After 6 years of being on Adderall 40-60 MG a day I decided to stop because I felt like I was a slave to this drug for my energy . Well it is hell and the Dr.'s will tell you it is your ADD coming back ....... no this is someone who was addicted to a powerful Amphetamine and whose life is hell right now from the withdrawals . For me the morning pill was what got me going in the morning and defined who I was all day . My God I read all of these posts and no one seems to talk about the fact that this drug is what is giving them the edge they now need to function ... and not to control there ADD but to keep them high all day . Well for those who have only been on it for a few years well wait till about 5 years + and then try to function without it . I am not trying to scare anyone but I would love to hear from someone who has been on it for over 5 years like I was and then live life without it . I did not realize how much energy it was giving me .

Again I wish someone had told me years ago when I first started it that I would pay dearly for this wonder drug that made me feel so good when I had to get off of it . And yes I do not believe you can stay on it for life ... when you get up to needing about 60 + mg a day in your 4th or 5th year you start to understand the toll an Amphetamine takes on your health over a long period of time . Again this is just my experience and I am looking for someone who has been on it 5 or 6 years to tell me where they are at . As I read these posts I see most people have only got a few years if that on the stuff .

Mee, I'm an unmedicated ADD'er, apart from my caffeine intake, so I cannot add to what you ask, but I can say 100% that you have written the complete reason I would NEVER take any of these drugs.

My husband recently came off of Dexamphetamine after only 3 years, and that was extremely unpleasant to say the least. Now his body is returning to normal, and I hope he never goes near another Amphetamine again. It's his choice, but I want a healthy husband. I'd prefer him "foggy" :)

Anyone, ADD or Non ADD would feel good on an Amphetamine. I will be given the "chill" for saying this, but it's the truth.

My thoughts are with you. You've a long journey ahead, but I think you'll make it. You're too annoyed at the Dr's to not make it.

Take Care,
Viktoria

After three years on dexamphetamine, I am now off it. It was a hard time indeed but I'm glad that I made it.

Like you, I came to rely on the stimulant to wake me up in the morning and keep me going at work. Sometimes I would work all night to meet a deadline and my medication was being used to excess for the wrong reasons.

In retrospect, had I been given sufficient health warnings as to side effects and potential long term health damage of these stimulants, I never would have commenced taking them in the first place. I'm better off without them. (caffiene clears the fog eventually :rolleyes: )

Amphetamines are proven beyond all reasonable doubt, able to cause long term health damage and after having been down that path for three years, I wont ever go there again and would not advise anyone else to. Long term, learning new behaviour skills through CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) is a much safer health option.

Dex is supposed to be short acting (4-8hours), however my experience is that its effects on my body were continuing for days after ceasing taking the meds and much smaller doses than currently pescribed were effective.

The rush to prescribe stimulant medications appears to me, be driven by corporate greed with multi billions of dollars sales at stake, rather that the long term health interests of ADD'ers.

All my love and kisses to Viktoria :-x :-x :-x

Thanks you guys .... I only wish I had heard the other side to all of this years ago ... If the Dr.'s had told me I would have not needed them , I only kept going back to the Dr every month to get prescriptions . If they had told me about exercise and other ways of dealing with ADD besides drugs I would of had the information I needed and not had to keep coming back for those useless sessions that were nothing more than a necessity for the prescriptions.

My husband recently came off of Dexamphetamine after only 3 years, and that was extremely unpleasant to say the least. Now his body is returning to normal, and I hope he never goes near another Amphetamine again. It's his choice, but I want a healthy husband. I'd prefer him "foggy"

P.S. your husband is so lucky to have someone that will give him that kind of support and reinforcement . My girlfriend and I did not stay together becuase I became such another person after about 5 years on that stuff . What a loss to not have her in my life after being together for almost 10 years .. we just did not know what that stuff was doing to me .... It just turned me into another person and now that I am back to my old self she and so so much is gone .

I've been on ADDerall for 6 years - and am very careful with taking it. I rarely take it on the weekends and never when I'm on vacation.
I have never had a withdrawl symptom from ADDerall. Neither have I felt the "need" to take it (meaning addiction to it).

I think there is a difference to "feeling good" being on an amphetamine and understanding that you are taking it to help deal with ADD; to aid in everyday functional living.

Being a person with ADD also means being an advocate for yourself - and not relying on others to tell what else you can do to help yourself deal with ADD.

livinginchaos you give me hope

Mee: I'm interested to know the long term physical toll. Could you please share with us? See a separate thead I recently posted. This is a big concern of mine.

Being a person with ADD also means being an advocate for yourself - and not relying on others to tell what else you can do to help yourself deal with ADD.


Thas the best advice I've heard!!!! We all need to remember this, every day.

You are scaring me. I never heard that Adderall can cause tooth decay just like street meth users get. And the 'high'..I thought ADDers didn't feel that after the first few days of starting it because our brain's didn't react to it that way. My children just got put on Adderall XR, and one of them took his first pill yesterday. He was very happy all day until the 'crash' when he came down. He was angry at me and said that if the good feeling had to go away every day he didn't want to take them. He either wanted to feel good all the time or not. I assumed he was talking about the 'high' effects of the first few days, until his body adjusted to it.
I thought Adderall wasn't addictive to ADDers!!!!!
I have only been on Adderall XR for like 3 months, and was just upped to 60mgs because it doesn't seem to be helping me. But my oldest son - it makes such a difference for him. Quality of life is improved 100% for him. I was hoping the same for my other son. Am I doing him a terrible disservice by making him take the Adderall when he doesn't want to? (my younger son)
What bad health effects does it cause in the long run?

You are scaring me. I never heard that Adderall can cause tooth decay just like street meth users get. And the 'high'..I thought ADDers didn't feel that after the first few days of starting it because our brain's didn't react to it that way. My children just got put on Adderall XR, and one of them took his first pill yesterday. He was very happy all day until the 'crash' when he came down. He was angry at me and said that if the good feeling had to go away every day he didn't want to take them. He either wanted to feel good all the time or not. I assumed he was talking about the 'high' effects of the first few days, until his body adjusted to it.
I thought Adderall wasn't addictive to ADDers!!!!!
I have only been on Adderall XR for like 3 months, and was just upped to 60mgs because it doesn't seem to be helping me. But my oldest son - it makes such a difference for him. Quality of life is improved 100% for him. I was hoping the same for my other son. Am I doing him a terrible disservice by making him take the Adderall when he doesn't want to? (my younger son)
What bad health effects does it cause in the long run?

I think the tooth decay problem is with an issue any drug that causes dry mouth.

Addictive? I am beginning to think so. In addition to better productivity, I do feel a light euphoria. Its a very good feeling that fills one with positive emotions and proactive attitude. Not complaining about this, just worried about the possibilities of addiction. Thats why I take a holiday on the weekends - just to convince myself that it is not the case.

Years ago I tried speed, cocaine, and it had no effect on me. Everyone else was having a merry old time, but I never got any effect from it. Recently I found out that was because I am ADHD, so why are you all having the euphoric highs of Adderall if you're ADD? I never got that from my Adderall, but my youngest son did yesterday... My oldest didn't. I'm getting confused. Could the ones who get 'high' off Adderall (especially after the first 3 days) be misdiagnosed? But my youngest is the most ADD person I've ever seen. But maybe it's something else? Maybe he has something besides ADD that causes him to be so forgetful and addlebrained. He fits all the ADD criteria. But he sure was 'high' yesterday on his first dose.

Addictive? I am beginning to think so. In addition to better productivity, I do feel a light euphoria. Its a very good feeling that fills one with positive emotions and proactive attitude. Not complaining about this, just worried about the possibilities of addiction.

And I never felt that way - the euphoria, positive emotions and proactive attitude. I thought my dose just wasn't high enough or maybe Adderall just wouldn't work for me.
But I REALLY thought that ADDers did NOT get 'high' on methamphetamines. That it had the opposite effect on us. I thought that's why they use it on us.

I continue to be concerned about all the people who are venemently attacking these drugs. Just because something has the POTENTIAL for abuse, side effects and is heavily abused, is no reason to discount it. A healthy ADD'r who is getting GOOD care should never feel guilty or scared for taking adderral or any other amphetamine. I seriously think a lot of these people who feel "high" or need it for energy, either might not have ADD, or are taking too much. It takes a experienced doctor and patient experimentation to get to the right dosage. These drugs should make you feel normal or calmer, not hyped up. When are people going to start getting worked up over the incredible loss of productivity, confidence and damaged self-esteem and possibly even crimes that may be committed because of untreated ADD? Please no one ever let one scary post get you from getting treatment. These drugs have been used for over 50 years, most of the preservatives & chemicals we injest daily are newer. Just use a balanced approach to your health.

have only been on Adderall XR for like 3 months, and was just upped to 60mgs because it doesn't seem to be helping me.
chameleon .... my heart goes out to you I read some of your posts and threads ... you say that you drink coffee all day and night and you are on Klonopin 3 times a day and are up to 60 mg of Adderall and you are on Lexapro . You have so many drugs pulling you in so many direction it is no wonder that you can not tell if the Adderall is working . I suggest you get over to http://www.benzo.org.uk/ and get on that forum becuase you need some solid info on the Klonopin . I have been right where you are and it is a viscous cycle of drugs pulling you in different directions all day . Did you tell your Dr that you drink coffee all day and night on top of all the drugs he has you on . It sounds like you need a second opinion when it comes to Dr.'s and especially if you are taking your kids to the same Dr .

