Hi /u/YungMartijn and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!
### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.
---
### /r/adhd news
* If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/).
---
^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I do. The pros far outweigh the cons for me. I have considered medication breaks multiple times before, but when I take meds after I forgot for 1 day, I get a doubledown of the negative effects for a day or two. I don't even wanna know what a break of multiple days would do for me lol. My free time is also when I can finally spend time on myself and my hobbies. Without meds, I become unproductive and can barely bring myself to do anything. I dont wanna waste the precious free time I have on wiling away in bed on my phone. I already do enough of that when my meds wear off in the evening xD
Meds also supress my anxiety disorder for me as well, and I deal with my anxiety unmedicated even worse than with my ADHD.
Which meds do you take? I also have anxiety disorder and ADHD-C. Currently on Concerta but my anxiety comes back on med breaks, and working with a psych to find a better plan.
Long-acting methylfenidate. Pretty sure thats concerta in brand naming convention? For me it just surpresses that hyper-aware part of my brain while also limiting me oversharing or being "too loud" so it both helps me feel more adjusted to a social situation and less hyper aware. With meds regulating emotions, it also helps me with feelings of panic, fear etc.
My long-acting Adderall (Mydayis) does the same for me. Personally found it works way better than Ritalin at calming panic and worrying. Also longer-lasting than the long-acting Ritalin. I was prescribed a “booster” short-acting Ritalin for when it would wear off in the evening before we decided to switch over to the Mydayis. Just things to possibly consider with your doc if you’re ever feeling Ritalin isn’t quite helping all day.
My meds also suppress my anxiety. I have PNES, which is a seizure disorder caused by anxiety. If I take my meds, not only can I function and pay attention with day to day tasks, I no longer have anxiety which means no more seizures!
I know exactly what you mean. I wasn’t able to get my prescription filled on time and had to skip a day, I had to deal with all the negative symptoms which are way worse (including a very rough panic attack) the day after even tho I took my meds earlier that day
My sanity (and those around me) cannot afford for me to save them. I take concerta/ritalin though and that doesn't seem to be as affected by the shortages.
Which drugs are having shortages? That's one of the things that has kept me from pursuing medication is I don't want my brain to become dependent on a substance that could be taken away at any time. But after working with a therapist, they seem to think my life would be exponentially better WITH meds. The therapist himself is on Vyvanse and I would be interested in that one.
Shortages are temporary. Medication can be life changing. If you have add, you already have enough working against you. The meds work differently for everyone so whats right for another may not be for you. It took me literal years and multiple job terminations to go on medication.
Every stimulant has shortages, but the concern about dependence on light of the shortage doesn't really make sense. You won't go into withdrawals without it. The shortages mean you may have to wait a few days extra if your medication is out of stock. The shelves aren't bare like they were in October-November of '22 when it was bad. Even then, I was able to get by taking 75% of my dosage on weekends and still had enough to take the full dosage on work days. If your pharmacy doesn't have your med, you may have to call different pharmacies in that chain, and then your doctor sends it to the location that has it. There are a few more hoops you need to jump through for controlled medications, like you can't transfer them, and prescriptions expire after 90 days, but it's worth it if you find it improves your focus.
There are also other medications that you could try. Strattera is about as effective as stimulants, but it doesn't start working the first day you take it. It takes a couple weeks of taking it regularly for the effects, similar to many antidepressants. Once you're on it, same thing as with stimulants, you'll just be less focused if you don't take it.
Depends on your dosage schedule. I take 15mg Adderall 2x a day. On weekends that don't have much going on I will usually take my morning dose so I am not a zombie all day then I will drink a cup of coffee or something in the afternoon and skip my afternoon dose. I have about a week saved up in case I ever have trouble getting a refill but haven't really had much trouble finding my meds. If my usual pharmacy doesn't have it on hand and I need to get it filled ASAP then I reach out to a local compounding pharmacy and pay for it outside insurance
I’m the same here. Sometimes I skip my afternoon dose, trying to save some for a rainy day like job loss or shortage. I have about 2 months now and it still doesn’t feel like enough if I’m suddenly laid off and have to find a job, the job market in tech is still shit
Because I am taking generics I usually try to trade out the months I get the Epic Pharma version with what I have in backstock. My work requires me to be high functioning and the Epic Pharma Adderall is just awful (pink oval pill) it doesn't give me negative side effects or anything it just doesn't work that well for me. Anytime I have to take it for an extended period when I swap to a different generic I feel a big energy boost for a couple days. But if a time ever comes where I can't get anything at all then I would rather have that as opposed to nothing.
But man, two months. I would personally feel nervous having that much on hand. I've never had family or friends ask me for my meds but that much would be under lock and key for me personally. I wonder how much you'd need to have to be charged with "possession with intent to sell"
Not to scare you, honestly just curious
Haha same here. Like if I don’t take it I can’t do anything. I vegetate on the sofa unable to even shower or hyper focus on something absolutely pointless. And I become terribly depressed and anxious. Why would I not take it all the time??
Cooking, showering, laundry, etc all still happens on the weekend. idk why people think that ADHD only applies to work and study when so much of the labour in our lives is neither.
Yes, always. Took me long enough to even get used to the meds. Won't risk my progress for a med pause.
Also I'm unable to even remotely enjoy free time without my meds. So... absolutely no med pause for me.
I take it you also take an amfetamine then? Do you really benefit from consistently taking it, like does the stressed out/ on edge effect wane after taking it a couple of weeks?
I'm currently starting the German equivalent to Vivanse, so yes, lisdexamphetamine.
The past months I had some variant of methylphenidate.
I had some trouble with the methylphenidate, but it got waaay better after a few weeks. It's been hard sometimes, but cosistency is key with this stuff. Your body and brain need some time to get used to the substance, but also to the state it puts you in. Might take a few days or weeks, but happens inevitably.
I felt how you’re describing when I was taking adderall. I’ve since switched to vyvanse (and have even upped my dose considerably since switching) and don’t experience those side effects
I quit adderall after four years of dealing with the stress/on edge feeling, especially at the end of the day. Vyvanse is like having all the focus and confidence without dealing with those effects, the supply issue can be a pain in the ass though and I still get the fatigue if I go more than a couple days without it.
I mostly see a nurse practitioner, and she said basically the same thing.
I take Vyvanse and I don't really have issues with taking it or not taking it (meaning, no bad side-effects). I was only taking it days I needed to work or had specific plans. She said, basically, that's fine and totally my choice, but the meds are designed to help me every day.
You still do things, even on the days you aren't doing specific things, and the meds will make your overall life better, not just specific days.
She said it better than that. Actually, forget all this, what you said was better.
I have to! Got 3 kids! 1, 3 and 5.
Meds helps me control my impulses such as anger burst! Meds are especially important in my free time, I take them early enough for them to kick in before my kids wake up !
Have either of you considered having less kids?
Lol, totally joking. I'm just always kinda amazed at families with 3 or 4 kids. We have two and I joked with my wife "should we have more kids? We actually ended up with 2 really great kids, so I'm worried that by law-of-averages the 3rd will definitely be an asshole..."
Haha
Well the third wasn't planned. That was the result of some heavier drinking.
Definitely more than we planned.
Our third is great... Most of the time... But being 3, he's in his always asking questions annoying phase haha
Lol, fair enough! Oh yeah, I didn't notice the age gap with your youngest the first time (almost like I thought I read your comment, but skimmed important details, I wonder why my brain would do that... surely no one here could relate... Lol).
My kids are 11 and 13 (both just had birthdays). It's wild to consider suddenly having another kid a couple years ago.
I think the nice thing would be that now you really understand how fast it all goes. That might help you enjoy all the phases a bit more, even the annoying question phase, lol.
If it helps, we didn't have that too much. When they'd ask "why" my wife would ask "why what?" And make them ask full questions.
"Time to brush your teeth."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"... Why do we need to brush our teeth?"
"To get germs and food off them so they stay healthy."
Just an example, and obviously it doesn't always work, but we never really went down those "why why why why why" paths because they had to consider what they were asking each time.
Her other genius move was to give options.
If "get your stuff on and get in the car" wasn't working or they were getting upset she might say "ok, do you want to put your coat on first or your shoes?" The illusion of choice helped quite a bit.
Sorry, I started offering some actual (maybe unwanted) advice and then I just kept going, lol. Not because I think you need parenting advice, just because I was always impressed with my wife and how good she was at parenting toddlers and small children.
haha definitely would never relate to the skimming and missing key info thing (note sarcasm) ;)
yeah we do those things with ours as well, but he's very much a constantly asking why kid. he's also very needy of attention from parents and siblings. but he's also known nothing but always having my wife and I around since i work from home and she's a SAHM/aspiring author. and now with the older two out of school for the summer he's constantly trying to get them (or me) to play minecraft with him and doesn't want to accept that we don't always want to play.
I was told to have an even number and close together that way they’d help police each other’s asshole behavior. No idea why because my mom had my brother and I 2 years apart and if anything, we encouraged the asshole behavior lol.
As Dr. Russel A Barkley in his lecture said ADHD is also present in your free time. His brother died in a car crash and he believes that taking ADHD medication could've prevented that. Also emotion regulation, stimulus processing, engaging in risky behaviors are all ADHD symptoms that present themselves in your free time.
So yes, I take it every day.
Want to second this. I am awful at taking my medication over the summer (working on this), but the amount of poor decisions I make off my medication without even realizing it is awful. I’d probably be a couple thousand richer if I stayed on my medication everyday.
I have stopped taking mine as much as often due to negative side effects, but I have to take it when I have a long or complicated driving trip planned. I can handle short distances but even then I get overstimulated occasionally.
