Mood Swings and Adderall XR.. PLEASE Help | ADHD Information

Alright, I'm a fifteen year old girl who's been on 20 mg of Adderall XR for about three months, and though I've definitely managed to get myself back on track as far as school goes, problems have arisen that I really, really can't figure out how to deal with on my own... I need someone's advice. Please give me some feedback if you can relate.

I take my meds at about 7:15 am. I can feel them kick in pretty quickly, just in time for first period (7:55), and that "euphoric" feeling lasts until about lunchtime (10:50). Since this IS the XR kind, however, the second release comes soon enough around and I can finish my school day with no problem... there's usually no "high" like in the morning, which is fine; I take the meds so I can concentrate, not feel invincible (that IS a bonus, though, I'm not complaining. =])

Once I'm back home, I'm definitely worn out, and my meds begin to wear off...  unfortunately, not enough so that I can eat normally (I've got to force myself) or fall asleep like I used to, which isn't too much of a problem, I've learned to deal with them...

The absolute worst problem for me are the MOOD SWINGS. I cannot BELIEVE how quickly they shift, and they change for NO solid reason. I'll be full of energy, happily painting, drawing, cleaning, singing, riding my bike, cooking, whatever for maybe five minutes. And then, I will stop. I'll feel my face droop. My eyes will glaze over. I'll feel like I was just punched in the stomach. That true, deep, pure depression will just HIT me, and I end up almost feeling physically nauseated.

As soon as this mood comes about, once I can somewhat regain control myself, I'll frantically try ANYTHING to change it back again (change my music, take a shower, eat something)....

Sometimes it works... of course I'll switch back to "happy" within a few minutes, no matter what I do.

But it's exhausting. I don't want to feel these extremes (yes, even the "euphoric" one)... a NORMAL emotional range is what I need (a.k.a. "happy medium").

I've been on antidepressants before, but I'm currently not on anything other than Adderall XR (which I was, at first, convinced helped reduce my depression... I hoped that maybe dealing with ADD throughout my life was what caused it in the first place). I'm wondering now if I've got both conditions.

If someone can give me ANY type of advice on my severe mood swings, please do. Is this an Adderall XR side effect that can be countered with some extra vitamins/meds? A higher dosage? A lower one?...

Eating more of a certain food to even out my blood sugar levels?... An antidepressant?...

Less alone time?... More??...

I'm desperate.





If you didn't have these types of mood swings before taking the Adderall xr then you need to tell your doctor so you can change meds or at the very least lower your dose.  It's hard to say now if I had these mood swings before the Adderall (before I began taking Adderall, I'd been off any sorts of meds for about a year)... honestly, I had/showed almost no emotion before I was diagnosed with ADHD, and if I did, it was crying myself to sleep because I felt like I was a complete screw up and was letting everyone down with my behavior and school performance.

Other than that, I pretty much just trudged through my days feeling apathetic, lethargic, unnmotivated, a complete lack of energy, "lost in my own world"/"gradually slipping into oblivion"(two teachers' exact words)... I was very much like a zombie. I was very much like my old, depressed self.

These symptoms, a year beforehand, we (my mom and I) tried to "fix" with Lexapro... I remember it working somewhat, but my grades still sucked (which, I've come to conclude, are what my mom bases my well-being upon), and since we didn't see much improvement, we just gave up meds altogether and hoped for the best.

Now that I'm on Adderall, I can feel things.... unfortunately, that includes freaky bouts of lows in addition to highs. I suppose I can deal with it, but it's wearing me out. The good thing: no one else can really tell if I'm having a mood swing; it doesn't affect anyone other than myself. I don't suddenly start blurting out hurtful things or crying... I just simply get a deep, inward change in emotion, which fluxuates minute to minute in the after school hours/evening.

I've already spoken with my doctor and she suggests that I just "wait it out"... the dosage and medication I'm on is the most effective, and she doesn't want to change it.

Maybe this side effect is simply the price I have to pay.
Gruene38500.3341550926Im your same age and have been taking Adderall XR for about the same amount of time.  But really, I havnt noticed any mood swings too much.  Maybe you should talk to your doctor and maybe try a different medication.

The same thing has been happening to me..

I take regular adderall tabs, and my dosage works out about the same as your Xr's..  I take either 15 or 20 mg in the morn and 15 or 20  about 5 or 6 hours later..  And like you, the first dose is the good one..  awake, alive and feeling good.  the second dose just seems to carry on the norm of the day..  but when it starts to wear off..  WHAM!  My thoughts go right down the tubes..  I start thingking very negatively and no matter how hard I try to 'think' myself out of it, it won't go away untill the adderall leaves my system completely for the day.  This has always been a thing for me but just recently has become too much to handle within the last 4 days..   so today I didn't take it.  And yup, Im fine..  I had to tell myself not to take it about 15 times, but  I didn't and I'm just back to my old ADHD self which sucks..  but at least Im not mentally tearing myself down..  I think I will go another day or two off of it and then dose again.   

It's very commonplace to take a vacation from the meds..  And I'm now realizing why.  I think that stims are very helpful for us, but like anything else they have to be used in moderation.  Keep in mind that tstims are not like antidepressants..  When you wake up in the morning, there are no meds in you untill you take them.  Stims are instantly reactive and wear off just as fast.  There's no need to wean yourself off, IMO..  Try a couple of days off on a weekend and see how you feel.  Any doctor who knows about ADD/ADHD will probably tell you the same..    There's one that posts here..  ADHDMD is the name..  PM him/her and see what the advice is, as I'm no doctor.  I'm just letting you know what works for me. 

I'm adderal free today and feel fine, just back to normal.

Edit: I forgot to add that I have also thought of seeking meds for a possible co-existing disorder (depression, Bi-polar, I havent figured it out yet)..  But I'm saying that maybe we have something else to deal with  that can be treated along side of stims and then we can be good.  But in the mean time if you want to try a day or two off of the adderal, it doesnt seem to hurt me.

Evvy38510.0221990741

I hope it's OK for a mom to post a reply.

Reading your post brought tears to my eyes.  I can see my daughter in you so vividly.  She had HORRIBLE "rebound" from Adderall XR.  Our solution, which may not be something you want to hear - the doctor prescribed Strattera TOO.  She now takes 30 mg Adderall XR AND 60 mg Strattera each morning.  There is still a minor rebound, but nothing like the mood swings we saw before the Strattera, plus her appetite has come back (not to normal, but at least she eats normal meals again.)