ADD medication and exercise

[amy_b]

Does anyone have any longterm experience with Attention Deficit Disorder and negative or positive effects of medication on your body, workout experience, etc.?

I was given a 3 day prescription of Concerta at the lowest dose to try and it helped me so much mentally, but...its a meth drug, controlled substance and I'm a NATURALIST- Whole foods, no preservatives,etc. I hate taking meds, but I know there are many areas of my life that would be improved if I could keep my focus better and keep the mental static out of my head.

I would appreciate your thoughts and I will not be offended if you say, "DON'T DO IT!!"
Amy

 

[ducky]

I've had this same concern lately. In fact just last night I was searching and reading the internet for drug facts. I'm taking Dextrostat. It is used for ADD in children but it was perscribed to me for chronic fatique (long term effects of West Nile virus) Dextrostat is an amphedimine and it helps me get through my day without needing to sleep half of it, but it's a controlled substance and addictive!!! It works wonders for me, but I'm going ask for some safer alternative (appt tomorrow). I'm just worried about taking amphedimines on a daily basis. Sorry, I guess I was no help.

 

[emy]

Amy,

I am with you on the naturalist point of view. First, are you on any antidepressants? Because they can cause severe memory loss.

Did you know that doctors get free tropical vacations for giving out a certain number of samples and a certain number of prescriptions of these types of medications. Talk about conflict of interests! Just curious, did you go to the doctor for this specific problem, or did this come up during a visit for something else?

Methylphenidate (Concerta and Ritalin) are listed by the FDA as a Class II controlled substance along with opium, codeine, morphine, and cocaine. It has the same pharmacology as cocaine! We are talking severe mind-altering drugs here - not to mention the real possibility of addiction.

I would seriously do some research of your own, and look for alternatives. Omega 3 fats are very beneficial for your brain (the brain is 60% fat). Examples are fish oils and flax seed. Consider eliminating refined sugars and even artificial sugars (nutrasweet, etc) from your diet. These have shown to have some negative affects on concetration. Take your multivitamins/minerals and concentrate on your whole foods diet. Also, look into essential oils. I don't use them, but have read there are some that may be beneficial for this problem. Of course exercise is key, but I'm sure you're already doing that!

 

[Missklp27]

Hi Amy,

I am currently taking Concerta at a rate of 32(mg?). Anyway, I started with 18 and my doc. upped my dose. Honestly, I dont feel any bad affects to my body at all. If anything, I've noticed I am more into excercising and sticking with my routines and rotations. And for a long period of time too. Which, as you know is tough for us to accomplish at times. To really stick with something for almost a year(In Oct.) is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I have to say that concerta helped with that a lot.

Of course, everyones body is different and they may react differently. But this is how it has affected me so far.

Hope this helps.

Karen

 

[amy_b]

Thanks for the all the replies- this gives me several things to think about. I have done quite a bit of research on alternative dietary therapy and the changes I've made have helped some, but the medication helps completely. I also believe that one reason I need it is because I have had now 12 years of interrupted sleep. My kids were not and sometimes still are not good sleepers and it has made it much more difficult for me to sleep well. I think I will also do a little bit of research into that. Maybe a few weeks of sleeping well would work wonders. I have had a few days of concerta 18mg and the difference is astounding. I'll have to think about it all a little bit more.
Thanks again!
Amy

 

[Alexis52]

There is a non-amphetamine ADD drug, Strattera, that seems to work for some people. It is actually a form of anti-depressant that works on the part of the brain that is affected by ADD. My son took it for awhile and it didn't help. Some people have the side effect of gross heartburn, some don't.

This is my theory. Sleep deprivation is not the same as ADD. If you are sleep deprived, then let the doc know that because maybe that IS the problem. However, we were told that taking a trial dose of a stimulant (Adderall)will either show significant improvement or pretty much no change at all. If you aren't ADD, the stimulant doesn't do much for you. The change in my son was almost miraculous in two days.

Does he like taking meds? No, he wishes he didn't have to. Does he like what it does for him? Absolutely. He says he feels like he "woke up" when he started meds; that's how much it has changed his life.

So the question becomes: do you not take the meds because it goes against your vision of yourself, or do you take them and gain a new vision? Alexis

 

[amy_b]

Hi, Alexis,
I know that sleep deprivation doesn't cause ADD, but it seems to make the difference between the ADD being manageable or not. If I'm tired, its much harder to force myself to focus and sort the important from the unimportant.
IF I can sleep well, eat perfectly, and get a great workout, my brain is woken up enough to manage all the details of my day with a medium amount of stress and no medication. If one variable gets out of line, the details are suddenly so overwhelming that I feel like I'm drowning. On the medication, I do my work, think clearly about it, and I do not feel overwhelmed. It doesn't require as much mental energy just to stay on task or finish my project or thought or sentence.
Interesting to hear that it doesn't really have a beneficial effect for people who aren't ADD. My son and one daughter are having similar issues and my son is going to see a neurologist on Monday. I'm hoping he will provide some further insight. (For him and for me!)
Sometimes I wonder if our brains are so full thinking about BIG things that we just don't have room left in our heads for the tedious things like managing the day to day stuff. ??? I don't know!
You might have a point about the meds going against my vision of myself. But I'm not too proud to do it.

 

[Alexis52]

Amy, You sound like you'll make the right decision for you. I, too, am ADD and was diagnosed about the same time as my son (tends to run in families). I opted to try Strattera and had horrible, horrible heartburn so stopped. I tried a low dose of Adderall and had wicked heart palpitations. But my "head" felt great! So I take nothing and continue to manage the best I can; just as I've been doing for the past 54 years. I've learned a lot of coping skills over the years but as my husband says, "Life is hard for you, isn't it?"

Another revelation was when my ADD son, who always identified with me and my "quirks", suddenly saw my "problem" from a distance. He sees himself as different from me now, and he is. I continue to inform him that he is in the enviable position of seeing both sides and to be nice to his momma! Good luck, Alexis