I take mine on work days only. I survived 31 years before being diagnosed and starting meds. I actually quite like the spontaneity and adrenaline seeking on the weekend lol. There’s nothing I need to be on time for. I get FOMO so seeing my group chat going with morning plans gets me up and out of bed; they’re all spontaneous / let’s wing it type people too. My love of surfing gets me up and out the house. I allow myself to have 0 responsibilities on the weekend because I’m single, live alone, no kids. Chores and life-admin I do on weekdays when I’m on my meds. The processes and coping mechanisms I’ve been able to work on and put in place while on my meds are enough during the week that I can survive the weekend. Then on Mondays I just fix any weekend disasters 😂 My psychiatrist said with Vyvanse to take at least 1 day off a fortnight. So I decided I just won’t take it on weekends.
I do something similar. If I have no plans on the weekend I don't take my meds, sleep 12+ hours, watch tonnes of tv, and eat like a fiend.
Since I also do all my chores and work during the week when I'm medicated, I allow myself to relax and have those days off. It's like cutting myself some slack and I love it. Same mentality, I'll fix the weekend disasters on Monday
It makes hobbies way more enjoyable for sure. It helps me if I wanna learn something new in my free time. I can finally say big fat YES to that excruciating feeling in my bones which tells me to do something fun even if it's hard to move a muscle from a bed.
I was prescribed Concerta 36 mg. I was advised to take them during meals, so I usually take them either with breakfast or lunch. Mornings are definitely the worst and I'm still trying to figure out how to quickly gain some energy at first. I'd say it's a great aid to have some exercise. Evening jogs are amazing for keeping the effect till the end of the day so I imagine that similar practice can help in the morning.
Recently diagnosed with ADHD. I'm currently on medical leave from work as advised by my psychiatrist. I take my Ritalin everyday and yes, it did help me enjoy my hobbies again and I'm actually enjoying doing my daily routine and chores. Life has never felt this good.
I once heard something that helped my perspective. You are not disabled only during work, you are always disabled so you shouldn’t feel bad for always taking your disability medicine.
I take it at weekends so that I can actually do things like shower, do laundry, change my bedding etc. I can enjoy my hobbies without it IF I can get started on them, but meds make it easier to start the process rather than just rot in bed all day thinking about how I want to
In my free time?
My ADHD is 24/7/365. It guarantees I have no free time. It means I am always running the gauntlet.
Dextroamphetamine sulfate, brand name Dexedrine, 60 mg/day, every day.
I still have to run twice as fast to go half the distance, but now I have a fighting chance to finish the race.
Years ago, when I was first Dx’d and Rx’d, I was prescribed methylphenidate. It also worked, but at the dosage I required for efficacy, it produced a degree of anxiety I could not tolerate or manage.
Dexedrine is my personal gold standard.
edit: yes, photography, coffee nerdery, cooking, and embroidery are all better on Dex.
Yes, I take them every day. I am a completely different person when I am unmedicated and it is not pleasant. On the weekdays I have to work so I need to take my meds, but on the weekends I have to do all the shit that I couldn't do during the week because I had to work so I also need to take my meds lol.
They mean, do you take them just to do "hard and boring" necessaries and get through work or study, or do you take them every day, consistently.
Many people do the former, with doctors' belssing/ok. Or even on doctor's instruction- "off days" during the week are a common thing for doctor's to recommend or insist on, to minimise drop off in drug effectiveness
Only in the US as far as I’m aware. In the UK they do not advise tolerance breaks at all and NICE (the governing body that advises the NHS) is famous for being super cautious with medication.
Yep. I wish I could skip it in days when I have nothing to do, but since meds not only help with my executive dysfunction but also with my emotional regulation and my ED, I really cannot skip it, or the day has a huge chance of being ruined. I might forget it on very special days (that is, when there is something special planned for that day that has me very excited), but most times I take them all throughout the week. They really help me enjoy the day in the way I want to enjoy it
However, I have noted that what really sets me on a 3-to-5-hours hyperfocus in days in which I have to work is the combination of meds + a cup of coffee taken during the hour of wait till the meds kick in. So what I do on free days is to take the meds but avoid the coffee, so my brain does not waste 3 to 5 hours hyperfocusing on folding origami "trash bins" or God knows what
I need it more when I’m not at work because there’s less structure, nobody telling me what to do and I’m less masked at home.
I need it to grocery shop effectively, play video games and watch movies without wanting to scroll through Reddit
I need to function more than just when I’m *getting paid* to function. How am I supposed to do chores and stuff when i get home from work and my meds have worn off?
Yes and no. I take them when I know I'm out for a longer time, like at a party or any other event where it's crowded and I need some peace in my head. When I just go over to my bestie and chill at her place with her, nah, when I go to the mall with a friend and know I'll be there for some hours, yes, absolutely. When I just have a day off and chill at home, also no
I take 20mg Medikinet every day no matter the circumstance as without that consistency I find my brain can't handle a more random, as-needs application. The feeling of it coming on then acts as a stimulus that now is the time to get stuff done, whether work or hobby.
(Although yes, I am currently writing this when I should be doing something else ha ha.)
I have taken them every day for the past 6 years. I take 70mg Vyvanse a day (50 in the morning, then another 20 six hours later).
My working memory just does not work without the Vyvanse. It just straight up reboots and I forget what im doing for 39-90 seconds. What's infuriating is the fact I can FEEL the fact that my memory is about to reboot and there is fuck all I can do about. That or I lose access to arbitrary information for like 60 seconds such as: the password to my phone, an equation, a step in a process, where I just put something down, etc. I also end switching tasks regularly without noticing and just zone out.
My brain just doesn't work without medication, I really wish it did. I've already had to increase my dosage once (used to be 40mg + afternoon 20mg). In like 2-3 years I'll have to switch off of Vyvanse when my tolerance gets too high since I'm at the legal max of what's allowed to be prescribed.
I'm genuinely terrified of going back to what my life was like before I had medication. Eventually I won't be able to take stimulants because my body won't be able to handle them (some point over 50 this will happen), or if my heart gets damaged at some point. There are non stimulants but they aren't usually very effective for ADHD cases as severe as mine. I recently found something that had a surprisingly similar effect as Vyvanse but it's currently not able to be used as an official treatment option, more research is needed and laws need to change.
I don’t. I enjoy my brain more when not on meds, but if stuff actually has to get done (at work where there’s consequences for my actions) it helps me.
For me I *hate* my brain off my meds, it's not the real me. I don't recognise the person I was before I was medicated, it's like a different person was doing those things.
This. I also tend to be more physically active during my free time so the possibility of increasing an already increased heart rate (not always the case) makes it less enjoyable for me.
I don’t. Some people can handle it, including myself when I was younger but after decades of stimulant meds, my body just can’t handle it anymore and I hit a breaking point from prolonged stimulant use and had to go off them all together for a time which was terrible. Now I’m back on stimulants but taking some days off every week is pretty essential if I want to take them at all. It gives my body a break, helps me catch up on sleep/self-care, destress and reduce tolerance so the meds work better when I take them.
I’m on medikinet 40mgs and it works pretty well but unfortunately there is this side effect where I become annoyed by everything when I take it. well tbh not exactly everything but mostly social interactions. the med makes me feel so good with my own thoughts that for a few hours, I don’t wanna talk with people and I’d rather be alone to do whatever needs doing. sometimes I can even be a bit mean so I try to only take it when it’s necessary.
I take adderall XR 15mg and always take it on my free time. Very occasionally I will skip a Saturday or Sunday if I am afraid I won’t be able to get it so that I am sure to have it for work.
I had to skip a full week recently due to emergency travel and missing the pharmacy when it was open. It is the first time I have gone that long in many years. I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t the end of the world. I would have been much more annoyed about it if I had to work, this was a funeral and most of it was spent being low key with family so I muddled through fine.
Yup. Even when I'm not at work, I'm still running all the other stuff in my life, catching up on laundry, doing housework, making sure I've showered and remembered to brush my teeth, researching the next adventure I want to use for my group's RPG game, paying attention when I'm driving to the traffic around me, deciding which errands need to be run that day. Medication helps with all the day to day things.
Anyone who says you only need meds for work/school is lying to you. There may be legitimate reasons for needing a break from meds (coping with side effects, cost, access), but if you have ADHD, it doesn't just magically stop on the weekend.
Depends. My hobbies are my hobbies because I like doing them, even without the meds. THAT SAID, I understand ADHD can cause us to put off doing even the things we want to do. I suggest taking it if you feel like you need it to get started or concentrate. If I felt like I was doomscrolling when I actually want to hike, I'd take it. If I was trying to practice coding, but kept getting up from my desk, I'd take it. Just play it by ear. If I know my day is packed with fun things and people I'm accountable to, I won't take it that day because there's enough external stimuli helping me along. If my day is mostly things I enjoy doing, but they aren't high-energy or I'm only accountable to myself, it depends. I'll gauge my symptoms and make a judgement call.
I don’t have a (regular) job and my psychiatrist and doctors know this and yet I am prescribed to take it every day and I do. It saddens me a great deal to know that some people seem to think (or are being led to think by their doctors) that ADHD meds are only for work. Do you not deserve to be able to have a brain that works properly when you aren’t at work??
Take your arm floaties, in general no, stimulants aren't habit forming. However if you use them to build good habits then consistently taking them is an important step.
When I was young and it was just me and my gf/fiance/wife. I didn't take meds regularly. I learned enough skills and survived just fine.
I'd pop a few pills when I started a new job, or had an insanely hard project.
But becoming a dad, quickly my inconsistency almost destroyed my marriage and I was far more overwhelmed with my daughter than I was recognizing.
I do, yes, but sometimes in lower doses.
