Felt the need to add this as well: No doctor (at least in my country) is going to take their time and explain all of this to their patient. Thank you for putting out this for the public.
so true, and he broke it down so well too. i struggle to understand some of the literature out there but he’s condensed it in such a digestible package that i was able to follow the entire thing.
@@kopollomumma6904 and THAT is an extremely important point. I would also wager that many of those listening to this won't understand 90% of it either AND there are many doctors who do not understand these drugs at this level.
0:23: 🧠 Stimulants for ADHD treatment target specific brain networks involved in attention and focus. 10:06: ✨ Stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD improve symptoms by enhancing the prefrontal cortex's ability to suppress and enhance the activity of different brain networks. 20:17: ⚡ Adderall is a potent sympathomimetic drug that increases the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, resulting in increased motivation, focus, and alertness. 31:16: 💊 Different drugs like Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ritalin increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain to improve focus and attention. 49:04: ✅ ADHD is a complex condition that involves challenges in focusing on various tasks, and the use of stimulant medications like Adderall and Ritalin can help increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels to reduce distractions and improve focus. 52:08: 🧠 The use of stimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin in the treatment of ADHD is not just about increasing neural activity, but about tuning the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in specific brain networks to achieve the right balance of activation and synchronization. 1:03:08: 💊 Treatment of ADHD involves a careful diagnostic evaluation, consideration of both pharmacological and behavioral treatments, and monitoring of nutritional and supplementation aspects. 1:13:39: 🧪 The use of drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse for ADHD treatment does not appear to negatively impact height or growth, but long-term elevation of sympathetic nervous system activity may carry some cardiovascular risk. 1:23:24: ⚠ The timing of cortisol release is key, as late day elevations in cortisol are a strong correlate of depressive symptoms. 1:33:53: ⚠ ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Vyvanse, have a higher likelihood of inducing psychosis in individuals with a predisposition, but the overall incidence of psychosis is still fairly low. 1:44:06: 💊 Different drugs are used to treat ADHD, with methylphenidate being the most studied, followed by modafinil and guanfacine. 1:54:23: 🧠 Guanfacine is a medication used to treat ADHD by stimulating the alpha 2A system and activating pathways that dampen down the sympathetic nervous system. Recap by Tammy AI
Literally was looking for a comment like this, I get he likes to really go in depth but a tool like this would be extremely helpful to summarize the video as a whole.
@lilytea3 + @ambition112 + @joeltorres9898 🤨You could've saved yourself the trouble if you had taken the time to click and check the-pretty comprehensive-video description!
I just discovered this man, i live is Spain, im just a regular guy, electrician, and waiter before, but i can notice this man is great, full of knowledge, and he speaks so clearly and straight, i start to follow him, and at the same time practice my poor english language, congratulations to you Doctor, youre amazing 👍👍👍
Huberman necesita ser doblado al español para que todo el mundo lo pueda disfrutar. ¡Y queremos un Brain-Body contract en España / We want a brain-body contract in Spain too!
@@metta6516 that would be fantastic, i've never heard or seen any professional here, and its very interesting and think people would accept it with arms wide open
I'm a psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents. This podcast episode was far more informative and immediately applicable than any lecture series or graduate-level course I have thus far attended. I am not surprised, as Dr. Huberman is a phenomenal teacher, but I am exceptionally grateful for all the easy-to-understand examples he puts forth in this episode that I can utilize starting today to help patients and their families better understand this disorder and available treatment options. Thank you, Dr. H!
@@brockbrawn1524 with all do respect, this is by far the most well-researched class of psychotropic medications in the pediatric population; this includes several longitudinal studies.
Great episode!! My partner has ADHD and wasn't diagnosed properly until he was 28-29 years old because his parents had a stigma against the medication when he was a child. He managed to get through and excel in his masters, but only through self-medicating with caffeine, smoking and alcohol which was detrimental to his physical health. Now he's doing his PhD with medication, he's off the drinking and smoking, exercising more, eating better, and it is a complete world of difference for him.
Your partner is a champ. It’s a journey to properly understand yourself and the biology. But when you find what works - good for him for pushing through and righting himself.
I have adHd, similar situation as your husbands except my mom put me on adderall but because my father and his family had a stigma against the medication I was taken off of it and been off ever since. Barely made it through college but just got accepted into grad school considering taking medication again
@@LifeFilmz No harm in trying taking medication again, it could very well help as it has for my partner! And if it doesn't work, you can always come off them again and focus on lifestyle strategies more. All the best to you!
Huge service to the ADHD community. You summarise so much neurobiology into precise illuminated explanations. Your advocacy for ADHD in the popular podcast sphere is essential! 🙏
It’s the exact opposite of service to the adhd community. He has used conjecture and stated it as facts even the Instagram post is riddled with typos. Stop kissing his ass when he is being a disappointment
Here are the key highlights from the discussion: • Stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse are commonly prescribed to treat ADHD. They work by increasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse are stimulant medications commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They work by increasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Dopamine helps treat the core symptoms of ADHD in a few ways: Noise reduction: By boosting dopamine levels, stimulants can help suppress distracting thoughts, stimuli, and urges. This helps "reduce noise" in the brain and improve focus. Signal amplification: Norepinephrine helps amplify relevant signals that the individual needs to pay attention to. This improves the brain's ability to detect important stimuli and direct attention appropriately. Neuroplasticity: Increased dopamine and norepinephrine levels promote neuroplasticity, which helps strengthen and "train" the brain circuits involved in attention, focus and impulse control. This can provide lasting benefits even after medication use ends. So in essence, stimulants work by optimizing the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain to alleviate the core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The "calming" effects come from the brain's increased ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli and focus attention where needed. This is a simplified overview of the basic mechanisms of how stimulants work to treat ADHD. Let me know if you have any other questions! • Increased dopamine helps reduce "noise" in the brain by suppressing distracting thoughts and stimuli. Increased norepinephrine helps amplify relevant signals to improve focus. Here are some additional details on how dopamine and norepinephrine contribute to improved focus in ADHD: Dopamine: • Dopamine increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the brain. It helps tune out irrelevant background thoughts, stimuli, and internal sensations. This "reduces noise" to improve focus. • The prefrontal cortex uses dopamine to inhibit distracting activity in other parts of the brain, like the default mode network. This allows for more targeted attention. • Higher dopamine levels allow the brain to shift attention among relevant stimuli or tasks more easily. This supports aspects of executive function like task switching. So in general, dopamine helps suppress distractors to boost the "signal" the individual needs to focus on. Norepinephrine: • Norepinephrine activates the salience network in the brain, which detects important stimuli that demand attention. • It amplifies relevant signals at synapses to strengthen communication between neural circuits involved in focus and attention. • Norepinephrine is thought to help sustain attention on important tasks over time by optimizing cognitive performance. Together, dopamine and norepinephrine work in complementary ways: • Dopamine helps reduce noise and distractors, while norepinephrine boosts the salience of relevant signals to improve focus. • The right balance of these neurotransmitters, as achieved with stimulant medications, helps individuals with ADHD better direct and maintain their attention on important tasks and information. • The dosage needs to be individualized and closely monitored. Too high of a dose can cause side effects like anxiety, psychosis, and cardiac issues. Dosage: • There is tremendous individual variation in the optimal dosage of ADHD stimulants for different people. • Some people require very low doses (e.g. 2.5 - 5 mg of Adderall), while others need much higher doses (up to 100+ mg for Vyvanse). • The general approach is to start with the lowest effective dose and increase gradually as needed based on response and side effects. • Weight-based dosing is used as a rough guideline, but actual dosage requirements vary widely and are determined by testing different doses. Side effects of high doses: • Too high of a stimulant dose can cause side effects like: - Anxiety - Insomnia - Irritability - Increased blood pressure and heart rate - Psychotic symptoms (in susceptible individuals) • High doses can also lead to addiction, abuse potential and drug seeking behaviors. • Peripheral effects like suppressed appetite, weight loss, headaches and tics may also occur at excessive doses. • Some individuals become tolerant to higher doses over time, requiring even higher amounts to achieve the same benefits. This increases risk of side effects. Key takeaways: • The optimal stimulant dose for ADHD treatment is the lowest effective amount that: 1. Significantly improves symptoms 2. Is well tolerated 3. Does not cause unwanted side effects • Close monitoring of dose, response and side effects by a psychiatrist is critical, especially as doses change over time. • Individualizing dosage based on a patient's needs, biology and characteristics can maximize benefits while minimizing risks. Hope this expanded explanation of dosage and side effects provides useful additional context! Let me know if you have any other questions. • Taking stimulants during development can help "train" the brain circuits involved in focus and attention. But they must be used judiciously to avoid long-term issues. Benefits of early treatment: • Taking stimulant medications during childhood and adolescence can promote neuroplasticity in the brain circuits involved in focus and attention. • This "training" effect can help strengthen these circuits and establish better functioning even after medication use ends. • Early treatment of ADHD with stimulants has been linked to: - Improved executive function and cognitive performance - Better school outcomes - Higher rates of high school and college graduation - Less severe ADHD symptoms over the long term Potential risks of early use: • Excessively high or prolonged doses of stimulants during development could potentially: - Impact growth and development - Disrupt the endocrine system - Increase risk of substance abuse or addiction - Lead to behavioral or sleep problems • However, properly monitored and appropriately dosed stimulant treatment during childhood does not appear to significantly increase these risks. Key considerations for early treatment: • Monitoring growth, sleep, hormones, mood and behavior is important when using stimulants during development. • Starting at the lowest effective dose and gradually titrating upward based on response and side effects can help maximize benefits while minimizing risks. • Periodic "drug holidays" were originally recommended to allow the brain to normalize, though this practice has fallen out of favor recently. • Combining medication with behavioral therapies and lifestyle modifications may produce the best long-term outcomes. • Stimulant treatment during development should generally continue as long as it significantly improves symptoms and functioning without major side effects. In summary, while stimulants carry some risks during development, properly monitored and appropriately dosed treatment appears to provide neuroplasticity benefits that can last well beyond medication use - especially when combined with behavioral interventions. However, judicious and individualized use is essential to minimize potential harms. • There are risks of abuse and addiction with stimulants, but properly prescribed and monitored treatment for ADHD may actually reduce those risks compared to untreated ADHD. • Other options like Modafinil, Armodafinil, and Guanfacine are also used off-label to treat ADHD. They work through different mechanisms. • Combining drug treatments with behavioral interventions tends to be the most effective approach for managing ADHD. • Regular check-ins with a qualified psychiatrist are important to determine the right medications, dosages, and monitoring of side effects over time. In summary, stimulants and other drugs do have a role to play in treating ADHD when used properly. But careful consideration, dosage adjustment, and combination with non-drug treatments are critical to minimize risks and maximize benefits.
I’m an adhd interior designer so the monochromatic look works best for me. Otherwise, I am so distracted by the horrible lighting, microphone, sound, paint color on walls, placement of accessories on credenza or bookshelves, clothing choice, hair, makeup all the way down to the pen. About 20 minutes into a podcast is when I realize that I haven’t heard a thing & need to rewind.
I was an adult in my 30s when I was diagnosed. I was referred to a psychiatrist for depression. I waited 6 months for my appointment and when I went I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen. They were going to say I'm depressed and prescribe anti-depressants and recommend therapy. At the end of that first appointment, when my psychiatrist said "I think you have ADHD", I laughed out loud in his face. It was the LAST thing I was expecting to hear. I could not believe it. Being medically treated for ADHD changed my life. It was like I was experiencing the world for the first time. A fog I had never seen before was lifted off of me. I have been very lucky in my ADHD journey in that I have not experienced the many hurdles and horror stories I've heard from other people with ADHD, but I have certainly had difficulties. Getting the diagnosis was the easiest part. For a time my prescription was 80mg Vyvanse daily. One time I couldn't get into my regular physicians office for a refill, because I left it to the last minute, so I went to a drop in clinic. And despite living in a country with socialized healthcare where health records have standardized access to all providers (the physician could verify my prescription history and diagnosis), this physician would not prescribe me the 80mg dose that I was currently on. To justify this decision, he brought out this little promotional card made by Vyvanse, and showed me where it said 70mg was the highest recommended daily dose. So he prescribed my 70mg. He didn't need to show me the promotional card because I knew the real reason. He risked being audited by his college if he refilled my prescription at the dose I was on. For the first three years I had to physically go into my physicians office every single month for my prescription. I was a clinical researcher in my 30s, multiple university degrees, no legal or substance abuse history, and for 3 years they treated me like the primary risk of my condition was drug accountability. Now I am nearly 40 and I have been granted the comfort of a physician refill for 3 months at a time. I confronted my physician about this on my last visit. I said that I am going to have ADHD for the rest of my life. Are you really going to have me come into this office every 3 months when I'm 80? Yes. The answer was yes. I have an American friend with ADHD, and he recently told me that he is required to submit a urine test, every month, before his provider will issue a prescription. He was told this was to make sure he was taking the full dose. But we all know the real reasons. It's unconscionable. Being diagnosed with ADHD has improved my life, but being treated like a drug dealer for no other reason than complying with treatment for my condition has challenged me.
@@stefanokuoimose7991 in this episode, Huberman states that in some cases Vyvanse and other stimulants can be prescribed at very high doses. Everyone metabolizes it differently. He gives plenty of examples of some people (who were carefully monitored) requiring higher doses than the standard recommendations to treat their ADHD without experiencing negative side effects.
Wrong. Stimulants simply put our brains 🧠 into Super Drive, over-powering all other normal functions of the brain. ADHD is the result of abuse - emotional and / or physical! It's far less costly to treat with pills than to delve into family problems. How do I know? Because I psychoanalyzed myself... could not afford an analyst. No depression, no thoughts of suicide, no sugar or alcohol craving, no rage or bizarre behavior. Don't believe everything you are told. Learn to THINK for yourselves! ❤😊
@@hairyflour yea but a STARTING dose of 80mg is very inappropriate. You need to titrate the dosage up to 80mg. Also, your body starts to tolerate the drug. So it is very inappropriate for a doc to start someone off that high- when it stops being as effective, what dose will the pt take? As a doctor, I actually think this is very unfair to the pt. The pt fully trusts the dosage and if the doc fucks it up that can be detrimental (I.e. the opioid epidemic). But at the same time, we do not know anything because we weren’t there. This is all assumption and I hope I’m wrong and everything is working out.
As a provider who diagnoses and prescribes these medications, thank you, I’ll be sharing this video with my patients. This is such a wealth of knowledge.
Thank you, Andrew. I am 57 and was diagnosed in June this year. I'm a retired teacher and always suspected I hd add due to my experience with students with add as well as all the PD I've received on the topic. The diagnosis and resulting treatment has absolutely changed my life. Beyond quieting the chatter in my head and improving my executive function, it has completely eliminated my sugar cravings. It'd truly been incredible. Thank you for this lecture.
@@saiyaniam thats crazy. Im from the uk and i went through the nhs for my diagnosis back in feb 2021. I got diagnosed last month (waited 2 years) and i have been on elvanse 40mg (called vyvanse in the US). Its a life changer. Im finally on the same level as my peers when it comes to focus and productivity. Im not sure why youre still on the waiting list. Id call up and ask.
I have been extensively researching ADHD for 4 years after (finally) being diagnosed at 38 yr old. Inattentive ADHD in the female population is just now getting the attention it deserves. To hear the latest and greatest research is so helpful as it helps me understand the why behind the what and helps me be my own advocate with my doctors. Thank you for this amazing and valuable content!!
As a female I was diagnosed in 1997 when I was 36. That's when ADHD in adults hit all the headlines - until then it was considered a childhood thing, and all the doctors said kids "grow out of it." Au contraire!
