This post is both, seeking for advice and just communicating
Hey people, I finally got diagnosed with ADHD at 36 because I had a severe motivational blockade and executive dysfunction and started medication with Medikinet adult (not sure if it has other names on the international market). We started with 10mg (taken in the morning) and intend to raise it by 10 every week, now I’m on 30mg. But I have some questions about how it feels when it’s properly working.
The first day I didn’t notice anything for most of the day, except for the afternoon when I came home, saw how untidy my apartment was and just started cleaning. I didn’t even have to force or convince myself, I just saw something that bothered me and worked away to fix it. However, this special feeling never occured again so far.
The days after this, I was able to do things again (sport, grocery shopping) etc, I even had no issues with my work (which before was just a brutal chore and tiresome). There were still things I didn’t like doing or put off doing (a difficult E-Mail for example), but I felt like I could do these things if I forced myself.
This feeling continued in the second week with 20mg, work become even a bit easier. Still, I felt like I was a bit easily distracted (but only by other kinds of work, I had the need to be productive).
Today for the first time I’m on 30mg and I feel strongly compelled to work. The 5 minute coffee break with a friend, with whom I’d usually talk until she kicks me out of her office, just seemd way to long and I desperately wanted to go back to work. I also feel somewhat energetic in my body. Still, I think I’m a bit too easily distracted - also, thinking about cleaning, I don’t have the same way of feeling about it like I had on the first. I think it would still require some willpower to start.
The strong urge to work and the high, somewhat chaotic energy - are these symptoms because the dose is too high, or will they become more managable with more familiarization to the dose or higher doses? Will that feeling from day 1 about cleaning come back, where it didn’t take any kind of willpower to do it? Or was that a fluke?
Also, since the beginning of treatment, I have 20 minute spurs like twice a day (around 3,5 and 7 hours after taking the meds) where I really need to communicate with someone, sometimes face-to-face and sometimes just anonymously. Which is also a strong reason why I made that thread, so please, share your experiences.
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It’s definitely normal to experience higher energy in the week or two after starting or increasing a dose. I have a chronic pain condition and sometimes stop my meds during a flare-up so I can rest lots. I’ve explained to my doctor that it’s almost like my ADHD meds have anti-withdrawal effects. I never have any issues with stopping them apart from being really tired (which is the goal). But if I’m off them for about a week, I get that same jittery energy for a few days when I start taking them again. I’m not sure what the dosage range is for your med as I’m on Vyvanse. Generally if those symptoms start to persist for more than a month after a dosage increase, you may be on too high a dose than what works for you. I’m on 50mg when the max possible is 70mg because I start getting, well, Hyperactive.
Also just RE: that first time cleaning. It’s not necessarily that it was a fluke, but I think it feeling completely effortless was your brain not being used to having a normal amount of dopamine. Meds are supposed to get your dopamine levels to basically where they are for people without ADHD. Most people don’t find cleaning particularly fun or enjoyable, but they also don’t find doing it impossible.
Just someone without any meds or diagnosis chiming in- I have the same ups and downs during the day and from week to week too. Some weeks I have never ending motivation (lots of house projects on my plate, and lots of work stuff) and other days it’s a struggle to do anything.
I think it’s normal for people to have spikes in a day or a week or vice versa, no one is just a solid production machine. I think the issues happen when you can’t get out of the lows.
I’ve never felt I had any kind of ADHD, because I have always been able to put extreme amounts of focus into things I’m motivated to do- but I’ve read that can be characteristic too. I get bored easily and I’m a chronic procrastinator and hate planning and being boxed in by schedules with a passion. Perhaps I have some tendencies.
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My understanding as others have pointed out is that you acclimate to medications, with the goal being that they eventually keep you on a more “normal” baseline. Good luck man, I’m sure it’ll work out!
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