i need adderall advice! plllease! | ADHD Information

sorry this is so long..

  I'm a sophomore in highschool and I started adderall about two weeks ago. The first  few days were really good and I felt incredibly focused. I payed attention in class and when I got home from school I sat down to do my homework and I was able to actually sit down and finish it all instead of getting up every 3 seconds.
  
     After about the first few days that really great feeling sort of went away and the bad side effects began to catch my attention more. I have no appitite...one day I was busy and when I layed down to go to sleep I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since my granola bar for breakfast.  Ive gotten headaches,stomach aches, dry mouth and diareah.

    Those physical side effects don't bother me as much as the other ones do though. When I take adderall I get SO irratable, Im usually pretty easy going but on these days(usually toward the end of the school day) I am completely on the edge (and friends have noticed). I sometimes feel like a zombie on the medicine.. I feel neutralized like.. I've never had a problem with hyperactivity but on the med. I feel like unable to get hyper...I notice after school hanging out with friends they're all dancing and running and being active and I just sit there,watch, and blend in with the wall which is completely out of character for me. 

    Ive also gotten  a feeling which REALLY bothers me thats kinda hard to explain..maybe its anxiety? I sorta freak out  in my head even though nothing is wrong. I get super tense, twitchy and scared. Ive really never felt anything like that.. I felt like I needed to mentally shut down or something. This has happend to me at school and I was so close to breaking down and crying..which is also far out of charcter for me, which brings me to the fact that I have been so much more emotional on adderall then I have ever been in my life.

    It really scares me that a medicine can do that to me. I know people have side effects with the medicine but  are they always this bad? Will they settle down with time? Are the negitive side effects worth the rewards of the positive?

    Again, sorry this is so long but I have no one to talk to about my situation because the only other person I know who has ADD is my older  brother and when he started taking adderall in college he started getting straight A's and the only side effects he feels are dry mouth and loss of appitite. Im guessing my mom assumes(and has made herself believe) it will work for me like it worked for him and my C's will turn into A's  so when I told her I was concerened she got kind of pissed and told me the doc wouldnt prescribe it if it was bad for me and she thinks I should give it more time. So if anyone has any advice AT ALL please tell me because I am sort of at a dead end.

nikc1215 wrote: It really scares me that a medicine can do that to me

Given the side effects your expereincing,,, that suggests that the medication is too high, too low or not the right medication for you. When a person is first put on stimulant medication, they go through a trial of meds because sometimes it takes a while to get the right dose and the right med. More times than not, adjustments have to be made so I highly suggest that you contact yor physician. If your physician is not a specialist in the field of treating ADHD, that can cause a problem because they are well versed on the protocal for administering these type of medications. If your feeling like a zombie, that is not a normal side effect of ADHD medication when its the right dose and the right med. Please contact your physcian. Good luck and keep us posted.

what doseages and at what times will help to try and figure it out for you, but remember that the dosage is different for everyone. Just like our fingerprints are different so are each of our brains, so for starters don't stress about your mom compairing you to your brother. I experienced a very similar reation just last thursday, it's not fun that's for sure.

hang in there.

Brian

Hey nikc1215....You definitely made a good choice to post your concerns....I'm 19 and have ADHD and have been taking meds for a few years now. I've done quite a bit of research on ADD and meds and all that good stuff and to me it sounds like your dose is definitely too high right now. Although, it is possible that adderall isn't the right med also. The side effects you're sayin aren't "typical" if you get what I mean.....I take adderall and I honestly can't think of one bad side effect that I have....although many people do experience at least mild ones. If I were you, I'd definitely talk to your Dr. and if you can't do that immediately, then I'd lower your dose until you can. If you're still experiencing all those side effects even on a lower dose, then I'd look into trying a new med. Who knows, maybe something else will work better, or maybe you'll decide you like who you are better off the meds. I know it's kind of hard living in the same house as your parents, especially with your mom thinking the way you say she is about the whole grades thing. I have an older sister who is a genious and my parents always expect me to do the same as her too...Frustrating! haha Hopefully this will help you some!! If you have any other questions just post them, or even if you just want to vent or whatever...I'll try to keep checking back to see if I can help! Good luck with everything and just remember that in the end, do what you want to do about taking meds, not what your parents want you to do. It makes no sense to take something that is making you feel "sh*tty" and not yourself. It's also very probable that you'll end up regretting taking them if they keep working the way they are. (Just a thought.)

Have a great day!

I would lower the dosage and make sure you call your doc for advice.  You do not say what mg or what type of Adderal.  Can you split the pill?  call doc anyway, please.  I feel bad for you and Icant help the mother coming out and saying call the doc.  Also, can you just sip on some soup or crackers?  the low blood suger is not helping your feelings right now.  Also stay away from coffee and remember to call doc.  Some people do better with Wellbutrin or Strattera than Adderall.  take care and let us know how you are later.  I agree with other posting and advice I would suggest addrall xr this way you what you need when you need it and not all at once.It dose cause lost of appetite which I love I often forget to eat which is probably the reason for the other side effects you are having like the headaches and nausea..I say make sure you eat at least once a day I have tried everything under the sun for 6 years to lose weight.My first 2 weeks on it I lost 8 pounds.I have to make myself eat something once a day to avoid the headaches and nausea.As for as the diearrea I think it maybe just your body trying to adjust to the change.I fact that you are losing interest in things well that's kind of what it dose it slows you down so you can focus and get things done.So your lack of energy to jump aroun and dance and such is the thing that the medice works against.The scary feeling and mind wondering is just the meds still working when you need them less your dosege is probably too high as well as the fact that you need a downer at night.This way it helps to balance things out.I think you may want to try something like Remoron or Effexor at night and then take the Adderall in the morning I think the combonation of the 2 will make you feel better mentally and reduce the side effects physically.