I finally found a provider who actually listened to me and what I’d been struggling with my whole life, I had all the “potential” but never met up to it… I was called lazy among many other things. I couldn’t complete tasks and attempting college was an impossible task for me. My doctor encouraged me to get testing done and sure enough… adhd… it was hard at first grieving all the perceived wasted time I didn’t know or beat myself up over and over feeling like a constant failure. My doctor and I have worked to find a great combination of prescriptions that have completely turned my life around. I’m way more productive, I don’t miss things at work, I have a greater desire to exceed at my career. I have completely reframed my internal negative beliefs about myself and I’m able to feel accomplished when I complete things that used to be the biggest mountain to climb. I really enjoy digging into the science and understanding of my diagnosis and I really enjoyed this video. Thank you so much for providing this content. Side note, where are my fellow adhd folks that listened to this on 2x speed and multitasked so we wouldn’t lose interest 😂😂
Would you mind sharing the combination of prescriptions you are on? In my late 40’s & still trying to find what works for me. I relate immensely to a lot of what you shared about yourself.
2x the speed? I'm having a hard time paying attention on normal speed. I'm halfway through and haven't learned a thing. I'm terrified to go back on adhd drugs.
I had to play a video game while listening to this, lol. Also, I was also diagnosed late. Either way I don't understand what he was trying to say about taking vacations and weekends of the meds. Is that a desirable practice or does it hinder the plasticity change towards governing your brain?
Thank you so much for this in depth review. I was diagnosed with ADD(ADHD) in second grade. I tried different medications over the years. Ritalin made me want to hurt my parents and Adderall gave me short term psychosis, even on a low dose. I have found other tools over the years to help me cope with my ADHD instead and personally respond really well to just a little caffeine, diet, exercise and sleep. My thoughts are with anyone who deals with this. You are not stupid your brain just works differently than others. 💙
I was very fortunate that my father was highly against them giving me any drugs as a kid, unfortunately I started self medicating at a young age with cannabis. Now a days I've built the same type of tools, exercise, diet, and nootropics
@@jumpingman6612 it’s all basically meth. That Rx will ruin everyone eventually. You become less human as the years go on. I recommend you don’t take it unless you want to live a shorter life.
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got diagnosed with ADHD. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
I love hearing great life changing stories like this. I want to become a mycologist because honestly mushrooms are the best form of medicine (most especially the psychedelic ones) There are so many people today used magic mushrooms to ween off of SSRI medication- its amazing! Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death buddy, lets be honest here.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Predroshrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, addiction. Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I'm so very happy for you mate, Psilocybin is absolutely amazing, the way it shows you things, the way it teaches you things. I can not believe our world and our people shows less interest about it's helpfulness to humanity. It's love. The mushrooms heals people by showing the truth, it would be so beneficial for so many people, especially politicians and the rich who have lost their way and every other persons out there.
This is hands down the best video on ADHD and associated meds that I have seen on TH-cam. Most videos either go so high level that I don’t learn anything new, or they fear monger about meds. I just started Adderall and was taking Atemoxetine before that, and it’s very helpful to understand what’s happening. I am happy to finally feel the “quiet” in my brain after a lifetime of thinking about everything all at once without being able to control it. Before medicine, I even got to the point where I was sleepy by noon every day and used to sneak home to take naps. I have suffered from years of having to work on weekends or nights to catch up. I was binging out of control because I couldn’t control my impulses. Finally medication is helping. And yes - I do exercise and try to eat right, and use behavioral therapy, but it wasn’t enough. A combo of all of these plus meds has helped me so much.
adderall is just meth. be careful listening to snakes like this guy. you will get lots of truth and some potent poison mixed in with it. that is how they operate.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.sporessss I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
It’s such a privilege to access such extensive information from a Stanford professor in the comfort of my home. Thank you, @hubermanlab for producing these amazing lectures. Guys, it costs $6K per QUARTER to audit (sit in on) classes at Stanford… and almost $80K per year when enrolled for credit. And we are getting this for free. Amazing stuff…. Just amazing. Thank you!
Wow, what a rude comment, Vidzz. Of course it’s not like a university course. But it is nice to have someone of his caliber creating understandable content for laypeople in a structured format, the way a good college professor would. His credentials are respectable, and his discipline and intelligence are admirable. How else would millions of people get a little taste of what it’s like to be taught by a Stanford professor? There is immense value in the quality of these podcasts. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m doing fine, but you might want to check your attitude.
@@MultiPcExpertGhost of course this has a different content composition and style than his lectures but the information being presented is still part of what he may present but more importantly is still from this knowledgeable authority, he digests information which is illegible to the common public and presents it in an easily communicable way, don’t see your point here
Privilege is correct - i am a neuroscience major and what he does puts the theory and practice in a well communicated picture im not sure many lecturers can. If anyone wants to learn this for themselves at college go for it but making knowledge accessible to lay people is filling a huge gap in healthcare and really important work.
In Europe you often get more up to date information and can study and get a degree come to that, for free. Much of the 'information' given here is really waffle in fact.
I'm 34 and have severe ADHD. Started taking Vyvanse this year and it has drastically changed my life for the better when it comes to my focus and career. No more constant fatigue and inability to focus. Now I can harness the good parts of ADHD without some of the crippling downsides.
The podcast mentions that kids who take ADHD medications will learn to focus better (neuroplasticity) and ideally won't be reliant on the medication for life. As someone who began taking Vyvanse as an adult, would you say you have experienced any of that neuroplasticity?
@@fullpint I think so, for example even if I stop taking Vyvanse I feel like I can focus better than I used to, but its possible that I could just be mis-remembering, you know? But I do think it has made a difference when I'm off meds. Just can't be 100% certain.
Literally, just crying saying I don’t know the right thing to do. I don’t know if I should take medication or not I don’t wanna negatively affect my brain chemistry further, and I wish I was praying for the right advice and boom this video. God bless you thank you so much I really trust you with all of my heart.
Those self doubts are exactly what prevented me from getting help earlier. I took a pain killer for an abscess tooth called Tramadol and it made me feel super good. Interestingly enough it promotes the same chemicals as Vyvanse and so that’s how I got on it lol. I wish I was diagnosed in the 3rd grade, because that’s when my focusing problems got bad and I’ve been a bad student my whole life due to my inability to focus. Now I feel like a different person.
With ADHD, your brain wasn't working correctly from the start, so why shouldn't you take medication? If you have ADHD, I highly, highly recommend you seek help for it. Medication helped me big time.
This was BY FAR the best explanation I have come across of ADHD. The concerns I have were addressed concisely and east to understand.Thank you for making science easy for those of us who sometimes just can’t “get” it. ❤
As someone diagnosed with ADHD, I really appreciate this special! I got distracted about 5 mins in though so no idea what the actual content is. Sure its really good
I only saw 30% and understood only part of your presentation, but the fact that you have zero dislikes is a testament to the quality of your research and review. You present in such a rational way that it does us nervous/anxious ADHD types such a service when trying to understand ourselves. A warm thank you.
THANK YOU!!! for such an amazing podcast on ADHD medication. It was so well done. I am a parent of an ADHD kid and had so much shame about putting my kid on medication. It is such a journey and so refreshing to have such good scientific explanation about medication. It has really saved my kid's childhood experience especially in school. A few notes to add...my kid had to go through many different medications before finding one that worked and then every few years we had to make a change. This can be a hard journey. Guanfacine was prescribed to my kid to help with RSD, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a common ADHD issue. She took it from about age 9 to 15. She just got off of Guanfacine. It was so needed and helped, but she is now mature enough to be able to deal with hard situations. When she was younger she was so sensitive that any critical feedback /bullying etc. she would lose it and not be able to function. It is nice to look at medication as temporary and that there is a path to getting off of it. She is still on Vyvanse but, again since she has matured, and working with her doctors can do a lower dose in the summer and also takes days off without significate side affects. I can see her as an adult only needing some focus meds like Vyvanse when needed. Additionally it has made me think more clearly about other medications like Zoloft for anxiety. While anxiety meds were not part of this podcast, it provided a nice framework to think about medications as temporary (even if it is for years), people change and it is good to think of most medication as something that is only needed during certain stages of life. My kid will likely only need until she is in her 20's and she can choose to get off of them if she wants. I am so thankful for medication options. These medications truly improved the quality of life for my kid and our family. THANK YOU so much for this episode and creating a positive environment to share an often sensitive subject.
Re: Tardive Dyskinesia:...I have developed this condition from long term use of Adderall and/or SSRIs. For those unfamiliar with the movement disorder, common symptoms are involuntary writhing movements of the tongue and mouth, which my M.D. says cannot be controlled. It is commonly known that older antipsychotic medications result in t.d.; however, whether due to the pharmaceutical companies not wanting it acknowledged, or for whatever reason, there is little awareness and focus on this resulting condition; be aware. Thank you for another fascinating lecture, Dr. Huberman; you are such an effective communicator.
Would be cool to also touch on or hear about the dangers of undiagnosed or untreated ADHD. How those stack up against the negatives of these medications. Great video!
More prone to accidents, drug usage, jail time, crime , poor work conditions, frequent job changes, low school grades, relationship issues, comorbidities and more.
I was undiagnosed till 62 years old. I wonder how much more my school, my work, my interpersonal relationships would have been so much better had I known it sooner. Ah well. Press on.
12-13 year less life expectancy on average for someone diagnosed as an adult with ADHD who chooses not to treat it. Seems pretty serious! Plus also significantly less income on average, much more likely to have depression and anxiety and more. Writing this as someone in my early forties who recently realised I have it.
Dexamphetamine has been a life changer for me. I'm in my 4th year of being diagnosed in my early 40's with ADHD. I'm so much more stable and able to cope with the challenges that life throws at me.
@@tvh369 ofc... this medication is helping you to not look for outside stimulants, that's why you were excited to play Zelda without it... outside stimulant, you took your medicine which is an stimulant therefore you don't lookfor the new Zelda game (outside stimulant) got it? Duuuuh
@@tvh369 but is that what's happening to you? You get no excitement from anything? Or its cause that precise game doesn't excite you anymore? But i would suggest if nothing excites you anymore well check out the doses 😉
I wish I had this information when my son was younger! My son is 18yrs old now, freshman in college and has been on Vyvanse since he was around 8yrs old. He says he doesn't feel like he needs to take it all the time. Makes sense after you explained how the brain is trained when on the meds. Thank you for the wonderful information/education, priceless for a parent like me.
The high dosage segment is actually very comforting to me. I've been afraid of bumping up my dose, just because I was afraid of the side effects, but knowing that as long as the psychiatrist approves, it should be safe, that is making me feel better about taking that step.
My psychiatrist gave some crazy pain medication to make me stop cold turkey smoking weed. I would say do your own research en check if you agree first!
Even your Psychiatrist say it is safe , it does not mean that it is, if it is too much he can lower it down, they are their just monitor, so still do your own reasearch.
Average psychiatrists don’t seem to know much of anything, let alone the safety of the drugs they perscribe. If his name was Chris Palmer, then sure. Otherwise not.
Brother just because he's a psychiatrist says it's ok doesn't mean it is. Alot of times people that have actually taken the drug for a long time know more than the psych
Thanks so much for putting this content out there. I was put on ADD meds about 20 years ago and have seen many psychiatrists and have tried to go off medication many times unsuccessfully. The medication still helps me manage daily life and especially with focus at work, but it also taxes my system frequently and can impact my relationships and ability to wind down and relax at home due to the hyper focus state it causes. I'd love if you could do a podcast that goes into more detail on strategies for helping support the brain and particularly nervous system if you have been on ADD meds for a long time and want to get off or taper down. I also think there are a lot of women out there on these meds wondering what is the best thing to do when they get pregnant and want to breastfeed. It's a HUGE topic that I could not find very information or guidance around other than just stop your meds, which I felt could be very dangerous for some people.
Well said April Larson & I think that this needs to be openly discussed as well because there a lot of children being put on these drugs for simple behavior/focus issues & by the time these children reach adulthood. Most of these young adults find themselves dependent on a drug that they never had a say so in the matter when initially being prescribed to them. Yet now they have to deal with the side effects & issues that come with being prescribed to these drugs as an adult. I think that this is sad. & I would even go as far as calling it a Crime Against Humanity. American Intermediary 1/10/24 " Unfortunately, it seems that money over morals has somehow corrupted the very foundation of Humanity. "
I completely agree. I'm going to continue to study ADHD on my own because there is an insane gap in understanding and knowledge of our circumstances in our daily lives...
I take Vyvanse for ADHD but also for Binge Eating Disorder. It’s the only thing that completely helps me to control my impulses and not binge. It’s not about the appetite suppressant effect of the meds but the ability to be able to choose better and to not seek dopamine in food. Thanks for this video!
@@limehouseblues It’s not about the appetite indeed because I have binges where I was not hungry. Binge eating can be triggered by hunger but for me it’s mostly triggered by about emotion desregulation and the impulsivity to do anything to calm down the emotion. This last years I have used food. When I was a teenager, other things. Vyvanse helps me to think better when taking a decision and to do better choices regarding food or my life in general.
Yes my son binge ate until obesity. Ritalin helped with his impulse control even his temper. He now wants to go back to it. He took a low dose when he was on it and it helped him tremendously.
Such an informative episode especially the focus (no pun intended) on kids. I have an 8 yr old recently diagnosed & the truth is ADHD runs so incredibly deep & impossible for people to understand if they are not dealing with it themselves either personally or with a child. Your podcasts on this topic specifically, shines a little more light onto the empathy everyone should have on neurodiverse kids (& their parents) & how important it is to have a society support these kids more. Thank you Andrew.
Concerta has been a lifechanger for me after 28 years of fighting myself for every drop of motivation. ADHD-PI used to be called ADD, so if people misconstrue it with hyperactivity, that's why!
Hey Andrew, your podcast is amazing! I was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid-forties. I did stimulants to a problematic degree when I was young (not the kind you get a prescription for). The cravings were always there, even after I hadn't touched anything like that for decades. Then, after my diagnosis, I started taking Concerta. My cravings have been gone since. I think I was trying to do for myself what Concerta does for me but without the actual tools. This is such good information and something that so many people should hear
I too was diagnosed in my 40’s. My drug of choice was sugar, I was definitely using it to self medicate. Vyvanse has helped no end, much more so than my trial with Concerta.
@@kirstinstrand6292 I respectfully disagree. I grew up with ADHD, and the meds made a huge, huge, huge difference to me - no amount of therapy came close
@@kirstinstrand6292please explain how psychoanalysis will make the blood flow to the prefrontal cortex properly, which brain scans have shown that it doesn’t in ADHD children. Also please explain how psychoanalysis will balance dopamine and norepinephrine in those with an imbalance.
@Ally Delano long story short I started experiencing adverse cognitive symptoms and bad daytime sleepiness in my mid 20's. I got diagnosed with Narcolepsy but decided against taking dex amphetamine (I'm a bit anti-drug). I continued on with life and made lifestyle changes which made the daytime sleepiness more manageable but eventually by life started spiralling out of control so I started looking for answers and got diagnosed with ADHD and have been on dex since I was 31. I'm 38 today and would say I'm thriving. Looking back I believe bad diet and lack of exercise really exacerbate ADHD symptoms. In high school and university I was high performer without medication but the sedentary lifestyle from working seems to have put my body out or sync and led to my original spiral.
Not really. There are quite a few adderall alternatives with just as much research as modafinil that weren’t mentioned. He didn’t mention any of the legit compounds proven to lower adderall/stimulant tolerance either. Do your own research if you give a shit that much
As a Huberman groupie I am eager to hear this one. I was diagnosed with ADD at age 47 twenty-five years ago and it was life-changing. I have been taking Ritalin ever since. I hope I can listen with an open mind.
@@tiptapkey in addition to medication, today there is so much more information and help available than there was back when I started the journey. From my experience and my interaction with others in the same situation, those who just do meds struggle a lot more and don’t get the benefit from the meds they otherwise could. I would also recommend Huberman Lab #53 The Science of Making and Breaking Habits as well as the episodes dealing with Dopamine. I wish you well.
