End of the Adderall
Well, insurance never did refill my 60-mg-a-day Adderall prescription. The doctor got a letter in the mail saying they had approved it, and I got a copy of the same letter. But apparently insurance didn’t actually tell their own billing department; Walgreen’s never was able to run it through the insurance billing system.
But I was taking it on a sort of provisional basis anyway; it wasn’t so much helping the things I wanted it to. I didn’t know it before I started on this whole escapade, but there are several different types of focus. I used to think there were two, but during the past day or two I’ve started to think there are at least three:
- The ability to get absorbed in a task, and not easily pulled back out of it. Tends to make you forget about trivial things like food and sleep. The technical term is “hyperfocus”. It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but ADD people (the people who are supposed to have problems concentrating) are the same people who get hyperfocus.
- The ability to concentrate on the details of what you’re doing, and keep them in your brain long enough to get something done. I call this “detail focus”. When I’m having a bad-detail day, my thoughts are slippery: I’ll start to do something, and suddenly realize that I have no idea what I was working on. I’ll write down the next thing I need to do (so I won’t forget it), and I will have forgotten it by the time I look up at the monitor. That makes it darned hard to program a computer, or even to carry on a conversation — someone will say something, and it will slide right in one ear and out the other, and I’ll blink stupidly and have to ask them to repeat themself.
- The ability to stay on task, and not let your mind wander off into a daze. This one is insidious, because you don’t realize your mind is wandering until you’re already looking out the window at the birds. I’m not quite sure what to call this one yet; it’s only within the past day or two that I started to suspect it’s different from detail focus.
Odd list, eh? None of them seem to go together. Yet I can have #1 and #2 at the same time, and then moments later be having problems with #3, even though #1 and #3 seem to be diametric opposites. Some days one of these is worse than the others, some days not. It’s all rather bizarre, really.
The Adderall was giving me more hyperfocus, which is not altogether bad, but not altogether good (besides which, hyperfocus really isn’t something I’ve ever had too much trouble achieving); and it didn’t seem to be helping a great deal with the detail focus, or the mind-wandering. It also, on a few occasions (especially if I hadn’t been taking it for a few days), gave me the shakes and made my heart race (last time this happened I measured my resting pulse at 120). It didn’t do that too often, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant.
After some discussion, we decided to drop the Adderall, but stick with the stimulant-based drugs for a while longer, since it takes them hours to kick in, as opposed to months for non-stimulant drugs; much easier to tell if they’re working. There are a couple more he wants to try next: one is Focalin, which is chemically similar to Ritalin; and the other is dextroamphetamine, which is chemically similar to Adderall. He asked which I wanted to try. I asked if either one was available in a generic. So I’m on dextroamphetamine now.
The way he explained it, both Adderall and dextroamphetamine have the same active ingredients, consisting of several related molecules (he described them all as variants on one “mother molecule”). But dextroamphetamine has all of those compounds in equal weights, whereas Adderall has more of some than others, surely as the result of much research. But I wasn’t included in that research, so it’s possible that dextro may work better for me. (Too bad — it would’ve been fun to skew their results.)
I asked if we could just get each individual compound separately, so I can try my own relative weights. He laughed, and said that unfortunately, they don’t package it that way. Phooey.
He started me on a lowish dose, since he wasn’t sure whether it would affect my system differently than the Adderall did. I have the usual instructions to experiment with the dose. Alas, dextro isn’t available in a time-release, so I have to remember to take it every four hours through the day. (Remember? Hah! That’s what Outlook calendars are for.) But on the good side, insurance didn’t make a peep about my prescription for 180 tablets — just went ahead and filled it. After the grief filling 60 tablets of the Adderall, that’s a welcome change.
May 2nd, 2005 at 9:47 pm
Sleep study, and general ADD update
May 22nd, 2005 at 9:01 pm
60 mg a day? That seems pretty high. I thought my 30mg script was high!
I usually take Adderall on an "as needed" basis… Mostly for motivation.
I just can’t imagine taking 30mg a day consistently. My health would deteriorate quickly.
mhsnate@hotmail.com
July 22nd, 2005 at 5:44 pm
Wow, 60mg seems like maddness.
I have ADD and I currently take 20mg of Adderall (original recipe not XR). I switched to Adderall from Ritalin 6 years ago (I’m currently 20); I don’t recommend Ritalin. You will eat even less than you did on adderall. I had terrible stomach cramps, and by the time it wore off I would forget all about taking the second pill. The stomach cramps were definitely reminiscent of ulcer pain, I’m almost positive that it was related to the metallic fillers used in the pill. The generic adderall, on the other hand, is filled with sugar pill. I guess I have no scientific basis for my assumption about the metallic filler, but I know a tidge about it based on what I’ve taken from chem class and read in other places. I hate the drymouth more than anything. If I took 60mg I would just foam at the mouth.
Does Adderall XR seem a little crazy to you? An extended release version of a time release drug just seems like a bad idea. I’ve taken it and for a month I got only what sleep was vital to survival. lol
August 10th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
Good commetns of the different types of focus. Very insightful.
September 28th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
I take Adderall as well, and I take 40 mg a day… They give dose based partly on body weight or mass. I’m 6′1" and 20 mg doesn’t do much for me for long…
October 22nd, 2005 at 7:26 am
i take a 30mgxr and 20mg regular twice daily. my doctor tell me i’m a high metabolizer and that doses don’t really depend on body size, but your bodies ability to metabolize the drug. i’m a 120lb 5′5 28 year old female.
November 9th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
wow, that is high, taking one 10xr and one regular once a day, early morning so I can sleep at nights.. Any more would put me through the roof..
Went backwards on the dosage just to make sure I take the edge off, and it seems comfortable.. not druggy feeling
December 7th, 2005 at 12:02 pm
My grandson took his first 10 mg of the XR yesterday and a perfectly wonderful day at school (kindergarten-5 years old) but about dinner time he became extremely agressive, only wanted his momma, and screamed and cussed uncontrollably for about 3 hours. He finally fell asleep on the couch. Has any one else experienced these effects?
December 28th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
I take 20 mg 3x a day and am totally satisfied. I am 32 yrs old and weigh 138.
January 11th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I have a love-hate relationship with my Adderall. I am not able to do my work and concentrate at school. However, I have lost many friends because of it. I am not the same person when I am on it, I am irritable and short-tempered, and I have no personality or humor. I often get annoyed by people just when they begin to click their pen over and over again. Usually people can block the clicking out and I can too, but not on Adderall. People see that I am getting mad and they think it’s funny b/c I’m usually a humorous person, but I begin to get pissed off and one time I began to cry. I cannot even do my homework at home because of my mom banging pots, etc. when she is making dinner. I know she is not doing it on purpous but I am not getting annoyed on purpose either, I wish i didnt. I also become very emotional too, I will cry over the littlest things for no reason. I am also never hungry. People at school think I’m anorexic beause they never see me in the lunch room. At dinner I just pick at my food usually. Just looking at the food makes me feel sick. When i began taking adderall 3 years ago, i weighed 105, now i weigh 95, but i am 4′11”. with the adderall i am capable of losing more weight, so i think to myself, if i can, i might as well. When people ask if they can have some, it pisses me off. They do not know what I have gone through with this drug.
January 15th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
I am a 24 year old female taking 15/mg just once a day. I cant imagine taking anymore than that, it makes me feel so strange. My boyfriend told me that I have turned in to a b*tch since I began taking it, which was about 6 weeks ago. I am also so much more irritable and my sex drive is almost non-existant. Does anyone else have that problem?? I have always been a sexual person but now I have no desire and it’s hurting my relationship. I have also lost a few lbs since I began taking the drug, which is fine cuz I needed to anyways. I am just trying to decide what to do b/c when i dont take it, I feel somewhat out of control. I hate this!!
January 19th, 2006 at 2:42 am
Adderall is plain madness. XR is out of control.
bad taste in mouth
no sex drive
power up and then crash and burn on XR
going to try something else
Reclusive
January 19th, 2006 at 5:35 am
Wow, I certainly seem to be hearing from a lot of people who’ve had bad experiences with Adderall. That’s interesting - I didn’t have any of the negative effects people are talking about; it just made me jittery on a handful of occasions, and didn’t help what I wanted it to.
January 21st, 2006 at 4:44 pm
hello
January 21st, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Sorry, I accidently posted without typing. Disreguard about one liner. Anyway, I seem to post alot about adderall on other boards. Some feeback is good and some is bad. From one guy saying your an addict, being fooled by my brain, and im in for a serious serious rehab, to another saying that my meds (which the other person was on) saved his like almost.
I learned to take feedback as just an option , not a 100 percent answer, because the person giving you feedback really doesnt know your entirel mental makeup. Just what you posted in 3 or 4 lines.
But, Anyway, I look at it this way, Not because its schedule 2 and joe shmoe takes 10 a day. In my case, i list the positive aspects ofhe drug and then negative. Here is what i came up with.
Positive:
80-90 percent increase in my entire mental state, including motivation, like doing things again, no drug use or even cravings, and my opiate addiction and G addiciton was crazy.
Very much into doing mental activites, like computer , reading, researching.
I dont abuse it. I take a higher dose, but througout the day. 75mg total. Sometimes 90mg.
I dont get "speedy" semi euphoric, except for the first 1-2 days on it, or if i take a few days off, then start up. But its working , you can tell.
I have limbic ADD, where I may or may not have enough dopamine out put from the claudet nucleus , or reward center, but also lack of neurotransmitter activity in the prefrontal cortex.
I tried ritalin, dexedrine, welbutrin straterra, (except meth) and adderall was and is the best, IR form.
My Refractory depression has seased, after trying about 10 meds and no use
I can think of many more.
Negative:
About one month ago, for about 5 months, i was staying up 24-30 hrs a few times a week actually doing mental activities, but still, sleep is like gold.
Now i sleep ok, not every staying u over 24hrs.
Need to take my 30mg dose every 4-6 hrs, 3x day. It gets rough always thinking and looking at the time.
I am dependant on it, meaning i cannot stop it, or I go into a deep state of adenonia, and axiety fatigue feeling.
Well, In my opinion, i believe the positive out weighs the negative. Sleep issue was really changed and now im sleeping better. I take a low dose of .5mg klonpin 2x day to knock of any anxiety from it.
Last My theory after 10 yrs of Psychopharm research is that number one, if someone is a drug addict, I dont care how many people, posts, or police tell them to stop , they wont.
