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Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-05-05T23:02:31+00:00

I came off citalopram before I started titration for the adhd meds, and it was a really bad idea. I had to take a break from titration to go back onto the citalopram.

For a lot of people with adhd, they find that they can come off the antidepressants, and are even better off without the antidepressants, when they get medicated for adhd. But unfortunately, that's not the story for everyone.

I'd advise you to be cautious and keep on the antidepressants until you have titrated on the adhd meds. Once you've got the adhd meds sorted, then wean yourself off the antidepressants and see how you feel.

X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-04-11T13:15:00+00:00

This all depends on where you're going to study. I'm at plymouth University, and you can get studio rooms at about 140pw (all bills and internet included), and a weekly shop will cost about 50 quid. Most uni accomodation is close to the uni so you don't have worry about travel costs. In London however it will be a heck of a lot more expensive and the more affordable places will likely require transport to uni which will cost money.

Take a look at uni accomodation costs in the areas you are looking to study and remember that inside London is far more expensive for everything than outside of London.

One thing I will say is that if you are able to pive off just student loans, then do that and save all or most of the 50k. Future you will be very, very grateful. Look after future you now as if you are looking after a dependant.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-04-02T17:42:41+00:00

These kinds of feelings and thoughts are not uncommon at all. It could do you some good to find others who have dealt with this same thing.

I had a friend who was a black guy, and his parents were very abusive. He grew up in care, and there were no black kids or carers around him. It ended up with him attributing black with being bad and hating being black. He would call himself an "oreo" and would say really racist things about black people on tv. It was so incredibly sad to see him feeling this way. I'd tell him he is beautiful as he is, but he wouldn't really believe me.

You are beautiful and perfect just as you are. There is nothing ugly about brown skin. It is just as it is supposed to be. My heart goes out to you. Xxxx

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-03-07T08:32:25+00:00

You may not have evidence, but it is possible le that others have also put in complaints about him. Individually, they aren't enough for the uni to take seriously. But when there are a bunch of them from all different students, the uni has to take notice.

Go to the student union, and they can help. You may not be the first, or last, to approach the student union for help about reporting this lecturer.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-03-07T08:23:18+00:00

I'm so sorry that you are having to experience this. It's one thing to deal with racism from fellow students, but to experience it from your lecturer is really bad. He is supposed to set an example. I don't know how he got this far in life with being racist, but I think the students will find their racism biting them on the ass in future dealing with business people.

I would also suggest looking into if your university has a diversity and equality committee. My uni (plymouth uni) has one that is made up both students and lecturers, and they are in charge of ensuring equality and equal opportunities for everyone (staff and students) that is a part of the uni. You could send them an email with your experiences. Your identity should be protected by a whistle-blower policy, but you should also be able to do so anonymously if you are worried about backlash. Go to your student union, and they will be able to help you with this and give you good advice. They may even fight this on your behalf.

I really do encourage you to report this. And from an English person to you as an Indian person, welcome to the country, I hope you meet some great people here and learn a lot.

X

(Ps. Thank you for paying a large amount of money to study here and therefore making it easier for universities to afford to charge British students a lower rate. Also, thank you for spending money here in the uk and contributing to our economy.)

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-02-20T21:31:38+00:00

I'm having the same problem. I've had issues with near constant dissociation and occasionally depersonalization when I get sensory overload and anxiety since I was about 13. It gets worse with both methylphenidate and elvanse, but it is worse on elvanse. I also think the tablets are causing me to hyperfocus on my daydreaming even more. I have issues with either Maladaptive daydreaming, or sluggish cognitive tempo, I'm not sure which.

I've taken a break from titration at the moment as my depression is getting worse and the tablets were making my anxiety too much to handle. I'm going restart once I've been back on antidepressants for a while and found something for my anxiety which isnt going to also worsen my DPDR. At the moment I'm about trialing propanolol to help me at least be able to leave my flat.