@@zaplito3023 Good advice! That's a great episode. I've suspected I've had it for years, but when I first brought it up to a doc he acted like I was drug seeking and that made me hopeless I could find meds. But since that time, I researched a LOT about ADHD, and many things were very helpful, but it also turned out I was doing a lot of the recommended things for good functioning on my own. I guess once you get to a certain age you either figure it out or find yourself in dire straits. I'm also in therapy, which has helped a lot and was my motivator to try again to find an accepting doctor who would listen to me. Just as meds only go so far, white knuckling life only goes so far as well.
Thanks so much Andrew for the deep dive into ADHD and associated treatments. I always see a high level of integrity and impartiality in your work. Appreciated!
I really appreciate this episode. Thank you❤️. I’m diagnosed with ADHD and wouldn’t wish it on anyone but I’m not looking for sympathies or attention.😊 I’m always trying to ignore “negative” reporting on ADHD but it’s sometimes unavoidable. I don’t understand why it’s still so common to claim that ADHD isn’t “real”? I’ve heard several doctors claim that ADHD isn’t a real thing! I rarely tell anyone that I have ADHD, unless I’m in a situation where it’s relevant. As a result, I often hear people saying they have occasional ADHD (despite no diagnosis) or that “everyone” has ADHD. In other words, people with a diagnosis must be faking or imagining things? With this in mind, it’s super frustrating that patients aren’t offered brain scans. If I understand correctly, it’s possible to detect or “see” ADHD? If so, why isn’t imaging offered as part of a diagnosis? This would serve the needs of patients AND hopefully stop misinformation about ADHD as something fake or imaginary. This might not seem like a big deal. I shouldn’t let other people’s opinions affect me, but they do. I can’t wait til the day that ADHD diagnostic tools improve, because it makes me feel incredibly invalidated when people say it’s not real despite the very real and negative consequences ADHD has had on my life.
Dr. Amen does brain imaging to detect ADHD. It's incredible, runs 3k. Has a location in L.A. It would be awesome if Huberman did a podcast with him! Both amazing human beings.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s and currently use 50mg Vyvanse, It's been a life saver but I've never used any other medications. I also suspect I'm one of the ADHD members whose on the spectrum but there's very little information about the overlap. Thanks for all you're work Dr.
Thank you for your service for ADHD kids + parents everywhere who have been scrambling to understand how this all fits! So grateful - and know what questions I'll be bringing to my kiddos next psychiatry appointment. Thanks Dr H, I hope you know how much of a positive impact your podcast has on so many!
I'm a 52 yr old femalle, l have adhd, and I've had some college before life took over. I'm a little ocd, and I had a double major in pharmacology and physical therapy. This is just my speed. I enjoy it. I deeply thank you ..this is a topic I can really drill down into. Thank you, Andrew Huberman!
This was incredibly educational and I enjoyed learning about the medication I take. I have horrible ADHD and am prescribed Vyvanse. It helps immensely and I don’t know what I would do without my medication. Thank you Andrew for helping me understand how my medication works. 😁
I normally don't sit through 2 hour informative talk... but you got my attention... and I have experienced much of what you described. Thank you very much.
This is one I had requested, thank you so much for taking requests and taking the time to research and record this information. You and your podcast has taught me so much.
I've been recently diagnosed with ADHD combined type. I've been resentful of taking Ritalin, especially since it's been actually helping. Dr.Huberman your professing about the details of how our brain works and how ADHD works has made me cope and slowly except my treatment. I appreciate you and all your efforts that goes to your podcast!
Its worse here, our economy is like a flailing fish, fighting for its life. The normal state of the U.S. economy is actually very bad. Because of this it goes into convulsive spasms fighting to grow any way it can out of desperation. Tricks, gimmicks, rule changes try to stimulate the economy and prevent it from falling but they only bring temporary relief to people since, when you factor in inflation we are declining.
People believe their currency has the worth it does because they have no other option. Even in a hyperinflationary environment, individuals must continue to use their hyperinflationary currency since they likely have minimal access to other currencies or gold/silver coins.
Inflation is gradually going to become part of us and due to that fact any money you keep in cash or in a low-interest account declines in value each year. Investing is the only way to make your money grow and unless you have an exceptionally high income, investing is the only way most people will ever have enough money to retire.
How can I participate in this? I sincerely aspire to establish a secure financial future and am eager to participate. Who is the driving force behind your success?
Wow!! What timing, diagnosed with ADHD with a too specialist at the age of 40 about 2 years ago and on the verge of losing a lot of things close to me because of it. What amazing timing, thank you for taking the time to put out so much information on a subject matter than many people are struggling with. Thank you 😊
I appreciate you so much for this. The dosage range is crazy. I too am in the high 200s with weight and take 2.5 mg, 2 times a day. Anything more than 10 per day has made me have panic attacks and anger issues when it wears off. We range so much, but adderall has been life changing for me. It’s helped me stop binging, it’s helped me make better, more rational decisions, stick with jobs, stick with school, etc. I wish my parents had explored ADHD as a reason for all my issues as a child. I definitely always had it but found out at 26 years old.
@@bperez8656 It doesn't sound ridiculous at all; it makes for interesting conversation, as everyone is so different in their responses to the medication.
I just got diagnosed at 55, and starting on just 7-10mg/day Adderall. It feels powerful, yet calming at this smaller. I'm considering 3 days on, 1 off schedule. (FYI, I've been on Bupropion longterm already, which also props up dopamine, etc) Have you been taking daily for years, are do you take breaks? Thank you, Scott
I thought I knew what I needed on ADHD, seems not. Thanks for that. Topics I'd like to see visited : -Supplementation - right now, I find that my semi-regular intake of NAC (unsure yet if L-Tyrosine can do the same) and L-Theanine is giving me one of my best mental states in year, even more than Ritalin. Regular electrolytes are also a must. -Stopping medication - what to expect, tips to succeed, things to accept or not, daily life tips -Exploring the various aspects affecting sleep for an ADHD mind - thinking for example of racing minds, different sleep schedules, that people can sleep less or more for the same results... -Exploring combos of ADHD and various health conditions (and they can make it even more difficult to decipher, such as deafness)
@@dannytq I am not sure either Danny but when I take it (I also don't take it regularly, as sys6x points out he only takes it semi-regularly) I also feel it helps. It's not something you can take all the time though. edit: I should add, I do not take it for ADHD nor would I. Sleep, exercise, cold and healthy food has been excellent for my ADHD. I also got bloodwork and started taking vitamin d and magnesium because I was low, helped big time.
First of all, I would like to thank Huberman for reminding me almost in every episode how important it is to get sunlight in the morning. I have learned this habit and it has made my life with ADHD easier, by improving my alertness during the day and sleep at night. Of course, it hasn't cured my ADHD totally, although I have to admit that secretly in my mind I hoped so. :) Then a little of my own experiences about the effect of medication and stimulants on me in general. Coffee does help me concentrate for a while, but it also makes me really irritable and anxious. My heart rate goes up, I start to sweat and my stomach gets upset. I also become very sensitive to distractions. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I just want to shut myself in a silent, dark room without any sensory stimuli. I can't sleep well the next night either, even if I drink coffee only in the morning. This happens over one cup of coffee. The next day I'm very tired, mostly from a bad night's sleep. Instead, Elvanse (Vyvanse), which I take together with guanfacine, and also without it, Elvanse makes me calm and I can concentrate even if there are distractions around. I can also take better care of my sleeping rhythm. So actually this "speed" slows me down. If I don't take these medicines the next day, I'm a little more tired then normal, but otherwise I mostly feel like I am the same old ADHD again. I do get the same help with ADHD symptoms from methylphenidate as from dextroamphetamine, but the side effects are almost the same as caffeine. From nicotine, I get a short relief, but every time afterwards it turns into a pretty hard crash. Before starting the medication, I drank a lot of coffee, despite the side effects, because I felt that I was getting a momentary benefit from it, same thing with nicotine. But after starting the medication, I very rarely drink coffee or smoke cigarettes only when am on a break from medication. Also, I used to drink alcohol almost every weekend for a mental relief. After starting the medication, I no longer craved alcohol. But when I'm on a break from medication and I make the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee, I start craving alcohol right away that night. And when I drink alcohol, I have an even stronger need to smoke. I avoided ADHD medication for a long time for fear that the side effects are the same as coffee or worse and believing that how "amphetamines are dangerous" (And of course it is if it is abused). But in fact I don't suffer from any side effects other than some loss of appetite, mild drymouth and a slight increase in heart rate, which is somewhat calmed by guanfacine. So, at least for me, after 10 years of mediacion, this "speed" has been a huge help in managing everyday life, as well as managing emotions and thoughts and interacting with other people. Everyone reacts to stimulants differently and I wanted to share my own experience with the drug in case it helps someone else who is thinking about of trying the drug and the possible side effects. But as Huberman already clearly stated many times there, no one should try these drugs without being prescribed by an experienced psychiatrist.
My experience was instant hypogonadism (testicular shrinkage) within a week of the prescribed dose of 18mg (and later 38mg which I tried on the 8th day). Erectile dysfunction. Couldn't feel my groin. Premature ejaculation. Orgasms made me think my head was gonna explode. I then quit cold turkey. Socially I became zombie-like. Lost interest in my interests and in people in general. I was slow cognitively and feeling sluggish. Didn't laugh as easily. Wasn't as witty. Everything became gray. I felt no joy. Tasks I did became meaningless. I couldn't enjoy music, tap my feet to the rythm anymore. Thoughts of hurting others became prevalent. I got suicidal and homicidal (not to say the least towards the jackasses that tricked me into taking it). I couldn't feel things as I used to. No goosebumps for four months after taking it. No feelings, no joy, no real anger. Headaches. Muscle aches. Loss of strength. Negative effect on fertility (semen became stale - milky like and after that decreased a lot in volume). Other than that, dry mouth, constantly wired, easily startled, constantly tired, but still wired. Loss of sensory experience and perspective in regards to my body. You can't trust psychiatrists. They don't know what they are doing. And you get no help when the side effects hit you like a freight train. Speaking of effects, they were of no benefit. It took away my anxiety, since I could no longer feel or think, so there's that. But that is literal hell on earth.
I am a school psychologist as well as a licensed social worker in WA State and I evaluate children with ADHD. I also have two biological children dx with ADHD and who are prescribed Concerta and Vyvanse. This talk was extremely beneficial to my work professionally working with kids and families as well as my position as a mom, advocating for what's best for my own kids. Thank you so much! I would love to listen to a similar talk related to the most prescribed anti-depressants as well. It would be interesting to hear your opinion related to use of supplements to "treat" such conditions and their efficacy. I wish I could earn CEUs or clock hours for listening to these podcasts, that would be amazing!
This is a huge benefit to the ADHD community out there. I would love additional guidance on supplementation for ADHD - it seems as though there has been a huge proliferation of products out there being marketed as beneficial, but it's hard to access guidance on whether or not they really would benefit me, or how to tailor supplementation to my needs.
Treating mental health issues is slow work, requiring many expertly trained professionals. ADHD only encompasses anxiety,anger, stress, etc. Let's help out Big Pharma, the Sacklers, and Psychiatry. Take your pills, damn it.😂😢😅😊
I was always diagnosed anxiety/depression growing up, bad reactions to meds. I adopted a healthy lifestyle and optimized my hormones, talk therapy, tried organization apps and all kinds of strategies and could not understand why i fell short at executive function. Turns out its adhd and my insane amount of coffee consumption was me unknowingly self medicating. I cried when i tried Adderall and i felt all the extra noise shut off. I had the most productive day with work, housework and mothering my kids. So many things make sense throughout my life and even my husband agrees (very skeptical) Weight lifted off my shoulders
Dr. Huberman thank you. I, too, am interested in the relationship between ADHD, Autism, Asbergers, etc. Are there bright lines between each diagnosis? I, ask because my soon-to-be eighteen year old son--who takes vyvance--has never received a clear diagnosis. He's been treated by the who's who of specialists at UCI and USC for thirteen years. He was initially diagnosed with a condition known as DAMP symdrome, which, as I understand it means his central nervous system matures differently than neurotypical kids. An episode on 'spectrum' disorders would be great!
I almost quit university during the second year. I was diagnosed with ADHD that year and started on vyvanse. I am now wrapping up my graduate studies and getting a PhD.........life saver.
I was like you but did not get diagnosed, so i dropped out, and now have a low paying job, even though i knew my iq was 150, i could never get through school or stick with anything. Count your blessings!
Must be nice, I’ve dropped in and out of college since 2016. Finally got diagnosed January 2023, I was already on bupropion for “depression,” he’s made me try atomoxetine, guanfacine (which I wanted to try with a stimulant), and now Amantadine. It’s been 10 months and I’ve seen almost no improvement and for whatever reason he’s holding back stimulants despite me never having any history of drug abuse etc. I’ve tried modafinil numerous times and Vyvanse twice. Both help way more than all this non-stimulant crap. Right now I’m literally on: 100mg atomoxetine 3mg guanfacine 200mg Amantadine 2mg aripiprazole Some how he thinks this concoction is safer than just using a stimulant alone or a stimulant + guanfacine
This is one of the most interesting videos he’s put out. As a guy in grad school studying addiction counseling with an undergrad in addiction studies, these videos are GOLD. I have learned tons of things here that were never taught to me in college. Thank you Dr. Huberman!
Please can you interview an expert on perimenopause and menopause. An interview with Dr Christopher Gardner on nutrition would be fantastic. Very interested to hear you interview a chiropractic expert. Thank you for all your amazing podcasts.
Not sure if this was covered in previous episodes but would like to learn about comorbidities such as ADHD and Asperger's. Great podcast. You have helped so many people all over the world. And in the most understandable and relatable way. Thank you.
"adhd" is just trauma and high functioning autism is just being intelligent. That's my take. Got diagnosed with both, along with depression, social anxiety, general anxiety.... Ritalin has ruined my life over the course of a week of use. Instant cognitive and sexual dysfunction. Oh and let's not forget total numbing of feeling and sensory experiences. I still feel the effects almost a year after stopping. You get suicidal as well. It's a great drug if you want to make yourself impotent in every aspect of being a human being. People seem to find relief from it since it shuts down your capacity for deep thought (i.e. ruminating and anxiety), but not being able to associate and experience the joy of music or your overall intelligence is no way to live. I have a friend taking atomoxetine and he is noticeably slower in the head (and he used to be my brightest friend). It's not worth the risk. You will be fine with just diet, exercise, sleep, less stress and better relationships. A group of psychiatrists and therapists said so in a statement as well in the early 21st century, before big pharma completely gobbled up all of the opposition to their market plans.
@@TheDavveponken weird how i see this take alot when it comes to ritalin/ concentra yet when it comes to Adderall and vivance people say its helped them immensely. Huberman did say they did different things.
So hey 👋 Asperger’s is no longer a diagnosis (especially with its ties to nazis ) Functioning labels such as high or low are also antiquated. You can use words around if you have support needs or not. But really just autistic will do. It’s a spectrum where many of us have different skills and According to several studies, autistic adults who mask can experience autistic burnout which can lead to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, and physical and emotional exhaustion. People who are deemed “high functioning” often get their symptoms minimized and deal with long term consequences.
Thank you, Dr. Huberman, for sharing with us all of these information. Thank you for educating us, and for helping us understand about things that we should know and that are very important to us for our health & well-being. We appreciate you!
I'm 50, was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, and have had significant symptoms of RSD (Rejection sensitive dysphoria). Ritalin helped greatly with the negative effects of ADHD (while still retaining the benefits), but the RSD made it very difficult to make any significant life gains from that improvement. Adding Guanfacine was a game changer, making it possible to (for lack of a better description) win arguments with my brain that I'd never been able to win. It's not a night and day difference, as it is with Ritalin, but I've seen a noticeable quietening of the negative self-talk cycle, and the ability to tackle problems and situations that I would do everything to avoid previously (which led to more problems that needed fixing and situations that needed to be avoided). Now all that's left to do is the easy work of undoing all the maladaptation habits and systems that my brain has built up for the last fifty years to "protect" me. I actually now feel like that's an achievable task, whereas before I didn't - and it wasn't.
@@brockbrawn1524 Everyone's different he/she might or might not have long term side effects, we can't know that without him/her actually taking medication for a long time.