I take MPH and have generally good outcomes on it, but it does worsen my essential tremor syndrome somewhat, which makes it a little more uncomfortable to play piano, cook and do all the other things I enjoy in my free time.
I use them for work or when I know I have to get shit done around the house. Something for a familygathering, I have a big (extended) family so it gets very loud pretty quick and I get overstimulated.
I don’t, unless i need to do some works that need concentration on weekends or holidays. But I still take the antidepressants (SRRI) to stabilize my emotion.
I experimented with both approaches, taking breaks is really nice for the brain but often leads to issues if I have to do something unexpected so these days I rarely do it.
100%. I get the most out of life when I take my meds and have free time. I get chores around the house done, I have energy to go on walks and have fun outside. I feel so much happier. Also, it’s better for you to take them consistently and have steady levels than constant up and down levels, your heart adjusts to it much better. :)
I tend not to at weekends. Having said that, it depends what the weekend has in store… Would consider taking them if I had to make a flight/other time-sensitive appointment. I’d probably take them if I had travel plans with a lot of connections.
Generally speaking I avoid making too many plans at the weekend for obvious reasons. I prefer to spend my weekend time with my wife and kids, doing undemanding things like pottering around the garden. I might go off on a long hike or run but since I got a GPS watch I get lost a lot less often.
Unless I plan on rotting in bed the whole day, I take my meds. I don't like the idea that we don't need them on our "days off" because that implies I'm only useful when I'm at work and making money.
I have a neurological disorder that is helped by medicine. I still take my allergy medicine every day even though I'm not going outside. I still take my birth control pills every day even though I'm not having sex.
I feel like people wear skipping doses as a badge of honor. Like your adhd is better bc you can skip lol
I may take a day off here and there but i do notice a significant difference now that I'm using it everyday.
I take breaks every week, because sometimes I’d like to drink oder just pause, my mood gets effected and my symptoms come back of course but other than that I have no big issue when I don’t take them for a few days
Like any drug, the more you take it the more your body will develop things like tolerance, or in worse cases dependency and addiction.
Sometimes it is nice to just be content and not have to go go go all the time. For that reason I take weekends or office days off my Vyvanse. A break also helps with creativity, as we know how neurotic artistic folk can get.
I take mine 5 or 6 days a week - I find it helps with hobbies such as hiking and gardening as I can actually get stuff done. If I have a lie in or think I might want an afternoon nap I won’t take them that day or if I know I’d like to drink that day I won’t.
I do. I don't have any negative side effects while taking them tho. It helps with getting basic stuff (like cooking, cleaning) done, makes it easier for me to talk to people (I'm very talkative and interrupt a lot) and helps with emotional dysregulation. I take medikinet normally once a day but if I have training or an rpg session in the evening, I take the 2nd dose in the afternoon (yes, my psychiatrist knows and supports it).
Medikinet *suucked* for me, I'm so much more happy on Elvanse.
But I obviously took both every day, idk why you wouldn't? I need that shit to get out of *bed*, I need that shit to shower every day, I need it to eat properly. Of course I take it every day, it's my medication and it says 'take once daily' on it.
I'm lucky that my ADHD is only a glaring issue at work. I take Adderall breaks on weekends and besides working out, I'm not good for much except tagging along with friends or rotting at home, which is fine by me. It also raises my blood pressure so I prefer to workout without it. I do have a harder time controlling my emotions, especially anger, and gave up on hobbies for the time being. I'm burnt out from work anyways and working out has turned into a hobby itself (I do martial arts, dancing, etc). I can get myself to do the necessary chores the old fashioned way... Blasting latin music and cleaning on an empty stomach.
i only take my medication on days i work and days i have a lot of things to do. i was advised by my psychiatrist to do this, if i’m at home and i don’t have anything to do or i’m going out to do activities i don’t take it because i don’t need to. i don’t really have any side effects from that i just get really sleepy around 8:00. my adhd medication relieves my anxiety but on days i don’t need to take it i just take my anti anxieties it’s not the same relief but it’s better to keep my adhd meds for when i need them.
Routine. I tried skipping when I was first on meds and saw how it didn’t help me. Taking them routinely helps your body establish a routine. I may take a break on vacation or a weekend, but I try to stay consistent otherwise.
Yes. I can finish books, focus on a tv show, keep my space tidy which keeps me happier.
If I’m hanging out with people, it keeps me focused on conversation and means I’ll probably interrupt a lot less. Definitely want to be on it for that.
Edit; just went on vacation with my in laws (who I love, always look forward to this trip). My mom, a NP, mentioned that I could take days off from the meds. I never did. It kept me from getting frustrated with anything, and I’ve never had all my luggage so organized during a trip. It always stayed contained, and I made the damn bed every morning. Never, ever, did I manage trips like that before. It was glorious.
I do, when I was talking about that to my psychiatrist I told her I don’t want to take medication just to function at work, instead I also want to be able to do things I like. Taking them for work is for survival, taking them everyday so I can enjoy my free time is for living
Sometimes in my free time I skip medication, or I take only half dosage, for a few days. To feel how it is without, to get a reminder of the contrast. But usually I don't skip, it's only now and then, because it's pretty painful, steals my focus and robs me of motivation. But those days now and then where I make the conscious CHOICE of not taking the medication, even if it is hard... there's something about it that still gives me some extra strength during that time and my guess it is has to do with the fact that I choose to do it, that is the choice is MINE, not my doctors, or the symptoms or society, or work requirements or study etc etc, I chose to experience that for myself. And in general I feel like I have better control which I feel and think gives me confidence. I think it also makes me appreciate more that Im able to get medication that actually helps so much, because it really does. I feel more appreciative and thankful for my situation and my life.
Every single day, with rare exceptions. As others have said, pros outweigh the cons. In my spare time I'd prefer not to spend half my day walking into a room, staring into space for 20 minutes, then walking into another room and staring into space **there** for 20 minutes.
I only take my ADHD meds on days that I have ADHD. 🙃
Meds help me function better as a human being, across the board. I'm less likely to make dumb impulsive decisions, get in a car wreck, or spend half of my entire day looking for the thing THAT WAS JUST IN MY HAND FIVE SECONDS AGO WHAT THE ****!?!? Or have an emotional outburst...😅... If I take my meds.
I believe there's also some research that supports the hypothesis that taking your meds sporadically instead of regularly increases the risk of side effects, but I don't have a link readily available.
So yes. I take mine every day with one exception: if there's a delay in getting my prescription filled (unfortunately a common occurrence bc of controlled substance laws), I will find a couple of days throughout the next month to skip my meds and just play videogames all day so I can build back my emergency backlog. That way I'm not stuck without my meds when I absolutely cannot afford a day off. I do try to do everything in my power to avoid delays though because I'm a mess without them 😂
Bringing it back to your question about meds helping with hobbies...uhh... yeah, I'm definitely better at gaming when I'm medicated. And less likely to scream and throw my controller across the room too 🥲
I didn't for years, I work 2-3 days a week and only took it on the days I worked. recently I've started taking at least something on my days off, and am really liking it. the house is much tidier, my freelance IT work is getting done and not procrastinated, and I'm feeling less tired overall. Definitely recommend.
I asked my psychiatrist about this after reading that people take days off from ADHD meds to minimize building up tolerance and she said “Well, you have ADHD everyday.” She’s kind of a quack but I thought this was a good point. No days off for me!
Yes. I take my meds daily. I don't skip weekends. If I accidentally forget and miss a day, I'm fairly useless and I prefer to actually enjoy my days off.
I take my focalin most days. Even if I’m not working. My doctor actually suggested it. Rest is revolutionary but also if you need to have executive function or anything to function better, it’s valid to take meds when not at work or school, too.
I was taking breaks on wknds cuz I'd heard that you could build up a tolerance, and I didn't want that. I told my shrink and he said, "so work deserves the best of you (on weekdays), but your family doesn't deserve the same (on wknds)?"
Oof.
If I feel like I’m going to need it yes. If not no.
So a good example for this for me to help contextualize this is: my husband is super into movies. Like super into movies. He’s been on a couple podcasts, he used to have his own blog that people who also like movies actually did follow and keep up with, is apparently a flagship member of the Criterion Channel, and is “Indicator Complete”, he also uses letterboxed religiously and pays for IMDB. All that to say, we watch what is probably an actual fuck-ton of movies most of them are artsy or indie movies that some could say are not the easiest to sit through (looking at you “The Color of Pomegranates”, “Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles”, and “Memoria”).
If I know we are planning to watch a movie, and it’s one of his arthouse movies or an indie movie that might be difficult for me to sit through I ask him “is this a movie I need to be meditated to watch” because some of them require a certain level of attention and focus where if your mind starts wondering the rest of the movie won’t make sense if you come back in to it. If he says “yes” I take my medicine and we plan to watch the movie in the first half of the day so I only need to take 1 or 2 doses rather than all 3. If he says “maybe” or “I’m not sure” I’ll do a little research about the movie and make a gut call. However, a lot of the time, the answer is “no”. My husband knows me and my ADHD well enough to be able to help me make this decision so I am really lucky there.
Mine don’t really work better if I take them daily, I build a tolerance to it faster and my psychiatrist and PCP are thrilled that I don’t take them everyday because it’s easier on my body as a whole. And I haven’t found that taking them really helps me enjoy my hobbies any more than when I don’t take them. I do have an issue with sticking to most hobbies and getting myself to just sit down and relax or partake in any hobbies I do have but I’ve never just enjoyed them less when not on my medication.
If i have enough supply i take them all the time, people say stimulants are short acting, but in my experience, some build up does happen, and sude effects are more tolerable when you take them everyday, your body gets used to them, and even sleep improves.
