Adderall Addiction: The Last All-Nighter

I may not be quite who you're looking for, but I think I'm in the ballpark.

I've been taking methylphenidate (ritalin) since I was about 10 years old, though I've recently switched to Vyvanse. This is what I can say about my experience.

I took methylphenidate in two forms, a short acting tablet that lasted for a ~4 hours and a proprietary time release capsule called Concerta that lasted for ~9 hours. As a kid, for the first few years taking it there was a massive difference between me under it's effects and me without it. I totally remember feeling like I could focus on anything I wanted and completely block out everything else. Also, I remember my appetite being hugely affected, where I could ignore eating for quite a while and not really feel affected.

However, as time passed, I noticed two things:

1. The medication didn't affect me as much as it used to.

2. When off the medication, I wasn't as distracted.

In fact, by the time senior year rolled around, I could tell when I was under the effects of the medication, but not by a huge amount.

This August, after a recommendation from my doctor, I switched to Vyvanse instead of Concerta as my long-acting medication. For me, this has actually been very good. It's a much "gentler" effect than what I remember Concerta being like, in that I don't feel like the guy in "Limitless". I feel much more like my "normal" self but with my mind just slightly more organized. I feel like it's the right balance for me.

On the downsides: for me, it's totally impossible to sleep under the effect of any of the medications I've mentioned above. I can't sleep a wink. The author's description of "mind and heart racing" seems pretty accurate, though that only seems to be the case when I actually try to go to sleep. Also, now that I've switched to Vyvanse I am back to having less of an appetite than I used to. Not quite like when I first started on Concerta, but also not "normal."

What kind of things do you on adderal?

The US refuses to admit that the real drug problem are prescriptions. The effects of prolonged adderall usage have not been studied and I can't imagine how it interacts with other medications.

It's a schedule II narcotic with a high similar to cocaine. Keep your kids off of it.

Ugh, I have hated Methylphenidate, it was really close to ruining my life. It made me feel angry and depressed. I hated the world and every single moment after taking it for some time. Even off of it I felt it semi-permanently affected my brain.

I gave Adderral a shot, but again it is quite an unstable drug. Mostly because of it's a Dopamine Uptake Inhibitor. And that usually causes unstable Dopamine levels, meaning less stable mood and thinking.

I fortunately found a Doctor that prescribed new age of ADHD medication. Although it is not for the weary. Atomoxetine(Strattera) is much more stable, and much more powerful drug. It doesn't have tolerance issues like typical drugs. It is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, meaning it enhances the neurotransmitter that's a precursor to all other neurotransmitters including Dopamine. This means all your neurotransmitters become enhanced.

Now I say it's a drug not for weary minded, because it's actually very hard to adjust to it. For the first month you have to take 20mg increments every week to get your body to adjust to it. At first it makes your incredibly sleepy(can't even stay awake at any time), but that quickly fades and your realize that sleep is much easier to schedule when you can get the brain to feel sleepy(Needed for someone with ADHD).

It also is tough on your liver, unless you eat a decent sized meal you will most definitely vomit bile from your Liver(I know I have seen it enough). It gives your incredible nausea and will eliminate your appetite to the point where it hurts to eat.

I have found that combining it with Marijuanna to be advantageous. Both drugs complement each other(one to counteract nausea and trigger hunger, the other to enhance the high you get.

It's one of those drugs that doesn't make your ADHD disappear, but let you take control of it. But it really is miles ahead of anything, and has changed my life completely. I have been using it for a year, and the flood gates are off. Unfortunately I still struggle with a lot of things, but now I have the ability to correct those learning weakness because I can concentrate.

There are many reports here of people who've taken Adderal without significant issues, suggesting the key is "active medical supervision" (ie, much more than the passive doc just handing Kate Miller pills).

In fact, once we have monitoring in place, you might even argue "intelligence doping" could provide such benefits to society that we should even encourage it (though only for those who face minimal side effects):

http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/2008/03/intelligence-dopin...