How to Tell If ADHD Medication is Working or Not Working

ADHD meds not working? In this ol’ video, we discuss ways on how to tell if your ADHD medication is working or isn’t working. Insights from Go ADHD Go, self-proclaimed "professional ADHDer" and pretty good clapper.

More ADHD medication working related videos to check out:

Research from ADDitude Magazine -

Music by me.
Graphics by me.

*I am not a doctor or psychologist or psychiatrist. For diagnosis and medication, consult a medical professional.

[ThatFitGirlLife]

My meds have helped me in so many ways. Things I never realised were linked to ADHD...
1. My moods are more stable - I don't have random anger outbursts for stupid reasons, I am now able to actually take a step back and breathe and do the counting, where before I'd react before I could even catch myself.
2. I don't binge eat anymore. I used to go through really bad phases where I would just binge every day for weeks at a time. Now I don't have that "urge" at all and I can actually have chocolate in the house and not devour the whole thing- mind blowing!
3. My impulsivity is much MUCH better. I used to be awful at managing my money, just buying whatever I wanted in the moment for that dopamine hit. Now I have actually started saving! and take a few days before I decide to buy something.

Not going to lie, the one thing that I miss is always being so go go go high energy.

[paytonsee]

thank you! I’ve been seeing the same psych for 2 years and as soon as I decided i needed something different, she had gotten a new job. New meds + new doctor isn’t great especially when she told me that procrastination “isn’t really a problem with your ADHD” which has made me feel really unsure about myself and my body. Needed to hear this. I’m going to get a new doctor

[tusharroy]

What the medication should do:

1. Improve ability to execute on tasks (reduce procrastination)
2. Improve control over focus (reduce distractability)
3. Reduce hyperactivity and hyperactive thinking
4. Reduce restlessness/fidgeting
5. Improve mood stability (reduce emotional overreactions)
6. Improve patience and delaying gratification (reduce impulsivity)
7. Improve working memory
8. Improve time awareness

- And what it can't do:

1. Organisation skills
2. Time management skills
3. Forgetfulness

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How to know if your ADHD medication is working:

- Make sure you know when and for how long your medication is effective

- Check in with yourself every hour or so and judge the following:

1. is it easier to start things
2. is it easier to stay on task
3. do you have less mental chatter, is your thinking more linear/procedural
4. are you fidgeting less
5. are you more emotionally stable, are you reacting less to things
6. are you able to delay gratification more easily i.e. wait
7. are you able to keep more in your mind
8. do you have a better sense of time

If you're not sure, consider the following:

- Do you need a higher dose? You need to reflect on the above criteria and work with your doctor to titrate and find the best dose for you (best deal between high positive impacts and low side effects). Don't just increase the dose yourself. Give yourself ~2 weeks on a particular medication+dosage, monitor the effects and work with your doctor to adjust.

- Do you need a different medication? Different length of effect? Methylphenidate vs amphetamines? Stimulants vs non-stimulants? Different brand?

- With guidance from your doctor, you could take a break from your medication (or you might forget). You'll then have a better idea of the effect of the medication. BUT bear in mind the withdrawal from regular medication can temporarily INTENSIFY ADHD symptoms (a rebound effect) which may not represent how you were BEFORE any medication (i.e. your natural state). Keep this in mind.

- Most likely you'll eventually find a medication that works well for you - minimises your ADHD symptoms with minimal side effect. Just work with your doctor until you're happy it minimises the symptoms above.

[ADHDPatrick]

When I get more stuff done, then I know its working.

[nicholaslandry]

I wash my dishes
Read
Sketch
Grocery shop
Keep up with clothes better

It literally makes me able to function
It's not 100% perfect but it's better than pacing for 4 hours just to put something in the microwave or get a glass of water to drink

[chexmix]

I know my meds are working when things that usually feel like full-on battles... don't.

[quirkyviper]

Is it weird that this was a fun video? I loved it. I'm newly on meds and have only noticed that time makes more sense - before I'd look at the clock at 12:10 and then 45 seconds later it would be 12:53. Almost started wondering if I'd been abducted by aliens a couple times 😅. I hope the adjustment process goes smoothly from here.

[coopergurl]

This was the most helpful video on this matter. I've been googling non-stop trying to figure out how different I should feel. Based on this video, I'm going to trust my gut and say- I need to go back to my doctor, this medication is not the one for me.

[MBRelaxBase]

reat video! The self-awareness tip really resonated with me. Checking in throughout the day makes a huge difference. Also, the forgetting to take meds part was so relatable 😂 Thanks for breaking this down in such a fun and clear way!

[maxlawrence]

Great video 👍🏼
I know when my meds are working coz I can just get through stuff I need to do. Time seems to vanish even if the task is dull 😁

[BriangjohnsonTv]

I like it when my life sucks less. Thanks Johnny.

