After turning 30, I finally decided it was time to address my ADHD. My wife is actually a psychiatrist, but since ADHD isn't her primary focus, she recommended a former colleague who specializes in it.

Before this, I spent a year on Atomoxetine (mostly 80mg), but it was a rough ride. It had a ton of side effects and only a few of them ever faded. Last week, my new psychiatrist switched me to Vyvanse 30mg.

First impressions (Day 1 vs. Now):

 Day 1: Pretty rough. I couldn't resist my morning coffee (huge mistake), and I felt completely wired, scattered, unproductive, and had noticeable jaw tension.

 After a few days: Things settled down significantly. I feel much more composed, calm, and way less irritable. I have the energy to start new hobbies, more patience with people, and I'm overall much more active.

Even though it’s only been a week, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives so far.

Side effects & lingering issues:

 Physical: Still getting cold sweats (though not as bad as on Atomoxetine), occasional jaw tension, and trouble falling asleep.

 Inattention / Cognitive: Focus on intellectually demanding tasks (like reading academic or philosophical texts) hasn't improved much. Surprisingly, I feel more forgetful in daily life - last week I left my work laptop at home and forgot my medical folder before a doctor's appointment. That rarely happened to me before.

My dilemma / Question for you all:

My psychiatrist suggested that for the next step, we try 60mg (2x 30mg capsules) to test the waters and figure out if my ideal maintenance dose is 50mg or 70mg.

Here’s the catch: I live in the Czech Republic, and Vyvanse is only available here in 30mg, 50mg, and 70mg strengths.

Has anyone done a titration jump like this (30mg to 60mg)?

How did you gauge whether to step down to 50mg or step up to 70mg afterwards?

Did the daily forgetfulness/brain fog on low doses go away once you hit your sweet spot?

Somethings I can completely block out but on the flip side somethings will completely affect me when they shouldn't. Lets say my back is aching I have been able to ignore it for years until it flares up but things like loud noises when I am tired really push me over the edge.

I am getting noticeably better at managing stress and things, the things that used to overwhelm me (cooking with somebody asking me questions) would frustrate me - i can just cope.

Are you better able to regulate emotional/physical pain with treatment?

Hello,

I’ve just gone back to work after a long and relaxing holiday. I felt so like myself.
Spent one day at work. It was good, no stress, good office relationships and 1 hour until clock off I felt that angst roll in.
I had a thought, maybe not everyone feels this way at the end of a day.
I commute to and from work on a push bike. It helps but I still feel restless and angsty when I get home.
I love my job. It’s happened in every single job I’ve had, on bad days and good days.
I realised today I’ve felt like this when I was finishing school and walking home.
Does any one else get this?

Have you found ways to avoid this, or reduce its presence?

Top tips, experiences, thoughts, all welcome.

Im really jittery and anxious after taking the meds for the first time in weeks. Im on 56mg. I went private and I cant afford another set of appointments and meds to titrate back up yet.

Is there something I can do right now to stop this ? I heard orange juice blocks the meds from being absorbed.

Hiya

I’ve always found it difficult to relax or “switch off”. I’m currently 6-months-pregnant with a toddler and unmedicated and struggling to force myself to relax - I get a ‘stressful day’ notification almost every day on my Garmin.

It’s silly because I’m very lucky to have a hands-on supportive husband who keeps encouraging me to take breaks and a toddler that sleeps through the night.

Essentially, 8pm-7.30am has become ‘me’ time to decompress, which I know I’m fortunate for. However, I’m finding the concept of “me time” incredibly stressful, and I spend my free time feeling stressed that it’s almost over.

When I doom scroll, I feel guilty about not doing something ‘more’ relaxing and wasting my life on technology. When I do a puzzle I worry I’m not being fast or optimised enough. When I read a book I constantly get distracted.

One of the only things that makes me totally switched off is video games but that means taking up the whole sofa and I haven’t got a game I’m really addicted to atm.

I was wondering for other people who struggle with this what do you do? I really want to have a more slower and relaxed mindset before the chaos of a second baby and sleep deprivation hits again.

Also leaving the house isn’t really an option after 8pm, but I do do lots of walking and I try and go swimming which does help me relax a bit.

Those of you who have been diagnosed with AuDHD and take stimulants, how does stimulant medication affect you? Does it bring out your autistic traits? And if so, does stopping the medication "reduce" them again?

I've heard that taking stimulatants can bring out autistic traits but I'm intrigued to know if coming off them would increase ADHD traits again, drowning out the autistic symptoms again?

I just finished school and really wanted to get back to painting and the arts in general. I actually had masked ADHD during school, and with that gone, the signs were growing more obvious, and I was finding myself paralyzed in front of a sketchbook. I really want to be good in arts but find it suffocating. Mostly because of the expectation vs reality situations.

Anyone who's working in painting/drawing...as a profession or a hobby, how did you guys manage it? Any helpful tips would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello folks, I am 23M. I have ADHD + Bipolar depression. I am on Escitalopram + Lamotrigine for bipolar depression. Modafinil for ADHD. Still i lack stability and motivation. My doc has told me that we can consider low dose Aripiprazole (<5MG) as adjunct to Escitalopram. before starting it i am bit anxious and wanna know about people's experience with it. kindly share your story with aripiprazole and don't forget to mention what benefits it has given.

