Is there such a thing as Adult ADHD?

[Guest]

Hi

I've been wondering if there is such a thing as late onset Adult ADHD?

Has anyone encountered this diagnosis?

Best

MVT...X

 

[downhomeguy]

Yes, I have that diadgosis. However they are saying that the reason for it is no Stage 3 or 4 sleep. I've tried everything and even took a sleep test while taking Xyrem and got 9 minutes of Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep. My first sleep test was 7 years ago. I can take 60mg of Adderall and have a poor day and the other days is I sleep when my body tells me to. My last sleep test involvolved a MSLT the following day and the diagnosis came back as "Moderate to Severe Narcolepsy"

The harder I try the worse I get. but disability wants me to drive to work taking a equilavant to 340mg of morphine. I'm going to ask the judge if he has children that drive and wants me on the road taking that much medication. Matter of fact it will be higher because that is based on me not working. It will be closer to 420mg if I ever start work.

 

[bketros]

I was just diagnosed with ADHD as well and even asked why it wasn't a problem when I was younger. My doctor explained that from talking to me it sounded like it was always there just very manageable but as things in my life changed and I began working in job positions where there was less structure and I was left on my own it became a problem. So that could be one way it starts later in life.

 

[schumer]

All I know is I was diagnosed as a kid

RIT turned me into a crazed FUELED little monster then

MA & PA basically told the DOC ta FO

35 years later I still can think as sharp as a razor blade.

I just cannot focus on any one single thing for long

Gonna ask the DOC for sum-thin hoping to avoid the entire PSYCHIATRY SHAKEDOWN

Their come see me weekly, bi-weelkly, monthly,,,, if this works adjust the dosage,,,,,, try this if it doesn't

" throwing darts at your arse as if it were a DARTBOARD approach is LEGAL ROBBERY

any advice would be greatly appreciated

THANK FOR THE INFO

 

[Khalifa]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child then it went away for several years. It returned with a vengeance as ADD in my case (partly my fault) . My doctor feels the normal course of treatment is not best for me so I suffer through low attention span most days. The right benzo will sometimes get my thoughts together and unclog my nut-job brain.

Don't know if that helped much really just my situation.

~Wiz

 

[Guest]

I was diagnosed with adult ADD but after being on Adderall, Adderall XR, and Ritalin, they didn't do anything to help my confusion and problems with focus.

So I sought a 2nd and 3rd opinion and was told adult ADD is a diagnosis that the medical community is split on. Some think it's possible and others insist you either had is as a child and still have it or don't have it all.

I'm not young so my dad can't recall if I had 6 of the 10 symptoms the docs asked about. I know I was a high energy kid but one pdoc said "since you had above average grades in grade school, high school, college, and law school, I doubt you had ADD as a kid. They didn't give you meds for being hyper back then (except some downer that probably isn't safe for kids nowadays-lol).

But I have to take Adderall every morning to be able to get out of bed. Whether or not that's chronic fatique or something else, I don't know-yet.

They started me on 60mg in the morning and 30mg no later than 2pm. The 2pm dose did nothing, I could go right back to sleep after taking it so I stopped that dose. Then I decided to stop takig 60mg in the am and dropped it to 30mg because I have Essential Tremor and an internal sense of shaking they can't figure out what it is. I know what it is-ANNOYING!

I think it's all about the doc you see and if your symptoms fit ADD. There is always something that can mimmic any disease but in my case unless I've had a stroke, I don't know what else could cause so many of the ADD symptoms. The only symptom I don't have is energy-lol. Even with Adderall, I only get about 5 hours of semi-energy and most people on 60mg would bounce off the walls. Even 30mg makes me very shaky and uncomfortable.

