Adderall side effects

I love this medication even though it has some side effects: It saved my life. I felt like there was nothing I could do--like there was nothing I wanted to, like I didn't care about anything and that really reality was just something theoretical out there--under the haze of my foggy mind. Hopefully I will go on to help others now that I am headed toward Med School. Adderall has given me the ability to have conversations, interact in group discussions, and finish sentences without having to make up a new ending every couple of words because I'd forget what I'd originally intended (maybe that's where my creativity has sprung from)

I would like to inform you of some facts that keep coming up over and over again. This might clarify some of the side effects you may have been experiencing (remember that not everyone experiences every side effect and that a lack of side effects is a good indication that you are not taking too high of a dose. Severe side effects may or may not indicate a dose that is too high)

ADDICTION:
Yes adderall is just like speed, and surely some idiots are addicted to it, and also to penzoil, computer duster, and glue. The fact that it can be manufactured in a home lab somewhere in Desert Hot Springs makes me wonder why people have scheduled this drug so high--it's not really Meth, it's just Amphetamine; and it's easy to make Meth, the real thing! So don't worry about addiction unless you've always been intrigued by street drugs. The bottom line is it's an old drug so it's well tested and well trusted, so that should be your main concern. Stay away from new designer drugs with lethal side effects and costly brands.

DRY MOUTH:
Adderall causes increase in concentration akin to the increase caused by stressful emotions (anger, fear, etc), and so you end up with the body shutting down or reducing it's non-essential uses. Saliva is not needed during a fight or a flight, nor is an easygoing attitude, a sense of humor, or hypothetical pondering. These are things that will be slightly more difficult on adderall, because normally your ADD self was better at them than the average person at large--that was just an ADD gift. So, you will find that on the medication you are going to be a bit closer to "tense" on the scale of relaxation. This is not a bad thing--in fact, you might find you actually enjoy not being a couch potato every now and then, and that a little ambition and motivation wasn't as impossible as it looked when you saw your non-ADD friends around you getting jobs and focusing so well in conversation. If you don't, there is always an alternative therapy, or your psychiatrist may recommend xanax or another benzodiazepam in order to combat anxiety during your Adderall use or afterwards, or if your anxiety is constant, a long acting alternative like paxil may be necessary)

MOOD SWINGS:
(for one tablet taken during a day--my experience is with the 15 mg because I have severe inattentive ADD but my research is on the effects in general)

0:00 Hours---You take your medicine, preferably sometimes during the day.
4:00 Adderall plasma levels remain high for the first 3-4 hours of its working action (this action begins within 20-60 minutes of taking it, depending on your metabolism and whether your stomach is full which slows the process)
4:15 Blood plasma levels begin to drop, and the drug starts to leave the body. This causes a lull, and a few minutes on the sofa. Sometimes one begins to feel agitated, because of the sudden drop in concentration which causes frustration, as well as the sudden loss of patience combined with a drop in dopamine.
9:00 The Adderall is almost completely out of the blood, though some effects continue, and generally by this point will not cause insomnia. However, the drug may have exhausted your brain's supply of Dopamine...

Dopamine is stimulated by Adderall in the brain. Dopamine makes you want to do things, and it is the sister to serotonin, which makes you feel happy and content. Together these drugs create feelings of happiness both at rest(serotonin) and at work/play(dopamine). This is why us ADD people have a hard time enjoying life a lot of the time and seem lazy; we don't enjoy doing things naturally because we lack the chemical for it.

Dopamine is essential to things such as completing goals, completing tasks, staying on subject, finishing a sentence or an argument, or answering questions. If you don't have dopamine, you become impatient, apathetic, and curt--this is a natural side effect of the decreasing plasma levels of the blood. The sudden jump will throw you off balance unless you adapt by realizing this is not your personality but a side effect. Taking in enough food and water will prevent your brain from becoming too drained (it isn't used to actually working like a normal brain--it's been lazy, not you) and will decrease this effect. Unfortunately adderall might make you feel less hungry and thirsty, or make you focused to the point that you forget to eat. Make sure you plan meals and snacks into your day so you don't forget to eat due to lack of hunger.

VITAMIN C: If you drink vitamin C containing juices or take Vitamin C or Grapefruit Juice, it will have a negating effect on the adderall. Your stomach will break it down before it will be processed into your blood and the medicine will not work, so save orange juice for the evenings.

THREE TIMES A DAY:

I only recommend this if you're like me and tend to never get insomnia.

I actually take adderall 15 mg (not the XR just the regular) 3x daily.
I do not recommend suddenly starting and stopping this medication; too many side effects.

420 helps the most with both anger and depression, but wait at least 6 hours since last adderall dose if you are at all inclined to anxiety. For anxiety, the best answer is valium, xanax, or ativan.

I have also had joint pain, but it isn't really new and the adderall is newer; I also have been diagnosed with HMS which might be the cause.

SEX: sexual desire increases initially, then you will go back to normal, though of course you'll be a more attentive and better lover :D

I get head achey, from adderall? I just don't feel certain about this.. I've been on and off adderall my entire life, b/c I was diagnosed in Kindergarten...All those times when I wasn't on my medication, can be described as repeated failures...

ADD, it is kinda' up to you and your environment. You cannot do well on medications if you believe you are addicted.. You can't stop people from putting these ideas in your head, but you can choose to stop freaking out and move on w/your life.. You are not helpless.. If you feel you need the medications, then chronic second guessing is even more dangerous..

I'm pretty sure that Adderall, over time, has had the best track record of any pharmaceutical grade drug..

A brief note about "Adderall": this is the trade name of an amphetamines product. It consists of four different amphetamines, such as amphetamine sulfate and amphetamine lactate. However, the "sulfate" and the "lactate" parts are NOT important. The only thing that is important is AMPHETAMINE, regardless of which form. 100% of the effects of Adderall are because of its content of amphetamine, NOT the specific forms of the amphetamine (called, chemically, "salts"). You can get the same effects from generic amphetamine (typically dextroamphetamine sulfate) as from Adderall. The company that makes it claims that Adderall works quicker and lasts longer, but this is mostly bullshit. It is really not significant, and in fact plain old generic dextroamphetamine is generally considered superior to the other forms, including the forms in Adderall. (See the en.wikipedia.org writeup on Adderall for details.)

Incidentally, the Adderall company, facing patent expiration on Adderall and thus more generic competition, is now heavily pushing its new "Vyvanse" -- another amphetamine product with very dubious if any advantages, and indeed probably MORE side effects than Adderall or other amphetamines, and, of course, a much higher price. More pharmaceutical company bullshit! Don't buy it.

