she really doesn't like feeling drugged
That is gold. For both of you.
A thought - easy child 2/difficult child 2 has only really needed medications when studying. She is prescribed medications for every day but especially as she got older, cut back her medications to nothing on days off. Not something I would normally recommend. At the recent appointment, the doctor asked her what happens if she doesn't take her medications. "I don't feel any different," she said. "But other people want to kill me."
At which point difficult child 3 proudly announced, "I can tell if I haven't had my medications. I am younger than she is, but far more self-aware." Far more smug, too.
But my point is - the amount easy child 2/difficult child 2 was originally prescribed, and she used to take, was about twice what she takes now. She didn't like how it made her feel and she chose to cut it back. She finally worked out the dose where she felt she could function at school, cut herself right back to the lowest possible level while still able to concentrate. And that is very low compared to the boys. But it is enough. And the side-effects, from her observation - she can't tell how she feels, whether she's taken medications or not. But before, on the originally prescribed dose, she could and didn't like it.
She was about 15 or 16 when she cut her dose back to its current level (on the days when she is medicated). She does take her medications when she is at work, too. But I think she has cut her dose a little further for work; doesn't need as much for work as for study.
As a result, she does tend to stockpile medications for which we are often grateful - we buy the extras off her and sell them to difficult child 1 when he has forgotten to organise his appointment with his new specialist; The new doctor orders difficult child 1's medications from the same pharmacy and they get delivered to us, the kids pick up their medications from us because it works out cheaper and more convenient. We get a bulk delivery, one fee covers all the kids. We pay for the medications and the kids reimburse us (including difficult child 3 - now he's on disability, he can pay for his own darn medications).
The ups and downs may settle a little, too. But it does sound to me like she is on about twice the dose she really needs to function. As I said, it's not a matter of severity of symptoms. difficult child 3's good friend is quite severely ADHD but his medication dose is microscopic. Funny how it works.
I hope you can find something for her, that she feels OK with. I agree, it is better to learn to cope without medications, than put up with unpleasant symptoms.
Marg