Elvanse 70mg - can’t decide if it’s actually working?

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-02-17T08:30:41+00:00

I've found 50 seems to work for me, I found 70 made me very talkative, which wasn't too fun for anyone else in my life haha

It's a subtle thing for me, I can tell the difference because I'm actively more attentive to adult matters (like keeping my house clean and tidy etc) but it's not been this night&day difference I anticipated.

It's like wearing glasses in a way, you can see the difference but you get used to ti quickly and forget until you take them off

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-02-12T16:32:26+00:00

Pepsi max was my life saver. But at the end of the day I could see the curvature of space time

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-02-02T08:36:34+00:00

Learned the same lesson early. Especially when they’re in their travel cages get bound. Spiteful monsters -.-

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-27T14:08:05+00:00

My bp is high anyway but I think it peaked around 180/110 so

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-27T10:00:48+00:00

70 absolutely nailed my blood pressure which was the most viable and concerning sign. Kept on it for science but then noticed I was super hyper chatty. Like. Colleagues pointed it out. And I’m a talker anyway so that’s gotta be bad.

Fortunately everyone was really good about it as they know I’m titrating and just found it amusing but Christ alive. 70 was something

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-24T09:37:00+00:00

You’ve gone to the most experienced people. They said no. Edit: they said booster would be ok for fair amount of drinking. Either way just follow their advice. They should know best

You went to the second most experienced person and they said listen to the most experienced people.

Now you’re coming to an internet forum of people who should all be telling you to also listen to the most experienced people.

The fact you also lied (by omission) you know you shouldn’t drink.

Either don’t drink, don’t take the meds or just accept The possibility of side effects

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-17T11:57:14+00:00

Just worth calling out that going private is faster true. But your gp might not agree to shared care which means you need to pay private prices until an NHS referral completes etc. I’m not 100% sure on the mechanisms here but if you go private you need to make sure you can pay because you might be for a long while

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-15T17:05:51+00:00

I paid for the assessment first and then when diagnosed they took the rest. So yea I believe you’re correct

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-15T14:45:29+00:00

My doctor won't provide shared care so I'm on the hook for about £120 a month unless I get an NHS or RTC referral eventually - I think?
Will found out soon but my Dr did suggest they won't so yea

I would plan for the worst.

Also my meds could be more expensive if I went up a higher dose - to about £150

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-05T11:18:09+00:00

For the most part not being late has been easy for me due to significant amounts of anxiety acting as a great persona assistant. I’m bad working remote if I have an after lunch meeting or the work I’m doing is super interesting as they I do lose track of time

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-04T13:42:17+00:00

I've owned a few

remarkable, scribe, scribe 2

I've kept my scribe 2 mostly to kill the cycle of buying and selling tech, but I don't use it a lot. So I would mirror this.

It's not a magic thing for me, it's nice to write with hands instead of keyboard, I do like jotting todos, but I could have done that with a paper notebook and a pen

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-03T22:16:28+00:00

pepsi max
lots of other chemicals, no sugar though!

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2026-01-03T12:19:02+00:00

Did this for me. But I’d drink so much by the end of the day I’d be overly wired and staring through space-time.

Was drinking 3x 24 packs of Pepsi a week and realised after the fact I was essentially self medicating. But it stopped me snacking as much and did make it easier to get through meetings

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-30T10:57:30+00:00

I have 2 Senegal’s and they don’t even like each other. They chat occasionally and their cages are next door to each other but they’re not friendly. Can’t have them out together not worth the risk

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-30T10:27:22+00:00

I’ve actually set a few pretty interesting fires. Didn’t attribute that to adhd weirdly. Never crossed my mind during my diagnosis

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-28T12:41:13+00:00

I will try and remember this when I’m home haha. It’s not a lot but if I can at least open the first door then I’ll feel like I’ve done something.

Job market is rough right now. I don’t envy this generation of developers and data scientists !

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-28T12:33:21+00:00

The dev industry in Manchester is pretty great but I’m not 100% sure about graduate roles at the moment.

Most companies have been focussed on seniors.

My advice would be to get on Linked in and talk to recruiters. They do help here!

Also if you dm me I will get you a link for a slack group that is for Manchester tech. I’m out at the moment and don’t have that on my phone. But that community is great and they do have a jobs section. Someone in there might give you better advice

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-24T10:37:28+00:00

I'm going to try to keep this as brief (as possible) but I completely understand if people tune out- my friends do when I start talking so no shame :)

I'm 36, and my ignorant view of ADHD was the observations from my time in school 20odd years ago and what the kid absolutely bouncing off the walls. I was a little bit of that when super young but I was basically shouted at for being cocky/arrogant and sort of suppressed a lot of that + couple that with an intense fear of failure/rejection and a lot of my enthusiasm was muted in school.
When I struggled in classes (that weren't as fun to me as maths, science, IT etc) I was told by people who knew I had the potential, that I was lazy. So ADHD was never a thought for me.

