new drug for ADD/ADHD
 

Have you heard about the new drug that's been approved by the FDA? NRP104 or lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate. (Now that's a mouthful!) It's not available yet, but the reports say that the only major hurdle left is classification.

I'm watching its progress, but before I would switch, I want to make sure that it doesn't tax the liver.

Wendy :)

I hate new drugs.

With my anxiety, I have a hard time taking any medication for the first time due to fear of side effects and possible interactions, etc... but when the medication is something that is brand new to the market I just refuse to take it.

Thankfully, my doctor accepts and understands this little bit of strange anxiety and pill phobia, and she knows that I won't take any medication unless it has been on the market for at least a year or two.

My psychaitrist on the other hand still needs to be taught - he loves new stuff and he always wants his patients to try to latest and greatest.... and he has a hard time believing and accepting that I am happy with my old as dirt Trazodone for an antidepressant... but he will learn eventually ;)

the only thing new
 

about this drug is the delivery of it. It is still amphetamine in the brain.

The lysine attached molecule is to supposedly prevent amphetamine abuse.
But I don't think that will end up the case. All amphetamines and stimulants, are figured out, and abused in the end.

It is just a nifty way for Shire to make some money now, that Adderall is generic.

You can read about it on www.cafepharma.com
Click on "boards" and go to Shire. There is alot of inside conversation about it.

how drugs affect me
 

Wittesea and Mrs. D:

I'm with you on the possible effects of new drugs. In fact, supersensitivity to many drugs is at the center of triggering the blood disorder I have. I've always taken half of the recommended dose of anything new I take. And I carefully consider all the positives and negatives, before I take anything new. And that includes any non-prescription chemicals/herbs. As a result, I would be the last person to abuse any drug, because most regular doses make me sick. :(

The odd thing is, I'm taking a take a medium range dose of Adderall. Besides helping me with the usual symptoms of lack of concentration and staying on task (not getting easily bored), the lowest dose pretty much eliminated the low to moderate level of anxiety I've always had. I never really considered myself as anxious, but others would mention it from time to time.

A few doctors seemed to think that antidepressants would help. They only made things worse. They would slow me down and make me groggy, even at the very lowest dose. They just fogged up my brain. Plus, even after telling the doc who gave me a sample of Paxil (she said it was to help with my sleep, even though I saw "r/o anxiety disorder" on my chart). Well, the sample was a full dose, and caused me to be in a drugged state. I slurred my speech, had a hard time completing my thoughts and getting them out properly, numb legs, and not to mention nearly blacking out.

As I stated before, if an addict can't get a high from one drug, they will find another. So there is something to be said for trying to make it more difficult to get high from a medication. When I was growing up, it was alcohol and marijuana. Now it's Adderall. Every generation has its drug of choice.

The testing that is required by the FDA is generally fine, but it won't and can't account for how every person will react. I have read some people's posts on how they figured out how to beat the new ADHD drug. The scary thing is, I read some posts from medical students, and what drugs they've taken to study for their medical exam. :eek: It explains a lot of things, doesn't it?

Anyways, I apologize for the length of this, :o but I just wanted to my situation in more detail. Every person's situation is different.

Purple Pal

I had the same reaction to antidepressants.

The doctors wanted me to try the SSRI and other newer types of AD's to help the anxiety, and instead they made the anxiety worse and did nothing for the mild depression, and the side effects were so horrible.

Over the years they had me try almost every single SSRI/SRNI antidepressant - and all of them failed, and all of them made me worse instead of better.


I also noticed a decrease in my general anxiety once my ADD was treated - and the doctors kept telling me the ADD meds would make the anxiety worse - but instead it became better. Gotta love those doctors :rolleyes:

It's nice to be able to talk to someone who has had experiences that are similar to my own... :)

anxiety from ADD
 

When I was thinking I might be ADD, I did a lot of research, so when I went to my doctor about this, I'd have some "ammo". Plus, I am an info junkie, and I wanted to make sure that I kept the conversation on point, and not let my anxiety take over.

One thing I found very interesting was the subtypes of ADD and ADHD. I also read how anxiety is presented in ADD/ADHD. The subtypes I read about are described simply to the following link: http://add.about.com/cs/othertreatment/a/dramen_2.htm. If you read type 3 and type 6, I'm a combination of those two.

Another thing I learned was how the anxiety experienced has more to do with the inconsistent flow of neurochemicals. And that was certainly the case with me. So I didn't need a suppression of certain chemicals, I just needed a consistent flow. And that's what the stimulants do. :cool:

I'm really sorry you had to go through so many antidepressants before you were able to figure out what that they would never work. One fortunate thing about one of my ADD traits is that I'm stubborn, and I vowed never to take another antidepressant. One visit to a therapist about a possible ADD diagnosis resulted in an antidepressant prescription. He thought I was just anxious. I threw it out and never went back to him. :D

purple pal