I find dosage has little to do with age/weight/etc but with how much your body needs to compensate the chemical imbalance.

My dad and 5 yr old are same dosage... while I am higher than both!! My kids friends who are different body types (one thinner, the other a bit more bigger built) than my son are on much less.

It seems to be something that you just have to test and try and have patience.

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No disrespect to any of the docs out there, but it seems nowadays, every time you ask for help as far as medicine, you get treated like a drug addict. My husband has chronic neck pain and the doc opted for bextra (which can kill you and was subsequently taken off the market) as opposed to the lortab that took his pain away. Because drug abusers on the street prefer drugs like ritalin, adderal and many variations of lortab, we all now must suffer. My daughter has ADD, but they won't give her focalin because she has an "addictive" personality. So who gets meds? Hmmm what is wrong with this picture?

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Is the doctor you see a psychiatrist or another kind of doctor. If he is not a psychiatrist then he may not know very much about adult ADHD. There are still doctors out there who believe that ADHD is something that children outgrow. If possible try to see a psychiatrist with a background in ADHD. There are so many different medication choices that if you have a doctor that does not know about adult ADHD it is possible that he may not know very much about the various medication choices, doses etc.

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i can't help but think i am in the right place... i was diagnosed as a kid. ritalin made me a zombie, so doc tried dexadrine. it worked, only once a day, and i could finally sleep through the night. then when i hit college, doc decided i should be weened from the meds. i dropped out. at 25 i mentioned all my ADD issues with my new doc (gp) and she tried stratera (i hated the side effects) and then put me back on dexadrine only to ween me off it a year later. now 30 STILL ADD, went to (new) doc (gp) few days ago, told her what was wrong, brought checklist of symptoms, told her what meds i was on in the past. the way she looked at me, i felt like a drug seeker. i am not, i just need to find a way to make it in life, to feel like my head is actually attached to my body, to not forget everything on my way out the door, and to not be the brunt of everyones jokes because i am ALWAYS late ALWAYS forgot something. does any doc care?

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Look for another doc. ADHD is a valid diagnosis, and you need to find the medication that works for you. I've lucky to find a doc that specializes in it, and during the first six months or so he sees you every two weeks until you find the right medication/dosage. Maybe call some pediatrician's offices in your area and ask who specializes in ADHD and if they treat adults as well...that's how I found my doc.

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Try a psychiatrist if possible and maybe one that sees children and adults. A psychiatrist is most qualified to dx and treat ADHD and should have the most information as far as drugs and options moving past drugs such as how to structure your life etc. I see a psychiatrist and he gave me a Connor's test and took my history and that was all he needed to diagnose me with ADHD and prescribe ADDerall. He also gave me some good tips on how to organize my life and ways to better my marriage. A psychiatrist should spend some time with you, it seems that they spend more time for the initial appointment then a GP would. Mine is covered under my employee assistance plan, not my regular insurance.

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You know you're ADD when you answer the same post 2x with the same answer and don't realize you have done it until you go back to see if there have been any responses. Sorry, I had no idea that I had done that totally an accident.

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I think Kris P has hit the nail on the head here. I have a slightly different perspective to offer: my sister is a prescription drug addict and is one of the ones who makes it difficult for people to receive the help they need from doctors. She doctor shops and can get just about any drug she wants because she knows the buzz words the doctors need to hear to prescribe the medicines she wants.

My point in telling you this is to say that GP doctors are VERY gun shy about prescribing addictive medications because they have been burned by these drug addicts before. This isn't their specialty nor are they prepared to monitor your progress. Your best bet is to see a psychiatrist who can help your specific need better, monitor your situation, and offer any counseling you might need.

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I say get a new doc. I was seeing a psych who diagnosed me but my new insurance didn't cover him so i was hoping a new GP i found would help. He seemed nice and willing to help. He pulled me off Concerta which wasn't helping anyway and gave me strattera. I was fine with that except he didn't really talk to me about it he just did it. Then I asked him what his plan was if the strattrea didn't work, he said anti depressants..I told him I have been on anti-depressants and they didn't work and he didn't have an answer. Thats when I decided to get a new doc. If a doctor isn't listening to you get a new one.

I realized an old doc I had done all the anti-depressants with was on my new insurance and I made an appointment and brought my bottle of concerta with me which was about half full and explained everything. She put me on 10mg adderall XR and while its a low dose I can tell she is very willing to work with me and listens to me.

BTW the Strattrea was horrible, racing heart, chest pain and I couldn't sleep for like 36+ hours.

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One of the doctors that my son and husband saw together explained that ADHD is most often genetic and that if the medication works for one family member it is likely to work for the other. I think that your dose may be too low. My son took that dose at the age of 5. It can also be harmful more than helpful with certain medications to be on a dose that is to low for you. You have to see what works best for you. It has to do with how much your body's chemical composition requires to be able to function at a somewhat "normal" level. (whatever normal is)There is alot of trial and error involved in getting dosing and medications right. I think that most of the time the doctors are just guessing and sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don't. Remember, these medications are being presented to them by some young drug rep who is pushing their drug telling these doctors that it is the greatest thing on the market, that it is the "gold standard" They of course fail to mention that your liver might fall out of your butt or you may go blind, stop breathing or have a rash that goes from your nose to your toes. Everytime you take a medication there is risk involved, but then again there is also risk involved every time you get behind the wheel of a car. If you don't like what a doctor is telling you or you don;t trust them, then you should find another one. If you talked to 10 doctors aboutn the same problem, maybe 2 of them out of the 10 would actually agree on the diagnosis and treatment plan. You don;t have to stay with one doctor. Ask around and get some other recommendations and then get a second opinion. If both of the doctors agree on the treatment then fine, if not, well, go with the one you trust most.

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I would seriously consider finding another doctor who is knowledgeable regarding adult ADHD. You can also check out www.chadd.org as they sometimes list doctors who specialize in ADHD or have local support groups who might have some referrals. My husband takes 30 mg. of Adderall. It's not so much based on weight. Individuals metabloize medication at different rates and usually dosages are increased until there is a reduction of symptoms or problems with side effects.

Generally, individuals with ADHD who are not treated for their ADHD are more at risk for abusing drugs. Properly medicating an individual with ADHD reduces the likelihood that they will abuse drugs. Medication use has also been shown to bring about a reduction in auto accidents.

Elaine

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when I tried to discuss to my "new" psychiatrist (always had a GP) last year, he actually referred me to an addiction specialist (therapist). But he did increase my meds.

Unfortunately, my insurance (BCBS) has a system in place for psychiatry: a roulette wheel! I have tried and tried and tried to find a psychiatrist with ADHD background in my network (HMO) but gave up after it felt like I was hitting a brick wall... over and over again! I have to call a recommendation center based on geographic location and then there is a two month wait for an appointment.... Now, I go to my doc and nod my head and smile, hold out my hand for my script, "everything is fine" etc. I feel like I can't even raise any issues without him making addiction accusations!

A very popular phrase in my ADD support group: "to a hammer, everything is a nail" that being said, if a doc is a specialist, be careful your symptoms might fit their diagnosis, it should be the diagnosis that fits you!

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