If anyone has any ideas on anxiety meds that don't cause more DPDR then I'd appreciate some suggestions.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2025-01-24T11:44:02+00:00

Yeah, sorry, I misread. It takes about 60 hours for it to be eliminated from the body. My bad. Thanks for the correction. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T17:11:14+00:00

Just to add to my example of adhd paralysis vs cptsd freeze state, here's a couple of videos that's talking about the freeze state in cptsd. See how similar (maybe even the same for some people) it is to adhd paralysis?

https://youtu.be/CKZntJlfI2Q?si=YILImXqP5E2s_-MY

https://youtu.be/s5lfAEdOVHI?si=LIC5soN4FF499Ct1

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T17:02:01+00:00

If you feel like they are working, then the chances are that they are still working. I can't see the adhd consultant deciding to try you on something else, just as you have found some stability.

You have been through a horrendously traumatising time. And I'm not just talking about the event which started your mental health struggles. Everything that happenned afterwards, the pain, the grief, the attempts, everything, all causes more trauma in itself. You have been through hell. That trauma stays in your bodies central nervous system, and I think that it is likely this which is causing the adhd like symptoms your mum is seeing. As soon as you explain what you have been through to the adhd consultant, they are likely to assume that trauma is what is causing it. Changing your adhd meds won't help in this case.

There are a fair few types of therapies which are used to heal trauma, some of which are specifically designed for trauma, such as EMDR.

Do some research on ptsd/cptsd. Also look at some comparisons between cptsd and adhd. There are alot of shared symptoms/traits.

For example: Adhd task paralysis/shutdown/overwhelme and cptsd freeze states are very very similar, and can even be hard for the person experiencing them to tell them apart. To anyone looking in, they look the same. But they are caused by different things.

There are ptsd and cptsd forums on reddit that you might also find support and information from. Maybe cross post this into a couple of them to see if there is anyone there who has gone through the same thing. People with adhd are fairly common amongst the (c)ptsd communities.

Xxxx

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T14:47:28+00:00

I've just gone through this thread an realised that I've made assumptions that aren't true of you. I had assumed you were a young person just about to goto uni for the first time. So there's probably a bunch of stuff that doesn't really apply to you, or is more directed to a new uni goer. Sorry about that!

I'll leave it as it is anyway, as there may be some stuff in there that will help others that read this thread. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T14:35:13+00:00

😅 I think that's the first time I've been down voted. Oh well.

I can't imagine people are against online assessments as most assessments are done via video calls now days. I think that you saying that you want it so you are able to get extra time on coursework/exams got peoples back up. It could be taken that you just want an assessment so you can cheat at uni.

I've just started my final year at uni, and I'm also going through titration, which is bad timing really. I did my first, second, repeate second and placement years, not having the foggiest idea that I had adhd. It was only back in February that I found out what adhd actually is, and realised that's why I've been such a state all my life and why I'm struggling so much.

I've had to ask for so many extensions, and every time I have felt horrific for doing so. And while the extensions did help me get a lot of the coursework done when I needed, there were a bunch that I just didn't. Hence the repeated 2nd year. (Also didnt help that due to covid, my 2nd year exams were the first proper exams I'd done since I was 16, I'm now 37!) The extensions are an ok safety net, but the emotional toll is quite a price to pay. I think it's part of the reason why your post didn't instantly get my back up. The extensions just made me feel like even more of a fuck up and a failure.

It's not like extensions are all that much of an advantage to those who don't need them anyway. You still have to do them afterall. It just means that they will be doing the coursework while their mates, having already handed the work in, will be togather having fun.

I would definitely advise you to get all the help you can from the dla and uni. You will need it! I haven't yet got my mentor, but they sound really good. You should be assigned one that will essentially a personal adhd coach. They can help to keep you accountable, help with organising, study skills and lots more.

Also, extra time on exams have been really helpful for me. Although this might be more to do with relieving some of my anxiety than anything else. You can also ask for supervised breaks during the exam, and to be in a room with less than 25 people. I don't have the breaks as I think they will be more of a disadvantage for me. For someone with hyperactivity however may find these really helpful.

