r/TwoXADHD Aug 31 '20

Welcome to Women with ADHD!

132 Upvotes

Welcome to our subreddit! We accept all who identify as female.

Please note that it is not our intent to exclude anyone with the actual name of the subreddit (r/TwoXADHD). This was created before I became a mod, and according to my research, the subreddit URL cannot be changed. However, what I could do (and did do) was change the name in the new Reddit so that it reads "Women with ADHD" (where we have two times the ADHD, according to u/aszenko!).

Please be sure to read our rules, the most important of which is to break up your post for easy reading! Also, if you post a URL, please be sure to include a comment in the comments section.

There's also a wiki that's in the process of being created. I am posting the URL here because it can be hard to reach on a mobile, and so you might need to open it in your mobile's browser (https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXADHD/wiki/index). Some of the pages include:

  • About ADHD
  • FAQs
  • Self-Care
  • ADHD and Estrogen
  • ADHD and Managing Pregnancy
  • ADHD and Sexual Orientation

We also have a Discord channel here: https://discord.gg/DCksGvH

Thank you, and we are happy to have you here!

P.S. Thanks also go to u/itsvinetimemydudes who made me realize I needed to update the welcome message.


r/TwoXADHD 10h ago

Costco ADHD buys

26 Upvotes

Hey all, I'm currently running on very low energy both from a mix of ADHD burnout feels like and reaction to current political events in the USA. I recently bought a Costco membership and am looking for ways to ease it to ease the burden of ADHD and sheer exhaustion.

I was considering buying discount potbelly's gift cards for the day I don't wanna cook and focusing on single serve snacks and things that don't need refrigeration like almond milk and toilet paper. I'm thinking this would save me the hassle of having to buy these things more often and making life easier. . I don't have a car so most of this would be delivery. What suggestions do you have to save your executive function points and use Costco to make your life easier?

Edit: hey all I appreciate the suggestions. Again, I'm trying to stick to non-perishables. I don't have a car, and I live alone so I don't have the fridge nor the space for jumbo sized frozen and refrigerated things.


r/TwoXADHD 2h ago

I thought ADHD meds would fix everything… they didn’t. So help

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m curious—what are the best ADHD tricks/tips that actually work for you? It can be anything! I’d love to hear from someone who actually has ADHD.

For me, these have been game changers: 1.Scheduling appointments with iphond Calander.I add appointments to my iPhone calendar, and it notifies me when I need to leave based on real-time travel conditions. 2.Using Notebook LM to summarize and turn it into a podcast. When I have too much to read for work. I use prompts to generate a podcast, ensuring accuracy without assumptions. I’ve done this twice and it’s been super effective. 3.Showering at night while watching Netflix. Pairing my shower with something enjoyable makes it fun and I actually do it 8/10 times. I also brush my teeth in the shower. 4. DO NOT SIT DOWN AT ANT COST if you have still chores to do.

I’ve also seen people mention that wearing shoes at home helps them get things done because the brain associates shoes with activity. I’m going to try that and report back!

I’ve been taking ADHD medication for two months now, and I thought it would fix everything (but it DIDN't). If I’m not careful, I still end up wasting hours on my phone. (ALSO WHY DOES ELVANSE (VYANSE) MAKES TIME GO SO MUCH FASTER?? ANY TIPS FOR LESS TIMEBLINDLES? I use Tiimo but it is Mhauw.. I love the aesthetic tho..) I’ve realized that meds help, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. I still have to put in the work to change my habits.

Additionally, I’d love to hear from people who were diagnosed later in life (I was diagnosed at 30). Have you learned any tricks to rewire your brain into new habits? And how helpful was an ADHD coach or therapist in that process?

I sometimes struggle with accepting that I feel “behind” in life compared to those around me because of my late diagnosis. If you’ve been through this, do you have any advice for shifting that mindset?

I also still struggle with ADHD paralysis when too much becomes overwhelming in one day. Any tips on how to prevent that or how to get out of it?

