jordon
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Post by jordon on Jun 6, 2016 19:38:49 GMT
Hi, I start Intuniv next week. Tried stimulants and couldn't get past the side effects, so Dr. thinks this would be the next sensible option as he has had a good experience proscribing it. Any one else out there on it; or tried it?
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Post by annie on Jun 6, 2016 20:43:04 GMT
Hi Jordan
Welcome to the forum. Sorry I can't give you any feedback on this drug. I believe it hasn't been licensed in this country ( it has been approved in the USA for children/young people and goes under the name of guanfacine) but that's not to say an ADHD specialist in this country might not want to try this if other meds have failed to bring any relief in symptoms.
Let's know how it goes.
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jordon
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Post by jordon on Jun 19, 2016 16:30:26 GMT
so I took a tablet for 3 days and felt really sleepy, too sleepy to work ( I have a deadline for Monday). By the second I got a really bad stomach upset; not sure if the two are linked. I was meant to take one last night and didn't because I felt edgy.
I know I haven't even given it a decent try but I can't seem to stick to anything. I feel unsupported with the whole thing, no one cares whether I take med or not - they're all out having a life. I just don't seem to have the discipline to take a tablet everyday that's going to make me feel shitty and has no instant visible benefits.
Not sure if I should try another tonight.
Sorry for moaning.
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Post by marionk on Jun 20, 2016 8:34:06 GMT
I hate stuff that makes me sleepy, so you have my sympathy! With regards the stomach ache, did you take it with food or just water/nothing?
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Post by annie on Jun 22, 2016 17:00:30 GMT
Hi Jordan
What did you decide to do re continuing the medication?
I can see you joined the forum a couple of years ago but haven't posted much. Maybe if you can tell us a bit more about your medication trials so far, other folks might be able to give some advice. I'm assuming (maybe completely wrong) that you're a young adult and are not able to access much support from close friends?
It can be really difficult to be dx in adulthood and come to terms with what this means, both in terms of your past and how it could affect your future. When medication works, it can be a light bulb moment which provides the opportunity to make sense of your weaknesses and to recognise your strengths. However, I think many,many people don't find things as straight forward as that!! Medication can only be part of the solution to ADHD and as you will see from many of the people who post on here,even when the medication is "working", there's quite a lot of work has to go into adjusting your environment (diet, organisation, exercise etc)
You certainly don't have to tell us more about your circumstances but, armed with a bit more information, perhaps others can offer more support.
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jordon
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Post by jordon on Jun 27, 2016 21:10:14 GMT
Hi Annie,
I haven't tried the medication again. I'm meant to try it for two weeks and then take a really low dose of ritalin on top of the Intuniv to see how that works. I'm in this no man's land of not wanting to take medication, but then wasting day after day lying on my bed, unmotivated to do anything but surf the net.
I was first diagnosed with Adhd (combined type) after I failed my degree. I was doing really well and then it got to the final year and I had to do subjects I had no interest in and I just couldn't finish my coursework.
I saw a private doc who put me on Elvanse 30mg, but I felt jittery on it, so the doctor was getting me to break the capsule and and divide the medication, but in the end he decide it wasn't worth it at the does I was taking.
So, we tried ritalin and I felt the same, jittery, emotional and a racing heart. I could even run for the bus or go to the gym because my heart rate shot up and wouldn't come down. Other than that it left me feeling blank, I work as a writer and I didn't have a thought it my head.
Went to the NHS, spoke to the phych who put me on concerta and strattera - I hated both of them and felt no difference.
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Post by hanonymouse on Jan 3, 2017 13:38:39 GMT
Hi guys, How did you all get on in the end with Intuniv, I'm seconds away from calling the psych ugently to see if I can stop taking them, I feel like utter crap, struggling to stay awake and totally unable to think or work?
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jordon
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Post by jordon on Jan 4, 2017 0:12:49 GMT
Are you taking it in the morning or at night time?
