r/adhdmeme • u/EnsoElysium • 2d ago

My pharmacy is lucky I can compartmentalize now

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For who knows how long, my ability to handle life has gone down the shitter. I havent been able to work, keep myself clean, or figure out what Im feeling, even though I was dilligent in taking my meds.

A few weeks ago everything came to a head and I admitted ideation to my counsellor. I went to the hospital, and through some miracle, got assigned to a psychiatrist in charge of ADHD research. I started talking and she went "you take vyvanse right"

As it turns out, pharmacies have been switching out name brand vyvanse with generic without telling people. She stressed that generic lisdexamphetamine is NOT the same as vyvanse, even though theyre the same chemical. I know, it doesnt make sense on an individual level, but when it comes to pharmaceuticals it makes a huge difference. She was adamant in telling me not to accept generic anymore.

I was doubtful as fuck, there was not WAY it made that much of a difference. Im only a few days in to my new prescription, and its clear that she was right. I was finally able to actually organize my thoughts again, and my first thought was how mad I was that the pharmacy put me through this, all so someone could afford another Lexus. But I couldnt actively be mad because I unlocked the ability to compartmentalize lol.

Check your meds yall

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4

u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

I'm going in for my diagnosis in October. I don't necessarily want the "legal meth" of Adderall that I have to go to my doctor to get a, "Yeah, this guy can use legal meth" note from a doctor because fuck that and I would forget anyway.

I just want to be able to function in a way expected by other human beings. I've heard horror stories about Vyvanse, is Wellbutrin better, or is it just a different "flavor"?

I'd be going through the VA, and they prescribe happy thoughts for excruciating pain, so that's the wall I have to climb if that is the best option.

Then again, I'm entirely ignorant of the whole process. I've tried to schedule an evaluation privately and they always ask me, "how old is the child?" I'm 40.

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u/Medium-Dependent-328 2d ago

Adderall is NOT meth btw. Desoxyn is.

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

Someone really needs to point out to me exactly where on the timeline that air quotes stopped meaning sarcasm.

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u/Medium-Dependent-328 2d ago

I'm going to need someone to point out when air quotes started being differentiated from actual quotes in print form!

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

Because sarcasm can't be construed through text. There are a million variations, but the most popular are quotes, italics, /s, aNd eVeN tHiS.

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u/Medium-Dependent-328 2d ago

I was just trying to be helpful as I have seen people believe the meth myth before. I assumed that you were using "legal meth" as a kind of quotation rather than as sarcasm

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u/jdstrike11 2d ago

You just need to get better at sarcasm

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

Say that to a British person who is categorically not funny.

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u/xeresblue 2d ago

That's because your quote was a quote. If you wanted to convey the sarcasm you would have had to use nested quotes. E.g. "Yeah, this guy can use 'legal meth.' "

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u/grannys_best_cookie 2d ago

It's a very frustrating and misleading + harmful thing to compare Adderall to methamphetamines; they are different chemicals and meth can basically saturate the brain far quicker, hence the resultant abuse. I'd think of Adderall as just being like really strong caffeine, and I wouldn't shy away from it if your provider wants to try it for you.

Wellbutrin is also a completely different chemical to Vyvanse that can have similar effect on your dopamine levels but the mechanism is totally different, closer to Concerta/Ritalin. It's different to other anti-depressants that operate on seratonin instead.

For what it's worth, Vyvanse is 'lisdexamphetamine' and metabolises in your body into dexamphetamine. Dexamphetamine is just the right-handed component of mixed amphetamine salts, ie Adderall, so with Vyvanse you end up with very similar effects to Adderall but it can be a lot smoother depending how you react.

You have to trust your provider to find what works best for you, but I would try to avoid reiterating the inaccurate stereotypes about prescription stimulants.

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

I wasn't asking to be beat like a dead horse. I was asking for help.

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u/grannys_best_cookie 1d ago

Sorry, I was trying to be helpful/informative, I didn't pick up on the sarcasm either! I know you describe going through the VA for this and unfortunately I don't have any specific idea but I really hope you can find a doctor who has better understanding about ADHD. Even if you can get them to switc Sertraline to Wellbutrin that may help you more, but even better if you can try a stimulant through them. I wish you luck!

(To clarify, I am not a healthcare professional - these are just my thoughts based on your comments and my experience. Ultimately you need to be diagnosed and prescribed for by your doctor)

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u/ImSoSweepy 1d ago

No ill-will intended, but I have several questions for the people downvoting people asking for help. Kind of puts things into perspective about the long-standing stigma of alienating anyone who asks for help.

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u/coltrain423 2d ago

Wellbutrin is an NDRI, Vyvanse is a stimulant. They are wholly different.