RSD and ADD too and I never knew the link between the two until recently. Unofficially diagnosed, but my step dad was cruel to me as a child, very neglectful and mean, so that’s where my shortcomings stem from. I have had very few friends in life as a result. God do I hate that man rotting in the hell where he belongs. The negative talk in my head. The wheel doesn’t stop turning and I don’t want to rely on meds.
@@brockbrawn1524 Yeah I am lucky I found a medication that worked for me. Atomoxetine made me depressed and Vyvanse didn't work so I am just grateful I did. It's different for everyone. That's awful that it did that to you.
I take Guanfacine and Ritalin for my ADHD and the Guanfacine makes a HUGE difference! I can wake up so much easier in the morning when I take it the night before. I also have high blood pressure from years of untreated anxiety, so I was able to lower another medication and replace it with guanfacine which was nice. My doctor did not pass on the huge warning about alcohol. I pretty much don't engage with alcohol at all anymore, but I appreciate your information that I should probably completely cut it out.
This made be feel better. I have extreme ADHD and BP II. The ADHD meds stopped the noise in my head and the racing thoughts whereas before, I could not function
Was diagnosed ADD at the age of 41 half a year ago. And I was also working as a sozial worker with Kids who have ADHD. In the Education - we did not learn anything about ADHD. Within the sozial media there are tons of people talking about ADHD but not many are more than oppinions, personal experienence or short and not based on any scientific data but more just on like wikipedia, youtube or chatgpt. So I realy want to thank you for your effort! I got good informations, and good learnings from this one.
Thank you for this!It addressed a lot of my concerns as a parent. My biggest fear was addiction and the correlation between hard drugs. Thank you for going deep into the way it works and how it can work for good. I think for me my fear stems from being uneducated about the meds and it’s benefits. And I feel like there is such a misconception of the drugs and methamphetamines use etc I can’t thank you enough for this 🧡💙
You seem like an amazing parent - taking this time to research this topic. Hope you find the right path for your child. Medications are not for everyone, but it doesn't hurt to try. These are therapeutic doses and thorough tests and checks are done. It's sometimes more devastating for the child's health to go completely untreated than the potential/imagined danger with the meds. Sometimes a super low dose is the extra push that can help the child to grow.
I have a BS in Biology, MEd in Education, worked in schools for 20 years. Also I have been being treated for Adult ADHD for 10 years. I have NEVER come across this information before. At the beginning when speaking of the Prefrontal Cortex and thinking back to good Ol' Phineas Gage, my whole understanding of my condition changed. Thank you. You Sir are changing people's lives.
When I experimented with coke In my early 20’s all I wanted to do was work on spreadsheets. Later I was diagnosed as ADHD and prescribed Adderall, which worked beautifully. It directly attributed to my ‘meteoric rise’ at work in a short period of time. After 15 years of being on Adderall,and smoking THC, this year I have removed both substances from my life completely. Now 45 years old, I have found ways to function completely naturally. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke anything, I am on zero medications and my blood pressure was 113/75 at last reading. You give great information and advice, good sir!
What made you decide to stop taking adderall? Asking because im noticing that im starting to get addicted to it and craving more pills after already taking my proper dosage..
Thank you for working on this. Long-term health impacts/growth effects are front of mind for many parents of children with ADHD. I think there's more to say on this subject. For example, the degree of appetite suppression that children experience on stimulants is extremely variable. Even when a child's BMI falls and their height percentile falls over time, parents are often told not to worry because long term height will not be affected. On this question, I am not sure that your review of the literature was exhaustive as several studies have shown an effect of childhood stimulant use for ADHD on adult height. In addition, at least one study has shown a greater impact on children who did not discontinue stimulant use over the summer. I also wanted to point out that you seem to conflate height and BMI with your comment that adult BMI seems to be higher for people who took stimulants as children. A higher BMI may reflect a discontinuation or lessening of the appetite suppression experienced during childhood and remains consistent with the possibility of short stature. My interpretation is that higher adult BMI is a concern that should be explored, as this may indicate that childhood stimulant use could predispose to obesity. References of interest include: Swanson, J. et al, "Young adult outcomes in the follow up of the multimodal treatment study of ADHD: symptom persistence, source discrepancy and height suppression," J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2017. Greenhill, L. et al, "Trajectories of growth associated with long-term stimulant medication in the multimodal treatment study of ADHD," J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2020. Wojnowski, N. et al, "Effects of stimulants on final adult height," J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab., 2022.
Thank you for writing this comment. This issue is very much at the forefront for me, as a parent, who is considering medication for my 11 year old son, who is 5th percentile for height and weight. Also I can't help but think it can't be good to constantly be activating a person's sympathetic nervous system, starting in childhood... the truth is we don't actually no the full impact of these stimulant drugs on all of the body systems, pharmaceutical companies aren't bothering with long term follow up studies, why would they? I did read another study that found uncreased cardiac death amongst adults taking stimulants for adhd.
Thank you for a very interesting extension of knowledge for the professor's lecture. It is impossible to cover all the nuances in an episode. In any case parents should consult an experienced psychiatrist.
Hi, I have had ADHD since I was a child, I was diagnosed but my mother didn´t like the idea of a six years old me taking medication, so I went through life with a lot of issues, bad grades, problematic teenager. Because of all that stress at 16 I start to have panic attacks, now I´m 30 and start taking Adderall, prescribed by a doctor, but I didn´t like it at all, I felt psicotique, so I talk to my doctor and he changed the medication to modafinil in a low doses, lets say that 200 mg is the daily doses, I take 50 mg every day and to be honest this med has save my life, I can be functional, I don´t feel overwhelmed so often and sometimes I wonder if I would take this before maybe my teenage days wouldn´t be so bad!
@@adamnarat9677 Hello! Yes, it has improved my focus. For example, if on a normal day I plan to do the laundry, exercise, or study from such time to such time. Before I was leaving everything for later. Now I manage to do the things I have set out for the day, but I am also kind to myself and if there is something I can't do, I don't get frustrated. I tend to hyperfocus still but much less than before to be able to manage my energy levels, I try to dose it, not do everything in one day and then have a burnout. I think that whether you are taking medication or not, it is super important to dose your energy levels to be more even every day. Greetings from Chile!!! 🙂
The topic of ADHD and the use of medications can be complex and controversial, and I commend the podcast for delving into this area with evidence-based information. Understanding the short- and long-term effects of these medications is crucial for individuals with ADHD and their caregivers. The podcast likely presents a comprehensive overview of the benefits and potential risks associated with such treatments. It's essential to have accurate and up-to-date information when considering medications to manage ADHD symptoms. I'm confident that the podcast will present the scientific evidence in a clear and accessible manner, helping listeners make informed decisions.
First, thank you for putting up the podcast on Memorial Day , second I don’t get tired of listening to this subject because we are having a problem with this as a society
Starting meds for ADHD at 31 was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m happier and less drained at the end of the day. And I can take a day or two off the meds easily so I know I’m not getting dependent. Still people gaslight and doubt the diagnosis even when the diagnosis has led to so many benefits for me.
Great episode! Hopefully this might help minimize the unnecessary stigmatization against ADHD medication. Certainly, caution should be taken, and the meds should only be used by the people who have been prescribed it by their doctor/psychiatrist. It's such a life-changer (sometimes life-SAVER) for a lot people with ADHD.
Yeah maybe you should look st the long term health effects. Is it worth it's weight. If it's long term effects are not good? Who gives a fk if it works. If you're cooked 10 years down the road. I was diagnosed 20 years ago and have taken plenty of the drugs. And they always turn you into a zombie.
While taking medications can be understandable in some cases, those with ADHD can still train their focus through mental training and meditation. It just tends to be more challenging than for the average person, but it's doable with daily consistency, the same way one would do a workout daily to stay physically in shape. Consider using ADHD-specific meditations to build the neural circuits for focus naturally, and the Letting Go technique to decrease hyperactive energy daily. I do this personally, and manage my ADHD without medication. In my opinion, in most cases, low dosages of medication should only be used as a short-term crutch while one develops their natural ability to develop focus through diligent meditation (or possibly not used at all).
Thanks for this comment! What's the Letting Go technique? I'm 19yo diagnosed with adhdpi at 17. Been off meds for a year now. I didn't want to rely on meds, and I still don't. However given the neuroplasticity element I'm now thinking of going back on for a while.
@@archsys307 Understandable. I'm not here to tell anyone not to use meds, just to consider the alternatives as a long-term strategy. The Letting Go technique is a variation of Somatic Experiencing, just a simple way to dissipate excess emotional and physical energy. You can find a guided track by checking my name. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks Huberman for this episode! I was diagnosed with ADHD around 2nd grade, and was put on Ritalin for a little while. Later in high school I was given Dexedrine. I quit Dexedrine and nicotine around the same time during my third year of college (20 plus years ago). I quit both of those substances after a major mental health episode, and managed to stay off of them, but I've never considered what was going on in my brain until I came across this episode (as well as Huberman's recent appearance on This American Life). Quitting these substances also coincided with discovering my passion for climbing. I always say climbing saved my life, and now I'm getting curious about the dopamine and other chemicals may have played a role in that. Hopefully we can connect some time, and thanks for your work. Peace, Luke Mehall Author: American Climber and The Desert Publisher: The Climbing Zine Host: Dirtbag State of Mind podcast
Thank you very much Dr Andrew! I listen to your lecture in one breath. This is your second lecture on this topic. And it is no less interesting ,important and informative How much literature would it take to figure out so much information ? The first lecture was more focused on the mechanism of the disease and the second one is more focused on a detailed description of the drugs and their mechanism of action and both are priceless. And in addition your episode about chronic headache helped me very much because I suffering from severe chronic headache and now I'm hoping that calcitonin gene related protein inhibitor (CGRP) will help me to get rid of this. God bless you, doctor Huberman.
Shoutout to those of us who had to rewind the video because we lost focus and zoned out!
I gave up trying to absorb the details after a while. The irony of not being able to focus here is not lost on me 😀
I struggled till my concerta kicked in lol😅
I keep wandering off to the videos in the sidebar 😂
@@Papaya4uhow do you like concerta?
He is somehow wordy that guy. Complete, but wordy. And lot repeting.
Felt the need to add this as well: No doctor (at least in my country) is going to take their time and explain all of this to their patient. Thank you for putting out this for the public.
I've had a very similar experience, I had to do some intense digging to find it out myself
Most people do not have the health literacy to be able to understand this TBH.
You'd be hard pressed to find any doctor anywhere who understands these meds this well. This episode is a gem.
so true, and he broke it down so well too. i struggle to understand some of the literature out there but he’s condensed it in such a digestible package that i was able to follow the entire thing.
@@kopollomumma6904 and THAT is an extremely important point. I would also wager that many of those listening to this won't understand 90% of it either AND there are many doctors who do not understand these drugs at this level.
0:23: 🧠 Stimulants for ADHD treatment target specific brain networks involved in attention and focus.
10:06: ✨ Stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD improve symptoms by enhancing the prefrontal cortex's ability to suppress and enhance the activity of different brain networks.
20:17: ⚡ Adderall is a potent sympathomimetic drug that increases the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, resulting in increased motivation, focus, and alertness.
31:16: 💊 Different drugs like Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ritalin increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain to improve focus and attention.
49:04: ✅ ADHD is a complex condition that involves challenges in focusing on various tasks, and the use of stimulant medications like Adderall and Ritalin can help increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels to reduce distractions and improve focus.
52:08: 🧠 The use of stimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin in the treatment of ADHD is not just about increasing neural activity, but about tuning the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in specific brain networks to achieve the right balance of activation and synchronization.
1:03:08: 💊 Treatment of ADHD involves a careful diagnostic evaluation, consideration of both pharmacological and behavioral treatments, and monitoring of nutritional and supplementation aspects.
1:13:39: 🧪 The use of drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse for ADHD treatment does not appear to negatively impact height or growth, but long-term elevation of sympathetic nervous system activity may carry some cardiovascular risk.
1:23:24: ⚠ The timing of cortisol release is key, as late day elevations in cortisol are a strong correlate of depressive symptoms.
1:33:53: ⚠ ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Vyvanse, have a higher likelihood of inducing psychosis in individuals with a predisposition, but the overall incidence of psychosis is still fairly low.
1:44:06: 💊 Different drugs are used to treat ADHD, with methylphenidate being the most studied, followed by modafinil and guanfacine.
1:54:23: 🧠 Guanfacine is a medication used to treat ADHD by stimulating the alpha 2A system and activating pathways that dampen down the sympathetic nervous system.
Recap by Tammy AI
Thanks for saving my time! amazing AI Tool!
Literally was looking for a comment like this, I get he likes to really
go in depth but a tool like this would be extremely helpful to summarize the video as a whole.
@lilytea3 + @ambition112 + @joeltorres9898
🤨You could've saved yourself the trouble if you had taken the time to click and check the-pretty comprehensive-video description!
@@joeltorres9898
Which he *does,* without fail (but oc, you won't see it if you can't be bothered to click on "more")...🙄
@@Faladaena Nah fam
I just discovered this man, i live is Spain, im just a regular guy, electrician, and waiter before, but i can notice this man is great, full of knowledge, and he speaks so clearly and straight, i start to follow him, and at the same time practice my poor english language, congratulations to you Doctor, youre amazing 👍👍👍
"I" is always big, never "i".
and "I live in Spain" not "is Spain".
"you're" not "youre"
@@bahaadeenal-ees1488 thank you Sr, I appreciate 👍
Huberman necesita ser doblado al español para que todo el mundo lo pueda disfrutar. ¡Y queremos un Brain-Body contract en España / We want a brain-body contract in Spain too!
@@metta6516 that would be fantastic, i've never heard or seen any professional here, and its very interesting and think people would accept it with arms wide open
@@marianokirco4377 you have good English brother
I'm a psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents. This podcast episode was far more informative and immediately applicable than any lecture series or graduate-level course I have thus far attended. I am not surprised, as Dr. Huberman is a phenomenal teacher, but I am exceptionally grateful for all the easy-to-understand examples he puts forth in this episode that I can utilize starting today to help patients and their families better understand this disorder and available treatment options. Thank you, Dr. H!
Maybe look into the long term health effects of this garbage. And maybe not put children on it.
@@brockbrawn1524 with all do respect, this is by far the most well-researched class of psychotropic medications in the pediatric population; this includes several longitudinal studies.
Russell Barclays is one of the best experts on the subject.
Great episode!! My partner has ADHD and wasn't diagnosed properly until he was 28-29 years old because his parents had a stigma against the medication when he was a child. He managed to get through and excel in his masters, but only through self-medicating with caffeine, smoking and alcohol which was detrimental to his physical health. Now he's doing his PhD with medication, he's off the drinking and smoking, exercising more, eating better, and it is a complete world of difference for him.
Your partner is a champ. It’s a journey to properly understand yourself and the biology. But when you find what works - good for him for pushing through and righting himself.
I have adHd, similar situation as your husbands except my mom put me on adderall but because my father and his family had a stigma against the medication I was taken off of it and been off ever since. Barely made it through college but just got accepted into grad school considering taking medication again
@@LifeFilmz No harm in trying taking medication again, it could very well help as it has for my partner! And if it doesn't work, you can always come off them again and focus on lifestyle strategies more. All the best to you!
@@LifeFilmz if it helps you then defintely talk to your doctor, if it doesn't then there are other things... all the best ...
What meds worked for him?
Huge service to the ADHD community. You summarise so much neurobiology into precise illuminated explanations. Your advocacy for ADHD in the popular podcast sphere is essential! 🙏
Hear! Hear! (and what a beautifully written comment, too) 👍
I feel like I need to share this podcast with everyone in my life so that they may better understand me.❤
It’s the exact opposite of service to the adhd community. He has used conjecture and stated it as facts even the Instagram post is riddled with typos. Stop kissing his ass when he is being a disappointment
@@racheldepeche508 what exactly was conjecture? You sound like a troll
@@courtneymeehan504 0:14 and I can't 0:21 0:21 Avocado 😮
Here are the key highlights from the discussion:
• Stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse are commonly prescribed to treat ADHD. They work by increasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine.
Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse are stimulant medications commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They work by increasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.
Dopamine helps treat the core symptoms of ADHD in a few ways:
Noise reduction:
By boosting dopamine levels, stimulants can help suppress distracting thoughts, stimuli, and urges. This helps "reduce noise" in the brain and improve focus.
Signal amplification:
Norepinephrine helps amplify relevant signals that the individual needs to pay attention to. This improves the brain's ability to detect important stimuli and direct attention appropriately.
Neuroplasticity:
Increased dopamine and norepinephrine levels promote neuroplasticity, which helps strengthen and "train" the brain circuits involved in attention, focus and impulse control. This can provide lasting benefits even after medication use ends.
So in essence, stimulants work by optimizing the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain to alleviate the core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The "calming" effects come from the brain's increased ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli and focus attention where needed.
This is a simplified overview of the basic mechanisms of how stimulants work to treat ADHD. Let me know if you have any other questions!
• Increased dopamine helps reduce "noise" in the brain by suppressing distracting thoughts and stimuli. Increased norepinephrine helps amplify relevant signals to improve focus.
Here are some additional details on how dopamine and norepinephrine contribute to improved focus in ADHD:
Dopamine:
• Dopamine increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the brain. It helps tune out irrelevant background thoughts, stimuli, and internal sensations. This "reduces noise" to improve focus.
• The prefrontal cortex uses dopamine to inhibit distracting activity in other parts of the brain, like the default mode network. This allows for more targeted attention.
• Higher dopamine levels allow the brain to shift attention among relevant stimuli or tasks more easily. This supports aspects of executive function like task switching.
So in general, dopamine helps suppress distractors to boost the "signal" the individual needs to focus on.
Norepinephrine:
• Norepinephrine activates the salience network in the brain, which detects important stimuli that demand attention.
• It amplifies relevant signals at synapses to strengthen communication between neural circuits involved in focus and attention.
• Norepinephrine is thought to help sustain attention on important tasks over time by optimizing cognitive performance.
Together, dopamine and norepinephrine work in complementary ways:
• Dopamine helps reduce noise and distractors, while norepinephrine boosts the salience of relevant signals to improve focus.
• The right balance of these neurotransmitters, as achieved with stimulant medications, helps individuals with ADHD better direct and maintain their attention on important tasks and information.
• The dosage needs to be individualized and closely monitored. Too high of a dose can cause side effects like anxiety, psychosis, and cardiac issues.
Dosage:
• There is tremendous individual variation in the optimal dosage of ADHD stimulants for different people.
• Some people require very low doses (e.g. 2.5 - 5 mg of Adderall), while others need much higher doses (up to 100+ mg for Vyvanse).
• The general approach is to start with the lowest effective dose and increase gradually as needed based on response and side effects.
• Weight-based dosing is used as a rough guideline, but actual dosage requirements vary widely and are determined by testing different doses.
Side effects of high doses:
• Too high of a stimulant dose can cause side effects like:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Psychotic symptoms (in susceptible individuals)
• High doses can also lead to addiction, abuse potential and drug seeking behaviors.
• Peripheral effects like suppressed appetite, weight loss, headaches and tics may also occur at excessive doses.
• Some individuals become tolerant to higher doses over time, requiring even higher amounts to achieve the same benefits. This increases risk of side effects.
Key takeaways:
• The optimal stimulant dose for ADHD treatment is the lowest effective amount that:
1. Significantly improves symptoms
2. Is well tolerated
3. Does not cause unwanted side effects
• Close monitoring of dose, response and side effects by a psychiatrist is critical, especially as doses change over time.
• Individualizing dosage based on a patient's needs, biology and characteristics can maximize benefits while minimizing risks.
Hope this expanded explanation of dosage and side effects provides useful additional context! Let me know if you have any other questions.
• Taking stimulants during development can help "train" the brain circuits involved in focus and attention. But they must be used judiciously to avoid long-term issues.
Benefits of early treatment:
• Taking stimulant medications during childhood and adolescence can promote neuroplasticity in the brain circuits involved in focus and attention.
• This "training" effect can help strengthen these circuits and establish better functioning even after medication use ends.
• Early treatment of ADHD with stimulants has been linked to:
- Improved executive function and cognitive performance
- Better school outcomes
- Higher rates of high school and college graduation
- Less severe ADHD symptoms over the long term
Potential risks of early use:
• Excessively high or prolonged doses of stimulants during development could potentially:
- Impact growth and development
- Disrupt the endocrine system
- Increase risk of substance abuse or addiction
- Lead to behavioral or sleep problems
• However, properly monitored and appropriately dosed stimulant treatment during childhood does not appear to significantly increase these risks.
Key considerations for early treatment:
• Monitoring growth, sleep, hormones, mood and behavior is important when using stimulants during development.
• Starting at the lowest effective dose and gradually titrating upward based on response and side effects can help maximize benefits while minimizing risks.
• Periodic "drug holidays" were originally recommended to allow the brain to normalize, though this practice has fallen out of favor recently.
• Combining medication with behavioral therapies and lifestyle modifications may produce the best long-term outcomes.
• Stimulant treatment during development should generally continue as long as it significantly improves symptoms and functioning without major side effects.
In summary, while stimulants carry some risks during development, properly monitored and appropriately dosed treatment appears to provide neuroplasticity benefits that can last well beyond medication use - especially when combined with behavioral interventions. However, judicious and individualized use is essential to minimize potential harms.
• There are risks of abuse and addiction with stimulants, but properly prescribed and monitored treatment for ADHD may actually reduce those risks compared to untreated ADHD.
• Other options like Modafinil, Armodafinil, and Guanfacine are also used off-label to treat ADHD. They work through different mechanisms.
• Combining drug treatments with behavioral interventions tends to be the most effective approach for managing ADHD.
• Regular check-ins with a qualified psychiatrist are important to determine the right medications, dosages, and monitoring of side effects over time.
In summary, stimulants and other drugs do have a role to play in treating ADHD when used properly. But careful consideration, dosage adjustment, and combination with non-drug treatments are critical to minimize risks and maximize benefits.
Was this you OR Chat gpt 4?
if you typed all this yourself, i thank you deeply. if you used chat GPT, still i thank you greatly. good day!
Me and my ADHD thank you, beautiful summary
@Nils Hachmann it's going to be cool when these summaries are a standard feature of youtube. Especially for videos like Hubermans
@nilshachmann9480 that was definitely chat gpt
The irony of a two hour podcast discussing adhd stimulants .
@JessicaDavies-wh2ex your mother
haha bro I'm trying so hard to listen
And to think he claimed he couldn't find humour in science 😂❤
😆
My doctor referred me to an adhd skills class for adults that was 2 and a half hours 😭😂
Sometimes the timing Huberman has to upload things I suddenly want to know is pretty scary.
ok whatever u say buddy
Agreed, I got diagnosed with ADHD 4 days ago..
I swear!!
@AntsFloridahe has another older episode on adhd that’s super interesting. Less on the drugs but just the disorder itself
Exactly. Just today I was telling my students about ADHD and when I came back I got notification of this podcast 🥺
Thanks for the black background and the lack of decor as well as black shirt. Perfect. No distraction
I’m an adhd interior designer so the monochromatic look works best for me. Otherwise, I am so distracted by the horrible lighting, microphone, sound, paint color on walls, placement of accessories on credenza or bookshelves, clothing choice, hair, makeup all the way down to the pen. About 20 minutes into a podcast is when I realize that I haven’t heard a thing & need to rewind.
😂
I was an adult in my 30s when I was diagnosed. I was referred to a psychiatrist for depression. I waited 6 months for my appointment and when I went I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen. They were going to say I'm depressed and prescribe anti-depressants and recommend therapy. At the end of that first appointment, when my psychiatrist said "I think you have ADHD", I laughed out loud in his face. It was the LAST thing I was expecting to hear. I could not believe it. Being medically treated for ADHD changed my life. It was like I was experiencing the world for the first time. A fog I had never seen before was lifted off of me. I have been very lucky in my ADHD journey in that I have not experienced the many hurdles and horror stories I've heard from other people with ADHD, but I have certainly had difficulties. Getting the diagnosis was the easiest part.
For a time my prescription was 80mg Vyvanse daily. One time I couldn't get into my regular physicians office for a refill, because I left it to the last minute, so I went to a drop in clinic. And despite living in a country with socialized healthcare where health records have standardized access to all providers (the physician could verify my prescription history and diagnosis), this physician would not prescribe me the 80mg dose that I was currently on. To justify this decision, he brought out this little promotional card made by Vyvanse, and showed me where it said 70mg was the highest recommended daily dose. So he prescribed my 70mg. He didn't need to show me the promotional card because I knew the real reason. He risked being audited by his college if he refilled my prescription at the dose I was on.
For the first three years I had to physically go into my physicians office every single month for my prescription. I was a clinical researcher in my 30s, multiple university degrees, no legal or substance abuse history, and for 3 years they treated me like the primary risk of my condition was drug accountability. Now I am nearly 40 and I have been granted the comfort of a physician refill for 3 months at a time. I confronted my physician about this on my last visit. I said that I am going to have ADHD for the rest of my life. Are you really going to have me come into this office every 3 months when I'm 80? Yes. The answer was yes.
I have an American friend with ADHD, and he recently told me that he is required to submit a urine test, every month, before his provider will issue a prescription. He was told this was to make sure he was taking the full dose. But we all know the real reasons. It's unconscionable.
Being diagnosed with ADHD has improved my life, but being treated like a drug dealer for no other reason than complying with treatment for my condition has challenged me.
80mg is really high for vyvans, 70 is the max here in the UK, I’m on 50 bumped up from 40 and it’s by far most optimal for me.
@@stefanokuoimose7991 in this episode, Huberman states that in some cases Vyvanse and other stimulants can be prescribed at very high doses. Everyone metabolizes it differently. He gives plenty of examples of some people (who were carefully monitored) requiring higher doses than the standard recommendations to treat their ADHD without experiencing negative side effects.
Wrong. Stimulants simply put our brains 🧠 into Super Drive, over-powering all other normal functions of the brain. ADHD is the result of abuse - emotional and / or physical! It's far less costly to treat with pills than to delve into family problems. How do I know? Because I psychoanalyzed myself... could not afford an analyst. No depression, no thoughts of suicide, no sugar or alcohol craving, no rage or bizarre behavior. Don't believe everything you are told. Learn to THINK for yourselves! ❤😊
@@hairyflour yea but a STARTING dose of 80mg is very inappropriate. You need to titrate the dosage up to 80mg. Also, your body starts to tolerate the drug. So it is very inappropriate for a doc to start someone off that high- when it stops being as effective, what dose will the pt take? As a doctor, I actually think this is very unfair to the pt. The pt fully trusts the dosage and if the doc fucks it up that can be detrimental (I.e. the opioid epidemic).
But at the same time, we do not know anything because we weren’t there. This is all assumption and I hope I’m wrong and everything is working out.
That’s insanity. My physician has me take a urine test to make sure I’m not taking any illegal substances once a year. Once a month?! That’s insanity
As a provider who diagnoses and prescribes these medications, thank you, I’ll be sharing this video with my patients. This is such a wealth of knowledge.
Thank you, Andrew. I am 57 and was diagnosed in June this year. I'm a retired teacher and always suspected I hd add due to my experience with students with add as well as all the PD I've received on the topic. The diagnosis and resulting treatment has absolutely changed my life. Beyond quieting the chatter in my head and improving my executive function, it has completely eliminated my sugar cravings. It'd truly been incredible. Thank you for this lecture.
I too diagnosed in my late 50s. Speed calms me down!
What medication are you taking?
What medicine helped you?
How did u get better I have very high ADHD what medicine did u take & I'm also seeing a phychiatrist and counselor
What medicine have you been taking!
Thanks
Im on Vyvance 70mg, prescribed in my 30's after a lifelong time of untreated ADHD. Its been a life saver and changed my life incredibly.
How did you get seen? It's ruined my life, been on waiting list for over 5 years, you in the uk?
@@saiyaniam thats crazy. Im from the uk and i went through the nhs for my diagnosis back in feb 2021. I got diagnosed last month (waited 2 years) and i have been on elvanse 40mg (called vyvanse in the US). Its a life changer. Im finally on the same level as my peers when it comes to focus and productivity. Im not sure why youre still on the waiting list. Id call up and ask.
I just started Vyvanse 6 weeks ago, been titrating. Currently on 30mg, I'm curious about what the right dosage for me will be.
@saiyaniam that’s an insane wait time. I evaluated and prescribed Adderall after seeing my PCP. I’m in the states though
@@saiyaniam im in the UK, I got a private diagnosis, nhs waiting list is 2+ years
I have been extensively researching ADHD for 4 years after (finally) being diagnosed at 38 yr old. Inattentive ADHD in the female population is just now getting the attention it deserves. To hear the latest and greatest research is so helpful as it helps me understand the why behind the what and helps me be my own advocate with my doctors. Thank you for this amazing and valuable content!!
As a female I was diagnosed in 1997 when I was 36. That's when ADHD in adults hit all the headlines - until then it was considered a childhood thing, and all the doctors said kids "grow out of it." Au contraire!
Really can't overstate how much this man has improved my life.
I finally found a provider who actually listened to me and what I’d been struggling with my whole life, I had all the “potential” but never met up to it… I was called lazy among many other things. I couldn’t complete tasks and attempting college was an impossible task for me. My doctor encouraged me to get testing done and sure enough… adhd… it was hard at first grieving all the perceived wasted time I didn’t know or beat myself up over and over feeling like a constant failure. My doctor and I have worked to find a great combination of prescriptions that have completely turned my life around. I’m way more productive, I don’t miss things at work, I have a greater desire to exceed at my career. I have completely reframed my internal negative beliefs about myself and I’m able to feel accomplished when I complete things that used to be the biggest mountain to climb. I really enjoy digging into the science and understanding of my diagnosis and I really enjoyed this video. Thank you so much for providing this content.
Side note, where are my fellow adhd folks that listened to this on 2x speed and multitasked so we wouldn’t lose interest 😂😂
Would you mind sharing the combination of prescriptions you are on? In my late 40’s & still trying to find what works for me. I relate immensely to a lot of what you shared about yourself.
2x the speed? I'm having a hard time paying attention on normal speed. I'm halfway through and haven't learned a thing. I'm terrified to go back on adhd drugs.
@brockbrawn1524 Oh god really why? I scared to go on them as antidepressants withdrawal hass ruined my life
@jessicafrancis1596 same late 40s and diagnosed yesterday 😢
I had to play a video game while listening to this, lol. Also, I was also diagnosed late. Either way I don't understand what he was trying to say about taking vacations and weekends of the meds. Is that a desirable practice or does it hinder the plasticity change towards governing your brain?
Thank you so much for this in depth review. I was diagnosed with ADD(ADHD) in second grade. I tried different medications over the years. Ritalin made me want to hurt my parents and Adderall gave me short term psychosis, even on a low dose. I have found other tools over the years to help me cope with my ADHD instead and personally respond really well to just a little caffeine, diet, exercise and sleep. My thoughts are with anyone who deals with this. You are not stupid your brain just works differently than others. 💙
Adderall ruins a lot of people. Just most live in denial because they’re hooked to Adderall. 🇺🇸 glad you broke away from it!
I just hate how tired I are. Where I live, Vyvanse is more common.
I was very fortunate that my father was highly against them giving me any drugs as a kid, unfortunately I started self medicating at a young age with cannabis. Now a days I've built the same type of tools, exercise, diet, and nootropics
@@jumpingman6612 it’s all basically meth. That Rx will ruin everyone eventually. You become less human as the years go on. I recommend you don’t take it unless you want to live a shorter life.
Exactly, diet, exercise, caffeine, sleep, and don’t forget Jesus helps too!!
