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ADD/ADHD anyone?

clearheaded

Active member
well I think you are only fooling yourself man. larger doses will def be worse but chronic rx use its still very real. often they are given antiphycotics to help ease side effects of prolonged RX speed. thinking there is no risk or side effects in prolonged speed use even at low doses is ignorant. plenty of articles. your brain chemistry changes along with stressing adrenal system. keeping lowest effective dose is def a good way to keep side effects lower, but like long acting opiates it does create dependancy for the dopamine at very least. I imagine if dont take a dose for a few days feel tired cold sore which will get worse as u get older. If cant suddenly stop taking an RX is a red flag at least for me that its causing changes and likely not healthy changes. You may not see it this way but unless use it only when needed you are dependant on a 'hard' drug for your daily functioning..Which of course if can be avoided, should be. Sure it makes life easier but is that something you want? housewives on 'diet' pills can do more and feel better about it but even though RX doesnt make it ok for prolonged use. whenever you take a pill that makes life 'easier' there certainly will be consequences.

Think of it like this.. if coffee a relatively MILD stimulant with some actual health benefits is detrimental for peoples hearts adrenals etc. speed cocktail of course will be worse.

Anyhoo, if dont believe me do some reading or talk to the dr about how it affects your heart and any issues stoping use, and if other patients need to take other meds to help with side effects of 5-10 plus years of use. Ask what they RX to help with side effects of aderall.(antiphycotics help mood and sleep etc) so if you think the RX is harmless you may think its not when realize whats perscirbed to stop side effects of it use.

sorry for the rant and not saying ur a bad person addicted to speed but it may be worth exploring that just because a dr RX doesnt make it 100% fine. Again similarly to low dose chronic opiates arent the greatest for ones liver or brain both get that dopamine out and help stay satisfied in what you are currently doing and stay on task. Many ADD ADHD end up self medicating because of this "lack of satisfaction".

here is an article that may help clear up what i mean.

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-self-medication#1
 

RB56

Active member
Veteran
Really disappointing that people feel it's OK to stick their heads into a thread they know nothing about, ridicule the affliction in a sentence and that's it. Assholes, fools or both.



ADD/ADHD is difficult to find effective help for because you really have to have it to understand it. Very few clinicians have it, so it's like a blind person helping someone select paint colors. Pretty much all they can do is prescribe meds and ask how you're feeling.


I suspected I had ADD and sought help. I was prescribed methylphenidate. 30 minutes after I took the first dose, I thought I had gone deaf - really. It turned out that there had been a constant "chatter" in my head. I pretty much ignored it, but it was always there. Later that evening I realized that I had been sitting quietly and peacefully for about 5 minutes. I'd never done that before.


In addition to those effects, I was much more effective in every aspect of my life. Things became much less chaotic. Things got done when they needed to. None of these things sound like much to most people but for me it was remarkable. Then the methylphenidate stopped working. Prescriber increased the dose and I was good again. Then I wasn't. Repeated this cycle a few times then he gave me amphetamines. Felt like I was taking amphetamines.



I was devastated. I had seen what was possible but couldn't maintain it. Really worse than when I didn't know I had a problem. The doctor had told me treatment for ADD was like treatment for diabetes. Find the right quantity and chemical and take it until you die. It absolutely is not. Then I started to look at things a different way.


Taking methylphenidate for a few months showed me what it was like not have ADD. Turns out that is incredibly valuable information. It means I can now notice when I am drifting and adjust. It's not as effective as when the medication was working but it's close. I can accomplish things that need to be done AND I'm doing it as the authentic me, without personality or cognitive changes from medication. Totally cool with the arrangement and absolutely recommend that people to try the medication for a few months. Definitely go with the simplest you can get, like methylphenidate. Don't look at it as a long term therapy. Look at it as educational.



