Adhd meds and issues with PTSD

[zaniara]

I have adhd too and the hyperactivity (besides all the other issues along side with it) became a bigger problem when I healed a lot from the c-ptsd and the depressions healed and I started sleeping better. I got started on Concerta 2,5 weeks ago and the first 3 days was SO great (despite the initial side effects) = being able to DO stuff without so much effort, not get distracted, sit still, listen without interrupting, better coordination etc.

But then it became harder. One thing is that it's triggered a bad memory, but the hardest part is that my ptsd brain interpret this physical calmness and lack of restlessness as me being in danger. Relaxing is not something I've ever done. So when I find my self sit still for hours and feeling "too calm" it doesn't feel good at all. I feel disoriented in this new way of being/functioning and it makes the anxiety set in.

Also I feel a bit "slow" in my head somehow, and it's really not a good feeling.

I am pretty exhausted after a difficult year and being treated like shit for 2 months by my former employer, so it is possible that my body now think resting is the best option (and now is able to do so for the first time in my life) and also it might be some initial side effects (my daughter felt like this the first weeks but then it passed).

But I wonder if anyone else has both c-ptsd and adhd and had a rough time when starting up on adhd-meds? If anyone can relate?

 

[Riley Jones]

Hey zaniara, I totally get what you're describing— that weird disconnect when something that's supposed to help feels off because your body's not used to it. I've been there with ADHD meds overlapping with PTSD stuff, and yeah, those first couple weeks can be a rollercoaster. The "too calm" feeling hitting like danger? Spot on. My brain used to scream the same thing whenever I tried to slow down after years of constant hypervigilance. It took time for my nervous system to catch up and realize chill wasn't a threat.

The mental slowness and disorientation sound exhausting on top of everything else you've been through this year—former employer drama is no joke. It's awesome you noticed the positives at first and are tuning into what your body's saying now. For me, it eased up after a few weeks as my system adjusted, but chatting with my doc about tweaking the dose or adding something gentle for the anxiety helped bridge that gap without forcing it.

Hang in there; you're already doing the hard part by listening to yourself. Anyone else been through this startup phase? Wishing you smoother days ahead.

 

[zaniara]

Hey zaniara, I totally get what you're describing— that weird disconnect when something that's supposed to help feels off because your body's not used to it. I've been there with ADHD meds overlapping with PTSD stuff, and yeah, those first couple weeks can be a rollercoaster. The "too calm" feeling hitting like danger? Spot on. My brain used to scream the same thing whenever I tried to slow down after years of constant hypervigilance. It took time for my nervous system to catch up and realize chill wasn't a threat.

Thank you Riley! It's good to feel validated. But I got switched from Concerta to Vyvanse, and and was like night and day. With any form of Methylphenidate I get SO extremely calm I just sit still and have almost no thoughts or drive whatsoever. That didn't get better and didn't work out for me.

Vyvanse works so much better: it doesn't only make it stay longer in the synapses, but also increase the release of dopamine. So now I feel I want to do stuff, can be creative and can also get the things (even the boring ones!) done without sidetracking as much. I am also a bit calmer, and my thoughts doesn't crash in as fast and as many at a time as before; even though I sometimes wish Vyvanse calmed my brain even more. But it's good enough. And now after trial and error since June I've landed on a good dose for me (only 30 mg; since more make the one autistic trait I have become worse and life unbearable, and then a short-acting/fast release tablet the afternoons I need a bit more help (because Vyvanse wears off too early when I need to work nights).

I am getting more and more used to being less extreme and extremely intense. It's been a shift, and at first I was really tired and didn't get as much done. And I felt a bit awkward not being as intense and hyper, but now it feels much more like a real relief. I can chose to talk, or chose to be quiet, and that's a really good feeling. (I think I was really exhausted in the beginning, so at first the medication made me unable to get as many things done in a day, but it's evened out, and even though I can't move at an extreme pace anymore I get more done, since I don't have days I crash anymore.)

Being able to listen better to others, and not feel as restless when they are "slow" (I still feel people are a bit slow ) feels really good. It also makes my work much easier. Being a bit less "fun" is an okay price to pay, because before people had fun too much at my expense. I'm also enough of my "old self", so I feel comfortable with this medication. On the plus side it really helps with the depression I used to have on/or fight off every winter. (This medication lifts my mood much more than any antidepressant ever did. )

I hope the medication you have works well for you..?