I'm diagnosed ADD, and took medication all through middle and high school, but when I got to college I stopped (being in an artistic major, I discovered that my work could be better when I wasn't so focused on a single idea, which is what the medicine tended to make me do). Since then I've had a huge problem with acting on impulse - eating without thinking of the results or of how I feel or of anything... just eating because I have the sudden impulse to do it.

I recently started taking medicine again regularly, which has really affected my dieting. For one thing, it takes away a lot of my appetite - a known side-effect. But I've also found that when I do have cravings for a food (mmm... pizza ) or when I'm just around food and I'm on the medicine, I'm not as apt to act on the impulse, and have better self-control.

I know there's a lot of controversy when it comes to ADD and medicating it, but I wanted to see if there was anyone else out there who can relate?

I absolutely can relate! I've also been diagnosed with ADD as well as post partum depression. When you aren't on your meds you don't produce enough seratonin (feel good hormone) and your body seeks it from other sources another source are things like CARBS, sugar, pop, coffee...anything caffinated, you get the idea. Since I got and stayed on my meds I don't even drink pop any more and i switched to decaf. My dr also put me on zoloft which has an anorixic effect and lasix which helped to get rid of water weight. I started my lasix on friday and by monday I had lost 21 lbs. yikes!! Talk to your dr about your weight loss efforts. Mine is also perscribing me a appetite suppressant in a couple of weeks after seeing me food diary. GOOD LUCK! Laura

Thanks! I didn't know about the seratonin, but I would crave carbs and coffee and I thought it was all insulin problems. I knew there was something emotional going on, too, but couldn't figure out what.
:-D

I was on ritalin for a little bit but couldn't get the dosage correct, it didn't last very long in my system, I'd have a couple hours of really good-being able to concentrate on a single thing instead of jumping from one to another then I'd have an incredible drop in energy and I'd be sleepy and draggy until I could take my next dose. It's a controlled substance and everytime I went to my primary doctor I'd get the 3rd degree about why I was taking it.

What drugs are helping you?

I find that if I get in some serious aerobic activity-running, elipitical, bike-I do better with my eating/attention. It has to be 40-60 minutes each day of 5-7 intensity. On the 10 scale of 1 is sitting on the couch, 10 is max. But I so easily slack off doing it and then I'm back in the same boat being all flighty and nothing gets completed but everything gets started.

Sarah

I'm on Concerta

An update - I've been taking my medicine for 3 weeks, and I have lost just under 10 pounds... I have NEVER lost weight so easily before. When I take my medicine, I have total control of myself and am more able to read what my body is telling me (before, I could NEVER tell if I was actually hungry, or if I was just craving food).

I read some more about the seratonin and ADD and realized that THAT could be what's been wrong with me! I thought I had a major insulin problem, on the road to diabetes (judging by how insane I would crave breads and sugar and eat them raw). But maybe I just thought that because I was self-medicating my ADD with food, without even knowing it!

That is SO awesome!! Congratulations! I haven't weighed in yet with my Dr but I feel better and that counts! I'll go in Thursday. My food diary has been a great help in seeing I'm not eating what I should be. Sometimes I'm only having 1000 calories a day! No wonder I wasn't losing before! My body was in starvation mode on those days I would actually eat right. sheesh....I'll figure it out some day

If you can believe it, I was diagnosed as ADHD at age 30! Before I started taking ritalin, I did cognitive therapy for about 2 years. That really helped a lot. I really learned to understand more about what was going on with me and my crazy head. And yes, I did learn that a lot of people with ADD and ADHD have weight and food problems. For me, it was like this: time to study. Sit down and shuffle papers. Get up and get a notebook that I forgot. Sit down again. Get up and get a glass of water. Sit down again. Get up and straighten out the bookcase in front of me. Etc. I used to open the fridge and just look in.

I've just changed jobs and I don't find that I need to Ritalin to be successful, so I haven't been taking it. But when I was taking it, I did run less to the fridge. Not because of a chemically induced feeling of fullness or non-hunger, but simply because I didn't get distracted by the thought of food.

I wasn't diagnosed until I was 40. There was a lecture on the under treatment of women with ADHD and I sat there and cried because the speaker was describing my life. My HMO classified ADHD as a mental problem and I had to see a psychistrist (sp?) for treatment. He gave me a huge bottle of ritalin and said here take 1 every 4 hours, then gradually increase to 2 or more as you need it/get used to it. I wasn't very impressed. Then it became a hassle to make appointments and more of a hassle to get the prescription filled.

I've changed health insurance, so I can pick a new doctor. How do you find a doctor that will work with adult ADHD patients? I've been looking at the information about the non-stimulant drug Strattera. It looks interesting.

Sarah

I had ADD as a child and just tried my best to overcome it as an adult. The one thing I've been able to do when it comes to food is that when I have that impulsive food craving, I make sure I cook something really healthy.

Places like here, Obesity Recipe, Atkins and Soutbeach .coms have great healthy recipes to choose from.

There's a lot of good tasting foods out there you would never believe are healthy.

Hope this helps and good luck!