What to expect from ADHD meds? And how do you know if it's working?
First target 4 or 5 symptoms that are noticeable and problematic to you and important to others in your life.
These may include:
Distractibility
Procrastination, difficulty getting started on boring tasks
Restlessness, fidgeting
Mood lability
Emotional overreactions
Impulsivity, acting or speaking without thinking
Temper flashes and outbursts
Poor reading speed, comprehension, and retention
Difficult to stick with boring activities to the pay-off
Scattered, misplace things
On a Scale of 1 to 10…
Without overthinking it, rank or score your current ADHD medication on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 being just awful – nothing but side effects – and 10 being the best you can imagine a medication ever working.
Many clinicians ask some version of this question to patients and require other self-appraisals to determine how well the medication is reducing symptoms. Generally, they’re looking for scores of 8 through 10. Nine is a very good response to medication. For most people, the lowest acceptable score is a 7.
ADHD stimulant medications are not subtle – they are some of the most effective medications in all of medicine. Most clinicians have found that people who respond with a 6 or lower, therefore, can do much better on a different medication or a difference dose. So, if you think that you have fine-tuned this particular medication but you are not experiencing a life-changing level of improvement, continue to work with your clinician to find the right medication and dose for you.
More here:
https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-tell-if-adhd-medication-is-working/