Anyone have trouble with Adderall? | ADHD Information
I feel great on Adderall! Also, the loss of appetite is a massive plus for me since I have struggled with my weight my whole life. FINALLY, I am focusing on things, not forgetting, full of vigor AND I'm losing weight...and I FEEL GREAT! Wait...isn't that another tagline? Ha ha ha.Shock, I'm glad it works for you ;-) I've always been thin so it doesn't do me any good to lose more weight! ;-)
I'm giving up on drugs for a while. I used them for years, I've been free of them for a couple, I think I can fight through this. Anything is better than what I felt yesterday.
The best part is when people say, "WOW! You look great, how much weight have you lost and how are you doing it?!" I say, "drugs." Ha ha ha! I get a kick outta it.The first several days I took Adderall XR, the only effects I noticed were bad (many were exactly as you described). So, I lowered the dose, got used to the lower dose then went back up. My appetite has returned, it’s still much lower, but existent. This is the only medication I’ve tried, but I’ve actually noticed frequent dull/mild headaches. The headaches aren’t even enough to make me want to go find an asprin. That and not feeling tired at bedtime are the only lasting bad effects I’ve noticed.
I'm a 26 y/o woman with ADD, I've been diagnosed since age 9 (pretty textbook case.) I took ritalin through school to keep focused and did rather well, and weaned myself off the medication while at college studying chemical engineering.
Well, some days I wish I hadn't become an engineer! Work has been very difficult and I'm finding that the excess stress is making my ADD unmanageable. I started taking ritalin again last month only to be reminded of the frequent headaches it used to give me. I started adderall this week (yesterday) and I'm shaking a lot, have NO appetite, and I even feel that its making me antisocial, paranoid, and aggrevating some very latent OCD symptoms I sometimes have. Anyone else have this reaction to this drug? Should I stop taking it, or give it a chance to do better?
As the course of the day went on, my reaction got worse. I actually had to leave work early because I felt I was losing my mind! Needless to say, I'm not taking any more of that!
Another thing I noticed with it is that it really increased my blood pressure, but simultaneously caused me to lose a LOT of water weight. I probably went to the bathroom 6 or 7 times while at work yesterday, I kept drinking water to try to replentish myself but it seemed to go right through me. I'm 2 lbs lighter today than I was yesterday! No more adderall for me!
Galagirl,
(long post, sorry)
Let me share my adderall experience and you can take what you will from it. I am not sure if you are taking the XR or regular release but here is my tale.
37 yr old recently (2months) on adderall XR.
Day one...not much Day 2...better focus but no desire to associate with my kids. Which is bad because I am a stay at home dad of 4. So as the day wears on I get really aggresively anxious and completely paranoid. Like I was having an episode of some nature. Called doc...no return call. Day 3...better focus on tasks in the am..as day wears on worse episode of depressive anxious paranoid anti social anger. Had to call a friend to come stay with kids. stopped taking and called doc.
The only way I can describe the feelings..bad ones that is from that day is like this. It was as if anything that I had recently felt could be a minor issue was now IMMENSE and IMMEDIATE and crushing and real. So I was completely unprepared to deal.
Doc then prescribed welbutrin an antidepressant that was to counter the negative effects of adderall. Didn't like that idea but was willing to give it a try. So after about 2 months of playing with dose and timing etc. I have this to report. I am now being weened off the welbutrin as I was told it can have an irritability effect on some. I have stopped taking the aderallXR completely and now take regular adderall. 20 mg 3 times a day. It seems to be a much more suitable drug for my system. I was immediately more self like. I do not know the science..my new adderall is generic..XR was not. No clue if that matters. If this keeps stable as I get off the Welbutrin I will be happy to stay on the regular A but if not I will try Ritalin or Concerta.
I have read alot and seems that one of the tougher issues adults face is getting the right "cocktail" ...timing, dosage, balance. Seems like a lifetime of coping can create its own set of hurdles. So that is my story and I apologize for the verbose nature of the post..but hey I gots a case of the ADD...guess you already know that...oooh something sparkly ..gotta go.
My fiance has just been diagnosed with ADD for less than a year, though he spent years trying to self-medicate. When his doctor was taking his life history it came up that my fiance had never liked "speedy" drugs, because they always made him feel tense, jittery, and sometimes a little paranoid. Knowing that he probably wouldn't do well on amphetamine based meds (Retalin/Adderall) he put him on Wellbutrin, and he's doing great. They are finding that is works well on those with ADD/ADHD that don't tolerate amphetamine based drugs.
