ADHD Prior to Developing CFS

[xks201]

Just curious how many of you were diagnosed with or had symptoms of ADHD years before developing CFS. It seemed to be a very salient symptom of mine I have carried all of my life until finally crashing with CFS. Some psychiatrists implicate ADHD as a problem of dopamine resistance in the brain. And studies are showing brain abnormalities in CFS within the dopaminergic and serotonergic reward system. Just curious about this and if anyone wants to chime in feel free.

 

[Sparrow]

I don't have ADHD. ...Though I have suspected that my brain benefits from a little extra dopamine. Coffee makes me happy (though I can't have any anymore. I'm very sensitive to caffeine, and the dehydration makes me WAY too sick now).

 

[xks201]

Sparrow I greatly appreciate you replying to my posts. I find that many CFS patients are super sensitive to any sort of sympathetic nervous stimulation - be it caffeine, adderall, or even stress for example - myself included. I am curious if you have had your copper levels tested by chance?

 

[helios]

Its hard to say if I had ADHD. I used to be a top student, then at 16 I started to feel unwell and also struggle with my studies, and I slowly developed chemical & food sensitivites around this time. I guess I could say at this point I developed what could be classed as ADHD + also anxiety. I struggled on for a few years and took up body building, and had improved health for a while but I was overtraining and ending up crashing, and it was at this point that I could say without doubt I had CFS. Just thought I'd mention though It might sound weird but having an orgasm increases my ADHD/brain fog for the next 4 days.
I have never been given any ADHD med, though I have asked for them. I tried the AD buspar which was ok/subtle. I really need coffee in the mornings to kick start me. Also love those (red bull type) energy drinks, but cant overdo them as I get too wired & my thoughts get scatty. I have a lot of trouble with remaining focused and also organising my tasks.

 

[ukxmrv]

I hadn't been diagnosed with ADHD and no one else in my family with ME or CFS has been diagnosed. Being supersensitve to caffeine isn't a feature for us either.

 

[L'engle]

I did not have ADD. I had little trouble focusing most of the time. I still can 'focus' but at times when my cognitive functioning is not there and my brain hurts from concentrating, there is little point in focusing.

 

[justy]

No ADHD for me either - quite the opposite in fact. Still able to concentrate pretty well now for long periods, but like L'engle it makes my brain hurt to do it. No ADHD in my family either - including my daughter who may have M.E.

 

[Valentijn]

No ADHD for me.

 

[SOC]

No ADHD here -- neither daughter nor me. If anything, we were very focused.

 

[Sushi]

No ADHD. Caffeine = Good!

 

[Chris]

And no ADHD here either--always got good grades, on to Ph.D. and such stuff. Still have suspicions about statins, EMF, and vaccines--can make a case for any / all of those as triggers. But ADHD--definitely out for me. Chris

 

[Seven7]

All my life I think struggle mentally to stay focused or know what is going on around me (I am spacy). But have not been officially diagnosed.

 

[xchocoholic]

No adhd but I hardly ever rested. Grades were good. I'm super sensitive to excitotoxins, esp caffeine, tho.

 

[place]

Check! Dx when I was 8. ADD and ADHD. Coffee calms me down. Same with any stim, it should calm you down if you have it. It does not give you energy. If it does, then you don't have it.

 

[August59]

Sparrow I greatly appreciate you replying to my posts. I find that many CFS patients are super sensitive to any sort of sympathetic nervous stimulation - be it caffeine, adderall, or even stress for example - myself included. I am curious if you have had your copper levels tested by chance?

You have Albuterol listed as a treatment and the dosage being 1mg 1-2x/day. I'm assuming this a oral treatment (pill or capsule). Is this the same Albuterol that is largely used in nebulizers, especially in children when they has a bad respiratory infection or asthma I believe.

 

[uni]

no ADD diagnosis

but i definitely had attention problems which worsened as my other symptoms showed up

in fact, if i take an ADD questionnaire right now, I score in the highest category - "highly likely to have ADD"

 

[taniaaust1]

No ADHD here.

I was an active child into many sports thou... and hate doing nothing.

 

[xks201]

You have Albuterol listed as a treatment and the dosage being 1mg 1-2x/day. I'm assuming this a oral treatment (pill or capsule). Is this the same Albuterol that is largely used in nebulizers, especially in children when they has a bad respiratory infection or asthma I believe.

Yeah except the standard inhaler of albuterol has a far smaller dose and I don't think it works like the pill form does. Doctors can prescribe up to 1mg in the pill form I think. It is somewhat stimulating and beta 2 agonists are anabolic. Gives me a lot of strength in the gym too.

Here is a link to the scientific paper that talks about it. http://www.cfids-cab.org/MESA/Bains.pdf
Also I theorize it is possible that the beta adrenergic receptors get very downregulated after years of hypothyroidism.