Frustrated
My son has ADD and OCD and a few other tidbits thrown in, and thru all the med changes over the years, he's 20 now, he has only gained weight and we've always been told by the pharmacist it's because of the meds and he's be on most out there. Even so, I sure as heck wouldn't depend on the med changes helping to lose weight.
Sue in Courtice
My angel is Ashleighsmom
My angel is Ashleighsmom
I have had ADD all my life, although I only started having it treated last fall. I can say that having my own suspicions confirmed that I not only had ADD, I was poster child for it helped me feel a lot better about what I had viewed as my prior failures. All those times I was beating myself up over "why can't I just NOT go to McD's, or why can't I follow through on an exercise or diet plan?" made a lot of sense as I learned about how ADD manifests itself in adults. Actually, the main reason I really pushed to have it assessed was because I knew I needed it treated before my surgery if I really wanted to make the best of this opportunity.
Let me explain in chunks:
- post-surgery it is crucial to follow routine and to journal your food to keep track of your protein intake, etc. I knew I could not make myself keep it up. I have never been able to do things like that. I have tried journalling food before, but it usually only lasted a few days and then I stopped. Of course, this contributed to feeling like a faillure. I do recognize that as someone with ADD, even now and treated, I needed to make it as easy for myself as possible, so I use the Fitnesspal app on my phone.
- medication for ADD is a stimulant. It does up your metabolism slightly, but one of the other key side effects is that it acts as an appetite suppressant. That is one of the reasons it is a controlled drug and has very strict restrictions on filling prescriptions etc.
- as soon as I started taking the medication, I did start feeling the effects. One of the things it did was to give me some impulse control. I analyzed it as the following: it disconnected the craving from the compulsion. I had cravings for food, but for the first time, I didn't NEED to immediately act on it.
- once I started medication, I did start journalling my food and was able to keep it up. I became very mindful of everything I was eating. I still made choices to eat some crap, but I did it with my mouth AND eyes wide open...lol
All of this together led to a weight loss of approximately 40 pounds in between December and July when I started my Optifast. The loss had levelled off quite a bit before that. I had reached the extent of the weight loss benefit from my ADD meds.
It was necessary to treat my ADD in order to succeed with my surgery, but it was still definitely neessary for me to have the surgery. My highest weight was when I started my ADD meds in the winter. Today I am 7 weeks post op and down approx 85 pounds from my highest weight.
Now that I am post-op, I have other challenges. Instead of the once-a-day ADD med, which was extended release, I need to take my meds every three hours. Given by the time I need them, my ADD is acting up, it is hard to take it on time all the time. I am still working it out and am only getting about half my meds in. I also went off them for the first month so that I could try to learn the new messages going between my pouch and brain without any interference from a med that alters the "hunger" message in my brain. That was only initially however, when I was still off work.
I encourage you to explore your doctor's theory that you have ADD. Get a referral to a psychiatrist who can do a comprehensive series of diagnostic tests and do your own research. If the answer is that you have ADD, pursue treatment. You will not believe the difference it can make in your everyday life...are you often late for appts? Lose your keys all the time? late paying the bills? have little piles of paper all over the house because when you try to sort them out, they just become different piles? Eat out a lot because you can't plan ahead enough to have meals at home?
At the same time, I suggest that you continue to pursue WLS. Like it is written all over this board, WLS is a tool, not a magic fix. That being said, give yourself the best chance possible to able to use the tool. By the same token, treating ADD will not fix all the problems in your life, including obesity. It will however, better equip you to deal with those challenges.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
Let me explain in chunks:
- post-surgery it is crucial to follow routine and to journal your food to keep track of your protein intake, etc. I knew I could not make myself keep it up. I have never been able to do things like that. I have tried journalling food before, but it usually only lasted a few days and then I stopped. Of course, this contributed to feeling like a faillure. I do recognize that as someone with ADD, even now and treated, I needed to make it as easy for myself as possible, so I use the Fitnesspal app on my phone.
- medication for ADD is a stimulant. It does up your metabolism slightly, but one of the other key side effects is that it acts as an appetite suppressant. That is one of the reasons it is a controlled drug and has very strict restrictions on filling prescriptions etc.
- as soon as I started taking the medication, I did start feeling the effects. One of the things it did was to give me some impulse control. I analyzed it as the following: it disconnected the craving from the compulsion. I had cravings for food, but for the first time, I didn't NEED to immediately act on it.
- once I started medication, I did start journalling my food and was able to keep it up. I became very mindful of everything I was eating. I still made choices to eat some crap, but I did it with my mouth AND eyes wide open...lol
All of this together led to a weight loss of approximately 40 pounds in between December and July when I started my Optifast. The loss had levelled off quite a bit before that. I had reached the extent of the weight loss benefit from my ADD meds.
It was necessary to treat my ADD in order to succeed with my surgery, but it was still definitely neessary for me to have the surgery. My highest weight was when I started my ADD meds in the winter. Today I am 7 weeks post op and down approx 85 pounds from my highest weight.
Now that I am post-op, I have other challenges. Instead of the once-a-day ADD med, which was extended release, I need to take my meds every three hours. Given by the time I need them, my ADD is acting up, it is hard to take it on time all the time. I am still working it out and am only getting about half my meds in. I also went off them for the first month so that I could try to learn the new messages going between my pouch and brain without any interference from a med that alters the "hunger" message in my brain. That was only initially however, when I was still off work.
