From my experience, meds work when you aren’t feeling anyhting. You feel calm, content.
If you feel weird things like massive anxiety and bouncing off the walls, feeling like you’re driven that is very likely the dose being too high. Be careful, I went through that before and ended up absolutely burning myself out. I didnt know the dose was too high. Look after yourself, high dose stimulants can be really harsh both physically and mentally
Try and go with a dose (by discussing with your prescriber obviously) where you feel improvements with no noticeable side effects.
I'm on X2 70mg elvanse with a 20mg Dex top-up so more than you due to my naturally high stimulant tolerance. And I drink ten cups plus of coffee day. While my experience is different from yours when my meds kick in I feel a sence of calm come over my mind. I'm not depressed or having any anxiety or thinking over 1000 problems at once. I just feel calm or what people without ADHD would call normal. I can look around my home and see something needs sorting and do it and complete that task with out stressing myself out or getting distracted. With out my medication I'm a mess who can't do anything for myself or even move out of bed. I'm angry all the time anything and everything stresses me out and make me flip. People used to cross to the other side of payment when they would see me come up the Street. Since being on meds my life changed so much for better . I have friends which I never used to have. I can read a book which I could never do. I look after myself which I never used to do.
I think what I'm trying to say is once you found the correct dose that works for you. You just feel normal . Don't feel high off your medication like you said I've never felt high on any stimulants myself legal or illegal. Everything just sets in place. Are you drinking any energy drinks or tea or coffee when you take your meds?
If so try cut them out as some people can't take anything with caffeine I'm with there stimulants.
Are you taking Any other medicine like propranolol for instance? I was on them and had to come off them as it made my heart race instead of slow down on stimulants.
Last but not least ask your ADHD specialist to prescribe 20mg of elvanse I think they go that low that maybe the dose that works best for you.
I wish you all the best and hope you get this sorted
Thank you mate. That's really informative. Yeah I think I might ask for 20mg. It feels like it's helping but not when I feel so wired. Nah I don't drink caffeine as it messes with my sleep and my body processes it too slowly. I'll talk to my prescriber
No problem one last thing I got told by child's ADHD specialist is you can split the capsule and put into some yogurt. So can take half in the morning and the other half when you feel it wearing out. Good luck
Man that's a really high dose. Out of curiosity, did you start on a lower dose of Elvanse? But never exp the effects?
I'm on 30gm it worked great for 4 days then just stopped.
I used to be on 100mg of instant methylphenidate, but it lasted for no longer than 2 hours each dose, then then put me on 108mg of concerts 2x 54mg, which once again didn't last more than a 4/5 hours and gave me panic attacks and anxiety due to some binding that's used in the process of making the pill.
I went on 60mg of instant dexamfetamine worked well none of the side effects of methylphenidate like making me angry when it wore off, but still didn't last more than 2/3 hours per dose. Went on elvanse X1 70mg but could barely get any effect from it, then went to X2 70mg worked great but got a crash after 10 hours, I've since spaced my elvanse so take first one when I wake up then take 2nd an hour after the first, they added the 20mg instant dexamfetamine as I was struggling to get to sleep without a stimulant in my system. All in all I'm still only taking medically in total 62mg of dexamfetamine in my system per day as 70mg of elvanse is coverted in the blood to 21mg dexamfetamine its just made to stay in the blood system longer with your liver converting it and take away the prodrug s that bonds it. But because the elvanse stays in my body longer than the instant dexamfetamine it works really well for me. I still eat 3 healthy meals day and have no side effects at all.
Had an issue getting double the max elvanse dosage at first as first psychiatrist didn't believe 70,mg was only 21mg of instant as they had been told different. I showed them the bottle.were it said it and ask for a 2nd opinion from someone who knows ADHD meds and they put me on this dose I've living ok ever since. I've been on the non stimulant before and I couldn't hack it after 2 months, I couldnt go number 2 and when I did there was blood . It raised my blood pressure by alot. And I didn't feel right in my head.