I continue to be concerned about all the people who are venemently attacking these drugs. Just because something has the POTENTIAL for abuse, side effects and is heavily abused, is no reason to discount it. A healthy ADD'r who is getting GOOD care should never feel guilty or scared for taking adderral or any other amphetamine.

I agree with moonlily, but cavaet emptor with amphetamines and Ritalin. If you take these drugs every day for years, then stop abruptly, you will probably experience discontinuance symptoms. These drugs affect your neurotransmitters, which need time to recalibrate after you stop. Tapering off is recommended.

Livinginchaos has a solution that I have been trying; drug holidays. But, if I decide to forgo drug holidays, I'm aware that stopping abruptly will be unpleasant.

Knowlege is good. We need to make our own choices.

Thank you Mee, I went to the site but it won't let me access the page to apply for registration to the forum...
Yes my doctor knows I drink coffee all day.
I didn't know Klonopin was addictive either... :(

chameleon .... my heart goes out to you I read some of your posts and threads ... you say that you drink coffee all day and night and you are on Klonopin 3 times a day and are up to 60 mg of Adderall and you are on Lexapro . You have so many drugs pulling you in so many direction it is no wonder that you can not tell if the Adderall is working . I suggest you get over to http://www.benzo.org.uk/ and get on that forum becuase you need some solid info on the Klonopin . I have been right where you are and it is a viscous cycle of drugs pulling you in different directions all day . Did you tell your Dr that you drink coffee all day and night on top of all the drugs he has you on . It sounds like you need a second opinion when it comes to Dr.'s and especially if you are taking your kids to the same Dr .

I didn't know Klonopin was addictive either

chameleon
Hard to believe your Dr would put you on this drug and not tell you that it is addictive . Benzodiazepines*are the most addictive substances on the earth*. Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time.

(NOTE: Links have been removed by moderator for the purposes of promoting safety and adherence to forum regulations.-KJ/C)

Your body gets used to most psychoactive drugs but that doesn't mean that you are addicted. Feeling withdrawl from Effexor or Prozac or whatever doesn't mean you are an addict. Addiction is more of a mental health issue as true addiction involves compulsive pursuit and preoccupation with a substance or activity, and personal disorganization and desperation after cessation.
Amphetamines and benzodiazipines can be addictive, if abused, but when used as directed there should be no physical withdrawl and depending on the person, only slight psychological withdrawl. I'd only be worried about addiction if you couldn't stop taking stimulants - if you find that you can't take a drug holiday of any kind, you may have a problem.
Earlier in the thread the issue of ADHDers feeling or not feeling "high" from stimulants was raised. I want to clarify this. Some people with ADHD find that they don't feel stimulated or "high" from the drug, but this is not universal and it is not an indication of whether or not a person "truely" has ADHD. Response to medication should never be used as a diagnositic tool for ADHD because it does not prove anything - Stimulants improve focus, etc. in people with and without ADHD, and they don't work the same way in everyone, so the response will be as variable as the people taking it.

Some people with ADHD find that they don't feel stimulated or "high" from the drug, but this is not universal and it is not an indication of whether or not a person "truely" has ADHD. Response to medication should never be used as a diagnositic tool for ADHD because it does not prove anything - Stimulants improve focus, etc. in people with and without ADHD, and they don't work the same way in everyone, so the response will be as variable as the people taking it.
Greg, two questions....did you mean to say that "some people with ADHD find that they DO feel stimulated or "high" from the drug, but this is not universal and is not an indication....." i only ask because i just read this thread, and the way i'm interpreting your comment here is that you're saying it's more common for people to FEEL somehow stimulated or "high." make sense? unless i'm reading that wrong, didn't you mean it the other way around??

also, i'm curious as to the comment that stimulants help "everyone" focus better. i've seen such the opposite and have read reports where those without adhd who were given stimulants had terrible reactions of severe anxiety, headache, etc.....i mean, obviously there are folks who have taken street drugs who aren't adhd and have gotten addicted to them. but do you really think it's the focus they're getting? i've always figured it was the euphoria, high, or lack of inhibition that got them.

i may be having a serious adhd moment here and just misread your post completely...but when free gets confused.....you know as well as anyone...she just raises her hand and says "QUESTION OVER HERE!!!":D

thanks.

So to recap you got 5 years of your life back, but now to pay for that 5 years you have to endure 2-3 weeks of unhappiness.

Just a thought:
If someone's mood has been depressed for some time, it becomes "normal" for that person. Someone else has a healthy feeling of well-being. Both take the same meds. The person with the depressed mood feels "euphoric", or a sense of well-being in response to the meds while the other person notices only a slight difference in mood.
L.

"Free",
I did mean to say that most people with ADHD do feel stimulated by stimulants - how stimulated depends on the dose. Some ADHDers have the opposite effect, but it's not the majority, as far as I can tell. And "normals" who take stimulants do get improved focus - if they take the right dose. Too much stimulant is worse than none at all, so those that are taking illegal drugs like methamphetamine aren't seeing any improvement in focus since they are usually taking several orders of magnitude more drug than we do - 5 g or methamphetamine a day is not unheard of - that's 5000 mg! For me about a 2 month supply.
Students who take Adderall illegally in order to "cram" for exams and such don't have a good idea about the best amount to take - so they probably take more figuring that more is always better - and they'll get the headaches, anxiety and insomnia that comes with taking too much if they aren't careful.

OK. I'm with you now. I was thinking you were referencing the street drug variety in doses far exceeding prescribed amounts. on the other thread where it was said to be a myth that stimulant meds affect both adhders the same as non-adhders, i got confused. but i was talking about children given adhd meds that were certainly too high for their bodies to handle and would essentially give them that headache, anxiety feeling. i've seen it in kids myself. so i think maybe by the end of that thread everyone was just misunderstanding each other or something. i definitely agree that in general, many nonadders and adders would see a similar reaction to stimulant meds.

sorry.....just in a state of mind fog!!!!!!!

free2bme has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

free2bme this is what I get when I try to return your message and question ... so I will put it here .
I would be happy to answer you under this thread on the board where everyone can learn something if you would like to ask the same question here .

Hello all, I am currently about 5 days into my titration off of adderall XR/adderall. I was taking anywhere from 60-80 mg/day, and am down to 20 XR now. Honestly, the combination of exhaustion and dependence has been really rough on my body. Even though I am a seventeen year old male, 6'2 and 180 pounds, I feel like a ragdoll that has been tossed in front of a speeding train. I took most of the last week off of school, honestly something I wouldn't have been able to get away with if I weren't class president, and spent most of that time in a conglomerate of insomnia/hypersomnia/stomach cramps/vomitting on night 1/nightmares/sweats etc. I have been on stimulant medications of various sorts for the past 5 years, and have experienced great success and powerful failures. Their seems to be no rhyme or reason for why my medicine will work effectively one month, and fail totally the next. It would appear that I am one of the relative majority for whom stimulant medication is not an effective long term solution. Before people start taking my example as the anti-adderall gospel, please remember how many people are helped by these medications. I would love to speak to someone else (or multiple others) who is/are of a similiar ADD-type (able to skate by on intellect, tried medication and experienced both wonderful and awful effects, etc). Honestly, I have no idea who I am at this point - and that scares me the most. Will my girlfriend and I still be the same once I am unmedicated? Will my teachers have the same respect and affection for me if I am a clearly different student in the coming months? Will I be able to keep up with the rigors of the colleges I applied to if I am unmedicated? Sorry if this seems like a crazy, incoherent ramble, but I am just more than a little confused right now. Thanks for any input, and this forum is an awesome resource! Keep it real,
Ben

I believe Gregster posted something quite a while ago regarding the matter of medications in discussion, what is appropriate, and what is not appropriate.

Giving pharmaceutical comments on a certain substance being the most addictive on earth is most certainly an inappropriate statement. In extremes it has been called practicing medicine without a license. All I can possibly hope is that Chameleon chose to speak to his or her licensed, certified, medical practitioner before taking action based on your commentary regarding this medication. It is also my hope that Chameleon had the good sense to ignore someone else's decision of her doctor's competency or lack thereof.

I will request and assume that you will, from now on, refrain from putting forth statements such as this in public forums. If not, further action may have to be taken. Should you require assistance with frustration or other upset having read this message, or simply deem it to be without merit, please feel free to contact the administration.

Chrys

chameleon
Hard to believe your Dr would put you on this drug and not tell you that it is addictive . Benzodiazepines*are the most addictive substances on the earth*. Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time.

(NOTE: Links have been removed by moderator for the purposes of promoting safety and adherence to forum regulations.-KJ/C)

<!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->

I've been on ADDerall for 6 years - and am very careful with taking it. I rarely take it on the weekends and never when I'm on vacation.
I have never had a withdrawl symptom from ADDerall. Neither have I felt the "need" to take it (meaning addiction to it).

I think there is a difference to "feeling good" being on an amphetamine and understanding that you are taking it to help deal with ADD; to aid in everyday functional living.

Being a person with ADD also means being an advocate for yourself - and not relying on others to tell what else you can do to help yourself deal with ADD.