Everones brain chemistry is different so effects from certain drugs may differ, thus one person my love the effect of drug x , and become addicted, esp if he or shie is self medicating. Also, Just because 5000 people got addicted to oxycontin lets say in one town, it just may help the other person who is suffereing severely from a spinal injury.
nobody really knows what mental ailment is wrong in ones head, until they get a SPECT scan or Fmri of the brain, where neuroscientist can see the activity. So, If someone is even asking a pdoc, whats is the problem and usually they are in the room for 5minutes so how can you get proper treatment. And due to alot fo symptoms which many illnesses have, you often are misdiagnosed.
Literally I have been to 12 doctors, tried 15 medications , tons of supplements, also did the 1 yr clean of everything. I believe this last year i have felt the best in my life. I dont mean high feeling but at an even keel
January 25th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
I started taking adderall the 2nd semester of freshman year and a huge change happened! I was able to focus and get my grades up and everything was going awesome. I lost alot of weight and look alot skinnier, no muscle at all though. I have tried many times to get off because of the SIDE EFFECTS and i feel like i am cheating and its hurting my body, when i try and get off its the WORST! I cant focus, i eat like crazy, and it feels like i am getting fat. After this week I am done with it, its ruined my life! Any suggestions on how to cope with it when getting off?
January 29th, 2006 at 11:18 am
I have tried a lot of medications, as I have been treated for major depression, an anxiety disorder, and insomnia.
Antidepressants didn’t work. Basically, I took a really high dose untill I began to get mroe physically active, then dropped off and worked with a therapist to restore my life.
The feelings of intense anxiety became esier to deal with after this. I still have them (it’s like having an asthma attack, needing to use the bathroom, and needing to vomit all at the same time, only its strength varies, and is now generally very mild), but I have the hope and optimism to accept them and live in spite of them.
Insomnia is a killer, though. All I want is to be able to sleep less than 16 hours, yet more than three. I want to be able to go to an entire schoolday again. I want to sleep at night. I want to eat like a normal person. I want to be physically active, I want to read whole books again.
I haven’t gotten everything on my list yet, but one non-time release 10mg Adderall has given me the first good day I’ve had in years. I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out or fall over.
I didn’t resent the people around me, whose level of activity and movement was before a painful, exhausting intrusion.
I don’t care if this stuff kills me. I don’t want to sleep through the rest of my life. It might seem odd that a symptom of insomnia is oversleeping, but not being able to EVER have restful, uninterupted sleep is ruining my life. I spend my hours in a haze of lethergy.
January 30th, 2006 at 8:30 am
I want to know if anybody has stomach problems because of adderall. I want to stop but its hard because it helps me go to the bathroom and when I don’t take it I get very constipated and I have really bad stomach pains. Does this happen to anybody else?
February 1st, 2006 at 9:02 am
yesterday i took two 30 mil adderall xr and it was all good for about six hours then suddenly I started to get way messed as though i was on tweek it only got worse by the hour and then I got so confused and my heart was all messed up so i called poison control and they told me to go to the E.R. so i did and they said that i could have DIED if i didnt come in. How scary is that adderall is the DEVIL and if it dont kill YOU it will kill your SOUL!!!!!!
February 5th, 2006 at 1:56 am
i never really noticed the problem with sex drive until a few days ago and its major! is there any way 2 fix this? also, is it bad for you to crush up the pills and snort them?
February 5th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
In order to prevent unwanted side effects from adderall it is important to begin with the smallest dose possible and gradually increase (ie.week to week) the dose until you see marked improvement in your ability to concentrate. If you begin treatment with 30mg you get exactly what you deserve as far as negative side effects. Adderall is a serious substance and should ONLY be taken as prescribed. Medicating yourself is only going to make matters worse. This drug affects your brain function. Taking some one day to focus, skipping the next, and then doubling two days later is extremely unhealthy. If this were a vitamin that would be one thing. Adderall is a controlled substance and should not be treated as a recreational pick me up.
I have been using this drug for five months after using ritalin. Ritalin made me a walking zombie taking 20mg 2x a day. I was unable to concentrate because of my extreme fatigue. My sex life became nonexistant and I experienced terrible mood swings. Adderall has given me the ability to concentrate without these side effects. However, everyone experiences different side effects with different rx. Finding which one works best for you is key. A plus to these rx is that you can switch brands easily without withdrawl. I recommend experimenting with a different med if you are experiencing a side effect that you cannot ignore.
BY THE WAY- anyone who asks if it is "bad for you to crush up the pills and snort them" needs a reality check.
February 27th, 2006 at 4:08 am
i’ve taken/abused it since 1995/96 when it came out.
1. if you try snorting it, i hope you like sugar, cause that’s what they put in it to make it more swalloable for younger kids. its more effective just to swallow it.
2. XR, not as potent as regulars. to solve that undo XLR caps, pour balls into round metal container, smash/crush balls into powder, pour powder back into capsules, swallow.
3. instead of water, try mixing gatorade, water and pedialyte. it will solve that dry mouth for good.
4. if you must stay up, eat lots of protein (meat) and eat it often. if you’re not hungry, chew with your front teeth then swallow with liquid like you would a pill. just get it down, your body needs to replinish muscle (if the food is greasy and fatty, that will help with the calories your burning through) . if you’re tired the next day, that’s cause you didn’t eat enough, train harder.
5. your pupils might only get dialated at nighttime.so buy some glasses you can wear at night
6. weed and alchohol will counteract it.
7. if you take some, don’t go to any shopping center with lots of money, also avoid ebay.if you must go shopping make a list.
8. when dreaming of "ill do that in the future." you won’t if the adderrall wears off.
9. put everything you just took out of your drawer/cabinet back where you found it. there should be no reason for you to organize or analyze old junk.
10. if you learn how to do something on adderrall, prepare to have to re-learn it once you’re not taking it anymore.
11. avoid taking a victim stance while on it. nobody is against you, trust me, its all in your head.
12. avoid grinding teeth by keeping mouth half open
13. love someone else, but don’t be suprised when that feeling changes when you’re not on it.
14. adventures are fun, just leave weapons at home.
15. you could have done the same amount of studying you just did on adderrall , without it in half the time, (especially when that website was just so darn interesting you had to read on) .
16. if you’re not an alchoholic/addict like me then most of this won’t make any sense. so reality check, some people are, some people aren’t. that’s reality bub.
17. people can tell when you’re on it. period
18. if you haven’t slept, and feel like shit, enjoy it, embrace it, have fun being all silly, what else can you do.
19. don’t mix other stimulants with adderrral, bad.
20. if you’re getting addicted, try to stop, don’t end up like me writing this insane list at 7am after partying all night.
March 6th, 2006 at 10:35 am
hey bro i hear you on all that stuff, if your like us then all this guy said is totally true, also may i add that if you have a video game you want to beat pop 30mg of XR and just game for 8 hours its a blast. i dont know if i saw this on this site or another one but if you are giving your kid addy and they are under the age of about 8-10 then you are a horrible bad parent and should be beaten with a big stick. listen carefully all you parents that like to dope your lill-uns. KIDS ARE HYPERACTIVE AND THEY HAVE NO ATTENTION SPAN IT IS PART OF BEING A KID. if your kid acts out in school then just find out whats wrong and try to fix it, send him to a doc for meds as a LAST LAST LAST resort. if you think you can solve your kids problems with drugs then YOU are most likely the kids problem and should think long and hard about what YOU are doing wrong. sorry for the rant but people talking about there 5 year olds getting messed up on adderall really bothers me.
March 7th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I’m a 24 year old female, 5′8 and I weigh 140, and I use to take adderall (20 mg/day) for about ayear and a half. I mostly took it for college, and my grades were great. Once I graduated though, I didn’t really think about stopping, it was like a part of me. If I didn’t take it one day, I would eat like crazy and have this lazy/cloudy feeling. Then I satrted doing some research, and I found out A LOT of horrible things about this drug.
First of all, It causes premature aging, especially in women. I noticed my normally combination skin felt dry and looked drab. Second, although the weight loss is a great thing, once your off, it pretty much affects your metabolism for a LONG time (especially if your older). Thankfully, I spoke to my doctor and he put me on Provigil (also a stimulant, though VERY mild, and not nearly as harmful-no bad withdrawals) as a replacement for about a month, so that I would’nt gain massive weight and so I dont experience such horrible withdrawals.
Adderall also affected my vision, sex drive, mood and sleep. I had to take xanax or ambien to be able to sleep at night. I jsut felt really crappy, and like a dependent druggie.
It was really hard to stop, but it is SO worth it. This drug is nothing good. Don’t get me wrong, once in a while is all good. I might take it every now and then for that extra motivation. But taking it every day is detrimental to your health.
March 7th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Also, Please dont let children take it!!! Do as much research as possible before putting a child on it. There are alternatives that many doctors don’t know about. (my own father is a doctor, and he always told me that adderall is bad news). If children start taking it now, what are they going to do when they are 30, 40, 50? Once you build a tolerance you have to keep increasing the dose….BAD!!!! It really screws with your head, causing depression and violent thoughts!
March 7th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
i have been using adderall for about a month now without a perscription but not everyday. I am 16 and have always had good grades. when i am in school while on adderall it seems to go by alot faster and i hate to say makes school fun. i have many friends who are perscribed to it and they either sell it to me or give it to me for free(mostly on the weekends) i have broken up the beads in XR and snorted it and it kicks in alot faster but is not as good of a feeling when i am on it i seem to think alot deeper and get more involved in the task at hand also i have a drug test for my baseball team coming up will it realy show up as meth? and what is an easy and fast way to flush thc?
March 16th, 2006 at 8:04 am
I am in so deep with adderall. I know I should stop but I live for the twice monthly prescription pick ups, mine and my daughters. I took her to the doctor with the intention to abuse her meds. How sick is that? I am then prescribed my own 20mg x 2 a day. I have been going through 2400mg a month for the past three months! I am not kidding and am not proud of this. The thing is I do have ADD, unfortunately I also battle with addiction. I have been "sober" for almost three years, that is I have not drank alcohol. No wonder. This is going on my fourth day without sleep. I am in graduate school and am finding I am spending hours downloading music and then rearranging the music. Meanwhile…I am 2 weeks behind in one of my classes.
WHAT THE HECK!!! I need some Jesus in my life!!!!!11
How is it possible to take that much?
Hope no one ever has to pose these questions
March 19th, 2006 at 3:55 am
I just popped two 20 mg adderall xr at 7 PM and it is now 7 AM and I am wired I cannot goto sleep and I was on the computer all night getting absolutly nothing accomplished I was just browsing and the next thing I know its sunny outside and time flew by….. Btw I am 16 years old and weigh 120 pounds is 40 mg xr a high dosage for me? And to let you know I have a fast metabalism…… Get back at me please thank you
March 23rd, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Of course its too much for you….people have had heart attacks and aneurisms, as young as 7 years old, byt taking too much. 40 mg with your weight is rediculous. Why would you do that to yourself?
