Dexamphetamine for ADHD and Urgency

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I finally started taking dex for ADHD today. It is a stimulant medication and one of the side effects is frequent urination. I expected this, but I did not expect increased urgency and accidents. Before today I had, on average, a fifteen minute window between getting an urge to urinate and losing control. This window is now significantly shorter. I had a full bladder void a couple of minutes after an urge while driving on the highway this morning. Has anyone else here taken stimulant medications and found that any urinary effects tapered off or were less troublesome after a while? I’m worried about titrating my dose up as recommended in a couple of days.

 

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@Rowan123 Yes. I can’t take them any more now that I’m incontinent. No, unfortunately the increased incontinence with stimulants does not improve with duration of taking the meds. I’m so sorry. But maybe it can be worth it for you. Stimulants save some people’s lives. At different points in my life, they were the only thing keeping me from killing myself.

 

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@snow thanks for sharing. That gives me a more realistic idea of what to expect moving forward. I started dex because I am finding it difficult to function in my current biochemical state and am prepared to deal with worse incontinence if it improves my life overall.

 

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@Rowan123 I like your attitude! I have some stuff going on right now that is making it really hard to concentrate so maybe I should try my own Rx again. Thank you for the reminder!

 

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You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, Snow. I had a pretty terrible night last night with insomnia and frequency. Took over 6 hours and five pees to get to sleep and woke up wet anyway after two hours of broken sleep. I’m going to scale back to the morning dose only today to give myself a chance at a restful night.

I hope that you can find some relief for your inattention. It can be so debilitating.

 

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I know what you mean. Yes, I usually only take an 8am and noon dose so I have a better chance at sleep.

 

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Just an update on this: day one was pretty awful, but incontinence is more or less back to where it was pre-meds now, and I can sleep. I am still urinating more frequently during the day and wetting more heavily overnight but the crazy daytime urgency has eased right up.

 

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God, I would take worsened incontinence over dealing with untreated ADHD any day. I can wear a diaper for the incontinence, but my happiness and well being depends on my medication.

 

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@JustAGuy yeah, I hear that. At least it’s not a matter of new-onset incontinence. I think I would have a huge problem with it if I was dry before taking it, but what’s a bit more pee when the benefits are so massive?

 

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Very well put Rowan123 and to totally agree. Can you just imagine if someone was completely continent and just because of starting this medication became incontinent I expect that would raise some major barriers to entry. However if one is already incontinent like you said really what is a little more pee.

Cheers
Jason