Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 337 posts

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#161

Post by steve_adams_86 »

cgb223 wrote: post #144
_dibly wrote: post #7

This was an interesting read but, as an adult with ADHD, all I get out of this is that medication is even more of a benefit to those with real difficulties coping with their ADHD. I've always been one to 'just deal with it' but after a few years of working through school and seeing my younger brothers go through the same thing with medication, I realized that I was essentially just handicapping myself. Now I take med…

As someone with ADHD I was once prescribed the lowest dose of adderall (5 mg?) and I found it was so much like being high it genuinely scared me I was working from home and the second it kicked in I started getting literal chills down my spine. I ended up messaging a bunch of people on Facebook I haven’t talked to in years but felt a sudden affinity and empathy for. I got distracted by a part of my apartment that I h…

Very similar experience with Dexedrine here, but that wore off after a week or so. I would indiscriminately DO things, like a ride in lawn mower ghost riding into an overgrown field with a full tank of gas. Was I productive? In a sense. Was I effective? Not as much.

I use it occasionally still but with no euphoric, overwhelming empathy or boundless energy to mow the metaphorical fields. It helps me push through brain fog when things just need to be done.

I haven’t managed to get past the tooth grinding. I barely feel that I’m on it now, but every single time... I grind my teeth. Even if I feel perfectly relaxed otherwise.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#162

Post by emptysongglass »

sergiomattei wrote: post #62

I recently started atomoxetine for my ADHD and had to completely stop it. Side effects were killing me. After I stopped, I was more hyperactive and less focused... Yet the hyperactivity compensated for the "less focused" part, and I finished a week's work in a day. That's my experience with meds so far. They completely eliminate my anxiety and make me feel in control of my emotions. Yet they make me less productive t…

I mentioned this elsewhere but strattera (atomoxetine) straight up gave me acute psychosis and semen leakage. It was a monstrous drug for me.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#163

Post by olyjohn »

didibus wrote: post #114
dr_dshiv wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's totally nuts? Taking Amphetamine daily for years in reasonable doses essentially has no long term negative effects. In that way, similar to coffee. When I think about that, it's kind of mind blowing. For that matter, it is also crazy that we don't start giving children coffee at younger ages to help focus — since there are no known negative effects. It's just a cultural trope that it stunts growth, et…

Some children are given coke, pepsi, mountain due or other soda drinks with high caffeine content.

None of those drinks have anywhere near the caffeine of coffee, though. An energy drink of some kind probably does though.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#164

Post by justin66 »

treeman79 wrote: post #117
justin66 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like the OP was talking about stroke. The way it was written ("started") it's a little unclear whether the OP was in fear of experiencing a stroke because of other side effects (elevated BP or something), or actually experienced a stroke, which is an extremely rare side effect.

I get minor strokes a lot. TIAs. So far haven’t a full blown stroke. My blood is sticky(factor 5 Leiden), and cranial pressure runs high. I tried going off blood thinners 2 months ago, for about a week. Dumb move. My right side has regained most of its strength and sensation. Neurologist chewed me out royal. I have to be very careful with meds.

Ah, good luck to you! I can see why you wouldn't want to add any risk factors at all. Sorry to be nosy but do you need to avoid caffeine?

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#165

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

cgb223 wrote: post #144
_dibly wrote: post #7

This was an interesting read but, as an adult with ADHD, all I get out of this is that medication is even more of a benefit to those with real difficulties coping with their ADHD. I've always been one to 'just deal with it' but after a few years of working through school and seeing my younger brothers go through the same thing with medication, I realized that I was essentially just handicapping myself. Now I take med…

As someone with ADHD I was once prescribed the lowest dose of adderall (5 mg?) and I found it was so much like being high it genuinely scared me I was working from home and the second it kicked in I started getting literal chills down my spine. I ended up messaging a bunch of people on Facebook I haven’t talked to in years but felt a sudden affinity and empathy for. I got distracted by a part of my apartment that I h…

I had some initial freakout when some bad patterns started reemerging. It took time to learn how to accept & adapt to the changed mindset.

I eventually learned to redirect myself - which Adderall enabled me to do. The first step was qualifying my own good and bad behaviors.

It took time to deepen the reward association with beneficial behaviors. That helped me redirect away from counterproductive behaviors - not just revived behaviors but also the persistent ones. Making progress on those was huge.

During this process, the messy, euphoric edges smoothed themselves out. I never had to address it directly.

