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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 8:53:41
I'm curious about this and have been for awhile. I
have cyclothymic depression, for sure, but I'm also
starting to wonder if I might have ADD without hyperactivity
as well, and might benefit from something like adderall.
I already take meds for depression, and don't so much
feel depressed (when on meds), but I do have a lot of
trouble concentrating and focusing. About 10 years
ago, I remember being able to get lost in a task--focus
on painting and paint for hours at a time. Same with
reading--I'd read for hours. Now it seems I can't do that
anymore. I can only paint for 30 minutes, tops, and I start
feeling distracted and unable to stick with it. I can
only read a chapter at a time. I'll see a movie and won't
be able to remember the plot to tell someone about it. Have
a hard time following conversations. Concentrating on a
person who is trying to train me at work. Those sorts of
things. I'm also not trusting myself on this--I don't want
to be jumping on some sort of ADD bandwagon...but at the same
time, the symptoms seem to fit and it really bothers me
that I can't seem to accomplish much b/c of my inability
to focus. Can anyone relate? Is this just normal human
stuff, or could it be ADD? I'm almost afraid to bring it
up to the p-doc b/c I think she feels I'm always trying
to change things, meds, and that it's a way of trying to
be "in control". But I really just want to be the best
I can be. I'm not hyper. I can lay around and space out
on the couch for hours, but I'd rather be doing stuff, getting
involved in projects, I just don't feel like I have the
focus.
Posted by Hattree on August 1, 2001, at 10:18:31
In reply to ADD without Hyperactivity, posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 8:53:41
I take stimulants for ADD w/o hyperactivity with mixed results--I'm not even sure I believe in the syndrome, but I sure have a distracted personality.
I have mixed success--I get a lot of work done when I take stimulants, but I don't find I lose my keys any less. I find them helpful with dysthymia, but I do get kind of strung out and anxious after awhile and need to get off them for a few days. (Anyone have a suggestion about what to do for that nasty feeling?)
You can get a hint of whether stimulants would be helpful to you by how you respond to the non-prescription ones. Does coffee help you stay focused? Sudafed, the cold medicine, I find is not so different from some prescription stimulants (when I get a cold I drop my phentermine and just take sudafed).
I also wondered if your meds are causing your concentration problem, since it is relatively recent. I've been out to lunch all my life.
> I'm curious about this and have been for awhile. I
> have cyclothymic depression, for sure, but I'm also
> starting to wonder if I might have ADD without hyperactivity
> as well, and might benefit from something like adderall.
> I already take meds for depression, and don't so much
> feel depressed (when on meds), but I do have a lot of
> trouble concentrating and focusing. About 10 years
> ago, I remember being able to get lost in a task--focus
> on painting and paint for hours at a time. Same with
> reading--I'd read for hours. Now it seems I can't do that
> anymore. I can only paint for 30 minutes, tops, and I start
> feeling distracted and unable to stick with it. I can
> only read a chapter at a time. I'll see a movie and won't
> be able to remember the plot to tell someone about it. Have
> a hard time following conversations. Concentrating on a
> person who is trying to train me at work. Those sorts of
> things. I'm also not trusting myself on this--I don't want
> to be jumping on some sort of ADD bandwagon...but at the same
> time, the symptoms seem to fit and it really bothers me
> that I can't seem to accomplish much b/c of my inability
> to focus. Can anyone relate? Is this just normal human
> stuff, or could it be ADD? I'm almost afraid to bring it
> up to the p-doc b/c I think she feels I'm always trying
> to change things, meds, and that it's a way of trying to
> be "in control". But I really just want to be the best
> I can be. I'm not hyper. I can lay around and space out
> on the couch for hours, but I'd rather be doing stuff, getting
> involved in projects, I just don't feel like I have the
> focus.
Posted by Mitch on August 2, 2001, at 9:43:58
In reply to ADD without Hyperactivity, posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 8:53:41
> I'm curious about this and have been for awhile. I have cyclothymic depression, for sure, but I'm also starting to wonder if I might have ADD without hyperactivity as well, and might benefit from something like adderall.I already take meds for depression, and don't so muchfeel depressed (when on meds), but I do have a lot oftrouble concentrating and focusing. About 10 years ago, I remember being able to get lost in a task--focuson painting and paint for hours at a time. Same with reading--I'd read for hours. Now it seems I can't do that anymore. I can only paint for 30 minutes, tops, and I start feeling distracted and unable to stick with it....
