Posted by Eljakeo25 on October 23, 2004, at 10:56:09
Hello, I have a long history, when I was a three years old I had speech problems and developmental dyspraxia. Later on they measured my IQ at 119. At the age 22 I was having my first case of severe depression, I admitted my self to a psych hospital and they put me on 1 mg of Risperdal, in about four days my apathetic depression was relieved eventhough I do not have psychosis. When the depression lifted, they found the underlining cause being Attention Deficit Disorder. Literally all my report cards from teachers going back to kindergarten literally list all the symtomps of ADD. Well I have been on Adderall now for 3 years at 60 mg/day, however, recently I had distorted perceptions about my peers and would threaten suicide to couples and girls to get attention eventhough I was not suicidal (this was not a side effect of the adderall, because I had this type of behavior my whole life, adderall actually helps decrease the impulsive ideations) I am also prescribed Clonazepam at 1mg twice daily for social anxiety and I have been on it for a year and a half and it has and still really helps. But having these outbursts made me realize that I needed to go into the hospital again. I was also relapsing into a "lazy depression." Just low motivation and not wanting to get involved with society. At the hospital, my doctor prescribed me the new Cymbalta antidepressant. (Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Effexor) have all failed in treating my depressive episodes. When I got out of the hospital, to get caught up with school, I was finding that the adderall was not as effective, it would only last 2 hours per dose. So I kept on dosing 15 mg here and there in frustration to relieve my ADHD symptoms. Well I was starting to become dependent on it as I was taking probably 90-100mg/day, but no side effects and could still sleep well! Well of course I ran out early of the adderall and the first day was sorta of a withdraw with a return of my ADHD symtoms. The following days I would try to study at school, walk all the way to campus, sit for 10 minutes, stare at the book, blank out, get frustrated, and walk all the way back home and be "lazy." Will after seven days I did not want to continue to feel this way. I was prescribed Provigil to try to treat my ADHD at 200 mg but it was not doing anything, so they got rid of it in the hospital. Well at home, I had a bunch of Provigil left, and I read an article on the web (I do not know the source) that one doctor believed that Provigil really treats ADHD at dosages between 600-800mg. I also read the clinical studies that Provigil was well tolerated at 600 mg. I called to let my doctor know I was going to try 600 mg of Provigil and he said "give it a shot, you are very responsible with your medications" And he said eventually the problem with adderall is it becomes less effective and you have to take more (not neccessarily larger) dosages througout the day to make through. I took the 600 mg of Provigil expecting nothing. I forced myself to study at school with full blown ADD. Impulsive ideations were also present. About an hour into trying to study..BAM!! my concentration and focus was back just like on the adderall and it was lasting and I was on NO adderall!. Things were improving rapidly. Taking 600-700mg of Provigil daily, for me no more depression, I had a smile on my face and would say hi to people and not get impulsive, my mood was good and I was very focused, motivated, and my concentration was good. This is the best I have felt in years in terms of mood and motivation. The Provigil could be also augmenting the Cymbalta because the two drugs work on the same chemicals. I cut my adderall dosage in half. But one fly in the ointment for me. The doctor can only prescribe me 400mg of Provigil because that is the highest daily reccommended dosage. But with early refills, he said I could take 600mg as needed. This has been a major change in my life with a medication that at first did not do anything at lower dosages. I believe at higher dosages 600-800mg, it can treat adhd similar to adderall, but last all day. I hope this lasts, because I don't like it when I am ill. Thanks for reading.
Medications:
Risperdal 2mg bedtime
Klonopin 1mg/twice daily
Cymbalta 60 mg/morning
Adderall 30 mg/morning
Provigil 400-600 mg daily.
poster:Eljakeo25
thread:406348
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041018/msgs/406348.html