I was just diagnosed with ADD at 38, 3 years after having my only child. But the doc won't put me ob ADD meds because she's afraid they will make my anxiety worse. I tell her my anxiety is a direct result of how the ADD wrecks havoc in my day to day life. She is ridiculously cautious and I am thinking I should switch doctors. She put me on the anti-depressent SELEXA even after I pleaded with her I knew I was not suffering clinical depression. After 4 days on a super low dose, I was crying 15 hours a day and couldn't keep my eyes open. Now she's got me trying Trilepta which doesn't do ANYTHING for my inability to focus or remember anything. It seems to stabalize my mood swings, but that was a secondary problem in my opinion. Why won't doctors just listen to their patients???? Why is she so afraid to give me the stimulants I know I need. SHe has mentioned the possibility of Stratara but 5 months have passed since I started with her and I am to lose it on her as that 5 months has been a struggle and she's done basically nothing but waste my time treating me like a guinea pig and not hearing a word I say. I brought in 6 on-line ADD tests which showed a 99% likelyhood I indeed have it pretty severely but still she's got me only a toddler's doe of this Trilepta stuff which does nothing and says even if she tries me on Stratara, she wants to wait a month or two more... then i've also heard Stratara really doesn't work at all if you feel extremely disfuctional in terms of getting anything accomlished on any day... I can't focus, I talk in tangents and I can't relax. I have a friend on Aderall who says it changed her life. Why won't my psychiatrist try me on it?? I'm not an alcoholic or drug addict. i just want to get my life back. I have read that events such as child-birth can trigger ADD at an adult age. Are there any options I have to be treated through the internet?? I live on a small island and we don't have more than 2 psychiatrists who accept my state funded insurance. I am really at my wits end. i have been patient for 5 months. Any advice??
Q: At 38, it appears I have ADD but doc won't prescribe me Add meds...why??
Hi forget-me-not,
I hear and certainly understand your frustration.
My first question would be, did your doc say your only diagnosis is ADHD? I'm not sure why she's putting you on mood stabilizers and/or anti-depressants, if that is the case. Just about all the research is showing that ADHD responds best to stimulants, though many also do find relief of symptoms using Strattera, which is not a stimulant, as you probably already know.
She should know that if the *only* concern is that the stimulants might trigger anxiety, that the short acting stims will be out of your system in hours and thus, the (possible) anxiety will dissipate. Then again, there are many people with ADHD *and* anxiety who take a stimulant for the ADHD and an anti-anxiety medication for the anxiety. And if your anxiety is due to the untamed ADHD symptoms, you'll know - and she'll know - soon - that the stimulants are indeed, eliminating the anxiety and stress that is causing.
The only thing I can suggest is that you print out the many articles we have here at ADHD Central and show them to your doctor. If she still refuses to give you a trial of stimulants, I would seek out a different doctor. Though there are only two psychiatrists in your area, many primary care physicians often understand how to treat adult ADHD. You could try making some calls to see what they think about your situation and how they might treat you differently.
Unfortunately, MDs cannot treat you or prescribe meds via the internet, though I know of many people who will come to the US mainland, consult with an ADHD specialist and then have their local doctor follow them with the appropriate meds.
You can find a directory of ADD specialists at www.addconsults.com, www.add.org and www.chadd.org.
I wish you luck- please let us know how you fare.
Terry
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