this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2026
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ADHD
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Yep. There will be dosage adjustments later as you develop a tolerance, but it’s life changing.
One of the things you should be prepared for is grief; being able to function properly on medication made me look back and think what my life could have been like if I had been diagnosed and treated sooner. I had to grieve for the life I missed out on because I didn’t understand how to help my brain function until my 30s.
I am not only overpreparing for grief, but also extremely hesitant to start any medication because I live in a volatile part of the world and don’t know if I can be comfortable depending on medicine that can’t always be found. I’m also scared about things like traveling with medication, or losing professional credibility/legal rights, since it’s still somewhat stigmatized.
I’ve grieved following much smaller improvements to my life.
In 2020 the entire country ran out and people started rationing and sharing their medication. So there’s precedent for people figuring things out.
Ya I heard that it's possible that one may go through a grief stage. I haven't felt it yet thankfully. I think about all the missed potential but in the end, I lived my life on hard difficulty, still made friends and memories and did cool experiences. I'm trying to frame it as "sure on paper you may have lost a decade and a half, but it took that time to come here and now the world is an oyster and you're hungry af".
I appreciate the advice from you 😊 it's all relative since bodies are all different but approximately how long did it take for ya to require a dosage increase? I'm on day 2 and I'm all clammy and gross feeling due to the side effects haha. I can't imagine taking a larger dose anytime soon
I slowly built up over a couple years, then when I quit drinking I was able to reduce down to just over half my top dose.
Neat! Thanks for sharing
The grief is honestly one of my biggest fears with starting medication. I don't want to face that my life could have been so much better.
Of course that's not a good reason to not seek help logically, but damn if those built in guilt trips and shame aren't incredibly strong.
The best time to plant a tree is 30 year ago, the second best time is right now.
I did it, I was at peace with the grief after maybe a week. Or at least it wasn't my biggest problem any more.
Don’t let it hold you back, it’s worth it. Grief is a part of growth.
It is my understanding that part of the effect, especially the medically desired effect, does not build (much) of a tolerance. The part that feels like a recreational drug does, but it'll still regulate noradrenaline in the prefrontal cortex all the same with the starting dose.
These are hard to exactly tell apart, though; it's a blurry line.
Yes I think so at least for methylphenidate and vyvanse. I also think its important to eat a lot of protein in the morning for vyvanse to gain its potential or it can just not work as it should and people might be tempted to increase dosage with negative consequences.
Thanks for pointing out the potential (?) link to protein! After 1.5 years on it, I fell into the mistake to binge-eat junk food in the evening, which will probably make anyone feel less fit, but I wrongly attributed the following fatigue it to the dose and duration. Others report problems with caffeine.
You're welcome. Yes I also can't take caffeine anymore but maybe in a few months I will try. Regarding protein my dosage keeps me focused for only 6-7 hours at most if I don't breakfast a good amount of protein (20-30g). With protein it is 12-13 hours. The med needs and benefits from protein to work on its highest potential. I suggest: Ask your LLM for details.
Tricks to keep a long duration are definitely a thing, and I want to find them all. One of the most important for me is to eat and rest as if I did NOT take meds, even though they suppress fatigue and hunger.
I can do a 3 hour cleaning spree and then collapse, or force regular rests even when I feel "full power", just because the clock says so, and then keep doing 30 hour intervals all day long.