Anyway, to return to the main point: Adderall or generic amphetamine makes no difference, except this one big one: The PRICE! Adderall is ridiculously expensive -- typically $1-4 per pill, sometimes even more. This is a total ripoff, since amphetamine is a CHEAP old drug, and the actual cost of 10 or 20 or 30 mgs of it (as in one typical tablet) is negligible, well under a penny. In other words, they ought to sell for, say, $10 or $15 per hundred -- enough to cover the cost of the drug itself (perhaps 10 cents or so) plus all the costs of tableting, bottling, distribution and so forth, with room for the pharmacy's markup. The idea of paying $100 or $200 or even $400 for a dime worth of a cheap old drug is outrageous -- but it happens. It is the greed of the pharmaceutical company combined with the greed of the individual pharmacist that causes this. Pharmacies vary a great deal in pricing, but the producing company also grossly overcharges.

Bottom line: INSIST ON THE GENERIC. Even if insurance covers it and you only have a $5 co-pay. Why? Because the health care system of the U.S. is driving the country bankrupt, and super-high drug costs is one of the reasons. This is one way you can make a contribution, however small, to solving the problem of a medical-academic-industrial-pharmaceutical complex that costs the U.S. well over $2 trillion per year (far larger than the military-industrial complex, and far more per capita than any other developed country). Part of the problem is prescriptions that cost $300 for 50-cents worth of a drug. Be part of the solution.

End of rant. Be well!

I am almost 21 and i have been on Adderall XR since i was in 8th grade, and i was on Ritalin from 3rd grade to 8th grade. I was off of Adderall from when i graduated (because of lack of insurance, the med is expensive) to about a month ago. Before i stopped taking it, i weighed approx 125-130 and i am 5'7''. For the 2 years i was off, my weight skyrocketed to 155-160, and now i am in a constant struggle to get the weight off. The only side effects that i have ever had were dry mouth which leaves a weird taste in my mouth, and lack of appetite, which i dont mind since im trying to lose weight.
During the time i was off of the Adderall, i was LAZY. (which im sure also helped the weight gain) I wanted to do nothing but watch tv and play The Sims. I was easily excited, and i would blurt out sometimes inappropriate things that i should have thought about before saying.. I was a mess at work, always distracted and disorganized, and always forgot what i was supposed to do.
Now that im back on it, I have been cleaning at home a lot more, and going to the gym, im a little bit more quiet, which im sure my roommates don't mind. I have also noticed that i am little bit more grouchy, but i think that i just am a bit more serious, and i don't want to be pestered. ( for example, my roommate is watching Family Feud and hes yelling out all of the answers, and im about to strangle him as im writing this, but who wouldn't.) This medication may not work for some people, but for me, it absolutely helped 100% at school, and at home. And without it, i am a disorganized mess.

Adderall has worked wonders for me. I was prescribed about a year and a half ago to 10mgs twice a day. When I first started using it, I thought it was great, but like others I hated the side effects. Through trial and error, I have found ways to mostly cut out the side effects. To avoid stomach aches, I never take it on an empty stomach. I always eat a good meal before I take it. I do eat slightly less than before I was prescribed, but I take a good multivitamin to make up for that. I only lost a little bit of weight, just less than 10 pounds. Another way to get rid of the stomach aches is to take a few puffs of some you know what. I rarely get headaches from adderall, but when I do I just take a few ibuprofen and its gone right away. Before I was prescribed, I had tried 20, 30, and 40 mgs of adderall and that was hell. Coming down made me want to kill myself. I feel bad that have severe enough ADD or ADHD to require that much. Overall, I think you have to look at individuals instead of just saying adderall in general is a terrible and addictive drug. Before I was prescribed, I didn't think I had the motivation or will power to make it through school. A year and a half later, my gpa has raised dramatically (2.2 to a 3.0) and I'm in the process of finding what grad schools I want to apply to.

i would like to know how long it takes for the adderall to get out of your system if you take it maybe 3 or 4 times a week 10 mg tab?

I am 58, and attention deficit has always been a part of my life. I am the space cadet type, ADD but not ADHD. I discovered it had a name when I was 45. Adderall is something I take to keep myself on track and actually get things done. Before Adderall I self medicated with lots of sugar, caffeine and occasionally pseudofed when I needed to focus. What I wanted to add to this discussion is this: those with ADD have a different response to stimulants than those without it. When I was in college, some of us scored some funny white powder ( yes, the Real Thing (grin)) to try out. I found everyone else running around talking nonstop, eating like crazy and prancing around the room. I was filled with an immense inner calm, and finally went outside for some peace and quiet. It was the first time I felt clear headed and connected to the flow of time around me. The good news was I was a student, without a job or money, and with ADD, so I never got around to repeating the experiment or I could easily have become addicted to the stuff. The moral here is to remember different folks have different responses to the same drugs. My personal opinion is that if stimulants make you feel agitated, you probably don't have ADD. If you drink 6 cups of coffee and four colas then sleep like a baby, you might consider getting checked out.

Hi,
I just turned 25 years old, and was diagnosed with ADHD as well as anxiety after taking an EEG about three years ago. Before that time, I had been suffering from depression, anxiety, and I couldn't control my ridiculous cravings for sugar and carbs. I know that this sounds weird to people who do not have ADD or ADHD, but for those of us who do, these symptoms might not seem so odd. I had been in counseling and seeing Psychiatrists from age 15 on. Finally, I developed a terrible eating disorder due to not being properly medicated. Some deal with their issues differently than others, but I needed to feel in control of something in my life. As it was, I was completely unorganized, unable to focus on any one thing, unable to study and recall information, tired, unmotivated, and eventually Bulimic/Anorexic. Once I was forced to go to an in-patient clinic for a month and a half, I learned from numerous tests and great specialized doctors, I was finally able to start living again. At age 22 my doctor, at the time prescribed Adderall XR and Xanax XR and three years later, I am still taking both medications. I admit, sometimes I don't want to take it, because I like to feel my emotions and be in the moment of life, but I know without it, I am a wreck and completely out of control again. I let things go, become a total hermit, sink into my own pool of sorrows, and am not anything resembling my old self. Just one problem though, I am a singer and find that when I take my Adderall, I am so dry that my range is cut short- very short, and the tone of my voice is dull. I sing for a living, so this is a major concern. I also find that I don't seem to have the same emotion when I am singing. I can handle the emotional thing, but you can't hide not hitting the notes! What can I do? Is there anything to counteract this side affect? I asked my doctor and she said lemon drops- well, if you are lucky enough to find lemon drops- that's great, but they definitely don't do the trick. I drink nothing but water all day and still- I just can't stay hydrated! What am I going to do? If anyone has any advice or is experiencing the same problems, please drop me a line. Thanks so much for reading and take care!

