35/M, diagnosed with inattentive ADHD via RTC/PUK in summer last year. I'm now just over a month into titration on Xaggitin XL.

My first day was the 'classic' story you hear quite often. My mind quietened down, and instead of a thousand half-finished racing thoughts, I had a prominent, focused, single train of thought. My fatigue was (finally!) gone, and I wanted to start and finish things!

By midday, the house was cleaned and tidied, I'd uploaded a few things to Vinted, and had walked down to the post office and delivered another package for the platform. When my girlfriend came home later that day, she said I was more attentive, my mood was perkier, and when we went to the supermarket together I wasn't zoning out, and seemed proactive as a whole. I'm thankful it didn't affect my sleep or appetite either.

Later on into titration, I tried doubling my 18mg dose as suggested. Anecdotally, it was a net negative, and despite having the usual level of focus from before, I felt like a wired 'work zombie', and I was noticeably agitated towards minor things quite often. This was a net negative for the both myself and my girlfriend, and I discussed it with PUK and went back to 18mg as this seems to be 'all I need'.

Now that I'm a month in, here's how it's gone.

Pros:

• My fatigue is right down! It's always been something I've struggled with, even after enough sleep, water, exercise, caffeine, clean eating, etc. I've been diagnosed with a condition called hemochromatosis as well, so I was caught in the middle of both fatigue from this and ADHD-I. I'm now longer heavily reliant on caffeine just to function, and don't constantly feel on the bring of falling asleep.
• Task initiation is MUCH easier. I get through my to-do list with ease, and I've even been the one to start tasks in the house that my girlfriend and I have been putting off for a while - and she thanked me! I feel motivated for my career, and produced a personal project I'm super happy with that I put off for months.
• I'm fidgeting a lot less.
• Eye contact is seemingly a lot better!
• My quality of speech has improved (no more stuttering) and my vocabulary has improved as a whole.
• It feels like my brain has 'lit up' and I'm the version of myself I've always wanted to be.
• Rumination is right down, and I finally think of the future and planning ahead rather than dwelling on the past (either in a bad way with regrets, or for comfort with nostalgia).
• My attention to detail has improved. This includes both at work as a graphic designer, and with day to day tasks like missing details when doing chores.
• I'm engaging a lot less in dopamine seeking vices. I rarely snack for the sake of it now, and I've not touched an energy drink in over a month!
• I feel more confident as a whole. It was noticeable when seeing friends for my birthday, I crushed it with a client call yesterday (I've always been a shy boy/man), and my aunt said it's the happiest she's seen me.
• My mood has improved overall as a whole.
• Impulsivity is right down. Spending, blurting things out, saying inapproprate things without thinking, you name it.
• I'm using social media and my phone a bit less.

Cons:

• I'm sensitive to lactose (and take lactase tablets when I have dairy), and initially when I took meds, I was getting insane stomach cramps from the lactose in them. These were especially bad after my biggest meal with dinner in the evenings. I now take lactase with them each morning and the issue's been completely resolved.
• They seem a LOT less effective if I've not had protein for breakfast.
• I've been to the gym since taking them, and that big 'dopamine blast' I'd get from the gym before feels a lot more subtle. Perhaps from dopamine now being regulated?
• I don't feel I'm addicted to these meds whatsoever, but I do have a slight fear that because I associate so many pros with them, I fear shortages with availability etc to maintain this.

Overall, I'm excited for the future and 'life part 2' with these now.

It's so nice having hope again.

I’m a newly diagnosed 61-year-old woman (diagnosed Monday before last, predominantly inattentive) and I’ve become addicted to asking Ai question, mainly on Google and Claude. I ask it about ADHD, family history, everything! I’m driving myself mad. I know it’s weaknesses and I often find myself telling it off for making things up, but I can end up spending hours in the evenings going down rabbit holes and it’s making my focus and concentration even worse than usual. I tried blocking stuff a couple of years ago when it was mainly twitter and facebook, but just constantly circumvented the blocks 😩 Now I know about the ADHD I can see how I’m much more vulnerable to this. Can anyone help? I live on my own so don’t have anyone to give block codes, etc., to.