I am fifty years old and was addicted to Meth for 20 years, I quite tampering off two years ago. Then I became a heavy drinker (I got into so much trouble in a few months... and no trouble on meth). Then when I diagnosed with ADHD, they gave me Adderall which had a pleasant side affect: I do not drink at all...

I do take Adderall similar to you and I never take it when I have a cold or such.

There is no withdrawal at recommended dosages.

I am healthy again and my liver is testing with less numbers in the red at time passes.

I didn't know Klonopin was addictive either... :(

IME it's far more addictive than Adderall, Dexedrine, et al. (when taken at normal/prescribed doses).

wow...soooo, a lot about long term health effect, but not a clue about what they are? would love to see someone elaborate a bit more on this
come on guys.....are u kiddin me? just because u used/abused a drug for some reason and now arent happy it doesnt mean is bad, there are people that are addicted to benzos, pain killers, etc

and caffeine is not addictive? caffeine doesnt stress your body??? what do you think it is? is a stimulant! and millions upon millions of people cannot function daily w/o their 4-6 cups a day!

EVERYTHING you do in life has long term effects, not exercising, not eating correctly, not sleeping......

I would love to see any citations to a peer reviewed scientific study that even begins to prove that there are adverse long term effects of taking prescribed doses of Adderall. The misinformation in some of these posts is astounding. I am mazed how some folks were doing OK with meds and then went off of them and had "withdrawl". The their lives fell apart?? maybe it was because the drug was actually helping? Maybe your "withdrawl" was because you assumed that you knew more than a physician and decided to just stop taking the medication! If a diabetic thinks they take insulin to get by, does that mean they are relying on medication to live? Should they stop taking it? All medications do have side effects. However, when a doc prescribes a med, they weigh the risks/benefits. I hope folks who have just started taking ADHD meds are not scared off by the unsupported posts!

I would love to see any citations to a peer reviewed scientific study that even begins to prove that there are adverse long term effects of taking prescribed doses of Adderall.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8019.php


Granted, that study was a two-year study and the OP is talking about 6 years.

My understanding of stimulant meds for ADD/ADHD treatment is that once you've found the most beneficial dose, it shouldn't need to be titrated up anymore? (per my pdoc)

There are withdrawal effects from many psychotrophic meds, and I think we all need to decide for ourselves if the benefits outweigh the side effects.

prr fan - I am sorry that you are having a rough journey through this. I think cautionary tales as well as success stories are all valuable when each person is researching their treatments - as long as we realize that reactions and side effects vary widely.

I hope that this all gets easier on you!

fwiw - my experience (which has only been a few weeks thus far) is very different - I don't get ramped up on Adderall, I actually feel much calmer and it is a lot easier to focus, and conversely, a lot easier NOT to hyperfocus.

Mee,

You may wish to try Wellbutrin for withdraw, it's milder lasts all day with the XL version, affects the same neurotransmitters as Adderall, via reuptake, so you'll have more Dopamine, easing withdraw. Wellbutrin is an Amphetimine analog, so it'll give you a milder form of the same stimulation and reduce your body's cravings. Although, I understand there is a withdraw when one stops the drug (WB)- I'd assume it has to be easier then Aderall withdraw. To raise your dopamine levels for the reuptake, eat plenty of protien.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8019.php


Granted, that study was a two-year study and the OP is talking about 6 years.

My understanding of stimulant meds for ADD/ADHD treatment is that once you've found the most beneficial dose, it shouldn't need to be titrated up anymore? (per my pdoc)

There are withdrawal effects from many psychotrophic meds, and I think we all need to decide for ourselves if the benefits outweigh the side effects.

prr fan - I am sorry that you are having a rough journey through this. I think cautionary tales as well as success stories are all valuable when each person is researching their treatments - as long as we realize that reactions and side effects vary widely.

I hope that this all gets easier on you!

fwiw - my experience (which has only been a few weeks thus far) is very different - I don't get ramped up on Adderall, I actually feel much calmer and it is a lot easier to focus, and conversely, a lot easier NOT to hyperfocus.
I think you missed my point, I wanted a study that proved ADVERSE effects, not a study that said they were safe and effective. I think they are safe and effective and believe that most of the folks who report these adverse effects are off base. I am not having a rough time with anything otther than people who continue to deny themselves medication that has been proven time and time again to be effective, safe, and life changing.

prr - Ah, gotcha.

I guess the fact that all the long term studies say they are safe is kinda telling, no? I'm sure some people *do* have adverse effects, but these meds have been lifesavers for so many, children and adults.

I can't take birth control pills because of the side effects - doesn't mean millions of women don't take them...and they do a good job of preventing pregnancy, too! I am just one of the outliers on the continuum.... :)

After 6 years of being on Adderall 40-60 MG a day I decided to stop because I felt like I was a slave to this drug for my energy . Well it is hell and the Dr.'s will tell you it is your ADD coming back ....... no this is someone who was addicted to a powerful Amphetamine and whose life is hell right now from the withdrawals . For me the morning pill was what got me going in the morning and defined who I was all day . My God I read all of these posts and no one seems to talk about the fact that this drug is what is giving them the edge they now need to function ... and not to control there ADD but to keep them high all day . Well for those who have only been on it for a few years well wait till about 5 years + and then try to function without it . I am not trying to scare anyone but I would love to hear from someone who has been on it for over 5 years like I was and then live life without it . I did not realize how much energy it was giving me .



Everybody's situation is different, and I truly hope that the OP is doing/feeling better than when they originally started this thread.

But for me, none of the things mentioned above would be a surprise to me. Before starting Adderall, I DIDN'T have any energy. I COULDN'T get going in the morning, or at any other time. A massive dose of caffeine could help, temporarily, but not in the same way, and not nearly as well, as Adderall does. I just simply WASN'T functioning, at least not on any real or consistent level. And I was miserable almost all the time.

Even if it were illustrated that there could be serious adverse effects to the long-term use of this drug, I would not be inclined to stop taking it, because even knowing that the drug MIGHT be harmful, I would still know for sure that life without it was simply, for the most part, intolerable (which, BTW, was what led me to seek out a diagnosis in the first place.)

Everybody's situation is different, and I truly hope that the OP is doing/feeling better than when they originally started this thread.

But for me, none of the things mentioned above would be a surprise to me. Before starting Adderall, I DIDN'T have any energy. I COULDN'T get going in the morning, or at any other time. A massive dose of caffeine could help, temporarily, but not in the same way, and not nearly as well, as Adderall does. I just simply WASN'T functioning, at least not on any real or consistent level. And I was miserable almost all the time.

Even if it were illustrated that there could be serious adverse effects to the long-term use of this drug, I would not be inclined to stop taking it, because even knowing that the drug MIGHT be harmful, I would still know for sure that life without it was simply, for the most part, intolerable (which, BTW, was what led me to seek out a diagnosis in the first place.)

And this sums up exactly why this is so confusing, and so troubling an issue. I too was not functioning very well, often woke up cloudy, and unable to feel fully awake the entire day. Once diagnosed, and various drugs tried, Adderall seemed to be the most copacetic.

After using it for about ten years, from 60-80mgs/daily, I've discontinued usage, mainly because I felt it wasn't really helping me get things done (in fact, I've fallen further behind on everything), and I was experiencing some unwanted physical side-effects.

Initially I felt pretty good, more "in my body", less impatient, and just more mellow. I was sleeping more, and figured it was due to years of very little (sometimes no) sleep, something I seemed not to need much of.

However, after a few weeks or a month of being off, I began dragging all the time. I'd be up for a few hours, then just want to go back to bed, all day & night long. I'd take daytime "naps", then find myself overcome with fatigue at 8, 9, or 10 at night, and sleep, sometimes a few hours, occasionally through till the morning. Today, I got up about 8 (after falling out at 10pm), had breakfast, did a little at the computer, then back to bed at noon, sleeping till about 1:30, and hope to get through the day, but don't feel very awake....

I'm also more depressed, cry easily, and get that "what's the use" feeling frequently. I don't know if taking a small dose of it, now & then, might be good, and don't really want to be back to taking so much every day. Despite knowing that drugs alone won't overcome ADD, I guess the doctors (or administrators) at Kaiser have never gotten that information, as I've received nothing more than a "Rx check" every three months, for about ten minutes....

This is so frustrating, as I felt that once I had been diagnosed, the road to a more normal life was possible. Now, I'm not so sure about that.

Am I just feeling what I felt before going on the meds? If so, then while they helped some, it obviously wasn't enough, and so now what? I eat well, take vits, exercise, my job is my passion (music), and read lots of "self-help", uplifting books, and still feel like I'm no better off today than ten years ago...