Has anyone ever been told they have adult ADD only to learn later that they have something else?? I've always wondered if it's just me?? That wouldn't surprise me

 

[Guest]

Yes, I realize that this is an old thread, but I'm just gonna post here anyway.  Adderall is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Before I started taking it, I was lazy, depressed, constantly moving, constantly changing jobs or getting fired, had lots of dreams but lacked the drive to achieve them, and was bulimic.  For years, dozens of different doctors and I thought I had "depression", even though no antidepressant I ever took worked.  I tried at least 8.  Then came adderall, and my entire life changed.  

 

[longwaydown]

Yes, I realize that this is an old thread, but I'm just gonna post here anyway.  Adderall is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Before I started taking it, I was lazy, depressed, constantly moving, constantly changing jobs or getting fired, had lots of dreams but lacked the drive to achieve them, and was bulimic.  For years, dozens of different doctors and I thought I had "depression", even though no antidepressant I ever took worked.  I tried at least 8.  Then came adderall, and my entire life changed.  

Yes this is a pretty old thread.. so all in the name of you reaching that 30 post count, here is my contribution:

I definitely think there is Adult ADHD and a lot of the time the actual onset is during childhood- it just goes either undetected or is attributed to something else. From personal experience, I can relate to your situation. ADHD medications can make such a difference in the quality of your daily life when you are dealing with the challenges of Adult ADHD. I am glad that you finally found answers- the correct diagnosis and the right medication that works for you!

 

[Truthwalker]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, but just recently, was rediagnosed as Bipolar - Not Otherwise Specified. I think this basically means that I have all the symptoms as normal Bipolar patients, mine just present in patterns that don't fall within the clinical guidelines. Will see how all this turns out over the next few weeks I guess!

 

[KlonaRen]

Of course there is a such thing, most Adults actually find out after their kids via my doctor.

 

[gagagirl]

@ryanavera is right. That is exactly how I found out. My child was diagnosed and I realized I had it too through all of his testing. I went to doctor and got a rx for medicine. I feel in love.... addy is a life and game changer.

 

[cavzfan5012]

sure is

 

[reroka]

Hi

I've been wondering if there is such a thing as late onset Adult ADHD?

Has anyone encountered this diagnosis?

Best

MVT...X

Yes. I was diagnosed at age 28. I am sure I have had it a lot longer but I never really cared as much as I do today.

 

[lightningseed5]

I was diagnosed at 34 with adhd and given a drug called  intuniv...which was total nonsense.  Made me slow.

recently I self diagnosed and chose to purchase r;£@lin and have been experimenting with doses.  Day one, took 10mg and functioned well...helped immensely, got so much done.  But that night it was hard to settle so next day opted to split dose and 5 was perfect.

I did notice that I had trouble feeling my pain meds while on it---is that normal?

 

[Allhoney75]

Apparently this is an old thread but I guess it won't hurt to revive it. I literally was just diagnosed today with adult ADD and my psych gave me addies......I was pretty surprised given that addys seem hard to get but he was pretty eager but anyway my theory is I've always had ADD but it was never caught because I was a quiet kid vs hyper. I personally feel adult ADD are people who got overlooked as kids. I self diagnosed about a month or so ago and ordered ritz and it's amazing. Will be interesting to see how addys work since ritz are short acting. 

 

[Hank34]

Apparently this is an old thread but I guess it won't hurt to revive it. I literally was just diagnosed today with adult ADD and my psych gave me addies......I was pretty surprised given that addys seem hard to get but he was pretty eager but anyway my theory is I've always had ADD but it was never caught because I was a quiet kid vs hyper. I personally feel adult ADD are people who got overlooked as kids. I self diagnosed about a month or so ago and ordered ritz and it's amazing. Will be interesting to see how addys work since ritz are short acting. 

I completely agree. I was diagnosed as an adult and looking back, I definitely had symptoms throughout my childhood. ADD meds have been a game changer for my career. I wish I would have realized I needed them earlier in life.