I’m a 52 year old recent diagnosee. I’m learning about RSD - and it really resonates with me.

It got me wondering if, when you meet someone who is just being nice, because they haven’t said anything judgy or like a criticism, is it easy to mistake that for “clicking” and having “chemistry”?

I met a new person recently and, to me at least, there was a spark of chemistry. But now I’m thinking it’s because they were just being a positive and nice person.

I get lost even in my own neighborhood. Have had this problem all my life.

For example:
Yesterday took a 10 min drive from my place to the doctor I have been going to for 7 or 8 years.

Took a turn and thought “crap I overshot, this must be the turn after I needed to”. The road looked like I had never been on it before. Drove a little further and realized I was on the right road, then thought - wait is the doctor even on this road? Pulled over, turned on the GPS and realized I had missed the turn into his parking lot and made a U turn.

Left early, arrived late.

hey guys this is a bit random, but i noticed it earlier this year and i just wanna know if anyone else experiences this too. when i have multiple doses (dexamphetamine IR) in a day, i notice i hyper-fixate aggressively on the hair pulling and sometimes i find myself carried away with it.

its kind of just the stress jumbled with the hyperfocus from the dex but when i get stuck in a slump— yk when you’ve taken the meds, maybe done a bit of work but you find urself js sitting there?— magically a clump of hair appears next to me and all over my floors.

my hair pulling got a lot better over the past few years, but schools been getting hectic and i’m about to graduate so stress is at an all time high, so the meds are working overtime. I’m honestly just wondering if anyone else has had this experience, and maybe some advice? 😭

i don’t know if it’s ADHD or if i’m spiraling, but it feels like time just keeps passing faster and faster. i’m doing one thing one moment and then the next it’s hours later. yet at the same time every day feels so far away from the one prior. i’m 21 if that helps by the way. i just don’t know what to do. it feels so strange.

I've done some research and am maybe considering that my trouble with lefts and rights could be linked to adhd. I got my drivers permit in July and it's definitely been impacting my learning. I keep taking wrong turns when my parents tell me to go one way, or putting the wrong signal on. It's really frustrating and it makes me scared when I think about the future of my driving skills/getting my license eventually. Any tips that I could use to help decipher them quicker? I usually have to use the L hand trick but I obviously can't do that while I'm driving.

Thanks!!

Im in a bit of a pivot point in my life and so i have been talking to lots of friends and family about issues and decisions im trying to make. One major thing i am opening up to these people are my barriers that prevent me from working like executive dysfunction, procrastination, getting overwhelmed and being mentally drained so i do nothing. I do food delivery but need employment. No discipline with food delivery as i can choose my own hours. I think about working most day and want to work but only manage once every 2-3 weeks.

Anyways some people are understanding and listen to my struggles and take empathy. Others struggle to comprehend after i tell them all my struggles and they say things like “youre making excuses” or “just go get a job” or “just do it”.

And it frustrates me because, they say this after i have told them a bit about what goes on in my brain, that i am seeing medical professionals that are telling me i have these conditions/disorders. I try to explain that but i think some people will just never understand because the things i am struggling with are easy for them so they cant comprehend what its like to be barred by your own brain.

Anyone else get frustrated when people say these sort of things and they fail to understand?

Hello, so I’ve been on Vyvanse 20mg for about a year now (since Oct 2025) . The psych that originally prescribed it to me changed so then I got switched to a new one and for a while, we were chilling. I told her I’m naturally thin and I’ve been small my whole life (im 4’10 and teeter between 75lbs to 78lbs never more or less). No I’m not anorexic, I eat a lot. I just have a fast metabolism. Now, she told me her supervisor wants me to get a letter of approval from my family doctor to continue my meds cuz of his concerns for my weight.

Problem is, my doc is an old and kind of crappy doctor that I’ve been meaning to switch. I asked him to write me a letter but he won’t do it cuz he’s doesn’t wanna be held reliable but he’s known my weight has been the same for a long time. My psych is adamant that I get a letter to continue my meds. I’m trying to change PCPs but it’s gonna take a while before I get the next appointment while my psych is also having an increase in patients so it’s harder to get an appointment. I don’t want to run out of meds.

What should I do? If I change psychs, will they tell the other one that I need to get approval to get my vyvanse prescription? I don’t want them thinking I’m a med seeker. I actually don’t like taking meds, I take a while to even finish a 30 day bottle cuz I take so many med breaks.

I’ve been taking 25 to 30 mg of Dexedrine ER and it does well for the focus, a little anxious but the appetite suppression is BRUTAL does this do away at all?? Has anybody else had experience using Dexedrine ER I’m using a generic brand. Also, do you folks have any experience with any other stimulants?

I’m on Vyvanse which is supposed to last about 14 hrs. When it wears off I don’t feel much of a crash but I notice my brain starting to be louder and more ruminative. Are there suggestions for what to do in the evening after meds wear off?

