Adderall and medication

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.

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.

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?

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 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 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 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 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?

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 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

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 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 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've been on Adderall for years, and I haven't had any problems with addiction. I've never taken it regularly though, but I've still experienced the euphoria, the dry mouth, the suppressed appetite, the hightened sense of awareness, on and on. My doctor has given me a new medication for bipolar, but told me to remain on Adderall (not caring that I may not even have ADHD, as with bipolar it is often a symptom that is misdiagnosed as ADHD) to counteract the drowsiness associated with the particular med. I have to take it every day now and I hate it. I don't feel that I should be taking it just to counteract a side effect of the other medication. Next, I'll be taking something else to counteract the dry mouth, etc. that comes with adderall.
**AND PLEASE, PEOPLE. DON'T GIVE THIS DRUG TO YOUNG CHILDREN. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?**

Just diagnosed with ADD (without hyperactivity) and I am a 42 yr old male, married (8 yrs) with a 2 yr old daughter. Past problems and behavior fell under the "classic" AAD category and have been struggling to be functional my entire life. Just started taking Adderal 15 Mmg (twice daily) and the have experienced the following: DAY 1- fast HR, dry mouth, heighten hearing, sensitivity to touch (sexual), slight euphoric feelings and was not able to sleep that night. Day 2 - much better except for cotton mouth taste (Smoothies!) and loss of appetite - slept fine, not as intense. Day 3 - feeling pretty normal except much more focused and clear. Mind does not flit from thought to thought. It seems to place you "in the moment". I am not too interested in taking this long-term, but something was needed as I was in a downward spiral and headed for doom. I am 5'11'' and 190 lbs. I train as a triathlete and am quite able to workout and function with this medication so far. I have never taken a been addicted to anything or have taken Med's before so this is all new. If it's for your, child take precautions that this is the right path. If it were my daughter, I would certainly try all the alternatives I could before medicating, but speaking from experience - I know that this is something that has to be managed and confronted as ADD is a very real thing and not something that they will "grow out of". Most of all, give them your love and patience.

For those of you mothers that think that "drugging" your children is wrong, I wish to God that my parents would have when I was a child. They thought the same as you and I suffered because of it. They were both school teachers and didn't want to admit that their child had a problem. I have been diagnosed wt ADHD and now take medication. I only wish I could have stopped the heartache I experienced throughout my childhood. Spending those "10" extra minutes a day didn't work for me. I remember many nights when I sat down to do my homework and I just cried. My only memories of school were those of me throwing my books across the room, tired from looking at a wall for hours, clueless. I suffered and there was simply no reason. For this, I never forgave my parents. Later on, my mom told me that she had the choice to put me on medicine and she didn't think that I needed it. Now she admits she was wrong. Don't be selfish Mothers.............

i am 15 years old and im interested in taking adderal but i'm not sure if i should. I wasn't diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, its just that i heard about this medication and thought it be a good idea to try it because i feel that i need to be more focus in school, im often tired and don't really feel like doing homework...i have to change that, and i feel like adderal is the only way. I also heard that while taking this medication you start losing weight because it decreases your apetite, thats not a good thing for me because i only weight 105 do to having a very high metabolism, so i really can't afford to loose any weight if anything im trying to get to at least 120. So do to this concernes im not sure if adderal is for me; however i need something that will help me get better in school. What do i do?

I think this medication sucks... My son was diagnosed a.d.d. whatever... his lack of focus, his temperment, his finding humor in someone else's sadness. The answer is not pills. It is finding 10 minutes a day of your time just with your child. More encouragement and being consistant . That one (consistant) was the hardest. Pills may help for the time being... but are our children to stay on pills their whole life? what happens when they go off? Don't take the easy route drugging up your child... They will get their aggression out behind your back instead of in your face.

our 6 1/2 year old daughter just began taking the adderall 3 days ago- very nervous parent though because most of the things about the drug i hear leaves me wondering why she's taking it -if the doctor said she had a low case with no hyper activity (ADD). is this the best medication to be on??? if shes not hyper to begin with, just difficulty in focus, won't this drug make her a zombie, which i have noticed- hoping it will pass??????? is it the right thing to do?????????????????????????????????????????-sharen

would it kill the bady if you are pregnat while taking this medication.??????

ive been on this medication for about 3 months and the effects so far have been great. i focus better in school and just in general. also ive been losing wieght becuase the nedication dose not make me hungry. i love it so far.

My son is taking this medication and he has some temper.

I'm 21 and have been taking adderall for 3 years. I can focus much better and pay attention much better. Unlike other medications, Adderall does not seem to have much of a rebound when stopping dosage suddenly. Instead, the side-effects happen at the time you take them. Such as: slightly dialated pupils, seeming like altered/distorted vision; Increased heart rate; a higher sence of awareness, or the feeling that you can hear better; along with a large (and probibly over active, by this time) imageination can really play tricks on someone's mind, especially a child's I'd suppose. However the side-effects wear off after a day or so. I would not perscribe this medication to my child. I would consiter this a medication for adults with ADD/ADHD. I would stick to LOW doses of any stimulant with children. And somepeople are not meant to take stimulants. Look at diet. But, for someone like me I need it, or I get really impulsive, wild/goofy, mood swings and irritable. And Adderall works the best for me. But, I've had to try many different types over the years to find out what works best. Hope this helps someone