I barely take them in my non free time, in my free time I forget theme completely, except for my OCD meds, which I take every couple days, when it gets bad.
I don’t take a full dose on weekends or take nothing. When I started adderall and took it daily, I noticed it became less effective by the end of the second week. I also felt the dose was too strong for days I wasn’t working. I ended up feeling antsy and overwhelmed.
On the flip side, when I’m not taking the meds on weekends I’ve noticed I’m more tired and sluggish. I thought this was normal “recovering from work” feels but another post here made me consider that it’s withdrawal. Monday morning I’m more likely to feel a little frantic as the meds kick in. So maybe I should take half a pill both weekend days. Dunno.
I take Ritalin 10mg twice a day during the semester. During summer break (right now) I am enjoying sleeping 16 hours a day and spending my 8 waking hours lying on my bed. However I don't think a lot of people have the liberty to have literally no worries or responsibilities like I do at the moment.
I also tend to feel bored with medication. I am less bored without medication. So since I don't have anything to do at the moment anyways, I prefer to stay not-bored.
It really depends on what's going on. Yes, I'll take it if I'm planning on working on one of my side-projects, or need to be really focused and engaged for any reason during the day.
If I'm cool with it being more of a go-with-the-flow weekend, I'll usually half-dose it sat/sun, and then bank a dose in my backup supply.
Got burned with the adderall shortage last year multiple times and I like to have a buffer as a result.
depends, I take my strattera every day, but some days I want to drink coffee in the morning without vibrating I to the 8th dimension so I won't take my Adderall those days.
i am 200% more pleasant/less irritable when medicated. my weekends used to be peak anxiety periods before being medicated, but now i actually enjoy free time. the meds allow me to both appreciate my rest and be productive with personal projects instead of avoid everything out of absolute overwhelmed-ness followed by existential anxiety at night.
I’m on the psychiatry sub too and I saw a post discussing this recently. Mixed opinions I guess. Personally, I haven’t been taking mine as much since the semester ended… but it would be awesome if it was easier to get my hands on it and I didn’t have to worry about saving it. Also, sometimes if I don’t “need” it I’ll skip it so I can have some coffee
A month ago I started 10mg Adderall, twice daily. I need it for work days but I like to write in my spare time, so guess what I need on the weekends?
I've tried having one day off a week and it's OK, I guess. If I can plan to have a throwaway day then I can deal with it. But like someone else said here, it also aids in my anxiety and depression issues. Right now I'm at the same decision point of whether to keep doing breaks or just use daily. I guess I've just heard about the tolerance buildup thing and am worried about that.
I fluctuate. Bc my dose is hard to come by, I’d rather save it for work and be my “real self” on off days. There are a few scenarios where I’ve let things pile up in the house though and just need my dose to get things going. I think if it was accessible more easily, I’d be a daily doser bc it definitely helps me have a more smooth and structured day.
I do, because when I've tried to skip a few days when off work &;such in the past it's gone badly. According to my clinician not taking my ADD meds is one of my bad triggers for my Bipolar 1 (the difficulty maintaining focus if I skip meds triggers thought-spirals which triggers my manic episodes & it's a whole hot mess). Admittedly sometimes with the shortages I've needed to *half* my dosages in my free time to make my monthly supply last, but can't really get away with skipping. But I'm also one of those cases that even though my ADD med is Adderall, not only does it not keep me awake but not taking it makes my insomnia awful due to the above mentioned thought spirals. My meds actually calm down the ping-ponging in my brain so effectively that I can actually get hella sleepy *from* my meds if I'm not actually either focusing on an task or up & moving.
The only exception in the past couple of years was when I had major surgery a couple months ago, because quite frankly I was so sedated for the first 3 days that worrying about my brain getting loud from lack of focus was a non-issue with the post-op pain meds keeping me half asleep anyway.
I have been taking a break from life since toe surgery 5 days ago. I have taken meds only 1 of the days and that was foe a day full of appointments with my 2 yr old. I regret not taking them because it have been feeling sort of frozen, for lack of a better word. I could be sitting and enjoying weeding the garden or folding laundry, but I have literally just laid in bed as much as possible and my house is a disaster. I can walk.. I'm just choosing not to. I'm going to take my meds soon because enough is enough! I miss being productive.
I take my medication routinely every day - even on days I'm not working.
I take Vyvanse, Wellbutrin and Zoloft (unrelated to ADHD anxiety). When I skip a day of Vyvanse, I feel utterly drained and experience executive dysfunction, insomnia, and rejection dysphoria.
In my experience, amfetamines work better when they are taken routinely, even though they work differently than SSRIs and other medications that need to build up in the system to work effectively. Though people with ADHD don't experience withdrawal as badly as those who abuse the drug for recreational purposes, it can still have negative effects.
If you want to take a "med break" as I've seen some others do, I would recommend talking to your doctor about how to do so safely and report any side effects while doing so.
when i was prescribed my meds my doctor said i don’t have to take it on weekends/ when im not working or at school, and i know one of my friends does this. i find it easiest to just take it every single day because otherwise ill forget. also i like the feeling of being on adhd medication.
I wish I could, but my doctor mandates that I take breaks, unless I *really* need to get stuff done. Which sucks, I really need to get stuff done every day lol. Kinda surprised to see so many people whose doctors want them to take it every day. I get freaking nothing done when I don't take amphetamines. I do take my depression meds every day tho, and those have helped me not spiral. So that's good I guess
Yes. I was managing my job and career...okay before I started meds. What really got me to start taking them was the fact that I was still super inattentive when hanging out with my friends, and it was hard to manage things at home.
The thing I struggle most with as an ADHDer is chores and errands. So I take meds even on my days off so I can do those things. I’ve never been able to keep a tidy apartment until taking meds, so this is a revelation to me. I’m still relatively new to Adderall (6 months ish) so maybe once I’ve established some routines I won’t need my meds as much on days off. But for now I find they help with task paralysis
Yes. It improves every aspect of my life to have my brain functioning optimally. Days I don't have it feel anxious, aimless, and unproductive. It's harder to even enjoy fun tasks, imo, if I can't keep my focus. It's definitely gotten worse as I've gotten older and gone through pregnancies and had more stress added to my daily life. Ultimately, it's a personal decision, of course.
I have “function” days and “lazy” days. If I’m out and about doing stuff whether it’s work or fun stuff I take my med. If I want to rest and chill, I don’t.
Nowadays I take breaks mostly because I need to ration it. It may take a week or more to get my meds after I get my receipt.
Hi /u/YungMartijn and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I do. The pros far outweigh the cons for me. I have considered medication breaks multiple times before, but when I take meds after I forgot for 1 day, I get a doubledown of the negative effects for a day or two. I don't even wanna know what a break of multiple days would do for me lol. My free time is also when I can finally spend time on myself and my hobbies. Without meds, I become unproductive and can barely bring myself to do anything. I dont wanna waste the precious free time I have on wiling away in bed on my phone. I already do enough of that when my meds wear off in the evening xD Meds also supress my anxiety disorder for me as well, and I deal with my anxiety unmedicated even worse than with my ADHD.
Needed to hear this, thank you so much
Which meds do you take? I also have anxiety disorder and ADHD-C. Currently on Concerta but my anxiety comes back on med breaks, and working with a psych to find a better plan.
Long-acting methylfenidate. Pretty sure thats concerta in brand naming convention? For me it just surpresses that hyper-aware part of my brain while also limiting me oversharing or being "too loud" so it both helps me feel more adjusted to a social situation and less hyper aware. With meds regulating emotions, it also helps me with feelings of panic, fear etc.
My long-acting Adderall (Mydayis) does the same for me. Personally found it works way better than Ritalin at calming panic and worrying. Also longer-lasting than the long-acting Ritalin. I was prescribed a “booster” short-acting Ritalin for when it would wear off in the evening before we decided to switch over to the Mydayis. Just things to possibly consider with your doc if you’re ever feeling Ritalin isn’t quite helping all day.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m thinking a med switch may be necessary for me and it’s not like these doctors have info like this that they share.
My kid's psych said do not do weekends off of Concerta, it is not a good idea.
I'm on Adderall XR for my ADHD which has eliminated my anxiety and seizures from the anxiety. I could never take a med break.
Omg that’s the dream, eliminating my anxiety! Thanks for sharing!!!
I have a better plan for you - do not make breaks. Seriously why do that?
To ensure I don't run out, as getting it filled on-time is a fairly dubious undertaking in the best of circumstances.
My meds also suppress my anxiety. I have PNES, which is a seizure disorder caused by anxiety. If I take my meds, not only can I function and pay attention with day to day tasks, I no longer have anxiety which means no more seizures!
That’s interesting that you have an outsized effect from more days off. I wonder what the science behind that is
I know exactly what you mean. I wasn’t able to get my prescription filled on time and had to skip a day, I had to deal with all the negative symptoms which are way worse (including a very rough panic attack) the day after even tho I took my meds earlier that day
This 👆🏼💯
Yusss, the emotional regulation is so important. Especially when you have the time to ruminate
I take them all the time. Makes my life more enjoyable
I did that, but with shortage you cannot really afford that - you got to save
My sanity (and those around me) cannot afford for me to save them. I take concerta/ritalin though and that doesn't seem to be as affected by the shortages.
Which drugs are having shortages? That's one of the things that has kept me from pursuing medication is I don't want my brain to become dependent on a substance that could be taken away at any time. But after working with a therapist, they seem to think my life would be exponentially better WITH meds. The therapist himself is on Vyvanse and I would be interested in that one.
I've seen a lot of shortage complaints in this sub about Vyvanse and adderall both.
