I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2005. Concerta wasn't a good fit due to rebound and anxiety; Strattera caused depression and other issues. I did best with Dexedrine (I took IR first, 10mg, and then later was on the Spansule, still 10mg) but stopped taking medication in 2008 for a variety of reasons.
My life circumstances changed and I began working from home in 2009. I freelance and write fiction, and my husband is the primary earner in our household. In 2010 I was reassessed (we had moved so I needed my diagnosis confirmed) and started back on medication, this time Adderall XR at 25mg. I took it until June 2013, when I stopped due to side effects of nausea and increased hyperfocus. (Basically I felt gross most of the time and wasn't even getting anything done anymore so there wasn't a reason to put up with feeling gross.) My doctor and I discussed things and the next medication we agreed to try is Vyvanse.
In March of this year I gave birth. My son is nearly six months old and he is exclusively breastfed (we're going to start introducing solids soon).
The problem is that I am having problems getting stuff done that are similar to the reasons I went back on medication in 2010. The cycle goes like this: I struggle to get stuff done and gradually get more done each day until I have an amazingly productive day when I get tons of stuff done and feel great about myself. Then it takes at least two days for me to recover, and on these days I'm able to just do the minimum required to keep things going - I can feed our pets and I can make our meals, but laundry and washing dishes and tidying up is all totally beyond my capabilities. Then the struggle and gradual ramp up begins again.
This is not good for my mental health or the state of our home, and it is definitely not good for my son since it is difficult on these recovery days for me to even interact with him beyond looking after his basic care needs.
With that in mind, I'm planning to make an appointment to talk to my ADHD doctor about my options while I'm breastfeeding. I thought I would ask here for advice as well; I'll print out the information and take it to my doctor. I've done some reading and honestly I would prefer to go back on the 10mg x2 daily of Dexedrine IR, assuming that would be safe. I'm leery of trying a brand-new medication while breastfeeding, and I prefer the twice daily since then I can take it or not for the morning or the afternoon, depending on whether I need it or not. One of the problems I had with the Adderall XR was if I took it after 11.00 a.m. I would be up until 3.00 a.m.; that never happened with the short-acting Dexedrine.
Thanks.
My life circumstances changed and I began working from home in 2009. I freelance and write fiction, and my husband is the primary earner in our household. In 2010 I was reassessed (we had moved so I needed my diagnosis confirmed) and started back on medication, this time Adderall XR at 25mg. I took it until June 2013, when I stopped due to side effects of nausea and increased hyperfocus. (Basically I felt gross most of the time and wasn't even getting anything done anymore so there wasn't a reason to put up with feeling gross.) My doctor and I discussed things and the next medication we agreed to try is Vyvanse.
In March of this year I gave birth. My son is nearly six months old and he is exclusively breastfed (we're going to start introducing solids soon).
The problem is that I am having problems getting stuff done that are similar to the reasons I went back on medication in 2010. The cycle goes like this: I struggle to get stuff done and gradually get more done each day until I have an amazingly productive day when I get tons of stuff done and feel great about myself. Then it takes at least two days for me to recover, and on these days I'm able to just do the minimum required to keep things going - I can feed our pets and I can make our meals, but laundry and washing dishes and tidying up is all totally beyond my capabilities. Then the struggle and gradual ramp up begins again.
This is not good for my mental health or the state of our home, and it is definitely not good for my son since it is difficult on these recovery days for me to even interact with him beyond looking after his basic care needs.
With that in mind, I'm planning to make an appointment to talk to my ADHD doctor about my options while I'm breastfeeding. I thought I would ask here for advice as well; I'll print out the information and take it to my doctor. I've done some reading and honestly I would prefer to go back on the 10mg x2 daily of Dexedrine IR, assuming that would be safe. I'm leery of trying a brand-new medication while breastfeeding, and I prefer the twice daily since then I can take it or not for the morning or the afternoon, depending on whether I need it or not. One of the problems I had with the Adderall XR was if I took it after 11.00 a.m. I would be up until 3.00 a.m.; that never happened with the short-acting Dexedrine.
Thanks.
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