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ADHD medications that don't kill inspiration

creativeforge

the plumber
Moderator
So after 3 years of being off meds, I felt the need to explore this anew. I was prescribed Vyvanse, along with Escitalopram (Cipralex). It was 3 days of intense anxiety, flashing back to two cocaine near-ODs in the 1990s. Ain't nobody got time for that!!

I'm going back to the doc today, hoping to maybe go back to the old gals Adderall and Celexa. In two weeks, I'll visit another doctor to explore CBD oil for ADHD and anxiety.

However, I also noticed during those medicated years, that my musical creativity was near zero. I could do some work, but mostly technical, editing, mixing, etc, but I didn't feel like I was able to "invent." I spent thousands on library and equipment, but that didn't translate.

So I'm curious about others who are affected with ADHD, how do you deal with this, what kinds of meds have worked for you (Amphetamines vs Methylphenidate). And btw, I've been off dope and booze for over 20 years, so I don't think that comes in the equation.

Thanks in advance, if you prefer PM'ing to remain discrete about this, I'll totally understand! :)

Cheers,

Andre
 
Hey Andre,
Hope you find a solution. I can’t give any personal experience, but I have a writer friend who literally doesn’t create when on medication. He only gets the drive when med free.

It’s also something that doctors warn about here in the UK when prescribing anti depressants if you reley on creativity for a living.

Maybe not an answer for you but maybe good to know.
A
 
I don't know about that, but in my experience it doesn't affect my creativity at all. I've never done drugs or anything like that either so it probably affects me differently. I take a small dose of generic amphetamine salts once a day as prescribed by my doctor. I haven't noticed any loss of creativity to be honest.

It only helps me to be more organized and less distracted. If anything I'm more creative because hearing noise outside or seeing my phone light up doesn't distract me nearly as much. Plus the whole executive function thing is improved. I feel like this might be a sort of mind thing vs the medicine. Unless you're taking like 30mg IR then I would be really surprised it kills your creativity.

I'd also recommend exercising, keeping a daily journal, creating a consequence and reward chart, mapping out goals (then assigning a consequence and reward to each goal), and in general being as healthy as possible. In my experience exercise is THE most helpful thing for ADHD outside of medicine. Do them both and you'll be kicking ass in no time. I'd also try to not let yourself think ADHD medicine inhibits your creativity, unless of course you're on a really high dose. Then it might be overpowering your brain too much.
 
Getting off the chemicals is always a hassle.
I went for natural alternatives.

For anxiety

L-theanine
Macuna Dopa

For sleep
Melatonin

Cbd made me feel sleepy and a slacker.
Not wanting to do anything. There is a huge push for cbd due to the legalization and there is a huge amount of people trying to recoup a huge amount of invenstments and therefore pushing the bezeejuz out of it marketing wise to be wary of that snake oil sales culture. Doesn’t mean it’s not good for some people but what it seems it’s like the miracle drug you and everyone is missing when in fact , there barely any real research.

Also,

I mention going natural. Not because it will replace something as advance as aderal or other high tech highly researched drugs. But because those who want to get off those drugs will have to change their minds and discipline and works towards getting mentally better without the chemicals drugs. It’s not easy. But a lot of people say for example that melatonin doesn’t affect them , while they ingest huge amounts of alcohol or anti depression drugs to sleep. The point is not getting melatonin to get you to sleep, it’s to give a placeholder, a small signal to the Brain to go to sleep and get used to that small signal, by getting used to it, and creating a routing around it. So basically changing your life to acomódate a life without chemicals.

As for creativity. It’s an elusive thing for everyone with or without drugs. Cannabis, alcohol and coke always come to mind cuz it’s the mainstream stereotype. But it’s an ilusión. At the end it’s the same as I mentioned before. Try natural placeholders (soft placebo) that don’t do harm or do much and do the work to get inspired. Work the reasons why or why not it’s happening at a concious level. Try to think of the things that helped back in the day and also avoid distractions.
 
