I’m posting this simply because I didn’t have any other place to post it, and I’m hoping I’ll get some sort of cathartic relief by doing so.
I’m 41 years old, and I’ve been taking meds for ADHD for the better part of 10 years. I bounced around with a few different meds before finding that Vyvanse was by far the most effective for me. To say that it changed my life would be a huge understatement.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure. They’re still working on figuring out the cause (genetic, environmental, stress, etc…), but I found out on Tuesday that I’m no longer able to take my Vyvanse until they figure everything out. Even then, there’s a good chance I’ll never be able to go back on meds.
I’m, honestly, pretty devistated right now. I was upset enough when I started having to deal with the high blood pressure stuff (I’m a relatively in-shape person, and a very avid distance runner). Adding this on top of things almost feels like too much to handle at once. I’ve pretty much just sat on the couch these past two days throwing myself a little pity party.
In addition to just being a way to vent my feelings of frustration, I’m also hoping someone here might be able to offer some alternative ways to help manage ADHD symptoms. My biggest area of need has always been with my focus. When I’m not medicated, my motivation to do anything (especially things that need to get done) is near zero.
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Am 42 and unmedicated my whole life, adhd coaching can help alot, I find my focus for doing stuff is also terrible, however it’s things I’ve convinced myself are unneeded bullshit, do I need to send that email today? sort the insurance paperwork? yes I actually do and once it’s done I can go treat my self to some creative time to relieve the ‘ugh’ feeling of emails.
Also an immense amount of coffee, but that’s probably not great advice in your situation.
Ask your doctor about guanfacine (Intuniv). It is taken both as an ADHD medication and a blood pressure lowering medication. It might be good either by itself or in conjunction with your current medication to offset the stimulant’s effects on blood pressure.
I’ll give ya this much, you managed to type out the whole post!
I totally understand what you’re going through. I took Adderall for the better part of 10 years, and it started making me feel lousy. And my blood pressure started to climb.
So, I switched to Straterra, a non-amphetamine medication, which may still have some risk of HBP, but it doesn’t seem to do anything to mine. That might be an option.
It takes several weeks to take full effect, and it’s not as effective as Adderall was for me, but it’s difficult to function without it. Later on, I still had to face high blood pressure. I could possibly go back on Adderall, but I’d prefer not to have the medications “fight” over it. ;-)
Do you drink coffee or smoke? I went cold turkey on both for over a year now and my blood pressure went back to normal.
I do drink coffee, and am actually planning on giving that up to see if it makes a noticeable difference.
“I’ve pretty much just sat on the couch these past two days throwing myself a little pity party.”
As a veteran @ 1 year and about to be 7 months of Vyvanse, it does get easier… eventually. I’d consider (job willing) taking at least a week off to deal with the withdraw. It’s not as bad as generic amphetamine salts… but my reccommendation is to stay focused on hygiene, nutrition, fitness, and rest. You’ll get through it.
Thanks for the reply. Ironically enough, we’ve had really horrible air quality here these past two days, which also meant I wasn’t able to get out and run. That definitely didn’t help things. Hopefully, the AQI will be more manageable tomorrow.
My therapist recently had me (mid 40’s) reconsider everything that has worked for me in the past and to list it all out in my journal (or something visual that I can keep relatively handy). I do forget to keep looking at it and choosing a tool from the toolbox so I probably need to rethink what I write it on and how I display it. She also advised that when I notice the helpfulness of the list falling off, that I REWRITE IT and change up the order.
The tools in my toolbox evolve all the time. Some of them work better for some tasks vs others. Some of them have lost their punch over time and need to be benched for a while. My current favorite tool on the list is to plop headphones on and crank some EDM or anything karaoke-worthy. This doesn’t work for work-work where I need to concentrate, but it works fantastically for anything physical like DIY projects or non-thinking things like laundry or dishes. For work-work, I still haven’t found one that is no-fail, but playing lo-fi instrumental hiphop like the study girl video does ok to keep me on task once I can get myself kickstarted. Oh and ChatGPT is my new work bestie for writing anything, especially emails. Sometimes it hits the target where I can just copy/paste, but usually it gives me enough material to edit into something intelligible. I also have to keep reminding myself to add a sensory something when I start getting off track. I have bicycle pedals that fit under my desk. They worked great when I first got them. They’ve been benched for a while now, and maybe it’s time to bump them back up the roster. I have an accupressure mat, back massage cushion, will light candles or incense, chew gum, just basically try to layer not-too-distracting sensory things on top of what I HAVE to do, and that usually gets me through it where I can then go be a potato for a while.
I am so sorry you’re going through that. I had to be off my meds for four months due to the shortages, so I know how difficult that sudden change can be, physically and mentally. I’m uncertain how they interact with blood pressure, but you may be able to try Strattera or Wellbutrin (which is off-label for ADHD treatment, but works for some). I also tried several vitamin options, but they only seemed to help me by around 5%.
I can’t help but wonder if it’s as simple as cutting the caffeine from your diet. I’d look there first
I actually stopped drinking coffee the same time I stopped taking the Vyvanse just to cover my bases. My initial thoughts are it’s likely at least partially genetic. I’ve always had borderline high blood pressure when in the doctor’s office, but it’s always been written off as white coat syndrome. It wasn’t until I had an afib episode a few months ago and they started doing more tests, including having me check my blood pressure at home regularly, that they determined it’s pretty much always high. Hopefully we’ll figure out a way to get me back on something for my adhd eventually. Just trying to make the best of if for now. I keep telling myself if it had to happen, now is the best time since I’m a teacher and on summer break still for the next 5 weeks.
I think cutting sodium and shifting towards a more plant based diet would help. Also take a look into intermittent fasting. Get proper sleep and hydration.
Beyond those things starting a meditation practice, of even a few minutes a day, would be super beneficial for your unmedicated brain. Keep up the running even if it means shifting indoors due to the smoke. Best of luck - you got this!
My blood pressure spikes with stress. In my doctors office, we took a reading and it was high. Then we took another one 5 minutes later after I intentionally relaxed myself and it was normal again.
She prescribed guanfacine to take in combination with the vyvanse. Should theoretically help. Won’t know until I start it next month
My blood pressure also rose a lot when I was first put on Concerta. My doctor prescribed guanfacine to take along with the Concerta, and it did slowly bring my blood pressure down to normal levels. Hope it works out for you!
As a temporary fix till you and your doctor figure something out, try coffee. It helps ADHDers with focus, but can incress stress.
However, caffeine and high blood pressure are also not a great mix.
“Drinking coffee can temporarily increase blood pressure, but its long-term effects on blood pressure are unclear”. mayoclinic.org
People who drink multiple cups of coffee a day may be at higher risk for heart attack. heart.org I’d like to see the actual study they cite. They said one cup is fine, btw.
My non-high blood pressure mom drank coffee all day. Her ADHD was very well masked by it to the point where no one knew she had it, including her. Of my two parents though, she was definitely my source. You could see the signs in her, but only if you already knew what to look for.
BTW, which type of fingerprint do you have? Most people with HBP have whorls. I read this years ago and asked my HBD dad to show me his fingertips. He had whorls. Cool.
"There have been a number of studies showing that certain dermatoglyphic markers are associated with hypertension. This association could be explained if the risk toward developing hypertension later on in life is somehow connected with fetal development of dermatoglyphics."source