March 26th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
I just switched from 20 mg of Focalin XR to adderall (short acting). Stimulant drugs only help me with concentration for 6 - 12 months, then I have to switch. I don’t take it every day either. I only take the meds three days a week, so I can get through class okay. I feel fine when I don’t take the med and I don’t get high from it when I do take it. If anything, it slows me down and makes me kind of sleepy.
Adderall has made me lose my appetite completely…even when it wears off I’m still not hungry. Has anyone else experienced this? I think I will start taking a multi-vitamin if I don’t get my appetite back. The last thing I need is to start losing my hair or something from malnutrition.
It’s also making sleep difficult, but again, I am going to stay on it for a little while. Hopefully it is a temporary side effect.
to Tufo… 40 mg of XR is equivelent to 20 mg of regular adderall, twice daily. From what I understand, that is a pretty normal dose for an adolescent or young adult.
March 26th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
I had something like appetite loss a few times, although it was almost more of "it didn’t occur to me to stop what I was doing to eat". I usually only noticed when my stomach started to cramp. It seemed to happen most often on days when I took the Adderall, but hadn’t taken it the previous day or two.
I think appetite loss is fairly common with stimulants in general. Obviously, if it’s causing major problems, you’d want to talk to your doctor about it.
March 28th, 2006 at 8:14 am
i am a 22 yr old senior in college and started taking adderall in like 8th grade. When my parents originally were controlling when/how much i was taking, adderall was "effective", but to be honest with all of you…IT HAS LITERALLY DESTROYED MY LIFE, it wasnt worth getting better grades in highschool. i TAKE 2000 MG A day now, or in other words 10–20mg tablets. I started as a 3.6 gpa student at USC, and now i havent gotten anything above a C- in two years. I sit around all day and do the same routine, smoke cigarettes and whatever other impulsive/compulsive are available. If you guys think that euphoric high is great and feel more social on it…give it only a little time, because you will avoid most people in your life, and forget who you once were.
IF YOU ARE IN ANYWAY COMPULSIVE, OR OBSESSIVE, YOU ARE IN FOR A WORLD OF PAIN.
i AM ONLY SAYING THESE THINGS BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THERE IS A "POSSIBILITY" THAT ADDERALL WILL AFFECT YOU NEGATIVELY, AND IF IT DOES YOU WILL ONE DAY LOOK AT YOUR GAUNT FACE IN THE MIRROR AND WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. i HATE LIFE WITH ADDERALL, BUT I DONT KNOW HOW TO ENJOY IT WITHOUT IT.
pARENTS…IF YOUR KID HAS TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, WHICH I CLINICALLY DID, FIND A NON-STIMULATING WAY TO DEAL WITH IT…PLEASE FOR YOUR KIDS SAKE.
April 2nd, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Yaw - i take 120 mg of adderall a day!!! one hundred and twenty holy moly. i can’t wait to hear yaw’s reaction to that!
April 5th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
THERE IS HELP OUT THERE!! I STOPPED TALKING IT AFTER 2 YEARS OF TAKING ADDERALL EVERYDAY! GO TO REHAB, OR TALK TO DOCOTR, DONT KILL YOURSELF, ITS NOT WORTH IT!!! STOP GIVING THESE DAMN PHARMA COMPANIES SO MUCH MONEY AND SATISFACTION…YOUR LIFE IS PRECIOUS…REALLY…
April 6th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
i feel as if i am crawing in my own skin sometimes i will just start freaking out for no reason an i feel lik i cant breathe an there is wieght on my heart an i feel lik i could rip my heart out or i could kill someone an i feel lik my chest is so tight it kills me i am telling u i need to kno what to do so pleas help
April 7th, 2006 at 5:23 am
Dude. Talk to your doctor.
April 9th, 2006 at 11:55 am
My daughter began taking Adderall about 2 yrs. ago late in college after she found a doctor to diagnose her w/ ADD. Since then she has exhibited extreme paranoia and jealousy. Her behavior has become ugly, manipulative, and frightening. She will not discuss the issue with me, stating that I am just trying to make her look like a drug addict. Has anyone else experienced this with a family member? I am at the end of my rope.
April 10th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
I was like that when I was taking it, and I didnt want to admit it either. It truly is an addictive drug. If you care about your daughter, get her off it, whatever it takes. Do a little bit of research on the internet, and jsut look at the ridiculously harmful effects that this drug has. Its like real speed. And if she doesnt stop this now, once her tolerance has built up, she might graduate onto the real street drug (amphetamine/speed). NO GRADES ARE WORTH RISKING YOUR HEALTH!!!!
April 11th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
I could have been a major league baseball player. I was that good. I’m not deluded or crazy, I had the gift. I was better than anyone I knew. I could have set records. I could have played in a World Series. I could have done things not thought possible by regular people.
I was also smart. My IQ was tested several times and the scores were so high that I won’t even post them here, because you wouldn’t believe me. I could have gotten a degree in Mathematics or Physics without an inordinate amount of effort.
I was good-looking. Kind of like Andrew McCarthy, but more muscular and way taller. I could get any girl that I wanted and never had any problems in serious relationships. I was outgoing and funny and sought after by females.
I had everything you could ever hope to be born with. I’m not kidding. My family was also rich, my father a surgeon and my mother a nurse. I am not posting this out of vanity, it’s the truth. I once had a great deal of money.
I am a recluse, waiting to die. It’s almost over.
April 12th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Was all this due to Adderall? Where are your parents? I want to help you.
April 14th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
I am 20 year old male who has been taking aderall 20 mg 2x daily for the last 3 months and I seriously feel that I am becomming addicted to do it. My highs only last 4 hours (fast metabolism), but after it wears off I suddenly become depressed, irritable, flat out mean, and suicidal. But when I am on it, I always tell myself that its worth it because how good I feel while I’m on it and how much it helps me focus/do well in school/get things done.
April 15th, 2006 at 9:12 am
im a mom with 3 kids, im 30. i have always been a very ambitious outgoing person. I was never addicted to anything in my life like i am adderall. This is the most horrible presc. drug ever. It sorta makes you feel like a supermom. Im a neat freak with ocd (was a neat freak) it honestly blows my mind how this shit messes with you. i can honestly say i would do anything to go back to that firts day when i tried that first dexi and made the choice to say no!!!! i hate drug abuse and alcoholism and always have, but to have a simple little orange pill called adderall have such a hold over me, its truely sad. im trying so hard to stop but it is scary to own up to it. even my husband doesnt really know how dependant i am on the adderall. i just take my prescribed dose every day no questions asked. The thing is why hasnt anyone noticed im a total diffrent person?
April 19th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
WHY THE FUCK DONT YOU PEOPLE GET HELP??? I WAS ADDICTED FOR 5 YEARS!!! IM CLEAN FOR ALMOST 2 NOW, AND I FEEL BETTER THAN EVER!! NO ONE HAS SYMPATHY FOR THOSE WHO DONT CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES, AND DESTRY THEMSELVES…ESPECIALLY HEATHER, YOURE A MOTHER FOR CHRIST SAKE!! CHECK INTO REHAB OR DO WHAT I DID, GO COLD TURKEY! IT SUX FOR ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO, THEN ITS BETTER THAN EVER….PLEASE TAKE CARE OR YOUR BODIES, YOU ONLY GET ONE…
April 27th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Can some experienced adderall user give me some advice?
Note: I do not take my prescription everyday…usually only 2 to 3 days a week.
The dosage taken during experiences similar to this one is 20MG regular (not XR) taken all at once.
When I take adderall, the only time when I feel like its effects are actually helping me is after 30 minutes of taking it orally…thats when the rush of energy and mental clarity come in which lasts for only about 30 to 60 more minutes…I know this is just euphoria because my mood is elevated and inflated sense of well being is present. Following that - roughly 1 hour - euphoria and total concentration with the ability to multi task and do anything I tackle is GONE and then have a 6-10 hours coming down sesion. This coming down makes me emotionless (not necessarily depressed), zombie like, and I can focus on ONLY ONE THING … just staring … but unfortunately my brain cannot process what i am focusing on during this LONG phase of the drug. In other words its like im zoned in on one thing but my brain is too exhausted to process the information. Even though im still focused, my brain is fatigued for these 6 - 10 hours and thus the drug is not beneficial.
Concluding, adderall is only working durnig the initial "high" lasting only about 1 hr sometimes less. Why do people say they are getting the concentration effect and stamina for a 6-8 duration??
April 27th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
johnathon, you should not take regular strength the way you are because it is stronger than xr and xr is time released
What you are describing sounds like an overdose
Please stop
April 28th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
What is the maximum milligram dosage that one could take of XR in a 24 hour period. I believe I ingjested somewhere in the neighboorhood of 255Mg within a 31hr period, I woke today and I feel fried. After that inital rush I would give into the desire to eat another, so I’m curious; how much is too much within a day? Is it unwise to take XR, which are intended to be a once-a-day pill at varying time intervals of the day, and would staggering the pills at different times through the day have a negative effect, or would it allow you to acheive high regular dose at the extend release’s duration? What are some tell tell signs that I should stop popping? Online pharmacy side effects are full of technical terminology.
April 28th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Great writing! I can definately tell a difference from the people taking to much Adderall and those posting without.
My expereince with Adderall is confusing sometimes. Being diag’ed around 23 with ADD. Since then (about 14 years) I have tried life with Med’s, without, sometimes, all the time, and have come to the conclusion, if you got ADD you’re are hosed. Just read the colum, hopeless, huh? Well maybe not every post but a majority are over doing it, don’t need it. Ahh, into the ether this blog goes.
Ok, so someone wants answers to dosage and to much. Again if your asking your risking alot reality as you know it. I want to remind everyone that elimination from your body is about three days. This can build up in your system and boom you have taken to much.
For me it is different, as I increase dosage past 75 mg (depends on how you metabolize), it is a bell curve of inverse corralation to going up. The more you go up the more straight and blurry things get. You pass the I feel good dose and scream into the hyperfocus. The world for me actually slows almost to a crawl on higher doses. ADD and Adderall do what they are supposed to do - slow me down.
I like the list of things on Adderall. True.
I like the feedback on XR not as strong. I thought my tolerance was going up. Switching back to regular 3 x 30 mgs per day. I have to cut pill in half and take every 2-3 hours. But works much better for me that way. XR just is either to much or not enough. Really hard to throttle it. Can’t waste my time playing with 10 mg xr at a time to figure it out.
I have figured several things out with Adderall.