Adderall has been an excellent drug for the treatment of ADD. It took me from a lethargic, disorganized adult, to a more productive one who finally could finish her work and leave her desk organized at the end of the day. Unfortunately...
...there are many side effects to this drug which has, reluctantly forced me to quit taking it. The weight loss was a welcome side-effect as was getting rid of the lethargy I have experienced on a daily basis since the age of 11 (anti-depressants did nothing). However, my infrequent migraines became daily and excruciating after starting Adderall and its generics. My insurance could not keep up with the coverage of the migraine meds I needed. I began experiencing ear problems (primarily in my left ear) that felt like I constantly had the pressure associated with a cold. After visiting my doctor (who told me nothing was wrong), an ENT doctor, getting a hearing test, and an MRI of my ear canals and Eustachian tubes, I finally found out it was due to the Adderall. The worst side effects, however, was a gradual increase in dermatitis (dry, itchy, scaly, skin). My complexion looked sallow and my back and neck broke out in horrible cyst-like acne (not typical AT ALL for me). My eyes became so dry (not to mention the cotton mouth), that I began trying to reverse this effect with pills from a Lasik eye center (helped, but didn't solve the problem). Perhaps the worst side effect, however, has been the hair loss. Long, beautiful blond hair, has been replaced by very thinning hair (comes out tons at a time in my shower), which is now brittle and breaks all the time. I have finally decided to quit this medication despite its benefits. I only took 15mg 2/day. Once my body recovers, I hope to take on an as-needed basis for important work projects or hectic weeks where productivity is necessary. Other than that, I won't take it any more. The side effects are too severe, even for me.

It works for me; calms me, helps me focus. I have had no side-fx, and on "Adderall-break" days, I have felt no withdrawal symptoms. This drug is well-tolerated by those with true ADD.

Im 12 going on 13 and i have been taking adderall for a couple weeks now i'm on 30mg but now that its the summer my doctor lowered it to 20mg but i feel like its been helping me in class like i can finish my homework now and i pay attention now in class to. But i have not been hungry lately at all and some times when i get up i get kind of dizzy and my mouth gets a little dry some times to, i feel like i cant fall asleep as easy. But i feel happier when i am on adderall. but for like a couple days i didn't take it and i felt a change i started to get hungry and eat and my mood changed a little though i noticed i wasn't as happy as i am when i am on adderall. has anyone felt a difference on adderall then off??

im 14 and take 50 mg of adderal a day for ADHD and Bipolar, and i am unsure of it. I weight 96 lbs.... and i am almost 5 1/2 feet tall... so i am very underweight... and i do notice that when i take it, after it kicks in i seem more aditated, and cranky, and i obvleisuly dont eat.. and my mouth is always dry. i am just unsure about the whole crankyness change after i take it... does anyone else seem more agitated when they take this meds and it kicks in.../ plz reply. thanks

I AM ON ADERALL XR AS AN ADULT FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS NOW. I AM 34. I TAKE ONE 20 MG PILL A DAY AND HAVE HAD SOME CRAZY MOOD SWINGS. I FIGURED IT WAS MY AGE WITH NO KIDS. ONE GOOD THING IS THAT IT HAS HELPED ME CONCENTRATE AND IT HAS HELPED ME STAY THIN! ALTHOUGH, RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN GAINING WEIGHT. IM NOT SURE WHY, IM DOING THE SAME THINGS. I GAINED 10 LBS IN 3 MONTHS. I DID GO FROM ADDERALL TO ADDERALL XR, BUT MY DOCTOR HAS BEEN SWITCHING ME THE WHOLE TIME IVE BEEN TAKING IT. IVE ALSO HAD WEIRD STOMACH GURGLES AND STRANGE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH MY BUTT. NOT SURE IF THEY RELATE, BUT I REALLY AM JUST LOOKING FOR OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. THANKS. DO THESE PILLS EVENTUALLY STOP WORKING?

im 12 years old, and i didn't start on adderall, but on a generic of prozac.
ive been on both for over a year now, but i just noticed that ive lost my appetite, i don't eat school lunch, im reluctant to eat dinner, i just feel horrible.

im scared please i want to know whats going on!

My 9-yr-old daughter was just prescribed Adderall for a one-month trial period. The first day was incredible. She was such a joy to be around. It was like I had my little girl back. She has been so trying for so long that I was just ecstatic. Although she did suffer from a bellyache throughout the day, which I hope will subside. The next day was not as wonderful. She was still a little hyperactive but her concentration was still improved and she was on her best behavior all day. The third day was almost as good as the first day, but that night she came into our room saying she heard voices whispering. When I asked her what they were saying she couldn't tell me what was said but was very scared. I have been distraught ever since. Is this indicating she does not have ADHD or is it a side effect from the medication?

Please help, as I don't want her to continue on this medication if her mental stability will be sacrificed.

My son was diagnosed w/ ADD/ADHD when he was 7. My husband and I were not advocates of giving drugs to a child and avoided it for some time. But as I watched him struggle and become depressed because he couldn't focus, etc .etc, I remembered what it was like when I was his age. (I am also ADD). You can say what you want about drugs but when my little boy was looking up at me crying and pleading for help "please help me, please...please come to school with me and tell me what to do, remind me because I forget what the teacher says right after she says it".... To see him struggle like that at such a young age we had to do something. He was a very confident and happy kid prior to starting school and after being in school for a few years being the kid that was always getting corrected by the teacher or being called out more than others for not paying attention was taking it's toll on his personality.
He did not start out on Adderall, but another Ritalin type drug. But it made a drastic change in his life - he was happier, able to focus and his self esteem came back. Later he was changed over to Adderall. He said it didn't make him feel nervous like the Ritalin type drugs. I am also on Adderall and it has made such a positive difference in my life as well. I didn't realize how much I had to struggle to stay focused, how much I procrastinated and how overwhelmed I used to feel on a regular basis until I stopped having those issues...what a relief!!! I don't have the stress eating issue anymore because I don't feel as stressed. The only side effect I noticed was my eyes getting red and a some dry mouth.
Adderall has a calming effect on me, I don't feel nervous, I don't feel detached, or any of that stuff several other folks wrote about. My son doesn't either, he is calm and happy and is doing great in school. Neither of us have any issues when we don't take the medication - as far as craving it, etc. In fact, from the initial research I've done and my own personal experience,many who are truly ADD and not misdiagnosed are less apt to become addicted than those who are not truly ADD. When we don't take it we might be a little less apt to remember that important thing we were supposed to do because we got distracted! But we don't seem to have any other withdrawal symptoms or tiredness, etc. So far it has been positive choice.