Try talking to your doctor about your experience with Adderall. Sometimes it takes some tweeking of your dosage, trying a new med all together, or if your like me all of the above and combining medications. I have been diagnosed for eight years, and I have had to have my medication and it's dosages tweeked so many times I can't count. It's because we are all different that medicating isn't an exact science, if it was there would be only one medication. Don't give up!
...Oh by the way I have been diagnosed for eight years and I have taken everything from Retalin, Concerta, Adderall, Adderall XR, combinations of Adderall and Adderall XR, and different dosages of each. I also suffer from clinical depression and have tried everything from Triavil, Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro. I am now on a "cocktail" of Adderall XR 20mgs and Wellbutrin 300mgs, so far they seem to be working well together and with me. Then again I've only been on it for a week, but the thoughts of suicide have disappeared.
Don't worry everyone, I've been working with my doctor and he knows about the thoughts of suicide as does my fiance. We're all working together on it. One day at a time.
-D-
[QUOTE=ditzyfitzy]I gained 8 pounds in a three week time frame when I started Adderall...has anyone ELSE had this experience?
I can't handle the extra weight.....I was eating everything in sight and normally, I am not a big eater.
Doc switched me to Ritalin...and, although I'm not as hungry--I still am gaining weight on the Ritalin.
Any advice?
Thanks,
[/QUOTE]Are you on Adderall or Adderall XR? When my doctor put me on Adderall XR she told me that I would have a loss in appetite and she was right! I have lost about 5 lbs in 2 weeks and I love it! It makes me only want to eat healthy foods when I do eat, no McDonalds or anything. Since I am a bigger (not very big) person, the weight loss and loss of appetite is a good side effect of Adderall!
Most people I know lose their appetite on Adderall, I'm sorry ditzyfritzy, you are just a freak of nature I guess! ha ha ha!!!
Just kidding!
I was on the regular Adderall for a few weeks...and then went to the XR...
Only took the XR for three days---and when the scale kept creeping up each day....I said ENOUGH! That is when I switched to Ritalin.
When I was on Strattera--I lost weight....but, I FEEL better on the Ritalin. Can you take both?
Lynn
Lynn,There are a lot of people on what we like to call "cocktails" for ADD. Talk to your doctor about what is the right cocktail for you. I have heard about people on Adderall XR and Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin and Cocerta...and the so on and so on.
I gained 8 pounds in a three week time frame when I started Adderall...has anyone ELSE had this experience?
I can't handle the extra weight.....I was eating everything in sight and normally, I am not a big eater.
Doc switched me to Ritalin...and, although I'm not as hungry--I still am gaining weight on the Ritalin.
Any advice?
Thanks,
WOW. Thank god. I have been having alot of the same problems with my adderall XR and I honestly thought I was completely losing my mind. One minute I am happy and the next minute I am like ready to break in to tears. I guess I can focus but it's almost like anything that is negative or bad that day or whenever IS MAGNIFIED and it's all I can think about. I have been getting really paranoid and just negative. I am now going to not take my adderall for a little and see what happens b/c this has never happened to me before in my life until I started on medication. At first I was fine but I mean I would rather be unfocused then feel like an emotional unstable mess. I'm so glad I saw some other people with the same effects b/c I was beginining to think I was COMPLETELY crazy... LOL
Quick update everyone. It is Monday, one day after I wrote the previous post about losing my mind on my adderall and i feel a hundred times better already. The only thing that is bothering me is I have a bit of a headache but other then that I feel much better emotionally and just overall great. Everyone at work kept asking me why I was so happy today? I dont know, we will see how this pans out.
I am a 37 year old male who has been taking Adderall XR for over 2 years. I have had fantastic results with it. Granted it does take time to get used to. I suggest going with the lowest dose to begin with. The dose that you can barely notice you took is definately the best and the XR lasts all day. I manage maintenance on 325+ rental properties that are in a historic city so they are all 125+ years old. You can imagine the level of stress and work involved in that! I tried ritalin and stratera. Ritalin is ok I guess but Stratera! Yikes! Talk about mood and mind altering, not me friends. Currently 30mg adderall xr is working great for me. Hope this helpsSo, are you still taking the Adderall?