1. Vitamin C reduces effect of Adderall. (vitamins at night)
2. Acidic body PH will reduce effect.
3. Taking a 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed in water boosts the absorbtion. Less really is more. Hence you can get toxic, if you take to much Adderall. Blury Vision, body temp rises, nervous, agitated, etc.
4. Coffee is also a base and your body absorbs Adderall more. But then caffine can make you have problems forming words.
5. If you can’t talk right, you have taken to much. 2hrs later (its to late)
6. Eating extends out when your dosage peaks. It still peaks but 1-2 hrs later than you would have on an empty stomach.
7. Protien seems to not interfear with absorbtion.
8. Fats interfer with absorbtion.
9. Eat a meal replacement bar with at least 1/3 daily value protien, if you are not eating. 700 - 800 calories are not that much and atleast you won’t lose alot of muscle.
10. Heat stroke on Adderall is a real thing. Heat & sun & Adderall are a sure way to get sick. Water bottle in hand at all times - if in heat.
11. Sports on Adderall. You decide. Remember the heat stroke factor.
12. Once you get moving in a direction on adderall, your most likely to complete it. Sex, work, reading, writing. But breaking away from the crap you shouldn’t be doing and start to pay attention to what you should doing is not that easy. Just do it and see how things get better.
13. Organize the night before going to sleep to get yourself out the door seems to work.
14. Weight lifting is recommened. Any exercise is recommened.
15. Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion.
16. I can’t believe I am writing this. I must stop! I laugh at these kind of posts that go on, and on, and on.
Over and out
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:27 pm
I have a question that I’m hoping to get an answer to. I have 2 adult family members who have been taking Adderall for 1-3 yrs - My son and my sis-in-law. A common denominator in behavior that i have seen in both of them prompt me to as this question. For instance, my son, who has always been very family oriented - very close to mom - never missed a day calling me - hasn’t called me in almost a year. Totally avoids me, his dad, and younger sis - no email responses, nothing. Then there’s my sis-in-law, who has hurt her mother deeply. She was always close to her and very dependent. Now, when her mom (my mom-in-law) is in her 70’s, she decides that she can’t stand her,etc, etc… and hasn’t talked to her since before Christmas. Has anyone every heard of any behavior issues like this related to Adderall? This is totally out of character for these 2. Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
May 4th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
Wow. i’ve been taking adderall for like 10 weeks now and i’ve lost 25 pounds. I used to weight 125 and now i weigh 105, i thought i was becomming anorexic. I never thought it may have been a side effect of the medication. But basically what happened when i started taking it was my grades went up, i stopped being hungry all the time and i lost weight. Thinking i was becomming anorexic i would skip doses, because for some reason i thought i burned more calories while on the drug, but on those days i would eat alot of food. I now see that it was the drug, not me. wow
this is so weird
i’ve been thinking i had an entirely different disorder.
May 5th, 2006 at 1:51 am
1. Has anyone here who needs help with focus or has a sleep disorder, but does not tolerate amphetamine-like drugs take Provigil–a non-amphetamine like Stimulant that you don’t build tolerance to, and can’t take more as a "booster"? It has few to no side-effects, and you can even fall asleep on it if you decide to. It’s made my Cephalon. It’s very expensive–$10 a 200mg pill is what my insurance pays. But–within 6 months generic (Modafinil) hits the market. It’s a very unique medication. I take this as well, for its ability to help memory and cognition.
And the feature presentation:
I take around 200mg of a Bi-Amphetamine (Adderall), or 160mg Dextromphetamine (Dexedrine) a day so that I can stay awake and not sleep more than 8 -10 hours a night. Waking up is hard, and not due to crashing–due to the incapability even with 4 alarm clocks. It was like this for about a year before I ever took any psychostimulant.
The first time I took adderall (the first psychostimulant I took) I swallowed 2 30mg XR capsules 2 hours apart, and within 3 hours I fell asleep for about 4 hours.
I am prescribed Dextroamphetamine–though not as high a dose as I take due to insurance and such nonsense. A "person I know quite well) gets a prescription of Adderall XR and freely gives half of it to me.
My prescribing psychiatrist, social worker, therapist, family members, & friends are aware that I consume an average of 160 to 200 mg of l/d-amphetamine (adderall) or d-amphetamine (dexedrine) daliy. And it has no side-effects.
Prior to this, I tried Methylphenidate (Ritalin), in tablet form–and found it was effective, but I had some psychotic effects, due to mental illness, and presumably the added methyl-chain on an amphetamine Analogue, making Methylphenidate closer to Methamphetamine in terms of overall subjective psychological feeling.
Then, I tried Concerta (12 hour slow-release Methylphenidate) after one month it stopped working entirely. I ended up taking 612mg (comparable to around 540mg Adderall XR, in terms of wake-promiting capabilities for myself) in a 24 hour period and it did nothing. I did this as I awoke every few hours. Down 4 more, fall back asleep. My body had no effect or side-effect. No metabolising took place.
There is a possibility that I might be moving on to Desoxyn (methamphetamine HCI) soon. Yes, it is legally available by prescription–it is Schedule II substance, it has medical value as determined by medical community consesus and the FDA with DEA input.
I hope not to go to that. As I have a chronic mental illness–a psychotic disorder–I shouldn’t take any of this according to most doctors, and according to ones who actually read research and think–a small dose, about 1/3 of the Max. Daily Reccommended should be used on medicated patients–as they fix a whole set of symptoms that no other drug does! I was on an atypical anti-psychotic medication for a few months that left me with: Chronic Akathisa, Dystonia, Hyperglycemia, all sorts of muscle tics, tremors and spams, and one hell of a severe sleep disorder.
With my illness–which has been assessed by over a dozen psychiatrists out-patient and several more during hospitalizations, I should go into an acute amphetamine-psychosis with half this amount. But, the medication I was on, while not helping the illness, also gave me significant CNS damage, and one hell of a hard time existing. Worse than before taking medicaiton, as the illness still exists as much as ever, and I am left with chronic disabling functions both mentally and physicall due to its "side-effects." This happens to nearly all who take anti-psychotics for more than a few months, much less years and sometimes a few weeks.
What I hope everyone considers is this:
Not a single Anti-psychotic medication that exists is Schedule. Not one is a controlled Substance, not in category 1 all the way down to five.
If, as the DEA claims, that one of essential criteria for Scheduling of a controlled substance (as not all prescription medications are illegal to possess/consume without prescription) is "safety", then why is this so? Amphetamine is Schedule II–you can’t even get a "refill" status on it and is considered highly dangerous but with medical value. Certainly–I agree with no doubt that they are quite addictive and potentially dangerous.
However, the side-effects of anti-psychotics give a person whose mental illness, when known or obvious, often its both, make the stigma worse, the illness worse, and can lead to physical disability.
Let’s all consider this: The DEA is not interested in Safety. They are interested in "recreational value." We are not to alter our minds in what our minds and bodies interpret as satisfying ways. Safety is the last thing on their minds. If it was, anti-psychotics would be Scheduled–all of them, especially of the first generation typical type.
I also tend to weigh 15 pounds more when on these medications than off. And, I never get a "speedy" feeling no matter the dose–not once. Strange?
Note: This isn’t hyperfocus making me write this much, its just another diagnoses of another illness under a different axis from the main one. I am obsessive, and mental-auotomatism is definately present. I’d thank you for not lynching me for the long post.
May 5th, 2006 at 2:07 am
The Dude: 255mg Adderall a day is, to say the least, profoundly unwise unless you truly need it. If it takes that much for you to function, you either have an addiction and built a tolerance, or a severe case of ADD/ADHD or a severe sleep disorder. Try switching to Dexedrine, if that doesn’t work–the next step has to be (legal, pharmaceutical) Methamphetamine, such as Desoxyn.
And yes, a dose like that might keep someone up long enough that they crash really hard. I have a friend who unwisely took about 300mg over 36 hours and was up for 4 nights and 4 1/2 days. He proceeded to sleep for about the next 2 and a half days, and felt awful when he awoke.
Also: The Prescribing Information provided to psychiatrists may be full of technical jargon, but if you take medications, it is important that you take the time to look up words, and understand what is within ones range of experience and knowledge. Prescription drugs can do more long term damage and be more addictive than smoking crack or snorting street-methamphetamine. Learn all you can about a pill your doctor gives you before you swallow it. Read the PI, read the methodology for the clinical trials to check for accuracy in method and read the clinical trial information to best know how it can affect you and others.
I made the mistake of not doing that, and my above post shows you what happened. Doctors don’t necessarily know much. Research is rampant and our understanding of the brain and body is rapidly growing and doctors don’t have to renew a lisence and take a new exam in their area to do so ever, let alone every 5 years, which is my proposal. They themselves don’t always bother understand the implications of the medications short and long term.
Even if some do, they don’t always tell the patient about the associated-problems.
May 15th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
I’m 12 and I take 40 mg of adderallXR every day, but I’m normal weight wise
May 18th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Psychostimulants, especially synthetic or drug company manufactured ones, are the most dangerous drugs one can take..
i come from experience…i have been a cocaine abuser for two years. it wasnt frequency that was my problem, ( i would only use once every 1-3 months) but the amount i would do in one sitting. i was a binge user.
i would always get and use at least one gram of cocaine per sitting. which would last a night. by myself.
i suffered from severe OCD since i was about 18 years old, and this diminished my capacity to judge whether i was doing too much or not. my obsessiveness would just MAKE me do more.
i am clean now, its been one month, i will never use again, but this is my story with Dextroamphetamine or dexedrine.
