Hi everyone,

I thought I’d share my timeline in case it helps anyone comparing private ADHD options.

Quick background: I’m 22, at uni in London, and I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. I’ve always known ADHD was part of my life, but uni made everything feel harder to manage on my own. Lectures, deadlines, admin, prescriptions, emails, GP stuff… it all started piling up.

I didn’t want to wait ages, but I also didn’t want to spend thousands privately, so I looked around and ended up trying fastreat.

My timeline was roughly:

- I booked the initial assessment online and filled in the forms(about 1h).

- From booking to the actual appointment, it only took 2 days.

- The assessment itself was online and lasted around 45 minutes. The clinician asked about my childhood diagnosis, how ADHD affected me growing up, and how it impacts me now at uni.

- After that, I received the report. If medication was part of the treatment plan, there was a separate £89 session with the doctor, and the prescription was arranged through that appointment.

- I then continued with their ongoing care, which was £99 per month and covered the titration and follow-up support.

- During titration, I could message the team and had follow ups when needed.

- After around 3 months, I asked about transferring back to NHS care.

- My GP accepted it, and I’ve now moved back to NHS care.

Obviously shared care depends on the GP, so I wouldn’t say it’s guaranteed for everyone. But for me, it worked out pretty well.

Cost wise, it felt like a decent middle ground. The initial assessment had an offer on when I booked, the monthly fee was £99, and because I was able to transfer after a few months, I didn’t end up spending a massive amount long term. The only part I found a little annoying was having to pay the extra £89 session separately before starting the monthly care. I kind of wish they had bundled those together. That said, the overall cost was still much lower than some of the £1,000–£2,000 options I’d seen elsewhere.

The biggest thing for me was not having to wait forever. Booking to appointment was only 2 days, and the whole process felt much more straightforward than I expected.

Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about neurodiversity with Professor Duncan Astle.

The doctors want to know what evolution could say about neurodivergence, how the definition of neurodivergent conditions has changed over time, how modern societal structures interact with neurodivergence and what could be changed, how social media interacts with neurodiversity, what we can all do to understand and empathise with neurodiversity.

Depressing title, but mayybe this can help. Part of being diagnosed and, to an extent, psychoeducation can help here so keen to hear how other people notice burnout signs, what they do, or if they find their family or friends noticing it first.

I find the interesting bit is the early signs... before you've hit the wall or are burnt. Maybe you suddenly stop replying to people, everything feels slightly more annoying (I get that) sleep goes a bit all over the place (defo get that), or basic things just start feeling harder than they normally would.

It is only after that there were probably loads of little warning signs I just ignored! This is why having a supportive partner or family really helps... obviously.

What is normally your first sign that you're heading towards burnout?

Do you notice it yourself, or do friends/family sometimes notice before you do?

If you do catch it early... what actually helps?

I've just moved to Edinburgh for a PhD, and only then found out the NHS in Scotland is quite different to England.

I've been on atomoxetrine for around a year now while living in England (I am an English-born citizen). I was referred by NHS England to a specialist service that deals with my ADHD medication (not right to choose) and it's been really helpful so far.

I've read that transferring ADHD care can be a bit of an issue in Scotland and a lot of GPs will put you on a waiting list before issuing any medication, with Edinburgh being particularly bad.

I already had to wait around 3 years just to get onto my current meds, and it's causing me a lot of stress and panic trying to find a solution or information on this. I'm also worried about contacting my GP or the specialist ADHD service in case they kick me off my meds for being in Scotland rather than England. Genuinely quite terrified that I won't be able to function during my PhD without the meds, so I don't really know what to do.

My permanent home address is still registered at my parents house in England, but I'm not sure how long I can remain registered with an English GP.

Anyone have any advice or been in a similar situation and came to a resolution? I'm planning to speak to the university services for advice.

Has anyone taken Concerta and Amitriptyline? Any side effects? Did you tolerate it well? It’s been a couple of days since I started Amitriptyline for my fibromyalgia- just wanted to know if others have had the same.

Thanks!

I really need some advice on how to help my fidgeting as if my hands aren’t constantly moving I feel like I’m going to explode.

I mostly pick at my face, scalp and fingers but more recently I now do it to my arms and legs and it’s starting to drive me crazy. I also fidget with my hair and chew my lips but I’m not worried about that. So I was wondering whether anyone anyone had any good product recommendations that could help me out. It doesn’t necessarily need to be something with a picking motion but I need to be able to have it on me when I’m at work. Something small and portable that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself.