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got diagnosed with ADHD. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
I love hearing great life changing stories like this. I want to become a mycologist because honestly mushrooms are the best form of medicine (most especially the psychedelic ones) There are so many people today used magic mushrooms to ween off of SSRI medication- its amazing! Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death buddy, lets be honest here.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Predroshrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, addiction. Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I'm so very happy for you mate, Psilocybin is absolutely amazing, the way it shows you things, the way it teaches you things. I can not believe our world and our people shows less interest about it's helpfulness to humanity. It's love. The mushrooms heals people by showing the truth, it would be so beneficial for so many people, especially politicians and the rich who have lost their way and every other persons out there.
Where do I reach this dude? If possible can I find him on Google
This is hands down the best video on ADHD and associated meds that I have seen on TH-cam. Most videos either go so high level that I don’t learn anything new, or they fear monger about meds. I just started Adderall and was taking Atemoxetine before that, and it’s very helpful to understand what’s happening. I am happy to finally feel the “quiet” in my brain after a lifetime of thinking about everything all at once without being able to control it. Before medicine, I even got to the point where I was sleepy by noon every day and used to sneak home to take naps. I have suffered from years of having to work on weekends or nights to catch up. I was binging out of control because I couldn’t control my impulses. Finally medication is helping.
And yes - I do exercise and try to eat right, and use behavioral therapy, but it wasn’t enough. A combo of all of these plus meds has helped me so much.
adderall is just meth. be careful listening to snakes like this guy. you will get lots of truth and some potent poison mixed in with it. that is how they operate.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.sporessss I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Is he on instagram?
Yes he is. dr.sporessss
Can Dr. sporessss send to me in UK?
It’s such a privilege to access such extensive information from a Stanford professor in the comfort of my home. Thank you, @hubermanlab for producing these amazing lectures. Guys, it costs $6K per QUARTER to audit (sit in on) classes at Stanford… and almost $80K per year when enrolled for credit. And we are getting this for free. Amazing stuff…. Just amazing. Thank you!
If you think this is remotely comparable to his lectures at Stanford, I feel sorry for you.
Wow, what a rude comment, Vidzz. Of course it’s not like a university course. But it is nice to have someone of his caliber creating understandable content for laypeople in a structured format, the way a good college professor would. His credentials are respectable, and his discipline and intelligence are admirable. How else would millions of people get a little taste of what it’s like to be taught by a Stanford professor? There is immense value in the quality of these podcasts. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m doing fine, but you might want to check your attitude.
@@MultiPcExpertGhost of course this has a different content composition and style than his lectures but the information being presented is still part of what he may present but more importantly is still from this knowledgeable authority, he digests information which is illegible to the common public and presents it in an easily communicable way, don’t see your point here
Privilege is correct - i am a neuroscience major and what he does puts the theory and practice in a well communicated picture im not sure many lecturers can. If anyone wants to learn this for themselves at college go for it but making knowledge accessible to lay people is filling a huge gap in healthcare and really important work.
In Europe you often get more up to date information and can study and get a degree come to that, for free. Much of the 'information' given here is really waffle in fact.
Who else is watching this at 2x⏩ speed while also reading the comments and looking for the next video to watch? 😅
me!
Fuck my life. So on point
If you do all these while watching THIS vid AND understand all the info.. then i bet you're not an ADD person. You're prolly a genius of some sort
Dam. Yes.
While a movie is playing on the tv lol
I'm 34 and have severe ADHD. Started taking Vyvanse this year and it has drastically changed my life for the better when it comes to my focus and career. No more constant fatigue and inability to focus. Now I can harness the good parts of ADHD without some of the crippling downsides.
What dose?
Did you take adderall beforehand?
Same. I got diagnosed last year at 39, went through 2 or other 3 drugs until I started taking Vyvanse and I’ve seen such a great change.
The podcast mentions that kids who take ADHD medications will learn to focus better (neuroplasticity) and ideally won't be reliant on the medication for life. As someone who began taking Vyvanse as an adult, would you say you have experienced any of that neuroplasticity?
@@fullpint I think so, for example even if I stop taking Vyvanse I feel like I can focus better than I used to, but its possible that I could just be mis-remembering, you know? But I do think it has made a difference when I'm off meds. Just can't be 100% certain.
You've quickly rose to the top as far as leading person we "ADHDers" listen to, to better understand our disorder and better take care of ourselves.
Literally, just crying saying I don’t know the right thing to do. I don’t know if I should take medication or not I don’t wanna negatively affect my brain chemistry further, and I wish I was praying for the right advice and boom this video. God bless you thank you so much I really trust you with all of my heart.
Those self doubts are exactly what prevented me from getting help earlier. I took a pain killer for an abscess tooth called Tramadol and it made me feel super good. Interestingly enough it promotes the same chemicals as Vyvanse and so that’s how I got on it lol. I wish I was diagnosed in the 3rd grade, because that’s when my focusing problems got bad and I’ve been a bad student my whole life due to my inability to focus. Now I feel like a different person.
@@TheNuclearBolton It's cause you're on legal meth. Everything prolly feels good and "easy"
I'm 31 and I just recently decided to get on medication I was skeptical my whole life as well.
With ADHD, your brain wasn't working correctly from the start, so why shouldn't you take medication? If you have ADHD, I highly, highly recommend you seek help for it. Medication helped me big time.
@@Hunnna_Jay Thats the thing though, for an ADHD brain a reasonable dose of something like aderall or vivance doesn't produce euphoria.
This was BY FAR the best explanation I have come across of ADHD. The concerns I have were addressed concisely and east to understand.Thank you for making science easy for those of us who sometimes just can’t “get” it. ❤
😅🎉😅🎉😅😂😅😮
As someone diagnosed with ADHD, I really appreciate this special!
I got distracted about 5 mins in though so no idea what the actual content is. Sure its really good
same😂😫
Listen to it at more than 1x speed that's the only way to not get distracted.
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
I always put him at 1.25x speed and then it's much easier to listen to him 😅
I only saw 30% and understood only part of your presentation, but the fact that you have zero dislikes is a testament to the quality of your research and review. You present in such a rational way that it does us nervous/anxious ADHD types such a service when trying to understand ourselves. A warm thank you.
Dislikes are no longer displayed on TH-cam FYI. It’s not zero.
THANK YOU!!! for such an amazing podcast on ADHD medication. It was so well done. I am a parent of an ADHD kid and had so much shame about putting my kid on medication. It is such a journey and so refreshing to have such good scientific explanation about medication. It has really saved my kid's childhood experience especially in school. A few notes to add...my kid had to go through many different medications before finding one that worked and then every few years we had to make a change. This can be a hard journey. Guanfacine was prescribed to my kid to help with RSD, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a common ADHD issue. She took it from about age 9 to 15. She just got off of Guanfacine. It was so needed and helped, but she is now mature enough to be able to deal with hard situations. When she was younger she was so sensitive that any critical feedback /bullying etc. she would lose it and not be able to function. It is nice to look at medication as temporary and that there is a path to getting off of it. She is still on Vyvanse but, again since she has matured, and working with her doctors can do a lower dose in the summer and also takes days off without significate side affects. I can see her as an adult only needing some focus meds like Vyvanse when needed. Additionally it has made me think more clearly about other medications like Zoloft for anxiety. While anxiety meds were not part of this podcast, it provided a nice framework to think about medications as temporary (even if it is for years), people change and it is good to think of most medication as something that is only needed during certain stages of life. My kid will likely only need until she is in her 20's and she can choose to get off of them if she wants. I am so thankful for medication options. These medications truly improved the quality of life for my kid and our family. THANK YOU so much for this episode and creating a positive environment to share an often sensitive subject.
Re: Tardive Dyskinesia:...I have developed this condition from long term use of Adderall and/or SSRIs. For those unfamiliar with the movement disorder, common symptoms are involuntary writhing movements of the tongue and mouth, which my M.D. says cannot be controlled. It is commonly known that older antipsychotic medications result in t.d.; however, whether due to the pharmaceutical companies not wanting it acknowledged, or for whatever reason, there is little awareness and focus on this resulting condition; be aware.
Thank you for another fascinating lecture, Dr. Huberman; you are such an effective communicator.
Thank you for your comment. This will be something that needs to be taken into consideration before taking these meds.
Would be cool to also touch on or hear about the dangers of undiagnosed or untreated ADHD. How those stack up against the negatives of these medications.
Great video!
More prone to accidents, drug usage, jail time, crime , poor work conditions, frequent job changes, low school grades, relationship issues, comorbidities and more.
I was undiagnosed till 62 years old. I wonder how much more my school, my work, my interpersonal relationships would have been so much better had I known it sooner. Ah well. Press on.
12-13 year less life expectancy on average for someone diagnosed as an adult with ADHD who chooses not to treat it. Seems pretty serious! Plus also significantly less income on average, much more likely to have depression and anxiety and more. Writing this as someone in my early forties who recently realised I have it.
oh my fucking god he should interview me then ong @Andrew Huberman LMFAOO
Everything is harder for no apparent reason
I would love more content on ADHD. There is so much confusion out there. Thanks for all that you do Andrew!
It's because it's not based on actual hard evidence. It's a working theory, nothing else.
@@TheDavveponkenbasically all of mental health is a theory though
@@chuck4714 Sure, but psychiatry (that diagnose and prescribe dangerous drugs) is purported as a science - which it isn't.
He has realized a podcast about it… search n his channel and you’ll find it!
@@chuck4714 100% correct.
Dexamphetamine has been a life changer for me. I'm in my 4th year of being diagnosed in my early 40's with ADHD. I'm so much more stable and able to cope with the challenges that life throws at me.
How to stop thinking about past?
@@thetruth7105 practice. Mindfulness/meditation
@@thetruth7105 basically... go therapy and meditate....
@@tvh369 ofc... this medication is helping you to not look for outside stimulants, that's why you were excited to play Zelda without it... outside stimulant, you took your medicine which is an stimulant therefore you don't lookfor the new Zelda game (outside stimulant) got it? Duuuuh
@@tvh369 but is that what's happening to you? You get no excitement from anything? Or its cause that precise game doesn't excite you anymore? But i would suggest if nothing excites you anymore well check out the doses 😉
I wish I had this information when my son was younger! My son is 18yrs old now, freshman in college and has been on Vyvanse since he was around 8yrs old. He says he doesn't feel like he needs to take it all the time. Makes sense after you explained how the brain is trained when on the meds. Thank you for the wonderful information/education, priceless for a parent like me.
yea, sure 😂
He just says that or he actually skips most days? Alcoholics also say they can stop any moment, you know...
The high dosage segment is actually very comforting to me.
I've been afraid of bumping up my dose, just because I was afraid of the side effects, but knowing that as long as the psychiatrist approves, it should be safe, that is making me feel better about taking that step.
My psychiatrist gave some crazy pain medication to make me stop cold turkey smoking weed. I would say do your own research en check if you agree first!
Even your Psychiatrist say it is safe , it does not mean that it is, if it is too much he can lower it down, they are their just monitor, so still do your own reasearch.
Average psychiatrists don’t seem to know much of anything, let alone the safety of the drugs they perscribe. If his name was Chris Palmer, then sure. Otherwise not.
@@Divinefapper truer words have never been spoken.
Brother just because he's a psychiatrist says it's ok doesn't mean it is. Alot of times people that have actually taken the drug for a long time know more than the psych
Thanks so much for putting this content out there. I was put on ADD meds about 20 years ago and have seen many psychiatrists and have tried to go off medication many times unsuccessfully. The medication still helps me manage daily life and especially with focus at work, but it also taxes my system frequently and can impact my relationships and ability to wind down and relax at home due to the hyper focus state it causes. I'd love if you could do a podcast that goes into more detail on strategies for helping support the brain and particularly nervous system if you have been on ADD meds for a long time and want to get off or taper down. I also think there are a lot of women out there on these meds wondering what is the best thing to do when they get pregnant and want to breastfeed. It's a HUGE topic that I could not find very information or guidance around other than just stop your meds, which I felt could be very dangerous for some people.
Well said April Larson
&
I think that this needs to be openly discussed as well because there a lot of children being put on these drugs for simple behavior/focus issues & by the time these children reach adulthood. Most of these young adults find themselves dependent on a drug that they never had a say so in the matter when initially being prescribed to them. Yet now they have to deal with the side effects & issues that come with being prescribed to these drugs as an adult.
I think that this is sad.
&
I would even go as far as calling it a Crime Against Humanity.
American Intermediary 1/10/24
" Unfortunately, it seems that money over morals has somehow corrupted the very foundation of Humanity. "
I completely agree. I'm going to continue to study ADHD on my own because there is an insane gap in understanding and knowledge of our circumstances in our daily lives...
Andrew, you're incredibly generous. Sharing knowledge on these subjects is so precious.
I take Vyvanse for ADHD but also for Binge Eating Disorder. It’s the only thing that completely helps me to control my impulses and not binge. It’s not about the appetite suppressant effect of the meds but the ability to be able to choose better and to not seek dopamine in food. Thanks for this video!
Sounds like the hollywood pple who snort coke for weight maintenance
100% the appetitie supressant effect plays a huge role, dont kid yourself
@@limehouseblues It’s not about the appetite indeed because I have binges where I was not hungry. Binge eating can be triggered by hunger but for me it’s mostly triggered by about emotion desregulation and the impulsivity to do anything to calm down the emotion. This last years I have used food. When I was a teenager, other things. Vyvanse helps me to think better when taking a decision and to do better choices regarding food or my life in general.
Adhd is linked to binge eating
Yes my son binge ate until obesity. Ritalin helped with his impulse control even his temper. He now wants to go back to it. He took a low dose when he was on it and it helped him tremendously.
Simply next level and inspirational! Articulate and easy to comprehend!
Damn Stanford isn't paying you enough?
@@krush2354the commenter doesn’t go to Harvard you’d say pay him not - pay you enough
Such an informative episode especially the focus (no pun intended) on kids. I have an 8 yr old recently diagnosed & the truth is ADHD runs so incredibly deep & impossible for people to understand if they are not dealing with it themselves either personally or with a child. Your podcasts on this topic specifically, shines a little more light onto the empathy everyone should have on neurodiverse kids (& their parents) & how important it is to have a society support these kids more. Thank you Andrew.
Concerta has been a lifechanger for me after 28 years of fighting myself for every drop of motivation. ADHD-PI used to be called ADD, so if people misconstrue it with hyperactivity, that's why!
What’s Concerta?
@@emma.muhleman extended release ritalin
Concerta doesn’t do much for me.
@@emma.muhlemanmethylphenidate
Concerta = special long acting methylphenidate
Hey Andrew, your podcast is amazing! I was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid-forties. I did stimulants to a problematic degree when I was young (not the kind you get a prescription for). The cravings were always there, even after I hadn't touched anything like that for decades. Then, after my diagnosis, I started taking Concerta. My cravings have been gone since. I think I was trying to do for myself what Concerta does for me but without the actual tools. This is such good information and something that so many people should hear
I too was diagnosed in my 40’s. My drug of choice was sugar, I was definitely using it to self medicate. Vyvanse has helped no end, much more so than my trial with Concerta.
LOL ADHD can be cured by full and complete psychoanalysis. Let's face it...pills are more fun and certainly more profitable for some.
@@kirstinstrand6292 I respectfully disagree. I grew up with ADHD, and the meds made a huge, huge, huge difference to me - no amount of therapy came close
@@kirstinstrand6292so you didn’t listen to the podcast?
@@kirstinstrand6292please explain how psychoanalysis will make the blood flow to the prefrontal cortex properly, which brain scans have shown that it doesn’t in ADHD children. Also please explain how psychoanalysis will balance dopamine and norepinephrine in those with an imbalance.
Andrew, you have absolutely unique ability to convey the most difficult topic with "regular" words and structure, thank you!
As someone with narcolepsy, this video was of equal interest for me as someone with ADHD. Thanks alot for the video!
Do you take meds for both btw? I've also got both...
@@allydelano8573I was diagnosed with both as well. How are you both managing it?
@@dannytq I'm not really! I take meds for both but have only recently found out about the ADHD. You?
