fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 28, 2009 10:09:21 GMT
I'm pretty sure I have ADHD, I have pretty much all the symptoms and can identify with a lot of the accounts from people on here. However when I went to see my GP yesterday, he seemed 'sure' it wasn't ADHD claiming that the children he's diagnosed with ADHD have been running around the room screaming. Jesus! Does he expect that from an 18 year old in order to diagnose it?!
He said that my problems seemed to him to be more like anxiety so he prescribed me 10mg citalopram. However I strongly disagree as I'm not a particularly anxious person and my close friends agree that does not sound like me. My older brother has a lot of the symptoms for ADHD too but he's the least anxious person I know. The doctor put my fidgeting down to nervousness, which in truth I was nervous cause I don't like seeing doctors, however I fidget 24/7 and have done all my life. Seriously? Lifelong anxiety from a kid who was independant, confident and care free?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 10:40:03 GMT
Hello Cheath106 This is pretty standard ignorant GP behaviour. Don't take the anti-depressants if you're not depressed (that's what has been prescribed). This is pretty standard stuff and we can guide you from here on how to proceed and support you all the way. Make another appointment with your GP. Follow this link www.aadd.org.uk/symptoms&diagnosis/symptoms.htmlto another page on this site. Print out the lists and mark what you have. Follow all the links on the page. Take it all with you to your GP. Tell him/her that you have ADHD and that you REQUIRE referring to an ADHD specialist since a GP isn't qualified to diagnose ADHD. This means they can't diagnose you not having it either - only an ADHD specialist can. It sounds harsh but your GP has already failed you by not knowing the procedure. If you want to keep your GP say it as nicely as possible...but you might want to change your GP to a better informed one/amenable one. Mine knows bugger all about ADHD but is willing to listen, learn and do his best for me. You sound like you have the stuff to see this through It might not be easy (maybe it will be for you) but it can be done - lots of us on here have managed it already. Time to kick some GP arse!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 11:03:29 GMT
hi cheath! welcome to the forum! dave's right!... unfortunately, your GP's incorrect, even in the way he diagnoses children by looking for hyperactivity, there are many children with severe ADHD who are not hyperactive at all!... also, print out these guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, they tell your GP that you should be referred to a specialist for diagnosis! take them with you when you go! www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG72QRG.pdfalso, if you're looking to find out more about ADHD, i think the best source of information is these 2 videos, they are long, but packed with fascinating information! remember, that if you help to educate your doctor on ADHD and especially ADHD in adults, you'll be making it better for the other people that seek treatment from him in the future, because he'll know imediately what he should do to help them! good luck! -matt
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 28, 2009 11:37:50 GMT
I have decided to take the pills as at the moment I am willing to try anything as I have important exam retakes in january I need to work for, and also if I haven't taken the pills the GP might use that against me saying that I haven't given them a fair shot so he has no reason to believe it isn't anxiety. Anyways I haven't even noticed any effects after taking the pill today so hopefully I can get this 4 week trial over with and tell my doctor he is wrong and hopefully get somewhere. When I was mentioning to him about ADHD though, he did mention quite a few times how controversial the meds are for it so maybe the anxiety is just a cop out diagnosis because he doesn't want to get involved with something out of his depth, maybe I'm just over-analysing things, hmm..
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 28, 2009 12:21:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 12:57:11 GMT
Cheath - you REALLY don't want to be taking Citalopram unless you absolutely have to - it's a serious drug. mental-health.emedtv.com/citalopram/citalopram-dosing.htmlSo if you disagree with the diagnosis of anxiety stop taking it immediately before you get stuck into a complicated withdrawal procedure. It takes a month (according to the link above) for benefit to be felt - it's a very long term drug and don't be taking it just to humour an idiot GP. I know this is flying in the face of a medical professional - but if you're sure it isn't anxiety/depression then you are being poisoned. You need to learn that professionals can be wrong and that you can be right. You've already told us so - now protect your own interests from the pro that's wrong.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 15:06:24 GMT
hi cheath,
dave's right on this one, if you do not believe you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, you need to stop taking the Citalopram!
the reason you can't feel anything is because it takes so long to have an effect!
