Stories of an ADD Adult

I haven’t had much luck with the ginseng supplements. The liquid tasted awful and was too hard to drink.

The ginseng did have a mild effect but it wasn’t enough to really improve my concentration. If there was any stimulant effect, it was cancelled out by its alcohol content. The alcohol in the ginseng extract made me feel lethargic.

I haven’t been on any medicines or supplements for awhile now. I think my work really shows it. I have gotten into a slump with all my projects. I feel so frustrated. Sometimes I feel depressed and can’t sleep at night, which makes my concentration even worse the following day. Being sleep deprived doubles the ADD symptoms. I feel so helpless right now. I need to fix my situation.

I bought a 5-pack of Panax Ginseng Extractum oral liquid from a discount store the other day. After avoiding taking it for the past few days, I finally got the courage to try it.

(The last time I tried a product with ginseng extract, it had an awful aftertaste. I think it might have been old.)

I took it half an hour ago and haven’t noticed any improvement in my concentration level yet. We’ll see what happens.

I am tired of reading news stories about college kids staying up all night on ADHD drugs. I am sick of hearing about it on TV as well.

There is so much attention given to the abuse of stimulant medication. The media just loves these types of stories. They love scandals, and they love being the heroes who expose the wrongs of our society.

Unfortunately, most people listen to these types of news stories without really understanding the full issue. People think of medications such as Ritalin and Adderall as overprescribed drugs that are abused by college students, rather than as real medications that actually do help so many college students pay attention in lectures and maintain good enough grades to graduate.

After doing some internet research of my own on the long-term effects of Ritalin and other stimulants, I’m a bit nervous about taking Ritalin and even about drinking coffee as often as I tend to do.

The main long-term side effect that I’ve been finding information about is depression. It seems that if you have been taking a stimulant for a long period of time, you are likely to experience depression and/or depressive symptoms.

How long is a “long period of time”? No one seems to have any hard numbers. I can say, though, that I took stimulants daily for a few years, and after deciding to take them only when absolutely necessary, I experienced depression that seemed to be clearly related to the lack of Ritalin.

I don’t know if I was just experiencing temporary withdrawal symptoms, or if the feelings were permanent. They seem more temporary in my case. I am lucky that I didn’t take stimulants as a child, because I could imagine myself having severe depression due to the long-term side effects.

It seems like such strong psychiatric medications inevitably have long-term side effects on the brain. More research on the long-term effects is desperately needed, as the diagnosis of ADHD becomes older and there are people who have been on stimulants for longer and longer periods.

My concentration was improved for about two and a half hours since taking the generic Sudafed. It’s now back to the way it usually is, where I can’t focus on anything.

My sinuses are feeling much better, at least. I can even breathe through my nose a little.

I guess that’s why pseudoephedrine isn’t suggested by doctors as a treatment for ADD or ADHD. It works a little, but it doesn’t last very long. It might also be bad for you to take it constantly, possibly. That’s just a theory; I don’t know for sure.

About 45 minutes ago, I took some cold medicine to help with my stuffy nose and sinuses. It was just over-the-counter medicine: Target brand “Non-Drying Sinus”, which is the generic equivalent of Sudafed Non-Drying Sinus.

I noticed that it actually did help with my concentration a little. I was able to write a couple of posts without too much distraction (though I did get distracted here and there).

Looking on the back of the package, the active ingredients in each liquid cap are:

• Guaifenesin 200 mg
• Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg

Aha, so the pseudoephedrine is what’s helping me concentrate. It’s a mild stimulant, I believe, and it’s in cold medicine because it dries out the sinuses. The guaifenesin is supposed to be what makes the congestion more fluid and liquid, like the effect when you eat spicy foods or chicken soup.

I took 2 capsules as recommended on the back of the box, so I’m on a normal dose. I am somewhat surprised that it improved my concentration, seeing as from my entry a little while ago, I didn’t think anything could help me concentrate because I am feeling so sick.

The sinus medicine also contains FD&C blue #1 granular, which annoys me because I have tried so hard to stay away from all artificial colors in my diet. I guess that the stimulant effect overpowers the artificial coloring effect.

I will keep track of when the effect goes away and post it here, if I can remember to post.