So for all you people having social issues, hearing voices, having chest pains, feeling strong urges to take the medicine even when you don't want to - YOU PROBABLY SHOULD NOT TAKE IT! All medications effect everyone differently and not all people can take or tolerate the same medicine. And for all you folks that are able to spend 10mins w/ your kids and get good results...well good for you, but DON'T JUDGE those of us for which that technique didn't work. During the summers we usually don't make him take any medication and we spend a lot of time talking through the issues that arise, practicing focus without medication, etc. We spend a lot of time reassuring him that it's OK to make mistakes when you're trying to change your behavior and that we love him just like he is. We hope that eventually as he matures that he will find it easier to do this on his own with out medication to help. However, if he doesn't, then I would rather see him be happy on medication than to struggle and be depressed without it.

Peace.

I am a 34 year old make, who has recently decided to go back on Adderall. I had been diagnose with ADD when I was in high school. I was then placed on Ritalin. It worked pretty well for my focus at school. For the first time in my life I had actually finished a semester better than a C average. As time went on, while I was doing well with my studies, I felt it was kinda hindering who I was, and my personality. After a Little while, I took myself off the meds.

Now that I am working, and I am 34 years old, with kids a wife, and a responsibility to them not just to myself. I wanted to go back and investigate myself possibly going back on Ritalin, or at least something similar. I went to my primary physician, and he prescribed me Adderall. I was warned about the first week, and trying to see what dosages would work for me. I was excited to be honest. I had been going through quite a bit of depression, and was hoping the Adderall would perhaps be able to help me out of it. I know that there are no miracle cures, but at the place I was mentally at that time..I could have certainly used a little help. Weather that be in pill form..Or whatever.

So the Doc scripted me 5mg tablets. The 5 mgs are working well right now. It took a little while of feeling on edge during the first couple of days. I take them twice a day. I am trying to get the timing down. And I think the dose of the second tablet may be coming on a little too strong. Or maybe I am taking it while the tail end of the first dose is still in me? I take 5mg at 10am, and at 2pm. Right after that 2nd does I feel up a wall. Way too bugged out. I feel like I am almost ticking. I know that I need to get that 2nd does right (either in side, or timing). Plus I am thinking that eventually I will need to up my doses. 5mg doses sound pretty small

I was prescribed adderall a few years ago for mild ADD, 10 mg once a day, and it was great at the time. My grades went up and everything else was good for about a year. I decided, though, that I wanted to go off of it, as I was sick of feeling like I relied on a pill.
Well, I went off of it, for the next couple of months I started getting panic attacks and depression more and more frequently until I reached my worst point-- for 5 days I couldn't eat, sleep, or even get off the couch. I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror and felt no joy at all whatsoever.

After that for about a year things were okay, but I wasn't quite myself. I didn't enjoy things like I once did, and I was plagued by constant worrying about things that I didn't need to worry about.
Soon I started taking it again, and became addicted again for a few months. Once again, went off of it, had a bad few months, things got a little better.
Then I started again. Now, for the past few months I go through weeks at a time when I take it and weeks I don't. I'm trying to quit once and for all.

My point is that this drug really had an enormous impact on my life. It changed me in a lot of ways I didn't like, made me sort of emotionally numb-- in fact, the only time I felt pleasure and joy was practically when I took the drug.
I am not the kind of person who gets addicted to things easily, and I'm not sneaky or secretive, but let me just tell you:
The other day (since I don't fill my perscription anymore), I wanted some adderall and I actually picked the lock on my mom's drawer to get to hers.

That's extremely out of character for me, and it freaked me out.

Nobody ever warned me about this drug, and people act like it's no big deal, but it almost made me kill myself.

Other than that, I have always been an honest, happy, motivated person.

I am 15 years old and I attend a College Preparatory School.I used the perscribed medicine "adderall" and my experiences in the school day were anything but usual. During the day i was very positive about what I was doing and i enjoyed doing whatever the activity was. I would go to class and experience something that I had never felt before, AN ENJOYABLE CLASS IN WHICH I ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING!. To me this was the greatest feeling i have experienced because i felt i was on top of things, like lectures during class and the homework i did at home. I did seem to notice i was not very hungry at lunch. This drug is addictive and once u start, well thats that.

I am 29 years old, I have been taking Adderall XR for about a year and a half. It wasn't working too well until recently. Note that stress depletes the nesessary brain neurotransmitters necessary for focus, and optimal functioning. The very first time I took Adderall, I was taking 15mg and the night before, I had the proper amount of sleep which is about 7-8 hours. It worked very well. I woke up at I think, about 8AM, and the medication started helping me focus in approximately two hours later. But unfortunately that day, I had just received some very depressing news. The next day, the medication did not work properly again until now. I'm assuming the stress from this news depleted my brain's natural chemicals and did a number on me. On the other hand, if I had not of experienced that bad stuff, and I was going to school or work on a regular basis, my symptoms of AD/HD would of been a lot less and that Adderall would have consistantly worked. These medications are much more effective when taken properly, when you sleep well at night, exercise helps, and when there is very minimal stress in your life.

Since this August I have been seeing a specialist, a psychiatrist who specializes in AD/HD. Before August, I was taking 20mg of Adderall XR and 20mg of Prozac every other day. Today I've had Adderall increased to 30mg. So now I take 30mg of Adderall XR, 150mg of Wellbutrin XL and 20mg of Prozac every third day. Today I seem to be more focused, more energy, less procrastination, and less figiting.

Also, I would like to comment on the fact that for that 21 year old who was prescribed a lot of Adderall to start with----- 20mg of Adderall twice daily-- I believe that is too much. If I were her, I would of either started with 5 or 10mg of Adderall or even start with 10mg of Dexedrine instead. Before I took Adderall, I had been taking Dexedrine ever since I was 17 years old. I had been taking Dexedrine on-and-off. I think I started with 10mg of Dexedrine and 20mg of Prozac. My psychiatrist then, told me we would start the Prozac also because Dexedrine sometimes has the tendency to give people a bit of nervousness. So the next day, I knew Dexedrine was a miracle drug because I could actually listen to what the teacher was saying, study, learn, focus, keep info. in my brain and have conversations with people,without forgetting what I was about to say! It was amazing. From that point on, I knew that I had a brain and in that brain there was actually a high level of intelligence. Before the meds, I had always thought I was dumb.

It is also my opinion that in combination with medication, people with AD/HD should see a counselor or AD/HD couch to help them with their planning in life, goal setting, follow-through and to just sort of push them along positively.
So good luck everyone.....If anyone with ADD or AD/HD has had simular experiences or wants to chat, e-mail me or leave a message on this post.