[mccannger]

Just wanted to say thank you for this video! I’ve been titrating vyvanse for some weeks now and the phrase “because you just know it’s working” perfectly describes what I’m not getting with it!

I do get like islands of focus, but they’re fleeing, not sustained. I do get times when I’m more productive, but again it’s not sustained! There are no other benefits! Thankfully there are no bad side effects though!

I began doubting myself that maybe I don’t even have adhd or I’m getting more of an effect and not really appreciating it.

Based on re-viewing the video I concluded: no! I’m overthinking this! The video just says it so clearly: “when it’s working you’ll just know”.

It helped that when I first started taking the meds a few weeks ago and when the dose was increased that they really did work soooo well: sustained focus, hugely productive at work, able to read more than like a page of text without jumping about it badly losing my place and the thread.

I’m going to ask to switch to methylphenidate, specifically Concerta. I’ve heard when it works well the focus is much stronger and my energy levels may get boosted too.

Apparently 50% of people have an equal response to either methylphenidate or amphetamines, of the other 50%, half respond better to methylphenidate, the other half to amphetamines. I’m thinking I may be a poor responder to amphetamines.

So the moral of the story is simple: if you can’t say of your meds that they’re just working, then consider your options! You owe it to yourself and your family to be the best version of yourself that you can be and meds can be incredibly helpful with that!

Good luck all on your med journeys!

[a-]

Thank you for this! Was started on a non-stimulant and even on day 1, I felt calmer, felt that it just worked on day 3: I could read a long text and not have to reread what I just read 20000 times (I also didn’t feel the urge to have more stimulation going on like listening to music and fidgeting with my feet). Had a similar experience with another off-label use mao-inhibitor (Moclobemide, not approved in the us, I’m in Europe) that, when I took it, felt life-changing. Back then, I didn’t know I might have ADHD. Nobody believed me and my feeling, not even my psychiatrist. However, I’m trying to get back to the maoi/rima because I tolerated it very well.

Hold on and try and keep trying, this „it just works“ or „is this what normal people feel like“ feeling is amazing.

[ahlyiarichardson]

I sat in math class and caught up on all my work without even thinking about it and I was able to concentrate with background noise

[anthonypittman]

I appreciate this video. I started Vyvanse yesterday, and it has been a relief yesterday and today. I was actually able to focus on the video when I normally start looking at comments immediately or open other tabs. Also, that brain chatter I normally have about how I *think* people feel about me or if I'm adequate enough in life is essentially gone. Still struggling a bit focusing on the task at hand, as I should be studying right now... But it's probably starting to wear off by now.

[peterrobins]

Found this today...think perhaps this should be compulsory viewing for all newly diagnosed Adult ADHD people.
Nailed it. Excellent video

[vilo]

Thank you for this! Your video and the comments here are the only thing on the internet I've found that talk about what it feels like for meds to *not* work. I was told medication would be like "putting on glasses for the first time" and "oh you'll definitely know." got prescribed Adderall two weeks ago, upped the dosage a week in, and I haven't felt anything. Dry mouth and appetite suppression, but no effect on focus other than a couple isolated moments. I was starting to doubt myself and wonder if I even have ADHD, even though I'm confident I do (my evaluator was confident but kept hammering on how ADHD has an overdiagnosis problem, so it has me paranoid). Or maybe that it is working, and I am just missing it somehow. Reading all the comments here is giving me the confidence to trust my own judgement, and it's good to hear that there are other options that might work even if one med doesn't. I'm going to go write my doctor an email!

[albertohernandez]

I started taking medication a few weeks ago...the most obvious sign that they're working is that I'm able to sit down without wagging my legs like a dog wags its tail, or tapping my fingers/feet like I'm a one-man percussion band! The focus and emotional balance is also a good clue they're working :]

[FernandaHernandez-kste]

This is the type of information we should be getting directly from the doctor who prescribes the medicine 💀 I hate the American medical system

[crankyashley]

I've only been taking medicine for a bit over a month. My PCP gave me a low dose of Ritalin which I could feel was doing something, but not a lot. We did a slightly higher dose which was definitely more noticeable difference, but I could tell it wasn't enough.

I went to see a psychiatrist and he agreed Ritalin wasn't for me and prescribed Adderall. That first day I was sleepy lol. Apparently for some people it will do that if you're over tired.

The next day I woke up feeling well rested and mostly human.

I took my medicine that day and I did my own laundry for the first time in next to forever. My partner does the majority of the household things because I don't think to do them and never feel motivated to do them.

I did a number of small things around the apartment that day and tried out woodburning which the kit I bought for has been sitting on a box on the table for months now.

Besides have the motivation to actually get up and do things here and there (I don't think the dosage is proper yet) I don't take rejection as poorly as I did. Someone at work finds an issue with it, they're not out to get me, that's definitely in my head. Doesn't seem to be an issue with meds.


That said, I can just feel when I haven't taken it, in a way I suspect is like people who need that first cup of coffee before their motors start working.