Hi I am currently a 16 year old female and just got diagnosed with ADHD and am taking Vyvanse and need help. My Junior year has been rough and the Semester ends on the 17th of December, my Freshman and Sophmore year went well and ended with a 4.2 GPA.
I am currently taking 3 AP plus Physics and feel like my GPA has tanked. I really struggle with remembering math and other close subjects. I don ´ t know what I should do? My medication wears off in the afternoon leaving me tired. Should I get stronger medication? How will I prepare for the SATS, my PSAT scores were terrible? How will I get accommodations for my AP and SAT Test? I would really like some help!!!
Unfortunately I can’t offer help with your questions, but I wish you well. I’m sure there’ll be other posters who can help.
If your username is your real name you might want to change it for privacy.
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It’s not uncommon for it to take a little time to calibrate the right dosage for each person- and 100% you should NOT ask anybody except your medical team for advice on that!
The good thing about having a diagnosis is that the school supports should kick in: your doctor will recommend the specific accommodations that are appropriate for you, and it is the school’s job to provide those.
Good news: that you were able to get top marks with untreated ADHD says you should be able to do the same post-diagnosis (giving it a name doesn’t change the nature of it).
Less good news: many, many, many students who sail through grades 9 & 10 stumble in grade 11- even with no LD, no personal challenges, etc. The work ramps up in volume and difficulty, and so do the demands of your ECs. You will probably never know exactly how much of the challenge of this semester came down to getting the Rx levels right and how much would have happened anyway. Talk to the teachers in the classes in which you have really struggled, and ask for their input: what is different about the work in that class between this year and last year? what is their assessment of how you are doing overall, relative to what they would expect of you? is there anything you could/should be doing differently? For example, there are classes where you need to change study habits in more advanced classes- what worked at one level may not work as well at the next one.
But mostly, take a deep breath, and go one step at a time. You can do this.
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First - only professionals can tell you what medications to take and what dosages you need.
Do not, I repeat, do NOT listen to any advice on dosages or choice of medication from strangers on the internet, without speaking to professionals. We have not seen your testing, and the vast majority of people here would not understand it if we did. The only way that people can help is to tell you what their experiences were with ADHD and different medications, and maybe suggest things to talk with your doctor and therapist about.
So if you feel that the dosage or the medication isn’t working for you, speak with your therapist and doctor to try and find a combination that works for you. If you are struggling with remembering information, rather than with focusing on the task at hand, you may want to speak with your doctor about that. You seem to be having difficulty adapting to your medication. But again - the only person who you should listen to about actions are professionals.
Second - your primary goal should be to control your ADHD, and to make sure that the school is aware of your condition. ADHD is a disability, and the school, your parents, and you need to treat it as such.
ADHD runs in my family (about 2/3 of us have it to different degrees), so I know that it takes a while to find the right medication, dosages, and behavior patterns.
Speak with your counselor as soon as you can, and see what can be done to help you get back, and stay, on track. This also needs to move to higher levels, and your parents need to be involved. You need accomodations, and you need an IEP. Unless the people in charge of accomodations at your high school are aware of your diagnosis, you will be expected to perform as though you did not have ADHD.
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This resonates with me because we have been there as a family. Diagnosed a little earlier than you but have had a couple different medications and strengths of medications - all prescribed by her pediatrician I believe. It’s not uncommon to try different things if you’re feeling tired or it’s not working correctly. My impression is that when it’s dialed-in it really helps.
With regard to testing accomodations - talk to your school. By the way it’s not just for the SAT/ACT, but also for your high school classes. My daughter regularly had more time. With regard to ACT/SAT, if I remember correctly the school applys on your behalf or helps you apply. We were fortunate to have a great learning support specialist on staff at the school.
I know it feels overwhelming now, but this will all work out I’m certain. You seem very committed to doing your best and making it work.
BTW, my daughter is now a sophomore at a top LAC and is doing very well there. I mention this only to tell you that many others have been where you are now and are doing great as they progress through high school and into college. I’m certain you will too.
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Wishing you luck and as others have suggested only follow the advice of your doctors and make sure you communicate with your parents. As you are experiencing ADHD medicines such as Vyvanse can have a dramatic impact on the pattern, quality and quantity of your sleep.
It will take time to find the right balance that allows you to maximize focus without sacrificing your capacity to get rest and thrive. You should anticipate that you may have to cut short your window of “focus” to ensure that you are sufficiently rested and don’t suffer from lack of meaningful sleep.
Be honest with yourself and don’t place pressure on yourself to perform beyond your capacity get sleep. If you seek the short term academic results of sleep deprivation through medication you will suffer long term adverse physical and mental health consequences and your academics will suffer.
You seem extremely self aware and you should be confident that your situation is not unique or insurmountable. You should listen to your body and make sure you are disciplined in listening to the totality of what your mind and body are telling you.
Also make sure to be conscious of your “awareness” status when driving relative to when you have medicated. When coming down your attention can crater and it can be dangerous if you don’t consider it in advance. All the best, you got this!!