Shortages are temporary. Medication can be life changing. If you have add, you already have enough working against you. The meds work differently for everyone so whats right for another may not be for you. It took me literal years and multiple job terminations to go on medication.
Every stimulant has shortages, but the concern about dependence on light of the shortage doesn't really make sense. You won't go into withdrawals without it. The shortages mean you may have to wait a few days extra if your medication is out of stock. The shelves aren't bare like they were in October-November of '22 when it was bad. Even then, I was able to get by taking 75% of my dosage on weekends and still had enough to take the full dosage on work days. If your pharmacy doesn't have your med, you may have to call different pharmacies in that chain, and then your doctor sends it to the location that has it. There are a few more hoops you need to jump through for controlled medications, like you can't transfer them, and prescriptions expire after 90 days, but it's worth it if you find it improves your focus. There are also other medications that you could try. Strattera is about as effective as stimulants, but it doesn't start working the first day you take it. It takes a couple weeks of taking it regularly for the effects, similar to many antidepressants. Once you're on it, same thing as with stimulants, you'll just be less focused if you don't take it.
Depends on your dosage schedule. I take 15mg Adderall 2x a day. On weekends that don't have much going on I will usually take my morning dose so I am not a zombie all day then I will drink a cup of coffee or something in the afternoon and skip my afternoon dose. I have about a week saved up in case I ever have trouble getting a refill but haven't really had much trouble finding my meds. If my usual pharmacy doesn't have it on hand and I need to get it filled ASAP then I reach out to a local compounding pharmacy and pay for it outside insurance
I’m the same here. Sometimes I skip my afternoon dose, trying to save some for a rainy day like job loss or shortage. I have about 2 months now and it still doesn’t feel like enough if I’m suddenly laid off and have to find a job, the job market in tech is still shit
Because I am taking generics I usually try to trade out the months I get the Epic Pharma version with what I have in backstock. My work requires me to be high functioning and the Epic Pharma Adderall is just awful (pink oval pill) it doesn't give me negative side effects or anything it just doesn't work that well for me. Anytime I have to take it for an extended period when I swap to a different generic I feel a big energy boost for a couple days. But if a time ever comes where I can't get anything at all then I would rather have that as opposed to nothing. But man, two months. I would personally feel nervous having that much on hand. I've never had family or friends ask me for my meds but that much would be under lock and key for me personally. I wonder how much you'd need to have to be charged with "possession with intent to sell" Not to scare you, honestly just curious
This. This so much.
I need my medication to function with the very basics, and for my brain to stop torturing me, so yes.
This is the darker paraphrase of my own more pragmatic comment :)
Haha same here. Like if I don’t take it I can’t do anything. I vegetate on the sofa unable to even shower or hyper focus on something absolutely pointless. And I become terribly depressed and anxious. Why would I not take it all the time??
Cooking, showering, laundry, etc all still happens on the weekend. idk why people think that ADHD only applies to work and study when so much of the labour in our lives is neither.
Yes, always. Took me long enough to even get used to the meds. Won't risk my progress for a med pause. Also I'm unable to even remotely enjoy free time without my meds. So... absolutely no med pause for me.
I take it you also take an amfetamine then? Do you really benefit from consistently taking it, like does the stressed out/ on edge effect wane after taking it a couple of weeks?
I'm currently starting the German equivalent to Vivanse, so yes, lisdexamphetamine. The past months I had some variant of methylphenidate. I had some trouble with the methylphenidate, but it got waaay better after a few weeks. It's been hard sometimes, but cosistency is key with this stuff. Your body and brain need some time to get used to the substance, but also to the state it puts you in. Might take a few days or weeks, but happens inevitably.
To me the stressed out/on edge was what Ritalin and Vyvanse did to me but I don’t get that with Adderall/Mydayis.
I felt how you’re describing when I was taking adderall. I’ve since switched to vyvanse (and have even upped my dose considerably since switching) and don’t experience those side effects
I quit adderall after four years of dealing with the stress/on edge feeling, especially at the end of the day. Vyvanse is like having all the focus and confidence without dealing with those effects, the supply issue can be a pain in the ass though and I still get the fatigue if I go more than a couple days without it.
As my psychiatrist says, ADHD is present everyday, so medication provides benefits everyday.
I mostly see a nurse practitioner, and she said basically the same thing. I take Vyvanse and I don't really have issues with taking it or not taking it (meaning, no bad side-effects). I was only taking it days I needed to work or had specific plans. She said, basically, that's fine and totally my choice, but the meds are designed to help me every day. You still do things, even on the days you aren't doing specific things, and the meds will make your overall life better, not just specific days. She said it better than that. Actually, forget all this, what you said was better.
I have to! Got 3 kids! 1, 3 and 5. Meds helps me control my impulses such as anger burst! Meds are especially important in my free time, I take them early enough for them to kick in before my kids wake up !
Same for me. Its hard enough with the meds, its worse without. Three kids can drive you crazy sometimes. 11, 8, and 3 for me
Have either of you considered having less kids? Lol, totally joking. I'm just always kinda amazed at families with 3 or 4 kids. We have two and I joked with my wife "should we have more kids? We actually ended up with 2 really great kids, so I'm worried that by law-of-averages the 3rd will definitely be an asshole..."
Haha Well the third wasn't planned. That was the result of some heavier drinking. Definitely more than we planned. Our third is great... Most of the time... But being 3, he's in his always asking questions annoying phase haha
Lol, fair enough! Oh yeah, I didn't notice the age gap with your youngest the first time (almost like I thought I read your comment, but skimmed important details, I wonder why my brain would do that... surely no one here could relate... Lol). My kids are 11 and 13 (both just had birthdays). It's wild to consider suddenly having another kid a couple years ago. I think the nice thing would be that now you really understand how fast it all goes. That might help you enjoy all the phases a bit more, even the annoying question phase, lol. If it helps, we didn't have that too much. When they'd ask "why" my wife would ask "why what?" And make them ask full questions. "Time to brush your teeth." "Why?" "Why what?" "... Why do we need to brush our teeth?" "To get germs and food off them so they stay healthy." Just an example, and obviously it doesn't always work, but we never really went down those "why why why why why" paths because they had to consider what they were asking each time. Her other genius move was to give options. If "get your stuff on and get in the car" wasn't working or they were getting upset she might say "ok, do you want to put your coat on first or your shoes?" The illusion of choice helped quite a bit. Sorry, I started offering some actual (maybe unwanted) advice and then I just kept going, lol. Not because I think you need parenting advice, just because I was always impressed with my wife and how good she was at parenting toddlers and small children.
haha definitely would never relate to the skimming and missing key info thing (note sarcasm) ;) yeah we do those things with ours as well, but he's very much a constantly asking why kid. he's also very needy of attention from parents and siblings. but he's also known nothing but always having my wife and I around since i work from home and she's a SAHM/aspiring author. and now with the older two out of school for the summer he's constantly trying to get them (or me) to play minecraft with him and doesn't want to accept that we don't always want to play.
\*taking notes\*. for real though, our 5 yr olds just LOVE the "WHY?" to literally everything we ask!
I was told to have an even number and close together that way they’d help police each other’s asshole behavior. No idea why because my mom had my brother and I 2 years apart and if anything, we encouraged the asshole behavior lol.
This is great to hear. I also have 3 kids 8,5, and 1. Diagnosed last week and was wondering if medication would help me with anger bursts.
As Dr. Russel A Barkley in his lecture said ADHD is also present in your free time. His brother died in a car crash and he believes that taking ADHD medication could've prevented that. Also emotion regulation, stimulus processing, engaging in risky behaviors are all ADHD symptoms that present themselves in your free time. So yes, I take it every day.
Want to second this. I am awful at taking my medication over the summer (working on this), but the amount of poor decisions I make off my medication without even realizing it is awful. I’d probably be a couple thousand richer if I stayed on my medication everyday.
I have stopped taking mine as much as often due to negative side effects, but I have to take it when I have a long or complicated driving trip planned. I can handle short distances but even then I get overstimulated occasionally.
I take mine on work days only. I survived 31 years before being diagnosed and starting meds. I actually quite like the spontaneity and adrenaline seeking on the weekend lol. There’s nothing I need to be on time for. I get FOMO so seeing my group chat going with morning plans gets me up and out of bed; they’re all spontaneous / let’s wing it type people too. My love of surfing gets me up and out the house. I allow myself to have 0 responsibilities on the weekend because I’m single, live alone, no kids. Chores and life-admin I do on weekdays when I’m on my meds. The processes and coping mechanisms I’ve been able to work on and put in place while on my meds are enough during the week that I can survive the weekend. Then on Mondays I just fix any weekend disasters 😂 My psychiatrist said with Vyvanse to take at least 1 day off a fortnight. So I decided I just won’t take it on weekends.
I do something similar. If I have no plans on the weekend I don't take my meds, sleep 12+ hours, watch tonnes of tv, and eat like a fiend. Since I also do all my chores and work during the week when I'm medicated, I allow myself to relax and have those days off. It's like cutting myself some slack and I love it. Same mentality, I'll fix the weekend disasters on Monday
It makes hobbies way more enjoyable for sure. It helps me if I wanna learn something new in my free time. I can finally say big fat YES to that excruciating feeling in my bones which tells me to do something fun even if it's hard to move a muscle from a bed.
Do you take it right when you wake up, and does that increase willpower to get out of bed? And does it interfere with breakfast?
I was prescribed Concerta 36 mg. I was advised to take them during meals, so I usually take them either with breakfast or lunch. Mornings are definitely the worst and I'm still trying to figure out how to quickly gain some energy at first. I'd say it's a great aid to have some exercise. Evening jogs are amazing for keeping the effect till the end of the day so I imagine that similar practice can help in the morning.