Finally, I've found a Mandala Satori pheno that has been very helpful. Uplifting and clearheaded. I also found phenos in the same 10-pack that were terrifying and scattering, so you may have to do some searching :)


Good luck with this. Dealing with ADD as a middle aged person with a lifetime of accumulated coping mechanisms is a lot like Ricky from Trailer Park Boys - His life is fucked because he's stupid and because he's stupid he can't solve any of his problems. Medication let me see things clearly. My Satori helps me maintain it.
 

clearheaded

Active member
RB, thanks for sharing def good advice! lifetime of upping doses of speed is bad news as found out!

Drs dont like u taking those types of meds willy nilly either which is really how they should be used IMO. take a little IF absolutely need it, but like most drugs its a crutch. but of course Drs want sustained blood levels all day ery day because its better for you. But i dont see being on speed 18 hrs a day to be healthy physically or mentally long term. great to get things done with ease or crush an exam or paper. If isnt a life defining moment may not be worth it.
 

Mengsk

Active member
This is getting to be preaching to the choir but good information to share. While not diagnosed myself let's say there is some substance abuse in the family. Already an awkward juxtaposition because a trained psychiatrist (thinks cannabis is bad or off limits?) will recommend what is amphetamines just brand name versions that are 'slow release' and 'non-whatever' like tylenol gel caps. Not entirely sure how effective or relevant the dsm diagnoses are as far as taking amphetamine pills instead of pot. That prozac mania already had critics decades ago, as in perhaps children aren't supposed to sit in one place all day and 'pay attention' or whatever the metric is. My 2c or anecdote is I've spent enough years as a weed head then quit for a long time, to know and understand stigma and fact vs fiction. I'm pretty sure you'll find less harmful side effects with canna.
 

Klompen

Active member
ADD might be real in some cases, but in most cases you just need to learn what works for you. You have a mind that may not fit in to certain molds but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. I was diagnosed with ADD at one point too and given dangerous drugs for it(Ritalin and Imipramine). These drugs kill people, but nobody told me about all that. Discovering Buddhism, cannabis, shrooms, and LSD(especially LSD!) has helped me find center and focus in a way that unleashes my mind instead of confining it. I haven't had access to bud for the last year, and I can tell you that quitting has done NOTHING good for me. Its been an incredibly negative experience. I can't speak for you, but I have a feeling that there's a better way for you to go than taking dangerous stimulants to focus. Find out how to free your mind instead of paralyzing it with bad medicine.
 

Mengsk

Active member
:kos:And people don't want to admit it too if they are addicted to either coffee or any of many other different things.
 

Mr_White

New member
CBD Canna-Caps for ADHD?

CBD Canna-Caps for ADHD?

Tell the doc you're not interested in big pharma's solution. Look for higher CBD content cannabis and look into making Canna-Caps. Work up a pill you're unable to 'feel' and take them 3 times a day. It can take a while to get the right combination and it's worth it.

Things get awesome around week 3. ;)

Douglas, can you please tell us more?
 

Mr_White

New member
Hey @hush, @hard rain

Thanks for sharing. I had my ADHD diagnosed about a year ago, I was 42 years old. The doc got me on Vyvanse, which is also amphetamine, but a slow release over 12 hours. After a few days of getting used to it, the medicine started working really well. I was able to concentrate for longer periods of time. In fact, I felt like a superman. I could work longer hours, and started solving many of the problems that I previously wasn't able to handle. Managed to start losing weight, and getting my life on track.

At the beginning, I even felt calmer. Normally, I'm almost never able to just sit, relax and do nothing, I get edgy and want to get up and start doing something... The amphetamine was helping with that too.

Then, about 5 months into my therapy, we went in over our heads with a house we bought, and I had to work really hard for like 6 months to make the extra money and make it all work. The meds helped, and I started working long hours and weekends. It came to a point where I couldn't start my day before downing 2-3 coffees and then taking the amphetamine (always just the prescribed dosis).

After months of hyperfocus on work (hyperfocus is BTW a weird ADHD symptom), I started to feel that the rest of my life was crumbling. I just wasn't there for my family and was not taking care of myself at all. And even when I was there physically, mentally I was always elsewhere, worrying and thinking of work. I started to gain weight, drink more and took on smoking weed again (I had took a long break when I started my ADHD treatment). My ADHD symptoms were flaring up. Weed was helping a bit, but it was just a temporary escape from the dull, life sucking grind my life had become. I felt stuck and didn't know what to do.

