DO NOT USE NICOTINE IT IS A HIGHLY ADDICTIVE DRUG
Ok ^ but for the people who have actually used Nicotine to mitigate their ADHD symptoms have you found it to be effective? I have a mild-moderate level of ADHD and I need some way to mitigate the symptoms before I can finally start using Adderall. If I lose my job in the weeks leading up to my medical appointment I will end up homeless.
I’m planning on using either nicotine patches or gum.
Nicotine causes a lot of symptoms associated with adhd. I don’t use it because it helps with anything, I smoke because it’s super fucking hard to quit 😬
I’d go back in time and absolutely beat the shit outta my 12 year old self to never start smoking in the first place if I could.
Yeah I guess I should have been more specific with the post title because I don’t think nicotine patches are nearly as addictive as cigarettes.
Eh… Yes and no? The addictiveness is the same; it:s the same chemical. But patches generally have significantly less nicotine than a cigarette (or pack of cigarettes) since they’re designed to help you taper off and quit.
If you keep using them long enough, they can still get you addicted to nicotine. Same with vaping. They are safer only because you are not burning stuff and inhaling smoke, but the risk of addiction doesn’t change.
Have you tried caffeine or energy drinks?
Yes. They haven’t been effective at all for managing my symptoms.
Can you tell us about your symptoms?
Are you officially diagnosed?
Do you live in a place with protections for persons with a Neurodivergent Disability?
Does your employer know you have ADHD, and, if so, are there any accomodations they can provide for you that would help?
It can help for me, but it certainly doesn’t fix anything
Research does show that nicotine can function as an effective treatment for ADHD. In fact, researchers even tried to remove the addictive part of the nicotine molecule specifically to be able to use it as a treatment for ADHD, but removing that part made it not work.
Best bet is to use the patches so you don’t develop an associated physical or sensory habit
This does NOT work for ADHD and is a TERRIBLE idea
Many have been there: How much damage in life is happening between suspecting it’s ADHD and receiving treatment.
What I found most effective is Modafinil, if you happen to live in a place where it’s considered a lower schedule prescription drug and is easily accessible. It’s less safe, so follow doctor’s orders and instructions carefully. Use 1/8th of a pill to check tolerance on day 1.
If you have not built tolerance to caffeine, that is effective for a couple of months as well. Consider guaraná or black tea if you need a lasting effect for many hours.
Another option is if you ever got a prescription of an anti-depressant that works off-label for ADHD as well and have some left over. Many of them take a month to work, but sometimes, the ADHD effect is immediate.
Of course, when you get your real prescription, check if you need to stop the temporary one first! In case of some anti depressants, that can be several days.