Being obsessive compulsive i had a very keen understanding of my mind, the way it works, and the way id feel day to day … i essentialy lived, and still do, in my mind.
after the cocaine abuse i did notice some differences, feeling less pleasure with thoughts or activities which once gave me a very large amount of pleasure and satisfaction. and a sort of blockage in my neural pathways … particularly my frontol lobe.. it just seemed as if i was blocking off a part of my brain …by three months later my brain would start returning to normal .. and inside i always felt it was reversible as long as i didnt do it again, and lived healthy ( excerised, ate right, and rested ect.. )
i had been clean from coke for about 6 months and had never planned on taking it again, but i was fighting cravings … although i felt good, my mind was normal.
one night a friend came over with ADHD, he had his dexedrine prescription with him.. we were drinking lightly and i complained of being tired, and mentioning that when i was using coke i would have been able to stay up all night …
he offered me pills of dexedrine …
i took the pills and it was the worst decision ive ever made in my life … i first took 20mg, then about an hour or two later took another 15 miligrams .. both orally …
i had been feeling speedy and euphoric but i was used to the binge coke high, so i asked him for more pills when he left …i told him i only took four … and i planned to do them over the next week,but i had lied to him and really took 7, and i couldnt control my consumption of them…
over the next ten hours or so, i proceeded to snort the rest of the pills .. when all was said and done i had done 110 milligrams all together …
now i had no idea that if i snorted them, the effects would last so long …i was used to doing coke, and being the idiot and OCD ridden person i am, i didnt think twice about the duration of effect with the dexedrine .. i snorted it as i would cocaine …
the two days afterwards i didnt feel any immediate damage or horrid effect from the drug …but then again i still felt high during this period …
on the third day .. after some sleep … i woke up to the most horrible and terrorfying day of my life …
i felt as if someone gave me a lobotomy, and this is no exaggeration. i couldnt think, my consciousness felt as if it receeded into the back and center of my mind, and i didnt understand what was happening to me…i could only think in basic and instinctual terms, and all i could feel was terror. i remember thinking i had done it, i had turned myself into a vegetable, and i prayed and prayed for god to save me, or return me to a state where at least i could exist and function…
about one week later .. my mind slowly started returning to where i could think.
its been one month since i overdosed and my mind is still not functioning well…. my abstract thinking and insightfulness seems diminished. where once i could read a complex book, and formulate abstract thoughts and theories as well as develope insight into what the author was saying, without any effort whatsoever, i now feel as if these areas of my mind are darkened and harder to conjure …i also dont feel "centered" … i cannot feel my center of being ( as weird as this sounds its the only way i can explain it) …
i have a burning sensation in my brain and a numbness which is most prevalent when i first wake up in the morning …and this groggyness and "burnt out" feeling takes about 3 hours to subside ..where as prior to this i was always able to wake up and get into my day quickly … even after the 3 hour mark .. the "burnt out feelings" dont completely leave me … and the prospect of having to live like this for the rest of my life scares the SH** out of me …
deciding to read up on the drug to find out why i am feeling the way i am i have learned that these stimulants attack the neurological system of the brain more maliciously than any other drug you can do … they are KNOWN to attack and possibly damage, and in the least deregulate the dopaminergic and seretonin systems …
it may be easier to overdose and DIE from heroin, but nothing i repeat no other drug causes as much brain damage or deregulation of neurochemistry, as these stimulants they are EXTREMELY neurotoxic .. even in regular prescribed doses .. which over time produce the same effects as abusing, or binging on them….
now granted there is emerging evidence that prolonged abstinence leads to healing and that in fact the brain damage may be reversible … but this includes long periods of time up, to four years
i plan to do whatever i can to heal myself, i also am going to see a neurologist to see if i have done damage to my nerves within my brain or if in fact i am just suffering from after-effects, and a chemical imbalance caused by the overdose …or maybe even a sort of "psychosis" which does emerge from long time stimulant use or overdose …
i have written this to warn you all of the horrid things that can happen from stimulant use .. and to really communicate how destructive these substances really are … these large pharmecuetical companies repress and block any research into the adverse and negative/damaging effects of these drugs, with their powerful lobbying and control of the medical research mediums, and community.
but recently .. the "crank" epidemic, crank being methampetamine which is the substance in desoxyn, has provided an avenue with which the medical research community to do serious studies on these stimulants and their destructive power …and against the will of the pharm companies that support and lobby for their prescription and acceptence into the pysche ommunity, researched are able to correlate their findings to the other stimulant drugs in this family …(amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, ect..)
May 26th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
i was on adderall during my middle school years. i experienced many of the side effects mentioned. i am now 20 and a recovering addict/alcoholic working 12 step program. i have been clean over a year and 1/2. i have recently been put back on adderall after trying other alternatives that proved to be ineffective for treating my severe adhd. i was hesitant to go back on the adderall but after consulting a number of other fellow recovering addicts/dr/therapist/etc i decided to give it a try. this time around i have been pleasantly suprised. i’ve found many of the side-effects can be avoided by doing some very simple things. i am 5′11 180lb good physical shape and currently taking 60mg/day with minimal side effects. the most important thing is to listen to the signals your body sends ie eat regularly, drink water, sleep, etc. if it affects your sleep dont take it after a certain time of day. i am also active and exercise frequently which also helps me stay regular. so really no drug is evil it is just your response to the drug that causes negative side-effects. if your an addict make sure dr and others know before getting on stimulant medication. if taken as prescribed it can increase quality of life for people with overactive minds. it has been working for me, i just have to continue doing the next right thing and remember i am taking the medication for the reasons it was prescribed.
June 2nd, 2006 at 9:17 am
I’m 21 years old and was prescribed Strattera 5 months ago and had no such luck on it. I was just switched to Ritalin and after reading most of these posts I have one major question… Is this a drug that only has effects WHILE you are taking your dose or does it change behavior for things like motivation even when you are not on it at that second? For instance I still have problems actually getting out of bed in the mornings because I have no desire. Should I take a 10mg at the first point of conciousness and hopefully when it kicks it I will feel more compelled to wake up or what?
June 7th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Adderall , I think that abuse over a year or more snorting causes one to become less intelligent. At least it definitely feels that way.
June 13th, 2006 at 8:15 am
Adderall can be very helpful and benificial for the people that take it correctly. Unfortunitly it is getting a bad name because of idiots, like many on this site posting, that abuse it.
I take it like i was prescribed to take it. I have little side effects. and occasional shakyness occasional appetite loss etc. but when i am on it i find myself able to focus alot more and i get so much done. I have found that it has really helped me and i have no problems taking it.
June 13th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD when I was 12 I was put on ritalin. I am now 25 and I am on adderall I was on the ritalin for 9 years and have been on the adderall for around 4. The only break I have had with my adderall that was long term was when I was pregnant with my daughter, but I got on it after I had her and was done breast feeding. I have built a great tolerence to it. And I can take 40mgs in the morning and it has not affect on me. So now I take up to 100-120Mgs a day and when I run out early I panick and find other ways to get it. It is ruining my life. But no one knows I take it not even my husband, I beleive everyone just thinks I am completely NUTS. I want to stop but I cant I hate the adderall it was very affective for me until I began taking more than prescribed
June 19th, 2006 at 2:28 am
I think THE ONLY BAD THING about Adderall is the ‘tolerance’ that is developed. I went through a divorce in 2004, my wife leaving for her X-husband (romancing for a year behind my back) taking my daughter with her. I worked long hours in the oil field (everyday) and would come home and booze real heavy and smoke alot of cigs. I couldnt think of anything else when work was over, but speeding home to crack that first beer. It was horrible (15 months every day). The depression was so bad I lost interest in everything. I had alot of ambition and interests before the divorce. Then I was introduced to ADDERALL. I remember a focus coming back, a peace of mind, a letting go of the past. I felt goals and ambition come back to me as it was before.
I was given adderall by a friend who was seeing the booze kill me slowly. Within a few weeks I had COMPLETELY stopped drinking. I was an alcoholic before. I couldnt go one night without delirium tremens if I didnt get booze. I have started back to school and am making straight A’s, where I use to make C’s because I couldnt focus. I have a prescription now, and take 60 mgs a day.
I know everybody’s system is different, and I have seen many bad side effects listed on this page (from the Adderall). I know how frustrating that is, because I couldnt stay on anti-depressants for that reason. As far as the Adderall goes, I have no ill-effects. It has made me normal again. I had no energy (from the depression) and now I have loads of it. I couldnt even focus on spending time with my daughter (when I had her) because of the depression and lethargy. Now, I play with her as if I am 5 years old (her age), and I dont even think about the mistakes and guilt of the past. Use to I couldnt be around my X-wife and her husband without severe depression (like I let my daughter down not making our marriage). Now I can even go to their house to drop her off. I can even put a smile on my face and ‘hold my head high’, because the Adderall has let me see that it wasnt all my fault, and I HAVE A FUTURE with someone else someday. Its brought back a sense of confidence, where ’social anxiety’ and insecurity had set in previously. The obsessive thoughts are gone, and so is the depression.
THE GREATEST MIRACLE OF ALL is that before I stared using adderall, I had to start buying cocaine to ‘face the day’ (that was only for 1 or 2 months prior to the Adderall introduction). I was really scared I was hooked, and then my friend introduced me to adderall. I quite cocaine without one look back at it (cold turkey). The adderall took the place of that dreadful powder.
I love music and movies again (which has always been my passions). It had got to a place where I couldnt focus on anything but the sorrow. Once again, I have my passions back. I had lost interest in finishing my education (and even quit) due to my constant thoughts of wanting to die (no hope for tommorrow). Now I am excited about my future.
As I said, I know we all have different systems which bring different results to the meds. However, I wanted to speak up for my medical savior. One more thing I need to mention is that during the last 3 months (of my 15 month depression) I started smoking pot (along with the beer) to help me forget even more. So my depression led me from heavy boozing and cigs, to include daily pot smoking, and finally coke just to be able to get up from all that bodily torture I put myself through nightly. I was a mess.
Thanks to Adderall I am free from cigs, alcohol, pot, and coke; and Adderall is better than any of these illegal drugs.
I’m not trying to argue with anyone here. I know my comments are in direct contrast with some others in here. I just wanted to present my testimony to you all, and the positive effect this medication has had on my life.
June 20th, 2006 at 10:47 am
I started taking adderall about two weeks ago. I currently take 15mgs per day. At first things were great and I felt like I could take on the world. I did have some side effects things like nervousness and a total lack of patients but I was able to think clear and fast. Now however I feel like my thought process has become more foggy and I am not sure why. Has anyone had this problem and if so what should I do?
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Are you intaking any caffiene an hour or so before the adderall? How about during the adderall? Caffiene doesnt effect some people on Adderall. I can use tobacco, caffeine, or chocolate. However, some people may be sensitive to stimulants and an ‘extra’ stimulant would add to the ’stimulant effect’. Also, it could be psychological (the clouded mind, and nervousness). That is something you must examine for yourself. Why did you feel so good at first and now its different (a question to ask yourself). You may need to talk to your doctor if this doesnt work. Be aware he may take you off the adderall and put you on a ‘ADD drug’ that is not an amphetamine, or he may lower your dose. I’m not a doctor, just guessing.
BTW, I have noticed my mind gets clouded if I havent had sleep in a while (while on the adderall).
You didnt say whether your building up tolerance to the dose yet, thats something I could give you some pointers on (that could help), if your dose isnt kicking in. You may also want to check the web for ‘medications’ and other things that might be hurting the adderall. For example, its best to never drink any juice while your on the adderall, because it hinders it. Soda’s do too.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
This is in response to the May 18 letter from Steve on his overuse and the drastic consequences of adderall.
I am interested in where he got his information on the healing process of adderall. I have a college son that was given LSD for a birthday present. He wasn’t going to take it, spent all day saying he wouldn’t take it, and was finally convinced to take it after it was broken in three parts and he eventually took all three. He said it fractured his brain.