taking an antidepressant is not like taking antibiotics, it's not something you should just 'try out' if you have no depressive symptoms... as with every drug there is a list of side effects which you are risking,
with Citalopram, over 10% of patients reported one or more of the following side effects: fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, increased sweating, trembling, headache, dizziness, sleep disturbances, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmia, hallucinations, blood pressure changes, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, inability to orgasm in women, impotence and ejaculatory problems in men. In rare cases (around over 1% of cases), some allergic reactions, convulsions, mood swings, anxiety and confusion.
if depression or anxiety was your problem, i'd say go ahead and take it... but if you don't have a problem, don't take the risk!!!
if you'd be embarrased to go back to your GP without having tried them... Throw them in the bin, then go back in 4 weeks tell him you you took them every day, but noticed no improvement, show him the NICE guidelines on ADHD in adults, and get the referral you deserve!
the medicines are not controversial among ADHD experts!... they are very safe and very effective! they are portraid as controversial by a lazy media (Fox News and the Daily Mail) who know absolutely nothing about science! but know exactly how to sell papers!
they know if they can write "Zombie-Kids High on Ritalin Take Over Classroom!" people will buy their product!
anyway!... i'm gonna go and have a lie-down after that rant! ;D -we'll all still support you cheath, even if you choose to give the Citalopram a go. but i rekon you should give it some thought first!
-matt ;D
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Post by laura on Aug 28, 2009 16:16:40 GMT
Hi cheath, good to meet you im also trying to wade my way through the nhs system. ive been diagnosed with anxiety/deppression for years now and fair enough i have been both on and off for years. but still something wasnt quite right ive tried many different meds and im on seroxat at the moment but theyve never seemed to do what they say on the box. however when i found out about ad/hd things started to fall into place and any anxiety i did have seems to have gone on holiday! fortunately my dr reffered me right away, hopfully to the right place. i took a list of symptoms and the NICE guidlines. still waiting for my referal but it was only nearly a month ago, ive been ringing once a week to pester them and now the Highbury Hospital in Nottingham where ive been reffered to has my number to call me direct. but i think its time to step up my game, its just not quick enough, ive had to live with this forever they havnt, so im going to ring twice a week from next week ;D everybodies posts have made me think about my meds i was a bit shocked when she suggested seroxat but by then id tried lots of others with no luck. now i dont think i want to be on it any more, i forgot my perscription last month and the withdrawal effects were terrible. hhhmm.... i think im gona wean myself off
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 28, 2009 20:44:25 GMT
Thanks for being so helpful everyone! I think I'll get rid of the meds and tell my GP they didn't work out. This is quite a scary experience for me because I haven't ever even had a paracetamol in my life lol let alone anything else, and I haven't been ill since I was about 7 so the whole doctor thing is a kinda new experience, I guess I'm kinda lucky having a good immune system though.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 21:30:17 GMT
good for you cheath! ;D when i first went to the doctor, to ask for a referral to an ADHD specialist, i hadn't been for about 10 years either! i had to re-register, 'cos they thought i must've died! -matt
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 28, 2009 21:46:25 GMT
Ha, I got a strange look a couple of months ago from the optician when she asked me my doctors name and I told her I had no idea.
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Post by laura on Aug 28, 2009 22:08:12 GMT
i got a strange look from the optician last month
i was trying some contact lenses and the left eye was soo comfy i couldnt feel it and told him so.
on closer inspection when the optician started examining my eye, it turns out the left lense never made it into my eye i must have dropped it and not realised thats why it was so comfy oops
he looked at me like i was an idiot . nevermind ;D
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Post by .... on Aug 28, 2009 23:21:45 GMT
Hi cheath106 Your GP's response is unsurprising but I suspect common! I got the distinct impression that my daughter's GP doesn't 'believe' in ADHD but he at least had the decency to refer her to a specialist that does.
You say you have exam retakes in Jan? Did you find the threads on this forum regarding ADHD symptoms, studying and support for affected students? I'm sure I've seen some somewhere here.
I'd be tempted to suggest you get a second opinion without having to wait a month for it! And you definitely shouldn't be put into the position of needing to be less than honest with your doctor.
Sometimes playing guinea pig is the only way for you to confirm a GP's diagnosis its true. But everyone on here is right this is not one of those occasions. However you do it, get a second opinion from a GP that is prepared to give you a more thorough assessment.
If your GP is genuinely just out of their depth, and you are objective about it - pointing out that you can't feel comfortable with his current recommendations until you have the alternatives ruled out they might be ameniable to calling in someone else for an opinion. If not, they aren't worth their salt and are no use to anyone as a GP - get a new one.
