Posted by 3 Beer Effect on June 12, 2002, at 23:57:48
In reply to Going to doc, need adderal, posted by geno on June 12, 2002, at 20:29:58
I don't think you have to go to a psychiatrist or neurologist in order to be treated with Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Adderall for ADD. Family Practitioners are actually quite knowlegeable about ADD since they see so many "ADD kids".
As an adult though, it is harder obtain an ADD medication, because the doctor will fear abuse. I began ADD Medication though, with my regular Family doctor with Ritalin SR 20 mg, which didn't work, then he switched me to Ritalin IR 20 mg 2x per day which worked very well.
Usually, the doctor will go through a whole routine about how you should take Wellbutrin SR even though it has a four-fold seizure rate compared to other anti-depressants, shows some indications of being hepatotoxic, & makes those with anxiety worse, & has limited efficacy in Adult ADD (~30% or so). This Wellbutrin SR routine seems to be universal among doctors- it must be all those free pens & refigerator magnets they are getting.
Provided you can fend off the Wellbutrin SR the doctor will inevitably push on you, he is definitely NOT going to give you anything at all if you ask for Xanax at the same time. Deserved or not, Xanax has quite a bad reputation in doctors circles & they are quite careful to whom they prescribe it to since it seems to easily be the most abused benzo (+ there was all the negative publicity a few months ago with the President's niece being arrested for writing a fake Xanax prescription). I would avoid asking for Xanax at all, & also ask for the stimulant first (after explaining all your Adult ADD symptoms from the CHADD website), then tentatively ask for Klonopin.
As far as an ADD stimulant, I wouldn't ask for anything except Adderall or Ritalin. Asking for Dexedrine/Dextrostat (which is one of the best ADD medicines, but is one of the slowest selling) or Focalin or anything else might make him think you researched this whole ADD thing which he would probably take as a sign of drug seeking behavior.
According to the traditional parent-childlike doctor-patient relationship, patients are supposed to be ignorant & dumb, not informed about all the medications available for their condition.
Provided you get turned down, the tricyclic Norpramin (desipramine) in adequate anti-depressant dosages has turned out in studies to be a better medication for Adult ADD than Wellbutrin SR.
Avoid Provigil, studies show no efficacy for ADD in what was once thought to be a 5$ wonder pill. Turns out, its not all that much more effective than Caffeine, even in military sleep deprivation studies. To me, it felt like a glorified version of extended release caffeine & pooped out after 2.5 months.
3 Beers........
poster:3 Beer Effect
thread:109633
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020609/msgs/109655.html