He left for college, and even though he was an overachieving A student his entire life, I could see he was struggling, thought I didn’t know why. I guess he started taking Adderall in Jan. He’d only take it on weekends, but took 3-4 pills. I don’t know the mg rating. Got it during freshman rush from the Frat boys. Adderall is SO easy to get.
when he came home from spring break, he was pyschotic. When he told us all kinds of crazy stuff and told us about taking the adderall, he said he was done with it. Well, later he told us he felt he had to finish "rewiring" his brain to get back to normal. He had 13 pills left, and after I left him, he took all 13…what the doctors said was a lethal dose.
This made him extremely psychotic and resulted in him taking Zyprexa…which heavily sedated him and made him gain weight, but quieted his thoughts. He was then switched to abiliy….which he quit taking. He seemed to do okay for a while, but now is pyschotic again.
The psychiatrists can’t really say what he has, though it looks like symptoms of both bipolar disorder and some of schizophrenia.
My son is home again, and between reading as much as I can find on both of those disorders, and talking to him at length, neither of those seem exactly right.
I am once again looking into adderall psychosis, and wondering about long term brain damage, and if there is any help for this.
Any information or places to contact would be really helpful.
Steve, I wish you the best with your struggle. You sound really intelligent, and I appreciate your information. It gave me a lead.
June 29th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
Lynn,
I’m sorry to hear about your son. What makes it harder is that it could be any number of things that he is dealing with. For background purposes, I am a 21 year old senior biochemistry/pre-med major and have been taking adderall for about 4 years (minus almost a year where I tried concerta, ritalin, strattera [yikes!], and even neurofeedback therapy).
The one thing that I CAN say with complete confidence is that LSD does not cause psychosis, or hurt or "fracture" the brain in any way shape or form (besides maybe feeling tired the day after a trip). Despite the government scare tactics of the past, LSD is now known to be one of the safest drugs you can take. The LD-50 (lethal dose in 50% of subjects) is extremely high, and there is no known short or long term damage from LSD use whatsoever. Some claim that it can precipitate latent psychosis in those who already have a predisposition to it, but it seems this would be the case with ANY psychoactive drug (hallucinogens, pot, alcohol, stimulants, ANY psychoactive) that alters consciousness. So, you can rest a little easier knowing that the LSD didn’t do this to your son.
Adderall, however, is a different story. I know quite a bit about adderall and its effects, but at the dose your son took I don’t really know what kind of damage could be done. You said he took 13 pills, and assuming they were 20mg pills he took a total of 260mg. This is quite a bit for one time, and will almost certainly precipitate amphetamine psychosis. However, amphetamine psychosis goes away as the drug is metabolized, so when the adderall started to wear off he should have become less and less psychotic until he hit baseline soon after it all wore off.
The fact that he is STILL psychotic, with no prior history, is the open ended part of the story. He could have always had latent psychosis which was activated by the high amount of adderall he took (but if this is the case, he would have shown psychosis even on regular adderall doses after a short while). He could have also done some neurological damage with the high addy dose, but I am completely uncertain about the effects of high doses of amphetamine and I am thus unsure if this would actually cause physical brain damage. However, if this is the case then it is likely that he will fully recover in time (maybe a month, couple months, hard to say) since research with amphetamine and cocaine "damage" has typical shown full recovery over time.
I would definitely not wait on this, though. I’m not doctor (yet), and my knowledge may not be dependable for your child’s specific case. But, unless your child had the psychosis predisposition scenario it is likely that he will recover.
-Mike
July 17th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Okay, for me the Adderall has had both positive and negative side effects. Before I started taking it, (and now-I’ve stopped taking it)I was not a very motivated person. I had a lot of good intentions, but they never seemed to ever happen. Another thing I’m famous for is I AM NEVER ON TIME!!! Most people say I’ll be late for my own funeral… I get so mad at myself. When I took Adderall my life changed. I was always in a good mood, always ready to do something & actually got things done most importantly. Side effects were shaking, big loss in appitite, and a hard time sleeping at night– which was a BIG deal for me! OH, and my heart would also beat a little funny sometimes. My husband always said that I talked really fast too! One of the worst things for me is that I smoked A LOT MORE!!! I sometimes will go two to three days without one, but when I was on the Adderall I felt like I had drank a few drinks. I went through about a pack or sometimes a pack and a half a day! Does it make anybody else feel more confident?
July 24th, 2006 at 7:25 am
How about this - I’ve had an addictive personality my whole life - after breaking an opiate addiction, a benzo addiction that put me in the hospital due to a seizure, quitting cigarettes, I learned to actually control my adderall intake. I take between 5-15MG immediate release a day as needed (usually 3-5 days a week tops) to control my ability to concentrate at work (28 yrs old now, been having concentration problems my whole life, dropped out of college, up and down grades in high school etc). I *know* the difficulties that come with trying to control a substance that controls you, but believe me, I’ve been in the worst thick of it, and it can be done. This is a great medication that can help you with a problem that no other medication can help you through, and a neccessity in some cases. Would you deny a diabetic their insulin? Learn to use it right, whatever dosage you need. Don’t take it when you don’t need it. Sometimes its fine to be a vegetable.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:43 pm
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 10. I’ve now been taking adderall for the past six years and im up to 40mg xr a day, but for the past week or so i’ve been taking 60mg every four hours or so and I haven’t slept or eating in 5 days. Its great I got more accomplished in the past 5 days then I have in a month. The only real side effect is that I keep having these wild hallunations for the past 2 days. I dont know why all you people are saying its a bad drug. ADDERALL IS GREAT!!!!
August 7th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
I have observed from the above messages that Adderall when taken at dosages between 5mg and 20mg seems to be helpful. Messages from people who report using dosages higher that 20mg appear to be unable to maintain a disciplined schedual of medication and experience overdose reactions, addiction and there consequences. Some messages seem completly unreal and biased against the use of medication to treat ADD. Some messages are obviously from people who are not ADD but simple use drugs. I am a recovering addict. I have been diagnosed with ADD and do not use adderall but read these messages because I am considering adderall as one part of a comprehensive treatment.
August 16th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
My son has been on Adderall now for a while and he does really well with a dose thats 20mg or less. He starts to get terrible stomach aches when he was taking 30. It definately has helped his focus and behavior. Unfortunatly he has been taken off of it for the summer by his grandparents and am now fighting to get him back on it for school. They have turned him against it and we’re having a terrible time. They don’t understand that it really helps him. Has anyone else ran into this kind of problem?
August 24th, 2006 at 11:04 am
I take 120mglike once a week. I get awful side effects but they’ve been getting alot better and the feelings not as good so I moved up to 140mg and I get loads of side effects. Is 140mg alot?
August 27th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
When I first started taking adderall (w/ no SSRI / Wellbutrin) It would be too intense and the comedown would be even worse..
I am now on 50mg zoloft daily + 150mg wellbutrin xl daily and 30mg adderall xr in the morning and 15 mg dexedrine in the evening, and it works better than ever. The uncontrollable uneasiness and anxiety is way down.
August 29th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
Hi, I have been taking ritalin/adderall for 10 years now and I will be entering college. It has helped me pass the time and get all of my schoolwork/homework done during school. I have trouble gaining weight- and no it isn’t because of the loss of appetite. When I entered highschool I forced myself to eat food, I have been eating at least four big meals a day but I can’t gain any weight. Even when I’m off of it I can’t gain any weight. I just wonder if by taking it for such a long time if it caused any damage to my stomach/brain that would cause low nutrient absorbtion. I can perform just as well physically as other people but I am below the recommended weight for being 6′3", I am 140lbs.
August 29th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
O yeah I forgot to mention I have been that weight for four years now. When I exercise I get stronger but I don’t gain weight.
September 3rd, 2006 at 3:48 pm
To the Adderall regular release, Adderall xr and other Adderall branded prescriptiton drug users, please understand that you are ingesting an –amphetamine.– What is this drug and its major ingredients actually doing to your vital organs, including our heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and so on over the short and long-term duration of use? Are the benefits that it produces for us now (increased focused, decreased appetite–weight loss, energy, etc.) worth the negative effects (brain damage, kidney damage, live damage, heart damage) it is simultaneously causes over the very long-run in our lives? I AM a user of Adderall XR. I orginally used it to aid me in my academic studies, including critical gradaute entrance examinations. I have used no more than 30 mg at any given time during my use which has been over 2.5 years. i am currently using about 15-20mg XR daily. i cannot deny the benefits that has given me. duh. why would have used for so long? but i have begun to weigh its ultimate benfits/drawbacks more deeply and seriously. although i have not done so in this posting, although i will in subsequent positings, more FACTUALLY evaluate what we are doing as users of this drug and more generally speaking, as people. we all want simliar things in life. we are all concerned about our health and the health of those we love (family, friends, etc.).
i feel this drug has, over the long-run, done more bad than good. i has however, like almost all bad things, reveal at least a lesson or good thing that helps you move forward much stronger and just damn better (like failure makes ‘winners’ stronger and ‘losers’ weaker). i feel less creative and by being such, less me. i have had scary episodes of rapid pulsating on the sides of neck and in my chest (heart). i have lost sexual interest in x-girlfriends that would make any straight man slap me silly for doing so. i have become too narrow-minded and focused, not seeing the "bigger picture" in aspects and large parts of MY present life and future life. i have become a drone or zombie-cookie-cutter product that has partly dummed down or cooperated with mediocrity. i have chosen to slowly get off this drug and become….well….me again…..spontaneous, funny, exciting, horny, wild, creative, intelligent, hungry, just the one you dream about and want to be around. if adderall has done any good for me, it has helped me realize (however damn corny this sounds or however much Hollywood seems to have capitalized on this epiphany-like experience in human civilization’s history), is that i love being me.
-A
September 7th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
Check out http://www.rxconsumers.com for people’s experiences with Adderall as well as other meds like Viagra, Lipitor, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cialis, etc.
September 9th, 2006 at 9:34 am
Adderall is one of the safest medication on the market and ever made. That is if you dont have any kind of heart(cardiovascular problems)ect.Ritalin is extreamly useless and unsafe to use medically in the long run and it is unkown what it can do to your overall health and well-being. Adderall is in fact safer than anti-deppresants, benzo’s you name it. Take it as prescribed!!! The safest max dose in a day(24 hours) is 90 MG flat out. Im meaning working your way up over a period of 9 months!!!
September 10th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
Just in case it needs to be said: I think the previous comment should be taken with a grain of salt…
October 14th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Hi everybody.
My name is skip, it’s nice to meet all of you.
I appreciate this chat board, LOTS of great information.
I am taking Adderral XR 20qD which I am realizing is probably a little too high for me, maybe taking 10mg and seeing if that works might be a good place to start.
I’m being treated for depression, 450mg of Wellbutrin and I’m on a mood stabilizer too called Trileptal at 300mg a day. I have a presciption for xanax at 0.5 to 1.0mg a day which I will sometimes take, and I have a real nasty pinched nerve I need to have treated for and take percocet for that pain, over the counter medications like aleve at extremely high doses haven’t helped and the pain is dealt with well with the Percocet and I can’t lie, it is a great antianxiety agent and helps with my depression, I don’t abuse it, but I know I could find myself and I am very careful to not go crazy with it.
I notice that I get obsessive and hyperfocused at something that should be easy for others to let go, but I am dealing with a double edged sword, in one respect the Adderrall I take has tremendously helped me in my ability to focus, organize myself, etc., but at the same time the same power the drug has to help me focus, has also caused me to hyperfocus on things which caused me emotional pain and it can drive people away.
I know I am dealing with this right now with a female friend of mine who is a source of stress in my life right now, and I don’t know the answer.
I went to the Amen clinic and got a SPECT scan and now have a different doctor but no drug is a magic bullet and it’simportant to always remember that.
I have worked myself free of a real nasty substance abuse problem and my life is much better today than it ever was, but I have a lot of mixed feelings about being on Adderall, I hate it, but without it, I’m a total mess and can’t organize myself at all.
Maybe the answer is more exercise, supplements, and I welcome any suggestions about what has worked for any of you or if any of you have had similar experiences you would like to share. Thanks.
October 21st, 2006 at 6:29 am
Adderall is bad news, I was on it for close to two years(only would be taking it during the school semester and not in the summertime), and it has had some serious negative side affects on me..
At first- it was a blast.. I was getting good grades, I felt good about myself, it gave me energy, just everything about it i loved..
It wasnt till about a year and a half into taking adderall i no longer would expierence any of the postive side affects of adderall just the negative.
My legs would hurt
My vision is now terrible
I use to have no trouble sleeping, and then I would take an XR at 8 in the morning and wouldnt be able to get to sleep till 3 or 4 in the morning.
It has increased the aging in my face( im only 19 so it isnt because im getting older)I have now have wrikles around my eyes.
Please do yourself a favor- and get off adderall. I know how great it can seem at first but think about it- ITS A DRUG!!! it will eventually catch up with you.
October 26th, 2006 at 7:18 am
Hi everybody this is the first time i ever wrote on one of these. I have just graduated from college and struggle to get by and in high school. If it wasn’t for my athlete abilities i would not have made it that far. now i’m in the real world and have a good job that demands alot attention and brain power. i always knew i could not focus but i didn’t no it was this bad. i’ve done my research and i have concluded that have add. today is the first day i have taking adderall and i’m concern with my height 6′1 and weight 220 it won’t benefit at 30mg per day. everybody complains about its destroying their life well i’m telling you i have been missing life. i can’t stay focus long enough to learn anything but football and to me i think there is alot more to life than just football. add is an illness that need to be treated and i will use any method to treat it. to me life is about family but in this world you have a good job to support your family. you can not have a good job unless you have a good education. people knowledge is power!!!!!!!!!
October 28th, 2006 at 3:34 am
Gimp–be patient with the dosage–within a few weeks you will know what is right for you. Don’t try and take too much at first. I have been taking it for a couple of years now and fortunately have experienced none of the drastic side effects and dependency expressed here–only some insomnia at times. I lay off of it on the weekends and get good sleep then. It has been amazing for me–especially at work. Good luck to you and I hope you will have a good experience with it!
October 31st, 2006 at 2:53 pm
ok everyone listen to me;
adderall should be pulled off the market, it nearly destroyed my life.
ive always had add since a kid, but my mom thank god waited untill i was 18 to put me on any meds. these little kids all cracked out on adderall is crazy. for a year this little pill controlled me. now im living with life long -long term effects. it fucks up your mind, and stomach seriously. this is was adderalll does to you. yea u lose weight and its all good at first. then you become a total cranky moody bitch, that chain smokes, never wants to have sex, gets fired from 3 jobs bc of ‘emotional distress’ which adderall causes. get 20, i said 20 speeding tickets bc you are all craked out on adderall. THEN WHEN ADDERALL ISNT ENOUGH U TURN TO COKE OR METH….. OK SO MY POINT IS, GET THE HELL OFF THIS DRUG IF YOU ARE ON IT. SPREAD THE WORD. SHIRE LABS NEEDS TO STOP MAKING ALL THESE ADD MEDS BC THEY ARE FUCKIN EVERY ONE UP! AND THE DOCS WHO PERSCRIBE IT DONT EVEN THINK TWICE. I HAVE AN ADDICTIVE PERSONAILY WITH A HISTORY OF ADDICTIVE DRUG USE. DID THEY ASK THAT?? NO. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS ONLY 18 WHEN PERSCRIBED SO I DIDNT KNOW SHIT ABOUT MEDS… I PLAN ON SUING ADDERALL FOR NOT GIVING ENOUGH WARNINGS, AND A MALPRACTICE LAWSUIT ON MY DOCTOR. IM ONLY 22 AND MY BODY IS ALL FUCKED UP NOW. PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS DRUG!
November 4th, 2006 at 2:29 am
Help….I know it’s killing me…I know it.
4 years ago I was prescribed this so called "miracle" drug. The only thing "miraculous" about it is that it "miraculously" changed the person I was into an empty, dry, reclusive, self-centered, addict, before I knew what hit me. And I did this directly under my doctor’s supervision. So did three of my friends. One moved on to the real meth.
For all you beginners….ya, it’s cool now, but, what’s even better is the ability to get even the simplest of tasks done without having to pop a couple of addies.
For you parents who are allowing your children to take adderall…stop now!! An A+ in 6th grade math is not that important. Not compared to a chance that taking adderall might desensitize you child illegal drugs later in life, or take away his/her personality.
I started taking adderall 4 years ago when I got out of college, got married, and had a baby. It really helped me make that extra push to support my knew family. For a year or so I didn’t noticed anything really negative about it, but gradually I began to realize that I was thinking more about my adderall fix than supporting my family (Monetarily and emotionally). I’ve been addicted for at least 3 years and it is eating away at my body and mind. Every bad decision I’ve made in the past two years I’ve been on adderall. I’ve tried to quit but I go into deep depression, and cannot get anything done.
My wife is 8 months pregnant so now is not a good time, but I need a way out. Should I tell my wife what is going on? How do I stop?I’m ashamed… I’m a meth addict.
November 9th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
I am 18 years old and I was diagnosed with ADD 4 days ago its all alot to deal with at once. I have always had ADD symptoms ut had never really taken them seriously, since in high school i was able to make good grades. Today is my second day on Adderall XR, i am planning to take 15MG in the morning 6 six days a week. The first day felt great I felt like I could finally get that long list of things that I had been writing for monthes done. I payed attention in all of my classes and was happy like I use to be when I was in high school. In high school I got good grades played three sports and had great friends, my ADD has always been a struggle my whole life but in high school it was manageable. But in college i was always stressed and upset because my ADD symptoms got worse. my grades are terrible and I am use to straigt As. I felt like i didnt have the time or energy to do anything I loved anymore just becuase I spent all my time making lists and stressing over things i should be doing, or just day dreaming about how i wish my life could be. After i was diagnosed i decided to try adderall but I am scared to get addicted.
also i have a few questions for anyone who knows because I will probably try out adderrall for at least the rest of the semester then stop for xmas break.
-Does XR work immediately or does it take time to kick in?(should it be taken right b4 classes or earlier?)
-Should I only take this medince with water?
(on the second day i took it with raspberry ice tea and i felt tired throughout the day and less focused then the first day…which i think is weird for only the second day.)
-does it take a few days or weeks to get the full effects of adderall?
just wondering about it bc some ppl seem to be very against it…I don’t want to loose who am in taking it bc iam a very loud and fun person who loves to have fun. I just feel my ADD is holding me back in school. Like someone sed above I feel the b4 the drugs i was missing my life because I was day dreaming it away. If anyone has any feed back or anwsers to help that would be great. thanks!
November 9th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
I’ve been taking adderral for over 7 years. For the first 6 its was amazing, i plowed thru college and law school (although it certainly had a negative impact on my personality, in addition to other side effects) but now i’m in my late 20s and I am hopelessly and dangerously addicted to adderral. I regularly stay up all night popping 20mg pills every hour or so, and I regularly shove well over 100 mgs down in a 24 hour period (I am NOT kidding or overestimating the amount, believe me I wish I was). Despite all the common sense in the world telling me to stop (not to mention the alarming health effects) I just can’t do it. I’ve asked my wife to gide the pills but I just find them, we got a lock box but i busted it open. I regularly fake pxs to get it and when i run out or try to lay off for a day i’m a wreck, i can barely stay awake and i sleep all day long (also SEVERE depression). I know my abuse has seriously messed up my cardio system (my heart flutters, aches at times, my circulation in my feet in poor and they swell up with fluid, a condition that typically occurs in 70 yr old men, but i haven;t told my wife or anyone about this for fear they would take the adderall away) at this point I’m really no different than a junkie addicted to crack. Let my experience be a lesson, adderral is great but it is deceptively dangerous. If you EVER find yourself taking an extra pill or something like that so whatever you possibly can to stop yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 9th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I’ve been taking adderral for over 7 years. For the first 6 its was amazing, i plowed thru college and law school (although it certainly had a negative impact on my personality, in addition to other side effects) but now i’m in my late 20s and I am hopelessly and dangerously addicted to adderral. I regularly stay up all night popping 20mg pills every hour or so, and I regularly shove well over 100 mgs down in a 24 hour period (I am NOT kidding or overestimating the amount, believe me I wish I was). Despite all the common sense in the world telling me to stop (not to mention the alarming health effects) I just can’t do it. I’ve asked my wife to gide the pills but I just find them, we got a lock box but i busted it open. I regularly fake pxs to get it and when i run out or try to lay off for a day i’m a wreck, i can barely stay awake and i sleep all day long (also SEVERE depression). I know my abuse has seriously messed up my cardio system (my heart flutters, aches at times, my circulation in my feet in poor and they swell up with fluid, a condition that typically occurs in 70 yr old men, but i haven;t told my wife or anyone about this for fear they would take the adderall away) at this point I’m really no different than a junkie addicted to crack. Let my experience be a lesson, adderral is great but it is deceptively dangerous. If you EVER find yourself taking an extra pill or something like that so whatever you possibly can to stop yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 13th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Well I was reading everything else people put up on here and thought it might be wise for me to put my story so far up so people can check it out too.
and a bad sign I know~but I’m a drug addict so I’m good at what I do.
he also gave me another 30 so I could have some extra just Incas.