@Ally Delano long story short I started experiencing adverse cognitive symptoms and bad daytime sleepiness in my mid 20's. I got diagnosed with Narcolepsy but decided against taking dex amphetamine (I'm a bit anti-drug). I continued on with life and made lifestyle changes which made the daytime sleepiness more manageable but eventually by life started spiralling out of control so I started looking for answers and got diagnosed with ADHD and have been on dex since I was 31. I'm 38 today and would say I'm thriving. Looking back I believe bad diet and lack of exercise really exacerbate ADHD symptoms. In high school and university I was high performer without medication but the sedentary lifestyle from working seems to have put my body out or sync and led to my original spiral.
Not really. There are quite a few adderall alternatives with just as much research as modafinil that weren’t mentioned. He didn’t mention any of the legit compounds proven to lower adderall/stimulant tolerance either. Do your own research if you give a shit that much
As a Huberman groupie I am eager to hear this one. I was diagnosed with ADD at age 47 twenty-five years ago and it was life-changing. I have been taking Ritalin ever since. I hope I can listen with an open mind.
Coincidentally, I was just diagnosed a couple of months ago at 47, so thanks for this post--it gave me a lot of hope this morning!
Congratulations for making it to 70 and beyond 🎉
@@tiptapkey in addition to medication, today there is so much more information and help available than there was back when I started the journey.
From my experience and my interaction with others in the same situation, those who just do meds struggle a lot more and don’t get the benefit from the meds they otherwise could.
I would also recommend Huberman Lab #53 The Science of Making and Breaking Habits as well as the episodes dealing with Dopamine.
I wish you well.
If you listened to this whole thing you're actually cured and you don't have add anymore lol😅
@@zaplito3023 Good advice! That's a great episode. I've suspected I've had it for years, but when I first brought it up to a doc he acted like I was drug seeking and that made me hopeless I could find meds. But since that time, I researched a LOT about ADHD, and many things were very helpful, but it also turned out I was doing a lot of the recommended things for good functioning on my own. I guess once you get to a certain age you either figure it out or find yourself in dire straits. I'm also in therapy, which has helped a lot and was my motivator to try again to find an accepting doctor who would listen to me. Just as meds only go so far, white knuckling life only goes so far as well.
Best video on ADHD and most thorough explanation of drug effects, the first time I hear about lasting benefits of drugs on connections in neurons
Thanks so much Andrew for the deep dive into ADHD and associated treatments. I always see a high level of integrity and impartiality in your work. Appreciated!
I really appreciate this episode. Thank you❤️.
I’m diagnosed with ADHD and wouldn’t wish it on anyone but I’m not looking for sympathies or attention.😊
I’m always trying to ignore “negative” reporting on ADHD but it’s sometimes unavoidable.
I don’t understand why it’s still so common to claim that ADHD isn’t “real”? I’ve heard several doctors claim that ADHD isn’t a real thing!
I rarely tell anyone that I have ADHD, unless I’m in a situation where it’s relevant.
As a result, I often hear people saying they have occasional ADHD (despite no diagnosis) or that “everyone” has ADHD.
In other words, people with a diagnosis must be faking or imagining things?
With this in mind, it’s super frustrating that patients aren’t offered brain scans. If I understand correctly, it’s possible to detect or “see” ADHD?
If so, why isn’t imaging offered as part of a diagnosis? This would serve the needs of patients AND hopefully stop misinformation about ADHD as something fake or imaginary.
This might not seem like a big deal. I shouldn’t let other people’s opinions affect me, but they do. I can’t wait til the day that ADHD diagnostic tools improve, because it makes me feel incredibly invalidated when people say it’s not real despite the very real and negative consequences ADHD has had on my life.
I got autism but potential adhd to
Dr. Amen does brain imaging to detect ADHD. It's incredible, runs 3k. Has a location in L.A.
It would be awesome if Huberman did a podcast with him! Both amazing human beings.
Well then I shall make a trip to L.A
This video is impossibly long for my ADHD brain. But really appreciate how its broken up with time stamps like that - helps a lot, thanks!
I will watch this again a dozen more times and I will need to take notes
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s and currently use 50mg Vyvanse, It's been a life saver but I've never used any other medications. I also suspect I'm one of the ADHD members whose on the spectrum but there's very little information about the overlap.
Thanks for all you're work Dr.
Hi I will turn one year in July under Vyvanse 20mg, how long you have been under vyvanse ? how many milligrams did you start with?
Thank you for your service for ADHD kids + parents everywhere who have been scrambling to understand how this all fits! So grateful - and know what questions I'll be bringing to my kiddos next psychiatry appointment. Thanks Dr H, I hope you know how much of a positive impact your podcast has on so many!
I'm a 52 yr old femalle, l have adhd, and I've had some college before life took over. I'm a little ocd, and I had a double major in pharmacology and physical therapy. This is just my speed. I enjoy it. I deeply thank you ..this is a topic I can really drill down into. Thank you, Andrew Huberman!
I really appreciate that you address you audience as the GENERAL PUBLIC. Thank you very much Dr Huberman for your insights and efforts
This was incredibly educational and I enjoyed learning about the medication I take. I have horrible ADHD and am prescribed Vyvanse. It helps immensely and I don’t know what I would do without my medication. Thank you Andrew for helping me understand how my medication works. 😁
Same here!
I normally don't sit through 2 hour informative talk... but you got my attention... and I have experienced much of what you described. Thank you very much.
This is one I had requested, thank you so much for taking requests and taking the time to research and record this information. You and your podcast has taught me so much.
I've been recently diagnosed with ADHD combined type. I've been resentful of taking Ritalin, especially since it's been actually helping. Dr.Huberman your professing about the details of how our brain works and how ADHD works has made me cope and slowly except my treatment. I appreciate you and all your efforts that goes to your podcast!
Its worse here, our economy is like a flailing fish, fighting for its life. The normal state of the U.S. economy is actually very bad. Because of this it goes into convulsive spasms fighting to grow any way it can out of desperation. Tricks, gimmicks, rule changes try to stimulate the economy and prevent it from falling but they only bring temporary relief to people since, when you factor in inflation we are declining.
People believe their currency has the worth it does because they have no other option. Even in a hyperinflationary environment, individuals must continue to use their hyperinflationary currency since they likely have minimal access to other currencies or gold/silver coins.
Inflation is gradually going to become part of us and due to that fact any money you keep in cash or in a low-interest account declines in value each year. Investing is the only way to make your money grow and unless you have an exceptionally high income, investing is the only way most people will ever have enough money to retire.
How can I participate in this? I sincerely aspire to establish a secure financial future and am eager to participate. Who is the driving force behind your success?
My CFA NICOLE ANASTASIA PLUMLEE a renowned figure in her line of work. I recommend researching her credentials further.
Thank you for this amazing tip. I just looked the name up and wrote her.
Wow!! What timing, diagnosed with ADHD with a too specialist at the age of 40 about 2 years ago and on the verge of losing a lot of things close to me because of it. What amazing timing, thank you for taking the time to put out so much information on a subject matter than many people are struggling with. Thank you 😊
I appreciate you so much for this. The dosage range is crazy. I too am in the high 200s with weight and take 2.5 mg, 2 times a day. Anything more than 10 per day has made me have panic attacks and anger issues when it wears off. We range so much, but adderall has been life changing for me. It’s helped me stop binging, it’s helped me make better, more rational decisions, stick with jobs, stick with school, etc. I wish my parents had explored ADHD as a reason for all my issues as a child. I definitely always had it but found out at 26 years old.
My doctor wants me to take half a 10 mg. And I'm a tiny guy. How do you only take 2.5 mg at a time. How is that even possible.
I’ve taken
10 mg, 20mg, and 60mg as a kid weighing less than 100 lbs
So you saying 2.5 and bringing up weight sounds ridiculous 😂
@@bperez8656 It doesn't sound ridiculous at all; it makes for interesting conversation, as everyone is so different in their responses to the medication.
I just got diagnosed at 55, and starting on just 7-10mg/day Adderall. It feels powerful, yet calming at this smaller. I'm considering 3 days on, 1 off schedule. (FYI, I've been on Bupropion longterm already, which also props up dopamine, etc) Have you been taking daily for years, are do you take breaks? Thank you, Scott
Would love to hear an episode on the short and long term effects of SNRI/SSRI to manage mental health conditions
God their terrible for you.
@matyaskvapil7674 Don't forget your 10th booster buddy.
I thought I knew what I needed on ADHD, seems not. Thanks for that.
Topics I'd like to see visited :
-Supplementation - right now, I find that my semi-regular intake of NAC (unsure yet if L-Tyrosine can do the same) and L-Theanine is giving me one of my best mental states in year, even more than Ritalin. Regular electrolytes are also a must.
-Stopping medication - what to expect, tips to succeed, things to accept or not, daily life tips
-Exploring the various aspects affecting sleep for an ADHD mind - thinking for example of racing minds, different sleep schedules, that people can sleep less or more for the same results...
-Exploring combos of ADHD and various health conditions (and they can make it even more difficult to decipher, such as deafness)
What's fhe mechanism in which NAC helps with adhd symptoms?
@@dannytq I am not sure either Danny but when I take it (I also don't take it regularly, as sys6x points out he only takes it semi-regularly) I also feel it helps. It's not something you can take all the time though.
edit: I should add, I do not take it for ADHD nor would I. Sleep, exercise, cold and healthy food has been excellent for my ADHD. I also got bloodwork and started taking vitamin d and magnesium because I was low, helped big time.
First of all, I would like to thank Huberman for reminding me almost in every episode how important it is to get sunlight in the morning. I have learned this habit and it has made my life with ADHD easier, by improving my alertness during the day and sleep at night. Of course, it hasn't cured my ADHD totally, although I have to admit that secretly in my mind I hoped so. :) Then a little of my own experiences about the effect of medication and stimulants on me in general.
Coffee does help me concentrate for a while, but it also makes me really irritable and anxious. My heart rate goes up, I start to sweat and my stomach gets upset. I also become very sensitive to distractions. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I just want to shut myself in a silent, dark room without any sensory stimuli. I can't sleep well the next night either, even if I drink coffee only in the morning. This happens over one cup of coffee. The next day I'm very tired, mostly from a bad night's sleep. Instead, Elvanse (Vyvanse), which I take together with guanfacine, and also without it, Elvanse makes me calm and I can concentrate even if there are distractions around. I can also take better care of my sleeping rhythm. So actually this "speed" slows me down. If I don't take these medicines the next day, I'm a little more tired then normal, but otherwise I mostly feel like I am the same old ADHD again. I do get the same help with ADHD symptoms from methylphenidate as from dextroamphetamine, but the side effects are almost the same as caffeine. From nicotine, I get a short relief, but every time afterwards it turns into a pretty hard crash.
Before starting the medication, I drank a lot of coffee, despite the side effects, because I felt that I was getting a momentary benefit from it, same thing with nicotine. But after starting the medication, I very rarely drink coffee or smoke cigarettes only when am on a break from medication. Also, I used to drink alcohol almost every weekend for a mental relief. After starting the medication, I no longer craved alcohol. But when I'm on a break from medication and I make the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee, I start craving alcohol right away that night. And when I drink alcohol, I have an even stronger need to smoke.
I avoided ADHD medication for a long time for fear that the side effects are the same as coffee or worse and believing that how "amphetamines are dangerous" (And of course it is if it is abused). But in fact I don't suffer from any side effects other than some loss of appetite, mild drymouth and a slight increase in heart rate, which is somewhat calmed by guanfacine. So, at least for me, after 10 years of mediacion, this "speed" has been a huge help in managing everyday life, as well as managing emotions and thoughts and interacting with other people.
Everyone reacts to stimulants differently and I wanted to share my own experience with the drug in case it helps someone else who is thinking about of trying the drug and the possible side effects. But as Huberman already clearly stated many times there, no one should try these drugs without being prescribed by an experienced psychiatrist.
My experience was instant hypogonadism (testicular shrinkage) within a week of the prescribed dose of 18mg (and later 38mg which I tried on the 8th day). Erectile dysfunction. Couldn't feel my groin. Premature ejaculation. Orgasms made me think my head was gonna explode. I then quit cold turkey. Socially I became zombie-like. Lost interest in my interests and in people in general. I was slow cognitively and feeling sluggish. Didn't laugh as easily. Wasn't as witty. Everything became gray. I felt no joy. Tasks I did became meaningless. I couldn't enjoy music, tap my feet to the rythm anymore. Thoughts of hurting others became prevalent. I got suicidal and homicidal (not to say the least towards the jackasses that tricked me into taking it). I couldn't feel things as I used to. No goosebumps for four months after taking it. No feelings, no joy, no real anger. Headaches. Muscle aches. Loss of strength. Negative effect on fertility (semen became stale - milky like and after that decreased a lot in volume). Other than that, dry mouth, constantly wired, easily startled, constantly tired, but still wired. Loss of sensory experience and perspective in regards to my body.
You can't trust psychiatrists. They don't know what they are doing. And you get no help when the side effects hit you like a freight train. Speaking of effects, they were of no benefit. It took away my anxiety, since I could no longer feel or think, so there's that. But that is literal hell on earth.
@@TheDavveponkenwtf were you taking?
@@brockbrawn1524 ritalin
I am a school psychologist as well as a licensed social worker in WA State and I evaluate children with ADHD. I also have two biological children dx with ADHD and who are prescribed Concerta and Vyvanse. This talk was extremely beneficial to my work professionally working with kids and families as well as my position as a mom, advocating for what's best for my own kids. Thank you so much! I would love to listen to a similar talk related to the most prescribed anti-depressants as well. It would be interesting to hear your opinion related to use of supplements to "treat" such conditions and their efficacy. I wish I could earn CEUs or clock hours for listening to these podcasts, that would be amazing!
This is a huge benefit to the ADHD community out there. I would love additional guidance on supplementation for ADHD - it seems as though there has been a huge proliferation of products out there being marketed as beneficial, but it's hard to access guidance on whether or not they really would benefit me, or how to tailor supplementation to my needs.
Treating mental health issues is slow work, requiring many expertly trained professionals. ADHD only encompasses anxiety,anger, stress, etc. Let's help out Big Pharma, the Sacklers, and Psychiatry. Take your pills, damn it.😂😢😅😊
Awesome content as always! Can you please make an episode on neurodivergence and autistic spectrum? I think it might be really interesting!
Hear hear!
I was always diagnosed anxiety/depression growing up, bad reactions to meds.
I adopted a healthy lifestyle and optimized my hormones, talk therapy, tried organization apps and all kinds of strategies and could not understand why i fell short at executive function.
Turns out its adhd and my insane amount of coffee consumption was me unknowingly self medicating.
I cried when i tried Adderall and i felt all the extra noise shut off.
I had the most productive day with work, housework and mothering my kids.
So many things make sense throughout my life and even my husband agrees (very skeptical)
Weight lifted off my shoulders
Would really like you to make a follow up to this episode with alternative ways to treat ADHD with exercise, diet, supplementation. Thank you.
I think he has several vids like this. However a summary with UTD info would be welcome.
th-cam.com/video/hFL6qRIJZ_Y/w-d-xo.html He made this a year ago. Covers meds and alternatives to regulate dopamine.
Dr. Huberman thank you. I, too, am interested in the relationship between ADHD, Autism, Asbergers, etc. Are there bright lines between each diagnosis? I, ask because my soon-to-be eighteen year old son--who takes vyvance--has never received a clear diagnosis. He's been treated by the who's who of specialists at UCI and USC for thirteen years. He was initially diagnosed with a condition known as DAMP symdrome, which, as I understand it means his central nervous system matures differently than neurotypical kids. An episode on 'spectrum' disorders would be great!
I love reviewing this podcast! I hope the access for these are timeless. The value of the Huberman Lab Podcast is something else!
I almost quit university during the second year. I was diagnosed with ADHD that year and started on vyvanse. I am now wrapping up my graduate studies and getting a PhD.........life saver.