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Stick with it and stay in touch with your doctor. My daughter’s medication needed to be adjusted quite a few times til they got it right. There are many ways to adjust ranging from different medications, to dosing to booster doses, etc. You might want to keep a log so that you can be specific about time and symptoms when you meet with your doctor.
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Do know what I could do right now I am scared. I take the Sat in March(with a tutor helping before) and am from a single parent household, I dont know who to go for resources and want to go to a good school I feel like an adult should be doing this!!!
My sophomore son has ADHD (diagnosed in elementary school) and the intervention specialist at his high school helped him apply for testing accommodations with the college board. Do you have a 504 plan for extended time at school? Speak to the doctor who prescribed your meds to see if an adjustment may help. Yes this is much to handle on your own. If your parent isn’t able to advocate is there a guidance counselor/ school psychologist you can ask to help you navigate resources? Wishing you all the very best !
Talk to your parents, advisors, teachers. They should all be aware to help you.
Have the nurse or doctor that is giving you the meds explain to you how long it lasts in your system before the crash. This drugs crash can be hard for some. Explain your goals. Read about the side effects and what happens during a crash. The more you understand about adhd and the medication the better. It runs in my family also.
Get this book. It’s not about being a straight A student (but will take it) the techniques work well for people with Adhd. It’s a fast fun read and the suggestions are great. Many on cc have used this book with great success.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cal+newport+straight+a+student&adgrpid=125515716431&gclid=CjwKCAjwh4ObBhAzEiwAHzZYU1WKSw1uaJATM8ZbOkP4Ipb-E8FaY6O2vW4ZbYTF8dwaAHKK4a7fahoCkPkQAvD_BwE&hvadid=523381023353&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9021758&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=1570140214975495896&hvtargid=kwd-370145664927&hydadcr=11971_9744231&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_66qlp4wbhq_b
Also this book to educate yourself on adhd.
You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults w/ Attention Deficit Disorder) https://a.co/d/5HbIzka
There are also books for teens so you can search but once you really understand what you have and how to live with it, you can use it to your advantage. Many, many very successful people in this world have Adhd.
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You are absolutely right - an adult should be doing this, and it isn’t fair that you are stuck with dealing with your ADHD AND being expected to take care or accomodations, etc. Unfortunately and unfairly, you are stuck with this.
However, there are adults that can at least help. So speak with your counselor, and find who the person is in your school who is responsible for accomodations. If you do not know who, reach out to your homeroom teacher and ask them whose job it is.
Have your doctor, or whoever diagnosed you with ADHD write up the required paperwork for the school. They are also likely to know who will be responsible for taking care of this at your high school.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to do a lot of self advocating, but remember - they are required, by law, to help you with this, and you deserve this support. It is their responsibility to do this, and do not be shy or embarrassed about reminding them of this fact.
Take care of yourself, and be patient with yourself. You deserve accomodations from yourself as well.
Hi aliyah, I hope schools going well for you this week.
My brother had a very similar struggle with his ADHD diagnosis and his medication. He ended up adjusting the strength and actual medication all together until he was able to find something that worked good for him.
Truthfully, it took about 7 months to find the right strength and medication that helped with minimal side effects and since then he’s been doing really well. I believe they gave him an extended release medication and that did the trick.
I hope you’re able to get this sorted out asap.
I was diagnosed with ADHD during college, and I hated college real bad… I am just now realizing how badly Ive messed up this whole time. 2.6 gpa with 3 Fs and 1 D on my transcript. I switched majors a few times at the beginning, and kept getting bored and then not doing well. I got mostly Bs and Cs my first semester, and one D in a really hard class. I finally found a major I liked and did really well for one semester.
Then COVID hit and online school really took a toll on me and made it clear that the way I had been doing things wasnt working and that there was something else wrong. I failed 3 classes that I loved over the course of last year and attended every online session but did none of the work because I had no motivation. I had a major panic attack in front of my parents and sought help and eventually got diagnosed.
I have been on meds & some natural supplements/stimulants that worked and managed to get good grades final semester. I did more research into all kinds of stuff, strategies that would help my cause, here is a good thread on reddit regarding “focus” -
Looking back I hate everything about my past in college. But I would still say that time made me tough & confident.
Hope it’s not too late to reply. I have a junior with ADHD as well. For medication dosage, you should go back to your physician to discuss. My son’s neurologist prescribed him short acting medication as booster instead of increasing his dosage. He can use short acting on half day event or as booster if he needs longer hours. Normally he does not need it. His long acting medication can hold him up to 3pm. When he comes home, he will take a power nap and then start doing his homework at 4pm if he does not have other after school events.
Do you have 504 or IEP in school? My son had IEP and case manager requested accommodation from college board when he started 9th grade. Accommodation from college board will apply to AP and PSAT as well. If you feel it can benefit you, contact your school psychologist or special education department to get it started. Accommodation from college board will take couple months to review and approve. Not sure if you can get it before AP exam in May.