My boyfriend (44m) was finally diagnosed with ADHD after decades of being in need of medication, and steadily declining mental health. A psychologist diagnosed him, but he can’t prescribe the necessary stimulants.
A couple years ago, after he realized he was drinking way too much to cope daily, my bf got a prescription for medical marijuana in TX to help with his PTSD. He has been taking that steadily since then. It’s the only thing that helps him feel relaxed, and he would take it every day after work, and on weekends.
The only other doctor he’s seen in years (primary care) basically told him that if he prescribed a stimulant, he would require a drug test, and if there was any THC in the drug test, he was “legally required” to stop prescribing any stimulants.
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That’s a lie, and we’re damned angry about it. It is entirely up to the doctor’s discretion to drug test, and which drugs actually would be a problem. We don’t want to go back to a dr that lies to us.
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He’s tried stopping the THC before, and only lasted a few days. The inability to ever feel relaxed is just suffering, plain and simple. Without it he’s a constant panicky mess, forgets to eat, can’t get comfortable just sitting down, and can’t calm down, ever. He gets maybe 3 hours of sleep a night.
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I’m sure eventually, once he’s on the proper stimulant dose he needs, he’ll feel much less need for the THC, if at all. But how is he supposed to stop before he gets the right prescription? Especially since he was taking so much daily that it might take months to leave his system?
My question to you all is: do you have or know of a psychiatrist / family care doctor who can prescribe stimulants who practices in Texas, that either won’t drug test or will actually understand about ADHD sufferers and THC usage and won’t hold it against him getting the right medication?
I’m watching him mentally and emotionally deteriorate every day since he stopped taking the THC. It’s only been a little more than a week, and it’s getting worse and worse. I’m worried he won’t make it the four months he thinks he needs to get it out of his system completely.
Thanks for reading and thanks for caring. If you have a specific name for me, please send me a DM. I know our country’s healthcare is a shit show, but I’m trying to do whatever I can for him.
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I was high on cannabis 24/7 for 20 years. He is going through withdrawal and it’s going to be tough for the first month. After that he will start sleeping better but still have really vivid dreams. Expect a short temper and irritability. Months 2,3 and 4 won’t be that bad. If he has anxiety issues like PTSD then just be prepared for the chance that stimulants will adversely affect that. Long term cannabis use also can cause anxiety. Good luck finding what works.
In KS. My doctor is well aware of my cannabis usage and doesn’t care. Still prescribes me my meds. Id find a new primary care physician.
I agree, but how do I find that special doctor? My bf’s insurance is shit. Every visit to a new doctor costs at least $200. We can’t just trial and error this until we find a good one. He’s likely to run out of money first.
This is why I posted. In hopes of getting some direction toward that doctor without a lot of money going down the drain.
I wish I had advice I could offer. Good luck!
Before I got a diagnosis I was able to get bupropion from my GP. My experience is that it toned down the intensity of emotions making them more manageable. Since it is non stimulant it should side step the drug test issue.
I have stimulant meds now, taking bupropion and stimulant together is proving very effective for me.
I can’t help with your primary request, but on the chance that you aren’t able to find a better solution, it seems worth mentioning that four months is probably too long. I’m not an expert or anything, but I did look into it when I had to take a drug test. If someone has corrections to what I found, I would be interested to hear them because it may not be the last I have to deal with it either.
What I learned is that exact time varies, but two months is on the long end. One month is common. You can even test negative in as little as two weeks, but it requires specific effort and still might not be enough if the test is really strict or sensitive.
There are a lot of tricks for trying to quickly prepare for a drug test, but the most simple and reliable if you aren’t on a major time crunch is just fiber and water. Eat lots of greens and stay hydrated. That helps your body naturally get rid of the THC, making 3-4 weeks a more likely time frame.
If he’s already suffering through a detox, you can at least shorten that by quite a bit. Also, it will get easier over time. While weed is way less addictive and easier to get off of than a lot of other drugs, it still has side effects like the ones you’re describing when you try to quit.
I still hope you find a better doctor, but don’t lose hope even if you can’t. This is doable and it’s not as impossible as it seems. It is bullshit and unfair though. Best of luck to you both.
I can’t give you any TX specific advice, but for the ADHD related depression and anxiety I can definitely give some advice.
First, CBD oil may be a suitable option. Some is pure enough to not show on a THC test as positive, so that may help. CBD is the part of weed that gives most of the mellow and chill, so it may be enough for him.
Second, depending on his ADHD presentation he may benefit from hard exercise. I find that 5x5 weight lifting is really good, along with some sort of cardio if possible. Lifting heavy things takes a lot of the hyperactive energy away and leaves me clearer.
Third, non stimulant meds. Some people find benefit from things like modafinil and if he could get on that it may provide enough support to quit the weed for long enough to get onto a stimulant.
That said, the USA has really intense laws about stimulant meds as well as a bunch of strange stuff about testing that seems punative. I have meds here in Australia and I have not taken a single test. I know there are online clinics that do ADHD treatment and also there are less than legal methods of getting stimulant meds. I know a couple of people who tried stimulants before getting them prescribed. Maybe that would work for his situation.
As for efficacy, I tried a whole bunch of anti depressant meds, anti anxiety meds, all sorts of stuff, and honestly nothing worked. My k10 was absolutely abysmal and I couldn’t really work. Stimulant meds mean I can work, support my partner, engage in things I enjoy, and live life quite well.
I had to come off my meds for a couple of months while going through a heart valve replacement (unrelated to the meds) and wow, I had forgotten how bad it was without them. They are great, getting the dose and specific stimulant right is important, but yeah, worth every bit of effort. Absolutely life changing.
Finding a doc that doesn’t drug test is hard. I was barely prepared for that when I met my first doc in Austin.