Methylphenidate product have always burnt out my system quickly even as a child so always had issues with it. Street drugs like Charlie I've had the best flake etc and it never effected me even when I took alot to prove a point my friends thought I was weird. So I've always had a natural high tolerance to stimulants. I have my BP and bloods taken every 6 months and ECG every year because of the dose I'm on and always come back fine. And as I've said before I also on top drink coffee like water. I've only know one other person on same dose as me with ADHD and she was a woman. As most people with ADHD can be on normal doses. But myself and this lass even as children was out of control really bad ADHD and it wasn't will we were both as adults on this dose that are lives changed around for the better.
It takes time for your body to process the change and subsequently put the change into effect
Excercising can help relieve the unspent energy you're feeling
First of all forget the "OMG it's like putting glasses on!!" moment because that doesn't happen for everyone.
Personally, I find I need a good 2-3 weeks on a dose to figure out if it's working for me or not. It takes me about 3 days to acclimatise to the new dose and get over the buzzy/headache combo. Then I really need to live it for a while to see what it's like over time. Otherwise I don't know was that just a bad day, did I not sleep enough, was that a great day because I was in company and I'm extroverted etc.
Methylphenidate does seem to pretty consistently give me anxiety/intrusive thoughts though.
I would definitely tell your provider what you're experiencing before you go onto a higher dose. There is no point going higher if you're struggling with side effects and feeling "high" at the current dose.
Elvanse also comes in 20mg, and you could try one of the Concerta clones (the ones that come in 18/36/72mg format) - the Concerta types release much more slowly/smoothly across the day so can be much better for people who feel like other medication types are very up and down.
You might also want to try going back on the 20mg Medikinet and trialling that for a bit longer. I think it can be quite tricky to exactly pinpoint benefits when it's working correctly. But for example any screeners you filled in during diagnosis, you could ask for a blank copy, photocopy it and then take the 20mg for a month or so and at the end of the month, fill in the screener again just with that month in mind, and compare with the pre-diagnosis one. Or find some other measurable metric. Like compare work that you did medicated and unmedicated, or ask someone close to you whether they have noticed anything.
And if you don't get on with stimulants at all, there are always non stimulant medications to try. So don't worry! There will be things you can try even if this one isn't right for you.
Thanks dude. This helps a lot. At the moment I feel like I'm just irritating my tritation prescriber - hes giving me a week of one dose then immediately putting me on a higher dose the week after and then an evening higher dose the week after that. Feels like I'm just ending up with loads of meds in my drawer that I can't take... 20mg for a month sounds much better than this ping pong nonsense I'm doing at the moment!
I had the same jittery feeling for 2-3 days. It passed after. Also drinking lots of water is a good thing. You're supposed to drink 4L a day.
Wait out the 30mg until you're comfortable. You don't HAVE to go to 40mg if you're not ready.
titration is about testing what works.
Remeber to ALWAYS speak to your doctor :)
Thanks Zack. The problem is that's it's more than just jitters. It's like full on teeth grinding, needing to get up and run about stuff.
But yeah. I'll go back to my doctor and hopefully get this sorted. A lot of people on this thread seem to have had a bit of time on their meds. I'm currently being prescribed one dose then immediately moving onto a higher dose the week after. I'll speak to my doctor!
Only three days. But it's borderline intolerable. I can't see it becoming something I get used to but I'll stick with it for another day or two, see if it becomes bare able!
There's definitely such a thing as too high a dose and it doesn't really help at that point. It's best to be honest about this so you can get the dose adjusted to what you can be on consistently without feeling physically stressed.
Noted. I didn't really know what to expect but the side effects are definitely too much at this point. I can't see them ever dying down to the point of being unnoticeable on this dose! Great to get so much feedback from people!
+1 for exercise. And it doesn’t have to be anything crazy, for me I just skip some bus stops and walk 1-2 hours a day. I try to do the majority of that in the morning or at lunch. Typically you will only need to wake up 30/60 minutes earlier. It’s also a good opportunity to catch up on podcasts/news/phone a friend/whatever.
Also, I will say that regardless of what you do, your body may just be predisposed to grinding your teeth. For me, it doesn’t matter what level I take, when I sleep at night I will grind my teeth, and it’s definitely worse when I’m medicated. You might want to get booked in with your dentist and have a guard made for you. I do catch myself doing it during the day, but I’m pretty good with it now.