Lynn
I have been on Adderall XR for about a year now. Currently I am taking 40mg a day. I take those when I get up, but for the most part, I still have trouble getting to sleep at night. Some of the side effects I have noticed with the Adderall XR is frequent headaches, but that seems to have diminished some in the last couple of months. My appetite is not bad, I do recall starting out on it, and I would have to remind myself that I had not eaten in a day or two. It took me about 6-8 months to get the right dosage down for me. The biggest thing recently is I have noticed that I am procrastinating more and more still even on meds. I am fine once I get started on something, but just getting started is really tough for me. My sex drive is down and goes in spurts, I find myself irritable some days more than others. I tend to over focus on some things and forget about the more important things in my life such as my spouse and children. Over all things have been really good for me, and in the last couple of months some of my symptoms of ADHD have gotten worse, and I relate that to a job loss in February, and the stress that came along with that. Things are starting to get better again, since I am working and I do have some goals again. For a few weeks I was taking Wellbutrin along with my Adderall for a couple of reasons, but I have not since refilled my RX. I am thinking about doing that, to help me get over the procrastination part of it. I have never been on any other medication besides Adderall, but one thing I would recommend for people that are taking it for the first time, is give it some time, and try to take it at the same time everyday. Try to get yourself on a schedule with it and find out if you need to increase or decrease your meds to get you through the day and still be able to get some sleep at night. My overall experience with Adderall XR has been positive for me, and on most days things are good. I know when I have missed some days, I can really tell and so can my spouse. No I am not taking the Adderall anymore. By the way I didn't mention that it is the XR. I have been on it for about a year and a half now and today is my second day off of it. I am going to see how I do b/c I really just can't deal with the craziness I felt on it. I'll see how this is for now. Thanks for the advice.
Alright... Sorry that I confused the situation. I maintained a pretty good low weight with Ritalin, when it was working 100%. I noticed it was very easy to gain weight during the last couple of months of using it. I definitely put on the pounds when I would stop using it for a week or so (because I felt that I had built up a tolerance of it at one point).
Ritalin and regular excercise will take off the weight fast. One of the side effects is the loss of appetite. That has a playing factor. Adderall, I feel, really helped me stay thin.
I am a cocktail waitress and I work in a restaurant as a server when Im not doing that. So, I move around a lot! That's important. I was a Hostess Manager @ a Fine Dining establishment when I was using Ritalin in the beginning... Again, I moved around a lot.
When I quit my job, I also experienced easy weight gain while Ritalin. I did not take it as regularly & I wasn't moving around as much. I noticed the difference in one day without Ritalin. I felt heavier and like I could put on weight easy as pie.
On Adderall, it is a different story. Its not easy for me to put the weight on, I don't smoke nearly as much as I did when I was on Ritalin (actually I hardly ever smoke now that Im on Adderall), and I feel it is just more potent, as I said before.
This is just me, everyone is different. In my opinion, neither Ritalin or Adderall will cause weight gain, actually it should do the opposite. They are both stimulants which speed you up. That's an increase in heartrate, metabolism, blah blah blah.
Straterra is not a stimulant. Personally, I wouldn't consider it, but that's just me. You have to decide for yourself.
Also, if you don't put the food in your mouth, you cant gain the weight it could put on. Whether your on Ritalin or aspirin.... Ya know? 
No, that is NOT true.....
Some of the medications slow down the metabolism....so, even if you eat the same as you normally would...you put on the pounds.
Now, for ME....Adderall DID increase my appetite and I DID eat more....probably that is why I gained weight. 8 pounds in one month--is a bit much, though--even though I was eating more. I found that two days after I quit taking the Adderall....I dropped four of the pounds...so, I have to think that some of it was water retention.....
Not sure what to do next.....will talk to the psychiatrist at the end of the month. I FELT much better taking Ritalin...than taking Strattera. Don't want the weight gain associated with the Adderall and Ritalin, however.
Hi-
I'm the one that gained the 8 pounds on Adderall......and yes, I WAS eating like a pig (which isn't the norm for me). I had a lot more energy on Adderall....but, it also stimulated my appetite BIG TIME. 8 pounds was enough for me.....I stopped taking it.
Have lost 3 of the pounds (I think was bloat and water weight)....but, not the rest. I'm wondering if I would have the same reaction to Ritalin or Concerta. I see the psychiatrist next week.....