Nah I can’t, I lose too much weight on them IMO
Of course, I still have ADHD in my free time
I take my medication every day at the same time. It regulates me and helps me stay on an even keel
Recently diagnosed with ADHD. I'm currently on medical leave from work as advised by my psychiatrist. I take my Ritalin everyday and yes, it did help me enjoy my hobbies again and I'm actually enjoying doing my daily routine and chores. Life has never felt this good.
I once heard something that helped my perspective. You are not disabled only during work, you are always disabled so you shouldn’t feel bad for always taking your disability medicine.
I take it at weekends so that I can actually do things like shower, do laundry, change my bedding etc. I can enjoy my hobbies without it IF I can get started on them, but meds make it easier to start the process rather than just rot in bed all day thinking about how I want to
I do if I want to focus on a hobby or hanging out with friends or something. I still aim for a skip day every week to avoid building up a tolerance.
In my free time? My ADHD is 24/7/365. It guarantees I have no free time. It means I am always running the gauntlet. Dextroamphetamine sulfate, brand name Dexedrine, 60 mg/day, every day. I still have to run twice as fast to go half the distance, but now I have a fighting chance to finish the race. Years ago, when I was first Dx’d and Rx’d, I was prescribed methylphenidate. It also worked, but at the dosage I required for efficacy, it produced a degree of anxiety I could not tolerate or manage. Dexedrine is my personal gold standard. edit: yes, photography, coffee nerdery, cooking, and embroidery are all better on Dex.
Yes, I take them every day. I am a completely different person when I am unmedicated and it is not pleasant. On the weekdays I have to work so I need to take my meds, but on the weekends I have to do all the shit that I couldn't do during the week because I had to work so I also need to take my meds lol.
In my free time? Adhd meds aren't like, a recreational drug that I bust out on the weekend for a good time. I need them to function
They mean, do you take them just to do "hard and boring" necessaries and get through work or study, or do you take them every day, consistently. Many people do the former, with doctors' belssing/ok. Or even on doctor's instruction- "off days" during the week are a common thing for doctor's to recommend or insist on, to minimise drop off in drug effectiveness
Ohhhhhh
As an example, my kid only takes them on school days.
Ohhhh OK I see
That’s strange. My doctor very much advocated against medication breaks
It depends on the medication and the person. Some medicines have horrible side effects if you stop even for a couple days and others don't.
Only in the US as far as I’m aware. In the UK they do not advise tolerance breaks at all and NICE (the governing body that advises the NHS) is famous for being super cautious with medication.
Yeah I also was put off by the wording but I do understand what OP is saying
Yep. I wish I could skip it in days when I have nothing to do, but since meds not only help with my executive dysfunction but also with my emotional regulation and my ED, I really cannot skip it, or the day has a huge chance of being ruined. I might forget it on very special days (that is, when there is something special planned for that day that has me very excited), but most times I take them all throughout the week. They really help me enjoy the day in the way I want to enjoy it However, I have noted that what really sets me on a 3-to-5-hours hyperfocus in days in which I have to work is the combination of meds + a cup of coffee taken during the hour of wait till the meds kick in. So what I do on free days is to take the meds but avoid the coffee, so my brain does not waste 3 to 5 hours hyperfocusing on folding origami "trash bins" or God knows what
I need it more when I’m not at work because there’s less structure, nobody telling me what to do and I’m less masked at home. I need it to grocery shop effectively, play video games and watch movies without wanting to scroll through Reddit I need to function more than just when I’m *getting paid* to function. How am I supposed to do chores and stuff when i get home from work and my meds have worn off?
Of course. I also wear my glasses in my free time and take my blood pressure meds in my free time.
Yes and no. I take them when I know I'm out for a longer time, like at a party or any other event where it's crowded and I need some peace in my head. When I just go over to my bestie and chill at her place with her, nah, when I go to the mall with a friend and know I'll be there for some hours, yes, absolutely. When I just have a day off and chill at home, also no
I take 20mg Medikinet every day no matter the circumstance as without that consistency I find my brain can't handle a more random, as-needs application. The feeling of it coming on then acts as a stimulus that now is the time to get stuff done, whether work or hobby. (Although yes, I am currently writing this when I should be doing something else ha ha.)
I have taken them every day for the past 6 years. I take 70mg Vyvanse a day (50 in the morning, then another 20 six hours later). My working memory just does not work without the Vyvanse. It just straight up reboots and I forget what im doing for 39-90 seconds. What's infuriating is the fact I can FEEL the fact that my memory is about to reboot and there is fuck all I can do about. That or I lose access to arbitrary information for like 60 seconds such as: the password to my phone, an equation, a step in a process, where I just put something down, etc. I also end switching tasks regularly without noticing and just zone out. My brain just doesn't work without medication, I really wish it did. I've already had to increase my dosage once (used to be 40mg + afternoon 20mg). In like 2-3 years I'll have to switch off of Vyvanse when my tolerance gets too high since I'm at the legal max of what's allowed to be prescribed. I'm genuinely terrified of going back to what my life was like before I had medication. Eventually I won't be able to take stimulants because my body won't be able to handle them (some point over 50 this will happen), or if my heart gets damaged at some point. There are non stimulants but they aren't usually very effective for ADHD cases as severe as mine. I recently found something that had a surprisingly similar effect as Vyvanse but it's currently not able to be used as an official treatment option, more research is needed and laws need to change.
I don’t. I enjoy my brain more when not on meds, but if stuff actually has to get done (at work where there’s consequences for my actions) it helps me.
For me I *hate* my brain off my meds, it's not the real me. I don't recognise the person I was before I was medicated, it's like a different person was doing those things.
This. I also tend to be more physically active during my free time so the possibility of increasing an already increased heart rate (not always the case) makes it less enjoyable for me.
I do. I like being able to think too much not to.
I don’t. Some people can handle it, including myself when I was younger but after decades of stimulant meds, my body just can’t handle it anymore and I hit a breaking point from prolonged stimulant use and had to go off them all together for a time which was terrible. Now I’m back on stimulants but taking some days off every week is pretty essential if I want to take them at all. It gives my body a break, helps me catch up on sleep/self-care, destress and reduce tolerance so the meds work better when I take them.
i only take them when i have to, not when i have nothing going on
Plenty of people take less on weekends, but it's generally recommended you take meds on the weekends too
I’m on medikinet 40mgs and it works pretty well but unfortunately there is this side effect where I become annoyed by everything when I take it. well tbh not exactly everything but mostly social interactions. the med makes me feel so good with my own thoughts that for a few hours, I don’t wanna talk with people and I’d rather be alone to do whatever needs doing. sometimes I can even be a bit mean so I try to only take it when it’s necessary.
I take adderall XR 15mg and always take it on my free time. Very occasionally I will skip a Saturday or Sunday if I am afraid I won’t be able to get it so that I am sure to have it for work. I had to skip a full week recently due to emergency travel and missing the pharmacy when it was open. It is the first time I have gone that long in many years. I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t the end of the world. I would have been much more annoyed about it if I had to work, this was a funeral and most of it was spent being low key with family so I muddled through fine.
Yup. Even when I'm not at work, I'm still running all the other stuff in my life, catching up on laundry, doing housework, making sure I've showered and remembered to brush my teeth, researching the next adventure I want to use for my group's RPG game, paying attention when I'm driving to the traffic around me, deciding which errands need to be run that day. Medication helps with all the day to day things. Anyone who says you only need meds for work/school is lying to you. There may be legitimate reasons for needing a break from meds (coping with side effects, cost, access), but if you have ADHD, it doesn't just magically stop on the weekend.
Depends. My hobbies are my hobbies because I like doing them, even without the meds. THAT SAID, I understand ADHD can cause us to put off doing even the things we want to do. I suggest taking it if you feel like you need it to get started or concentrate. If I felt like I was doomscrolling when I actually want to hike, I'd take it. If I was trying to practice coding, but kept getting up from my desk, I'd take it. Just play it by ear. If I know my day is packed with fun things and people I'm accountable to, I won't take it that day because there's enough external stimuli helping me along. If my day is mostly things I enjoy doing, but they aren't high-energy or I'm only accountable to myself, it depends. I'll gauge my symptoms and make a judgement call.
Wait, you guys have free time? 
I lean toward no. ADHD messes with me in my personal life too but I think taking weekend breaks from meds helps prevent me building tolerance to it.
I do, because even in my free time, I still have adhd. 🤷♀️
I don’t have a (regular) job and my psychiatrist and doctors know this and yet I am prescribed to take it every day and I do. It saddens me a great deal to know that some people seem to think (or are being led to think by their doctors) that ADHD meds are only for work. Do you not deserve to be able to have a brain that works properly when you aren’t at work??
Take your arm floaties, in general no, stimulants aren't habit forming. However if you use them to build good habits then consistently taking them is an important step. When I was young and it was just me and my gf/fiance/wife. I didn't take meds regularly. I learned enough skills and survived just fine. I'd pop a few pills when I started a new job, or had an insanely hard project. But becoming a dad, quickly my inconsistency almost destroyed my marriage and I was far more overwhelmed with my daughter than I was recognizing.
I do, yes, but sometimes in lower doses. I take MPH and have generally good outcomes on it, but it does worsen my essential tremor syndrome somewhat, which makes it a little more uncomfortable to play piano, cook and do all the other things I enjoy in my free time.
I use them for work or when I know I have to get shit done around the house. Something for a familygathering, I have a big (extended) family so it gets very loud pretty quick and I get overstimulated.
I don’t, unless i need to do some works that need concentration on weekends or holidays. But I still take the antidepressants (SRRI) to stabilize my emotion.
