BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Attention Deficit Disorder Medication for woman with ADD

Hi all I have recently been diagnosed with ADD and am working with my Dr. to try and find the right medication for me. First he prescribed Biphentin which I found no change. Then he switched me to Adderall which seemed to work alright I guess at the max dosage 60mg however it gave me moderate diarrhea. I have since asked him if I could try Dexedrine because my mother also has ADD and thats what she uses and loves it. I am upping the dose every other day by 10mg (as directed by Doc). Today is my first day at 40mg. My Doc says he wants his paitents to feel like "wow this is life changing" (which I have yet to experience)however he did say that unfortunately some people have to settle for "this is better than before" My question is for other woman taking medication for ADD is what works best for you and why and what are the side effects if any you have experienced? Please no posts about using these drugs for recreational purposes thats about all I can find online and is the reason why I came to this site. Thank you all for your help

Theresa, first let me say that it is wonderful that you have a doctor who is willing to work with you to find the right drug. That is a rarity in many places. I would love to have a doctor like that! It's also fantastic to gather information from other women. I'm glad you want to use the forum for that. It is one of the reasons that we have this forum, so that we can come together as a community and help each other.

Welcome!

Now, your turn! If you take meds, what can you tell Theresa?

Hello All,

I am lucky enough not to suffer from ADD, but have a male friend who does - though I just say that to tell why this subject interests me.

My question is not an answer I am afraid, but why are meds different between males and females? Surely it is the ADD that is being dealt with? Different doses I can easily understand, but why different meds?

Where are the medical doctors on BellaOnline?

Thankyou as always Connie,

Cheers

I guess the symptoms are different in men and woman or what society thinks men and woman should act like and what is acceptable. However I think the same medications are used for both men and woman. Men usually aren't expected to be the primary housekeeper or keep childrens schedule's and what not also woman are usually the ones who keep the social lives of their families going. Thats why ADD is different for men and woman. But I do think the same meds are used. Another question I have about medication is the decreased appetite suppression. I've lost about 15lbs in the last say 2.5 months not that I'm complaining (I had a baby a year ago and even with the 15lbs loss i could still stand to lose another 15)anyway the problem I'm having is that I can't eat anything even drinking water is a challenge I feel that same feeling as if I've eaten way to much and if I swallow anything I'll get sick. So I've been getting headaches from being dehydrated. Anyone have any solutions?? Thanks

Some stimulant medications suppress appetite. When I was younger, dexedrine was used as a diet drug. That's how I took it. It had the fortunate side effect of helping me focus.

The resources section of the site has some information about medication.

Here is some information:

National Resource Center on ADHD


NIMH-ADD Facts

Hello there,

Are there medical professionals in the USA who specialise in ADD and ADHD and similar afflictions?

I do not know the answer to this question here in SA so will get back to you, say thanks,

Yes, there are psychiatrists who specialize. Some psychologists and clinical social work therapists also specialize, but they can't write prescriptions. They need to work with a medical doctor.