Hello all, I am currently about 5 days into my titration off of adderall XR/adderall. I was taking anywhere from 60-80 mg/day, and am down to 20 XR now. Honestly, the combination of exhaustion and dependence has been really rough on my body. Even though I am a seventeen year old male, 6'2 and 180 pounds, I feel like a ragdoll that has been tossed in front of a speeding train. I took most of the last week off of school, honestly something I wouldn't have been able to get away with if I weren't class president, and spent most of that time in a conglomerate of insomnia/hypersomnia/stomach cramps/vomitting on night 1/nightmares/sweats etc. I have been on stimulant medications of various sorts for the past 5 years, and have experienced great success and powerful failures. Their seems to be no rhyme or reason for why my medicine will work effectively one month, and fail totally the next. It would appear that I am one of the relative majority for whom stimulant medication is not an effective long term solution. Before people start taking my example as the anti-adderall gospel, please remember how many people are helped by these medications. I would love to speak to someone else (or multiple others) who is/are of a similiar ADD-type (able to skate by on intellect, tried medication and experienced both wonderful and awful effects, etc). Honestly, I have no idea who I am at this point - and that scares me the most. Will my girlfriend and I still be the same once I am unmedicated? Will my teachers have the same respect and affection for me if I am a clearly different student in the coming months? Will I be able to keep up with the rigors of the colleges I applied to if I am unmedicated? Sorry if this seems like a crazy, incoherent ramble, but I am just more than a little confused right now. Thanks for any input, and this forum is an awesome resource! Keep it real,
Ben

Your titration, reduction, schedule seems very very fast. Shouldn't you be going down in dosage over weekly or biweekly intervals. Going from 80mg to 20mg in just five days seems way to fast.

Serendipity, you said it perfectly.

And this sums up exactly why this is so confusing, and so troubling an issue. I too was not functioning very well, often woke up cloudy, and unable to feel fully awake the entire day. Once diagnosed, and various drugs tried, Adderall seemed to be the most copacetic.

After using it for about ten years, from 60-80mgs/daily, I've discontinued usage, mainly because I felt it wasn't really helping me get things done (in fact, I've fallen further behind on everything), and I was experiencing some unwanted physical side-effects.

Initially I felt pretty good, more "in my body", less impatient, and just more mellow. I was sleeping more, and figured it was due to years of very little (sometimes no) sleep, something I seemed not to need much of.

However, after a few weeks or a month of being off, I began dragging all the time. I'd be up for a few hours, then just want to go back to bed, all day & night long. I'd take daytime "naps", then find myself overcome with fatigue at 8, 9, or 10 at night, and sleep, sometimes a few hours, occasionally through till the morning. Today, I got up about 8 (after falling out at 10pm), had breakfast, did a little at the computer, then back to bed at noon, sleeping till about 1:30, and hope to get through the day, but don't feel very awake....

I'm also more depressed, cry easily, and get that "what's the use" feeling frequently. I don't know if taking a small dose of it, now & then, might be good, and don't really want to be back to taking so much every day. Despite knowing that drugs alone won't overcome ADD, I guess the doctors (or administrators) at Kaiser have never gotten that information, as I've received nothing more than a "Rx check" every three months, for about ten minutes....

This is so frustrating, as I felt that once I had been diagnosed, the road to a more normal life was possible. Now, I'm not so sure about that.

Am I just feeling what I felt before going on the meds? If so, then while they helped some, it obviously wasn't enough, and so now what? I eat well, take vits, exercise, my job is my passion (music), and read lots of "self-help", uplifting books, and still feel like I'm no better off today than ten years ago...

It may be that you would benefit from a change in meds as opposed to discontinuing them all together. If you have discontinued because you no longer want to take medication, you may find some of the naturopathic approaches helpful to you. There are any number of good threads here that discuss those options.

I have heard of people who used a combination of the medication, naturopathic support, and coaching and were able to decrease and finally discontinue the stimulant over a period of years. The key was that they used the medication benefits to learn and reinforce necessary behaviors for coping in addition to supporting their bodies through nutrition, exercise, and needed supplements.

Personally, I don't think that most docs take a long range view of treating ADHD. They just write a scrip and assume that we will go looking for better information.

The withdrawal from stimulants like adderall, dex and ritalin can be pretty unpleasant, even just from therapeutic doses.

I'm surprised more docs. don't know about this. I was lucky and my psychiatrist told me about the 'discontinuation syndrome'. A good way to lesson the effects is to gradually reduce your dose, over a month or so instead of stopping completely.

Jesus Christ! Thank you sooo much for sharing this with me. I had a sneaking suspicion that these drugs were addictive. After all...amphetamines. I wish u luck and I believe u can do it. U are proof that big Pharma is out to rob ur wallet and nohing else. I was almost going to take Vyvanse but said no because I saw an inreadible epiphanic paralell to a sitiuation when I used to buy pot from a drug dealer. It was like my doc had suddenly turned into a pill pusher. He even said " You can do anything on this stuff." This guy is increadibly accredited too. UCSF graduate and one the pioneers in research. Doesn't matter though. My experiences have taught me well and I'm grateful for every day.

Best to you and keep us updated!

Oops. Didn't realise I had replied to this thread :)


-delete-

The withdrawal from stimulants like adderall, dex and ritalin can be pretty unpleasant, even just from therapeutic doses.

I'm surprised more docs. don't know about this. I was lucky and my psychiatrist told me about the 'discontinuation syndrome'. A good way to lesson the effects is to gradually reduce your dose, over a month or so instead of stopping completely.

I don't know about this. I withdraw every night. If I dont - I dont sleep.
I usually start my doses at 6 amand finish late afternoon ( dex - not adderall).
The crunch comes If I have to stay up late to do my tax. I can pull through with something conversational long after my wife has given me up as a dead loss ( she knows exactly when my dex tank is running dry)- but I cannot number crunch without it- not without an unacceptable number of errors.
Seeing as I must wait till the kids are in bed before I start- the outcome is a bad night's sleep.
As for dose- at one point I felt almost the more the merrier. Now - 2tabs at a time is about right- and dont take more till I start to feel befuddled- 3-7 hours depending on circumstances. To much gives me a dry mouth and tremor and does not contribute to my day.
I would have pretty desparate ( and keen to be divorced) to stop taking it though. I still remember how bad I was before treatment.

Stimulants work really well for treating my ADD symptoms as well. I did develop some side effects over time though. I'm giving them a break for now but it's different for everyone. I've found straterra works pretty good for me.

I can understand some people can't afford to stop their treatment because work or study or wife etc. :)

It's true that most of the med. is out of your system every night. It's not really a typical withdrawal people would think of.

It's more like your brain is adapted to this certain mix of neurotransmitter levels and chemicals and when you change that quickly, it goes 'huh?'. It can just take a little while for things to balance out. I doubt the existence of long term negative effects from therapeutic doses of the common stimulants.

I used to abuse Adderall taking doses like 40-80mg+ a day. I wasn't taking it medicinally, that's for damn sure.

But now, I might be prescribed 40mg a day, but I'm only taking 10mg, and at most 20mg (requires a rational justification for me to take more than 10mg). I've found that my tolerance hasn't been going up except VERY minimally. I'm talking about somehow, after taking all those high doses, I got to taking one of the lowest possible doses (I take half a pill and it works ALL day), and it surprises the hell out of me all the time. I take days off all the time unexpectedly. I don't really see any withdrawal side-effects like the fatigue, the excessive hunger, etc, I just feel the same way I did the day before, but not as calm - I have more energy off the drugs than on them sometimes.

Its hard to explain, but when I went from the mindset that I was taking the drug to solve some problems, to now taking it to treat a condition, my whole conscious interpretation of my usage patterns shifted. I became not a slave the drug, though, I do understand I'm going to need to take these for some time (which is why I decided against going into the military to pay for Law School - though, I still might do that in 3 years when I'm done with my undergrad); instead, I've become a power over them. I control my dosage, my doctor doesn't. Well, sure, if he wants to have me on 40mg a day, I'll let him. There's nothing bad about having extra's in case some situation like this summer comes up (where I will be home 3 months and not see my usual doctor - only gives me 2 months of prescriptions at a time). If I want to take a lower dose, I'm more than capable of making that decision. Its not like I'm taking antibiotics, or antivirals, or something, where you need to take a specified dose at specified times. This is a psychoactive drug that treats a neurological condition. But if I see the desired effects with a lower dose, why take anything more that would just leave me feeling uncomfortable - socially, etc being over stimulated.

Withdrawal when I was abusing the drug was the worst. I hated it, but I loved it just as much. I was so hungry, but I was like bed ridden. I couldn't do anything, I just was so ****ing tired even with a full night's rest. I'd be asleep almost all day, and the rest of the time I'd be thinking about sleeping, or eating. Yes, there is depression symptoms during the withdrawal. But it's normal. Yes, there is the understanding that your reliant on the drug, that too is normal. Withdrawal's are a fact of taking any psychoactive drug. When its not there anymore, your not that person you were on it. You got used to that person, and it's you today, so you miss it. If you come to understand that being on the drug is just a way of structuring the way you are off it, you come to realize your not powerless. Your in complete control.

I've been through every stage of abuse for this drug (albeit, I never injected, or any of that crap, but I've snorted them before, and I've taken extremely excessive doses before due to tolerance). I've witnessed my neurons start feeling depleted because of excessive sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, etc. But, I'm better because of it. I know all the ins and outs of this drug, and in learning such, I've come to respect it more than ever. There's something about your mindset that makes a huge difference when taking amphetamines. You need to think of the taking the drug as the least of your day's concerns. You need to think of them as the smallest factor in your day to getting things done. You gotta attribute a lot of their effects to other things, namely, your own conscious or subconscious decisions to do things a certain way, at a certain time, and so on and so forth. I see when I take amphetamines as that little bit of energy, that pick-up, but I don't drink caffeine anymore. Its essentially like me drinking a cup of coffee in the morning - that's how I see the drug today, and that's how I've seen it everyday since I started taking it medicinally last August.