I went back to taking the Strattera--which I took for 2 years without problem.....but, I could tell that Adderall would be a much more effective drug for me. Just not willing to have to go buy all new clothes, etc.....
Thanks,
Lynn
Sorry Stephanie about not responding sooner. I forgot all about this thread and well....I'm ADD what do you want? Anyway...
I ended up going off of the Wellbutrin I had a VERY bad reaction to it. Severe migrains that lasted days, body aches, and was basically mean to anyone or anything that came w/in a ten foot radius of me. So I'm off of all antidepressants and that is how I will stay for now.
I am still on my Adderall XR and I don't plan on changing that, though I may be in soon to talk w/my doc to up my dosage.
About the weight gain thing here's my theory: Since stimulant medications tend to cause loss of appetite hence weight loss, I'm not sure about the weight gain thing. My only theory is that the stimulants may not only be stimulating certain neuro transmitters but also your appetite. For those who have gained weight have you been eating more? You may have already said so, but I missed it.
I was interested in your post....
You gained weight while on Ritalin? What about the Adderall with weight gain?
I found that I gained 8 pounds in one month while on Adderall...and went off of it because I couldn't stand it....it seemed like BLOAT weight--but, I don't know.
Now, I'm afraid to try anything else....back on Straterra which does not work for me.
My symptoms with Adderall are similar to Ritalin:*No appetite which aggravates my severe hypoglycemia and leads to shakiness and feeling faint.
*Nasty headaches when it wears off or if I don't eat enough.
*Sometimes a stomachache
*I, too, am in the tech world. I can't seem to keep it together either.
*Lots of energy, but it's like I suddenly feel like organizing my cupboards at home, not doing my detailed work.
*Also taking Zoloft. Had seizures with certain combinations of anti-D and stimulant. Not pleasant. Zoloft and Adderal seem to go together ok for me.
Ok, so after three days of being stoned and confused on Ritalin the doc has me on Adderall. Took my 10mg this morning and haven't noticed much difference yet.
I need to come up with a battery of tests I can perform while taking meds so I can judge its effectiveness.
Any suggestions?
I have posted some of this before but what the heck, you old-timers can skip it if you want. I am going without any meds. Dexedrine just made me more amplified, I never could get the focus I wanted and the dry mouth was just brutal. I tried both types of Adderall, at varied doses. One brought out terrible headaches in the back of my head and dry mouth, the other gave me the sex drive of a geriatic and dry mouth. My doc wrote off Straterra because he said he has yet to see any decent results off of it. Ritalin, meh, I'm too old for that. So I am on no prescribed meds. The shrink talked about trying other doses, etc but I can't see that these stimulants were doing me any good.
I do take supplements of Omega 3 (ground flax seed) and L-tyrosine. I'm also experimenting with Hydroxycut from GNC for an additional stimulant besides the industrial amounts of caffiene that I digest. It's going to take awhile to see if these do any good but at least there's no side effects from this regimen.
DVirgo421... (wow, are you really a Virgo and ADHD?!.. sick combination girl!!) Sorry, totally off the subject (oops there goes another ADD moment).
Concerning one of your last postings, I am also on the same combination of Adderall and Wellbutrin (for the most part: 2 caps. Adderall XR 30mg & 2 tabs twice Generic Wellbutrin (Bupropion/Budeprion) 150mg.
This seems to work for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD in November of 2004 & have just started the Adderall after previously taking Ritalin. I was initialy put on Wellbutrin in June of 2004 for depression, etc. Any ADD/ADHD drug in combination with Wellbutrin seems to work better for me (catalyzing effects I guess).
Oh, Ritalin was working for me for a while but felt like my system built up a monthly tolerance to it. The stuff was almost 0 a pop and the tolerance caused me to go on a ritual one week hiatus every month (weight gain, mood changes, distractions were bad).
I was very interested in giving Adderall a shot. Felt I should post this to you (DVirgo421) was to let you know someone else out the cocktail to be helpful. The biggest difference between the 2 for me, is potency. Adderall seems to be stronger and longer lasting while Ritalin was like a placebo.
Everyones different, Ive got issues with this Adderall XR too, and I can go on for hours (I never shutup, so they say). Im ending this long post now.
Pretty sure most wont read it its so long. I wouldnt. (My ADD ass would look at it and scroll right past...) 
Hope this is of interest or help for someone. Ciao all!