Anyone else experiencing this? 

I have been on Adderall XR & IR for about 2 years for adult ADD.  For the past 1 1/2 years I lost weight, never had an appetite and had so much energy and felt great overall.  I take 30 mg of XR and a 10mg booster of IR in the afternoon. 

In the past couple months everything has drastically changed.  I am gaining weight and have absolutely no energy and extremely fatigued.  I don't understand how I can go from feeling so great to feeling so bad.  My doctor upped my dosage to 40mg of XR but didn't like the increase plus is didnt' help with the fatigue.

Could this be a thyroid problem?  I don't know what to do and can't live like this.

Any adivce is greatly appreciated.

You need to go in for a full physical. This sounds very much like a low functioning thyroid. I am surprised that your doctor did not order bloodwork. Your doctor can run a few simple blood tests to find out. Ask your doctor to run the test.  Do you have a family history of thyroid problems?

Here is a list of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. It might be useful to see how many of the items on the list you can say yes to. I would takethe list with you to the doctor.

Hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid)

Early symptoms

• Easy fatigue, exhaustion
  
  
• Poor tolerance to cold temperatures
  
  
• Constipation
  
  
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (pain at the wrists and numbness of the hands)

Later symptoms

• Poor appetite
  
  
• Weight increase
  
  
• Dry skin
  
  
• Hair falls out
  
  
• Intellectual ability worsens
  
  
• Deeper, hoarse voice
  
  
• Puffiness around the eyes
  
  
• Depression

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/thyroid_problems/page3_em.htm

I am having the same problem, and I am fairly certain that it is not my thyroid as I had this checked not that long ago.  My doctor now has me taking 40 mg of Adderall XR in the morning when I wake up, which is about 7:30-8:00 a.m.  By noon, I am falling asleep at my computer.  I am wondering if it has to do with my diet more than the meds?  My diet isnt horrible, but I know it could be better.  I have heard that too many carbs in the a.m. can increase fatigue as well.  Any thoughts?

I should also mention that I take Celexa for anxiety, but I have been taking this since before the fatigue.  Even though I think the Adderall is contributing to the fatigue, I cannot fall asleep at night and have to take generic Vistaril 100 mg to help me sleep. 

Because of the fatigue, I am having a hard time completing my daily work, (medical transcriptionist from home) and end up having to work more hours into the evening and weekends.  The stress from this is causing depression I am sure.  It also gives me little energy or time to exercise, and around and around it goes in a vicious circle. 

Even my psychiatrist doesnt seem to understand why I am so fatigued.  I do believe that it has more to do with my meds than it does my lifestyle, even though I am sure that contributes some. 

It could be your diet, are you eating regularly? I have found the Adderall supresses my appetite and I forget to eat which causes me to have low blood sugar. Then this causes me to be tired and cranky. It is a vicious downward spiral.

I would still have your thyroid checked out. Make sure they run all the tests, there are 3 for your thyroid, TSH, T3 and T4. One of them can be out of whack and you won't know until they run all the tests.

What type of carbs are you consuming early in the morning? Anything that has a high glysemic index will convert to sugar quickly and cause that afternoon slump.

Blondee, have you thought about rearranging your schedule. Exercise in the mornings and work in the afternoons. Or adjust your schedule to work at your peak time and rest at the slump times. For me, night time is the best time to work. Daylight is a distraction and tends to ruin my motivation. I get so much done at night and especially after everyone has gone to bed.

Thanks for the input Reta.  Unfortunately, I have certain hours that I have to commit to and they are daytime hours.  The really frusterating this is that the Adderall is supposed to help my focus so that I can get my work done by the time my kids are home from school, which would happen if not for allowing myself to be distracted and also the fatigue issues.  I have local doctors that I type for in the evenings as well.

As for carbs, I usually eat cereal for breakfast along with coffee with creamer.  I have a little bit of a reduced appetite, but believe me, I am not one of the lucky ones to lose weight on this med.