@fox.ferro I have a dilated aortic root (another thing I’ve learned in recent years due to finding things out about my children) so one thing we’ve been watching is the reaction of my blood pressure to the meds. So far the reaction has been pretty minimal. If you have a blood pressure monitor at home (we have one for some reason I think my wife needed it at one point) I’d just keep an eye on it to see how your body is reacting.
For me it was like there were a couple parts of my brain and there is a workqueue, and one part is holding the lock to it and adding things to the queue, while the other part is sleeping on the lock and not able to take anything off. So I could see something, and in my head go I should really do X or get asked by my wife to do X, and then move right on to whatever. At work I would always make my deadlines and do whatever work they threw my way, but there was always a period in the work where I would have it done, but be paralyzed with doubt about it being ready and would keep rechecking things. The doctor said that while I might be successful at work, I might be working harder than I have to get those things done. That self doubt/anxiety seems to have disappeared with the Vyvanse. My office is the cleanest it has probably ever been, and now when there is some X to do, I’m usually like oh I can do that right now, or it gets remembered and done relatively soon after.
I could see someone wanting more of the meds, because they want more of what it is doing, but we’ve been trying to dial in the correct dose and they had me try 40mg for a couple of days and that was making me a bit edgy feeling (nervous tension maybe a better description). So currently trying 30mg. The first day on a new higher dose (so the first day of the 20mg which is what she started me with, and then the 40mg) my body felt a bit weird, but by the 2nd day I didn’t feel that any longer.
My question at the moment for the doctor is how do I know at this point what normal is, meaning how do we decide when we have the correct dose? So I’m taking notes to try and capture how I’m feeling and reacting to things.
Another thing I should add, is it seemed to help me stay more focused/concentrate while playing Interstellar Space Genesis, taking time to dig into how things are working instead of just floating along playing.
I do have a blood pressure monitor - ended up buying it to keep track of things during/after the afib episode. Haven’t used it in ages though. Funnily enough it was the afib that kinda pushed me to get help on the ADHD side. I mentioned in the other thread I was under a lot of stress which triggered the whole thing. Ironically most of the stress was due to issues I had at work that read a lot like what you describe. So I was/am in a bit of a catch 22 situation with it. Though I’ve long since left that job and don’t feel that way any more.
I had… some bad experiences with mental health stuff when I was younger. I have problems trusting the profession. ;( Even now I don’t think it speaks well of the system that I haven’t really been contacted about it since I was diagnosed. Going out my way (again) to get help for this is just another thing in that stalled queue of about a gajillion things I need to do in my life. On the plus side I’m reasonably unstressed/happy currently so don’t feel that pressured to do so… but of course that can change.
Anyway, thanks for your comments. Yours and @TheWombat’s have been really helpful.
Every person has a unique experience, of course, and we all have to find our own path. There is no one size fits all. It’s important to always remember that there is no “normal” in the sense of a universal standard we should all meet. Rather, we each try to find the path that works for us, with our needs and in our circumstances. The key thing is to realize that it’s not about “fixing what’s broken,” but about “understanding what works.”
Reading down the thread, I was about to reply with this sentiment. But as usual @TheWombat said it better cuz of being more betterer with words.
There is no global “normal” that anyone should aspire to. There’s only finding a good balance for an individual so that their struggles are manageable,and they can live a happier life.
Good points, and hopefully I didn’t come across as implying that. It definitely is an individual thing in how it impacts people, and what the solutions are. More than normal I think I’m wondering how do we decide that we are in a good spot as they try to move around the dose that is being taken.
Dosage with any psychotropic type drug is always the big struggle. I went through several formulations and dosages before settling on 40mg Vyvanse a day. What decided us was the equilibrium I got from that particular combination. It’s not an easy thing to quantify or describe, except that you will know it when you get there. Of course, that might be your first attempt or your tenth…