The problem starts when you start thinking you NEED it to do something. That's what my problem was a long time ago. I thought I couldn't take a test, do a paper, go out, etc, etc, without it. It had to be in my system, working, for me to do anything. But now, it doesn't. Its only a small part of who I am now. I can do anything without it, and I do. But when you start thinking you can't do everything, that you can do somethings, but not all, its where the problem starts. You need to see being off the drug as you being just as capable on it. You need to tell yourself that the only difference between the medicated and non-medicated versions of yourself is that one likes to do work, and the other doesn't but they are both capable of doing that work. It might take more time, it might be more of a pain in the butt, but by God, your still able to do the work. You understand what I'm saying?

Anyways, I wrote this before taking my 10mg today. I take half a Core Pharma 20mg pill usually around the time I wake up if I got school, otherwise later in the day if I don't got class (if I have class, I usually went to bed really late the night before and I'm waking up after 6-7 hours of sleep only so I really want to stay in bed). My 10mg dose works all day, and even longer sometimes than I want it to. It will be 12 hours before I stop feeling all the effects of the drug. 12 hours, its supposed to last only 4. But for me, because of my mindset and my tolerance reducing because I told myself all I needed was 10mg (not 40-80+ anymore) and sticking to that 10mg only, it works all day, and does its job, without me needing to increase my dose. The justification for me only needing 10mg was that it did exactly what it was supposed to at that dose, and I felt only the effects I'm supposed to (clarity of mind, calmness, etc) so in effect anything more was just excessive. Everyone's different, but the lowest possible dose and sticking to it, (even if you think its not working at that dose anymore because of tolerance) is what people need to remember. If people increase their dose because they think they need to know its working from feeling it's effects, then they are wrong. You don't need to feel anything but calm, and clear headed when on the drug. You need to just be able to think, to do whatever. You don't need to be able to dodge bullets because your reflexes are so fast due to the drug. You just need to be feeling the way you want to feel - the normal version of you, nothing more, nothing less. There's only 1 you, don't let anyone else tell you that you need a dose increase because you think its not working anymore. Evaluate what you consider it "working" then go back to why you think you need a dose increase. You might find something surprising.

Great post.

Still, it seems that people lack of knowledge here. ADHD seems to be taken too seriously as a disorder, and that amphetamines where developed as an universal treatment the same day this variation in humans - which is now called ADHD - developed. You can never say that ADHD medications are safe, nor would I never give it to my children before high school. With experiences comes knowledge, drugging children so that they can focus in school is in my opinion a deprivation of our biological beauty. It is not like children with ADHD are unable to learn, just make them aware that they might have a harder time. Also one should admit to oneself that medication on behalf of ADHD isn't any better than using other drugs for pleasure, relief and satisfaction. If you at this moment can't tell yourself that you would never consume a single pill you are dependent upon it, and have developed a kind of addiction, with the thought that you always have the option of getting high aka "treating your disorder". THESE PILLS ARE POISON. But that does'nt mean that you don't have the option to take it, and manage to live a satisfying life. Drugs do wonders and can elevate your mind to other dimension you cannot percieve, or enhance performance. Just don't dumb down the effects and your possible carving for it. Amphetamine, cocain and heroin are the hard street drugs whom addicts dwell upon - central-stimuly for ADHD is just an other formula of cocain and amphs in lower doses named by pharmaceuticals in a manner that people wont recognize.

In the end people aren't very different, the coincidences that take action and knowledge we gather through our life is what sets us apart. Don't buy what you are told by the authorities. You can never trust them, nor the scientifical studies telling you the drug is safe, while these are often done by the company or other connections they might have. People have died from these medications, without overdoing them. Just get the facts, listen, read, use your frigging brain, and make yourself a mindset. And you can see through much more! Ops, I'm not sure where I'm going. And holy mother, this computer fan needs som hard beating for disturbing me! HADEOUKEN

Para-gone YOUR lack of any substantial scientific data to back anything up you are saying is proof enough for me to make most of your views irrelevant and not worthy of a response. however, in this writers opinion I must respond and state the facts. I know by your post that you for whatever reason feel that ADHD isn't a "real" disorder. Give me a scientific citation to prove your point and I can provide you with volumes that say it is a real condition. So you would deny your child a medication that will help them? What is your justification that it is OK for a high school student, but not for a 7 year old? You DO NOT BECOME addicted to any of the ADHD medications if you are taking a dose within the prescribing guidlines. You would have to consume a lot higher dose to create an addiction. Comparing street drugs to medically prescribed medications shows your sheer ignorance. The medication is not a poison when taken within the prescribing limits. There have been deaths attributed to the medications. However, those deaths were almost all caused by an individual taking the medication that was contraindicated or overdoses. After almost half a century of these medications being used and millions of prescriptions the number of deaths fail to compare to the number of folks who can now lead productive lives.

perhaps a lower dosage could be both effective without a producing a *high* feeling?

my old doctor had me on 10-15mg of adderall (non xr) a day for a year and a half until i stopped taking it cold turkey for about 6 months since i stopped going to school due to family business problems. he said the reason for the daily usage is consistency... (even though i'd forget to take it quite often). i never understood why i needed to take it daily though..

i just recently moved to southern california and got a new doctor. my new doctor told me i should only take it when needed.. like when i'm attending school or studying or working on something important at work.. and on the weekends i shouldn't take it if i didn't need to. i think my new doctor has it right... and hopefully i don't get to a point where i NEED it to function (i sleep a lot and most likely i'll go back to sleeping a lil more if i stopped and being a bit more forgetful)

in any case, the medication calms me down to the point where i can think clearly and get everything organized. i'll stick with tasks until they're mostly finished. i dunno if you can call that euphoria but i'm sure a higher dosage would prolly get anyone high. i even stopped drinking coffee as i get an uncomfortable feeling (anxiety?) when i drink coffee whilst on my medication.

most people talk about crashes when the drug wears off. i actually welcome that as it has helped my sleeping pattern immensely. before adderall, i'd be a night owl of sorts. now, my medication lasts until about dinnertime or sometime before midnight where i can actually slip in to bed and fall asleep. even though i feel exhausted by the end of the day when the medication wears out, i get to sleep early enough that i can wake up in the morning when it's time for school... instead of napping throughout the day and staying up all night doing whatever random things that pop into my head.

edit: realized i didn't really get to the point of what i was trying to say....
so anyways, since you have been on the meds for so long, perhaps it may be wise to start lowering the dosage rather than eliminating cold turkey from your daily routine. whatever withdrawals or changes in mood/personality/attention you may have, it would be more gradual and you would be in control. ask the doctor for smaller sized pills or even the IR version of adderall so you can start pyramiding down your medication and customizing the dosage to fit your needs. you should already be familiar to how your body reacts to the medication. and if you can handle a lower dosage totally go for it! if that dosage is too low, you could always take an additional 5mg or something. if there are days that you're is feeling worse, you can just up the dosage by another 5+mgs. just an idea to get you off the meds. i'm not a doctor, but perhaps you can bring that idea up to your care provider. i was fortunate enough to find a doctor that was willing to work with how i felt about the drugs. initially i started with 6 months of psychotherapy twice a month...until i finally decided i wanted to try medication.

good luck to you!

i agree with darkcode in that you should know how your body reacts to the drug and you should only take enough so that it covers your add/adhd symptoms for you to be able to function productively. i've been fortunate to have a doctor that had let me know that ultimately i control my medication since i know how it affects me. hell, i started with 5mg's the first month i decided i'd want to try out medication when i was initially diagnosed, and following the first month went up to 10mg and stayed with 10mg/day for the next year and a half. i took a 6month break from it since i had to put my school on hold and go back up to seattle to help my mother with her business.. and i didn't feel the need for it at all. (although i went to my normal self of taking multiple naps throughout the day and having an inconsistent sleep schedule..) i am now back on a 10-15mg/day schedule and my new doctor even says i can skip weekends if i don't feel i need it!

my doctor has me in control of my meds. i can even take an additional 5mg in the middle of the day when i feel i need to be active longer (since i crashed early in the evening) for studying, etc.

Those who quite cold turkey are much more likely to relapse. I suggest not doing so :)

A trick that might alleviate some of the withdraw symptoms is the consumption of L-Tyrosine. It's the precursor to L-DOPA (dihydroxy-levo-phenylalanine) which crosses the BBB and is converted into dopamine.

Best of luck, eche05

Hi, I have been on adderall about 120 mg for about 7 years. I am to the point where it makes me very tired and I am asking my pdoc about it tuesday. I have had mass cavaties due to the affect of adderall although I use dry mouth toothpaste and mouth rinse. I know if I did quit the withdrawl would be so gnarly, I went on a meds break about 4 months ago and it was absolute hell. I wish I got a kick out of adderall but no such luck it just makes me sleepy. !!!!!!!

Common theme here seems to be that it affect people differently....

I will add for me that I have been on Adderall XR 30mg for almost 2 years now, started at 10 then 20, then 30. From day one and even today I still get the "high" feeling and it is almost as intense as the first day. Some days are more so than others but the "high" has not worn off like people said it would. I normally do not take it on weekends or vacations and it seems to work very well in keeping my thoghts organized and tasks in check.