Then we went on a vacation, and spent a few days in Las Vegas and San Francisco, discovering the beauty of just walking into a dispensary and choosing your favourite strain. After smoking more intensively for a couple of weeks, I finally started to dig myself out of the rabbit hole I had dug myself in. It helped me relax, sleep better, and reestablish the right priorities. I was able to enjoy the small but important things in my life.

I tried using sativas as that's what some people were advocating for ADHD, but found them making me more forgetful, my brain foggier (and my impulse control would just fly out of the window). I tried micro-dosing, like just taking a puff. This would only work with an indica in the evening after work, would help me calming down, but I still felt a few unwanted side-effects of THC. Weirdly enough, I would also feel something I can best describe as "withdrawal" after an hour and a half after taking the small dosis. Something I normally don't have coming down from a larger session.

Haven't found yet something that works without having to deal with unacceptable side-effects.

Started myself on CBD oil today, and this seemed promising. Clear head, calm focus, still bit of fatigue and brain fog in the early afternoon, but it seem to go away as I start working. I hope the effects persist.

Tried to mix a high CBD strain with a small amount of THC dominant strain (cannot find strains here with both), and had a few puffs. Didn't really like the effect.

Would love to learn more about what's working for others.

Thanks again for starting this thread and sharing your stories.

Best
Mr White
 

madalasatori

Well-known member
Veteran
I cherish the ability to think about multiple things at once. I love how I can jump from one topic to another,the increase in excitibilty and energy makes up for my lack of focus. best thing I ever learned was the 20/80 rule. helped me A LOT. spend 80% of my day being all scatterbrained and figuring out how the 20% of my day will get cranked out.

my medicine is my mind and metacognition. Become your own best friend, understand yourself, and don't feel guilty for being who you are, just figure out what you want and get it.

personally, I would avoid the use of any manmade chemical especially amphetamines and methylphenidate. glad it helped ya tho RB, even happier you found that satori pheno :)

from the ages of 11-17 I was the guinea pig child for the original adderal, riddilen, concerta, vivanse, and adderal XR, so I know all about the doses and effects. Haven't taken anything since I was 19 and I feel great about it.

If I was given medication to help me focus between 11-17 I’d be living on a desert island right now, having made my millions years ago. I’d probably not need meds either..
 
X

xavier7995

they gave my oldest son Ritalin with his ADHD diagnosis. might as well have hit him with a ball peen hammer. took him off of it after a week & insisted on the teachers TEACHING instead of demanding immediate compliance. he IS a high-functioning autistic (Aspergers) and was not at all interested in boring bullshit. :biggrin: neither was i at that age. hmmmm....:tiphat:

The two do present many of the same symptoms. Guanfacine (spelling?) works pretty well for helping take the edge off for kids but isnt nearly as heavy duty as adhd or some of the autism meds out there. Guessing it is a bit late, but if other folks be researching it might be worth looking into.

Cant lie, i sympathize with some of his issues, perhaps i have a bit o the sperg myself. Sure explains a few things.
 

Klompen

Active member
Its extremely common for autistic kids to be diagnosed as ADHD and medicated with stimulants. This is VERY BAD for them. Never put an autistic kid on stimulants unless their life depends on it.
 

Mr_White

New member
Finally, I've found a Mandala Satori pheno that has been very helpful. Uplifting and clearheaded. I also found phenos in the same 10-pack that were terrifying and scattering, so you may have to do some searching :)

Thank so much for sharing! The meds kept working for me but I went adrift from ‘life’ (family, friends, enjoying little things) and into a rabbit hole of hyperfocus. I was also suffering from insomnia and a mild buxism.

Could you tell us a bit more about your approach to using Mandola Satori, how it feels, when and how much you use it etc.

I am trying cbd oil and it somewhat works for me. I enjoy the relaxation and enjoyment of life when I smoke, but suffer from poor impulse control and definitely cannot work when on thc.