I encourage you to explore your doctor's theory that you have ADD. Get a referral to a psychiatrist who can do a comprehensive series of diagnostic tests and do your own research. If the answer is that you have ADD, pursue treatment. You will not believe the difference it can make in your everyday life...are you often late for appts? Lose your keys all the time? late paying the bills? have little piles of paper all over the house because when you try to sort them out, they just become different piles? Eat out a lot because you can't plan ahead enough to have meals at home?
At the same time, I suggest that you continue to pursue WLS. Like it is written all over this board, WLS is a tool, not a magic fix. That being said, give yourself the best chance possible to able to use the tool. By the same token, treating ADD will not fix all the problems in your life, including obesity. It will however, better equip you to deal with those challenges.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
Thank you so much for your post. I always know where my keys are, I am pretty organized, I'm never late, I do think I have ADD but just mildly. I have been on meds for three months and he is trying to find the right dose to help me. I have noticed great changes in how I feel, I feel more clear headed and more content. I also suffer from panic disorder and agraphobia. I sleep much better and wake up refreshed. I am coming out of my shell more. I like the benifits that I am getting from the meds. I still weigh the same, so far. I am still working with him, I was just getting frustrated that he didn't really seem like he wanted to refer me, but he did. whew. I weigh 246 and my BMI is 42, so if I lost 20 lbs I would be below the required BMI and they wouldn't give me surgery, which will lead to more yo yoing. I go back to him in two weeks, he wants me to keep a three day food journal, but he told me not to diet or just be good for those three days, just to eat and record what I eat. I can't help but feel I will get picked on for whatever I put down. :(
Thanks again for you experience.
Thanks again for you experience.
Brenda Visit my profile for timelines My is Monica M.
I have a learning disability that mimics ADD. Because of it, I had trouble losing weight, even under a doctor's supervision. Luckily, he saw the signs and had me get tested. He is also of the opinion that RNY is effective for people with ADD. He proposed surgery as an option and I thought about it..."SQUIRREL!"... for six months. Then I decided to go for it. journalling isn't for me, but I do keep track of protein, vitamins, meds, fluids and exercise. I like numbers and I just count the grams of protein. I have a list of foods that I simply interchange and it will come out to the right amount automatically...it is routine with a twist.
RNY 2011/07/26 HW 338; SW 301; LW 199; Starting over weight 255; CW 212; GOAL #1 lose regain back to 199 lbs!
Brenda, I was going to say that I was promised that tweaking my thyroid meds would make me lose weight, getting a CPAP would make me lose weight. ZIP! I've gained. I have had 3 episodes where my thyroid went nuts and I gained a lot of weight that I can't get off, but that is not why I am still fat. So I am taking charge of what my body is doing by having this surgery. Now, that is just my opinion because I obviously know nothing about ADD and anxiety causing weight gain. Actually I am confused because anyone I know with anxiety issues is thin and always on the move, not overweight.
Mind you, all those descriptors for someone with ADD kinda fit me pretty well, maybe I should do some research....
Either way, we have all struggled and you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel with this surgery and having him try and dissuade you would be frustrating for anyone. The first time I brought it up my doctor told me how he follows weigh****chers on line and eats lean proteins and vegetables and blah, blah, blah....
Like I don't know almost as much as he does about nutrition. Those of us that have dieted all our lives know a lot. We read the books and watch the shows and follow the programs, but there's a bunch of reasons we can't stick to it is all.
Once the process starts I hope he is more supportive.
Julie
Mind you, all those descriptors for someone with ADD kinda fit me pretty well, maybe I should do some research....
Either way, we have all struggled and you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel with this surgery and having him try and dissuade you would be frustrating for anyone. The first time I brought it up my doctor told me how he follows weigh****chers on line and eats lean proteins and vegetables and blah, blah, blah....
Like I don't know almost as much as he does about nutrition. Those of us that have dieted all our lives know a lot. We read the books and watch the shows and follow the programs, but there's a bunch of reasons we can't stick to it is all.
Once the process starts I hope he is more supportive.
Julie
Okay, let's get a grip here people. He DID refer her and therefore supports that. If he didn't, knowing him, he wouldn't have bothered putting in the referal. Done deal.\
As for the ADD issue/meds - as someone who has ADD and recently started on meds, I thank gawd that someone thought to test me for it. None of my outward behaviours would ever suggest that I was ADD but internally the meds sure do help with my focus and impulsivity. I highly doubt her Dr. is relying on the meds for her weight loss, but it is an issue to address and she is doing so.
With all that said..... Brenda, should you decide NOT to see that Dr. once you have your surgery, so be it. Your work with him will likely be done anyway. My opinion - keep on with the meds, if it makes you lose a little weight along the way, bonus. If not, at least you're addressing an issue that will aid you in being more successful post-op.
My 2 cents.
As for the ADD issue/meds - as someone who has ADD and recently started on meds, I thank gawd that someone thought to test me for it. None of my outward behaviours would ever suggest that I was ADD but internally the meds sure do help with my focus and impulsivity. I highly doubt her Dr. is relying on the meds for her weight loss, but it is an issue to address and she is doing so.
With all that said..... Brenda, should you decide NOT to see that Dr. once you have your surgery, so be it. Your work with him will likely be done anyway. My opinion - keep on with the meds, if it makes you lose a little weight along the way, bonus. If not, at least you're addressing an issue that will aid you in being more successful post-op.
My 2 cents.
Karen
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