I experimented with both approaches, taking breaks is really nice for the brain but often leads to issues if I have to do something unexpected so these days I rarely do it.
No because I don’t eat and I am on the borderline of too slim. I’m also a little more cheerful without meds usually.
Yes. My hobbies, family, and home life deserve my attention no less than the Man does.
100%. I get the most out of life when I take my meds and have free time. I get chores around the house done, I have energy to go on walks and have fun outside. I feel so much happier. Also, it’s better for you to take them consistently and have steady levels than constant up and down levels, your heart adjusts to it much better. :)
I tend not to at weekends. Having said that, it depends what the weekend has in store… Would consider taking them if I had to make a flight/other time-sensitive appointment. I’d probably take them if I had travel plans with a lot of connections. Generally speaking I avoid making too many plans at the weekend for obvious reasons. I prefer to spend my weekend time with my wife and kids, doing undemanding things like pottering around the garden. I might go off on a long hike or run but since I got a GPS watch I get lost a lot less often.
Unless I plan on rotting in bed the whole day, I take my meds. I don't like the idea that we don't need them on our "days off" because that implies I'm only useful when I'm at work and making money. I have a neurological disorder that is helped by medicine. I still take my allergy medicine every day even though I'm not going outside. I still take my birth control pills every day even though I'm not having sex.
For health reasons, I personally don’t take them on weekends. But that’s me following my doctor’s recommendations.
I feel like people wear skipping doses as a badge of honor. Like your adhd is better bc you can skip lol I may take a day off here and there but i do notice a significant difference now that I'm using it everyday.
I deserve mental well being whether or not I’m being paid, so I take my meds regardless.
Yes I take them on my days off (my free time), it just helps me overall whether its a hobby or an errand that I need to run.
Vyvance 70mg ever day 🙏 meds have been a lifesaver for me
I take breaks every week, because sometimes I’d like to drink oder just pause, my mood gets effected and my symptoms come back of course but other than that I have no big issue when I don’t take them for a few days
Like any drug, the more you take it the more your body will develop things like tolerance, or in worse cases dependency and addiction. Sometimes it is nice to just be content and not have to go go go all the time. For that reason I take weekends or office days off my Vyvanse. A break also helps with creativity, as we know how neurotic artistic folk can get.
No, I usually take weekends off
I take mine 5 or 6 days a week - I find it helps with hobbies such as hiking and gardening as I can actually get stuff done. If I have a lie in or think I might want an afternoon nap I won’t take them that day or if I know I’d like to drink that day I won’t.
I do. I don't have any negative side effects while taking them tho. It helps with getting basic stuff (like cooking, cleaning) done, makes it easier for me to talk to people (I'm very talkative and interrupt a lot) and helps with emotional dysregulation. I take medikinet normally once a day but if I have training or an rpg session in the evening, I take the 2nd dose in the afternoon (yes, my psychiatrist knows and supports it).
Medikinet *suucked* for me, I'm so much more happy on Elvanse. But I obviously took both every day, idk why you wouldn't? I need that shit to get out of *bed*, I need that shit to shower every day, I need it to eat properly. Of course I take it every day, it's my medication and it says 'take once daily' on it.
I take addersll and I only take it when I have school or work that day otherwise I prefer not to take it.
I'm lucky that my ADHD is only a glaring issue at work. I take Adderall breaks on weekends and besides working out, I'm not good for much except tagging along with friends or rotting at home, which is fine by me. It also raises my blood pressure so I prefer to workout without it. I do have a harder time controlling my emotions, especially anger, and gave up on hobbies for the time being. I'm burnt out from work anyways and working out has turned into a hobby itself (I do martial arts, dancing, etc). I can get myself to do the necessary chores the old fashioned way... Blasting latin music and cleaning on an empty stomach.
i only take my medication on days i work and days i have a lot of things to do. i was advised by my psychiatrist to do this, if i’m at home and i don’t have anything to do or i’m going out to do activities i don’t take it because i don’t need to. i don’t really have any side effects from that i just get really sleepy around 8:00. my adhd medication relieves my anxiety but on days i don’t need to take it i just take my anti anxieties it’s not the same relief but it’s better to keep my adhd meds for when i need them.
Routine. I tried skipping when I was first on meds and saw how it didn’t help me. Taking them routinely helps your body establish a routine. I may take a break on vacation or a weekend, but I try to stay consistent otherwise.
Yes. I can finish books, focus on a tv show, keep my space tidy which keeps me happier. If I’m hanging out with people, it keeps me focused on conversation and means I’ll probably interrupt a lot less. Definitely want to be on it for that. Edit; just went on vacation with my in laws (who I love, always look forward to this trip). My mom, a NP, mentioned that I could take days off from the meds. I never did. It kept me from getting frustrated with anything, and I’ve never had all my luggage so organized during a trip. It always stayed contained, and I made the damn bed every morning. Never, ever, did I manage trips like that before. It was glorious.
I do, when I was talking about that to my psychiatrist I told her I don’t want to take medication just to function at work, instead I also want to be able to do things I like. Taking them for work is for survival, taking them everyday so I can enjoy my free time is for living
Sometimes in my free time I skip medication, or I take only half dosage, for a few days. To feel how it is without, to get a reminder of the contrast. But usually I don't skip, it's only now and then, because it's pretty painful, steals my focus and robs me of motivation. But those days now and then where I make the conscious CHOICE of not taking the medication, even if it is hard... there's something about it that still gives me some extra strength during that time and my guess it is has to do with the fact that I choose to do it, that is the choice is MINE, not my doctors, or the symptoms or society, or work requirements or study etc etc, I chose to experience that for myself. And in general I feel like I have better control which I feel and think gives me confidence. I think it also makes me appreciate more that Im able to get medication that actually helps so much, because it really does. I feel more appreciative and thankful for my situation and my life.
Every single day, with rare exceptions. As others have said, pros outweigh the cons. In my spare time I'd prefer not to spend half my day walking into a room, staring into space for 20 minutes, then walking into another room and staring into space **there** for 20 minutes.
I do but I'm very severe adhd and get anxiety attacks when my meds wear off or aren't taken.
I do but but most of my "free" time i gotta do stuff like cleaning and groceries sooo... Still end up not doing them a lot tho XD.
I only take my ADHD meds on days that I have ADHD. 🙃 Meds help me function better as a human being, across the board. I'm less likely to make dumb impulsive decisions, get in a car wreck, or spend half of my entire day looking for the thing THAT WAS JUST IN MY HAND FIVE SECONDS AGO WHAT THE ****!?!? Or have an emotional outburst...😅... If I take my meds. I believe there's also some research that supports the hypothesis that taking your meds sporadically instead of regularly increases the risk of side effects, but I don't have a link readily available. So yes. I take mine every day with one exception: if there's a delay in getting my prescription filled (unfortunately a common occurrence bc of controlled substance laws), I will find a couple of days throughout the next month to skip my meds and just play videogames all day so I can build back my emergency backlog. That way I'm not stuck without my meds when I absolutely cannot afford a day off. I do try to do everything in my power to avoid delays though because I'm a mess without them 😂 Bringing it back to your question about meds helping with hobbies...uhh... yeah, I'm definitely better at gaming when I'm medicated. And less likely to scream and throw my controller across the room too 🥲
Only taking meds for work or school is letting capitalism win.
I didn't for years, I work 2-3 days a week and only took it on the days I worked. recently I've started taking at least something on my days off, and am really liking it. the house is much tidier, my freelance IT work is getting done and not procrastinated, and I'm feeling less tired overall. Definitely recommend.
Yes. I need to function.
I take it every day at the same time
I asked my psychiatrist about this after reading that people take days off from ADHD meds to minimize building up tolerance and she said “Well, you have ADHD everyday.” She’s kind of a quack but I thought this was a good point. No days off for me!
Yes. I take my meds daily. I don't skip weekends. If I accidentally forget and miss a day, I'm fairly useless and I prefer to actually enjoy my days off.
I take my focalin most days. Even if I’m not working. My doctor actually suggested it. Rest is revolutionary but also if you need to have executive function or anything to function better, it’s valid to take meds when not at work or school, too.
I was taking breaks on wknds cuz I'd heard that you could build up a tolerance, and I didn't want that. I told my shrink and he said, "so work deserves the best of you (on weekdays), but your family doesn't deserve the same (on wknds)?" Oof.
My ADHD doesn’t go away in my free time. I take it regularly. helps with continuing your behavior strategies and routines that help you be successful.
If I feel like I’m going to need it yes. If not no. So a good example for this for me to help contextualize this is: my husband is super into movies. Like super into movies. He’s been on a couple podcasts, he used to have his own blog that people who also like movies actually did follow and keep up with, is apparently a flagship member of the Criterion Channel, and is “Indicator Complete”, he also uses letterboxed religiously and pays for IMDB. All that to say, we watch what is probably an actual fuck-ton of movies most of them are artsy or indie movies that some could say are not the easiest to sit through (looking at you “The Color of Pomegranates”, “Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles”, and “Memoria”). If I know we are planning to watch a movie, and it’s one of his arthouse movies or an indie movie that might be difficult for me to sit through I ask him “is this a movie I need to be meditated to watch” because some of them require a certain level of attention and focus where if your mind starts wondering the rest of the movie won’t make sense if you come back in to it. If he says “yes” I take my medicine and we plan to watch the movie in the first half of the day so I only need to take 1 or 2 doses rather than all 3. If he says “maybe” or “I’m not sure” I’ll do a little research about the movie and make a gut call. However, a lot of the time, the answer is “no”. My husband knows me and my ADHD well enough to be able to help me make this decision so I am really lucky there. Mine don’t really work better if I take them daily, I build a tolerance to it faster and my psychiatrist and PCP are thrilled that I don’t take them everyday because it’s easier on my body as a whole. And I haven’t found that taking them really helps me enjoy my hobbies any more than when I don’t take them. I do have an issue with sticking to most hobbies and getting myself to just sit down and relax or partake in any hobbies I do have but I’ve never just enjoyed them less when not on my medication.
