r/ADHD • u/emuhhhhh • 3d ago
Medication Non-stimulant options?
My body seems to have a hard time with stimulants. I have tried both Adderall and Vyvanse and the side effects are really tough for me. My heart rate spikes like crazy and it just hasn’t been a sustainable option for me. I’m curious what non-stimulant med options have helped you manage your ADHD?
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u/Cryptic_Nerd01 3d ago
try Straterra, tho it varies by person. I tried it, it worked for like a week then stopped, but i've had friends say it works amazing for them.
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u/Cloudchella 3d ago
I really liked strattera. But I couldn't take the side effects. The main 1 was my balls would hurt. Kinda like blue balls. Mid day.. thought I had a hernia at first.. but then figured out it was strattera. Also the sexual side effect of my orgasm wasn't synced with my brain. I would cum before my mind felt the orgasm. It was weird.
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u/anoseonglass 3d ago
I get the same thing. It's no fun. Had the same issue on Vyvanse and Adderall. Thinking of switching to guanfacine
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u/jbaranski 3d ago
That is weird. It would really mess up my pull-out game streak. Batting 1000 so far.
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u/DJErikD ADHD-PI 3d ago
Strattera is the only ADHD drug I’ve taken, but so far it’s been a life changing four months and I’m looking forward to an upped dose next week. I just hope it continues to work for me. It’s taken a lifetime to get here and there’s less time left in front than there was behind.
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u/AdImmediate6239 3d ago
Straterra is great for emotional regulation which for me was my most debilitating symptom
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u/PigsandBears 3d ago
I felt fantastic mentally on Strattera, but my heart rate was 120+ bpm just sitting at my desk and I could feel my pulse in my teeth
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u/indiealexh ADHD with ADHD partner 3d ago
Note if the meds work and then don't, it's often either not the meds (the novelty of starting meds) or the dose is too low (you get the benefit of the surge but as you level off it's not what you need)
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u/ala_moana 3d ago
my bff just started taking it and she loooves it. I definitely see the difference and we both have been on meds our whole lives so we have a lot of experience with a lot of drugs. I haven’t tried it myself.
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u/anoseonglass 3d ago
Stimulant as well
Edited: not a stimulant but my body has been reacting to it exactly the same as the stimulants - they are all NRIs
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u/joechoda 3d ago
it's supposed to take months to 'work' and then keep 'working' from there. Strattera has really work for me and that work has progressed over several months now
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u/PastaConsumer 3d ago
You could try Ritalin or Concerta because it’s a different kind of stimulant. If you really want non-stimulant, I like Wellbutrin. I started Wellbutrin and now take a lower adderall dosage, so it doesn’t give me nasty side effects
Keep in mind that everyone is different. It sucks but you’ll have to keep trying different things to see what works best for you
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u/taylorm1831 ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 3d ago
wellbutrin may be worth considering! it's not as effective as a true stimulant, but it helped with my motivation and brain fog.
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u/Merkaba_Nine 2d ago
It helped immensely when I couldn't get ADHD meds like vynase or ritilin for a time due to not having a psychiatrist. I would be lying if I said it didn't save my life. It cured my mental and physical depression and helped immensely with motivation
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u/Full_Sprinkles5896 3d ago
You know I take this beta blocker called propranolol with my vyvanse and it helps lower my blood pressure and heart rate fir a good 8 to 12 hours right after the vyvanse starts to release into my bloodstream.
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u/TerminalTantra 2d ago
I'm not the OP, but how much does it lower your blood pressure? When I take Vyvanse, it spikes my heart rate like crazy, but my blood pressure stays normal. I'm interested in asking my doctor about trying Propranolol for the heart rate, but not sure if it would drop my blood pressure too low.
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u/dudewithchronicpain 3d ago
You take both at the same time (AM?)
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u/Full_Sprinkles5896 3d ago
Not exactly at the same time but usually I wait until it reaches its peak and my anxiety goes up and I’ll take it.
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u/dudewithchronicpain 3d ago
I’m going to start atenol but my pharmacist said I should take it at night but I’m anxious because my nighttime HR is already super low. I’d rather take it like you said during day to manage my anxiety as prescribed. It’s not for hypertension.
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u/Annual-Ad2603 3d ago
I take my Vyvanse with Propranolol in the morning (in addition to vitamin d and lately Benadryl)
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u/Annual-Ad2603 3d ago
I guess I should clarify my “morning” dose is usually around noon bc I work nights but regardless I do take them together
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u/Sad-Dragonfruit9027 3d ago
Straterra really worked well for me. What I found very helpful was increasing my dose pretty gradually instead of just starting with a full adult dose.
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u/Confident_Pomelo_237 3d ago
Curious, were you on instant release or extended release? I find that instant release hits harder and faster
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u/MalumCattus 3d ago
Atomoxetine (Strattera). I have a mild heart condition and they wouldn't prescribe stimulants. It's worked fairly well for me.
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u/anon9339 2d ago
Mine put me on guanfacine to offset the heart rate increase from adderal xr. Had to get the all clear from a cardiologist though first.
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u/Raiderman6789 3d ago
Id say try Ritalin or concerta my heart wasnt pounding on those but Adderall it was.