For everyone who says don't give Adderall to kids or that it is the easy route, you obviously have never had to deal with a severe case of ADHD. I find it difficult to believe that you have spent years struggling through homework, or tears at least once a week when your child is punished in school. I find it difficult to believe that you spend years, time and money to try to find out what is wrong with your child--because you KNOW something is wrong! And once diagonised--be grateful that know you know--now you can start to deal with it! How many minutes or hours did you spend in one on one time with your child and within 5 mintues of ending that one on one time you find your 6 year old in a very dangerous situation from his lack of attention ability. I could write 11 years worth of experiences here and unless you are dealing with the same situation, how dare you judge any one!

We all need education on this subject and passing judgement on others and critizing parenting ability shows that ignorance. Until you feel our pain, don't even consider the possiblity that you understand. Society as a whole needs more education on ADD and ADHD, as we are failing our children.

I may not always have done the "right" thing for my child but I can honestly say I have done the best I can do---always! And everything has always been out of love for them----always!

Yes, there has been some side effects that wore off after 3 weeks they were gone. They have been well worth tolerating, and never would I put my child through another miserable year of school without the help of counseling and the medication he so desperately needed--that would be cruel!

I am 21 years old and my doctor prescribed me 20mg of Adderall to take twice a day. I've been taking it for about a week (only in the morning, I'm still too wound up to take it 4 hours later!) and I have already lost 10lbs. Also I've been having trouble breathing deeply, chest pain, tingling in my arms and legs, and no appetite whatsoever. Are these symptoms normal?

I'm on 240 mg a day and its no fun at all. I've built up a big tolerance to it, so much that even at this high of a dosage, I could fall asleep in no time at all. I've been at this dose fir like 4 years now. The good thing is that I have lost a lot of weight and managed to keep it off - going from a juniors size 11 to a 3 is the best thing thats happened though. Probably the only good thing. Otherwise, its made me different in many ways. I get to feeling that I just want to be left alone a lot so I can do my own thing, whatever that may be cause it varies. Some days I have a lot of energy, get lots done (cleaning, errands, some exercise classes, stuff like that), and other days I just feel like doing nothing. Mood swings are not uncommon for me, but I have always been that way I guess. Oh well, I guess if it works for you, take it. Its worked for me, but its about time I start to think about getting off of it as its effectiveness has run its course, at least I think it has. And I don't want to try anything else, its simply time to quit the ADD drug scene entirely. But like I said, if it works for you, then go for it. Just watch out cause it can build up on you fast like it did me, and you don't want to be taking as much as I do. (Its prescribed that way for me, BTW. I don't use it illegally).

I am not prescribed adderall and I don't even have ADHD or ADD. I am a 20 year old college student, and I heard on a Dateline show on TV about students abusing Adderall and other ADD medicine's while they are in college. I will take a 20 or 30mg Adderall and then it will keep me awake and alert so that I can stay up all night studying. It is a great way for me to be able to stay up and study, write papers, and then not have to sleep and be able to go to work and school the next day. The first time I took the Adderall was about a week ago, and I have taken it almost everynight since. I have probably slept 30 hours in the last 7 days. It is a stimulate and acts like speed if you don't have ADD, but it will calm children down who do have ADD. I just think that it is a great way for college students to concentrate on their school work and be able to stay up all night! Oh, the only down side that I've had for taking Adderall is that I will start to hallucinate and see bugs crawling on my arms or hands, but I'm not sure if this is a side effect of the Adderall or is just a side effect of having no sleep.

When I first started taking Adderall, it seemed amazing. I had no problems with it at first, except for coming home after school and falling asleep, but it didn't bother me much. After I had taken it for a few months I started to get severe crashes in the late afternoon. It was like, when I was on Adderall I was awake, happy, confident and outgoing, then I would come down from it and be the exact opposite. I would experience things like feeling very depressed and abandoned randomly and I was often the downer of the whole group, putting everyone in a bad mood. I started getting upset with my best friend for the littlest things and feeling like she had suddenly turned her back on her good friends.
Looking back now, I realize how rediculous and off-base my fears and insecurities were. After a while, I was just pushing my friends away by feeling unloved. That's the thing, Adderall takes away your ability to feel natural love, success, happiness, energy, and motivation. It puts up a block in your mind from the real world. Nothing you feel is real anymore.
I stopped taking it completely one day. I realized how much it had destroyed my life. Stopping was hard, but worth it. I remember the first time after stopping that I actually felt happy and tired at the same time. When I did Adderall, the feeling of being tired was tied to coming down from the drug, so I lost the ability to be tired and happy, because tired meant unhappiness was coming.
Unfortunately, I had to recently start taking it again, for it was the only thing I could think of to help me with school. With about four weeks of school left I'm currently facing four failing grades out of six classes. So far it has been extremely hard, and I still despise this drug. This will be the most challenging next couple of weeks I will have ever experienced, but I have to.
I can tell you that I can't wait for summer vacation when I can rid this of my life forever. Even though the high still makes me feel unbreakably energetic and happy, I know that this happiness is not nearly as good as real life happiness. I'm just lucky I have some amazing friends to stick by me this time, so that when I come out of this in four weeks, I wont come back to a life abandoned by the people I pushed away unknowingly. I can't wait for the day that I can actually live and feel my own life, and my own happiness.

I have been taking adderall 30mg immediate release twice a day for a little over 2 years now.
My hair won't grow. I have gone from a size 12 in women's to a size 0 in juniors. I am 36 years old and the bones in my face and body show through my skin.
I get very dizzy and I get anxiety really bad.
My toenails are paper thin as are my fingernails.
I have pushed everyone in my family away. I don't even play with my children anymore.
I am currently seeing a counselor once a week to help me with issues, which I hope will help me get off of this medication.
PLEASE DO NOT BEGIN TAKING THIS AS IT IS SO HARD TO GET OFF OF IT.
As another person stated, people I work with think I am on crack!

Hey,
My name is Krysten im 14 and im in the 8th grade. I'v been taking adderal for almost 4 months now. Before taking adderal I wasent doing good in school, I would always get into fights. My life was miserable. So I asked my doctor if I could try adderal agian. Before when I took adderall my stomach hurt and I wasent feeling the same. Then I wanted to give it a try. A week after I started to feel my self agian, my family and my teachers noticed a huge diffrence in my academics and my ADD. I went from getting E's and D's to getting on the honor role last quarter. I got the most improved in my grade and I was very happy. Now its the final quarter and now im feeling that adderal isant helping as much as it use to I'm worring about if I'm going to do as well as last quorter and im feeling a little anxiety. I went from taking 30 - 40mg in less than a month, Since I take 10mg after school. I also have been exeirencing weird things. When I get up from sitting down, I sometimes get a huge headach, I cant breath for about 30 seconds, I sometimes see stars and Its like a black out also, I get up then I cant see anything its all black, then slowy I can see agian. I would really like to know if i should raise my Mg higher for me to focus more and be happyer over time. I think adderal was a life changer for me. Please answer my question as soon as poosible!