Well lets see, I was diagnosed with ADD after I got out of high school. Of course before then I would always tell my parents how it wasn’t fair that I was getting bad grades all the time and how I wasn’t able to concentrate on anything other then something that gave me great joy, like driving/racing online, or DJing, something that kept my mind going.
So I was told about ADD and soon enough I was ADD victim number 1 in my books, it opened up a whole new chapter in my life and gave me meaning to this crazy world I was living in before.
So skip to a year after that or sooner when I was like 19 I found out about Adderall, and whatever I found it at I got this great feeling that it was going to solve my problems and make all that pain from before disappear perhaps, at least thats what I would have envisioned by now being that I’m 26
Anyhow I was put on it and after a couple months my parents, well my dad was on my ass about how it’s not good and this and that, of course he was no stranger to drugs as he smoked pot and who knows what else that I didn’t find out about. What I was trying to say was that I was getting moody I guess, and for somebody like me that never does this came as a shock to them, and my girlfriend at the time said I was a different person so I went off of it. Before this by the way I was a pothead(or drug addict) from the beginning of high school - smoked too~still do, tried some other street drugs but pot was my main hobby, or should I say way of life cause I wanted to make my feelings of being useless go away by using drugs……
Ok so I’ll skip over a few years to the present time.
So I convinced my doctor to give me something like 2 20mg of generic adderall a day for a month. Knowing me I was out in a couple weeks. I would just pop one and instead of waiting 4 or so hours my mind would just tell me hey it’s been 2 hours or your initial high is basically gone so pop another one. This would only get worse so I ran out like 2 weeks early as I said, not such a good thing
Then I just got my last prescription but this time I told him that I needed more so he gave me a note for 3×30mg a day for a month, enough said I feeling good
So this is where I’m starting to worry a bit. I went to the store and picked up one of those pill grinders, and a pill container. I forgot to say before I just ran out of my other stuff I got the idea from the INTERNET and some drugged friends that snorting it is "better" so I did that and man I loved it, still do….but anyways I’m looking at my new pill box I got with 120 30mg pills and looks like I took about hmmmmmm 30-40 already and it’s been like almost 5 days. I really don’t know how I did it, well I do but I can’t believe it. Now It seems I’m more addicted to grinding them up but the problem is that I usually snort about a pill or more at one sitting. And I could have 6-10 settings a day maybe. This really doesn’t sound good when I read about people dying and overdosing but nothing I can do will make me want to stop. Lets just say I’m not the happiest camper in the forest so even at the thought of having some major health risk doesn’t make me want to cut down. I’m still doing bumps and that was after about 5 hours ago that I must have done 60-20mg of adderall powder let me tell you at almost midnight I’m starting to feel very active again. Before about 15 minutes ago I felt like crap because I haven’t have sleep in 2 days, and I’m starting to see crap, well out of the corner of my eye, and hearing random stuff for a second only to find out it’s not really there. I stayed up one while doing the street drug speed and got the same effects after 3 days of being up, but this is so much worse I believe cause when i look how much I have left it occurred to me I have enough to OD if I really wanted to, or should I say if I didn’t care as much and just did too much.
I don’t know what I expect out of you people that are reading this but maybe you have some thoughts on it because I haven’t read on here about people really abusing it in it’s powder form. And the person above is talking about an extra pill, I’m talking about a couple days worth in a few hours……My heart feels like it’s going to jump out at times and my mind is telling me to take more and feel good. But I know this isn’t coke, I believe that it’s safer to do more of that right? I don’t mean to say it’s safer doing coke but if you do the same amount of them which one has more of a negative effect?
Anyways thanks for reading this I’m just jumpy right now and I’m about to go racing online for a few house at least, thats one thing I do when I’m bored or especially at times like this……Take care people good luck
November 15th, 2006 at 10:29 am
I absolutely love my AdderallXR. I have been on all types of different pills for ADHD and i’ve fallen in love with this one. when i take 20mgXR everyday and i find that i am a completely different person.
little noises people normally dont hear, drive me F-ing crazy! chirping birds? forget it, give me a gun and i’ll kill it…babies crying? better hide that damned kid…i’ll shut it up for you! when i go crazy about stuff like that, people look at me like i have 60 heads…i love my adderall and refuse to live without it…so damnit, i hope my new insurance covers it or i’ll be killing somebody! 
In high school, i wasn’t what you called a THIN person…but i wasn’t huge. I weighed like 180lbs and was 5′9"…i started taking it and dropped 50 almost instantly…by summer, i was down to 130lbs. everyone thought i was anorexic but i wasn’t…just looking at food made me want to VOMIT!! when i got pregnant in 2004, i had to stop taking it…i gained 70lbs during my pregnancy and after my daughter was born, i was up to 202lbs…i was soooo horrified…i got back on my Adderall and once again dropped significant weight. then i lost my insurance and had to stop taking it yet again…i was back up to 190 when i started working again after my daughter was 16 months old…i got back on it shortly after i started working january of this year…i’m currently at 138 and sadly…i’m off it again…(stupid insurance) i dont get back on it until January 2007…sigh…so i’m starting to gain some weight again…blah!
people can tell when i’m not on it though…around 3:00, people in my office say "oooh, guess what time it is?!" when i start jumping around and acting like i’m on drugs (though i’m not…haha) my relationship is starting to suffer b/c my boyfriend says i’m "mentally exhausting" and "unstable" but i can’t help it and people here, back me up on this one…
November 20th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I’ve been taking adderall for about 4 years now (I’m 23) for ADD symptoms (sometimes I experience symptoms of ADHD) and have noticed a significant difference in my, grades, social life, and the world around me. At first, the doctor prescribed me to take Ritalin, however, it gave me too many headaches and forced me to change to Adderall.
I began taking adderall during my sophomore year in college due to my attention span in class and my inability to focus/listen to what the professors were teaching me. Also, I noticed (for many years) that people were constantly telling me that I have a listening problem and that I need to pay mroe attention to what people say - this is nearly impossible for me to do whenever I’m not on the medication.
Side Effects from Adderall: some weight loss, cotton mouth, talk fast, hands shake, minor hair loss
It is a scary thought to think that I may be addicted to this drug because I NEED adderall for all aspects of my life. Currently, I am taking between 60 - 70 mg (2 x 30mg + 1 10mg as needed) a day and am finding that I need a higher dose so as to perform to the best of my abilities each day. Unfortunately, I’ve been taking an "extra pill" every so often to give me another boost at work or whenever I’m around friends just so that I’m up to "par" with everyone around me. For those of you with ADD/ADHD you know what its like to to lose focus during a conversation, cut the other person off when they’re speaking, or , worse, have to tell the bossman that you couldnt complete an assignment on time.
A few months ago, I went to a doctor here in the city and informed her that the Adderall prescription that I have been taking lately, was wearing off faster each day. At that point we decided to do the following:
1) She made me back down my dosage and take as little as possible each week until our next visit - This didnt work and only made the situation worse
2) She then concluded that I was "addicted" and stated that she would no longer prescribe me the medication.
Its frustrating to hear a doctor say he/she is going to make you feel better, and, in the process, gets you hooked on a drug and then sporadically decides to take you off because you have exceeded the 60mg limit. Considering where technology is today, I cant understand why there is not a "sound" medication yet for ADD/ADHD !
3) The doctor put me on Straterra which didnt go over with me at all. I took the prescribed dosage of Straterra for several days and didnt notice a single change - NOTHING !
. I called the doctor’s office and told her that this wasnt working and we scheduled for a sooner appointment. I told the doctor that without a medication which would take effect immediately, I risked losing my job!
4) On my next or last visit to this doctor, she prescribed me Concerta (cant recall the dosage) and Adderall XR (10 mg) to be taken for several weeks, at the end of which, I was to quit taking Adderall altogether and only take Concerta. Based on the information that I’ve read on the Internet, I concluded that I didnt have time to risk "experimenting" with Concerta and Adderall XR 10 mg - I have yet to hear a whole lot of positive feedback regarding Concerta. After reading multiple forums across the web, similiar to this one, I have noticed a trend regarding Adderall after the 60 mg + marker.
*It is apparent that there is not anything a person can do once they have exceeded the 60 mg - 70 mg limit of Adderall, except begin taking an "unsafe" dosage OR switch to the alternatives which, in many cases, do not appear to have nearly the effect. After reading various posts about people who take 80 mg+ per day, I am very weary about the side effects (long-term effects)that I could begin experiencing should I take that high of a dosage.
Tomorrow, I am going to see a new doctor and am hoping that we can find a coctail that will work. Ive been frantically searching for an alternative to Adderall, however, cant seem to find anything that has nearly the effect. The only medication that I’ve run across is Focalin XR. Has anyone heard of this medication? and is it any good ?
November 23rd, 2006 at 12:39 am
Hi all. I came along to this blog and it interested me to hear all your stories about addiction/how you’re going to end adderall.
I’ve been on adderall for, gosh, 6 years. Under control for the first year, 5 years of abusing. Just now able to get some form of willpower. I’ve done everything except inject it.
My tolerance is very high. As an example, I took 7 30xr and 3 20 short acting pills at once. That’s 270mg. And I barely felt anything except weird heart palpitations.
Yes, the feeling you get when you first take adderall does go away. It is saddening. No more euphoria, no more productivity. Eventually you settle into some pretty weird behaviors (more or less related to the dopamine dysfunctionality now in your head).
Memory/learning is impaired. I read websites and yet, I feel like I am absorbing nothing from them. If somebody were standing behind me and asked me a question about one I just read, I wouldn’t be able to answer in the slightest. THAT is the damage I am CONFIDENT adderall has done to my brain. It is my god damned fault.
However, I think the pharmaceutical is hiding more than we believe. Look up adderall and brain damage on google.
How come every result wants to link it to MDMA? Could this be a coverup move? If one stumbles onto a decent site, they get a lot of vague statements at best. However, with methamphetamine, there is an abundance of information.
Someone told me the other day that I should just quit and learn to work hard again. That’s what we’re meant to do as humans. At the time it seemed absurd, but I don’t think its impossible for me to carry on my life without adderall.
Different habits will have to be formed in my case. My current lifestyle habits stem from 11th grade, when I first started taking it. I am locked in there. So I have to pick up from there.
That’s also assuming I don’t have liver failure… some very clear symptoms are emerging and I am quite scared.
My message to anybody taking this stuff is.. DON’T go over your dose, DON’T think doing it once is harmless, DON’T do shitty th