I'm constantly hearing of new side effects of different medications from friends, people who I've met who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. While I'm sure that medications have changed since I was a kid, I can only tell what I've experienced. I regularly read the long list of side effects on any pills I take and then get nervous of all the crazy side effects that are listed to avoid lawsuits.
As a child, obviously, I took what my parents gave me, which was Dexedrin. Every person who I've spoken to who took similar meds as I did had similar side effects. Frankly, these side effects caused more trouble, both short term and long lasting than the benefits they provided. I remember sitting in class, an hour or so after the meds kicked in, and feeling like my entire body was over-concentrated. Not only was I able to focus on what the teacher was saying, but I was equally focused on every single little thing happening around the classroom, thereby being unfocused. I would notice every ant or fly hopping around the room, the child across the room who was tying his shoelace, etc. While on paper, i was focused, it was too much so, so everything became a distraction. I would wait helplessly for five or six hours to pass so that my mind would return to it's normal state. After a full day on the medication, I would feel mentally exhausted.
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