My 4year old grandson has been on 20mg adderall Xr for aprox 2 months .. It has helped with his hyperness but soon after taking the drug he becomes emotionl and completely beligerant. He acts out and screams at you. This goes on for hours. Ive discussed this with doctor and he wants to up the dose.. Almost afraid to. Dont want to think that grandson could get anymore beligerant. He was hyper before the meds not beligerant. Where can I go to find more on this.?

My husband has recently started taking adderall for a month now. He gets very angry over simplist things. He has now become verbally belligerent, and he rapidly goes through drastic extreme mood swings. Are these side effects to this medication?

blurred vision?

calves in legs hurt

depressed mood

I'm sorry so many of you have bad experiences with Adderall. My side effects went away in about two weeks.

The amphetamines in Adderall have been used for 70 years, so if they were that dangerous, they would not be around today and one of the top 10 most prescribed pediatric drugs in America.

To Spoiled Rotten,
Apparently you can't read all that well or don't know how to do research, maybe you should have been on Adderall as a kid. RITALIN, CONCERTA, FOCALIN, DAYTRANA are all Methylphenidate, which IS NOT AN AMPHETAMINE.

Be a Big BOY/GIRL and do your own research about these drugs. Real research, not a side-effects website where people who know nothing about the drugs themselves hear something from someone, who knows someone's sisters friend who ABUSED their medication.

ALL DRUGS can be bad. You can die of an aspirin overdose. It's how they are used. Adderall and Ritalin are "very safe" when used properly" (Driven To Distraction).

I'm sure 99 percent of you don't even know what ADDICTION really is. This is a huge health problem in America. Yes, the addictions, but MORE so the ignorance and stereotypes of people with them.

African American 47,
You DON'T just get addicted to a drug. You can BE DEPENDENT on a drug, and not an addict. Cancer patients take very large amounts of NARCOTIC pain killers and THEY ARE DEPENDENT on them. For pain relief and physical dependence. They DON'T crave the drugs though.

So with SPOILED rotten's philosophy, the 20,000,000 people on Adderall or Ritalin (NOT AN AMPHETAMINE, similar, but not the same thing) who's quality of life has been improved 100 fold just like mine. I would have benefited GREATLY from medication but did not get diagnosed until 3 months ago at the age of 24.

Medication IS NOT for everyone, as "it doesn't work very well for about 80% of people who take it." (Driven To Distraction, Dr Edward Hallowell).

IF anyone has questions about ADD read "Driven To Distraction". The Author(s) both have ADD themselves and are psychiatrists.

Too many people with ADD refuse medication because they think "oh no, I will get addicted", which is 99 percent of the time not the case for ADD. They miss out on at least an option that could help them immensely.

I am so irritated with the ignorance and lack of knowledge from people who bad mouth things they know really nothing about. It didn't work for me so I am going to demonize the drugs and spread lies that they turn kids into zombies and cause them to shoot up schools..........C'mon, you're how old? I'm probably 1/2 your age and I have twice the common sense.
I'm not saying your a bad parent Spoiled, but your NAME IS Spoiled....you seem to be on a high and mighty chair, and you seemingly have a very self centered mind. Doesn't work for you then it must be the work of the devil.

Learn how to do research, form educated opinions, maybe read a book. Use your rights as a patient to see a different doctor if you don't agree with one. Do something productive.

My son 12 yrs took 30 mg yesterday and he said it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest and his chest was shaking rapidly. Later that night we had a disagreement about how the pin pong table gets put together. It turned into a full blown anger rage to the point where he went into e sezier. I was so scared and so was he. This morning he doesn't even remember anything about last night. I call ed the doc and he stopped the meds and they now want him to try concerta 30 mg. I hope this drug does not have the same reaction. I waited 7 years to start him on meds for his ADHD. I hope I am making the right decision.

my daughter has been recently been put on adderall xr 5mg. she is 6, the only side effect so far is decreased appetite. i only give it to her on school days and her teacher said that it really makes a difference. i don't plan on giving it to her for a long time, but i heard that when i stop giving it to her that her weight will increase 2x. is that true?

I started taking adderall xr 20 mg about 6 mo. ago. I am 31 and was 185 lbs @5'11". It definitely raises my focus and I get more done at work. I lost 20lbs. and when I went to the gym to work out last week I could barly bench 135 when I used to work out with 190 or more. This tells me it is very tough on the body. My friends think I look like I am on crack. As far as the addiction thing goes it is true. If I try to take a day of I simply cannot function. It is not a insatiable craving when you don't have it. It just puts you in a major fog. For example, if you drink coffee or cola and you skip a day and are a little off you can still get by fine. If you skip a day of(or try to skip) adderall xr it is litteraly 20x worse! I plan on tappering off for good soon. I will find a better way to deal with my add. My main reason for posting this is to say: DO NOT GIVE THIS DRUG TO GROWING CHILDREN. I believe It will definitly do permanent harm.

My just recently found out my mother is taking adderal. She has been acting very strange latley. She has pretty much cut of all ties with her family. She has been acting irrational and just not herself. Could this really be the medication doing this to her? What can i do to help her and is anti-social behavior a side effect of this medication

My son has been taking Adderall for about 4 and 1\2 yrs. and I will tell ya'll that it help him at first but as the yrs went by it is like he is not taking anything. He just got off of taking the Adderall XR and it wasn't even helping him any. It was like it was giving him a boost. I have read all of the storys that ya'll have put on here and they all sound just like what I am going through. There is one thing that I noticed about everyones and that is that no one put on here what was in Adderall. If you do some looking into it Adderall has amphetamines in it. That is why you only have so many days to get it filled. If you look it up in a PDR or in THE PILL BOOK it will tell you that it is pronounced ADD-ur-all and then under that it says "Generic ingredients: AMPHETAMINES" So if you are taking this I would say that it is time to get off of this med. I have taking my son off of it and he seems to bwe getting better. Adderall is just like Ritalin. Ritalin also had Amphetamines in it as well. I just thought that I would share that with all of ya'll. I am glade to see that there is a place to do this and share story's and just maybe keep someone that has not ever taken this med and that might just be thinking about putting a kid on it that just maybe this will change their mind.

I toko Adderol this past Sunday as well as last Sunday and have had a horrible experience. Raither than helping me focus I feel as if I can't think at all. i haven't taken any pills since Sunday and feel as if I'm getting worse day by day. Is this withdraw. How long does it take to get this out of your system. My eye wont stop twitching, i'm getting panicy and I can't study. Can anyone please send me some adive on thi?