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Post by hanonymouse on Feb 11, 2017 19:30:45 GMT
HI, I finally remembered that I made this post... clearly meds are still not working. I'm taking Intuniv at night, only up to 3mg now and it's making me feel totally exhausted. I was fine on the lower doses, but on 3mg it's pretty bad. The nurse has asked me to split the dose, 2mg at night and 1mg in the morning so I'm just waiting for the pharmacy to get delivery and I'll try. However, I'm feeling so bad, so totally exhausted I'm thinking of giving up completely, either on the meds, or just everything, can't possibly go on like this. I'd rather just have the bloody adhd and muddle through as I have been! (( Every med I've tried has had really unpleasant side effects, almost like my body just doesn't want them at all! The psych says there are more to try, but, do I really want to keep putting myself through all this nastiness? Time to just give it up! One way or another!
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jordon
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Post by jordon on Feb 12, 2017 22:02:52 GMT
I stopped using it after about two weeks because the headaches from it were so bad and I kept waking in the night with a racing heart. It made me feel like I was going out of my mind. There's loads on reddit about Intuniv it's worth taking a look at: www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/search?q=intuniv&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=allNot many people take it on it's own; usually they combine with a stim. The intuniv works to take care of the emotional aspect of adhd and negates a lot of the side effects of the stims. Think I'm in a similar position to you where I've tried quite a few different meds all of which have made me jittery and anxious or, as in the case of Concerta, unable to think of words or string a sentence - Which if you're a writer is not great. Have a prescription of Elvanse sitting on my bookcase. The plan was to try it again in January for a minimum of three months and see how I get on, but I just can't bring myself to try it again. There's always modafinil ... which my psychiatrist say is more "gentle" than dex/ritalin. we'll see.
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Post by hanonymouse on Feb 14, 2017 9:11:15 GMT
I stopped taking it last night, finally had enough of feeling like a sedated sloth, the headaches, the total inability to do anything, it grew rapidly about 2 weeks after increasing to 3mg/day. I stepped down to 2mg and I slept a little better but the daytimes were still destroying me, to the extent that I just wanted it "to end" and I mean any way possible.
So, a couple of days on 2mg and then stopped, my pressure is up to 142/83 pulse 99 from a baseline of 117/72 pulse 70 but my understanding is that this will pass after a couple of days. I know people say not to stop suddenly, but I was on a low does and I read an article which said the makers tested a sudden cessation from 4mg and nothing happened, so I tried it.
Anyway, I wonder what's next, I've lost track of the meds we've tried, my wife prefers I take none at all, I'm about ready to just give up and try the diet/exercise/coaching approach instead!
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Post by TamingTheDragon on May 16, 2018 15:31:45 GMT
Hi all, jordon annie marionk hanonymouseHopefully you will still get round to reading this. It has been around 1 year since you last posted on this thread - how is everyone getting on?? I thought I would post my own experience with Elvanse so far as I'm sure you will all resonate with it. By and large it has been a real rollercoaster! After over 3 weeks of trialing the medication though side-effects are subsiding and I have had some incredible moments of clarity where I have just felt so alive and present. I am looking to potentially start combining with Wellbutrin (Zyban) to aid anxiety symptoms which a lot of you have seemed to suffer from. Did you ever have any good moments on the meds or were they all bad? Although I'm not 100% on the Elvanse I couldn't have envisaged how I feel now after week 1. My Dr also says that other non stimulants can be combined to negate the side effects of stimulants such as Wellbutrin & Strattera. I hope it doesn't feel like I'm teaching you to suck eggs at it seems you are further ahead on your journey than me but just to let you know that I had initial bad side effects on Elvanse which seem to be subsiding.... Have any of you tried Wellbutrin? MT
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Post by marionk on May 25, 2018 8:38:47 GMT
Hi there and welcome to the forums I didn't get much improvement from mph, but it was ok, and no detectable downside even after months of taking it. I did stop taking it though, as I found that increasing my protein intake (to more than official UK guideline) had more effect with no concerns about developing tolerance or getting addicted etc. I've continued to make significant progress with fatigue and sleep issues and general 'mental health' through other dietary changes but I'll leave that to a post on my progress thread. As soon as I've plateaued from my latest discovery, I'll try the mph again, as I think it could be more effective now. I notice you have significant problems with fatigue despite sleeping well, and that makes me wonder if you too have an undiscovered food intolerance/sensitivity. There is a high degree of correlation between gluten/casein intolerance and ADHD and autism(/ASD?). It's definitely worth investigating.
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