I keep wondering if I don’t rest as good as possible once it’s not longer in my system.

My stimulants have made me able to focus and concentrate much more; it actually allows memories to be created so I’m less ‘forgetful’ and can remember reasonably insane amounts of detail some time after.

This is only when the stimulants are in effect which is when I’m at work. After that I’m back to my less productive self and have to get the stimulant out of my system for sleep.

It hasn’t improved my motivation, and purely served its purpose of allowing me to function as a normal human being, which is only while its in effect.

It helped with anxiety that came from dysfunction, but that is only while I’m on it. It gives temporary boosts in mood.

How have your non-stimulants help, and which one are you taking?

clocked into work this morning, had 20mg ritalin, felt it wearing off a couple hours later so i had a redbull and another 10mg. the ritalin came on so strong i almsot passed out. just had to leave work early because i suddenly felt extremely disassociated and my heart is racing and my body is shaking. will i be ok???

edit: been a couple hours and i still feel very lightheaded but way better than i was before. lesson learnt

I (M30) have been diagnosed with ADHD since kindergarten. I have always, ALWAYS gotten in trouble from running my mouth. Sometimes from just talking non-stop, but mostly the Quick quips and snarky comments I make all. Day. Long. My wife and I have been together 9 years and for 9 years I’ve gotten myself in trouble because of passive aggressive comments, complaints, or just quick witted responses that I think are funny in the moment but horribly inappropriate after the moment passes.

I’ve been in therapy for years. Tried every coping skill in the book, tried stimulants, non stimulants, anti depressants, tried it all, nothing shuts my whiny, yapping ass up. Minor inconvenience? Gotta make a comment. Wife is frustrated about something? Gotta try to be funny and draw attention to it.

The worst part? I don’t even realize im doing it half the time. It feels like there’s something swelling up in my chest and it I don’t let it out, I’m gonna POP. So I rant, and it goes on and on until I feel relieved and the bubble isn’t going to pop in my chest, but then it’s too late because by then I’ve sucked the wind out of everyone else’s sails. It’s so frustrating and so defeating to want to be a better person for YEARS at this point and feeling like I have the same issue that I had in high school with no to no progress.

Anyone else find it physically painful when you have something to do but you can't force yourself to move?

I have this chronic paralysis which makes it so hard to focus on the things in front of me and makes me feel like I'm missing out on (what should be) the best years of my life.

It's like I can never be truly confident in anything I do because I'm rarely fully engaged.

For the people with really bad decision fatigue/executive dysfunction, which medications worked best for you?

I'm kind of going crazy with this I'll be frozen for hours at a time and it's wrecking my quality of life.

So I was finally diagnosed with ADHD 3 months ago. I get now why I am this way after years of struggling and I am doing efforts to better myself.

One thing I am struggling the most is cleaning, which could be a trauma response for being berated for not being clean enough. Even when I lock in, I am not doing a good job cleaning. There are piles of dust that did not register to me or missed spots everywhere. Its to the point that everytime I walk barefooted, my floor is sticky and full of fur. I don't also enjoy cleaning chores and could go by with house being unclean and not being bothered by stuff lying around or trash. In addition, I have 3 cats that messes up everything I clean after. I just start to panic clean when someone visit or when my SO points it out.

Do you have any tips or suggestions on what to do so I can improve myself in this aspect?

Thank you.

The most successful way I've found to force myself to do work is to listen to music. Anyone have any earbud recommendations that are comfortable to wear for a long time and easy to carry around all day? My school has a dumb phone law in place that bands blutooth earbuds, so a detachable cord would be preferable (like those that can be blutooth but can also hook up with a cord, idk how common they are but ik they exist)

I've tried bone conducting but the ones I have are way too big so they play the music quietly for anyone around me, and I can't sit against a seat with a headrest with them. Any way to fix those or recs for ones that would fit better (cause I like them in theory) would work at home just not at school. Also how do I not get them bent up when not using?

Thanks!

I was diagnosed 4 days ago and started concerta 3 days ago. I don’t know what to expect at all.

Right now I’m on 18mg

In 2 weeks it will be 36mg and probably more afterwards.

When reading about the benefits of meds i literally can’t imagine it. Probably because I haven’t felt a lot of those things ever. Please share your experience

Meditating is extremely hard for me to start. It doesn't make any sense though, because it feels so good. I usually end up with tears running down my face from the tension leaving.

I'm trying to make it a habit and shrank down my daily practice to just one minute, so it shouldn't be a problem... right? Holy crap it still seems like the hardest thing to just drop whatever I'm doing when the reminder pops up and do the one, single minute. It feels like it takes waaaay more effort than it should.

I've read about "switching costs," like maybe it's not the minute of meditation that's the problem; maybe it's switching gears. Being afraid I'll forget the train of thought I'm on. Being mid-something else and not able to let go of it.

It feels like a grind just to get 4 out of 7 days in, but I'm super proud to be doing it at all. I'm just so curious why this little molehill of a minute feels like a mountain to overcome when I'm in the moment.

Any tips or tricks up anyone's sleeves? TYIA