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Post by nemo on Nov 21, 2011 23:07:38 GMT
Does anyone take a regular, scheduled break from their meds?
Planetdave recommended this to me on another thread and I was wondering what worked for people and how they feel on these 'days off'?
I took yesterday 'off' and felt like flatttened poo.
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Post by nemo on Nov 21, 2011 23:10:13 GMT
Ah, sounds like I'm blaming PD for my feeling bad. I didn't mean to do so. I forgot to mention my doc said the same thing. Just curious as to how others go about it.
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Post by twix on Nov 21, 2011 23:51:03 GMT
I regularly forget to take the flipping things! I found that I wasn't eating enough when I first started so I would just take them Monday to Friday unless I was doing anything tricky at the weekend.
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Post by boo on Nov 22, 2011 7:46:29 GMT
odat i tend to keep sunday med free which works quite well boo x ps i did try a few weekdays without them a little while back.... won't do that again too quickly
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Post by mccutcheon on Nov 22, 2011 11:32:12 GMT
which meds? wouldn't it depend on that?
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Post by mizmog on Nov 22, 2011 12:42:49 GMT
I try and take weekends off but it is all dependent on what's happening!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 13:37:11 GMT
which meds? wouldn't it depend on that? Yes - stim meds only.
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Post by twix on Nov 22, 2011 16:47:33 GMT
Its not a blanket thing, you don't have to take a break but some people find it helpful for different reasons.
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Post by adamv on Nov 22, 2011 17:05:22 GMT
I was not told anything about a break but i dont see why it would not be worth doing.
The only issue i could see (if it is even an issue) would be side effects of coming off the medication (withdrawal like) Would this be something you could experience?
I know to get onto the dose i have now i had to slowly increase my dose over time, as do when i come off the medication i am asked to slowly decrease the dose. Wouldn't taking a 2 day gap a weak screw things up?
I did have a word with my boss today about getting set shifts but it was very brief my idea was i would take the medication on the days i wont work.
I will defiantly be asking doctor about this first (i can see the potential for the positives) before i choose to take break's from the medication, but does anyone actually have any experience or reason to suggest taking a brake is even a good idea? I have heard things like the medication works better after a brake and stuff, but ever seen any evidence to back this up.
I know if i forget to take my pill normally i have a belt of activity worse than when i was not on pills all together or sometimes i will get tiered and worn out (kind of like catch up for suppressing ADHD for so long lol sorry crap description but yeah.)
Any info on this would be grate.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 17:47:00 GMT
I was not told anything about a break but i dont see why it would not be worth doing. The only issue i could see (if it is even an issue) would be side effects of coming off the medication (withdrawal like) Would this be something you could experience? I know to get onto the dose i have now i had to slowly increase my dose over time, as do when i come off the medication i am asked to slowly decrease the dose. Wouldn't taking a 2 day gap a weak screw things up? I did have a word with my boss today about getting set shifts but it was very brief my idea was i would take the medication on the days i wont work. I will defiantly be asking doctor about this first (i can see the potential for the positives) before i choose to take break's from the medication, but does anyone actually have any experience or reason to suggest taking a brake is even a good idea? I have heard things like the medication works better after a brake and stuff, but ever seen any evidence to back this up. I know if i forget to take my pill normally i have a belt of activity worse than when i was not on pills all together or sometimes i will get tiered and worn out (kind of like catch up for suppressing ADHD for so long lol sorry crap description but yeah.) Any info on this would be grate. It's probably best not to take a break until you're stable - interrupting it will only delay how long that takes. It's only really suitable for the stimulant type meds and it's possible that a sudden withdrawal could be a bit traumatic for some. It can also be shocking if you take a break and, after a couple of days, realise that this is how you used to be all the time
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Post by adamv on Nov 22, 2011 18:04:13 GMT
Well Dave i have accidentally managed to take a day off by mistake (left pills at home, went on a long trip for the day lol, oppps, fail) This was last week while still increasing my dose (this is my first week at full dose btw and i feel grate)
But yes that day that i did forget i most defiantly noticed it, without a doubt i am better on meds. Towards the end of the day i was so worn out and at the start i just could not get any sort of focus at all, or could i sit still. This was far worse than before i was taking the tablets I even got snappy and very on edge (not thing i like to be like, and most defiantly not the normal me because i am almost always a very passive person i wouldn't hurt a fly. I am the kind of guy who lets a spider out the window lol.)