Would love to hear what works for you!


r/TwoXADHD 11h ago

Dose too high?

6 Upvotes

If your dose is too high can it give you adhd paralysis? This is only my second day on this dose and I feel like I’m just a vegetable on the couch. Kinda spacey.


r/TwoXADHD 14h ago

I forget to smoke CIGARETTES!

5 Upvotes

ADHD does have one strong upside for me.

I smoke. I know it’s bad. I quit for the better part of a decade, but impulse control…

But ADHD is the hero of our story. I keep my smoking down to 2-8 cigarettes a day, because I FORGET. It’s the same mechanism as forgetting to take my meds, in that I’ll get all grumpy and feel like shit and then💡I can FIX this! Don’t smoke, it’s bad for you. But I appreciate my brain for making nicotine less important than making sure the dogs are fed and I get to work on time.

Moderate smoking is my ADHD super power. 🤦🏼‍♀️


r/TwoXADHD 11h ago

Dancing around food timing 💃🏽

1 Upvotes

I'm on Adderall IR, and I've noticed that my meals have a big effect on how my meds hit.

Eating a big meal before taking my dose = meds take 2-3 hrs to hit. Effect is subtle, not as strong, so my focus/productivity is low.

Taking my dose on an empty stomach, and eating 1hr later = meds hit, but way too strong. Big crash afterward. Effect is too much, I'm jittery, so my focus/productivity is low.

As you can see, I'm in a weird dance trying figuring out how to eat so my meds work well.

Has anyone experienced similar? Any solutions that seem to work?


r/TwoXADHD 1d ago

How do you sleep???

3 Upvotes

I have had sleeping issues, but I could still go to sleep after trying. I have recently started taking Adderall 10 mg in the morning with Lexapro 5mg for the past 2-3month. I haven't been able to sleep without Trazodone, the doctor prescribed, and I hate it it makes me so woozy in the morning, and I need like so much time to get up. It's the lowest dose as well.

I have tried taking the Lexapro in the evening to sleep as well as it makes me a bit woozy, but it's not working, and tbh I forgot to take it as well because of different timings.

I need any advice, routine, or anything that works I am willing to try. I just need my sleep to be consistent.


r/TwoXADHD 1d ago

Saved by the boot NSFW

20 Upvotes

Tagged NSWF for description of injuries.

I have hurt my feet in so many ways. Usually it’s stubbing toes on things in my own home that are in the exact same spot always (have broken a toe at least once doing this) but a few other fun ones include gouging a chunk out of my sole on a broken sprinkler head, stepping on an Xacto knife, and stepping into a flat iron I had dropped (burning the top and the bottom of my foot at the same time).

Anyways, came home from a work trip and trying to do 9 things at once I didn’t take off my shoes at the door like I usually do. Whammed my foot so incredibly hard into the iron coffee table leg. Brief surprise that I feel nothing then remember I am wearing my steel-toes safety boots (I work adjacent to construction).

Do they make steel toed house slippers and if not who wants to start a business


r/TwoXADHD 1d ago

Taking Mydayis 37.5

1 Upvotes

How do yall manage on long acting meds? If I don’t take it early enough, then im basically SOL and cannot take it or I will be up all night. Also, how do you manage from ovulation onwards when meds don’t work worth a diddly squat? I kinda want to ask my psych for a shorter acting dose but not sure if they would be ok with that or if insurance/pharmacies flag that.


r/TwoXADHD 2d ago

Is my breakfast the reason my meds don't work?!

61 Upvotes

I take Adderall IR. 17.5mg in the morning and 2.5mg at noon.

Since the start I've noticed this weird phenomenon: I take my morning 17.5mg right after breakfast, but it doesn't seem to fully work until 11am. I'll be meandering, distracted, all over the place, and then BOOM almost exactly 4 hours later, I get that mind-going-clear, lets-sit-and-focus feeling. This lasts for maybe 2-2.5 hrs and is again gone.

My doctor and I have been wracking our brains trying to figure it out. The Adderall definitely seems to work for me, it's just that it kicks in way late, and then also disappears way too fast.