Nature immersion, good diet, plenty of vigorous exercise (outdoors), no meds needed. I know it's the opposite of being a studio rat, but staying indoors all day is a recipe for depression...


Medicines definitely aren't always needed for sure. But they help a lot of people, and if you have severe enough executive function issues you really do benefit from medicine over most other natural things. I wouldn't urge anyone on ADHD medicine who's been thoroughly diagnosed not to take their medicine. Frankly because the worse parts of ADHD aren't the ones people see, they are the long term effects of being impulsive and bad with time; for long periods of time.
 
This is kind of what has kept me from getting an official diagnosis of ADHD. I do okay, though I can't finish cleaning my house or even a room in my house without getting distracted. I find listening to music while I work keeps the ADHD part of my brain distracted enough to concentrate, if that makes sense. Music also acts as an anti depressant for me. I do have trouble finishing things and it seems to get worse as I've gotten older. Or maybe I just notice it more.

I also find shutting down the blue screen things about an hour before bedtime helps a lot with sleep. So move to a real book or e-ink Kindle about an hour before bed. Or something like that. Otherwise my brain runs all night and I feel like I didn't get any sleep. Maybe some of these things will help you?
 
oh, i also tried nootropics. its all the rage in silicon valley but i didnt find them useful. not sure really what to think of them. but i do rememeber some folks forums posts about adhd.
 
I don't know about that, but in my experience it doesn't affect my creativity at all. I've never done drugs or anything like that either so it probably affects me differently. I take a small dose of generic amphetamine salts once a day as prescribed by my doctor. I haven't noticed any loss of creativity to be honest.

It only helps me to be more organized and less distracted. If anything I'm more creative because hearing noise outside or seeing my phone light up doesn't distract me nearly as much. Plus the whole executive function thing is improved. I feel like this might be a sort of mind thing vs the medicine. Unless you're taking like 30mg IR then I would be really surprised it kills your creativity.

I'd also recommend exercising, keeping a daily journal, creating a consequence and reward chart, mapping out goals (then assigning a consequence and reward to each goal), and in general being as healthy as possible. In my experience exercise is THE most helpful thing for ADHD outside of medicine. Do them both and you'll be kicking ass in no time. I'd also try to not let yourself think ADHD medicine inhibits your creativity, unless of course you're on a really high dose. Then it might be overpowering your brain too much.

Thanks for this. I used to be on Adderall XR 3 years ago (with Celexa), but after my divorce I stopped everything. I met my doctor today and hearing my experience with Vyvanse he suggested I start on Adderall again, 10mg, and see how it goes for a week or so. And he suggested not to start with an anti-depressant at the same time either, which is another mistake I made...

Exercise is a big issue for me, but I try to do a bit every day on elliptical. I could walk more, I like "forest bathing" in the area.

I also have essential oil, Lavender, which I can rub on my pressure points (wrists and neck) and that also seems to have a calming result. I'm not sure I'd like to go on an anti-depressant again, they tend to enhance depression for me, not pick me up.

I have supplements I take daily, like L-Theanine, Rhodiola, Ginko, B12 sublingual and fish oil (almost exact DHA to EPA ratio).
 
Getting off the chemicals is always a hassle.
I went for natural alternatives.

For anxiety

L-theanine
Macuna Dopa

For sleep
Melatonin

L-Theanine, check. Melatonin, check. I also use take probiotics before bed and it seems to help for a deeper sleep... when I don't go to bed around 3:00 am. [/QUOTE]

Cbd made me feel sleepy and a slacker.
Not wanting to do anything. There is a huge push for cbd due to the legalization and there is a huge amount of people trying to recoup a huge amount of invenstments and therefore pushing the bezeejuz out of it marketing wise to be wary of that snake oil sales culture. Doesn’t mean it’s not good for some people but what it seems it’s like the miracle drug you and everyone is missing when in fact , there barely any real research.

