Adderall and Zoloft? | ADHD Information

I take Adderall XR and Lexapro (a similar SSRI to Zoloft).  And, yes, it does help tremendously.  I didn't even realize how depressed I was until I started coming out of it when the Lexapro really kicked in good.  In fact, I just upped my Lexapro dose from 10 to 20 last week and am really noticing how much better I'm feeling!  Also, I don't take breaks from Adderall (doctor doesn't want me to), but yes, the anti-depressant definitely makes the Adderall smoother and less rebound effect.  Good luck!Hi,

I've been on Adderall for about 9 months now. Everything's going fine, except I'm developing an alarming tolerance for it lately. I'm on 80mg a day. In an effort to keep from needing even more, I've been trying to take longer breaks from Adderall, but doing that is getting very hard. When I go off the Adderall I get depressed, I lose all my focus, and I'm tired all the time. My normal break of 3 days is difficult enough as it is, but now it seems that 3 days isn't enough anymore, and I don't want to extend that, because every day I'm off the Adderall is another unproductive, useless day.

My doctor originally prescribed me Zoloft along with the Adderall, because he said it might help with the "rebound" or "drop-off" that people feel as Adderall wears off at the end of the day. I never actually filled the prescription for Zoloft because I got used to the drop-off and didn't see the need.

I'm wondering if anyone here is on Zoloft and Adderall, and if so, do you feel it makes your breaks from Adderall any easier?

Thanks!

I have to think that since you seem to get an initial help from adderall, then a crash as it no longer works that perhaps your doctor should not be looking at zoloft but rather at either combining your adderall with something like Ritalin or changing it to ritalin altogether.  After 9 months the adderall should have stabilized and you should be seeing the long-term benefits. 

If your doctor is unwilling to try different meds (probably no experience with them) then maybe ask to be sent to a psychiatrist who can better gauge where you are at now and can also prescribe something that works better long-term.

I'd worry less that you are "dependent" on adderall (unlikely at 80mg) and more worried that you aren't getting better by now.  At 9 months on dexedrine I was very much a new and improved man.

Just my 2 cents worth.

There are long-term effects to Adderall but only if you continue taking it. It's not like standard anti-depressants that build up in your system and stay there. At the end of the day, maybe one day later, there's no more Adderall in your system. The long-term benefit you're describing having felt even when you take a break from Dexedrine is probably just the emotional stability of knowing your life is going better now. Chemically it shouldn't be doing anything to you during multiple-day breaks.

I'm new and improved too :) but not when I take a break from the meds. I'm stabalized, as far as the way I feel when I'm on it, but when it wears off I'm back to my non-medicated self.

Angela - thanks, that's good to hear. Maybe I'll give the Zoloft a shot. I have some kind of aversion to anti-depressants, partly because they don't take immediate effect, and I'm inpatient :) And partly because of the stigma associated with it. I'll just have to get over it.