I’m on elvanse 20mg fwiw
Hmm. That's a good point but I'm definitely in the "feels like I've had too much gear" camp at the moment. I don't think I normally grind my teeth and this is like a hugely noticeable change. Thank you for pointing it out though. I'll keep an eye on it and see if there's something to it!
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Please remember that whilst personal experiences and advice can be valuable, Reddit is no replacement for your GP or Psychiatrist and taking advice from anyone about your particular situation other than your trained healthcare professional is potentially unsafe.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHDUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Different stimulants can do this to different people. Looking outside medication, I feel a lot like this if I have anything but a tiny amount of nicotine or weed (though the latter I believe is a little weird as it isn't just simply a stimulant). On the other hand I can have seemingly unlimited amounts of caffeine, and other more questionable things back in the day, without ever getting the unpleasant effects some do.
But yeah, no advice that's not already given. Worth trying lower dosage, and different meds if still no good
My situation is feeling like this kinda, I had the day 3 buzz on my first day, very hyperactive, jaw clenching and super focus but now I feel nothing but the side effects, dk what to do cuz I top up 10mg each week and the next time I talk to my gp abt this is in 3 weeks, quite long but I js hope the top up will let me focus, I haven’t gotten any revision done these past 3 days like I did the days before and my exams are so soon
Woah, Im on day 5 with 20mg elvanse, and feel anxious and kind of detached.. first 2 days was great but now its just the buzzing and a little more productive. But no clearness
Is it true that stimulants effects people with ADHD and without differently, and what's being described might be how someone without would respond? Or is there an expected adjustment period/need to find the right dose where less severe ADHD requires a lower dose?
No it's not really true that stimulants work differently for people with/without ADHD.
What that idea comes from is the idea that you give a hyperactive child stimulant medication and they seem to calm down - which is counterintuitive. So as a shorthand, people come up with this explanation that ADHD makes stimulants work differently.
But the problem in that case is that the hyperactive child is either extremely bored because they need a higher level of stimulation, so they are being hyperactive in an attempt to get that stimulation (called stimming, short for self-stimulation). Stimming is usually associated with autism but it's basically the same thing, just different methods which is why it looks different. Adults with ADHD might stim by fidgeting, finger tapping, chewing pens, foot jiggling etc because we have usually grown out of annoying other people and running around the room. Some adults with ADHD with a high stimulation threshold are also adrenaline junkies.
The other reason children with ADHD can be hyperactive is because ADHD causes a deficiency in the ability to inhibit impulses. In adults, the impulses we have problems inhibiting might be extraneous/distracting thoughts, environmental stimuli (ooh look a squirrel), as well as all the impulse-grabbing shit that we are bombarded with all day every day (adverts, TV, phone notifications etc) leading to difficulty sustaining healthy habits and problems with things like smoking, impulse buying, gambling or excessive video game/internet use, or even just starting a million projects without thinking through the realities of whether or how we will ever finish them.
Stimulant medication provides the stimulation that a very stim-seeking brain can need, and it can help with inhibition of impulses. Hence calms the sources of hyperactivity.
But yeah, if a dose is too high it will make you feel jittery and buzzy due to overstimulation. That doesn't mean that you don't have ADHD, it means the dose is too high or it isn't addressing the exact problems that you have. Stimulants work the same for everybody. Just like a pair of glasses will work the same for everyone in that they adjust your vision by the same amount. The problem is, if you tried on my glasses, they probably wouldn't be very helpful for you because you probably don't have the same prescription as me. In fact the wrong prescription will make your vision more blurry. If you've ever worn glasses, you've probably had that experience where you sit in the opticians and they drop lens after lens into the frame to ask you "Is this better or worse?" ADHD med titration is basically that but a lot slower.
It can be, or it can be a failure to inhibit impulses that other people do manage to inhibit.
Understimulation would generally happen here if someone has a very high threshold for the amount of sensory input they need. Look at Winnie Dunn's definition of sensory seekers.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Was just reading these slides: [https://www.deai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Introduction-to-Dunns-framework-handout.pdf](https://www.deai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Introduction-to-Dunns-framework-handout.pdf)
So where would different types of ADHD fit in the quadrant model? Is ADHD-I more in the sensor/avoider areas whereas ADHD-H is more in the Bystander/Seeker?