I’ve recently started on Quiviviq for issues with sleep maintenance, but have also got the option to start on amitriptyline for chronic pain, and I know this helps with sleep too.

I take this alongside dexamfetamine IR.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these meds and would share how it went for them? Thanks 🙏🏼

I've been trying different ADHD meds for 9 months, both stimulants and non-stimulants, at various doses, and I keep experiencing heart palpitations regardless of the medication or dosage.

I'm currently on atomoxetine, and my resting heart rate is 113 bpm.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Did you find anything that helped?

I'm not dehydrated, I eat regular protein-rich meals, and I've completely cut out caffeine, including black tea. Nothing seems to help.

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences!

Hi

Not seeking medical advice just information

I was on fluoxetine at the time of being prescribed Elvanse, I’d been stable on it for 6 years and it was the best antidepressant I’ve tried. The psychiatrist told me it’s a bad combination for your heart and advised I switched to sertraline. However, I did not want to go on sertraline as had to come off it in the past due to severe mo emotional numbing as a side effect. I was put on venlafaxine which worked well but it increased my resting heart rate by 10bpm overnight and did not combine well with the Amfexa I took as a booster. I ended up having to have an ecg which was normal but the ecg nurse said it was cardiac high risk to take venlafaxine with Elvanse which freaked my health anxiety out so I came off venlafaxine. Managed without for six months but I don’t function well without an antidepressant and ended up back on fluoxetine after needing to take time off work for severe anxiety/burnout. However the fluox had a reaction with ADHD meds, palpitations and almost passing out and had to stop all meds, fluoxetine and moved on to citalopram before restarting Elvanse. No adverse side effects from this combo but citalopram doesn’t do much for my mood and I’m struggling with depression again

Tldr : can’t take fluoxetine (ssri I was stable on for years) with elvanse, tried and had severe side effects . Switched to venlafaxine which worked well but I have health anxiety and scared of cardiac risk with Elvanse so came off venlafaxine. Don’t want to take sertraline due to side effects and finding citalopram useless. What would be a good alternative ?

Hi all, just got diagnosed recently with inattentive ADHD. Haven’t gotten medication yet, but I’m on the pathway.

ANYWAY…

I’m at college rn, studying aeronautical engineering. I’ve got an assignment due in a week and a bit and I physically cannot type a single sentence on it. My brain lets me type stuff out, like right now, ANYWHERE ELSE, but as soon as I sit down to try and work on it, my brain is just like ‘No, we aren’t doing this.’

So how do you all handle this? I would like some help as this is STRESSING ME OUT SO MUCH

A man who was told he was "naughty" before being permanently excluded from school says misunderstandings around ADHD were to blame - and now wants mandatory education on it. Ryan Swain, 36, was excluded from mainstream education at the age of 14 after his disruptive and impulsive behaviour was seen as 'difficult.'

Full article: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/expelled-ryan-kicked-mainstream-school-143733791.html

After a year and a half of waiting, I finally have a call with my Access to Work case worker this week.

I’m the director of a one-person limited company (London), so close to self-employed, and this is my first time going through the process. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone in a similar position:

• What did you get approved?
• What helped your case on the call?
• Anything you wish you’d done differently, or things to avoid saying?

Any experience as a sole director or self-employed applicant would be especially helpful. Thanks in advance!

I was assessed, diagnosed and titrated with a provider privately, using my workplace health insurance.

I have been stable on my medication (dexamfetamine IR) for about 6 months now.

I reached the top of the waitlist for RTC medication with the same provider and have my first appointment with them next week. This means that I will now only pay the NHS prescription charge for my meds (thank god, because last month I had to pay nearly £250 due to price rises!!).

Does anyone know what I should expect from this appointment? I’m assuming there won’t be any change to my medication etc as all is going well. I’ve been told to bring recent BP and pulse readings.

