21–30 of 223 posts
Someone close to me has severe ADD and stopped taking Adderall recently. This person is more productive and organized and even coherent on it. But this has turned out not to be worth A) the way if affects their mood/social interactions, and B) the inevitable Flowers For Algernon "mush-brain" feeling when it wears off in the evening.
How do people who've taken it for most of their adult life cope with adderall usage? I mean, how necessary of a drug does it seem to be -- or, to put it another way, how bad are the withdrawals, compared to antipsychotics, painkillers, etc? And if you've lived with adderall usage, do you chronically feel like you have a reduced appetite and all the other kinds of symptoms? I've heard that happens for people who take…
For me, withdrawals after long term use (continuously taking it for 2-3 weeks or more) are generally over a three day period. The end of the first day you really start feeling it. The second day you will be dragging, all day. The third day is similar to the first. After that, you're back to yourself, more or less.
Short term (day to day) withdrawals are a bit different. The "zombie" effect doesn't really occur until later in the day. It goes down with long term use. Often times, the zombie effect is actually due to a bad sleep schedule versus the drug, at least in my experience. Short term withdrawals are more pronounced in the first 2-3 weeks of taking it.
The apetite thing is true and false. Long term, it goes away a bit. I lost weight the first 5 months, gained it back slowly. It took about a year and a bit of consciousness to normalize.
Withdrawal symptoms are similar if using Adderall XR, except they are over a longer period of time. Adderall XR is much harder to dose right, and leads to much worse sleeping habits IMO.
For it to be effective with my ADHD, I had to take large doses. 40mg/day (instant release) was the minimum, 60 mg the usual. I've taken over 160mg in a two day period more than a few times.
Adderrall gave me headaches though at useful dosages. At first, I realized part of this was because of a decreased apetite, but even after mitigation of that (remembering to eat), I still had them.
I took Adderall over a 4 year period. Experiments with purely non-stimulant medicinces was over about 6 months. The latest combination I've been using for about a year.
How do people who've taken it for most of their adult life cope with adderall usage? I mean, how necessary of a drug does it seem to be -- or, to put it another way, how bad are the withdrawals, compared to antipsychotics, painkillers, etc? And if you've lived with adderall usage, do you chronically feel like you have a reduced appetite and all the other kinds of symptoms? I've heard that happens for people who take…
I can go on and off Adderall with minor issues. The only issue when I go off Adderall for a day or two (they call them holidays, doctor recommended) is that I lose the effects it gives me (ability to focus) and it makes me feel slightly depressed (it helps regulate dopamine). Besides that no ill-effects, and I am aware after going off the Adderall that I will feel slightly depressed.
I've also gone entire weeks to a month without, when I am not required to focus then I can choose not to take it.
Although I do understand where the addictiveness comes in, that feeling of slight depression after going off it can be enough for most people to want to continue taking more, but I don't have an addictive personality (I've been able to start/quit smoking/drinking/soda (sugar/caffeine)/gambling/gaming (WoW) without issues). There are definitely people I know that do have addictive personalities that wouldn't be able to stop themselves.
Without it I simply wouldn't be able to function as well as I do now and I am pretty sure that I would have lost my job. It has given me a way out of the brain fog, a clarity of mind. I feel free from my mind at the end of the day and no longer have trouble falling asleep. I sleep better, much better. I worry less, and am able to prioritize and put less important things to the back of my head to process or deal with another time. With my ADHD that would always be problematic, I wouldn't be able to pay attention in meetings or conversations because I'd be working on two or three other things. I'm more aware when I am not paying attention or elsewhere and am able to voice it, something my friends/colleagues appreciate since it means they don't have to repeat the same thing over and over to me =).
Yes, Adderall gives me an energy boost as well, but it is actually less of an energy boost than from all the coffee and soda I used to drink while I was in college.
I am not saying Adderall is the end all be all drug, I wouldn't even recommend it for most people, I won't sell or give away the drugs I have, not only for the penalties it carries, but also because I know how drugs can be addictive and how those can destroy a person. If I could function properly in society without it, I would drop it in a heartbeat.
How do people who've taken it for most of their adult life cope with adderall usage? I mean, how necessary of a drug does it seem to be -- or, to put it another way, how bad are the withdrawals, compared to antipsychotics, painkillers, etc? And if you've lived with adderall usage, do you chronically feel like you have a reduced appetite and all the other kinds of symptoms? I've heard that happens for people who take…
Due to her tolerance, she'd been on very high doses for basically a decade.
