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Newbie with Late Diagnosis of ADHD and Autism

Alipali1993

Hey Everyone !

About me …

Alice

32 years old

Late diagnosis of both ADHD and Autism in October and November of 2025 through Psychiatry UK.

I also have underlying medical conditions including Absence Epilepsy and Type 2 Diabetes along with ongoing Anxiety , Sleep difficulties and PCOS.

Recently 12 days ago I started treatment for ADHD of 10mg methylphenidate , gradually increasing after a week to 20mg and I have noticed how I  rapidly went downhill and noticed a drastic change in my mood , appetite , sleep , joint pain and inability to function and complete daily tasks around the house or be productive in any way and have no energy or motivation whatsoever feeling almost like a zombie , However when I wasn’t on the medication I was able to get through a day and function with short bursts of productivity and positivity and was starting to identify ways of coping until I started the medication titration process,

After raising my concerns to my prescriber I have now been told to stop taking this medication with immediate affect and he is prescribing me with a new type of medication called Elvanse starting on a 30mg dose.

Does anyone have any experience of going from a bad experience on Methylphenidate to Elvanse and witnessing positive changes and the ability to get through there day or is it worth considering not having medication at all ? 

I’m yet to speak to anyone that may have similar medical conditions to me and therefore i’m open to any advice, tips and guidance that women of my age or of a similar age can provide me with as I continue to navigate my journey on a daily basis.


have a good day ! 

  • I recently started Elvanse and on 30mg which seem OK - apart from the dry mouth you can get with the meds - so chewing gum and mints (sugar free).

    I understand from the prescriber that AuDHD often need a lower dose, than someone who is just ADHD

    But I'm male and late 50s - actually I do think my anxiety has reduced , although not gone.  Meds can't do everything 

  • in reply to Katymay1989

    Thanks for your story and journey on medication for adhd and how you were impacted , I decided that due to an ongoing shift in my mood , lack of sleep and appetite along with multiple other side effects that medication isn’t working or the answer for me and that I was managing and coping ok prior to being on the medication, since being advised to stop with immediate effect I have noticed that I have been rather depressed and low and I think it’s just a matter of time before I get back to feeling like I can manage things. 

    on a daily basis how do you manage and cope with your adhd , any tips or things that you do to calm yourself or anything that might help me at all as I felt like I could really relate to your situation, only difference is our age and that i don’t have any kids but was diagnosed at 32 with both adhd and autism only last year so still very new to me 

  • in reply to Deleted User

    I have just spotted this today which I think is really useful information for someone that is neurodiverse with adhd and autism as I do believe there is a huge link to my hormones that effects my sleep and mood from day to day. 

    does anyone else notice there mood changes from day to day or they can be very emotional: tearful or easily triggered by little things that go wrong or if someone says or does something that might frustrate me ?! Can anyone else with adhd and autism relate to this ? 

  • in reply to pinkchocoholic

    I enjoy cooking and baking Rocky Road aswell as listening to music but I have to have the energy levels and feel up to enjoying those activities. Lately everything has been a real struggle since coming off the medication after the significant side effects my mum and I noticed I was experiencing and since then this past week or two I’ve been very depressed and low and sleeping alot with no energy and little appetite or comfort eating at the wrong times. I struggle with motivation and being focused to have any sort of get up and go everyday lately but any small wins are huge to me so little bursts of productivity that I do have I remind myself of these moments and to remain positive. I also love football and I’m a big Tranmere Rovers supporter.

    what are everyone’s ways of coping and interests ?

    Any recommendations of TV series or films ideally a good police or detective series or thriller series that is easy watching ?! 

    I find I watch a lot of reality tv and love masterchef and celebs go dating 

  • Welcome Slight smile 

    What are some of your interests? 

  • News announced today (12 May 2026); PMOS is the new name for PCOS:

    "Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process"

    Teede H, Khomami M, Morman R et al.
    Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process
    The Lancet, 2026; 0

    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00717-8/fulltext

    The UK Charity - Verity - explained the news in a blog this way:

    https://blog.verity-pcos.org.uk/2026/05/12/pcos-to-pmos-a-letter-from-verity/

  • Hi Alice, I'm 37 and was diagnosed with ADHD at 32. I've been on Elvanse for 5 years.

    If I could go back in time, I wish I'd have just given myself the opportunity to try and get through life with my diagnosis and try and work on accepting my adhd and be a bit less critical of myself. It may not have worked and I may have ended up taking Elvanse anyways but I didn't really give myself the opportunity, I just went on them as soon as I was diagnosed. 

    There have been positives and negatives. Getting the dosage right was difficult. I went upto 70mg, passed my driving test and started my own business finally! Which was brilliant but it also massively affected my sleep and lead to me losing that much sleep over the course of a year (I'm talking weeks worth of sleep!) that I had a bit of a breakdown. 

    I'm down to 50mg now, able to sleep and find that I function pretty well. My only worry is coming off them, if I ever have to for some reason. The days I don't take my tablet I'm like you were on methylphenidate- a complete zombie! Can't get my kids to school, just want to sleep and have a cry! There can be days like that as there have been problems with chemists being able to get Elvanse in! 

    Anyways, I hope I haven't put you off trying it. It's just my experience and I know medications work differently for everyone! It has definitely helped but I feel like there's things I wasn't told before starting the medication. 

  • Hello Alice, Welcome to the NAS, it's lovely to have you with us.

    Anxiety around changes in medication is understandable.  As per Rule 6 (Medical Advice), we cannot not allow users to provide direct medical advice - although, sharing experiences is entirely encouraged.  I hope the community is able to offer some assistance to you.

    Thanks - Zac Mod