Hello all, a couple of weeks ago I (42M) had part A and part B assessments with a private provider using RTC, the outcome was no diagnosis of ADHD but substantial Autistic traits that I could seek a referral for.

I wasn't surprised by the assessor picking up Autistic traits, but I was disappointed with the outcome. I have concerns about the assessments, particularly the part B call.

Early in the part B call I explained that I had lost 2 brothers to suicide in recent years. I was really quite shocked when the assessor followed this up by asking me to tell him how they died, as in - explaining the methods they used to kill themselves. I did this, but I found it very upsetting and it really made it very difficult for the rest of the assessment to respond to questions, to go through and focus on my notes, and to communicate my experiences. It wasn't until after the call that I paused to consider just how much it had impacted me and my ability to communicate during the assessment.

At the end of the part B call there was a break and then the assessor came back to give the scores on my assessment and feed back on what I'd said. The short version of this is that I scored very highly for the adult sections, but that I hadn't scored highly enough on the points covering my youth.

One area of feedback was that I hadn't gotten into trouble enough at school. I did explain a range of issues I had experienced as a young person, I also explained that I was quite clever in school and while I was inattentive and easily distracted I was clever enough to do quite well, so that greatly lessened the getting into trouble. The assessor said masking in this way was something from the female phenotype, but as I was a boy that doesn't apply to me. My understanding is that this form of masking is also present in boys and men.

I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment. Had the assessment felt proper and good I think I'd find it easier to move on and consider whether I want a formal assessment for Autism, I'm just really concerned that the assessor was both unprofessional with regard to the questions around suicide, and straight-up wrong when it can to the female phenotype reference.

Does anyone suffer from head/neck pain when taking Elvanse? If so have you found anything to help?

Hi everyone. I'm (M40) recently diagnosed autistic and was advised to request an ADHD diagnosis. As part of this my local GP staff have asked me to fill in the WURS questionnaire.

The problem is I'm under specific instructions to do this on my own, and based on my memory, and there's lots of questions about my childhood. I struggle to remember much of my childhood as it is, but to make it worse my memory of it is not centred around the things that the questionnaire asks (e.g., proneness to anxiety, anger or outbursts). I remember facts and events about my childhood, but not much about "what I was like" in terms of mood or emotion on a daily basis.

They already sent it back to me once because they couldn't do anything with how I'd filled it the first time (to be honest I ignored instructions on purpose because with some questions I genuinely saw the answer as "not at all" and "very much" at the same time).

Has anyone else had difficulty filling this in, and did you manage a way around it?

TIA.

So of course we are entering the season of colds and flus, and I just so happen to have become feverish with a sore throat and blocked nose. I’ve read online that it’s not advisable for those of us on stimulants to take things like lemsip or other “cold and flu” medication cuz it can make our hearts explode.

I have tried treating it with just paracetamol, lozenges and nose spray but it doesn’t give me any relief from the fever 🥲

Has anybody on Elvanse/any other stimulant taken cold/flu medication? What was your experience?

I'm currently titrating Xaggitin XL. I started on 18mg and had some positive effects, but felt there was still room for improvement.

I increased to 36mg but reacted quite badly (extremely jittery, anxious, racing heart and feeling like I was going 100mph). After 5 days, I went back to 18mg.

I've now started 27mg, but because of my experience with 36mg, I'm feeling quite anxious about it.

It's only been an hour since taking it and I'm already feeling a little foggy with a slightly raised heart rate. Nowhere near as bad as 36mg, but I'm unsure whether it's the medication or my anxiety!

How do you know if a dose is too high or if your body just needs time to adjust?

Do you generally know straight away, or do you give it a few days to see if the side effects settle?

I'm torn between giving 27mg a proper chance and worrying I'll end up feeling like I did on 36mg again.

Would love to hear other people's experiences!

Having insomnia and being bored 🙄😩

I can’t do anything in case I wake anyone in my house up.

The struggle is real!

I was diagnosed yesterday morning and spent the entire day crying.

I am 29F, so I am reflecting on my entire life and the things I struggle with. Has anyone else felt this way and what was the first thing you looked into/did?

