I'm a pro-choice, pro-gay, hetero Catholic father of 3. Now with ADHD!
Friday, September 29, 2006
My chemical decision.
So, I've talked with Maggie, and my decision is: fuck this.
I'm going back to 300mg of Wellbutrin for the next three days, followed by three days of 150mg... followed by none. None of this crap anymore.
Love to all. Even you, GlaxoSmithKline.
9 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Good for you. Way to take control of your own health.
I can't help thinking when reading some of your posts of the last month or so that trading a lack of control and good feeling for another, medicated lack of control and good feeling isn't necessarily worth it.
Peter, my hubby was on Wellbutrin for months at 300 mg. He has days where he "speeds" it sounds like you are speeding.
That happens. I would not stop meds wihtout something to put in its place. With hubby being Bi-Polar I am quite familiar with the side effects of certain drugs like yours.
Anything over 400 mgs is pusing the envelope. Maybe you should stick with 300 for a time to get used to the ritual and working put the days you speed and the days you coast.
You can't just give up on treatment. Part of the journey is learning how to read the signs of where you are and trying to either work around them, or change the neds if it is too much for you.
Get thee to a meeting allright, and don't go insane and for god's sake don't pick up a drink...
Thanks Jeremy - On my way to the 3:15 Mustard Seed in Manahattan.
Since I'm not bipolar, and am simply treating an ADHD condition I've had all my life, I don't see anything wrong with terminating the Wellbutrin completely....
Hey, your body, your health. But if you think going drug-free is going to make all the ugliness and issues go away...If there's anything I've learned over this past week of not-being-adequately-covered in terms of my neurochemical shortfalls, it's that there are sometimes actual reasons we take these things, and going without ain't always so good.
But YMMV. You're after something different than I am in the first place. (Wellbutrin for ADHD? Hadn't heard that one before...)
Okay this may be controversial and it is coming from someone who at the least has hyperactivity and very possibly ADHD. But what is so wrong with having ADD. Why do you need to medicate it? Some of the most creative and fun people I know have diagnosed ADD. You are included in that list. They are fun and lively and when they have been medicated it is like taking that part of them away. I think that our life has gotten too structured and too demanding and we have lost track of our creative, imaginative, fun side. I just feel like we try to medicate everything now a days so we don't have to feel. Well life is messy, painful, terrible, fun, exciting, fantastic, etc. Lets embrace it and not be afraid to feel pain and to not be perfect.
Sorry so long-
Just a note - running has been proven to be an effective activity in helping with ADD and some schools are trying a special program instead of meds.
Thanks for the thoughts. I wanted to try and get it treated because it was becoming a problem for me, but I think, after all this experimentation, you're right: why treat something I've had my whole life? It's not like it brought me down, or stopped me from achieving my goals, etc., etc.
Oh honey. Going off meds scares me. I have done it so many times because I thought I was "cured".
I'm on Wellbutrin, but only 150mg. I can't handle 300. Even with the 150, I take a half a Xanax at least once a day to stay even.
I never heard of taking it for ADD, though.
As far as my thoughts on living with ADD/ADHD? My son's dad had it and was a self-medicater. He's dead now.
My son has it and literally cannot so much as get himself dressed in the morning until his meds have kicked in. Prior to being on medication, he had NO friends. None. Kids could not stand being around him.
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be on meds, and my son would be on meds, I would have said you were nuts. No way. Not all-natural, alternative solutions me. But guess what? It has saved both of our lives. Literally.
9 comments:
Good for you. Way to take control of your own health.
I can't help thinking when reading some of your posts of the last month or so that trading a lack of control and good feeling for another, medicated lack of control and good feeling isn't necessarily worth it.
Good luck!
This could be interesting. Keep us posted.
From the bottom of my heart - best of luck.
Peter, my hubby was on Wellbutrin for months at 300 mg. He has days where he "speeds" it sounds like you are speeding.
That happens. I would not stop meds wihtout something to put in its place. With hubby being Bi-Polar I am quite familiar with the side effects of certain drugs like yours.
Anything over 400 mgs is pusing the envelope. Maybe you should stick with 300 for a time to get used to the ritual and working put the days you speed and the days you coast.
You can't just give up on treatment. Part of the journey is learning how to read the signs of where you are and trying to either work around them, or change the neds if it is too much for you.
Get thee to a meeting allright, and don't go insane and for god's sake don't pick up a drink...
Cheers
Jeremy
Thanks Jeremy - On my way to the 3:15 Mustard Seed in Manahattan.
Since I'm not bipolar, and am simply treating an ADHD condition I've had all my life, I don't see anything wrong with terminating the Wellbutrin completely....
Ya know?
Hey, your body, your health. But if you think going drug-free is going to make all the ugliness and issues go away...If there's anything I've learned over this past week of not-being-adequately-covered in terms of my neurochemical shortfalls, it's that there are sometimes actual reasons we take these things, and going without ain't always so good.
But YMMV. You're after something different than I am in the first place. (Wellbutrin for ADHD? Hadn't heard that one before...)
Okay this may be controversial and it is coming from someone who at the least has hyperactivity and very possibly ADHD. But what is so wrong with having ADD. Why do you need to medicate it? Some of the most creative and fun people I know have diagnosed ADD. You are included in that list. They are fun and lively and when they have been medicated it is like taking that part of them away. I think that our life has gotten too structured and too demanding and we have lost track of our creative, imaginative, fun side. I just feel like we try to medicate everything now a days so we don't have to feel. Well life is messy, painful, terrible, fun, exciting, fantastic, etc. Lets embrace it and not be afraid to feel pain and to not be perfect.
Sorry so long-
Just a note - running has been proven to be an effective activity in helping with ADD and some schools are trying a special program instead of meds.
CG
CG -
Thanks for the thoughts. I wanted to try and get it treated because it was becoming a problem for me, but I think, after all this experimentation, you're right: why treat something I've had my whole life? It's not like it brought me down, or stopped me from achieving my goals, etc., etc.
And the comment about running? YAY!
Rock on.
Oh honey. Going off meds scares me. I have done it so many times because I thought I was "cured".
I'm on Wellbutrin, but only 150mg. I can't handle 300. Even with the 150, I take a half a Xanax at least once a day to stay even.
I never heard of taking it for ADD, though.
As far as my thoughts on living with ADD/ADHD? My son's dad had it and was a self-medicater. He's dead now.
My son has it and literally cannot so much as get himself dressed in the morning until his meds have kicked in. Prior to being on medication, he had NO friends. None. Kids could not stand being around him.
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be on meds, and my son would be on meds, I would have said you were nuts. No way. Not all-natural, alternative solutions me. But guess what? It has saved both of our lives. Literally.
Post a Comment