I will see what they say. Although I got a small bottle of CB2 oil today for topical use (from my regular health food store), and it seems to do something toward calm. I personally hate feeling stoned or drunk, to "feel" this in my system. So I'm not looking for THC content...

Also, I mention going natural. Not because it will replace something as advance as aderal or other high tech highly researched drugs. But because those who want to get off those drugs will have to change their minds and discipline and works towards getting mentally better without the chemicals drugs. It’s not easy. But a lot of people say for example that melatonin doesn’t affect them , while they ingest huge amounts of alcohol or anti depression drugs to sleep. The point is not getting melatonin to get you to sleep, it’s to give a placeholder, a small signal to the Brain to go to sleep and get used to that small signal, by getting used to it, and creating a routing around it. So basically changing your life to acomódate a life without chemicals.

Good point, although the work to be mentally sharp is a daily challenge, even more so in times of high-stress. So I know medication or supplements are only there to help, but the real work is internal, breathing exercises, at least 8 hours sleep, very minimal processed foods and sugars, etc. I know what to do, not just good at sleep and exercise, but it's considered.

As for creativity. It’s an elusive thing for everyone with or without drugs. Cannabis, alcohol and coke always come to mind cuz it’s the mainstream stereotype. But it’s an ilusión. At the end it’s the same as I mentioned before. Try natural placeholders (soft placebo) that don’t do harm or do much and do the work to get inspired. Work the reasons why or why not it’s happening at a concious level. Try to think of the things that helped back in the day and also avoid distractions.

It's possible my issue is not so much the medication but the source of my discomfort, self-doubts due to being around professionals and thinking - what's the use? So that cannot be helped with meds, but with addressing the lies and self-imposed barriers and limitations.

Cheers!
 
oh, i also tried nootropics. its all the rage in silicon valley but i didnt find them useful. not sure really what to think of them. but i do rememeber some folks forums posts about adhd.

I did look into it for a while, but never made a move on it. The results people shared and their special blends were way too dispersed imho. I never got to a place of trusting this particular solution. They seem to be really popular in the gyms. What kind of stack did you come up with?
 
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This is kind of what has kept me from getting an official diagnosis of ADHD. I do okay, though I can't finish cleaning my house or even a room in my house without getting distracted. I find listening to music while I work keeps the ADHD part of my brain distracted enough to concentrate, if that makes sense. Music also acts as an anti depressant for me. I do have trouble finishing things and it seems to get worse as I've gotten older. Or maybe I just notice it more.

I also find shutting down the blue screen things about an hour before bedtime helps a lot with sleep. So move to a real book or e-ink Kindle about an hour before bed. Or something like that. Otherwise my brain runs all night and I feel like I didn't get any sleep. Maybe some of these things will help you?

Thanks, indeed some helpful tips, some of which I already do, others on my to-do list (where is that list, btw, I seem to always misplace it...) :).
 
Daily amphetamine use will eventually wreak havoc on your heart, arteries and blood pressure. The best solution is to try and get off all meds. After 6 months, your body/brain will normalize and you may find you never needed the meds in the first place.
 
Daily amphetamine use will eventually wreak havoc on your heart, arteries and blood pressure. The best solution is to try and get off all meds. After 6 months, your body/brain will normalize and you may find you never needed the meds in the first place.

There's no substantial evidence for that with therapeutic doses of ADHD medicine. With all due respect, stop sharing misinformation. 10-25 mg of adderall has never been shown to cause these issues. Maybe if someone is opening the capsules and snorting it, or taking WAY too much. All common medicine used for ADHD has been much further studied than it was in the 90s when everyone seems to have gotten their information. The only thing researchers think may happen is a reduced sensitivity to dopamine in the brain after long term use, and even that doesn't have substantial enough evidence to be a concern yet. Some people experience slightly higher BP when taking it, but this goes away when the medicine is out of your system. That's why if you have high BP already they won't prescribe you that class of stimulants. As far as I know there are no legit scientific studies showing higher overall BP, heart issues, or other longterm issues from taking prescribed ADHD medicine. My standard BP actually dropped when I first took my medicine, my body was calmer more often resulting in less stress overall.

