Started a half dose yesterday per my docs orders, upping to full dose after a week.
Damn i feel like it knocks me out of commission. I slammed 2 energy drinks this morning and have brain fog like a mother fucker. It’s like im high, got that wet blanket feeling in my brain, but without the fun stuff.
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I’ve not been on that one in quite some time, but I’ll try to remember what I can and pull from experience with other meds. Psych meds like that one can take a few weeks to get used to / reach full efficacy. I can’t remember what the specific timeframe for that med is, but in general it takes at least 6-8 weeks at a specific dose to give a med a fair trial. The initial symptoms when starting a med often resolve in that time, but if they don’t you may need to try a new med. If the symptoms are bearable for until you’ve made it that far, it can be nice to know that you can check it off as helping or not with some certainty. For me, this med just made me a bit out of it and I believe made my anxiety a bit worse. Trialling meds with alexithymia can be a real pain in the ass…doubly so when you have the wrong diagnosis and or doctors who don’t believe in yours.
Since this med is typically prescribed for ADHD, I’m going to assume that is what you are taking it for, if not the following probably won’t be relevant: I’ve read that meds that act on norepinephrine (like this one) tend to work better for people with hyperactive or combined ADHD, while inattentive ADHD tends to (but definately doesn’t always) respond better to meds that work on dopamine. If this med doesn’t end up helping this is some info you can talk to your doctor about and if stimulants are not an option other meds like DNRIs (like bupropion/wellbutrin) may be a path to consider with them. Additionally, clonidine and guanfacine are two blood pressure meds that have been shown to have some benefit, especially with reguard to anxiety around starting tasks. I’m not a doctor so don’t take any of this as medical advice. It is just some info you can bring up with your doctor if this med doesn’t pan out for you.
As another note, this is something I’ve found useful a a reference for people who are skeptical on ADHD related topics:
The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based Conclusions about the Disorder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8328933/
Finding the right treatment/meds can seem daunting and hopeless at times, but it is worth it. Meds are also not magic fixes and often are better in combination with therapy or other steps to improve your situation. If you are looking for a therapist, I generally recommend looking for one who practices trauma informed therapy AND works with neurodivergent clients. Finding a good therapist for you, which is not the same as a good therapist in general, can be a lot of work and take a few tries, but it is worth it. If therapy isn’t something that is an option, there are free resources online. I’ve found a lecture series by the American Psychological Association on trauma on YouTube that was pretty good and there are quite a few therapists who put content on that site as well. Healthy Gamer is a channel that I’ve found good content on that may be worth looking into.
Sorry for rambling on for so long.
I started on 18mg daily, currently on 60mg, and even that is apparently not a “full dose”
The ED (and urinary hesitancy) sucks. I’ve stopped taking it a few times over the past couple years but always eventually went back on it of my own accord.
On those occasions I had just reflected on my general mood during the periods of being on it vs off it and found that I was always generally happier & prepared to deal with life’s adversity while on it.
It definitely takes some consistency to get there I think, so I’d recommend sticking with it to just see how it goes after a full course of full doses.
I take clonidine at night too which has been essential for me.
I can’t really relate to the brain fog thing tbh, that’s how I felt before going on it.
Also I lost about 70lb excess weight while on it without trying.
What does clonidine do? Aside from the brain fog, i noticed i haven’t been eating much since yesterday, but also not feeling very hungry.
Grats on the weight loss! I think? Seems like you speak positively about that?
Clonidine is good for insomnia, PTSD, anxiety (to a certain extent), and it’s useful for impulsivity and emotional reactivity.
Anecdotally, on a personal level, I find that clonidine works really well for my rejection sensitive dysphoria which leads me to believe that RSD is closely associated with emotional reactivity and maybe even just the internalised expression of it.
I 100% feel this too, my supposition is that it’s causally related to blood pressure, as atomoxetine can increase it. I would get emotional whenever I drank alcohol, which also raises it. Not so after going on clonidine. Initially I thought it was like an optional extra to take as needed (it’s common and cheap) but now i consider it my primary medication
Will ask about it next appointment!
Thanks! Appetite suppression is a side-effect, desired in my case of comorbid binge-eating disorder.
Clonidine is a common anti-hypertension med also used off label for ADHD. It mildly sedates me and makes me go to bed on time, which is difficult for me while on atomoxetine without it. The slight calming effect lasts with me through the following day.
I took it prior to being prescribed amphetamines because I was afraid of addiction and side effects. It just gave me ED and I was still getting distracted. Also takes forever to kick in. It also gave me brainfog.
Went away after switching to adderall
Taking it now and never experienced anything like you describe. It just helps me concentrate and focus. Pretty much no side effects.
