About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first talking to your family doctor. Depending on the results of the initial evaluation, your doctor may refer you to a specialist, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you've had and problems they've caused, such as trouble at work, at school or in relationships. Write down any symptoms you've been having that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes you've had.
- Make a list of all medications you take, including any vitamins or supplements.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with the doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For a possible diagnosis of adult ADHD, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- What's the best treatment?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Should I see a specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When do you first remember having problems focusing, paying attention or sitting still?
- Have your symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention or impulsiveness been continuous or occasional?
- Which symptoms bother you most, and what problems do they seem to cause?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- In what settings have you noticed the symptoms: at home, at work or in other situations?
- What was your childhood like? Did you have social problems or trouble in school?
- How is your current and past academic and work performance?
- What are your sleep hours and patterns?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What medications to you take?
- Do you consume caffeine?
- Do you drink alcohol or use street drugs?
- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov. Accessed Oct. 22, 2009.
- Kates N. Attention deficit disorder in adults: Management in primary care. Canadian Family Physician. 2005;5:53.
- Kolar D, et al. Treatment of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2008;4:389.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 22, 2009.
- Dodson WW. Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. In: Jacobson JL, et al. Psychiatric Secrets. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Hanley & Belfus; 2001. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/170825310-4/0/1167/120.html?tocnode=49275872&fromURL=120.html#4-u1.0-B1-56053-418-4..50059-5_1165. Accessed Sept. 22, 2009.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 11, 2009.
- Plizska S. Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology. 2007;46:894.
- Martinez M, et al. Psychopharmacology. In: Hales RE. Textbook of Psychiatry. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=320457&searchStr=antidepressive+agents. Accessed Oct. 22, 2009.
- Weber W, et al. Complementary and alternative medical therapies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:983.
Find Mayo Clinic on