Roo,
You just mentioned that you "used to" be able to concentrate ok, but now it is pretty much shot right? That doesn't sound like ADD. That tends to start in childhood and remains chronic through adulthood or improves to some extent not the other way around. The question is what AD meds (and/or mood stabilizers) are you taking for your cyclothymia?? My suspicion is that it is related to an adverse effect of the meds you are taking.
Mitch
Posted by Roo on August 2, 2001, at 13:49:36
In reply to Re: ADD without Hyperactivity » Roo, posted by Mitch on August 2, 2001, at 9:43:58
The meds: prozac, neurotin, and a microdose of
navane. The neurotin and navane were added last
year. The prozac, about 10 years ago. Maybe it's
the prozac.
Posted by Mitch on August 3, 2001, at 0:34:10
In reply to Re: ADD without Hyperactivity--Mitch, posted by Roo on August 2, 2001, at 13:49:36
> The meds: prozac, neurotin, and a microdose of
> navane. The neurotin and navane were added last
> year. The prozac, about 10 years ago. Maybe it's
> the prozac.
I doubt if it is the Prozac-this sounds like a recent phenomena-I mean you haven't been complaining about attentional troubles until somewhat recently, right?? What are the doses?Why were Navane and Neurontin added-I am guessing that you became hypomanic on the Prozac? Why Navane? Yuck, I knew someone that had a major depressive episode (quite severe) and it got so bad that she got a *little* psychotic-well the first pdoc she saw stuck her on Navane with Benadryl to control the EPS that it caused without any freaking antidepressant and she got SUICIDAL AND WORSE and I had to drive her to the hospital for a 72 hour observation. She FINALLY got out and she saw our local rural town doctor (an osteopath general p.) and he put her on Triavil for a couple of weeks and then Elavil for a few more and she rapidly recovered and she hasn't needed anything approaching an antipsychotic for 20 years! If it wouldn't have been for that osteopath GP she probably would have been dead. I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of sympathy for pdocs that stick people on antipsychotics (atypical, conventional, whatever) whenever there aren't any clear psychotic symptoms. I wouldn't be surprised that the Navane is your only problem, if you are only taking a "microdose" then what's the point?
Mitch
Posted by jojo on August 3, 2001, at 11:33:16
In reply to ADD without Hyperactivity, posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 8:53:41
> I'm curious about this and have been for awhile. I
> have cyclothymic depression, for sure, but I'm also
> starting to wonder if I might have ADD without hyperactivity
> as well, and might benefit from something like adderall.
> I already take meds for depression, and don't so much
> feel depressed (when on meds), but I do have a lot of
> trouble concentrating and focusing. About 10 years
> ago, I remember being able to get lost in a task--focus
> on painting and paint for hours at a time. Same with
> reading--I'd read for hours. Now it seems I can't do that
> anymore. I can only paint for 30 minutes, tops, and I start
> feeling distracted and unable to stick with it. I can
> only read a chapter at a time. I'll see a movie and won't
> be able to remember the plot to tell someone about it. Have
> a hard time following conversations. Concentrating on a
> person who is trying to train me at work. Those sorts of
> things. I'm also not trusting myself on this--I don't want
> to be jumping on some sort of ADD bandwagon...but at the same
> time, the symptoms seem to fit and it really bothers me
> that I can't seem to accomplish much b/c of my inability
> to focus. Can anyone relate? Is this just normal human
> stuff, or could it be ADD? I'm almost afraid to bring it
> up to the p-doc b/c I think she feels I'm always trying
> to change things, meds, and that it's a way of trying to
> be "in control". But I really just want to be the best
> I can be. I'm not hyper. I can lay around and space out
> on the couch for hours, but I'd rather be doing stuff, getting
> involved in projects, I just don't feel like I have the
> focus."I'm almost afraid to bring it
up to the p-doc b/c I think she feels I'm always trying
to change things, meds, and that it's a way of trying to
be "in control".I think "almost afraid" means afraid, and I also think that possibly she should give up her need to be in control. Patients hire physicians, and should feel completely free to discuss choice of medications and who must live with the consequences of those choices. Of course YOU should be in control, but should listen to her suggestions and do your homework.
jojo
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