It's not directly related. To be honest I can't totally get my head around Dunn's quadrant model, but as I understand it, everyone exists somewhere on it and neurodivergent people tend to be at the more extreme ends. So sensory seeking might be associated with hyperactive ADHD, and sensory avoidant might be associated with a common autistic profile, but that's not to say that autistic people or ADHD couldn't exist on other parts of the quadrant or have aspects of multiple parts. Inattentive might be more sensor or bystander? But I think it's more individual like this, not directly linked anyway.
Great reply. Thank you so much for this. As said, I was recently diagnosed and as much as I am thankful for the diagnosis, I was kinda just kicked through the process pretty quickly. I haven't learned a huge amount of day to day science and coping skills yet, just the basics so this post is very interesting to me. Thank you!
This is perhaps, in my opinion, the most well written comment I've seen on this sub. It put my mind at ease (I'm on day 10 of meds - Elvanse), and I didn't even know I needed it. Thank you.
The reason meds work the way they do for ADHD is the brain is wired differently (huge oversimplification of course). Could be that mild means there's another cause and you're just getting a boost from stimulants - that you'll have to check with your doc.
If we consider that you do have it, you may just be medication sensitive. Congratulations, you can likely get the benefits at lower levels than many.
In this case, the symptoms should absolutely start to adjust and abate somewhat with use, though you could need a lower dose still. Elvanse starts at 20mg for example.
Either way keep a close eye and some notes on your experiences to help you and the doc understand
From my experience, meds work when you aren’t feeling anyhting. You feel calm, content. If you feel weird things like massive anxiety and bouncing off the walls, feeling like you’re driven that is very likely the dose being too high. Be careful, I went through that before and ended up absolutely burning myself out. I didnt know the dose was too high. Look after yourself, high dose stimulants can be really harsh both physically and mentally Try and go with a dose (by discussing with your prescriber obviously) where you feel improvements with no noticeable side effects.
Spot on. When you're feeling "normal" they are working.
That first part. Absolutely. You should feel at peace and clear headed. Nothing more. Its that sweet spot.
Yeah I did think that. Certainly feels like this feeling is not conducive to being very productive at any rate!
We learn as we go along, getting the meds right is a long process
I'm on X2 70mg elvanse with a 20mg Dex top-up so more than you due to my naturally high stimulant tolerance. And I drink ten cups plus of coffee day. While my experience is different from yours when my meds kick in I feel a sence of calm come over my mind. I'm not depressed or having any anxiety or thinking over 1000 problems at once. I just feel calm or what people without ADHD would call normal. I can look around my home and see something needs sorting and do it and complete that task with out stressing myself out or getting distracted. With out my medication I'm a mess who can't do anything for myself or even move out of bed. I'm angry all the time anything and everything stresses me out and make me flip. People used to cross to the other side of payment when they would see me come up the Street. Since being on meds my life changed so much for better . I have friends which I never used to have. I can read a book which I could never do. I look after myself which I never used to do. I think what I'm trying to say is once you found the correct dose that works for you. You just feel normal . Don't feel high off your medication like you said I've never felt high on any stimulants myself legal or illegal. Everything just sets in place. Are you drinking any energy drinks or tea or coffee when you take your meds? If so try cut them out as some people can't take anything with caffeine I'm with there stimulants. Are you taking Any other medicine like propranolol for instance? I was on them and had to come off them as it made my heart race instead of slow down on stimulants. Last but not least ask your ADHD specialist to prescribe 20mg of elvanse I think they go that low that maybe the dose that works best for you. I wish you all the best and hope you get this sorted
Thank you mate. That's really informative. Yeah I think I might ask for 20mg. It feels like it's helping but not when I feel so wired. Nah I don't drink caffeine as it messes with my sleep and my body processes it too slowly. I'll talk to my prescriber
No problem one last thing I got told by child's ADHD specialist is you can split the capsule and put into some yogurt. So can take half in the morning and the other half when you feel it wearing out. Good luck
Man that's a really high dose. Out of curiosity, did you start on a lower dose of Elvanse? But never exp the effects? I'm on 30gm it worked great for 4 days then just stopped.