Moderator Note:
Can I take this opportunity to mention to members that this site is governed by some guidelines (http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75) which helps keep it a sane place, where members can freely support each other.

Please keep this, (newly revitalized), thread on track, and avoid personal attacks. Flaming helps no one.

The withdrawal from stimulants like adderall, dex and ritalin can be pretty unpleasant, even just from therapeutic doses.

I'm surprised more docs. don't know about this. I was lucky and my psychiatrist told me about the 'discontinuation syndrome'. A good way to lesson the effects is to gradually reduce your dose, over a month or so instead of stopping completely

Are you stopping your medication Chris or did ya think Mijahe here was board and needed a controversial thread in his section ???

I forget to take this oh so addicting medication all the time - had to plan for six months to quit smoking. Gee whiz I never forgot to light up a cigarette that is sold over the counter but I forget to take this schedule 2 adderall all the time.

SOME experience with draws, Some do not!!!

Of coarse one may notice a difference when they quit taking ADD medication Why take medications that don't do any thing - That would be silly

When most quit taking ADD medications a decent percentage will space out, lack the ability to concentrate or shut up many feel irritated, dazed antsy or over whelmed umm that would be the ADD returning. Medication is a part of some people's ADD treatment but it doesn't cure ADD like antibiotics cure syphilis.




Amphetamine, cocain and heroin are the hard street drugs whom addicts dwell upon - central-stimuly for ADHD is just an other formula of cocain and amphs in lower doses named by pharmaceuticals in a manner that people wont recognize.



You failed to mention that caffeine is also in the same classification as ADD medications - they are all CNS stimulants To top that off you showed utter medical ignorance by listing heroin which is an opioid. I guess medical savvy and stating the entire truth would water down your scare tactic wouldn't it??






With experiences comes knowledge, drugging children so that they can focus in school is in my opinion a deprivation of our biological beauty.

Here is an idea Use your energy to change the darn school system so there is no need to medicate children. This would be a more productive use of your time and energy than posting half baked dogma.




It is not like children with ADHD are unable to learn, just make them aware that they might have a harder time.

Here is a news flash - medications doesn't make it easier for me to learn. I can learn and wiggle at the same time - I take medication so other people can learn and teach Apparently they have a problem with their ability to focus while I do jumping jacking in math class, during a sermon or a funeral





THESE PILLS ARE POISON.

Yeah like that is news Every thing on the planet these days is poison - The air is poison the food is full of toxins as is the water - So it seems like I may be some form of genetic mutation because I have lived a long time for some one who is being poisoned by every thing I eat, drink or breathe.

I am a genetic mutation capable of ingesting poison or all these poison claims are crap. . . Pick which ever is the most likely in your world.




But that does'nt mean that you don't have the option to take it, and manage to live a satisfying life

So if I quit taking medication I am going to live a satisfying life -by joining communities for conditions that I do not think exist. . .:confused: This is as bad as the post where some one claimed to have a cure for ADD the only side effect being it would make me stupid. . . . :rolleyes:

I think I will keep the ADD and the pills because the toxins in the pills apparently make me intelligent enough to stay off forums for alien abductions and Elvis sightings.:D

PS


Please tell the mother ship,the drama team or whom ever it may concern that we here at ADDF would like some new anti-ADD material please. Oh and can you put in a request for some new conspiracy theories I think I have read and refuted all the ones out now - Spicier plots would be nice perhaps throw in some steamy sex scenes???

Here is a news flash - medications doesn't make it easier for me to learn. I can learn and wiggle at the same time - I take medication so other people can learn and teach Apparently they have a problem with their ability to focus while I do jumping jacking in math class, during a sermon or a funeral
That was awesome.

interesting thread....I would usually stay out of these because most of the time ones message is not fully understood amongst the flaming but what heck why not take the risk....

Now I am just noting my observations here based on my experience and thorough reading on these drugs. I am no medical expert but am no idiot either so am inclined to say is an "educated" observation.

I've been on some sort of Adderall variance, started with IR, the XR, the more IR now Vyvanse.

I have no strong preference or dislike for amphetamine. I have noticed people are either very attached to it where they are defensive about its use or others which see it as the worst chemical developed by man. I am in neither of those and I've found only few which are on my same stance.

I do believe amphetamine helps tremendously for my ADD, as I have noticed very positive changes in my lifestyle due to removal of "brain clutter" and ability to focus and remove useless "worry" from conflicting thought patterns.

However as any drug it has its downside, particularly the problem being a stimulant. It always seemed conunterintuitive to me that a stimulant would help with attention disorder, how could that be?? well I know that answer now but it doesnt change the fact one bit that any stimulant puts stress on your body, and running around stimulated all day has long term health effects, there is no argument there and I dont care who you are or how many medical degrees you have. This is my main concern with the drug, it does work yes, but because it is a stimulant is just a broad range treatment of the symptoms of ADD and not the cause, unfortunately such drug doesnt exist yet but it may soon one day.

So I take it, I am not particularly thrilled about it, it does help my condition but unlike some have noted I believe its withdrawal effect is much more than just simply "your ADD coming back" wether is cold turkey or slow withdraw.

I also dont believe is as addicting and evil as some put it. millions are addicted to caffeine and need it to function daily and dont even know about it, neither do they know caffeine is a poison develoedp by the plant itself for self-defense.

so thats it , I take it, it works, but wish I wouldnt have to because one way or another is impacting my health long term. I dont love it or hate it, and look forward the day we come up with something that is better...am sure it will come

Wow I was just browsing through this thread because I was interested to see if anyone else has had the same life changing experienced from adderall as I had, and what do you know, I myself had posted in here... 5 years ago when I first started taking adderall.

I just want to report how I'm currently doing and see if anyone can relate. I haven't been doing so well, I have no passion for life, simple pleasures in the past for me seem to require too much cognitive effort/energy.

Really simple things, like reading posts on this forum. Or recreational reading. This used to be my favorite pasttime, when I'd become enthralled with adventure/scifi novels and wouldn't be able to put it down until I was finished with it. Now I'll read about half a page and become bored with it. I can read a few more pages after that but I might become very fatigued in which case I'll have to do something else after about 5 pages.

Same with socializing, my friends all tell me that I never talk anymore, and for the most part this is true. I've lost interest in hanging out with my friends, but I don't know what to do with myself when I am at home either.

interesting replies. very informative. Keep a low dose seems to be key

Wow I was just browsing through this thread because I was interested to see if anyone else has had the same life changing experienced from adderall as I had, and what do you know, I myself had posted in here... 5 years ago when I first started taking adderall.

I just want to report how I'm currently doing and see if anyone can relate. I haven't been doing so well, I have no passion for life, simple pleasures in the past for me seem to require too much cognitive effort/energy.

Really simple things, like reading posts on this forum. Or recreational reading. This used to be my favorite pasttime, when I'd become enthralled with adventure/scifi novels and wouldn't be able to put it down until I was finished with it. Now I'll read about half a page and become bored with it. I can read a few more pages after that but I might become very fatigued in which case I'll have to do something else after about 5 pages.

Same with socializing, my friends all tell me that I never talk anymore, and for the most part this is true. I've lost interest in hanging out with my friends, but I don't know what to do with myself when I am at home either.

Sorry, this is slightly OT, but was this a progressive thing for you, or is it recent? You should probably talk to your doctor about this. It sounds like depression to me, but I am not a psychologist (just someone who has been through it). This may not have anything to do with the Adderall, but then again, it might. I don't know, and I do wonder sometimes if it plays into my depression at all. (The medication, not the ADD; I know the ADD affects the depression.)

I think that depression does come into play alot of times after treatment. I think it's because you see how much better things have gotten and then alot of times you realize what your like off meds and it goes round and round in your head. It can be malproductive, sometimes and often when titrating up it can be too due to overthinking negative things when your not involved in work that you enjoy , overtime the negative thoughts will reign over and cause depression. I recommend titrating your dose down all the way down to your starting dose for a week or two. It's painful at first but it will give you more insight as to what is going on in your life and your treatment. I scaled all the down from a large dose, it wasn't that the dose wasn't needed but I do believe it taxed and fatigued my body. Now that I'm not tired , I can focus but I do realize my job annoys me. I'm not sure if it's a low grade depression but it's very possibe as sometimes those of us with adhd will have a great deal of self doubt and not believe that we can make sucessful choices and live the life we desire. Anyways , I'd go back to baseline and then scientifically re work your situation . At that point, you will know if you operate better with a low dose, or if it was not dose dependent and you feel a bit depressed. Its fairly normal to develop depression along with adhd treatment because many times the social support is many times lacking. Stand up for yourself and attack the problem with reason and keep emotion based thoughts at bay.

Whatever you do, I wouldn't titrate your dose down without your doctor. Otherwise, you could make the depression worse, if you have it. If you do decide to lower the dose your doctor may put you on Wellbutrin to avoid having you go into a deeper depression.

I tend to get hypersomnolent (super sleepy) and go into a depression when I go off my meds. (I only know because I have run out of them due to forgetting to make my next appointment and being busy, etc.)

chameleon
Hard to believe your Dr would put you on this drug and not tell you that it is addictive . Benzodiazepines*are the most addictive substances on the earth*. Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time.


(NOTE: Links have been removed by moderator for the purposes of promoting safety and adherence to forum regulations.-KJ/C)

Couple comments...