 

[Allhoney75]

Apparently this is an old thread but I guess it won't hurt to revive it. I literally was just diagnosed today with adult ADD and my psych gave me addies......I was pretty surprised given that addys seem hard to get but he was pretty eager but anyway my theory is I've always had ADD but it was never caught because I was a quiet kid vs hyper. I personally feel adult ADD are people who got overlooked as kids. I self diagnosed about a month or so ago and ordered ritz and it's amazing. Will be interesting to see how addys work since ritz are short acting. 

I completely agree. I was diagnosed as an adult and looking back, I definitely had symptoms throughout my childhood. ADD meds have been a game changer for my career. I wish I would have realized I needed them earlier in life.

I couldn't agree more. ADD meds have been a life saver. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier. Looking back on my constant procrastinating in high school and college, lack luster performance at all of my jobs and inability to focus, makes me sad to know help was right around the corner and I wasn't lazy or crazy after all. There will always be that feeling of what could have been but then.......maybe it was for the best.

 

[Hank34]

Apparently this is an old thread but I guess it won't hurt to revive it. I literally was just diagnosed today with adult ADD and my psych gave me addies......I was pretty surprised given that addys seem hard to get but he was pretty eager but anyway my theory is I've always had ADD but it was never caught because I was a quiet kid vs hyper. I personally feel adult ADD are people who got overlooked as kids. I self diagnosed about a month or so ago and ordered ritz and it's amazing. Will be interesting to see how addys work since ritz are short acting. 

I completely agree. I was diagnosed as an adult and looking back, I definitely had symptoms throughout my childhood. ADD meds have been a game changer for my career. I wish I would have realized I needed them earlier in life.

I couldn't agree more. ADD meds have been a life saver. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier. Looking back on my constant procrastinating in high school and college, lack luster performance at all of my jobs and inability to focus, makes me sad to know help was right around the corner and I wasn't lazy or crazy after all. There will always be that feeling of what could have been but then.......maybe it was for the best.

Some of the best life advice I have ever received is to not dwell on the past. I spent years always thinking about "what if I had done this or that" or "what if that hadn't of happened to me." The truth is that we can't change the past and second guessing history has a negative affect on our present and future health. In my case, it is really difficult to shut out these thoughts, but as I am learning to do so, I find myself happier overall. I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason. Let's be thankful for discovering our ADD late and not never.

 

[Allhoney75]

Apparently this is an old thread but I guess it won't hurt to revive it. I literally was just diagnosed today with adult ADD and my psych gave me addies......I was pretty surprised given that addys seem hard to get but he was pretty eager but anyway my theory is I've always had ADD but it was never caught because I was a quiet kid vs hyper. I personally feel adult ADD are people who got overlooked as kids. I self diagnosed about a month or so ago and ordered ritz and it's amazing. Will be interesting to see how addys work since ritz are short acting. 

I completely agree. I was diagnosed as an adult and looking back, I definitely had symptoms throughout my childhood. ADD meds have been a game changer for my career. I wish I would have realized I needed them earlier in life.

I couldn't agree more. ADD meds have been a life saver. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier. Looking back on my constant procrastinating in high school and college, lack luster performance at all of my jobs and inability to focus, makes me sad to know help was right around the corner and I wasn't lazy or crazy after all. There will always be that feeling of what could have been but then.......maybe it was for the best.

Some of the best life advice I have ever received is to not dwell on the past. I spent years always thinking about "what if I had done this or that" or "what if that hadn't of happened to me." The truth is that we can't change the past and second guessing history has a negative affect on our present and future health. In my case, it is really difficult to shut out these thoughts, but as I am learning to do so, I find myself happier overall. I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason. Let's be thankful for discovering our ADD late and not never.

Thanks for this wonderful advice. You are right in that negatively dwelling on the past causes unhappiness. I've plenty of firsthand experience. It gets worse as I get older but I really need to get a hold of this because it definitely causes most of my depression which I also battle. It's awesome to have wonderful people on this forum. By far, this is the best supportive forum I have ever been on, hands down! Thanks again!