Good luck with it and good luck with the studying too.
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 28, 2009 23:26:50 GMT
Once I went in the room and the optician said 'Hello Charlie, my name's Ray' (not 100% sure on the name but its irrelevant), and then I impulsively blurted back without registering what he just said, and replied 'Hi, I'm Charlie'. I realised as soon as I said it that of course he bloody knows my name he's just called me by it and he's sitting their with a clipboard full of my notes!
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 29, 2009 3:58:41 GMT
I have been on citalopram 20/40mg prozac 20mg for nearly a year.
Not once have I noted a difference taking them, stopping them.
Nothing changes at all....same as caffeine, I can have massive doses then stop without any noticeable issues.
There is currently only one thing that changes me and that is the mood swings caused by the usual suspects.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2009 9:33:34 GMT
Just to point out that I'm not pushing you to do anything I wouldn't.
I've been prescribed Citalopram (before diagnosis with ADHD).
And I've told a few GPs and psychiatrists that they were wrong.
My self diagnosis was right.
See the similarity? It's pretty much the standard way that we get diagnosed.
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 29, 2009 10:55:22 GMT
Grr I can tell this is gonna be a really long difficult process, if only it was just anxiety, it would be so much easier. Why does the NHS create the most complicated process for the group of people that find even day to day tasks challenging, it took me a year to get round to organising a doctors appointment.
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Post by laura on Aug 29, 2009 12:58:24 GMT
i know its ridiculous (my favourite word at the mo ;D) how is anyone supposed to get help they shpuld make it easy for us not hard! it gets my back up sorry i want to change the world but i cant, i think ill start with my own life 1st ;D
well done tho at least uve taken the 1st step!
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 29, 2009 13:23:16 GMT
I always get that 'change the world' mentality, rid the world of evil and mindless bureaucracy & political correctness and bring justice to the people. So I go to my room so I can plan my revolution, get really frustrated cos I can't find a pen or any paper underneath the mess and unpacked boxes from moving house, therefore I give up and decide that I'm not ment for changing the world or in fact anything else I try lol!
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Post by laura on Aug 29, 2009 13:36:02 GMT
that sounds just like what i do!! ;D
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 29, 2009 13:41:02 GMT
Ahem..... It goes like this.
Knock knock "yeah, what you want?" "er, good day fellow possibly disruntled, but more likely apathetic an crushed to nothing citizen of this glorious, liberal country, compared to iran/iraq/afghanistan and those other ones at the bottom of the league table." "yeah, what you want?" "er, yes, just wondering if you were interested in a show of peaceful numbers near the legally sanctioned demonstation area in london" "nah"
Next knock knock, yeah, what are you selling....Well, SLAM! knock knock, SNIP SLAM! knock knock, SNIP no thanks, having dinner now, maybe next year though. knock knock, SNIP no thanks, I have a child revolution in my front room at the moment. 30 miles of traffic cones, tired... delays.......tired got a life thanks........
watching peggy say get outta my puuub!
knock knock.....SNIP yeah, just let me get my m60, grenades and shotgun and the tank is parked on double yellows outside, they tried to clamp me and tow it away but as you can see the people and the clampers/toe truck have been compressed to a fraction of their original size.
Blah blah, anyway you get the idea. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Aug 29, 2009 13:44:11 GMT
Half-written letters to government stored on my laptop! I've actually just found my half-eaten lunch downstairs cos i got up to change the channel on the TV and then wandered off and did something else.
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 29, 2009 17:50:11 GMT
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Post by boo on Aug 29, 2009 18:09:21 GMT
whats the sad face for andy?
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 29, 2009 19:20:42 GMT
cheath and her half written letter er lol I mean half-eaten lunch.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2009 18:40:34 GMT
I have just signed up to time to change to be volunteer to chang views on mental health you can also put up your storry which i intent to do to highlight ADHD. Its only a small thing but youve got to work your way up like most of you we have big ideas and plans and get angry at how long everything takes i think especialy in this country. I just wish and hope i will one day soon find a way to cut through and make a big diffrence or someone else does or we all do. At the mo am trying to sort self out in tandem with trying to find anythink i can to push things forward.
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fidgmidg
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Post by fidgmidg on Sept 6, 2009 0:07:35 GMT
Cheers, I'll take a look at that.
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