About 6 months in I came to the conclusion that I really would have benefited from a therapeutic guide, someone who was familiar with this specific experience. I'm not sure there is anyone like that out there.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#166

Post by olyjohn »

winter_blue wrote: post #105
dr_dshiv wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's totally nuts? Taking Amphetamine daily for years in reasonable doses essentially has no long term negative effects. In that way, similar to coffee. When I think about that, it's kind of mind blowing. For that matter, it is also crazy that we don't start giving children coffee at younger ages to help focus — since there are no known negative effects. It's just a cultural trope that it stunts growth, et…

> You know what's totally nuts? Taking Amphetamine daily for years in reasonable doses essentially has no long term negative effects. In that way, similar to coffee. Wow, that is truly amazing. I'm glad to learn about that. I notice a slight depression if I stop taking my ADHD meds for a few days (perhaps up to a week), but after that I'm back to my old (ADHD-driven) self. So in a sense, it's not addictive at all. Th…

I had the same problem with Adderall. So I switched to Ritalin and my life has been much better. Adderall also made me constipated, sweaty, unable to sleep... my circulation got so bad my hands would freeze up at my desk, so I would layer on clothes and sit there sweating with frozen hands and feet. I don’t know how the seemingly most popular ADHD drug could give me so many side effects.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#167

Post by olyjohn »

shajznnckfke wrote: post #158
winter_blue wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You know what's totally nuts? Taking Amphetamine daily for years in reasonable doses essentially has no long term negative effects. In that way, similar to coffee. Wow, that is truly amazing. I'm glad to learn about that. I notice a slight depression if I stop taking my ADHD meds for a few days (perhaps up to a week), but after that I'm back to my old (ADHD-driven) self. So in a sense, it's not addictive at all. Th…

> One side effect of Adderall though is ED, and it's pretty bad. I guess it depends on the person, but for me, the ED was quite bad. The ED does go away after getting off of it. The drugs for that are very easy to get these days - you can get a prescription online by taking a survey and the pills will be mailed to you without ever talking to a human.

They are also ridiculously expensive.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#168

Post by jjeaff »

acituan wrote: post #98
dr_dshiv wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's totally nuts? Taking Amphetamine daily for years in reasonable doses essentially has no long term negative effects. In that way, similar to coffee. When I think about that, it's kind of mind blowing. For that matter, it is also crazy that we don't start giving children coffee at younger ages to help focus — since there are no known negative effects. It's just a cultural trope that it stunts growth, et…

> we don't start giving children coffee at younger ages to help focus > we are inhibiting our full potential because of misplaced fears? I'll argue with the assumption that there is zero long term psychobiological consequences to exogenous psychostimulants (I personally don't buy this, but let's assume it was true). Increasing focus and task salience is only one of the many factors constitutive of human potential. Th…

I'm not sure that the affects of stimulants for ADD are across the board, as you describe. That is, for lots of people, me included, add meds seem to boost my executive functions.

Without them, I actually have no problem focusing on certain things, but it's usually some unimportant problem or project that I become distracted by.

With meds, I find it much easier to step back and get a clear picture of not just my work, but my whole life. I become more attentive to my family, less irritated by distractions. And more a able to get important things done, like my taxes, that before would plague me.

I know some people seem to react to the meds by turning into a worker drone, But it doesn't do that to me. It does make me more excited to make progress and get things done right.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#169

Post by Baeocystin »

burtonator wrote: post #52
_dibly wrote: post #7

This was an interesting read but, as an adult with ADHD, all I get out of this is that medication is even more of a benefit to those with real difficulties coping with their ADHD. I've always been one to 'just deal with it' but after a few years of working through school and seeing my younger brothers go through the same thing with medication, I realized that I was essentially just handicapping myself. Now I take med…

I've been on Adderall for 5 years ... I'm 43 right now. It really HAS changed my life. What I've found is that over the long term you're able to perform much much better. By the time I was in my 30s I had developed coping skills which worked for the most part but I would find myself getting demotivated and defocused sometimes on long term priorities and sometimes unable to recommit to them. Adderall totally changed t…

I literally just got diagnosed with adult ADD a month ago. I'm 46! It... explains a lot of things, both for better and for worse. I never even realized I was developing coping skills vs. just developing normal skills, if that makes sense. I definitely have had the same types of problems as you describe.

I've been on Ritalin for a few weeks now, and the difference is remarkable. If this is how normal people feel most of the time, I don't know... I am both relieved to have a name for what was causing me problems, and also feel the need to grieve lost opportunities in life. It's a complex mix of emotions.

Re: Adults with ADHD show decreased function in brain dopamine reward pathway (2010)

#170

Post by [deleted] »

ditonal wrote: post #149
acituan wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> we don't start giving children coffee at younger ages to help focus > we are inhibiting our full potential because of misplaced fears? I'll argue with the assumption that there is zero long term psychobiological consequences to exogenous psychostimulants (I personally don't buy this, but let's assume it was true). Increasing focus and task salience is only one of the many factors constitutive of human potential. Th…

Feels like every week someone here is touting the idea of ADHD meds being this solution, all these people are just undiagnosed, there’s an unfair stigma against, and I feel compelled to bring up that I bought into that thinking, got a legit diagnosis and took meds as prescribed, they triggered mania in me and nearly ruined my life. I tick all the ADHD boxes but I managed to make it through college without meds so nev…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN