u/Honeydew-Jolly

’m a senior front‑end dev (React/Next.js) working in a very large enterprise codebase: thousands of files, huge design system, multiple domains. TypeScript server is laggy, and switching API branches takes 15–20 minutes to recompile. So my dev feedback loop is already slow before AI enters the picture. Worktrees aren't as useful because my laptop has only 18GB of ram, dev server + ts server eat 12GB of ram at least.

Lately I’ve been trying to use AI agents (Claude via Cursor IDE) to speed up a large multi‑phase task. I wrote a detailed plan, passed it to an agent, hit context limit, created a handover.md, moved to a new agent, repeated. In one day I got: 9 PRs, 55 files.

But when I reviewed it… that velocity collapsed.
The code “worked,” but:

• tons of redundant logic
• over‑engineered abstractions I didn’t ask for
• non‑idiomatic patterns
• AI inventing helpers or utilities instead of using existing ones
• and reviewing 55 files is mentally overwhelming (ADHD working memory)

caveat, I have my cursor rules files asking not to do xyz, to follow xyz patterns documented, x code pattern is good and y is bad, a lot of rules and the agent is not following all of them I guess because of context management.

I ended up spending the entire next day fixing, simplifying, or rewriting AI code.
And here’s the part that bothers me: I’m pretty sure I could have coded the whole thing manually in 1~1.5 days.

So I’m stuck in what feels like an AI velocity trap:
AI produces more faster, but the clarity, correctness, and simplicity degrade… leaving me with a huge context‑load to clean up. As someone with ADHD (I’m on Vyvanse), reviewing messy or overly complex code is way harder than writing clean code myself.

I want to keep using agents, but clearly my workflow is wrong.

What I want your help with:

1. Agent prompting & structure:
How do you get agents to produce idiomatic, minimal, non‑redundant code in a giant codebase?

2. Chunking / PR strategy:
Is my mistake letting the agent generate 9 PRs that sum 55 files at once?
Should I enforce “1 agent = 1 component/hook” to avoid cognitive overload? Actually, with my 18gb ram I can't run more than one agent without the laptop laggying AF

3. ADHD strategies:
How do you manage the mental load of reviewing AI‑generated changes, especially when your editor/tools are slow?

4. Handover.md patterns:
What actually belongs in a handover doc so context doesn’t decay between agent sessions? I get a 300k context with filled faster because the handcover contains a lot of context, how should I approach this?

5. Model specialization:
I assume bigger models (Claude “high”) are best for complex tasks and smaller/flash models for trivial ones.
Is this even the right way to think about model selection?
Should I be doing something different?

6. Net productivity:
Has anyone else hit this point where the AI produces more code, faster… but you end up with negative productivity because the clarity is gone?

I want to figure out a sustainable workflow, not abandon agents entirely.
Any strategies, patterns, war stories, or ADHD‑friendly approaches are welcome.

I’ve been on Vyvanse for 4 years. As a software developer (35M), it’s the only reason I can actually get work done properly and handle the cognitive load of my job, this job is specially overwhelming huuge company and projects, workload is constantly high etc, a lot of people feel overwhelmed being ADHD or not.

However, I decided to do a weekend meds-break to see the "baseline" me, and it was a massive eye-opener regarding the trade-offs I’m making:

My humor and emotions actually exist without the meds. I realized I was making jokes naturally and regularly, it felt like my "human" spark was back. I didn't realize how much emotional blunting I had until this break. My anxiety was also way lower

- Productivity side: My executive function was so bad. I was "all over the place", I couldn't do a single task without trying to hold a cup, make food, and read the news at the same time. I was confused, forgot things, and wasted so much time

- l literally couldn't hold the leash when my dog tried to run because I was trying to hold furniture and leave the car at the same time. My brain just couldn't prioritize the high-stakes task. We were in the underground parking lot so my dog thought we were playing a game we sometimes do to have her run to me or to my wife (stupid game now I realize )and pulled really hard.

- I'm struggling with the realization that the version of me that is "fun and happy" can’t seem to manage the logic/focus required for the dev work.

Has anyone in this industry successfully transitioned off meds and stayed a functional, high-performing developer? Or is the "zombie focus" just the price we pay to stay employed?

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I’m 35 and have been on Vyvanse for about 4 years. I decided to take a break this weekend to see who "I" am without the meds, and I’m feeling really torn about the results:

The Meds-Free Version of me: My anxiety almost disappeared and it felt great! The meds really increase anxiety (30mg dose). I found myself making jokes regularly and laughing naturally. something I realized I don't do much on meds (I’ve been experiencing heavy emotional blunting). I felt "present" emotionally.

The Reality Check: I was a mess. I was constantly confused and "scattered." For example, I tried to hold my dog’s leash while moving furniture and leaving the car all at once, failed to hold the leash, and the dog ran off. I forgot things and wasted so much time

I'm a software developer, and the meds are what allow me to keep my job and my life from falling apart. But I hate that I have to choose between being "functional" and being "me."

Has anyone here managed to get off meds after long-term use and actually stayed a functional adult? How do you manage the "all over the place" brain without the meds help?

I've once used contrave and side effects were pretty bad, specially when I stopped using it. It mad me confused I think, affected my driving and I wouldn't recommend someone drive while ramping up or stopping contrave. I also had a ultra hard time eating meat, and lost lean mass in the process because of that 😢

How are the side effects for Mounjaro?