Should I start ADHD medications whilst starting uni or waiting until I can adjust?

I want to begin taking ADHD medications so i can focus and read books and study better and to be more attentive to my relationships and conversations as I can not even stay in conversations or follow them sometimes.

However, I know about the titration process with ADHD medications and the trial/error stage that may cause some issues or mess me up a little until I get the correct dose. Has anyone got any experience starting ADHD medication, and if you started at the beginning or leading up to uni, did you find it ok or wished you started when you had time to adjust before starting full time uni?

I feel like the stakes are too high for me to not function as well or to take the time to find the right medications if i am about to start uni but I also don't want to dismiss it entirely

Reply 1

super_hannah

My partner has ADHD and he only got diagnosed and medicated at 22 and I know he would say 100% start taking them as soon as possible. His ADHD is very severe and he really struggled at uni but now that he is medicated, it's completely changed his life for the better. My partner said the starting point of being medicated is when it works the best because it's new and he said whatever medication you go on, it's not going to make it worse it'll make it better but might not be optimal which is why they'll try another medication.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

My son started adhd medication when he was 9yrs old and came off it when he turned 17yrs. The titration period as you correctly asserted takes a while to settle in, I would therefore advise you begin your medication ASAP! so that by the time you've gone to uni, you would've had some time to get used to it e.g. the correct dose and also what side effects you may have and how to work around those side effects. Wish you all the very best of luck with it and hope it works for you. It definitely worked well for my son.

Reply 3

ArtisticB

Thank you, I appreciate the insight from both you and your partner, I think that helped me answer the question! it's all new to me, so thank you. I thought more about it and I have given myself a window to arrange it before uni starts so hopefully the newness of it all works well for me too and I start uni off with a good start

Reply 4

ArtisticB

care to elbaborate on how specifically ADHD meds would cause damage long term? I'd like to know as much as possible and if you have any science references and papers i could look into, I'd love to read it and see what they say