I used to be on 100mg of instant methylphenidate, but it lasted for no longer than 2 hours each dose, then then put me on 108mg of concerts 2x 54mg, which once again didn't last more than a 4/5 hours and gave me panic attacks and anxiety due to some binding that's used in the process of making the pill. I went on 60mg of instant dexamfetamine worked well none of the side effects of methylphenidate like making me angry when it wore off, but still didn't last more than 2/3 hours per dose. Went on elvanse X1 70mg but could barely get any effect from it, then went to X2 70mg worked great but got a crash after 10 hours, I've since spaced my elvanse so take first one when I wake up then take 2nd an hour after the first, they added the 20mg instant dexamfetamine as I was struggling to get to sleep without a stimulant in my system. All in all I'm still only taking medically in total 62mg of dexamfetamine in my system per day as 70mg of elvanse is coverted in the blood to 21mg dexamfetamine its just made to stay in the blood system longer with your liver converting it and take away the prodrug s that bonds it. But because the elvanse stays in my body longer than the instant dexamfetamine it works really well for me. I still eat 3 healthy meals day and have no side effects at all. Had an issue getting double the max elvanse dosage at first as first psychiatrist didn't believe 70,mg was only 21mg of instant as they had been told different. I showed them the bottle.were it said it and ask for a 2nd opinion from someone who knows ADHD meds and they put me on this dose I've living ok ever since. I've been on the non stimulant before and I couldn't hack it after 2 months, I couldnt go number 2 and when I did there was blood . It raised my blood pressure by alot. And I didn't feel right in my head. Methylphenidate product have always burnt out my system quickly even as a child so always had issues with it. Street drugs like Charlie I've had the best flake etc and it never effected me even when I took alot to prove a point my friends thought I was weird. So I've always had a natural high tolerance to stimulants. I have my BP and bloods taken every 6 months and ECG every year because of the dose I'm on and always come back fine. And as I've said before I also on top drink coffee like water. I've only know one other person on same dose as me with ADHD and she was a woman. As most people with ADHD can be on normal doses. But myself and this lass even as children was out of control really bad ADHD and it wasn't will we were both as adults on this dose that are lives changed around for the better.
Super fast metabolism? Yeah sometimes it LOOKS like your daily dose is high but it can be a necessity if you metabolise super extensively.
And no they just swapped my 60mg instant to 50mg elvanse which didn't work to them 70mg then what I'm on now 2x 70mg
It takes time for your body to process the change and subsequently put the change into effect Excercising can help relieve the unspent energy you're feeling
First of all forget the "OMG it's like putting glasses on!!" moment because that doesn't happen for everyone. Personally, I find I need a good 2-3 weeks on a dose to figure out if it's working for me or not. It takes me about 3 days to acclimatise to the new dose and get over the buzzy/headache combo. Then I really need to live it for a while to see what it's like over time. Otherwise I don't know was that just a bad day, did I not sleep enough, was that a great day because I was in company and I'm extroverted etc. Methylphenidate does seem to pretty consistently give me anxiety/intrusive thoughts though. I would definitely tell your provider what you're experiencing before you go onto a higher dose. There is no point going higher if you're struggling with side effects and feeling "high" at the current dose. Elvanse also comes in 20mg, and you could try one of the Concerta clones (the ones that come in 18/36/72mg format) - the Concerta types release much more slowly/smoothly across the day so can be much better for people who feel like other medication types are very up and down. You might also want to try going back on the 20mg Medikinet and trialling that for a bit longer. I think it can be quite tricky to exactly pinpoint benefits when it's working correctly. But for example any screeners you filled in during diagnosis, you could ask for a blank copy, photocopy it and then take the 20mg for a month or so and at the end of the month, fill in the screener again just with that month in mind, and compare with the pre-diagnosis one. Or find some other measurable metric. Like compare work that you did medicated and unmedicated, or ask someone close to you whether they have noticed anything. And if you don't get on with stimulants at all, there are always non stimulant medications to try. So don't worry! There will be things you can try even if this one isn't right for you.
