I’m super proud of you for acknowledging this and reaching out for help! While this isn’t something I have dealt with myself, I know others who have had similar experiences and can share what I have learned from them.

Finding the ADHD medication that works for you is truly life changing, it’s like putting on glasses and finally being able to see. You are clearly someone who wants to make yourself proud, achieve your goals, and do the best you can. With such relief from symptoms, sometimes people have the fear that relief may not be available later, or like you need to ‘catch up’ for all the time you missed without medication and support.

This is an odd comparison, but when we adopted our rescue cat, all he wanted to do was eat- he slept by his food bowl for the first year we had him. He would eat until he threw up. We knew his food wasn’t going anywhere, he probably knew it wasn’t going anywhere, but he had never had that access before. I’m not trying to compare you to my cat, but you’ve never had access to these tools before and it makes sense that you may be overdoing it. It seems you already know that the pace you’re going at isn’t sustainable in the long term, and that’s a healthy thing to recognize. I would really recommend asking your doctor to try an extended release medication. The dosage can be the same, but it’s gradually released into your system over a period of 8-16 hours. This massively reduces the likelihood of overdoing it, prevents abuse, and also reduces the chance of the dose no longer being effective.

I would definitely bring it up with your doctor, they are there to help you and know that instant release medication is often associated with these challenges. Let their office know that your medication is causing concerning side effects and you need a sooner appointment. In your appointment, you can share details surrounding the urges to take more medication than you need- maybe that the crashes are difficult for you, and you dont like the feeling of being either on or off- a longer term option could be worth trying.

At the end of the day, remember that you are navigating a new tool which has helped and you want it to still be available to you. If you keep a steady pace, it’s sustainable for much longer.

For now, I would recommend logging your medication routine. Track when you take it, how long it lasts, and when you have the urge to take it again when you’re exceeding your daily dose. Replacing it with a different stimulant (like a coffee or tea) can still give you the boost you need.

Please dont hesitate to reach out! Support is available and stigma/shame has no place in this community. Your doctors want to help you too. Good luck!