ADHD and weight loss

mmmpork wrote: »

Sometimes healthcare providers will work with you to find medications that are covered, or they might have coupons or know about some resources. But yeah I hear you, my preferred medication, Vyvanse, is only covered by a handful of insurers because there is no generic option. That also means pretty steep copays even with the coupon my provider gave me. I use an FSA to cover it so at least it's pre-tax. For me it's not an option to be off my meds, I was diagnosed late in life (late 30's) after seeking treatment for issues that had been plaguing me my entire life and were starting to get worse. Basically I get very fatigued and lethargic, emotionally erratic, and am prone to anxiety attacks. I've also struggled with binging and food fixation, although not anything super extreme. The Vyvanse has been particularly effective at curbing that tendency.

My advice would be:

1) seek out CBT. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is about reprogramming your brain. So even if you can't take meds to manage your brain chemistry you can at least work towards self-awareness of when you might be engaging in dopamine seeking behaviors.

2) Exercise daily. Don't kill yourself but do 20-30 minutes of low impact cardio to get your heart rate up and your dopamine levels up. Even now that I'm medicated, I find the medication lasts longer and is more effective especially through the afternoon and during hormonal fluctations when I'm exercising regularly. On meds I can get away with every other day or every 2 days. Not on meds, you need to do it every day, no exceptions. You need those brain chemicals.

3) Use a low does of pseudoephedrine and caffeine on occasion when you find yourself really struggling. Before I was diagnosed, I was self-medicating with this combination to get through meetings and harder tasks at work. Using pseudoephedrine over a long period isn't really the best thing for you, so use it sparingly. Certain nasal spray decongestants are also stimulants and can be used to improve norepinephrine uptake. Again, don't go crazy here.

4) If you are prone to binging (like me), and you are not medicating, you cannot have certain foods in your house or else it needs to be locked up or in some way that you absolutely cannot get to it. Your brain needs dopamine and if you aren't producing enough, you are setting yourself up for failure by keeping stuff around that's gonna give your brain the dopamine it needs. Even now that I'm medicated I'm prone to binging before my period when my meds are less effective. My solution is to keep carrots and celery in supply at all times. No it's not as tasty as other things but the sensation of crunching and chewing seems to help whatever is triggering the need to binge. Carrots in particular are slightly sweet so that helps. Figure out what works for you.

Good luck and I hope you are able to eventually get treatment again.