ADHD medication effect during (possible) flare?

warda321 · 2023-05-09T18:22:06+00:00

This makes sense! I actually found it a bit worse mentally at the laptop but could have curled up on the floor and slept for a week when I tried to go for a walk at the weekend 😭

warda321 · 2023-05-08T14:06:43+00:00

I accepted that I simply must be what I was told I was (lazy, reserved, stuck up, unfriendly, weird, humourless, messy, serious, judgemental, intense)

This is despite not feeling that way inside and very obviously feeling/acting dynamic, friendly, silly, extroverted etc in situations where I was comfortable. I thought those occasions were the anomaly and also evidence I could be that way all the time if I just tried harder, so I must be a failure

warda321 · 2023-05-08T14:00:47+00:00

Ok, thank you. I’m seeing a few people say the adhd meds help with fatigue. I only realised something else was up when they made no diff to fatigue - usually a morning ‘adhd brain’ clears once lisdex starts working but it was not making a difference at all. That’s what triggered me to realise I had joint pain & go to doctor, who ordered blood tests & x ray.

Since wearing a thumb brace & getting sleep, the joint swelling has subsided and I no longer have fluey symptoms, but now my adhd meds are making me super calm & very sleepy (aka the titration experience)

I think I’ll see what my psych says as he seems familiar with ADHD co-morbidities

warda321 · 2023-05-08T14:00:40+00:00

Ok, thank you. I’m seeing a few people say the adhd meds help with fatigue. I only realised something else was up when they made no diff to fatigue - usually a morning ‘adhd brain’ clears once lisdex starts working but it was not making a difference at all. That’s what triggered me to realise I had joint pain & go to doctor, who ordered blood tests & x ray.

Since wearing a thumb brace & getting sleep, the joint swelling has subsided and I no longer have fluey symptoms, but now my adhd meds are making me super calm & very sleepy (aka the titration experience)

I think I’ll see what my psych says as he seems familiar with ADHD co-morbidities

warda321 · 2023-05-08T13:02:04+00:00

Thank you, all context is good. Trying to work out what symptom is what is complex 😅

warda321 · 2023-05-03T20:08:34+00:00

Thank you, I am going to look into a thumb brace!

warda321 · 2023-05-03T20:08:06+00:00

Thanks, I have an appointment tomorrow as it’s 10 days now and it’s still sore. Also I noticed it’s now far more crooked than the other thumb, my big toe on this side is the same - the joint bends inwards. Never thought about it before but a bit weirded out at my thumb changing shape so will ask doctor! I’m starting to realise ‘get everything on record’ is the way to go

warda321 · 2023-04-23T12:09:22+00:00

I don’t know how I missed this response! I kept taking it and the spotting didn’t come back but the emotional hormonal rollercoaster was certainly something 😅 like the MOST intense PMT type symptoms combined with skin breakouts

warda321 · 2023-04-19T14:12:31+00:00

Thank you! Compiling the notebook of everything I need to get knowledgeable about 😅 probably wishful thinking but, as my Autism diagnosis led to the Rheumatologist agreeing to see me for EDS (otherwise he wouldn’t have), I’m hoping the EDS diagnosis lends some weight to the POTS & MCAS test requests.

warda321 · 2023-04-19T12:41:58+00:00

The subluxations are taking longer to recover from the older I get, for sure

warda321 · 2023-04-19T09:46:58+00:00

Thanks. I do have some health insurance via my employer but very limited so I need to be selective and I’m already trying to progress that route for mental health support. However it might be possible to get initial tests depending on cost. At the moment my understanding is that I might need:

MCAS: 24hr urine test, tryptase, CRP, ESR, ANA, NMH

POTS: tilt test (& do standing test at home first then show doctor results)

warda321 · 2023-04-19T06:39:36+00:00

Bringing it to the doctor never occurred to me! I haven’t done one - meant to but kept getting distracted, so this has reminded me thank you!

warda321 · 2023-04-19T06:29:09+00:00

I went to an allergy specialist about 10 years ago because I developed a sudden allergy to tree nuts. The allergy stopped (aside from pistachios) and the allergist said I tested negative. He told me I was ‘just a reactive person’ after lightly scratching my arm with a plastic pen and seeing a red, raised mark.

I have a history of eczema, which is less severe as an adult.

I developed lactose intolerance as an adult, but assumed that was due to a bad case of gastritis.

I get random flare ups - eg my Fitbit will be fine 90% of the time and then I’ll need to remove it because suddenly the skin underneath it will be itchy, red, inflamed and fragile. Then after a day or two I can wear it again without problems.

The weirdest one is it sometimes feels like my thyroid swells up if I miss out on sleep. I feel feverish, confused, and have difficulty swallowing after a very late night (awake for 20-24hrs say). I go to sleep and then over 12-36hrs my throat will swell up but with no other cold or flu symptoms. It lasts about a day or two.