There are many studies showing that when morphine is used for pain management, it can be non-addictive, particularly for those who seek pain alleviation and don't want the high. The same holds for pain pills.

Klonopin is used very successfully at the same dose for many years by many seeking to reduce anxiety, deal with residual bipolar symptoms, as a seizure prophylaxis, and other purposes.

Stimulants also are successfully used by many w/o dose increasing.

Slow discontinuation of any head med typically does not lead to withdrawals IF the slow discontinuation is slow enough.

The commonality shared in not becoming addicted to addictive drugs is not seeking a high but instead seeking symptom alleviation. My guess is that it goes a little further - wanting symptom alleviation while NOT wanting the high side effect. That is what the high is, a side effect. When someone confuses the high as symbolizing efficacy, it is easy to believe more of the med is needed when the side effect wears off. Unfortunately, doctors don't always clearly explain this to patients. Unfortunately, some patients disregard the doctor on this. Unfortunately, some patients are after the high more than the actual symptom alleviation, or want it as much. That is what leads to addiction.

Going cold turkey off of any head med is going to make you feel like crap for awhile whether it is an addictive med or not. General rule of thumb is to go off no faster than you went on. For those who start over 10mg of Adderall (or equivalent) exercise a little common sense and step down weekly and include a period at 10mg and then 5mg. If one step down is terrible, go back up to the last dose decrease for a few more days, then decrease again.

Yeah, I didn't step down when I did it because I accidentally ran out. Running out of your meds doesn't make it easier to remember to do what I already forgot... make a doctor's appointment! :P

It was a month of hypersomnolent depressive icky-ness. Lovely. Always, repeat, ALWAYS talk to your doctor if you plan to go off the meds. I was only on 20mg IR once per day, and I still had that reaction.

All I can say is this, I was on a large dosage of concerta for a long time. I was after no high, but as time went on I became a bit tired .... My mornings were atrocious until about an hour or so after my medication kicked in. It was my belief that the time release large dose was keeping me up a bit past my needed bedtime and over time robbing me of needed sleep. This in my mind would have a carry over effect of masking more adhd symptoms when the real problem was hangover sleepiness over time. Now, I've scaled down like 40mg a day over the last week. I felt a bit tired initially but I have absolutely no withdraws. If anything I can feel my adhd symptoms come on and now atleast I know what is going on. Lately without the larger time released dosage I have been sleeping better, actually much better and with my new regiment "ir dosing" I have been nixing and cutting doses left and right to find out just what is going on... If I've found one thing out thats a certainty it's that I in no way shape or form look for any high off my meds and that is something to smile about. All I've ever looked for even regarding the high dose, and this is only because I'm a high dose responder and metabolize fast is symptom control . I do know the difference, yet even at a much smaller dose I can still function and get things done even if I am way more scattered. [Edited by Moderator.] It is my belief that over time once I sleep well for a period of weeks consistently that I will feel far better and hopefully need far less meds. I try and do the most I can on my own, but when I cannot then I use the ir dose at that time of day. This approach over time keeps dosing low and keeps tolerance from growing. Some days you need less stimulation than others and some days your adhd will be more active on these days, but rest assured your body is resting and the receptors and getting the break they need.. This is a successful protocol and approach.

Years ago I tried speed, cocaine, and it had no effect on me. Everyone else was having a merry old time, but I never got any effect from it. Recently I found out that was because I am ADHD,

So not true! I hate this lie. ADHD has no impact on people and taking certain drugs it does the same effect on others as it would on us that have ADHD. What you have is a natural high tolerance. Trust me I know all about the human mind and drugs I do my homework. I have ADHD and get a pretty big euphoria but it makes me want to get stuff done and makes me social. All's ADHD is a lack of dopamine (the feel good drug) it causes more productivity and thats what ADD/ADHD people lack. I would wait until your son is older like 15 or so before he takes something like adderall. It's something you as the taker of adderall to know what's going on. BTW I have freinds that don't have ADHD/ADD and it does the same to them as it does to me, and I have ADHD.

This is dangerous advice for some people. It definitely depends on the person, the type of medication, and how they respond to that medication. I certainly wasn't getting any high off of my adderall, but I was still hypersomnolent and very VERY depressed for over a month after I stopped taking the medicine. Proceed with caution, and don't take medical advice from non-doctors.

Did you immediately quit? Your supposed to cut it down slowly until nothing. This is why I hate pharms. They tell you oh you'll be ok but once your off this your going to be depressed so take this. No! But you shouldn't have been depressed if you cut back slowly. If you do get depressed don't buy into anything they give you. Some people arne't going to like this but if you can. Get a medical license for Cannabis for the depression, because their are no side effects and their is no withdrawel.

Did you immediately quit? Your supposed to cut it down slowly until nothing. This is why I hate pharms. They tell you oh you'll be ok but once your off this your going to be depressed so take this. No! But you shouldn't have been depressed if you cut back slowly. If you do get depressed don't buy into anything they give you. Some people arne't going to like this but if you can. Get a medical license for Cannabis for the depression, because their are no side effects and their is no withdrawel.

*sigh* I immediately quit, but not on purpose. I just forgot to make my doctor's appointment... for like a month. I was also under a lot of stress at work. I'm already on Wellbutrin, and I plan to get off it someday. I'm on the lowest dosage. Will be treated for sleep apnea soon, I hope. Depression meds really do help some people. They help me. I used to go off it in the summers. Now I'm afraid to though, because we had a really dark and rainy spring/summer a few years ago, and I was a mess. Eventually, I'll go off in the summers again. Then I will go off all year. Already started taking vitamin D in the winter. I will do this all under a doctor's care, and I'm looking for a more understanding psyciatrist. I found one that looks promising... uses supplements, herbs, meditation, exercise and other interventions when possible, but also isn't completely opposed to the meds. Appointment is sometime in April.

All medicines are a bit of good and bad. Stimulants, like Adderall are no different. It's a question of taking your own judgment into your own hands and deciding if whether the quality of life that Adderall gives you is worth the potential adverse side effects. So, its really not much different than any medication.

And don't expect your psychiatrist to be of any assistance. This is a decison you need to make armed with the facts.

I will say the following, however:

Take as little of any medication to achieve the desired effect. Any more is really a waste of time and counterproductive.

Drinking large amounts or water when taking stimulants such as Adderal is essential. I drink 8L a day. Yes, initially you will **** a lot, but your body adapts. It keeps your blood prssure down, and your system balanced against the diuretic effect of Adderall.

Look at this as a long term endeavor. It is. Trust me, you can ruin your life and career with the inability to focus. I know - as I have. So you need to find a way to deal with it.

Adderall, though found later in life ofr me, has saved me in som many ways. If it takes a few years off my life - so be it. I'd normally spend that time "trying to get it together". But I don't think its serious as that. Keep fit, exercise a lot, drink lots of water and don't overdo caffeine to make up the difference.

So not true! I hate this lie. ADHD has no impact on people and taking certain drugs it does the same effect on others as it would on us that have ADHD.In other words, not everyone has exactly the same reaction to drugs or medication.

No offense, but a lot of the posts in this thread are examples of someone taking a medication for the wrong reasons.

I mean, seriously...? Taking it FOR energy? You realize this medication is intended to treat those who have problems with focus/inattention and hyperactivity, right? Nowhere in the prescribing information or indications does it say to use Adderall to give you energy or make you feel good. It isn't an energy drink. Just saying "I take an anti-hyperactivity medication to make me hyper" should make you realize that you're doing something wrong.

My productivity comes from being able to focus on one thing (well, more or less) long enough to actually finish it. My friends and family can spot exactly when my medication is wearing off because I start bouncing off the walls with restlessness and start losing focus halfway through something before jumping to something else. It doesn't motivate me to do anything or help me get up in the morning, it helps me sit my *** down and focus my existing motivation to specific tasks.

And I haven't ever needed an increase in dosage. In fact, the longer I've been on it, the LESS I've needed for the same effect. I worked in the psych field for years, and I've seen a lot of junkies in general. How many addicts have you come across who have a heart rate of 80, a blood pressure of 90/60, and an endless supply patience while they are high? Because that's me while I'm "high" on my medication.

And I have never, ever felt any sort of euphoria from it. I actually can't stand anything that makes me jittery at all. I haven't had any caffeine whatsoever (not even chocolate) in over a decade, just to avoid that sort of feeling. When you add that to restlessness, it's just... ugh. No, thank you.

Also, as a side note, Dopamine is not the "feel good" neurotransmitter. Serotonin is most responsible for that in the brain, epinephrine/norepinephrine in both body and mind. Dopamine has to do with brain activity. Too little and you'll end up scatter-brained, too much and you'll end up with things like Schizophrenia (anti-psychotics specifically reduce Dopamine).

A schizophrenic is obviously not someone who is high. It's someone who is seeing/believing/hearing/feeling things that are not really there because their brain has way too much going on. They see things because their brain sends the exact same signals that it would have if they had really seen those things.

ADHD is the opposite. We don't have enough of the stuff to form and hold thoughts and get them from one part of the brain to another.

It makes us inattentive. We get to the store and forget why we went there. We start talking about one thing, go off on a tangent, then go off on a tangent of that tangent, and then get upset because we can't remember what the wonderful story was that we were telling.

