are these meds for Adult ADD (off-label)?

I am an RN who struggles with time-management. In fact, time management has always been a problem but is most debilitating in this field for me. 12 hour shifts turn into 16 hours...  Now I am enjoying Home Care but the charting bogs me down and I face16 hours to complete work 5 days a week. It has become my life. As you can imagine, I am mentally exhaused. One month I am employee of the month, the next I am getting written warnings about not getting off the streets by 4:30 PM I am currently lying about my times on my Daily Log sheet to keep my job. I went to my PCP as I suspected ADD without hyperactivity . My older son was ADHD, so this had not occured to me as a personal possibilty until my mother said she was taking meds for ADD. It didn't make sense at 1st, but she always has incomplete projects, etc and states the meds are helping her. Then my highly gifted daughter told me she was being treated for ADD as she was overtaking caffiene to complete school.  This is what I am doing to manage. I am taking 1/2 pill of no-doze to start my day followed by sodas all day and another 1/2 no-doze after I get home to force me to complete the charting.

In May 2008, my doctor prescribed celexa 10 mg daily and vyvance 50 mg daily. The vyvance was terrible. Suddenly I couldn't add 8 single digit numbers, type,felt unsafe driving, etc and was terrified of trying another day on this w/ the pending warning from work.( I had used it for only 3 days.) My MD wrote for adderal but I was never available to get to his office to pick up the script during his office hours - due to my excessive hours at work. I have maintained the Celexa. However the past 3 weeks I seem quite depressed and can't pull out of it. Too many responsibilities are pending (and all are mine) and I find myself falling asleep before completing charting every night. Now I'm up at 5 AM to finish yesterday's job, feeling burnt out before I start today's job. I went back  to MD to have TSH and iron labs drawn, but they did that last visit and all was normal.

Now they have started me on Buspar (no need to get into the office for the script - yeah!) with increasingly titrated doses that will end at comfort level or up to 15 mg BID. Although the many responsibilities together with the lack of available hours in my day is overwhelming, I don't feel as though I have anxiety issues. Depression, yes. I also understand that Buspar is used for depression which is quite welcome at this point. However, I feel that my greater issue is with the ADD symptoms. The medication was described to me in MD's office as helping with ADD, however I cannot find any information to verify that these two drugs together are aiding in this aspect. If I were able to manage my time efficiently, I would have the normal free hours for myself to manage the other aspects of my life. Mind you, this is not the only symptom of ADD that I exhibit, but it is the most debilitating one that directly is affecting my current job, previous nursing position, and what I was warned about repeatedly in nursing school.  I do see a psychologist who says that I have adopted many adaptive techniques to compensate throughout my life, but I haven't found a way to compensate for this one - and lying about what time I come and go from pt' homes, I know, is not honest and can lead to severe consequences. Basically then, my question is if these meds help in any way w/ ADD symptoms or are the only dealing w/ the depression? I agree the depression needs treating, but believe the sources of the depression are related to the symptoms of ADD. Plus, I am reading warnings about seratonin sydrome with these drugs combined. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

Thank-you in advance for your generosity in helping us to understand what we cannot, and for all your time and compassion.  Vidara

[Tmedlock]

My husband is on straterra and it works wonders for him.  He had to go on it when he went back to college... Now, 4 yrs later (at the age of 37), he graduated with honors. That would have never happened without the meds!

Good luck!

[imanaddict]

With you being an RN,  you probably know a lot more about this stuff than us. Can you talk to your employer, a Dr. right? Sometimes you have to go through several medications to find the one that works for you. While one medication will work for someone else, it might not be right for someone else. I believe you should sit down with your boss and fill them in on what is going on. Considering they are medical professionals, they should encourage you to get better, and allow the time off work to do so. They cannot fire you for going to Dr. appointments as long as you are armed with a Dr. note. Maybe they can suggest some alternatives for you as well.

Good luck!!

[azalea82]

I'm not sure talking to your employer about your personal health is the best idea.  It might be better to keep your professional and personal life separate.