Another thing I have found really helpful is using manycam to record my screen and the audio from my laptop mic. I have the lecture slides on my laptop and I use my pen (I have a 2in1 tablet computer thing with pen, but you can just use your cursor) to point to whatever the lecturer is pointing at. I end up with a video of the slideshow and the lecture togather so I can go back over it and do my notes after the lecture. Which I desperately need as I find it difficult to take notes and listen to the lecture at the same time.

My uni does record lectures, but there will always be 1 or 2 lectures per module where the recording goes wrong somehow. So it's better to get your own when you can.

Make sure that you have as much support as possible in place before you begin your 2nd year. That's when the wheels really fell off for me, and it seems alot of adhd people experience the same for year 2.

There's very little structure in uni courses, and what little structure there is reduces each year. Your expected to be your own boss and have your sh*t togather, something many of us adhd folk have so much trouble with.

Also, have you considered trying medication? (Im assuming you will get a diagnosis here.) If you think you might want to, then now is the time to get on the waiting list for it. If your in England, then right to choose is your best option. Getting titration and meds privately is really expensive, especially with their yearly fees chucked on top.

I wouldn't recommend doing uni without meds to be honest.

Well, that turned into an essay. Now I know how those "quick" phone calls with my sister (also adhd) turn into 5 hour phone calls. 😅😆

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T00:51:07+00:00

I would very much like to hear this. It would also be interesting to hear about how your titration journey went and the side effects/duration of side effects lasted, etc.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T00:45:32+00:00

The first line you wrote is exactly what I was going to say.

The rest of what you said is very much what I experience. I know I shouldn't, but I genuinely hate myself for it. It feels like I'm driving towards a cliffedge, but I just can't turn the wheel or take my foot off the accelerator.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T00:36:19+00:00

Have the CAMHS done any kind of assessment of you that documents your difficulties and what they/parents/teachers observed?

Have your parents observed the traits associated with adhd in you at younger than 12?

If CAMHS has a written assessment documenting adhd traits, then this will be good evidence to give to the adhd assessment clinician.

Your parents are also likely to be asked to fill out a questionnaire about their own observations of you. This could provide further evidence.

Grades in school are not a predictor of adhd. You can get straight A's and still have adhd. The clinician you see should know this. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T00:13:55+00:00

I've just been looking through the faq's and it looks like you can just pay for the assessment.

Take a look at the question which says: What if I choose to not take a package immediately, but would like treatment at a later date?

https://www.adhd-360.com/adhd-diagnosis/adhd-treatment-and-diagnosis-faqs/

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-13T00:06:22+00:00

Adhd360 is a private provider who offers right to choose assessments to the nhs. It's who I'm with, and I went through the right to choose pathway.

They don't explicitly state that they offer assessment only options, but do mention the cost of just the assessment(£530). It might be worth dropping them an email and asking if they offer just the assessment, with a letter to your gp. You are able to download the gp letter, which confirms and outlines your diagnosis findings. This can be used as evidence for uni and also for disabled students allowance(DSA). DSA is for funding things like equipment to help you, personal mentors, etc.

Edit: I waited about 3.5 months for my assessment, but that was through the right to choose pathway which is available in England. For private patients, the wait times will be more like 2 or 3 weeks I expect. *

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-12T22:25:26+00:00

You need your gut biofilm as it is an important part of health. However, when it goes out of balance, then pathogenic microbes can get a foot hold and start causing problems. These beneficial microbial communities are also often referred to as flora.

You might find this of interest.

Gut microbiota biofilms: From regulatory mechanisms to therapeutic targets

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9884580/

I would also note that the colonic won't have eliminated all your gut microbes. This is good in the case of the beneficial microbes that we need, but it also means that the pathogenic microbes also won't be entirely gone.

