From what I’ve read, the criteria for ADD diagnosis includes childhood presentation of symptoms; however, I did not have ADD during childhood. Instead, I developed ADD-I like symptoms in my mid-thirties. I have intermittently taken Effexor, Zoloft/various SSRIs for a number of years–initially for depression; later for anxiety. Various SSRIs/SNRIs were effective for 5 years. During the last 3 years, however, these drugs caused depression and other adverse effects that were worse than the anxiety symptoms for which they were prescribed. Although the drugs were not working out, my motivation level had not changed during that time.

My most recent trial of Zoloft-about one year ago-was marked by the gradual destruction of my motivation which inhibited my abililty to do regular, everyday tasks, caused anhedonia, and the inability to read/focus or concentrate. These symptoms increased severely by the end of the two-month trial, and let up a bit after discontinuing the drug. The problem is-my motivation and ability to concentrate and stay on task never returned. I’ve been in college for the past few years, and this problem has gotten so bad, it’s affected my grades, attendance, and ability to work. I am also less social than before, though this may be due to the fact that I have an awareness of how much I have to do on my mind. It feels overwhelming.

For the past six months, I have taken a low-dose of dextroamphetamine–it has helped me “get by”; in fact, I believe i would have failed my last semester of undergraduate school had I not persuaded my psychiatrist to prescribe me this drug. I also take buspirone and xanax for anxiety. I am getting very concerned because these drugs are losing their effectiveness and I’m barely passing graduate school at this point. After 6 months, I may be building a tolerance to the d-amp. If I can find the motivation to start a task or assignment, I usually am able to finish it–though starting it is the main problem. No matter what I’m doing, though, I stop every few minutes to start something else, returning back to the original task. I can barely read, though I can grasp a lot of the material by skimming the pages.

The endocrinologist I recently met with said she knew nothing about psychiatric meds affecting the endocrinological system. I did test at the far range for hypothyrodism (Quest Labs), but she did not recommend meds; she told me to come back in 6 months to get retested. The SSRI and my symptomatic changes may be just coincidental, but I’m not so sure. I’m looking for suggestions or advice as to what course of action to take to get well again. It seems like psychiatrists are unable to help me at this point.

Some background information: I am a fairly creative type of thinker, have had to quit some jobs over the years because repetitive taks are unbearable to me, and have always performed best when multitasking was a core aspect of the job, especially if it entailed unpredictability, chaos, and regular problem solving. I have trouble with courses I find boring, but in the past, I have had the ability to read and fully comprehend and apply extremely technical and boring documents, material that I was later tested on, resutling in above-average scores. When I was a child, I always earned straight As in school, and had no attention-related problems. One psychiatrist recently diagnosed me with ADD, the other said he does not believe I have ADD due to the late onset of these symptoms. I had consulted with two psychiatrists about the possibility of bipolar II, but they did not think I met the criteria. One of my grandparents had schitzophrenia; others in my family have learning disabilities and one close cousin has full-blown autism.

I just can’t go on like this anymore. I have been productive most of my life, but can’t get it together. There is a ton of useful information here; I don’t have the ability to absorb it all right now, but am trying to determine what to do based on some of the information I have (thankfully) found here. I was hoping to find some advice on possible causes of these changes, what types of specialists I should be seeking for help, and what tests to ask for. Thanks. 😉