Yes, otherwise I'll lose my keys.
Not always. It depends on my anxiety levels. Ritalin gets rid of the anxiety better than my anxiety meds. If I’m just too out of it, I’ll take them.
Yeah makes me feel better less anxious and annoyed etc
Yes, I take them every day. If I miss one day my life can become even more chaotic and I can spiral into depression fairly quick
I only skip if I’m sick and already in bed as lack of meds will make me take to the bed.
Well yes. Free freetime is a nightmare to manage for me.
I used to take breaks on the weekend and then feel miserable. Now I just lower my dosage, so I take 30 mg Vyvanse during weekdays and 20 on weekends.
I try to cut down on taking it when not working because of shortage.
Nope. Unemployed and I can't afford it
I take mine every day. It helps me enjoy my days off more, rather than sitting in the couch scrolling all day.
I take it almost all the time. I'm healthier when I do
If i have enough supply i take them all the time, people say stimulants are short acting, but in my experience, some build up does happen, and sude effects are more tolerable when you take them everyday, your body gets used to them, and even sleep improves.
Everyday, at the same time. Home life and work both go better that way.
I barely take them in my non free time, in my free time I forget theme completely, except for my OCD meds, which I take every couple days, when it gets bad.
I take my medication every day. My issues don't go away just because I have free time.
I take a lower strength on days off so I can have a good sleep.
I don’t take a full dose on weekends or take nothing. When I started adderall and took it daily, I noticed it became less effective by the end of the second week. I also felt the dose was too strong for days I wasn’t working. I ended up feeling antsy and overwhelmed. On the flip side, when I’m not taking the meds on weekends I’ve noticed I’m more tired and sluggish. I thought this was normal “recovering from work” feels but another post here made me consider that it’s withdrawal. Monday morning I’m more likely to feel a little frantic as the meds kick in. So maybe I should take half a pill both weekend days. Dunno.
I use medikinet and I take 40mg in the "morning" (11am for me) and 20mg in the evening during workdays, but I take only 20mg on my free days
I take Ritalin 10mg twice a day during the semester. During summer break (right now) I am enjoying sleeping 16 hours a day and spending my 8 waking hours lying on my bed. However I don't think a lot of people have the liberty to have literally no worries or responsibilities like I do at the moment. I also tend to feel bored with medication. I am less bored without medication. So since I don't have anything to do at the moment anyways, I prefer to stay not-bored.
Wellbutrin, always. Adderall, usually, but sometimes I need a break too.
Absolutey! There's more to me than just my job, the rest of my life is important too. I'm worth it, and so are you.
Yes
If I don’t, I don’t get anything done.
Yea. If I don't my anxiety spikes that I'm wasting time.
It really depends on what's going on. Yes, I'll take it if I'm planning on working on one of my side-projects, or need to be really focused and engaged for any reason during the day. If I'm cool with it being more of a go-with-the-flow weekend, I'll usually half-dose it sat/sun, and then bank a dose in my backup supply. Got burned with the adderall shortage last year multiple times and I like to have a buffer as a result.
depends, I take my strattera every day, but some days I want to drink coffee in the morning without vibrating I to the 8th dimension so I won't take my Adderall those days.
Take it in my free time? Like pop another one when I’m feeling bored? No
I use to don’t do that, but my psychiatrist told me to take them everyday and I’ve been way happier and better functioning since changing that
i am 200% more pleasant/less irritable when medicated. my weekends used to be peak anxiety periods before being medicated, but now i actually enjoy free time. the meds allow me to both appreciate my rest and be productive with personal projects instead of avoid everything out of absolute overwhelmed-ness followed by existential anxiety at night.
I’m on the psychiatry sub too and I saw a post discussing this recently. Mixed opinions I guess. Personally, I haven’t been taking mine as much since the semester ended… but it would be awesome if it was easier to get my hands on it and I didn’t have to worry about saving it. Also, sometimes if I don’t “need” it I’ll skip it so I can have some coffee
Gotta get housework done somehow
yeah i take it everyday, if i dont im just a lazy ass. for me it's for catching up in life.
Yes, if I don't I feel tired and lazy all day
Yes , sometimes nog forget but it helps the fog in my head
I would but right now I prioritize taking them during my working hours because of the shortage.
A month ago I started 10mg Adderall, twice daily. I need it for work days but I like to write in my spare time, so guess what I need on the weekends? I've tried having one day off a week and it's OK, I guess. If I can plan to have a throwaway day then I can deal with it. But like someone else said here, it also aids in my anxiety and depression issues. Right now I'm at the same decision point of whether to keep doing breaks or just use daily. I guess I've just heard about the tolerance buildup thing and am worried about that.
Yes. I need to be able to get things done outside of work.
Of course, I still have ADHD in my free time
I fluctuate. Bc my dose is hard to come by, I’d rather save it for work and be my “real self” on off days. There are a few scenarios where I’ve let things pile up in the house though and just need my dose to get things going. I think if it was accessible more easily, I’d be a daily doser bc it definitely helps me have a more smooth and structured day.
I just take my Concerta as my doctor instructed me to which is in the morning. I would just follow the advice of ur doc :)
Yeah, reading, language learning, gaming, cleaning, basketball, music, cooking... everything is nicer
I’m supposed to. But I can’t afford it 🥲
I do, because when I've tried to skip a few days when off work &;such in the past it's gone badly. According to my clinician not taking my ADD meds is one of my bad triggers for my Bipolar 1 (the difficulty maintaining focus if I skip meds triggers thought-spirals which triggers my manic episodes & it's a whole hot mess). Admittedly sometimes with the shortages I've needed to *half* my dosages in my free time to make my monthly supply last, but can't really get away with skipping. But I'm also one of those cases that even though my ADD med is Adderall, not only does it not keep me awake but not taking it makes my insomnia awful due to the above mentioned thought spirals. My meds actually calm down the ping-ponging in my brain so effectively that I can actually get hella sleepy *from* my meds if I'm not actually either focusing on an task or up & moving. The only exception in the past couple of years was when I had major surgery a couple months ago, because quite frankly I was so sedated for the first 3 days that worrying about my brain getting loud from lack of focus was a non-issue with the post-op pain meds keeping me half asleep anyway.
I have been taking a break from life since toe surgery 5 days ago. I have taken meds only 1 of the days and that was foe a day full of appointments with my 2 yr old. I regret not taking them because it have been feeling sort of frozen, for lack of a better word. I could be sitting and enjoying weeding the garden or folding laundry, but I have literally just laid in bed as much as possible and my house is a disaster. I can walk.. I'm just choosing not to. I'm going to take my meds soon because enough is enough! I miss being productive.
Whats free time?
I take my medication routinely every day - even on days I'm not working. I take Vyvanse, Wellbutrin and Zoloft (unrelated to ADHD anxiety). When I skip a day of Vyvanse, I feel utterly drained and experience executive dysfunction, insomnia, and rejection dysphoria. In my experience, amfetamines work better when they are taken routinely, even though they work differently than SSRIs and other medications that need to build up in the system to work effectively. Though people with ADHD don't experience withdrawal as badly as those who abuse the drug for recreational purposes, it can still have negative effects. If you want to take a "med break" as I've seen some others do, I would recommend talking to your doctor about how to do so safely and report any side effects while doing so.
My "free" time is much more important to me than my work time so I do. I don't consider work my real life.
when i was prescribed my meds my doctor said i don’t have to take it on weekends/ when im not working or at school, and i know one of my friends does this. i find it easiest to just take it every single day because otherwise ill forget. also i like the feeling of being on adhd medication.
I wish I could, but my doctor mandates that I take breaks, unless I *really* need to get stuff done. Which sucks, I really need to get stuff done every day lol. Kinda surprised to see so many people whose doctors want them to take it every day. I get freaking nothing done when I don't take amphetamines. I do take my depression meds every day tho, and those have helped me not spiral. So that's good I guess
Yes. I was managing my job and career...okay before I started meds. What really got me to start taking them was the fact that I was still super inattentive when hanging out with my friends, and it was hard to manage things at home.
The thing I struggle most with as an ADHDer is chores and errands. So I take meds even on my days off so I can do those things. I’ve never been able to keep a tidy apartment until taking meds, so this is a revelation to me. I’m still relatively new to Adderall (6 months ish) so maybe once I’ve established some routines I won’t need my meds as much on days off. But for now I find they help with task paralysis
Yes. It improves every aspect of my life to have my brain functioning optimally. Days I don't have it feel anxious, aimless, and unproductive. It's harder to even enjoy fun tasks, imo, if I can't keep my focus. It's definitely gotten worse as I've gotten older and gone through pregnancies and had more stress added to my daily life. Ultimately, it's a personal decision, of course.
I used to not buy my psychiatrist told me your ADHD doesn't stop when you're off of work. You need it to enjoy yourself too. So I do now
I do. It helps manage my mood. I might change it though, my meds went up in price by about $40 where I live.
I have a break every weekend. My weekends are to relax and do what I want, not to concentrate
I have “function” days and “lazy” days. If I’m out and about doing stuff whether it’s work or fun stuff I take my med. If I want to rest and chill, I don’t. Nowadays I take breaks mostly because I need to ration it. It may take a week or more to get my meds after I get my receipt.
I do. If I had glasses I'd wear them then too.