ADD diagnosis - 2 years after RNY Anybody Else?

Thank You!  Sounds like you know what I'm talking about.  I am struggling, but I am going to win this battle.  Good luck to you and thanks for your input.

It truly is a struggle, you're right. Feel free to PM me anytime if you want to talk about it. :)

P.S. Vyvance curbs my appetite - a pleasant side effect. lol

Deciding to take medication doesn't have to be a permanent decision. You can see if it helps and then go from there. If your doctor is intending to put you on a stimulant it will decrease your appetite and that might help with the weight gain.

Part of your issues maybe RH - reactive hypoglycemia that may contribute to ADD. That and vitamin - minerals deficiencies.  When our numbers are not optimum - our body may impose ":cravings" and other not so healthy behavior to make sure that we supply the system with what it needs.
For children with ADD - avoiding triggers - like sugar, simple carbs, artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors - may be beneficial to limit the symptoms. That probably would work for adults,

I know that when I drink diet soda - I can't control what and how much I eat.  I eat what I can... almost like the cravings are getting better of me.  But if I follow a healthy plan, I can stay away from most bad for me foods with no  problem. But that mean - eating 5-7 times a day, proteins, and some veggies. 
Alcohol does the same thing to me as carbs - things may get out of control even if I really try for them not to.

You may have some food allergy - that may make the ADD much stronger.

How do you find out if you have food alergy? 

Google it.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz =1T4GGLL_enUS326&q=how+to+find+if+yu+have+food+allergy

There are some naturopath doctors who can order food allergy test and help you with the results.

Some foods that we have allergy to - we also crave - like a lot... - in your case - that be some stuff that is in diet coke... or even the gluten in the crackers...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergies/adhd-food-allergy-cas e-restricting-diet/story?id=12832958

and so on... research that... there is a lot of info on internet.   Modt medical doctors dismiss the idea of food allergies... but some of us who have that - are living proff that elimination that food from the diet - makes the symptoms go away.  Sometimes it may take 1-2 serving of food that I am allergic to get symptoms, yet it may take 1-2 weeks after I stop eating the foods (or additive) for my symptoms to go away.   Sometimes it takes a while for my body to get rid of what ever is "bothering " it...

In addition to what Hala posted, your family doctor can refer you to an allergist for testing.

Hi!

There are quite a few people misdiagnosed with ADD and ADHD.

In order for this Dx to be accurate, you have to have exhibited symptoms of it prior to age 7, if my memory is correct.

Make sure your "expert" specializes in ADD/ADHD. and administers the TOVA or other tests, etc. They need to R/O medical causes first. There are clinicians who also specialize in Adult ADD.

First of all, I would weigh carefully any advice given by persons who do not have add or are not professionals.

I am 43 and am sure that I have had add all my life, but only pushed for proper testing diagnosis and treatment (meds) in anticipation of surgery. I truly believe it has made all the difference in the world for me.

I knew that untreated, I would not be able to follow the routine necessary to ensure success - namely journalling my food, planning my menu, tracking my nutrients etc..  Failing to do these things on an ongoing and long term basis carries serious health consequences.

Without treatment, I know that I have very little impulse control.  Sure, you can say that no one eats a bag of chips unless they want to, but truth is, we all WANT to, but most people can take that extra moment to weigh the pros and cons of doing so.  With ADD, that window of opportunity to have a sober second thought is very, very small or non-existent.

For the first time in my life,  was able to experience a disconnection between CRAVING and COMPULSION.  They were always the same thing.  I had a craving and I immediately fulfilled it.  With meds, I could sit and recognize that I was craving something but did not necessarily need to give in to it.

It is easy for people to say that you need to get into a routine, but I find ADD to create the strange paradox where I need the structure of a routine, but I struggle to maintain them.

I started meds approximately sixth months before surgery and in the first few months, I lost weight just because I was able to consistently journal my food and begin eating mindfully.  I don't think I could have gone the whole distance of weight loss without the surgery, but treating my ADD meds certainly helped me jumpstart my journey and gave me skills I did not have before.

As an interesting aside, when I was undergoing the testing necessary for diagnosis, I asked my psychiatrist if it was ADD or ADHD.  His response was almost a revelation for me...he said that there is a difference in children between ADD and ADHD, but as we become adults and learn to conform to societal norms - i.e. not getting up and wandering around the room in the middle of a meeting or that we can't just say the first thing that pops into our mind, we internalize the hyperactivity portion of ADHD and it becomes a form of anxiety so adullt ADD and ADHD are almost the same.  How many of us morbidly obese persons eat emotionally out of a need to soothe an inner sense of anxiety?

I think you have nothing to lose by seeking pharmaceutical treatment for your ADD.  If you have a need to think less of yourself for it, or think that you should be able to just control your behaviour without it, does that sound familiar at all?  Isn't that just the same song we sing to ourselves about how we should be able to lose weight with willpower alone, just a slightly verse?  Sing the song long enough and you can hear the chorus running through your head - join in if you recognize it...in my head, the words are "I'm a failure, I'm weak, I know what I have to do and it is so simple but I don't do it, so I am lazy or stupid".

If you were willing to take the huge step of surgery late in life, presumably so that you could finally live life to its fullest, why wouldn't the same logic apply to treating what is not a character flaw, but a very real medical condition?

Of course, it is one o'clock in the morning, my meds are long worn off and consquently, I am a little more forthright in my opinions than I otherwise would be so forgive me if I am being too much of a straight shooter on this one.

Good luck.

Not a problem.  I am a streight shooter too.   That is what I was looking for...People who would be streight up about what their experiences had been.   I have made my decision to try the meds.  I'll let you know how it works out. 

Thanks.  I really appreciate the input.