Thanks
Mr Whitw
 

Mr_White

New member
Which part are you looking for more information on? Practical application or the effects?

Both... anything you can share. There is just so little in depth information out there, and we are left to experimenting. How much and when do you medicate? How does it feel, and how do you deal with side effects? How did you feel at the beginning of the two weeks and then afterwards?

Other than cbd oil I have not found anything that i can take and be cleqr headed enough to work (I do marketing consulting). Motivation is an issue and a major one is impulse control. I gained weight since I (re)started using cannabis. I also tend to go for too much during the weekend like slide into addictive behaviour and overdo it.

Thanks
Mr white
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
The practical application can be found through many different tutorials on making canna-pills. I've found excellent results through making sure to add olive oil before decarbing. I've read great things about the sous vide method of decarbing and plan to add this to my method.

I use toasted brown rice flour as an excipient powder, it does not have wheat gluten and is readily digested by people of all blood types. (Excipient==bulking agent) I mix the oil/extract base with the flour and then fill a gel cap tightly. If I can **feel** the effects it's too strong and I'll add additional toasted brown rice flour to dilute. Test again and dilute again, if necessary.

I take one when I get up, one halfway through the day and one in the evening a few hours before bed. When I get it right, I don't feel them at all. What I do feel is less overall anxiety, more resistant to distraction, better short term memory retention (**any** short term memory retention is good for me. lol), sharper focus and a general sense of well being.

The greatest changes have been over the last few years, with the addition of CBD rich strains. As a high functioning autistic, my emotions (other than anger) have been a long distance relationship my whole life. I have broken out of the 'emotional zombie' state of being and been able to directly experience my emotions. Hell of a ride, and not having had to deal with them I had zero skills in that arena. LOL whole new learning experience.


I find the right amount of CBD allows full expression of my emotions. Awesome. Too much CBD and I feel 'over' regulated, like an auto-pilot set too tight in bad weather. lol I can still feel the emotions, but they're not as high or low anymore. Still, it's different/better? than not feeling them. :D

Cannabis is a diagnostic tool, not an 'addictive' substance. When you feel like you're addicted to cannabis, it's a sign you have an issue cannabis is relieving for you. You need to broaden your awareness of yourself, find what is causing the issue and resolve it. When you do this, you'll find your addiction to cannabis will evaporate. It will drop back to a pleasure you repeat, because it's pleasurable and not because it's satiating something you don't like.

Does that help? :D
 

Mr_White

New member
I take one when I get up, one halfway through the day and one in the evening a few hours before bed. When I get it right, I don't feel them at all. What I do feel is less overall anxiety, more resistant to distraction, better short term memory retention (**any** short term memory retention is good for me. lol), sharper focus and a general sense of well being.

Thanks Doug for sharing. This is the first time I read anything similar and it does sound appealing.

Have any idea how many mg are in one capsule? Also cannot remember if you told us which strain you use?

How did it feel when you started and before getting used to it so you don’t feel any side effects?

Cannabis is a diagnostic tool, not an 'addictive' substance. When you feel like you're addicted to cannabis, it's a sign you have an issue cannabis is relieving for you. You need to broaden your awareness of yourself, find what is causing the issue and resolve it. When you do this, you'll find your addiction to cannabis will evaporate. It will drop back to a pleasure you repeat, because it's pleasurable and not because it's satiating something you don't like.

Does that help? :D

Absolutely. When I talk about addiction (or maybe better dependence), I am referring to specific behaviors like smoking even when I decided not to, or smoking getting in the way of my normal functioing or committments, taking unecessary risks just so I can be high, and generally not feeling like I am in control.

As someone with adhd I have a big problem with impulse control and can get addicted easily (eg food).

But you do brring out an excellent point and it’s something I’ve been understanding the past couple of months. Hence my search here for adhd treatment, and finding ways to dose right, as I beleive there is a sweet spot and it’s all about dealing wiht my issues effectively with and beyond cannabis.

Do you still smoke recreationally or just stick to your therapy?

Thanks again
Mr White
 
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