that was just read to him, before ritalin that would have been impossible.

I and my son have participated in several drug studies and the most interesting was with pycnogenol. It works but the effective dosage level is so high, you can't afford to take it. At low levels it was useless, very much like the classic bell curve in effectiveness.

For most parents, I would echo your thoughts of "just say no". However, under the proper conditions and with the right testing and challenge dosages for effectiveness, ritalin is a very effective drug with minimal side effects. The horror stories you hear about are normally of people that had not been properly diagnosed, whose Dr gave ritalin based on body weight (30 years ago it was).

The real difficulty is determining if this is just a behavior problem or is it really a medical issue. >>





We have IEPS here as well, but my son doesn't have a learning disability so he has a 504 plan. They give him modifications with his testing, like he is allowed to take all his exams orally. If he does take a written exam he is allowed to go to a different room so is not distracted by other students.

I am very surprised that your son started taking ritalin at such a young age, ADD shouldn't be diagnosed before the age of 6 since the traits peak at the ages of 5 to 6 1/2. My son used to take Ritalin but has now switched to concerta.

When my son was in first grade he started having really serious problems with control. He couldn't sit still, he would start singing in the middle of class, he could not pay attention. We would talk to him about his behaviour and he would cry telling me he really couldn't help it, he didn't understand why he did these things.

He started taking ritalin when he was 7 and for him it worked wonderful. He isn't behind in school at all, he actually does quite well. He is very popular and participates in a lot of after school activities. None of that would have been possible for him if he wasn't medicated. I am sure alot of people that read this won't understand and will think I am nuts, but I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about.

 

[Nosferatu]

I tried ritalin and as stated above the effects were too "burst like" . I tried Concerta with better results.
generally a psychiatrist will have access to tests for ADD. If the family dr prescribes it, chances are he is just trying to blanket the problem. Kinda like dr's prescribing prozac immediately without first seeing if talk therapy will work....