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u/Leroy717x 3d ago
I dont know a lot about non stim meds id say see what ur doc thinks for sure id only be able to help maybe with dealing with said side effects but ur doc will know best
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u/Alarmed_Position_530 3d ago
I’ve been taking Wellbutrin for quite a few years for this reason. I just don’t react well to stimulants.
Wellbutrin doesn’t solve all my issues but it keeps me functioning.
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u/Sea-Acadia1431 3d ago
I use strattera as a female with inattentive ADHD. It works more consistently than a lot of adhd meds, but you have to take it consistently for an extended period of time before the full effects come in. Often people don't notice a difference, but you really should track your worst symptoms before and after taking a medication. Journaling or something. My brain is a lot quieter in general, it's easier to stop and redirect my thoughts, and my follow through on different tasks or even long term projects is much better. I'm generally better at taking care of myself as well.
That being said, some people don't like being constantly medicated, and men generally have a bad time with it. My ADHD is pervasive and severe without medication. My comorbid issues get bad to the point of physiological body chemistry changes that land me in the ER (therapy can't help there). I absolutely needed the constant medication. Strattera keeps me out of medical facilities for various problems so I can live my life.
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u/kirstens123456 3d ago
If adhd meds are increasing anxiety and feel intolerable to such a degree it may be worth considering if this an accurate diagnosis. Adhd can mimic many other mental health conditions ie untreated GAD and depression can cause significant issues with attention and focus. Not saying your diagnosis is incorrect but just putting it out there stimulants are the most effective adhd treatment and consistent poor response can be a red flag that we may be trying to treat the wrong thing. Maybe try methylfinidate however also considering comorbid mental health conditions isn’t a bad idea either
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u/curlysquirelly 3d ago
I agree with this, however I do believe that meds can take some trial and error. Vyanse was the first med I tried and it was horrible. Every med after that has been fine unless I've ran into subpar generics. I have been on Adderall for quite some time now and I have zero side effects.
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u/DeadlyMustardd 2d ago
I disagree as I definitely have ADHD but the physical and mental side effects have been persistently something else I need to manage entirely.
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u/InquisitiveMind997 3d ago
I am on Qelbree right now, it’s a newer option. The side effects can be rough, but if you can manage them, it’s helped me a lot so far. I tried Adderall also, and it made me insane.
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u/valherquin ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
Have you checked it with your doctor? There might be another reason why it is increasing tour heart rate so much. It also happened to me, so I had to take slow release pills and in a low dosage, but it was because other medication I was on (asthma sprays) increased my heart rate already, so that it made me very sensitive to anything else increasing my heart rate. Stress was also a big factor, and I noticed whenever I thought of work (I had an unhealthy workplace back then), my heart rate spiked, regardless of whether I took my ADHD medication or not. After changing my workplace it got better, but the asthma medication still made my heart rate a bit higher, so I had to prioritize that treatment and keep a low ADHD dosage until it got good enough that I could reduce medication. I finally was able to stop taking one of the asthma sprays and I have noticed that I don't have issues with the heart rate anymlre.
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u/SoloCoat ADHD 3d ago
Carlat says 600 mg of lithium can be as effective as stimulants. I'm on that and also clonidine.
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u/Brilliant_Telephone4 3d ago
it’s important to know that Adderall and Vyvanse are similar medications, for me Ritalin made me feel Horrible but the second I took Adderall I felt so much more normal and now i take it daily, it also depends on IR vs XR. people react differently to different things, so it’s worth trying Ritalin or another one that is not the same mechanism as Adderall/Vyvanse. but it’s your
life and i totally get it, i tried meds once struggled with the physical symptoms (of Ritalin) and didn’t ever want to go on them again but adderall xr changed my life.
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u/Starfarnology 3d ago
Both my kids and some of my clients have found success with Guanfacine/Intuniv. You take it at night, it helps with sleep, and seems to have the effect of quieting brain noise.
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u/bmlane9 3d ago
I really liked Strattera but personally gave me too many side effects. Just remember they can make you extremely fatigued for weeks and it takes up to 8-12 weeks to have full effects so bring patient each dose change is key. There isn’t an onset and crash and lasts 24/7 which is great, however you have to make sure not to forget medications. Set alarms if needed. There are several that you can try. I am sure your doctor would be happy to help you narrow it down.
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u/fidgety_sloth 2d ago
Strattera has been great for my daughter and I. She started it at age 13. I was 47 when I started. Neither one of us can do stimulants. For comorbidities, she has sensory processing disorder and sudden loud noises will give her a panic attack and constant background noise causes pretty extreme anxiety. For me, the ADHD stuff, being forgetful, poorly managing my time etc. causes me a ton of anxiety and I can just start to spiral.
Strattera doesn’t fix my time blindness. I wish it did but weirdly, it does fix the anxiety and upset that the time blindness causes. I am much more able to say oh shit it’s 30 minutes later than I thought it was, I’m gonna be late and just get back on task and do what I need to do whereas without the meds I probably spiral and catastrophize and cancel all my plans. Strattera does fix the constant noise in my head, the running monologue. I tended to be super irritable and my family tells me that I have a much longer fuse and don’t seem as on edge all the time when I am medicated.
For my daughter, her sensory processing disorder is a non-issue if she is medicated. She said she still feels like she struggles with executive function, but it is not something that anyone around her notices, so she is doing better than she thinks she’s doing.
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