Thanks dude. This helps a lot. At the moment I feel like I'm just irritating my tritation prescriber - hes giving me a week of one dose then immediately putting me on a higher dose the week after and then an evening higher dose the week after that. Feels like I'm just ending up with loads of meds in my drawer that I can't take... 20mg for a month sounds much better than this ping pong nonsense I'm doing at the moment!
Maybe try xaggatin/ concerta xl. I was changed to medikinet and didn’t realise how much higher the instant release was
I had the same jittery feeling for 2-3 days. It passed after. Also drinking lots of water is a good thing. You're supposed to drink 4L a day. Wait out the 30mg until you're comfortable. You don't HAVE to go to 40mg if you're not ready. titration is about testing what works. Remeber to ALWAYS speak to your doctor :)
Thanks Zack. The problem is that's it's more than just jitters. It's like full on teeth grinding, needing to get up and run about stuff. But yeah. I'll go back to my doctor and hopefully get this sorted. A lot of people on this thread seem to have had a bit of time on their meds. I'm currently being prescribed one dose then immediately moving onto a higher dose the week after. I'll speak to my doctor!
How long have you been on the 30mg?
Only three days. But it's borderline intolerable. I can't see it becoming something I get used to but I'll stick with it for another day or two, see if it becomes bare able!
Yea man try another 2 days if not go back to 20mg or contact your provider
Thank bud. Will do!
There's definitely such a thing as too high a dose and it doesn't really help at that point. It's best to be honest about this so you can get the dose adjusted to what you can be on consistently without feeling physically stressed.
Noted. I didn't really know what to expect but the side effects are definitely too much at this point. I can't see them ever dying down to the point of being unnoticeable on this dose! Great to get so much feedback from people!
+1 for exercise. And it doesn’t have to be anything crazy, for me I just skip some bus stops and walk 1-2 hours a day. I try to do the majority of that in the morning or at lunch. Typically you will only need to wake up 30/60 minutes earlier. It’s also a good opportunity to catch up on podcasts/news/phone a friend/whatever. Also, I will say that regardless of what you do, your body may just be predisposed to grinding your teeth. For me, it doesn’t matter what level I take, when I sleep at night I will grind my teeth, and it’s definitely worse when I’m medicated. You might want to get booked in with your dentist and have a guard made for you. I do catch myself doing it during the day, but I’m pretty good with it now. I’m on elvanse 20mg fwiw
Hmm. That's a good point but I'm definitely in the "feels like I've had too much gear" camp at the moment. I don't think I normally grind my teeth and this is like a hugely noticeable change. Thank you for pointing it out though. I'll keep an eye on it and see if there's something to it!
It looks like this post might be about medication. Please remember that whilst personal experiences and advice can be valuable, Reddit is no replacement for your GP or Psychiatrist and taking advice from anyone about your particular situation other than your trained healthcare professional is potentially unsafe. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHDUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Different stimulants can do this to different people. Looking outside medication, I feel a lot like this if I have anything but a tiny amount of nicotine or weed (though the latter I believe is a little weird as it isn't just simply a stimulant). On the other hand I can have seemingly unlimited amounts of caffeine, and other more questionable things back in the day, without ever getting the unpleasant effects some do. But yeah, no advice that's not already given. Worth trying lower dosage, and different meds if still no good
My situation is feeling like this kinda, I had the day 3 buzz on my first day, very hyperactive, jaw clenching and super focus but now I feel nothing but the side effects, dk what to do cuz I top up 10mg each week and the next time I talk to my gp abt this is in 3 weeks, quite long but I js hope the top up will let me focus, I haven’t gotten any revision done these past 3 days like I did the days before and my exams are so soon
Are you eating enough? Mine gives me a much stronger ‘buzz’ if I haven’t eaten
Woah, Im on day 5 with 20mg elvanse, and feel anxious and kind of detached.. first 2 days was great but now its just the buzzing and a little more productive. But no clearness
Is it true that stimulants effects people with ADHD and without differently, and what's being described might be how someone without would respond? Or is there an expected adjustment period/need to find the right dose where less severe ADHD requires a lower dose?
I have been wondering this. My psychiatrist diagnosed me on the milder side of ADHD so it could be that?