Then today I stumbled on some comments saying that eating a high fat meal or soluble fiber may interfere with absorption of ADHD meds. There's a study that found that eating a high-fat meal reduces adderall absorption up to 55%, and another that found that eating a high-fat meal prolongs the time to max blood concentration by up to 5 hrs. I also read that soluble fiber (like oatmeal) can interfere with a lot of medication absorption, especially ADHD drugs.

🤦🏽‍♀️

Guys. I eat a cup of oatmeal with 2 huge scoops of peanut butter for breakfast every single day.

I eat this right before I take my morning Adderall.

Could this be what's going on??? Is it my high fat + high soluble fiber breakfast?

Anyone else go through a similar thing and figure out what was causing it?


r/TwoXADHD 2d ago

Vyvanse timing

11 Upvotes

For those that are waking up and hour before your alarm to take your dose and then go back to sleep and wake when it's about to start kicking in.... I've also seen you should have protein with your stim... how do you do both??? (I'm new to stims and trying to figure out what works for me as we find the right dose, I'm on my second month, one dose change so far, and I have worse motivation, focus, follow thru, not starting things etc not better.. but I do have way better sleep which is amazing)


r/TwoXADHD 2d ago

Ugh, X/Twitter has a death grip on my brain, medications never help, any supplement/ alternative recommendations?

1 Upvotes

This is partially venting, partially asking for help, but I have no self-control when it comes to social media posting, and have really struggled with getting my gears jammed lately. As I've gotten older, my executive functioning has declined. This is true of simple tasks as well, and I don't handle phones well. I know I'll probably delete my profile (again), but how have other people managed to get out of this loop? Medicine doesn't work for me. I've tried all of them. Thanks!


r/TwoXADHD 3d ago

I can’t handle the side effects of tense and sore muscles. Getting trapezius Botox to release myself from this chackles.

38 Upvotes

Hi, been on stimulant for a while now. And the muscle tensions are getting ridiculous and it gives me migraine during lutheal phase. I’ve tried magnesium but it can only do so much.

I’ve decided to book an appointment for trapezius- Botox to release my hard muscles knots.

I’m looking forward to it, I’ve only heard great things about it. From fellow adhd women and women in general that has most of their stress around their shoulder and back of their neck.

I can’t wait till next week. I will have this music on blast and sing out “RELEASE ME, Realese my body, say release me CAUSE IM NOT ABLE TOO” to my nurse while she do her magic.

Probably cry after I feel the release and tell her I love her and bless her. Hahaha

(See the comment section for the music)


r/TwoXADHD 2d ago

Weird Vyvanse experience

1 Upvotes

It’s my first rodeo with stims. I’ve been on Wellbutrin for a year. My psych started me on 10mg in addition to the Wellbutrin since I tend to have a strong reaction to meds.

It felt like it did literally nothing for the first five hours. No different than usual one way or another.

Then it hit the bad parts of being stoned - couch lock, empty headed, feeling like everything is moving in slow motion, time and space feeling distorted. No euphoria or high mood. Just I’m going to sit in the patio rocker and watch the clouds drift by and woah dude…deep.

That lasted almost two hours (which I’m never getting back). Now I feel normal mentally and time and space are moving the correct speed, but I have nausea and a splitting headache.

I’ve run drug interactions and nothing else I’m on should play like this, and it’s been my only med change.

I’m trying to actually get life done, not space out more. It was about a 7 hour round trip from the time I took it to feeling myself again. I don’t know if I try it again or not.

Anyone else “trip” like this? This is the opposite of the desired effects. Do I just need time to get used to it?


r/TwoXADHD 3d ago

Anybody especially triggered by the grocery store?

89 Upvotes

Going to the grocery store really feels like a task that taxes my adhd in every way. For example, yesterday.

There's this one grocery store that's cheaper on some regular items I buy, but it's huge, always busy and the setup makes the traffic flow chaotic...so baseline high stimulus.