I start taking Adderall, xr about 9 months ago. At first I had the expected side effects, dry month, restlesness, loss of appetite. I felt extremely alert, and much more focused at work. My husband even noticed my attitude was much more calm and relaxed, which made him much more calm and relaxed. So it seemed like it was a miracle drug. Well, here lately I have been feeling more tired and unmotivated than I ever have in my entire life. I have been taking 10 mg since I began, and usually only once a day for only the days I work. I never take it on my days off. So I am not sure if that is the problem. And I am not sure if it is because I need up my mg, but honestly, I feel that it is not worth it in the long run. I am beginning to think my body is reacting because I need more, and I refuse to do that. So my results are worse than when I started 9 months ago. I have decided to stop cold turkey and very concerned about withdrawl effects. But I would rather go through that than the rest of my life be dependant on a medication that is obviously messing with my body.

i started taking adderall almost 2 years ago. i didn't have any medical problems, for some stupid reason, out of curiosity i guess, i decided to take one of my daughters pills to see what they do. i know how i was before that night. 225 pounds, slept all day, never wanted to do anything, not even my hair, depressed, and never any energy.

that night, with only half of her dose, i think i got more done than i have in 5 years, but not just that, i was happy!! the feeling of crying for no reason magically dissappeared. after years and years of trying every single anti-depressants out there, it was sitting here in my medicine cabinet all along. i talked to our family doctor and asked him to prescribe me too, that it helped me get things done and i feel happy for once. so he did.

that was august of 2004, it is now feb 2006, not even 2 years later and i have a lot to be thankful for, but i have paid alot of prices

by the end of the first year of my prescription, i have lost 95 pounds. woohoo, but not in a good way, i think i lost the majority of it within the first 6 months, people and my family thought i was on crack, by august of last year i became vitamin A deficiant, i have acne so bad, and they don't heal because of the vitamin deficancy, and the ones that did, left the worst huge red scars and lumps. but the major side effect was this january i had to have my gall bladder out because of gall stones which is related to the medication side effects

i have been to court 3 times this year for not paying bills, because i get so into other things that i can't tear myself away from them

i sleep about 3-5 hours a day, by friday i am exhausted that i just don't want to do anything with my family

but the truth is that after all of this, i do't think i would change a thing. just for the fact i'm not a big fat slob anymore, i don't lay in bed all day and eat box after box of twinkies

i don't think i will ever give it up unless i definatly have to just for the fact, on the days that i run out and don't have the money to get my script refilled, i see how i really am, and i never want to feel like that again

in certain ways this was my miracle drug, it was a cure for alot of my problems, i guess my suggestion to anyone out there, is to make yourself aware of what is changing within yourself

I'm an 18 year old female and I just started taking adderall this morning. I've been extremely anxious and nervous. But when late afternoon and evening came I started feeling very very sad and depressed as well, which really sucked because my boyfriend had this big romatic dinner and gifts for me for valentines day and I couldn't even be happy even though I wanted to. I cried severeal times today. I think I was also pretty irritable. I really want to know how long these side effects are expected to last?

I have been on adderall for six years. I have taken adderall xr, as well as the shorter lasting adderall. I am upset with my doctor, because I trusted him for years with my health, and because he was recommended to me from people I know. If I would have been told the truth when I asked about the side effects, and withdrawl symptoms, I never would have taken these drugs in the first place! By placing this, I am hoping that maybe I can prevent someone else from ever starting this horrible drug in the first place. I wish I would have known about behavior cognitive therapy years ago (which is natural), because I would have gone that way instead of taking adderall. Over the years, it has made my symptoms worse.

I have been taking adderall for 5 years now, 10 mg a day. I must say that it truly works when its comes to focusing. However, I hate the way my body feels when I am on it. I do not take my medication on weekends, over the summer, or anytime that I am not in school due to the fact that I would prefer not to be addicted to the medication. I can focus in class, and take notes, and study and do well in school because of it however, I always feel like crap. I have dry mouth, I can feel my heart beat, I get headaches, I am constantly tired, yet mentally aware. Sometimes I even get horrible stomache aches. My eyes always seem like there is a screen infront of them, and even on the occasion my body is tingly and itchy due to it. And I also tend to have a soar throat on a regular basis. I would not take the medication everyday, only when it is needed and that completely depends on your level of needing it. However, I would stay away from it if you can avoid taking the medication. Be Aware of whats going on around and inside you. It also has the effect of causing seizures, epilipse, ticks and tremors. Serious side effects come from this drug. Be informed and take this seriously. It is not a drug you should mess around with. Exspecially if you may have an eating disorder, this will only make it worse, considering the fact that it lowers your appetite. Good luck

It causes weight disorders, and after a while it only makes your symptoms worse. It causes you to lose a feeling of who you are, and if you stop, your old symptoms can cause a lot of problems with your family.

I am 43 yr old African American male recently diagnosed with Adult ADHD. I have been taking Adderall for about 2 months now, I have not experienced any of the side effects most people talk about with the exceptiong of the weight loss. I have lost approx 15 lbs since I began the medication. I started out with 1 10mg in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. I noticed a change (as well as others around me) in the first few weeks. I do not eat as much as I used to, but I am still always hungry (can't explain), but eat very heartily when I do eat. Like another respondent, I am very leery about taking the drug because of what I have heard about the addiction possiblities. I intentionally did not refill my prescription (one week) to see how I would do and I thank God (literally) I was relieved to know that I did not craaavve the stuff. Although I did once again start to lose focus and the ability to finish tasks. I started taking it again today, I will keep everyone posted as to how I am doing.

My prayer is that they will find out more about this disorder so that we do not have to rely strictly on meds. I am looking for a doctor who is not just interested in filling out a prescription and getting paid large sums of money for a fifteen visit, so I have begun looking into Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy, and natural alternatives as well. If anyone knows anything about these, please post.

My 10 year old daughter took adderall for 4 years, and we took her off when she was having problems with restless leg syndrome and hot extremities. Both of these symptoms went away immediately. I did not realize until this summer how much happier she was, and we tried one dose of Adderall yesterday as she is having great difficulty in school. It was horrible. She was irrate in 30 minutes after taking it. When I picked her up from school she could not stop tongue thrusting and her throat was constricting and releasing so much she was coughing. That said, her teacher said she did great with her focus and school work. Well, the teacher is just going to have to deal with less attention. I can't ever put her through that again. She couldn't stop the tongue thrusting all night long and was so busy coughing that she could barely drink water. It is over today, and she seems back to her normal self. I think we delt with lots of behavioral issues in the past years that were actually med side effect and she had no control over. I agree with you who said - don't give it to kids! they don't have the insight and power to refuse to take it - and we don't live in their bodies.

