I do not have ADHD but my spouse and son both do. My husband recently lost his long time job and has these has these swings of being extremely high energy (wound up, acting childlike..making jokes all the time, singing or playing his guitar while I try to talk to him) OR he is low low..falling asleep in his chair, eyes droopy, etc.
He has anxiety and sometimes takes Clonopin (not sure if that is spelled right) and used to take xanax but i asked that he only take it at night since he becomes zombie-like from it. He also sometimes takes Adderral but not consistently. I am not sure if he could have something else going on mentally because the swings are so pronounced. He also is going through Low T therapy and has been craving sugar in huge amounts.Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas? It has become extremely hard on our marriage because I get so annoyed and snappy when he is in either state - so I am basically irritated most of the time. I feel like a terrible partner but he is driving me crazy.
I haven't had this experience
Submitted by PoisonIvy on
I haven't had this experience (as the "non" spouse of a person with ADHD), but I suggest pointing out your concerns to your husband and encouraging him to talk to his doctor about his medications. I'd be really bothered by such swings, too!
Google 'sugar cravings' and Adderall
Submitted by sunlight on
You'll find quite a few anecdotes.
My husband is also taking Adderall. He definitely craves sugar and carbs at times, in his case usually when the Adderall is wearing off. Our answer is to keep boring healthy food rather than a fridge full of cheesecake & beer (the problem with the cheesecake being that if I see it I eat it, then I get annoyed at myself, then I blame him :) ).
The mood changes could be related to his job loss possibly? Has losing the job taken away his daily structure? That could be very hard on him, maybe he needs something else with a time schedule to keep him on track. Has he discussed the job loss with his doctor? Could you prompt him to do that?
Adderall/Cravings/Appetite
Submitted by doublej on
When my son takes Adderall, it kills his appetite and his taste buds (chocolate tastes metallic). When he does not take meds (or has a different stimulant), he overeats and cannot resist junk food/sugar.
In addition, different ADHD medications affect his sleep patterns.
To me, it seems like your husband's mood swings/sleeping cycles/cravings can be somewhat attributed to his inconsistent use of medications. Also, different medications have a funny way of interacting with each other. Low-T therapy might be reacting with his other drugs. A doctor should really be monitoring him. Also, it might help if you keep a log of his behaviors. You might find cause and effect patterns.
swings
Submitted by lynninny on
I am sorry you are going through this, Positive. And I don't think you are a terrible partner-- my ex had similar swings (sometimes could not get out of bed, other times almost manic) and I know that it can be very stressful to live with.
The good news is that it sounds yours is seeing a doctor. Has he related his ups and downs to him or her? Lots of this could be the effects of medication. Brain chemistry is a delicate thing. Is your spouse resistant to this or does he recognize what is going on? Can you log some of this and convince him to talk about it?
Sleep deprivation can also cause lots of havoc, including cravings for sugar. Does he have apnea or problems sleeping? I found my ex was completely in denial about how the adderall he was taking was causing his insomnia.
My best to you.
The sugar, in particular
Submitted by copingSAH on
The sugar, in particular sugar substitutes, will cause a lot of mood swings. In our case, dh would come home from work stressed out and in a rage and then consume 2 cups of Splenda (mixed in a gallon with ReaLemon and water). And he would be okay until the sugar high wore off. His mood swings were insane during that time. Ever since we got rid of the sugar substitutes and into natural lemonades, he's less prone to harass me right after work. He's also on Adderall, so I think that is medicating his brain similarly to the way the sugar was (as an amphetamine) but controlled.