ADHD but medicated - Summary

Summary

Here is a concise summary of the provided text:

**Title:** Personal Experience with ADHD Medication

**Summary:**

* The author shares their experience with ADHD, initially struggling with focus, distractions, and productivity.
* They tried two medications:
1. **Adderall**: Initially effective for completing physical tasks, but not for focused thinking. Eventually, its benefits declined.
2. **Vyvanse**: Provided intense focus, but often on non-priority tasks, leading to inconsistent productivity. Side effects included unexplained shortness of breath, headaches, and sleep disturbances.
* Despite concerns, the author delayed discussing side effects with their psychiatrist, eventually stopping the medication abruptly (not recommended).
* After a brief withdrawal period, the author reported feeling fine and is now off medication, back to exploring alternative solutions for their ADHD.

**Key Takeaway:** The author stresses the importance of open communication with medical professionals when experiencing issues with medication, to avoid unnecessary struggles.

Facts

Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences:

1. **Symptoms of ADHD**: The author experienced symptoms like trouble holding attention, not seeming to listen, and being easily distracted.
2. **Initial Medication**: The author's first ADHD medication was Adderall, starting with a low dose of 5mg.
3. **Adderall Effects**: Adderall helped the author complete tasks without getting sidetracked, but its effects eventually declined.
4. **Limitation of Adderall**: Adderall primarily helped with physical tasks, not with focusing on mental work.
5. **Switch to Vyvanse**: The author switched to Vyvanse, which is said to work differently and have a slower burn.
6. **Vyvanse Effects**: Vyvanse provided more focus, but sometimes led to over-focus on non-priority tasks.
7. **Unintended Consequences of Vyvanse**: The author experienced days with extremely varying productivity due to the medication's focus-enhancing effects.
8. **Physical Side Effects**: The author experienced unexplained shortness of breath, which was initially suspected to be COVID-19 but tested negative.
9. **Denial and Delay**: Despite suspecting the medication, the author was in denial and delayed seeking help until symptoms worsened.
10. **Severe Symptoms**: Symptoms escalated to include headaches and severe sleep disturbances.
11. **Abrupt Medication Stop**: Due to the psychiatrist's unavailability, the author stopped taking Vyvanse abruptly without medical supervision.
12. **Outcome**: The author fortunately had no adverse reaction to stopping the medication and is now off ADHD meds.
13. **Current Status**: The author is back to managing ADHD without medication, emphasizing the importance of not ignoring medication side effects.