I take 30mg XR and I have been taking it a year, I am 22. My sister and mother both have different forms of ADD, mine is the inattentive type without hyperactivity. I found that by taking adderall I was able to finally retain the information discussed in my classes to be able to put them back down on paper for a test, among other things. I used to have to try SO hard to learn and I could not ever quite grasp learning anything. With the medicine my grades improved drastically and with the same effort as before, I was able to gain knowledge and feel normal for once. I love the fact that I am now able to learn my new job and retain the information. I HATE that I get headaches in the afternoon lately and that my boyfriend finds me to be moody and too serious on the medicine. When I take a weekend off of Adderall I become a vegetable and my muscles are very weak. I also have trouble driving or getting anything done if I am awake because I feel like I am in a daze. I hate all of this, I would love to find a different medication that would help with my attention, but not cause these side effects. Any ideas?

I am a 14 and a half year old girl, 112 lbs., and I've been on Adderall Xr for about 2 years. It gives me dry mouth like Hell. Whenever I stand up, I get so dizzy I can't see. If I don't eat, it feels like my stomach is ingesting itself. It does help my ADD, I take it everyday. When I miss a dose, the day after is literally Hell. I like to hurt myself, basicly for fun and out of boredom. I took an herbal sleep aide for a long time since Adderall gave me severe insomnia (sleep just never came), but I've recently gone on strike since I don't want to have to take for the rest of my life. I usually do fine, except when I've had a certain amount or more of caffine, which was the same on the sleep med. I also have an eating disorder where I know I'm hungry, but I just don't want to eat. I've also become a lot more angry and irritable. I naturally keep things that bother me inside, and I'm extremly vindictive, so that sometimes stupid things just set me off for no reason. I take 25 mg everyday at about 7 in the morning.
Good luck to everyone out there. =^..^=

Well I have been taking Adderall now for 4 months. The first 2 weeks I was hyperfocused to the point that I could barely pull myself away from the office to go home. I was irritable and once went so long without eating or drinking anything that I got seriously light headed and thought I was going down. I still get the dry mouth, I have lost 25 lbs. over the last 4 months and am now extremely prone to severe sunburn. Or so I was until I developed the tan that I have now, and I think the Adderall is hiding the fact that I am seriously in need of sleep. I have never been much of a sleeper, I usually go to sleep around midnight or later, sometimes as late as 2AM and my alarm goes off at 5:15. However it catches up with me about every 4 months and I am exhausted by the time dinner is over and I have to go to sleep right away. After that 10 to 12 hours of sleep I am good again with the little sleep for months. However today and last night I found myself getting extremely angry for no reason. My wife and I just had our second child 4 weeks ago so my sleep has been even less than usual. One night I went to sleep at 1:30AM, got up at 3:30 to feed the baby, went back to sleep at 4:15 and got up at 5:15 to go to work. I think I am ready for one of those body shut downs but the Adderall is keeping me from realizing it. I sat at my desk this morning with my fist clenched, gnashing my teeth with tears streaming down my face and nothing had happened to cause it at all. I am not sure about the Adderall yet. So far I have really liked the increased focus at work and I am now going back to College which I have effectively put off now for 5 years. So it seems to really have helped my focus and motivation. I am EXTREMELY ADHD by the way. Whenever I used to have trouble falling asleep I would pound a Mountain Dew and sleep like a baby. Caffeine has always had a calming effect on me, so I assume the Adderall works in a similar manner. I am going to try and force myself to sleep early tonight and see if the unexplained anger subsides. I will post with my results.

I am a 25 year old man who was diagnosed with ADD about a year ago. My Doc put me on adderall xr 10 mg one per day. We then upped to 20 mg, and then 30 mg. I must say the drug is wonderful! I only wish I was diagnosed and put on this when I was a kid. I never could concentrate or finish anything in school. I would hear words from people and teachers but they just did not register. I would drift from thought to thought but still hear the words. I truely belive that ADD has been a huge factor in me never finishing school and also loosing a long term relationship. In the relationship I had same thing. I would hear her speak, and want to listen but something literally would not let me!!! So, to her, i just was "Not wanting to listen". We broke up over it! Two years later I told my doctor about my concentration problems. Since being placed on Adderall this has disappeared. I can totally listen and concentrate. My life has totally been improved. I have been promoted twice at my job now since being diagnosed. The only side affects i have experienced so far is for the first 2 days a headache and yes i was restless. Its IS an amphetamine. That dissapeared in two to three days. Also, dry mouth is a problem. To me the benefits totally out weigh the side effects. To the parents of younger children or teens, this drug is widely abused. Please keep it away from them and only administer it to them by recommended dosage. I feel most of the negative comments on this drug are from the EFFECTS OF ABUSE!

Our doctor started two of my children (one diagnosed ADHD the other ADD) on Adderall after watching both of them struggle at school for a couple of years. The older one was held back for lack of attentiveness and disorganization (diagnosed ADD). He was 14 at the time. My younger son was 9 and was not only inattentive but terribly disruptive at school.

Upon taking Adderall the younger son calmed down noticeably (20mg of Adderall XR). It was absolutely amazing. The teacher noticed immediately that this restless boy who would ask the same question over and over without listening to the answer was suddenly attentive and well-mannered. The side-effects are concerning however. This child is naturally thin and not a terribly good eater. His eating diminished and I took to forcing him to drink an Ensure every day. He also was not sleeping as well. I noticed that the side-effects passed after the first couple of weeks. I refrain from giving him the Adderall on weekends and days off, as I am worried about addiction and long-term addiction. He has now gone all summer without any - but there are days that his ADHD is especially frustrating (for everyone around him - and him too. I will see his face fall when he has annoyed someone and he gets barked at for bothering others) and I wonder if I should have continued so as not to shock his system again when school starts in the fall.

The older child takes the Adderall very rarely now. When he knows he will have a big test at school or feels "out of it" he will take one...but seems to have learned to deal with the ADD problem a bit better naturally. He is not a straight A student - even though I know he has the potential to be one. I feel that for him it is optional and at present, he dislikes the feeling he has on it - so chooses not to take it.

I can only hope that the decisions that we've made are the right ones. I have read a lot of posts here about not giving this to children. We have tried other methods, but nothing else seems to work. One person here mentioned focusing for 10 minutes a day on something and giving the child more attention. Sounds like a good plan, but in action nearly impossible. This child's attention span is almost non-existant at times. He cannot focus on the activity at hand and interupts constantly. He will ask a question and when I respond he will ask the same question over and over. I can tell him something 10 times and it doesn't seem to "sink in" to his brain. When he takes the Adderall he is focused and attentive and I will only need to tell him something once in order for him to understand.