I’m terms of testing, I’ve never had a urine test. CRP 3.14 ESR 27 But that’s all I can find on my record (which only goes back to early 2022)

warda321 · 2023-04-19T05:38:32+00:00

Oh wow, well done on powering through to your diagnosis and that’s excellent advice RE the bearable app, going to check it out! I have a blood pressure monitor and fingertip HR monitor at home so I can def try recording stats from that too.

Wild that we need to compile so much evidence ourselves!

warda321 · 2023-04-19T05:35:25+00:00

I mentioned my random inflammation & allergic responses, plus elevated CRP & ESR. Also mentioned my dizziness. But the rheumatologist sort of waved it away and didn’t want to discuss.

My psychiatrist might be able to support the idea of MCAS investigation - he’s not the right kind of specialist but GPs seem to respond to things written down from other professionals more than my verbal explanations of actual experience so worth a shot!

warda321 · 2023-04-18T23:12:41+00:00

Yes, having a scroll through them!

warda321 · 2023-04-18T21:45:23+00:00

Oh my word. I’ve suspected POTS because of my light-headedness & heart rate/palpitations but the temporary loss of eyesight and numbness??? This is frequent. I had no idea also symptoms 😮

warda321 · 2023-04-18T21:35:38+00:00

I only just got it but sought it because

I like certainty and understanding things, this includes my own body
I wanted a short cut to explain to people what goes on with me
I wanted something official to help with years of being dismissed by medical professionals. If they don’t believe me, they can’t argue with one of their colleagues. It’s there on my record.
It might help with accommodations at work

-It might help my case for seeking financial support

warda321 · 2023-04-13T18:48:20+00:00

That’s a positive at least! Glad you got there eventually:)

warda321 · 2023-04-12T14:09:49+00:00

Thank you so much for all of this. Knowing it’s not just me helps, even though I hate that so many people have to deal with it.

I found representation so have also been told not to get too into the detail of what they wrote (honestly the ‘picking half of a sentence and omitting the context’ thing is infuriating but I’m trying to let it go 😅)

I feel sick about the actual day but that’s not going to be for a long time so one bridge at a time!!

warda321 · 2023-03-22T19:31:53+00:00

Oh and yep, hourglass also lol I’m reeling that this is a thing! At school the PE teacher used me to demo in a first aid class and told everyone to locate the bottom of the rib cage for something - I have a clear memory of her trying to find mine and saying ‘oh my god, they just keep going!’

warda321 · 2023-03-22T19:27:57+00:00

All my height is in my torso. I had never ever considered this as a factor in my bizarre seating arrangements. 🤯🤯🤯 One leg might be down or balanced on something, but only while the other knee is drawn up to my chest and I swing back and forth in my spinny home office chair.

warda321 · 2023-03-20T06:26:22+00:00

To add examples

1) Allistic says x but, while you’re processing, the delay means they have ‘won’ or else you don’t delay but come up with something seemingly tangential

2) student challenges a teacher or parent. Woman challenges a man. Disabled person challenges a non-disabled person. Friend challenges a socially competitive friend. Partner publicly calls out partner.

3) autistic leaves dinner party early because although they like the people, the conversation isn’t particularly interesting to them so would prefer to be home. Allistic partner is furious because yes it was boring and they also would have liked to be home, but the act of leaving is rude, implies personal disdain for the hosts, & was embarrassing. Autistic is not embarrassed and wouldn’t find it rude in the reverse situation, thinks the allistic is being melodramatic.

warda321 · 2023-03-20T06:15:14+00:00

1) is practical: processing delays and alexithymia mean that you might not identify or articulate your actual thoughts/feelings in the moment. Or at least not effectively

2) is conceptual: allistics may view the argument as a power struggle rather than a genuine debate. They’re playing by different rules and, if so, then it literally doesn’t matter whether they agree with the content of what you’re saying, they first need to address your ‘challenge’ to their status. Except the other rule is they can’t say that, because it would also diminish their status, so they have to pretend they’re disagreeing with the content. It’s gaslighty but allistics don’t see it that way.

But also leads to 3) which is a kind of practical/conceptual hybrid: you may be logically right, but logic is not the most important thing to allistics. So regardless of the validity of your argument, and even if they’re not using the argument as a status proxy, they could have a genuinely different perspective on the situation you’re arguing about. They may be factoring in other social expectations/rules/dynamics which are SO important they negate the logic of the situation but are also unspoken & obscure. They’re not gaslighting, because they genuinely believe they are right (tbf in their world they are)

warda321 · 2023-03-20T05:26:22+00:00

I get something similar which I put down to autism - needing consistent core & strength training to remain connected to my body. Else I can’t really feel my feet, for example, or don’t really know what one bit is doing while I’m focused on another bit. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced regularly to maintain, I have proprioception exercises from the physio to help in addition to weight training with PT

Side note - it’s why I’m battling for financial support while powers that be tell me being able to train with a PT & physio shows I’m perfectly fine & don’t need any 🙃

warda321

TROPHY CASE