I am awaiting his written assessment and then a follow up appointment to discuss next steps. How did you decide what next step to opt for?

Has anyone gone from NHS Right To Choose in England to living in Wales? Just looking for some advice from anyone who might have experienced this before…

I got diagnosed privately about 4 years ago when I lived in Wales as there was no ADHD assessment unit near me at the time, but I ended up not being able to afford my medication privately (it was costing over £150 a month for the prescription and the medication so it wasn’t sustainable at the time). I then moved to England about 3 years ago, but the GP there wouldn’t accept my diagnosis so I had to go through Right To Choose. I eventually got diagnosed through Psychiatry UK but then had to wait over a year for my titration to start, by which point I was about to move back to Wales.

I asked them what would happen if I moved to Wales again and they said that I’d have to pay £750 for the titration, so I decided that I’d register my GP where my parents live in England so I could at least do my titration without having to pay extra.

I’ve now finished my titration and am still registered to a GP in England, but it’s over 3 hours away so I can’t really go there for actual doctors appointments unless I’m visiting my family. The GP I’m registered at rejected my shared care so at the moment I’m having to order my medication through Psychiatry UK still.

I don’t really want to have to pay for my prescription and medication privately again as I know it’ll end up being expensive, so just wondering if anyone has experienced this before and if so what did you do?

I just finished week 4 of Elvanse (currently on 70mg) and I am lost on how to evaluate if it is beneficial or not.

The Good: In terms of mental clarity and executive functioning, it is truly a game-changer for me. For the first time, I truly feel like I am in the driver's seat of my life. I am finally able to navigate everything on my plate and actively work on improving my life.

The Bad: I am stuck with this intense fear that I look "activated," tense, or on drugs to other people. I work in customer service, and I started feeling like people are uncomfortable around me. It might be hyper-vigilance, but I know what I am sensing is real. As a migrant from a different ethnic background, navigating negative looks or projected energy in the West is already a baseline reality. If this high dose makes me physically look like a "migrant on drugs," that negative judgment is amplified massively. Or it might be simply that I am able to notice this energy more vividly, this has spiked my social anxiety, and it feels no matter how much I force a smile and welcoming attitude, I am not able to manage how this interaction lands.

The first two weeks on this dose were an absolute nightmare physically (heart rate, blood pressure). My body is now semi-adjusted, but the social tension remained.

The Experiment: I decided to take a 3-day break from the meds to test my baseline. The difference was night and day. By day three, my ability to relax during social interactions was amazing. I am normally a smiley person, and that came back. The interactions were smooth, my confidence was back, and I didn't feel that uncomfortable energy from others. Possibly I am just not noticing it any more and possibly noticing the positive instances only, or it could be that I am relaxed and able to give positive energy to others which gets projected at me in return. However mental clarity and executive functioning went down the drain, things I did daily with no questions asked, became something of the past and feels difficult to maintain.

I want to evaluate my next steps before speaking to my new prescriber.

My questions for the community:
1. Should I push through on 70mg and see if the social anxiety eventually settles like the physical side effects did? I work part time, should I take it on my days off, when I normally need the mental clarity the most?

1. Should I ask my prescriber to redo the titration so I can see if a lower dose gives me the clarity without the social tension?

2. Did anyone experience this specific "wired/tense" feeling around people, switch to a completely different medication, and find their natural social relaxation again?

Appreciate any help, by week 2 I was planning to stop the medications because of physical symptoms, but reading on users experinces and how symptoms disappear is what kept me going until those physical symptoms disappeard. I wonder if those social or psychological symptoms will disappear as well?