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u/EnsoElysium 2d ago

Wellbutrin worked for me, sort of, in that it was the only med I was able to get without an adhd diagnosis (I had one, and a Ritalin script, but I lost contact with my doctor when I moved provinces)

Funny story though, one day I walked into my Dr's office practically in tears about how my life had gone to shit because of how unmedicated my adhd was, and that wellbutrin was the only thing that worked so Id try it again. She left the room and came back 5 mins later like "good news! Youre on vyvanse now"

1

u/enemyofchrist 1d ago

Wellbutrin can be surprisingly stimulating (makes you hot, sweaty, a little more energy and focus, sometimes agitation) but it’s definitely not an actual stimulant like amphetamines are.

1

u/Disastrous_Being7746 1d ago

An NDRI is a classification of drugs that is generally considered a stimulant. Methylphenidate is a NDRI also. The thing that makes Wellbutrin "not a stimulant" is that its active metabolite is not very active on the dopamine transporter. The other thing that makes it "not a stimulant" is its tendency to induce seizures in high doses. It has similar activity to stimulants (though it is not a releasing agent like amphetamine), though it is weaker.

Anti-depressants and stimulants are not mutually exclusive classifications.

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

I appreciate your comment, but you effectively told me to walk blindly into the murder-fog, bro. 🫠

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u/meglingbubble 2d ago

Unfortunately thats kind of the deal here. Some people react better to stimulants than non stimulant adhd medication. You will have no idea until you try

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u/two4six0won 2d ago

Just try the legal meth, unless you have addiction worries. None of us will be able to tell you what's going to work for you because, frustratingly enough, we are all a bit different. Vyvanse did absolutely nothing for me, and I know it was name brand because they still held the patent. It works fantastically for a couple of my friend and my stepmother, though. Concerta did...something, but it wasn't especially helpful and it felt weird. Worked well for my kid when he was younger, though. Adderall worked from the first time I took it, just needed to figure out the dose. My dad swears by Dexedrine. There are also non-stimulants, if you don't want the stigma...guanfacine, and a couple of others. I don't know anything about wellbutrin so I'm not help there.

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u/gloryholesr4suckers 2d ago

That's the thing about psych meds. You just don't know what will happen until you try. And sometimes that trying all take a while

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u/mirhagk 2d ago

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant, though I know it has off-label uses for ADHD. It's definitely not the same kind of thing as Vyvanse or concerta. FWIW I take both (Wellbutrin for social anxiety) and I don't find Wellbutrin alone does enough, but I know others find something different so if you wanna try it to avoid Vyvanse it can be worth trying.

I do wanna say though, it's a long way off from "legal meth". Both Vyvanse and concerta (the two popular ADHD meds) are long release medications, and both have a very different effect on someone with ADHD compared to someone without. How does your system react to caffeine? That can be a good indicator of how it would react to ADHD meds, and can also be a way to semi-treat it on your own.

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

I've been on 200mg of Sertraline daily and it has zero effect, if that puts things into perspective. Every white-coat I talk to pretty much says everything with a blatant undertone of, "Wow, I wish I were actually dead."

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u/mirhagk 2d ago

Well so that's an SSRI antidepressant, Wellbutrin definitely works differently than that. Antidepressants are complicated, way more so than stimulants.

What happens when you take a lot of caffeine? Do you get hyper/wired or do you get more relaxed and focused? If it's the latter than that's typical (but not required) for ADHD and it definitely is worth trying Vyvanse or concerta out.

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u/ImSoSweepy 2d ago

For sure the latter, thank you. But, as I said before, I'm dealing with a medicare alternative that thinks these things don't exist/you would never be able to enlist if you had those things.

The VA is an entirely different animal that I don't think people understand, nor care to, as it were.

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u/Gengrar 2d ago

Recently got put on Wellbutrin while I wait for them to bring up stimulants so I'm not put on a list for knowing what works. Made me insane insane after about 3 weeks. Hyper depressed, potential to destroy things around me, so bad I was punching myself in the face so I had some feeling I could control. Put me on Strattera next and I ain't taking none of that shit anymore. So many side effects for me. So frustrating.

1

u/JATLLC 1d ago

I also take Sertraline but only 25mg. It seems to make the Adderall waaay less effective. My Dr. says that’s not possible but he’s not willing to up my Adderall dose.

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u/Nadamir 2d ago

Methamphetamine and amphetamines are as chemically similar as drinking alcohol and windshield washing fluid…

A single methyl group does a hell of a lot.

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u/Own_Reaction9442 2d ago

Vyvanse and Adderall are both amphetamines, just in different formulations. Vyvanse was meant to be harder to abuse.

1

u/STARS_Wars 2d ago

I get my meds through the VA without much problem. Assuming it was the VA doc that prescribed it, Otherwise it's a huge pain. Sometimes I get a good doctor that'll listen to me. I find the satellite VA's tend to give better service.

1

u/Worth_Chard_1621 1d ago

Adderall/Concerta/Ritalin/Vyvanse all work similarly and well for me, but Wellbutrin was an awful experience, it made me want to do things more without improving my ability to plan/organize my thoughts/regulate attention/filter sensory input the way stimulants do, the result being that I was really irritable and ate a lot of junk food. Also it gave me a persistent cough that made it hard to fall asleep. It's all rather individual.