I've tried learned almost everything you can know about ADHD at this point, attended seminars, read tons of peer reviewed studies, and stay as up to date on research on it as possible.
 
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Thanks for this. I used to be on Adderall XR 3 years ago (with Celexa), but after my divorce I stopped everything. I met my doctor today and hearing my experience with Vyvanse he suggested I start on Adderall again, 10mg, and see how it goes for a week or so. And he suggested not to start with an anti-depressant at the same time either, which is another mistake I made...

Glad to help! Adderall 10mg XR is a good place to start. Its a super low dose and the XR is split in the system, so you really only have 5mg in your system at once. If it doesn't help or makes things worse, there are a ton of options now. I'd always suggest therapy at the same time too, just maybe once a month to help you not rely on the medicine too much (not saying you are, just speaking generally).

Also XR is great because its almost impossible to get physically addicted to. There is no high because of its long/sustained stream in the body. Don't listen to anyone who says not to take it if it helps you btw. Most people are SEVERLY under-educated about ADHD. If someone says ADD (and pretends to be smarter than doctors) run away, because that hasn't been a proper diagnostic tool in the DSM since 94.
 
I can use myself as substantial evidence. I was on dexedrine for years and it totally f'd me up physically. It left me with high blood pressure and hardened arteries -- with a low daily dose. Here's some more misinformation:

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/adderall/side-effects

"Stimulants such as Adderall raise blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate, keeping users awake and stimulated while suppressing appetites. Regular use or abuse of Adderall can make changes in the structures of the brain and change the way emotions are regulated. They can also be hard on the heart muscles, lungs, vascular system, and other internal organs."

Of course everyone is different, and some may not suffer adverse effects. I personally think it gets more dangerous the older you get, especially if you're adding alcohol and caffeine in to the mix.
 
I can use myself as substantial evidence. I was on dexedrine for years and it totally f'd me up physically. It left me with high blood pressure and hardened arteries -- with a low daily dose. Here's some more misinformation:

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/adderall/side-effects

"Stimulants such as Adderall raise blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate, keeping users awake and stimulated while suppressing appetites. Regular use or abuse of Adderall can make changes in the structures of the brain and change the way emotions are regulated. They can also be hard on the heart muscles, lungs, vascular system, and other internal organs."

Of course everyone is different, and some may not suffer adverse effects. I personally think it gets more dangerous the older you get, especially if you're adding alcohol and caffeine in to the mix.

This is from an addiction based site on abusing Adderall, not using a theraputic dose. The part before what you quoted puts that into context. There is a big difference between taking your prescribed amount and abusing it. This site/source isn't in relation to taking the medicine as instructed at a proper dose. Some people may take too much, but that's why you should always change medicine instead of bumping it up, that's also another reason most primary doctors can no longer prescribe it. Now only psychiatrist can (at least in my state), because they actively monitor you on it and shouldn't over-prescribe it. Once you get on a high enough dose you're getting into this territory. No studies related to taking theraputic doses support those claims. Most people seem to benefit from 10-30mg. Once you're above that I think its better to change medicines all together, but that's just my opinion.

I agree, all kinds of medicine get more dangerous the older you get. If you're taking ADHD medicine you shouldn't be ingesting caffeine at all. None. That's another way to make it hurt you long term, not taking it properly. It says on the instructions to avoid caffeine, why people ignore this I have no idea. That's asking for your heart to get wrecked.

Even if that happened to you, I'd be careful about blaming the medicine. There are a LOT of reasons you can have high blood pressure and hardened arteries, especially as you age. That stuff needs to be monitored more closely once you're past 40. Especially if you're a composer as well, its so easy to live a sedentary lifestyle in our profession. That combined with quick deadlines and stress will raise your BP so fast its insane.
 
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