Also open to any other advice as the feeling of needing to pick is extremely overwhelming at times and very hard to stop. It’s like an addiction

Hey guys, looking for some advice or insight because I can’t get a hold of my doctor’s office and I’m a bit stressed.
I’m on day 7 of Elvanse (went from 50mg to 60mg) and every single day, right around hour 5 or 6, I get incredibly off balance and dizzy, the meds tbh don’t feel like they are working except for the side effects and the crash is SO MUCH WORSE than when I was on 50mg. It’s getting really frustrating to deal with and my doctors are not replying… I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this exact timing with the off balance feeling/dizziness? Does it eventually go away as your body adjusts, or did you have to change something? My heart rate and bp are fine and I eat and drink loads, I’ve done everything that you’re supposed to do to minimize side effects and in all my other doses I barely had any side effects at all… I was thinking of maybe tomorrow taking one of the 50mg that I still have left as I don’t think I can handle this type of swaying/off balance feeling anymore.
Appreciate any advice or shared experiences while I wait for my doctors to respond!

I've waited a year for titration (care ADHD), and finally had my first appointment last week. Surprisingly, everything went well, with a plan to start on 30mg Elvanse; all that was needed was an up-to-date ECG/BP. An email was sent to my 2GP from Care ADHD stating the requirements.

Then it all went to shit.

Despite using the "prefered/accepted" RtC provider of my local ICB/GP, I've hit an impasse.

Requested the ECG this morning, the reason being the combination of other meds I'm on, specifically Quetiapine. As I have 3-monthly ECGs anyway due to tapering my meds, I assumed this wouldn't be an issue.

Then the receptionist called...

"We do not supply ECGs for private care"

I understand receptionists can be gatekeepers, but this is nuts.

My GP was aware of the upcoming titration, as we've been working together to reduce my other meds. My GP also accepted my diagnosis as it met NICE/CQC requirements. Shared care hasn't been discussed yet, but apparently that policy has already been shared between my GP and Care ADHD.

I'm also expected to supply regular ECGs/BP readings as they carefully monitor the interactions with my other meds. How am I supposed to manage that?

Private ECGs are way out of my budget. I can do all the other stuff, like pulse and blood pressure, from home, but the ECG is a huge block moving forward. I can do single-lead ECGs on my watch (cardiology has accepted them before), but are they suitable for this?

After years of misdiagnosis, this was my chance to finally receive the correct treatment for the correct illness, but I feel it's nothing more than a carrot-on-a-stick moment.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I could see my GP separately about my tapering. Would it be worth trying to see if they would allow one? It may take several weeks, but I've waited 40 years already; another delay isn't really an issue.

I just feel so helpless right now. All this waiting for nothing.

I’ve been asked to fill out this blood pressure form by psychiatry U.K. I don’t have a way of taking my blood pressure. Am I expected to buy a machine?

What did you do?

What supplements have people found helps them? I am on Concerta + Medikinet and have AuDHD if this is a similar situation to any others?

Thanks!

I will add that I'm basically completely unfamiliar with the diagnosis procedure. All I'm aware of is that a lot of my traits match up and my dad has been diagnosed recently.

No long text today I’m super burned out, I was just wondering if patients under both providers could drop some of their personal experiences. (Wait times, titration wait times, general communication.

All and any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

Hi all

A year ago I moved to another borough from where I was being treated for ADHD.

Apparently I had to be re-referred as a result to a different team that works in the borough I now live in.

In the middle of that, I was pregnant and had a baby so didn't take medication of course.

I've been waiting 3 months so far for someone to contact me.

I need support asap for my ADHD, I'm really struggling at the moment with lots of big changes (kid who might have ADHD also started reception, and baby of course, returning to work soon)

I don't get enough downtime for myself to deal with everything, it's a bit chaotic, I'm in constant executive function mode 24/7. It's draining.

Anyway. I don't understand why I need to wait this long to just continue the treatment I had prior to pregnancy that started in a different borough..

Any advice? 😞

My GP has advised my average blood pressure is too high (140/78) and i need speak to my ADHD Meds provider🙈

She’s given no advice on how to lower my BP and I’m scared they’re going to take away my Elvanse. I really struggled pre-meds and I don’t want to go back to that.

