What is SLEEP?....will I ever know? | ADHD Information

I forgot to mention that wellbutrin has a low risk of weight gain, so really look into it.  It is common to feel like things don't seem to go your way, and as a result you feel you have bad days. 

I sitt here looking at the clock and say to myself....".PLEASE get tired! " My body is drained, but iam wide awake. I have had a total of 9 hrs of sleep in the past 72hrs. Most people say "Oh just go lay down, you'll fall asleep" NO WAY! I tried it all. Sleeping pills everynight for the past 3 nights. Naps......impossible! The stimulant just keeps on going and the sleeping pill doesn't work at all! Yes.....Iam on a high dosage(30mg once a day) to start but, I need it cause I need it to counter act the affects of weightgain from the other meds iam on. I feel like my heart is racing all the time. Esp. when I first take it! Is this normal? I took my pulse rate and it seems to be OK. I talk faster and obviously get things done quicker......that part is good(LOL). Iam affraid It might cause a heart problem? I am starting to wonder if it is too much for me. But, remember I don't want to get fat on the Risperdal and Lexapro I am on too! I noticed that I have joint pain, is that normal? My leg got very achy today at the hip, knee and even ankle. It seemed to go away after I stretched a while. I have no wants for any food at all! Hunger pains, but if I force myself to eat I feel somewhat sick. Is that part normall too?         ANYONE?  

I'll try to answer a few of your questions based on my experience with stimulants.  First off, a stimulant isn't a diet pill, it's used for ADD and ADHD, and in some cases for narcolepsy - daytime sleepiness.  It seems like you're on too high of a dose from what I understand.  Perhaps you should bring it to your doctors attention, and see what his input is on the matter.  It wouldn't hurt to go down 5 or 10 mgs just to get a normal nights sleep.  If you ask me, you're frying your brain right now, and in the long run it's going to bite you in the behind.  Sure loss of appetite, speedy speech/pase, and a fastheart beat are all side effects of a stimulant.  Now whether it can cause a heart problem, i'm not sure, you oughta ask your doctor that, because im about to get mine checked out just to be sure.  I'm still young by the way.  Picture it like this, you're being chased by a man carrying an axe, and he's trying to kill you, your central nervous system speeds up, is there any way you're going to sleep? No there's not, that's exactly what stimulants do, they speed up your CNS, and i'm pretty sure you're on too high of a dosage, you probably feel paranoid half the time.  Finally, it's not good to drug your brain and send your body into starvation.  Do a google search for diet pills, im sure you'll find a big variety, and it costs way less than stimulants.  Oh and I hate SSRI's, they make you numb, so you're emotionally dead, it really sucks.Also, don't take stimulants before bed time, not a good idea.  I know SSRI's make you lethargic, but ask your doctor about wellbutrin, it's really great for chronic fatigue.

Patience I'm truly truly concerned about you.  Does your MD know when he prescribed 30mg dosage that it was actually so you could lose weight gained from other meds? 

The reason that they no longer use our meds to lose weight is that it doesnt' work all that well.  You should be focusing on controlling your ADHD - not weight!!

Once you get the ADHD under control (get therapy too ok?) then urges like eat or drink alcohol or do other destructive things will be answered by you more logically and sensibly. 

Please PLEASE get back to your doc and get reduction in med strength!! It obviously is affecting you and those feelings you are getting are an overload of meds and you could be damaging your heart.  Don't do that - you only have one and you need to keep it healthy.

If you reduce now you won't become damaged.  You'll get the good effect without all the sleeplessness and strain.

Please heed my words.  These meds work but only for your ADHD.  To abuse them is to abuse yourself.  Stay safe.

Thank you for your advice based apon your experience. I will look into the Wellbutrin. I am sure though that my doctor wouldn't have put me on the Adderall to be used as a Diet pill. I am at a healthy weight now. But, with the sideffects from the other meds I will tend to gain alot of weight due to my experiences in the past. With my ADD though hopefully he can decide which is best (another med or lower dosage). I do agree that it seems that I am on too much for right now! Not eating scares me too! I've been trying to eat something so my body doesn't go into starvation mode. I hope that can be fixed too soon! I am really worried about taking any meds as it is. Then to be just starting all of these freak me out. Now I am up just like you said, paranoid.

On a more positive note.......I had a really bad day today! Nothing seemed to go my way..  BUT......on a day without these meds i would have normally cried and felt sorry for myself. Then probably of gotten in a unstable waked out mode. NOT TODAY! They are working in a good way with that aspect . I still can't believe that I am up now doing things I have said I was going to do long ago and never finished. WOW the energy!