My experience with ADHD meds
I wake up in the morning and wait for the rush of racing thoughts to fill my brain. I wait for the swirl to begin: I need to do this, I need to do that, this isn’t done yet, what if this happens. I keep waiting, and the thoughts never come. I feel a sense of calm. My heart isn’t racing. My chest isn’t tight. I can think clearly, without thoughts constantly racing through my brain, for the first time maybe ever. This is the day after I started medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
I’ve never considered that I might have ADHD until I started seeing a new psychiatrist recently. I had been previously treated for anxiety and depression for four years, with moderate success. No one had ever suggested I might have ADHD before because I am very organized and on top of things. Once the psychiatrist floated the idea of ADHD, I started to recognize potential symptoms in myself, like setting 16 alarms to remember things, being hyper-productive and having a hard time keeping up on household chores. For more signs and details, check out my blog, Do I have ADHD?.
Even though I wasn’t convinced I had ADHD, I agreed to try an ADHD medication for the first time, guanfacine. Guanfacine is a non-stimulant medication that may strengthen working memory, reduce distraction and improve attention and impulse control.1 My psychiatrist recommended I take guanfacine at bedtime because it can cause drowsiness, especially in the first few days of starting or increasing the dose of the medication.
I could not believe how different I felt the day after I started taking guanfacine. I did not feel depressed. I did not feel anxious. I was able to focus and get things done. For example, I started working on my website refresh the day after I started taking guanfacine, which I never would have done if not for the medication. It was immediately obvious to me that the medication was working and making me feel more well.
Since taking guanfacine for a couple of weeks, my psychiatrist increased the dosage, so I will see how that increase affects my mood. I’m still not at the recommended therapeutic dose, but my psychiatrist wanted to slowly increase the medication to mitigate potential side effects and give my body some time to get used to the medication.
The guanfacine is not the end of my medication journey, but it’s promising to feel something working after trying dozens of mental health medications with varying levels of success. I’m still exploring my ADHD diagnosis and what changes I need to make to feel my best, but I’m grateful this new psychiatrist recognized something in me that even I couldn’t see.
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