I am ADHD-PI (not very hyper, but lost in thought, find difficulty focusing, think too much, over analyze, can't pay attention) and I have anxiety that comes with it. As of late my anxiety is more or less taken care of as I have been on a subscription for Zoloft 100 mg. It works, and now that it's kicked in (a few months) it shows no signs of changing.
I am having a harder time tackling my ADHD symptoms. My mind tends to work so fast and so busily that it's hard to actually organize my thoughts and complete a task. I do end up finishing things, but with great struggle and repetition. This isn't too bad once in awhile, but it is my mental situation for nearly every goal I try to complete. That's an extremely euphemistic way of describing it, I'll leave it at that. It's unsustainable; you ADHD types know how horrible it can be.
I have been on the merry go round for prescription stimulants. All of them are frustratingly unpredictable. Adderall seems to be the most effective, but like all other stimulants it has a price, and I'm never sure when it's going to kick in and work or not.
Here are the supplements and medication I take right now:
Zoloft 100mg
Adderall XR 15mg
Adderall IR 10 mg
Supplements:
'Busy Brain release formula'- just a complex which contains a number of b-vitamins, bacopa, GABA, theanine, Folic Acid, Skullcap, Eleuthero and Lavender. I have taken theanine before and it is very effective for combating the crash of stimulants, but sometimes gives me headaches. This formula is pretty decent but I wonder how much is due to placebo other than the theanine.
Jarrow L-Tyrosine 500 mg, twice a day- I am still utterly confused as to the exact relationship between this and stimulants and I've read so much conflicting information. It works great in alleviating the crash symptoms of the stimulants and gives me plenty of energy and clear-headedness.
I take these occasionally, not every day:
fish oil, magnesium glycinate, vitamin d
My problems are motivation, focus, and keeping calm and not losing organization.
Anyway, now that I've given you that information, I am thinking of moving away from stimulant medication, ditching the adderall, and focusing on more supplements. The theanine and tyrosine are very promising.
I am not looking for the euphoria that people experience (not just people without ADHD) when starting stimulants. THe euphoric effects are random and come at unpredictable moments; they do not go away with tolerance, in fact the hyperfocus effect of stimulants never seems to wear off even after all the years I've taken them.
What I am looking for is something that will keep my brain sharp and energized so my thoughts can flow more orderly and I am able to realize my creative goals.
I am considering phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine... there are a number of complexes out there at the vitamin store that contains these and I've heard a lot about it.
I have read about Alpha GPC and that also sounds wonderful, and also isn't it more effective than the above phosphatidyl groups? I am also considering Citicoline, but I cannot tell the difference between all of these.
Any suggestions are welcome. My stack would look something like this:
Zoloft 100mg
L-Tyrosine 500mg twice a day
Possibly Phosphatidylserine or -choline
Possibly Alpha GPC
Possibly CDP Choline
Fish Oil (or Krill Oil, which is better?)
Valerian Root (sleep aid) or L-Theanine or something that contains theanine
Any recommendations to add or take away from this stack? Any help is appreciated. I am looking for something that helps with motivation and energy.
Edited by basicdude, 16 March 2014 - 06:48 AM.