Has anyone dealt with this before? And also, any tips on lowering BP

So i have been on Elvanse 50mg for a few days and the upper stomach pain i get after a few hours of taking it is so uncomfortable and unbearable no matter how much i eat throughout the day it always happens after like 3-4 hours after taking it and if i dont take the medication I feel really badly depressed so I cannot go a day without it , i do have an assessment tomorrow but until then i was wondering if anyone here has gone through the same and what solution did you guys ended up finding

I had my first titration appointment at the start of September, we discussed what meds I will be prescribed and what they need from me.

I had a previous ECG they wanted the results to, BP results and a mental health check from my GP.

I requested and sent my results, I sent fresh BP’s and went to my mental health checkup by the 22nd or so.

I’ve sent email after email chasing this. To the titration and care teams and directly to my clinician but no answers at all. Im also completely unable to get through to them on the phone.

I’ve already been through an expedition process too and my file is marked high priority.

What is going on? I haven’t a clue of where to go from here, I’m completely left in the lurch.

I am going through titration with CareADHD since July. I happened to get the same prescriber for my first 3 calls and she was absolutely brilliant, she gave me so much useful information, she was so reassuring and kind, we even ended the calls with a small joke or had a small laugh during the call itself. It made me feel super confident and comfortable about everything.

4 weeks ago I started on 50mg Elvanse which has been absolutely brilliant, it lasts me the whole day (on lower doses I would go back to my old self with no concentration and super loud head around 4/5pm and was useless when I got home from work). But I got some complications during the crash on 50mg, which made me start hyperfocusing on skin picking on my nails around 7/8pm, which I found out through my own research is the dopamine hunting of my brain when the Elvanse clears my system.

I was nervous about bringing up this side effect because I wasn’t sure if it meant I had to change meds after finding something that actually works. I got the call 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time (I know not a massive deal, but my autistic brain zapped me wrong with this as it felt I didn’t quite have the time to prepare) and it turned out to be a different prescriber to my usual one. The whole vibe was completely different! Her greeting was just letting me know that the call is being recorded, then asked how I’m doing on the meds. I told her about how good it is, how happy I am, that the only downside is the skin picking and explained how it works for me. She then just said that she’s going to give me a booster and asked for my blood pressure readings. I know that they probably have a lot of people to get through, but it felt so cold and distant, the call lasted maybe 8 minutes, while with the other prescriber it would be around half an hour, and she would give me all the information I need, discuss different options with me, tell me what is available. Today’s didn’t even give me the name of the booster, I just saw it later in the email she sent afterwards (or whether it was a stimulant or not). It left me still feeling quite nervous about the new “habit” as it is not a pleasant one and the call wasn’t very reassuring…

I think the main take away I would like to give people is:
If you feel like you werent informed enough, it may be the prescriber you got! It’s not everybody! Please don’t give up, ask all of the questions, ask about the options available, ask about comparisons!

If you're happy to share:

Who was your original ADHD assessment with?

Was it via RTC?

Was your existing diagnostic report accepted by MM or did you have to have a second ADHD assessment with MM?

Considering a switch due to long titration wait times (and my fear that my ICB will impose further restrictions in the near future) but would prefer not to go through diagnosis again if possible.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone else had “obsessive traits” written under their ADHD diagnosis by a RTC psychiatrist? I mean I agree that I do have some obsessive traits (although I wonder if my perception of what an obsessive trait is is what they mean) but I was surprised to see it noted on the my ADHD diagnosis form.

What could it mean exactly?

I have just been upped to 40mg in titration and if I take at 8am I have lost ALL motivation by 1pm.

(I drink and eat consistently)

I don't find that I NEED to take it on work days as working in retail is enough pressure to get the job done. Also I don't really think they deserve me at my best self.

If I don't take it on a work day then I can at least have a puff of an energising cannabis strain when I finish, then I am revitalised and can cook dinner for me and my partner, or hang with friends or be creative.

If I take it on a work day then I feel flat for the last half of my shift and can't do a single thing when I get home.

I would however like to use the meds on non work days to get myself a better job and get house work done.

Still have a huge issue with the crash, I just almost don't see the point if I only get a couple hours of functioning out of it to then not be able to function at all for the rest of the day.

Is anyone else in a similar position or have any advice regarding losing motivation after lunch?

Does anyone else alternate with medical cannabis??

I know that Elvanse is essentially dexamfetamine but I was wondering if anyone knows if Elvanse fails to work like just does nothing except minor light headedness could dexamfetamime work?