Adderall and drugs

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.

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

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'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).

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.?

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.

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.

My 7 year old son has been taking Adderall XR for about 3 weeks and last week he told me he was hearing voices in his head. Different ones. They have mean voices. I asked his doctor about it and he said as long as they don't tell him to do anything we are ok. I am not comphorted with the Dr response. I am not sure if he is actually hearing them or if he is able to hear his thoughts, due to being able to consintrate. Has anyone had a simular experiance?

crazy people to put their young children on these drugs....

i have tried a number of medications for ADD... adderall when i get the dose timed out correctly works wonders... when my timing is off due to an irregular work schedule and different sleeping patterns.. it's hell. Talked to specialists they suggested that typically drugs have an 8 hour life., this one has 6... so if you take it at hour 5... you overlap and the up and down mood swings and changes won't happen. some days i hit it perfect and my work is drastically improved.. but havent' got the system down perfect. the side effect i've noticed.. vision issues. -- and yes.. if you take double by mistake or two -- too close together.. i have cried my eyes out for no apparent reason and then turned paranoid.. and wanted to just keep away from social things. something very unlike me.