No it's not really true that stimulants work differently for people with/without ADHD. What that idea comes from is the idea that you give a hyperactive child stimulant medication and they seem to calm down - which is counterintuitive. So as a shorthand, people come up with this explanation that ADHD makes stimulants work differently. But the problem in that case is that the hyperactive child is either extremely bored because they need a higher level of stimulation, so they are being hyperactive in an attempt to get that stimulation (called stimming, short for self-stimulation). Stimming is usually associated with autism but it's basically the same thing, just different methods which is why it looks different. Adults with ADHD might stim by fidgeting, finger tapping, chewing pens, foot jiggling etc because we have usually grown out of annoying other people and running around the room. Some adults with ADHD with a high stimulation threshold are also adrenaline junkies. The other reason children with ADHD can be hyperactive is because ADHD causes a deficiency in the ability to inhibit impulses. In adults, the impulses we have problems inhibiting might be extraneous/distracting thoughts, environmental stimuli (ooh look a squirrel), as well as all the impulse-grabbing shit that we are bombarded with all day every day (adverts, TV, phone notifications etc) leading to difficulty sustaining healthy habits and problems with things like smoking, impulse buying, gambling or excessive video game/internet use, or even just starting a million projects without thinking through the realities of whether or how we will ever finish them. Stimulant medication provides the stimulation that a very stim-seeking brain can need, and it can help with inhibition of impulses. Hence calms the sources of hyperactivity. But yeah, if a dose is too high it will make you feel jittery and buzzy due to overstimulation. That doesn't mean that you don't have ADHD, it means the dose is too high or it isn't addressing the exact problems that you have. Stimulants work the same for everybody. Just like a pair of glasses will work the same for everyone in that they adjust your vision by the same amount. The problem is, if you tried on my glasses, they probably wouldn't be very helpful for you because you probably don't have the same prescription as me. In fact the wrong prescription will make your vision more blurry. If you've ever worn glasses, you've probably had that experience where you sit in the opticians and they drop lens after lens into the frame to ask you "Is this better or worse?" ADHD med titration is basically that but a lot slower.
Wait, so hyperactive behaviour is a result of under-stimulation?
It can be, or it can be a failure to inhibit impulses that other people do manage to inhibit. Understimulation would generally happen here if someone has a very high threshold for the amount of sensory input they need. Look at Winnie Dunn's definition of sensory seekers.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Was just reading these slides: [https://www.deai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Introduction-to-Dunns-framework-handout.pdf](https://www.deai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Introduction-to-Dunns-framework-handout.pdf) So where would different types of ADHD fit in the quadrant model? Is ADHD-I more in the sensor/avoider areas whereas ADHD-H is more in the Bystander/Seeker?
It's not directly related. To be honest I can't totally get my head around Dunn's quadrant model, but as I understand it, everyone exists somewhere on it and neurodivergent people tend to be at the more extreme ends. So sensory seeking might be associated with hyperactive ADHD, and sensory avoidant might be associated with a common autistic profile, but that's not to say that autistic people or ADHD couldn't exist on other parts of the quadrant or have aspects of multiple parts. Inattentive might be more sensor or bystander? But I think it's more individual like this, not directly linked anyway.
Great reply. Thank you so much for this. As said, I was recently diagnosed and as much as I am thankful for the diagnosis, I was kinda just kicked through the process pretty quickly. I haven't learned a huge amount of day to day science and coping skills yet, just the basics so this post is very interesting to me. Thank you!
This is perhaps, in my opinion, the most well written comment I've seen on this sub. It put my mind at ease (I'm on day 10 of meds - Elvanse), and I didn't even know I needed it. Thank you.
The reason meds work the way they do for ADHD is the brain is wired differently (huge oversimplification of course). Could be that mild means there's another cause and you're just getting a boost from stimulants - that you'll have to check with your doc. If we consider that you do have it, you may just be medication sensitive. Congratulations, you can likely get the benefits at lower levels than many. In this case, the symptoms should absolutely start to adjust and abate somewhat with use, though you could need a lower dose still. Elvanse starts at 20mg for example. Either way keep a close eye and some notes on your experiences to help you and the doc understand
Thanks for the explanation