patriciao
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Post by patriciao on Jan 18, 2016 21:38:21 GMT
Hello everyone,
Just went for an ADHD assessment today, the assessor said I tick all the boxes but the only problem was that I was taking sertraline for PTSD related symptoms (events after 8 years old. She said I had to come off Sertraline to see if I still had ADHD symptoms. Which would be fair enough but I did provide loads of evidence from family members to prove that I had ADHD traits from a very young age. This doctor said that if I felt nervous or depressed once coming off the Sertraline, then I most likely don't have ADHD. This makes absolutely no sense to me. I care for my 3 year old daughter and I'm worried, that coming off sertraline as a 'test' is not safe. If anyone could please advise me
1. Can ADHD, ptsd and anxiety disorders co-exist?
2. Is it really that black and white?
3. The doctor advised Ritalin as the first thing to be prescribed after I come off Sertraline. Is this the best medication for someone with a history of anxiety?
4. Does anyone else have ADHD and PTSD together?
Thank you so much for reading Patricia
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Post by JJ on Jan 19, 2016 10:08:13 GMT
Hi No time to write in full but what you've been told sounds complete bunkum. Anxiety and depression are incredibly common comorbid conditions with ADHD, but you have ADHD or not and its an aside whether or not you also have depression anxiety. I've never heard of this "test", it's not evidence based. Where are you in the country? Was this person a psychiatrist who specialises in ADHD? In answer to your questions 1) yes, absolutely 2) nothing in psychiatry is black and white 3) Ritalin (which is a brand name of methylphenidate - mph) is the first line recommended treatment for adults with ADHD. Stimulants are the most effective psychiatric medication there is. It may or may not affect your anxiety levels and no one can predict this. For my, it improved my mood and anxiety. I'm not a doctor but I would say it's unwise to make you stop taking your Sertraline - and it makes no sense anyway. Lots of us take anti-ds as well as ADHD meds. If anything, I've heard more that doctors make you take anti-d's first to treat that before they give you ADHD meds. Depression and ADHD are different things! 4) Yes I have, so has blaze - and someone else on here recently, but I can't recall who. I would have a look round on the forum - use the search function for keywords and find out as much as you can. Have a look at the NICE guidelines which are on the main website. Ask as many questions here as you want and then you need to go back and query this. How did you leave the appointment then? Welcome to the forum by the way
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Post by JJ on Jan 19, 2016 10:08:58 GMT
And what was the reference to 8 years old about? Did they say that age?
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patriciao
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Post by patriciao on Jan 19, 2016 19:25:11 GMT
Thank you so much for replying JJ, and sharing about your PTSD diagnosis as well.
That has made me feel a lot better. I'm going to speak to my GP, to see what he thinks. I don't think he is that knowledgeable on ADHD though, so not expecting much. Spoke to the specialist again yesterday on the phone this time, and she confirmed that senior consultant said I need to come off Sertraline as it can cause hyperactive symptoms (think it to make sure my life long traits are not all in my head). Understandably my partner is super upset, he has really gone through the mill with me. He is scared that I will go off the rails. He is worried about us a family unit and I can't think just about myself. I'm not angry about him feeling this way, it totally acceptable. Feeling really scared about losing my family but equally scared about not finally getting the right treatment.
It was me that mention 8. I experienced trauma from age 8. The most important time was before the age 7, on deciding if I had ADHD. We left yesterday with specialist happy that I've ADHD traits, she would inform my doctor and I have to go back in 3 weeks to get ADHD medication once and only when I'm weaned off Sertraline. Do you think I should arm myself with anti depressants that don't cause ADHD like symptoms and ask to try one of those and then added the ADHD medications? Although I'm not sure what meds don't? I don't mind taking my time and getting it right. I've waited 37 years, I can do it. Thank you x
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Post by blaze on Jan 22, 2016 10:35:43 GMT
I have both ptsd & adhd diagnosis, although ptsd hasn't been an issue for along time.
I sort of see where your dr is coming from- when my ptsd was untreated my adhd was much much worse & it would have been difficult to differentiate what was causing what exactly- but my pysch (private child truama specialist not adhd pysch) also spoke about ddnos for me, never officicialy dx or put on medical records though.
It's hard to think clearly today so bare with me.... once i had some consistant effect therapy for ptsd the more extreem spaciness, procrastination etc *resolved* back down to adhd levels (which according to my med records is severe). But the adhd was still persistantly clearly there.
I had my adhd before ptsd one, and was settled taking strattera & a bump up of ritilin on work days, and i continued to take these meds throughout therapy. Neither psych dusputed dx or treatment from the other, but being nhs & private they didn't work together either & as i didn't take meds for ptsd (other than diaz occassionally) they didn't need to communicate.
You might want to look up developmental truama disorder, it's been proposed to dsm a couple of times to cover the adhd symptons truama can create (not being accepted yet doesn't mean too much, many inuse dx arn't im dsm yet like spd & cptsd etc). I guess this is perhaps the issue your psych is thinking of- where your cross over lies, &if ptsd symptoms were resolved would you still present with enough adhd symptoms to qualify for a dx ( because dx are only given whensymptoms cause a negative effect on day to day functioning)
*testing* by coming off ads that work for you sounds negligent though- some truama therapy would be a better *test* if dr feels one is necessary.
I am not sure what would be a helpful way forward for you. Stimulants themselves can increase anxiety so first line of treatment may also be of risk to you. Maybe if you know enough about adhd/ptsd/dtd you might beable to idenify where which symptons come from & go back with that. Maybe asking for a second opinion may help? You cd ask dr to confer with someone more experienced? Do you have pysch involved with ptsd? Could they offer opinion- meet with adhd assesor?
Do you have support for yourself? Hoes your hv? Cd you access homestart volenteer? Mind support group/befriender/counciling/advocate? Do you have sure start centre?
Hope it all gets sorted safely, gd luck
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patriciao
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Post by patriciao on Jan 22, 2016 23:46:47 GMT
Thank you Blaze for sharing with me. Hope you had a good day.
The assessment doctor called me today, to book in my next appointment. The good news, she had a meeting with the head of the ADHD assessment team. He said he was happy for me to stay at 100mg of Sertraline, and he will go through a secondary assessment with me in Feb. She said that she was worried that my assessment with her wouldn't be valid since I was on 150mg of Sertraline but he disagreed with her after reading my notes and the amount of evidence I gave from family members. Thank goodness for that.
I'm trying to get things in place but feel like this is the most emotionally exposed I've been in my life and it's really difficult for me to reach out. I'm worried will they think I'm not a good mum or I can't cope. My little one has her assessment at the start of February under the advice of her GP x
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Post by Dunno on Jan 24, 2016 1:45:06 GMT
I can't be sure but I think ADHD may have saved me from PTSD.
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patriciao
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Post by patriciao on Jan 25, 2016 9:31:07 GMT
I can't be sure but I think ADHD may have saved me from PTSD. I often think the same
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