Where do I begin? I was clincally diagnosised as a child in 1976 but like alot of "former child ADHD'rs" I too, believed it was something you "out grew". I was on ritalin for about a month but my mother took me off the medication because she stated it made me like a zombie.
ADHD truly has ruined my life, always struggling to be "normal", always trying to succeed with no success! Never able to hold down a job for any lenght of time, either I quit or get fired. 8 months ago I was re-tested/re-diagnoised with now Adult ADHD.
I was immediately put on 20 mg of Adderall (generic) twice a day. I felt wonderful, able to accomplish more than I had in my thirty five years on this earth! Extremely focused, extremely creative, I was thinking of things to do that seemed out of ordinary for me. I lost about 10lbs initially whooo hooo!, but then the anger creeped up on me.
I noticed that I became so focused that if anything or anyone interrupted this focus I would growl! Not a person I would want to be around! My doctor then prescribed 10mg of Prozac to "take the edge off". A month passes by and the Prozac seems to control the outburst and of course now I am much more aware and mentally/emotionally try to control the outburst however, I begin to have what I call heart "flutters". Rattling in my chest to my throat and I could feel my heart beat in my throat. After one week of this constant "fluttering", I go to my doctor for an EKG. The EKG came back abnormal because of my resting heart rate at 102 beats per minute. My doctor stated I needed to aleviate some stress and get off the Prozac.
At the time my job was stressful but I loved it. I was off the Prozac for one week with no decrease in the flutters as a matter of fact they increased!!!! Two weeks later I was fired from my job, I believe wrongfully, but then again was I not seeing what they were seeing? After the termination I got back on the Prozac and within a week the flutters stopped completely! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH life was good, no flutters, no racing heart.......then all hell breaks loose.
After a month of no flutters I suddenly begin feeling my heart rate top out to the point of the feeling of being breathless, I tired out, I am nervous. I was in Target and sat down at the Blood Pressure Machine and take my BP and Heart Rate. Blood pressure is 98/70 and my heart rate is 119! I returned to my doctor's office who now believes I am having anxiety attacks and has put me on Clonazepam to take when I have an attack (luckily) I haven't had one in a week!
Ok, so why all the junk above?????????? I am scared. The Adderall works for me, it helps me to be the Adult I need to be but I don't want to die in the process. I am thinking about going to a heart specialist and I am thinking about requesting a full blood work up. Here are some problems I have exprienced in the six months I have been on Adderall.
Initial weight loss but now no weight loss even though I don't eat anywhere near what I use too.
Initial dry mouth, but now it has decreased dramatically
Loss in sexual desire, very difficult to achieve an orgasm.
Racing heart rate, heart rate is staying constant at 96-100 bpm, low blood pressure normally, but goes to Normal which is not normal for me.
Too focused/obsessive? Going to Target/Walmart/ Grocery store to shop and what use to take me 1 hour now takes me 5 hours (LITERALLY). Spending more money than ever, I was (before Adderall) very thrifty, a penny pincher now I can't seem to control the spending. I literally stay at home so that I am not tempted to spend money we don't have.
I think I know what I should do, but I question even my own ability to make a rational decision. I am a 36year old married female with two children, I do drink alot of coffee (I know, I read earlier), I am a smoker (which can be excessive on Adderall, gum helps), I do get exercise daily but not the convential way.....I clean house, the yard, the vehicles as if I am some 16 year old (I pay dearly that night). I try to eat a variety of food. Someone, anyone please help.............am I over-reacting or paranoid about this?????????
I’ll try to help if I can. First of all, no you are not