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submitted 1 year ago by murrman@lemmy.world to c/adhd@lemmy.world

I'm posting this simply because I didn't have any other place to post it, and I'm hoping I'll get some sort of cathartic relief by doing so.

I'm 41 years old, and I've been taking meds for ADHD for the better part of 10 years. I bounced around with a few different meds before finding that Vyvanse was by far the most effective for me. To say that it changed my life would be a huge understatement.

I've recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure. They're still working on figuring out the cause (genetic, environmental, stress, etc...), but I found out on Tuesday that I'm no longer able to take my Vyvanse until they figure everything out. Even then, there's a good chance I'll never be able to go back on meds.

I'm, honestly, pretty devistated right now. I was upset enough when I started having to deal with the high blood pressure stuff (I'm a relatively in-shape person, and a very avid distance runner). Adding this on top of things almost feels like too much to handle at once. I've pretty much just sat on the couch these past two days throwing myself a little pity party.

In addition to just being a way to vent my feelings of frustration, I'm also hoping someone here might be able to offer some alternative ways to help manage ADHD symptoms. My biggest area of need has always been with my focus. When I'm not medicated, my motivation to do anything (especially things that need to get done) is near zero.

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[-] TerraRoot@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Am 42 and unmedicated my whole life, adhd coaching can help alot, I find my focus for doing stuff is also terrible, however it's things I've convinced myself are unneeded bullshit, do I need to send that email today? sort the insurance paperwork? yes I actually do and once it's done I can go treat my self to some creative time to relieve the 'ugh' feeling of emails.

Also an immense amount of coffee, but that's probably not great advice in your situation.

[-] chigh@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I totally understand what you're going through. I took Adderall for the better part of 10 years, and it started making me feel lousy. And my blood pressure started to climb.

So, I switched to Straterra, a non-amphetamine medication, which may still have some risk of HBP, but it doesn't seem to do anything to mine. That might be an option.

It takes several weeks to take full effect, and it's not as effective as Adderall was for me, but it's difficult to function without it. Later on, I still had to face high blood pressure. I could possibly go back on Adderall, but I'd prefer not to have the medications "fight" over it. ;-)

[-] KijinSeija@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Ask your doctor about guanfacine (Intuniv). It is taken both as an ADHD medication and a blood pressure lowering medication. It might be good either by itself or in conjunction with your current medication to offset the stimulant’s effects on blood pressure.

[-] improvisedbuttplug@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

My blood pressure spikes with stress. In my doctors office, we took a reading and it was high. Then we took another one 5 minutes later after I intentionally relaxed myself and it was normal again.

She prescribed guanfacine to take in combination with the vyvanse. Should theoretically help. Won't know until I start it next month

[-] KijinSeija@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

My blood pressure also rose a lot when I was first put on Concerta. My doctor prescribed guanfacine to take along with the Concerta, and it did slowly bring my blood pressure down to normal levels. Hope it works out for you!

this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2023
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ADHD

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