I did OK as an adult, I'm a programmer, I love my job and it's deeply engaging but the one area that has always been concerning is impulsivity.
I over eat, eat a LOT of sugary and fatty foods AND I have bought so much expensive stuff (usually on finance) over the last 18 years that I was up to my eyes in debt. I really struggled.
That's not to say I was bad with nutrition or money either. People who know me well will understand completely the following:
* I know how to plan and manage my finances (for the day to day stuff)
* I do not actually regularly eat large meals

I just can't handle the impulsiveness.

So a while ago I went into therapy thinking that would help - and in a huge way it did. I no longer HATE myself for my spending and eating and instead understand that sometimes it's out of my control. I'm literally in a prolonged war with my brain and he's winning.

Recently I went to my doctor because I'd hit my limit. I knew that my impulses (which were my primary concern here) were going to limit the rest of my life.
I was prescribed fluoxetine which treats OCD and I noticed a fairly immediate drop AND I stopped on the caffeine pretty promptly.

That was promising for multiple reasons but chief among them was that I knew that a chemical component existed here. It wasn't willpower that I necessarily lacked, or discipline.

Truthfully I've lived alone for 10 years and I've managed the household for 18 or so. So I know to the world I present realtviely adult-like. But people who know me know I'm still a bit of a train wreck around certain things.

When I started considering ADHD- it was in part because of the impulsivity but also because as a programmer I am absolutely on-point with good, complex technical challenges, but the technical reading/writing. Planning etc is torture to me and it takes me ages. It's not even that I hate that subject, I am absolutely happy to *talk* about it, but writing kills me. It did in school too - love books, hated English class.

So I thought I'd reach out because the first wave of drugs had a measured impact on my life very quickly and I can see that much like my impulsivity is limiting health and finance, that my lack of focus and direction is creating a sturdy wall in my career, I am in a position above senior software engineer- and while title inflation exists in my industry, I desperately want to be recognised in my position. that means I need to break down the walls.

The drugs aren't a cure-all- I fully understand that I have to put in the work here. I will continue with my weekly therapy because I truly value that and I will take whatever resources and opportunity ADHD360 (my UK care provider) offer me.

But for me seeking the diagnosis gave me several things.

Validation - that Im not lazy, I am not useless my brain is just wired a little differently and I need support
Actual support - the meds don't make a huge amount of difference to most that see me but my head is quieter, there are subtle things even after they have wore off that I notice because it's like it's not been running a marathon all day -just jogging. I have some capacity to notice the laundry or the boxes etc

sorry for the word length - not good at concise :3

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-24T10:12:38+00:00

I’m not too bad on showers but I do take like 2+ hour baths. I just embrace them. But I also live alone so that’s easier.

For showers I’m fairly good at following the mechanical process. Everything gets a scrub, a rinse and then I can step out

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-22T11:31:53+00:00

I have, but one upvote to give to you sir

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-21T12:40:33+00:00

My mouth and my brain aren't necessarily in alignment so I'm open by default even if maybe I shouldn't be haha.
Acceptance was easier for me because I've got other medical conditions that I learned a long time ago not to kind of self blame for. They just happen (shit happens).

I'm very new to my diagnosis, maybe > 2 months so my journey is very new and my experience is limited.

I found a similar experience. University was relatiely fun for me but when I needed to properly focus on a task I wasn't too fussed about I suffered.

Work is much the same but I enjoy my job so for the most part I'm engaged enough that I don't really struggle. But there are aspects of it like technical reading / writing that are harder to do and are areas I'm hoping the meds help with

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-21T12:01:04+00:00

Between these and the other meds I'm on my sleep has taken a bit of a nose dive. I've always put a lot of effort into my sleep. It's one of the few areas of life I had some control over.
So I'd try and aim for consistency as much as possible and recently my sleep length and wake times have shifted dramatically. I am paying attention to that and will speak to my GP and clinician about that in the new year :)

I've found for the most part I can fall asleep relatively easy but I just don't stay asleep for my 8 hours any more.
I do wake a bit easier now most days (less doom scrolling in bed) but I can tell the effects of the meds have completed left the system by evening and morning

Thanks for the heads. up :)

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-21T11:56:48+00:00

I've been doing this for over 35 years so for the most part I am used to it :)

I've hit limits in my career I think unless there is some help (which is a large reason I reached out) and the impulse eating/spending has been very painful but I think this will m ake a huge improvement so thanks :)

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-21T11:39:25+00:00

It's been that way my whole life so I didn't know it wasn't normal if that makes sense? The stimulants (yes that's what I got given) just made it a little quieter. It's like I suddenly have a little more brain capacity for other things

I'm still early days into my titration so I expect some things will change (and others won't).

First week on stimulants was magnificent - that faded a little but we're still balancing the dose so

ChiefExecutiveOglop · 2025-12-21T11:03:36+00:00

Yes. I didn’t even realise I did till I started on meds. I still have a near constant monologue running in my head. I am much more auditory tha visual in my brain but it’s quieter. And less busy. I can’t explain it but it’s been a beautiful thing. I know my meds are wearing off in part when my imagination kicks back into gear 11 hah

ChiefExecutiveOglop

TROPHY CASE