So yep i think your correct on some medication its possibly not a good idea (unless you weak yourself off and go back on after a few weeks/months gap)
Just for reference i am on MPH.
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Post by twix on Nov 22, 2011 19:43:53 GMT
I agree its not needed as you are building up the dose. Mph is not like anti ds or certain other drugs, its in your system and out again the same day as far as I know. I feel mine wear off each day. I can tell when I don't take it and like pd said, its quite a shock to realise I was always like that! Like I said my reason for a break was appetite related, I wanted to catch up on my eating. Less of a problem now. It doesn't mean everyone needs a break but I don't suppose it would hurt either.
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Post by nemo on Nov 22, 2011 23:15:05 GMT
Sorry, I meant this with regards to stim meds. PD is right, a day off to remind oneself of 'before' can be quite useful if only to consolidate how better things are with the meds. Doc confirmed I will be on the mph for the foreseeable so I thought it might be worth working out how best to manage them.
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Post by adamv on Nov 23, 2011 3:17:15 GMT
I think the worst thing with mph is getting the dose/type correct. Long release vs short release... LR is a gamble if the effects only last 8hs on some people and if you end up one of them, then that's bad (unless you only want the effect for 8hs) but advantage is 1 tablet a day no need to worry about forgetting just take it after you get up. SR is also a pain in the ass having to take tablets 3/4 x a day and working out how many you need and what dose is also a pain. Mine currently only last around 3-4hs but i take 1 every 6 so i get downtime when i dont want it (on 10MG 3x a day at the moment, hopefully be on 4x a day and space them out different to cover the gap) Pffft medication is such a chore!
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Post by mccutcheon on Nov 25, 2011 7:40:00 GMT
That's one of the reasons I'm so happy I switched to non-stims, adam: I only have to think abt it in the morning so its not like my whole day revolves around my adhd. And it lasts from morning to night, perfect since I'm prone to long days. The other problem with the MPH was that with my general aversion to medication I was trying to draw out the times between the tablets and ended up with something like continuous comedown lol so no MPH for me.
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Post by adamv on Nov 25, 2011 7:48:55 GMT
I was having a word with the psychologist today about it actually. She offered to put me on Conserta but i refused. The Ritalin is working very well for me at the moment and i like the control i get over the effects (even if i have downtime in the middle of the day in-between doses.) This is one of the reasons i refused the Conserta. The other reason is i have a child who is due in 2 weeks time! The implications changing my medication now could have would be disastrous. For example i wont be getting much sleep when baby is here, if i was on Conserta i would have a set window when i could sleep as i would be under the effects of medication and this would cause me to find it very hard to sleep. With Ritalin i can just sleep when the effects ware off after 3-4hs so no issue's with sleeping . But yes taking the tablets 3x a day is a constant reminder of my ADHD I have found a way to combat forgetting to take them though, Every morning i set an alarm for when its time to take my tablet I do wish that the effects lasted from the time i took one tablet till the time i was due to take the next or sleep I guess i cant have it all my way and should be grateful it works well most of the time.
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Post by redneck on Nov 25, 2011 9:14:45 GMT
I would recommend Concerta slow release .. over MPH .. had very positive experiences with it. RR
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Post by nemo on Nov 25, 2011 10:05:00 GMT
I find MPH works fine for me. I guess it's a personal thing. It's not perfect but it's made many things much better and that's fine by me. I am not noticing it wear off though so I am often delaying successive doses by hours sometimes because I've forgotten to take the next dose.
As for breaks though, I think I'll try just taking reduced doses on Sundays instead of not taking anything at all.
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Post by twix on Nov 25, 2011 10:34:51 GMT
I'm happy with concerta topped up with ir if needed.
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