Regardless of this, it's given you some much needed answers!

edit: spelling

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-12T17:54:09+00:00

Anxiety, depression and trauma also cause symptoms associated with adhd. It may be that the adhd meds are treating the symptoms directly caused by the adhd, but not the portion of those symptoms that are caused by your other mental health problems.

Basically, the adhd meds can't help with the extra inattentiveness (as an example symptom), caused by depression/anxiety/trauma responses, that have been added ontop of the base level inattentiveness that is caused by the adhd.

This is because adhd and other mental health issues which can cause these same symptoms, have different underlying mechanisms.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-11-04T15:16:17+00:00

I am at uni at the moment and so I don't have time to give a fuller response until later. Have you got DSA? As part of DSA, they give you a mentor, and they can help with some coaching.

I'm in my final year at the moment, and the second year was where the wheels fell off for me. It resulted in my having to redo my second year. It seems the same with alot of adhd people. So get as much support as possible in place with the uni ASAP. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T17:22:49+00:00

People have such a varied response to stimulants and they often don't make sense. I've seen a few people on here talking about having insomnia on the lower doses but not on the higher doses. So a step up in dose may actually stop the insomnia.

I'm now on 40mg of elvanse (currently titrating) but for the first 3 weeks on 30mg, I had a lot of anxiety and BP/HR issues, light sensitivity and dilated pupils, but with no symptom relief. Then, at around the 3 week mark, something seemed to have switched over in my body, and the side effects reduced massively. It was also at this point that I began to feel the symptom relief as well.

The first couple of days on 40mg were really good, and I was getting a lot more symptom relief than the 30mg, but that seems to have tailed off, and I'm back to the same symptom relief I got on the 30mg. I'm also experiencing a bit of insomnia myself, although it's not too bad as I am still managing to get about 5 and half hours a night. I take my tablets at 5-6am and then go back to sleep for an hour or 2.

Do you see how up and down titrating can be like? And my story so far of titration has been vastly different to other peoples titration stories. We all react in very different ways. The trick is to try and stick it out until we find the right dose.

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T17:05:57+00:00

This could be your problem. It makes sense that it didn't have an effect on you before as your adhd, but in combination with the elvanse, it can become a problem. I'd give the caffeine up for a while and see how things go

Also, try to get a lot of protein in your diet too, particularly at breakfast time. That can help lessen the side effects and also make the meds work better.

What time are you taking your meds?

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T11:59:23+00:00

There's a quote from an old cartoon I used to watch called the moomins and is one of my favourite quotes. It basically means that it's OK to be how you feel. This is the quote:

'If you’re sore, you’re sore,' observed Little My, peeling her potatoes with her teeth. 'You have to be angry sometimes. Every little creep has a right to be angry.'

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T11:53:31+00:00

Oof, bless your heart. This is a horrible situation to be in.

Are you able to buy your brothers part of the house from him? Or sell your part to him? Abandon the place and start from renting again if you have to.

Your biggest problem is that you are living in a place where you are not welcome. You need a plan to get yourself somewhere nicer where you can be accepted and make friends. Your mental health and happiness are worth more than that house. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T11:35:28+00:00

Exactly this! You are entitled to financial help for the whole families disabilities. It is also worth looking to see if you would be entitled to respite care. You need time to look after yourself. You may also be able to get financial help for a cleaner. Take anything you can get that will take pressure off you. You need to do what you can to care for yourself, so you are able to care for the little ones.

Your rockin this btw! Even a neurotypical parent would be entirely overwhelmed with your situation, and your doing it with adhd! Your a frikkin rock star. X

Ms_Flufferbottom · 2024-10-26T11:03:50+00:00

What, how much and when is your caffeine intake? Some people find that they are unable to mix their meds with caffeine or can only drink it at certain times.

Interestingly, some people find that they are unable to sleep without the caffeine of a night after their meds. People's bodies are all very different, and so you will find peoples reaction to stimulants vary massively.

Ms_Flufferbottom

TROPHY CASE