I was like you but did not get diagnosed, so i dropped out, and now have a low paying job, even though i knew my iq was 150, i could never get through school or stick with anything. Count your blessings!
Must be nice, I’ve dropped in and out of college since 2016. Finally got diagnosed January 2023, I was already on bupropion for “depression,” he’s made me try atomoxetine, guanfacine (which I wanted to try with a stimulant), and now Amantadine. It’s been 10 months and I’ve seen almost no improvement and for whatever reason he’s holding back stimulants despite me never having any history of drug abuse etc.
I’ve tried modafinil numerous times and Vyvanse twice. Both help way more than all this non-stimulant crap.
Right now I’m literally on:
100mg atomoxetine
3mg guanfacine
200mg Amantadine
2mg aripiprazole
Some how he thinks this concoction is safer than just using a stimulant alone or a stimulant + guanfacine
How can you afford the stuff?
@bartredman9366 Soo then why don't you get back on it and start working and going to school?
Do you favor Vyvanse over Adderall and why?
My son may have ADD, his mother and myself are taking him to a specialist to diagnose. This information was very helpful. Thank you Dr Huberman.
Good parents
This is one of the most interesting videos he’s put out. As a guy in grad school studying addiction counseling with an undergrad in addiction studies, these videos are GOLD. I have learned tons of things here that were never taught to me in college. Thank you Dr. Huberman!
Please can you interview an expert on perimenopause and menopause. An interview with Dr Christopher Gardner on nutrition would be fantastic. Very interested to hear you interview a chiropractic expert. Thank you for all your amazing podcasts.
He does have great interview on hormones including peri an post.❤
I was hoping for more of a deep dive into perimenopause and menopause. The podcast on female hormones was interesting but very generalised.
Not sure if this was covered in previous episodes but would like to learn about comorbidities such as ADHD and Asperger's. Great podcast. You have helped so many people all over the world. And in the most understandable and relatable way. Thank you.
Adhd aspie here. The adhd part diagnosed 4 months ago. Now on adderal ext release It has completely changed my life. I’m still in disbelief.
"adhd" is just trauma and high functioning autism is just being intelligent. That's my take. Got diagnosed with both, along with depression, social anxiety, general anxiety.... Ritalin has ruined my life over the course of a week of use. Instant cognitive and sexual dysfunction. Oh and let's not forget total numbing of feeling and sensory experiences. I still feel the effects almost a year after stopping. You get suicidal as well.
It's a great drug if you want to make yourself impotent in every aspect of being a human being. People seem to find relief from it since it shuts down your capacity for deep thought (i.e. ruminating and anxiety), but not being able to associate and experience the joy of music or your overall intelligence is no way to live. I have a friend taking atomoxetine and he is noticeably slower in the head (and he used to be my brightest friend).
It's not worth the risk. You will be fine with just diet, exercise, sleep, less stress and better relationships. A group of psychiatrists and therapists said so in a statement as well in the early 21st century, before big pharma completely gobbled up all of the opposition to their market plans.
@@BrownBarbie22 how so? im struggling myself and could really use your experience.
@@TheDavveponken weird how i see this take alot when it comes to ritalin/ concentra yet when it comes to Adderall and vivance people say its helped them immensely. Huberman did say they did different things.
So hey 👋 Asperger’s is no longer a diagnosis (especially with its ties to nazis )
Functioning labels such as high or low are also antiquated. You can use words around if you have support needs or not. But really just autistic will do. It’s a spectrum where many of us have different skills and According to several studies, autistic adults who mask can experience autistic burnout which can lead to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, and physical and emotional exhaustion.
People who are deemed “high functioning” often get their symptoms minimized and deal with long term consequences.
Thank you, Dr. Huberman, for sharing with us all of these information. Thank you for educating us, and for helping us understand about things that we should know and that are very important to us for our health & well-being. We appreciate you!
I'm 50, was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, and have had significant symptoms of RSD (Rejection sensitive dysphoria). Ritalin helped greatly with the negative effects of ADHD (while still retaining the benefits), but the RSD made it very difficult to make any significant life gains from that improvement.
Adding Guanfacine was a game changer, making it possible to (for lack of a better description) win arguments with my brain that I'd never been able to win. It's not a night and day difference, as it is with Ritalin, but I've seen a noticeable quietening of the negative self-talk cycle, and the ability to tackle problems and situations that I would do everything to avoid previously (which led to more problems that needed fixing and situations that needed to be avoided).
Now all that's left to do is the easy work of undoing all the maladaptation habits and systems that my brain has built up for the last fifty years to "protect" me. I actually now feel like that's an achievable task, whereas before I didn't - and it wasn't.
The long term side effects aren't near worthy.
@@brockbrawn1524 Everyone's different he/she might or might not have long term side effects, we can't know that without him/her actually taking medication for a long time.
RSD and ADD too and I never knew the link between the two until recently. Unofficially diagnosed, but my step dad was cruel to me as a child, very neglectful and mean, so that’s where my shortcomings stem from. I have had very few friends in life as a result. God do I hate that man rotting in the hell where he belongs. The negative talk in my head. The wheel doesn’t stop turning and I don’t want to rely on meds.
Would you also cover another non-stimulant for ADHD, Atomoxetine, please? Thank you, Prof Huberman, for this informative video!
I was sooo hopeful with that medication. For me , it made me feel like a bug sprayed with Raid ... 😬. Though some people swear by it.
I tried that one too but I didn't work that well so I switched to Adderall but I would love to know also more about it and it's long term affects
I've been taking it for months now but not sure if it's working
@@kbaxter324wtf Adderall made me a fkn zombie. Screw that!
@@brockbrawn1524 Yeah I am lucky I found a medication that worked for me. Atomoxetine made me depressed and Vyvanse didn't work so I am just grateful I did. It's different for everyone. That's awful that it did that to you.
I take Guanfacine and Ritalin for my ADHD and the Guanfacine makes a HUGE difference! I can wake up so much easier in the morning when I take it the night before. I also have high blood pressure from years of untreated anxiety, so I was able to lower another medication and replace it with guanfacine which was nice. My doctor did not pass on the huge warning about alcohol. I pretty much don't engage with alcohol at all anymore, but I appreciate your information that I should probably completely cut it out.
This made be feel better. I have extreme ADHD and BP II. The ADHD meds stopped the noise in my head and the racing thoughts whereas before, I could not function
I have my first psychiatry appointment next week for ADHD symptoms. This timing is perfect for me. Thank you!
bupropion?
stay away. look into trauma. stimulants will fuck you up. you dont need it. exercise, diet, sleep, less stress will fix you. and cut out toxic people
Was diagnosed ADD at the age of 41 half a year ago. And I was also working as a sozial worker with Kids who have ADHD. In the Education - we did not learn anything about ADHD. Within the sozial media there are tons of people talking about ADHD but not many are more than oppinions, personal experienence or short and not based on any scientific data but more just on like wikipedia, youtube or chatgpt. So I realy want to thank you for your effort! I got good informations, and good learnings from this one.
Thank you for this!It addressed a lot of my concerns as a parent. My biggest fear was addiction and the correlation between hard drugs. Thank you for going deep into the way it works and how it can work for good.
I think for me my fear stems from being uneducated about the meds and it’s benefits. And I feel like there is such a misconception of the drugs and methamphetamines use etc
I can’t thank you enough for this 🧡💙
You seem like an amazing parent - taking this time to research this topic. Hope you find the right path for your child. Medications are not for everyone, but it doesn't hurt to try. These are therapeutic doses and thorough tests and checks are done. It's sometimes more devastating for the child's health to go completely untreated than the potential/imagined danger with the meds. Sometimes a super low dose is the extra push that can help the child to grow.
I have a BS in Biology, MEd in Education, worked in schools for 20 years. Also I have been being treated for Adult ADHD for 10 years. I have NEVER come across this information before. At the beginning when speaking of the Prefrontal Cortex and thinking back to good Ol' Phineas Gage, my whole understanding of my condition changed. Thank you. You Sir are changing people's lives.
Makes so much sense now why I hated Adderall and why Evekeo and Vyvanse worked sooo much better for me.
When I experimented with coke In my early 20’s all I wanted to do was work on spreadsheets. Later I was diagnosed as ADHD and prescribed Adderall, which worked beautifully. It directly attributed to my ‘meteoric rise’ at work in a short period of time.
After 15 years of being on Adderall,and smoking THC, this year I have removed both substances from my life completely. Now 45 years old, I have found ways to function completely naturally. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke anything, I am on zero medications and my blood pressure was 113/75 at last reading. You give great information and advice, good sir!
I'm on 60mg of ADD meds and my blood pressure was 123/72 for last reading.
What made you decide to stop taking adderall? Asking because im noticing that im starting to get addicted to it and craving more pills after already taking my proper dosage..
Thank you for working on this. Long-term health impacts/growth effects are front of mind for many parents of children with ADHD. I think there's more to say on this subject. For example, the degree of appetite suppression that children experience on stimulants is extremely variable. Even when a child's BMI falls and their height percentile falls over time, parents are often told not to worry because long term height will not be affected. On this question, I am not sure that your review of the literature was exhaustive as several studies have shown an effect of childhood stimulant use for ADHD on adult height. In addition, at least one study has shown a greater impact on children who did not discontinue stimulant use over the summer. I also wanted to point out that you seem to conflate height and BMI with your comment that adult BMI seems to be higher for people who took stimulants as children. A higher BMI may reflect a discontinuation or lessening of the appetite suppression experienced during childhood and remains consistent with the possibility of short stature. My interpretation is that higher adult BMI is a concern that should be explored, as this may indicate that childhood stimulant use could predispose to obesity. References of interest include:
Swanson, J. et al, "Young adult outcomes in the follow up of the multimodal treatment study of ADHD: symptom persistence, source discrepancy and height suppression," J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2017.
Greenhill, L. et al, "Trajectories of growth associated with long-term stimulant medication in the multimodal treatment study of ADHD," J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2020.
Wojnowski, N. et al, "Effects of stimulants on final adult height," J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab., 2022.
Thank you for writing this comment. This issue is very much at the forefront for me, as a parent, who is considering medication for my 11 year old son, who is 5th percentile for height and weight.
Also I can't help but think it can't be good to constantly be activating a person's sympathetic nervous system, starting in childhood... the truth is we don't actually no the full impact of these stimulant drugs on all of the body systems, pharmaceutical companies aren't bothering with long term follow up studies, why would they? I did read another study that found uncreased cardiac death amongst adults taking stimulants for adhd.
Thank you for a very interesting extension of knowledge for the professor's lecture. It is impossible to cover all the nuances in an episode. In any case parents should consult an experienced psychiatrist.
Hi, I have had ADHD since I was a child, I was diagnosed but my mother didn´t like the idea of a six years old me taking medication, so I went through life with a lot of issues, bad grades, problematic teenager. Because of all that stress at 16 I start to have panic attacks, now I´m 30 and start taking Adderall, prescribed by a doctor, but I didn´t like it at all, I felt psicotique, so I talk to my doctor and he changed the medication to modafinil in a low doses, lets say that 200 mg is the daily doses, I take 50 mg every day and to be honest this med has save my life, I can be functional, I don´t feel overwhelmed so often and sometimes I wonder if I would take this before maybe my teenage days wouldn´t be so bad!
Hi that's great to hear. Did it improve your focus?
@@adamnarat9677 Hello! Yes, it has improved my focus. For example, if on a normal day I plan to do the laundry, exercise, or study from such time to such time. Before I was leaving everything for later. Now I manage to do the things I have set out for the day, but I am also kind to myself and if there is something I can't do, I don't get frustrated. I tend to hyperfocus still but much less than before to be able to manage my energy levels, I try to dose it, not do everything in one day and then have a burnout. I think that whether you are taking medication or not, it is super important to dose your energy levels to be more even every day. Greetings from Chile!!! 🙂
I like the idea of bringing zero cost to consumers regarding science. Knowledge should be free for everyone.
it's crazy I just discovered my ADHD and I just saw your previous podcasts and I hope this will help
The topic of ADHD and the use of medications can be complex and controversial, and I commend the podcast for delving into this area with evidence-based information. Understanding the short- and long-term effects of these medications is crucial for individuals with ADHD and their caregivers. The podcast likely presents a comprehensive overview of the benefits and potential risks associated with such treatments. It's essential to have accurate and up-to-date information when considering medications to manage ADHD symptoms. I'm confident that the podcast will present the scientific evidence in a clear and accessible manner, helping listeners make informed decisions.
A two hour video on ADHD medication is exactly my kind of humor.
This video is too long for my ADHD brain 😂
😂 take a pill
Took 8 minutes to get actually into the topic
Omg yes!
I am bipolar but it too long still.
He uses too many words
First, thank you for putting up the podcast on Memorial Day , second I don’t get tired of listening to this subject because we are having a problem with this as a society
Starting meds for ADHD at 31 was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m happier and less drained at the end of the day. And I can take a day or two off the meds easily so I know I’m not getting dependent. Still people gaslight and doubt the diagnosis even when the diagnosis has led to so many benefits for me.
Great episode! Hopefully this might help minimize the unnecessary stigmatization against ADHD medication. Certainly, caution should be taken, and the meds should only be used by the people who have been prescribed it by their doctor/psychiatrist. It's such a life-changer (sometimes life-SAVER) for a lot people with ADHD.
Yeah maybe you should look st the long term health effects. Is it worth it's weight. If it's long term effects are not good? Who gives a fk if it works. If you're cooked 10 years down the road. I was diagnosed 20 years ago and have taken plenty of the drugs. And they always turn you into a zombie.
I've tried everything sometimes you got to comes to terms that medications is one part of the solution
@@taurocarnage It's never a part of the solution if the end goal trashes you.
@@brockbrawn1524 if you eat clean like very clean exercise takes your suplements the meds side effects are practically non existing
While taking medications can be understandable in some cases, those with ADHD can still train their focus through mental training and meditation. It just tends to be more challenging than for the average person, but it's doable with daily consistency, the same way one would do a workout daily to stay physically in shape. Consider using ADHD-specific meditations to build the neural circuits for focus naturally, and the Letting Go technique to decrease hyperactive energy daily. I do this personally, and manage my ADHD without medication. In my opinion, in most cases, low dosages of medication should only be used as a short-term crutch while one develops their natural ability to develop focus through diligent meditation (or possibly not used at all).
Thanks for this comment! What's the Letting Go technique?
I'm 19yo diagnosed with adhdpi at 17. Been off meds for a year now. I didn't want to rely on meds, and I still don't. However given the neuroplasticity element I'm now thinking of going back on for a while.
@@archsys307 Understandable. I'm not here to tell anyone not to use meds, just to consider the alternatives as a long-term strategy. The Letting Go technique is a variation of Somatic Experiencing, just a simple way to dissipate excess emotional and physical energy. You can find a guided track by checking my name. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks Huberman for this episode! I was diagnosed with ADHD around 2nd grade, and was put on Ritalin for a little while. Later in high school I was given Dexedrine. I quit Dexedrine and nicotine around the same time during my third year of college (20 plus years ago).
I quit both of those substances after a major mental health episode, and managed to stay off of them, but I've never considered what was going on in my brain until I came across this episode (as well as Huberman's recent appearance on This American Life).
Quitting these substances also coincided with discovering my passion for climbing. I always say climbing saved my life, and now I'm getting curious about the dopamine and other chemicals may have played a role in that.
Hopefully we can connect some time, and thanks for your work.
Peace,
Luke Mehall
Author: American Climber and The Desert
Publisher: The Climbing Zine
Host: Dirtbag State of Mind podcast
Thank you very much Dr Andrew! I listen to your lecture in one breath. This is your second lecture on this topic. And it is no less interesting ,important and informative How much literature would it take to figure out so much information ? The first lecture was more focused on the mechanism of the disease and the second one is more focused on a detailed description of the drugs and their mechanism of action and both are priceless. And in addition your episode about chronic headache helped me very much because I suffering from severe chronic headache and now I'm hoping that calcitonin gene related protein inhibitor (CGRP) will help me to get rid of this. God bless you, doctor Huberman.