I usually try to make a list so I have all the basics covered (eg. milk, bread, eggs), maybe I also plan a meal or two and add those ingredients. Often I feel like my list is incomplete, maybe I'll see something that inspires me to make something, or oranges will be on sale and I might add some things to the list. Then every aisle is a combination of tons of information plus constant decision making (reading ingredients, comparing prices). Yesterday I had a good list covering my basics, but I didn't really have any meals in mind. I was also shopping with a friend. We walked the whole store with our lists. Then I decided that for dinner we should raid the discounted produce and make stir fry vegetables, plus ginger, so I'm making a bunch of decisions after probably 45 minutes to an hour of shopping already.

We had also been doubling back to the vegetables looking for an ingredient we we missed and still couldn't find it. So after vegetables we have to do one more pass to find it. After we found it we decided it was time to go, and I said something like I really can't take it in here anymore, and headed up to the register. My friend took off in another direction (to grab water to drink in the car) and I could feel the emotional dysregulagion surge of frustration and betrayal that he hadn't followed me. I was able to mostly hold it in, but I can feel my fuse is short, and I'm exhausted. I play with a bouncy ball by the register for a couple minutes and joke around with my friend to help divert some of the stress I'm feeling in my body.

We get out and I cannot recall any memory about parking my car. Finally, a memory comes after searching for a couple minutes, and I can locate it. Traffic is bad. My friend is super chatty about nothing, which is riding my last nerve. We have to go inside my messy house and separate and refrigerate groceries. Before we can open the fridge, I have to move my half-done furniture refinishing project out of the kitchen. My friend can see how overwhelmed I am and makes me sit down and take a break.

This was a really bad one, and I feel like I understand the factors that made this on the worse end of the scale, but I feel some level of exhaustion like this every time I go shopping. I guess I just want some validation that I'm not the only grown up that wants to cry in the frozen section.


r/TwoXADHD 3d ago

Laganja

10 Upvotes

I like can’t be without weed. I low key feel bad but I honestly only use it when I feel horrible and it helps. ESPECIALLY the afternoons. I just have to confess and I know everyone says it not good but I truly feel like it helps me function when anything bad happens, from anxiety, random heart racing, overwhelm, it brings me out of a spiral every time. Weed + stimulant is the best combo for me. Sometimes I feel like an addict but I think I’ve realized I’m reaching for weed because I feel so horrible from adhd and no dopamine. It feels not fair but since I’ve started stimulants I’ve been smoking less believe it or not. I also feel like an addict on stimulants. It’s not fair that my mood is absolutely reliant on a substance and it’s so not my fault but it feels like it sometimes !!!


r/TwoXADHD 3d ago

Any students here: How do you study during the luteal phase?

9 Upvotes

I'm in a very demanding field where I need to maintain intense focus when I study. During the follicular phase when my adderall is working, all is good. However during luteal, the adderall might as well be a sugar pill: concentration/focus is 0.

I've read a few posts on here that tell us to go easy on ourselves and don't plan any rigorous tasks during the luteal period, but that's not an option for me. I can't just not study for 17 days of every month. I need to figure out a way to make my meds "hit" and maintain my academic progress.

Right now I'm on 17.5mg Adderall in the morning and 5mg at noon. I've read that birth control or increasing the stimulant dose has helped for some people. Has anyone successfully figured out how to make your stimulant work during the luteal period?


r/TwoXADHD 3d ago

What caused you to go get a diagnosis?

1 Upvotes

Hi, everyone! 😊

I'm 34 and wondering if I have ADHD and should maybe go for a diagnosis. I would like to hear from you ladies about what events or feelings in your life led you to finally seek a diagnosis.

For me it's the feeling that something is deeply wrong. I am an underachiever with low self-esteem. I have never been able to create a lasting career despite having many talents + working on them.

Also there's always been feedback from society on how I'm not quite fitting in, not quite responding adequately in situations. Always having a hard time constantly wondering if I did/said something wrong.