I’ve been using the Routinery app for about a month now and I’m genuinely surprised by just how much it’s helped me

I asked ChatGPT for app recommendations to help with my morning routine because I was fed up with being stressed every morning and constantly late for work

I felt like I’d already lost the battle before the day had even started. I’d be running into the office at 9:03, stressed, makeup half done, and feeling like I shouldn’t even go to the kitchen to make my first cuppa until I’d been there for at least half an hour seeing as tho I’d rocked up late 😂

Nobody at work has ever said anything and other people do come in late now and again but I was late nearly EVERY morning

ChatGPT suggested Routinery. I put in every little part of my morning routine and estimated how long each thing would take. Things like 5 mins in bed checking emails (doomscrolling really) , 5 mins in bed cuddling the cat 😂 feeding the cat etc

You have to press to move on to the next task and it records how long you actually spend on each thing. This was really helpful because I could see where I was underestimating how long things took and adjust my timings

It has helped sooooo much

I’m shocked but also thinking yeah duh the time blindness the getting distracted easily it helps with it all

I’m by no means perfect now. I keep not bothering to make my lunch the night before which then throws my whole morning routine off. at the end of the routine the app asks how you’re feeling. I still give myself the sad face when I’ve left late or gone off track but most days I’m now picking the very happy face because I’ve actually left on time

Sometimes even EARLY!

sometimes I don’t even realise I’m ahead of schedule. I just go through the motions, clicking through each step and then suddenly I’m at work at 8:50. I’ll check my front door camera and realise I actually left the house five minutes earlier than usual and I’m shocked!

I’ve spent so long starting my working day feeling stressed and behind before I’ve even started. Who knew an app could make such a difference?!

Anyway, I’m wondering if anyone has any other app recommendations that could help with similar things?
My morning routine is the main one I struggle with because it’s the same every day so Routinery works really well for that. I’m wondering what else I could use it for tho

I suppose I could set up an evening routine for things like washing my hair which somehow manages to take me over an hour or even a bedtime routine. I definitely struggle with going to bed at the same time every night

Has anyone found any other apps or ways of using routine apps that have genuinely helped them with everyday life? I’d love to hear your recommendations!

Hi, I'm looking for an employment solicitor in England and would appreciate recommendations from people who have used one themselves.

My situation is related to ADHD, reasonable adjustments and performance issues, with possible disability discrimination. There are also concerns about a discretionary bonus. I'm still employed and trying to figure out what my options are and whether taking things further would be worth it.

Ideally I'm looking for someone who works with employees and has experience with Employment Tribunal cases, even if things can be settled before that.

Cost matters, so I would prefer smaller firms and the option to do some of the work myself. Working online or by phone is fine.

If you can recommend someone, I would appreciate it if you could share here or privately how they helped you. Just general details: what sort of issue they helped with, whether it was advice, settlement negotiations or tribunal proceedings, how they communicated and how clear the costs were. It's difficult to judge someone by their name alone, so having some context would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Long term partner who I live with told me he’s leaving me. He can’t move out yet. I feel broken. I have been having issues with emotional regulation, I have also been physical unwell and dealing with a recurrence of my severe mental illness symptoms which I cannot see my psychiatrist for next week. My ADHD plays a big part in all the reasons he gave me.

How can I get through the next few weeks living with him? How do I process the heartbreak? I feel like I can’t do anything normal. I’m just sobbing all the time. But I have a job, so I need to be able to get through that. My job is high pressure and stress so it may be somewhat distracting but every time I think about him leaving me I break down, despite it probably being for the best after the cruel things he’s said to me.

Started on 18mg methylphenidate slow release and felt immediate benefits.

Wore off after a week, raised to 27mg. Didn't make a huge difference, so up to 36mg.

36mg felt great, clear-headed, optimistic, focused.

Wore off after maybe 9 days so per psychiatrist went up to 45mg.

First day on 45mg I felt overstimulated, unfocused, and then very very irritable about 6-8 hours after my dose, and remained in a bad mood the rest of the day.

Is it normal when going up a dose to have a day like I did on 45mg?

Trying to understand whether I'll adjust to it or whether it's just too high now.

My review appointment is in 2 weeks and the plan was just for me to keep taking 45 in the meantime.

Hey everyone I was just wondering if anyone’s found any fun resources that breaks down what it’s like to have ADHD but in a easy chill explaining rather than lots of information? When family and friends ask me stuff I don’t always know how to answer.