the most helpful thing youll do is getting that diagnosis and finding the medication that suits you which was a game changer for me (initially i tried methylphenidate (ritalin) but it was a little too "up and down" for me, it seemed to tail off before my next dose was due but i then switched to lisdexamphetamine (Elvanse/Vyvanse) which has proven incredibly effective)
before this i generally got through by having multiple tasks on the go at once, pick a reasonably simple task and a complex one and regularly drop from the complex task to the easier one, a good example for me is updating my commenting on other bits as im pretty terrible at adding it as i go, i cant say this will work for you but it helped me.
the only other thing i can suggest is to try and reduce your possible distractions for which headphones are helpful ideally with instrumental music, background conversations and words can trigger your mind to go off on a different path
basically try and reduce things that may distract you and try and keep other tasks ready so that if you do get distracted youll fall onto other work which keeps you productive but as i said before i cant promise these tricks will work for you as everyone finds different coping mechanisms work for them
"(initially i tried methylphenidate (ritalin) but it was a little too "up and down" for me, it seemed to tail off before my next dose was due but i then switched to lisdexamphetamine (Elvanse/Vyvanse) which has proven incredibly effective)"
As an example of how Your Mileage May Vary, methylphenidate works well for me, but Vyvanse made my porn viewing skyrocket.
Agreed Adderall (and to a lesser extent Ritalin) turns me into a raging nympho but also made certain parts not work (pretty crappy biological joke if you ask me), due to the fact that Adderall is a blend of both left and right amphetamines. The left amphetamines stimulate the peripheral nervous system which is why some may experience sexual side effects like impotence as well as more cardiovascular side effects. As well as provoke panic attacks in people with anxiety disorders (which I fall into).
My doc switched me to Desoxyn and it's night and day, it is like I have a laser in my mind and can focus it on anything I decide to focus it on. It has far less of that Adderall punch to the back of the head when it kicks in, and more of the calming but alert effect that one gets from the right handed amphetamines in Adderall. I cannot understand for the life of me why Desoxyn is not the front line medicine for ADD and ADHD
It took a long time for me to get a proper diagnosis as sometime ADD can look like depression because of the lack of emotional control as well as just plain beating yourself up for not getting stuff done and not being able to get started. But for me it has been a life change and for the better.
I started abusing nicotine at and early age and after that any time I would quit I would have a fog in my head that never went away (quit for 5 years once and had it every day). I eventually resigned to the fact that maybe I just permanently damaged my brain and now it would never function correctly in the absence of nicotine. Little did I know I was self medication and just did not realize that the fog was baseline me. With proper diagnosis and medication I can forgo nicotine and I am still completely clear. The meds make me 10x clearer than nicotine ever did.
Dying jealous of your Desoxyn rx, I've been on Dexedrine my whole life (after trying everything and always crawling back to it) but my shrink would never let me try Desoxyn.
Desoxyn is not front of the line because it's literally methamphetamine lol.
Personal note, if I had to go back to a amphetamine other than Desoxyn I would go back to Dexedrine. Honestly you are not missing much between Desoxyn and Dexedrine other than the PNS is a little more stimulated with Dexedrine. Desoxyn does have some serotogenic effects so it does cause a little more of the calming effect that these meds have on those of us with ADD and ADHD.
In several studies it has been shown that methamphetamine is no more of less additive than dextroamphetamine the main difference is that methamphetamine crosses the blood brain barrier more efficiently than dextroamphetamine so there is less in the body to stimulate the PNS and more in the brain to stimulate the CNS. 10mg of Desoxyn is more effective for me than a 30mg dose of Adderall.
At same doses methamphetamine is stronger but generally in therapeutic doses one will be prescribed 1/3 to 1/2 the dose of amphetamines.
Also to note, Desoxyn is pharmaceutical grade methamphetamine it is not street meth and certainly not crystallized meth. It is a disservice that even some MD's view this stuff in the same light as street meth.
As far as your doc, go in informed, and state your case, I talked to my doc, it helps that my wife is a MD as well, so I have a lot of access to medical journals to research. I went in with the info, presented it to my doc and told him that I would like to try Desoxyn because PNS stimulation has been an issue for me on many of the other drugs and basically I told him, look if I have to choose between my mind and my willy, old willy is going to win every time. All of the other meds worked well for me as far as ADD was concerned, but living with drug induced impotence is certainly going to create other psychological issues down the road and when you combine it with the fact that most of this class of medication increases my drive, it is a recipe for disaster. I just went in, armed with information and laid out the case for what I wanted to try to see if it would eliminate another potential issue from manifesting. If your doc won't listen to reason, find another doc, above all you should be the biggest advocate for your health.
wow desoxyn is a pretty powerful chemical (if memory serves its pharmaceutical methamphetamine) just getting elvanse was a struggle for me and its not enough that ive stopped backing it up with cigs and coffee, i wouldnt think id need to go to the level of desoxyn but a slightly higher dose on my elvanse would likely help me however theyre reluctant enough to give me the dose i have let alone increase it
What have you tried? that would be the first question. If you have this issue with these class of meds I would personally ask to be switched to Dexedrine first and if that does not work I would try Desoxyn.
Out of curiosity, for those who use ADHD/ADD medications like this, do you get insomnia as a side effect and, if so, how do you deal with it?
The one time I was prescribed this type of medication, I was still terribly unfocused during the day because I was barely getting any sleep even after lowering the dosage considerably.
I never take my medication after 1PM, I get up early and take my first dose and then take my second dose around 12-1. Every once in a while I will get insomnia and for that I generally just take a half of one of my anti-anxiety pills or take a small dose of over the counter zzzquil. The insomnia is worse in the beginning at some points, now days I can be right in the peak of my dose and if I choose to, I can take a nap.
before this i generally got through by having multiple tasks on the go at once, pick a reasonably simple task and a complex one and regularly drop from the complex task to the easier one, a good example for me is updating my commenting on other bits as im pretty terrible at adding it as i go, i cant say this will work for you but it helped me.
the only other thing i can suggest is to try and reduce your possible distractions for which headphones are helpful ideally with instrumental music, background conversations and words can trigger your mind to go off on a different path
basically try and reduce things that may distract you and try and keep other tasks ready so that if you do get distracted youll fall onto other work which keeps you productive but as i said before i cant promise these tricks will work for you as everyone finds different coping mechanisms work for them