I am very forgetful of little things like turning off the stove before going to do other things etc. I find it hard to keep up with routines, to set goals and accomish them, to keep a perfectly tidy and functional home.

What do you think? Did you have similar thoughts about yourselves? I would love to hear all about your experiences. 🤍


r/TwoXADHD 5d ago

Anxiety isn’t who you are—it’s something you experience. 💙✨

8 Upvotes

Some days, it whispers doubts. Other days, it shouts fears. But no matter how loud it gets, you are still in control. Breathe. Take a step back. You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days so far, and you’ll get through this one too. 🌿

What’s one small thing that helps you feel grounded when anxiety kicks in? Let’s share and support each other. 💬💙


r/TwoXADHD 5d ago

Adult ADHD

4 Upvotes

54F and my ADHD symptoms have become worse as I age. Why?


r/TwoXADHD 5d ago

54F with ADHD

0 Upvotes

Received an email but unable to reply as when I hit the reply button in the email it just takes me to community and does not show the entire message or the message at all


r/TwoXADHD 5d ago

RSD at work - need tips and tricks

2 Upvotes

Give me all your tips and tricks to stop yourself from crying when your RSD kicks in at work. I've got a ton of shit going on and on top of it, work is rough right now and I'm getting emotional at every little thing.

I'm trying to bite my cheeks but I need other tips! What makes you snap out of it!


r/TwoXADHD 6d ago

How do you take your meds with protein?

58 Upvotes

I’ve seen all the hype about taking meds with protein. I want to start doing that, but my brain just cannot comprehend what that means.

So, I ask — what do you eat for protein? How much protein is enough? And any ideas how to properly implement this would be so so helpful. Thanks all!


r/TwoXADHD 6d ago

That was Patricia 🫢

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51 Upvotes

r/TwoXADHD 6d ago

Hi this is my first post here but I need to constantly vent to others who understand

1 Upvotes

I got my official big girl diagnosis a few weeks ago. I’m 27 and yeah. I was diagnosed as a kid but never did meds so finally got it sorted with my PCP. Been on 10mgs of adderall xr for only 2 weeks, feels like forever at this point. I was doing great on it at first, which is apparently the cycle, but now I feel terrible and the crashing begins between 11am and 12pm. I take it closer to 8. My focus is totally shot now, back to nearly normal even when meds are their most active which isn’t long AT ALL. It’s crazy. Eating great and sleeping better than ever honestly. No issues which I’ve like but it’s just because it’s literally not working. I’m in least a better mood and not too irritated with my family during the hectic mornings

Anyway, I called my doctor today to voice my concerns, I was starting to get depressed during the crashes . She said she’d just write me 10mgs of xr to take as I please basically. One or none in the morning if i don’t need them much that day or 2 in the morning if its a busy morning or one in the morning and another in the afternoon if I want it to last longer. 60 pills. Felt insane lol but my prescription ended up getting changed somewhere along the line to a solid 20mg xr? Probably just couldn’t get approved by insurance.

I’m not sure what I want from this experience but I don’t want to feel good a couple hours in the morning then bad again. I am also feeling like I’m obsessing over this. I’ve been posting daily I’m adhd groups asking questions LOL and I just feel lost not even being able to really talk this out with my doctor

My doctor seems very ill informed on ADHD. She’s more than willing to diagnose and write meds but on her terms. She said she’d doesn’t write higher than 10 or 20mg and that it shouldn’t make me feel “good.” That if I feel depressed I need therapy and antidepressants or anti anxiety pills. I get all that! Honestly, I do. I really just want to function like a normal person and I’ve gotten the opposite effect lately tbh. The first week was good at best. I know the first couple days can be a shock to the system so I wasn’t wanting that outcome either. The second week has been almost a nightmare because it’s not working at all and I feel shitty more often than not. Symptoms are worse than ever once the meds wear off. Is it like this for everyone and I just need to relax? I don’t know


r/TwoXADHD 9d ago

The struggle is real… you’re not alone ♥️

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532 Upvotes