After stopping, sleeping for 16-18 hours a day was the norm for about a month- but just getting to that point, first she had to cope with a weeklong psychotic break.
It causes some serious dopamine desensitization after extended use. Depression is common among withdrawl symptoms.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's an extremely hard drug for anybody, ADHD or no. Adderall / Vyvanse is prescription meth[0] (something I've heard from several of my AD(H)D friends). If the pros outweigh the cons for an individual, great; I wish them the best. But while I can't find the research I remember to back this up, it's looking like long-term medication with amphetamines may be ineffective or harmful. EDIT [0]: Yes, I know that that pres…
Prescription "meth" is just that: meth. Methamphetamine is legal in the US and available under prescription (brand name: Desoxyn). It's scheduled just the same as Adderall -- not that scheduling means much; most of it's science-free political posturing. Adderall/Vyvanse are amphetamines but not methamphetamine.
How do people who've taken it for most of their adult life cope with adderall usage? I mean, how necessary of a drug does it seem to be -- or, to put it another way, how bad are the withdrawals, compared to antipsychotics, painkillers, etc? And if you've lived with adderall usage, do you chronically feel like you have a reduced appetite and all the other kinds of symptoms? I've heard that happens for people who take…
You need to qualify your question a bit more. People with ADHD experience it differently than people without ADHD generally. For me, withdrawals after long term use (continuously taking it for 2-3 weeks or more) are generally over a three day period. The end of the first day you really start feeling it. The second day you will be dragging, all day. The third day is similar to the first. After that, you're back to you…
Of course, selection bias would also indicate that media mentions of Adderall would come from people who've faced drastic side effects. But I've rarely read from people who've taken the drug 20+ years. And I'm interested in not just what happens if you decide to quit...but if you haven't ever quit, what side effects you tolerate day-to-day?
As a college student that is constantly surrounded by Adderall and Vyvanse misuse, this hits close to home. I've had a prescription to similar drugs my entire life, and it was in 8th Grade that I realized that I didn't actually need them to function. The drugs made me unhealthily underweight, constantly antisocial, and easily aggravated. Nowadays when I look at my peers, I see the same things happening to them. Some…
It's an extremely hard drug for anybody, ADHD or no. Adderall / Vyvanse is prescription meth[0] (something I've heard from several of my AD(H)D friends). If the pros outweigh the cons for an individual, great; I wish them the best. But while I can't find the research I remember to back this up, it's looking like long-term medication with amphetamines may be ineffective or harmful. EDIT [0]: Yes, I know that that pres…
No, that's Desoxyn[0].
What you may be referring to is that Adderall, methamphetamine, and MDMA have remarkably similar effects, which is true - the active ingredients in all three are metabolized in a similar manner, and the main differences are the means of ingestion, the bioavailability, and set/setting. In methamphetamine, for example, the extra methyl group simply ensures that it can cross the blood-brain barrier more easily, but it doesn't change the actual effect of the drug in itself.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's an extremely hard drug for anybody, ADHD or no. Adderall / Vyvanse is prescription meth[0] (something I've heard from several of my AD(H)D friends). If the pros outweigh the cons for an individual, great; I wish them the best. But while I can't find the research I remember to back this up, it's looking like long-term medication with amphetamines may be ineffective or harmful. EDIT [0]: Yes, I know that that pres…
> Adderall / Vyvanse is prescription meth (something I've heard from several of my AD(H)D friends). No, that's Desoxyn[0]. What you may be referring to is that Adderall, methamphetamine, and MDMA have remarkably similar effects, which is true - the active ingredients in all three are metabolized in a similar manner, and the main differences are the means of ingestion, the bioavailability, and set/setting. In methamph…
Precisely. I'll add a clarifying edit now that two people have interpreted my statement differently than intended..
Always, my dosage creeps up, my sleep schedule becomes chaotic, I become too thin and frail. I'm mentally quick, but also irritable. At first I take it to feel great, but at some point I'm taking it just not to feel as if I'm wearing a lead suit.
I recently quit again after using for two months. If I get my weight and health back, I may try Adderall again, but only if I'm sure I can be extremely strict with myself. People say that taking weekends off can inhibit the dependence.