It also makes us hyperactive. Our brains are lacking stimulation, and that expresses mostly as restlessness (hyperactivity is just a symptom of that restlessness). We feel like there is something we need to do. Something urgent. But we can't remember what it is or why we're supposed to do it. We sit down to watch TV, but no.. that's not what we want to do. We step outside, but no.. that isn't where we want to go. We sit down to write an email, but no.. that's not what we should be doing. So we jump from thing to thing to thing - with building agitation - because nothing feels quite "right" and we can't find anything that does. That's hyperactivity.

Lack of motivation, needing energy, wanting a kick, getting euphoria.. none of these things has anything to do with ADHD and are not reasons anyone should ever take the medication. Please don't blame the medication for improper usage of it. I'm not saying anyone intentionally abused the medication, but they obviously took it without realizing exactly what it was and was not for.

I just realized that this post is entirely too long considering the forum I'm posting to.

I was on ritalin 12-13 years straight (age 5-18).

I was on Adderall on and off for 4 years (2005-2008).

I went through a bad time (life issues, gluten intolerance, infectious mono) and quit the meds.

During a specific season of life (when the only illness I had was the gluten intolerance, which was undiagnosed at the time) I thought the adderall was the problem and I quit it cold turkey. I felt terrible almost a year later.

I do not blame the medicine, in my case. I am actually going to my doc on Thrus for some more treatment (possibly something different).

peace

No offense, but a lot of the posts in this thread are examples of someone taking a medication for the wrong reasons.

I mean, seriously...? Taking it FOR energy? You realize this medication is intended to treat those who have problems with focus/inattention and hyperactivity, right? Nowhere in the prescribing information or indications does it say to use Adderall to give you energy or make you feel good. It isn't an energy drink. Just saying "I take an anti-hyperactivity medication to make me hyper" should make you realize that you're doing something wrong.

My productivity comes from being able to focus on one thing (well, more or less) long enough to actually finish it. My friends and family can spot exactly when my medication is wearing off because I start bouncing off the walls with restlessness and start losing focus halfway through something before jumping to something else. It doesn't motivate me to do anything or help me get up in the morning, it helps me sit my *** down and focus my existing motivation to specific tasks.

And I haven't ever needed an increase in dosage. In fact, the longer I've been on it, the LESS I've needed for the same effect. I worked in the psych field for years, and I've seen a lot of junkies in general. How many addicts have you come across who have a heart rate of 80, a blood pressure of 90/60, and an endless supply patience while they are high? Because that's me while I'm "high" on my medication.

And I have never, ever felt any sort of euphoria from it. I actually can't stand anything that makes me jittery at all. I haven't had any caffeine whatsoever (not even chocolate) in over a decade, just to avoid that sort of feeling. When you add that to restlessness, it's just... ugh. No, thank you.

Also, as a side note, Dopamine is not the "feel good" neurotransmitter. Serotonin is most responsible for that in the brain, epinephrine/norepinephrine in both body and mind. Dopamine has to do with brain activity. Too little and you'll end up scatter-brained, too much and you'll end up with things like Schizophrenia (anti-psychotics specifically reduce Dopamine).

A schizophrenic is obviously not someone who is high. It's someone who is seeing/believing/hearing/feeling things that are not really there because their brain has way too much going on. They see things because their brain sends the exact same signals that it would have if they had really seen those things.

ADHD is the opposite. We don't have enough of the stuff to form and hold thoughts and get them from one part of the brain to another.

It makes us inattentive. We get to the store and forget why we went there. We start talking about one thing, go off on a tangent, then go off on a tangent of that tangent, and then get upset because we can't remember what the wonderful story was that we were telling.

It also makes us hyperactive. Our brains are lacking stimulation, and that expresses mostly as restlessness (hyperactivity is just a symptom of that restlessness). We feel like there is something we need to do. Something urgent. But we can't remember what it is or why we're supposed to do it. We sit down to watch TV, but no.. that's not what we want to do. We step outside, but no.. that isn't where we want to go. We sit down to write an email, but no.. that's not what we should be doing. So we jump from thing to thing to thing - with building agitation - because nothing feels quite "right" and we can't find anything that does. That's hyperactivity.

Lack of motivation, needing energy, wanting a kick, getting euphoria.. none of these things has anything to do with ADHD and are not reasons anyone should ever take the medication. Please don't blame the medication for improper usage of it. I'm not saying anyone intentionally abused the medication, but they obviously took it without realizing exactly what it was and was not for.

I just realized that this post is entirely too long considering the forum I'm posting to.

Dude? Do you know anything? Dopamine is the pleasure neuron. Serotonin is mood. Norepinephrine is what makes you focus. Where the hell have you been? I take 20mg adderall for ADHD and I get euphoric. And were you intending to say that a euphoria causes jitters? Cause it doesn't. And it isn't literally and Anti-hyperactive med. It produces more norepinephrine which clears your thoughts and makes you less scatter minded. What they mean by hyperactivity is usually a hyperactive mind. Amphetamine is a strong stimulant which no matter what will give you physical energy. I still want to know how you thought dopamine isn't the pleasure neuron.

No offense, but a lot of the posts in this thread are examples of someone taking a medication for the wrong reasons.

I mean, seriously...? Taking it FOR energy? You realize this medication is intended to treat those who have problems with focus/inattention and hyperactivity, right? Nowhere in the prescribing information or indications does it say to use Adderall to give you energy or make you feel good. It isn't an energy drink. Just saying "I take an anti-hyperactivity medication to make me hyper" should make you realize that you're doing something wrong.

My productivity comes from being able to focus on one thing (well, more or less) long enough to actually finish it. My friends and family can spot exactly when my medication is wearing off because I start bouncing off the walls with restlessness and start losing focus halfway through something before jumping to something else. It doesn't motivate me to do anything or help me get up in the morning, it helps me sit my *** down and focus my existing motivation to specific tasks.

And I haven't ever needed an increase in dosage. In fact, the longer I've been on it, the LESS I've needed for the same effect. I worked in the psych field for years, and I've seen a lot of junkies in general. How many addicts have you come across who have a heart rate of 80, a blood pressure of 90/60, and an endless supply patience while they are high? Because that's me while I'm "high" on my medication.

And I have never, ever felt any sort of euphoria from it. I actually can't stand anything that makes me jittery at all. I haven't had any caffeine whatsoever (not even chocolate) in over a decade, just to avoid that sort of feeling. When you add that to restlessness, it's just... ugh. No, thank you.

Also, as a side note, Dopamine is not the "feel good" neurotransmitter. Serotonin is most responsible for that in the brain, epinephrine/norepinephrine in both body and mind. Dopamine has to do with brain activity. Too little and you'll end up scatter-brained, too much and you'll end up with things like Schizophrenia (anti-psychotics specifically reduce Dopamine).

A schizophrenic is obviously not someone who is high. It's someone who is seeing/believing/hearing/feeling things that are not really there because their brain has way too much going on. They see things because their brain sends the exact same signals that it would have if they had really seen those things.

ADHD is the opposite. We don't have enough of the stuff to form and hold thoughts and get them from one part of the brain to another.

It makes us inattentive. We get to the store and forget why we went there. We start talking about one thing, go off on a tangent, then go off on a tangent of that tangent, and then get upset because we can't remember what the wonderful story was that we were telling.

It also makes us hyperactive. Our brains are lacking stimulation, and that expresses mostly as restlessness (hyperactivity is just a symptom of that restlessness). We feel like there is something we need to do. Something urgent. But we can't remember what it is or why we're supposed to do it. We sit down to watch TV, but no.. that's not what we want to do. We step outside, but no.. that isn't where we want to go. We sit down to write an email, but no.. that's not what we should be doing. So we jump from thing to thing to thing - with building agitation - because nothing feels quite "right" and we can't find anything that does. That's hyperactivity.

Lack of motivation, needing energy, wanting a kick, getting euphoria.. none of these things has anything to do with ADHD and are not reasons anyone should ever take the medication. Please don't blame the medication for improper usage of it. I'm not saying anyone intentionally abused the medication, but they obviously took it without realizing exactly what it was and was not for.

I just realized that this post is entirely too long considering the forum I'm posting to.

I also read up on schizo's and yet again you are wrong, they are in fact most of the time "High" euphoric, because their dopamine levels are so high.

have you ever thought that maybe you weren't ADHD in the first place?

i can't imagine using my adderall just to get me up in the morning. i wake up routinely around 8AM and don't take my adderall until 11AM, so i am well awake and functioning without it in my system by then.

if all it was doing was giving you energy, then maybe it wasn't ever treating a problem like ADHD. adderall doesn't give me energy at all... in fact, if the dose is too low (below 20mg,) it will put me back to sleep. it calms me down and allows me to focus enough to be productive all day in life and academics.

i take two days off every couple of weeks and the only thing i feel during those days is a return of ADHD symptoms... no withdrawal at all. the half-life of ADHD doses of adderall is just too short for much chemical withdrawal to occur. essentially the person goes thought "withdrawal" in their sleep every night and wakes up the next morning ADHD, but fine.

research and years of clinical study do not suggest that stimulants prescribed in ADHD doses to ADHD patients, have long term ill effects and there is certainly nothing stated about the kind of withdrawal you seem to be talking about. your emotive language suggests you feel like you're coming off heroin or something... stimulants should give no more withdrawal than something akin to missing your morning cup of coffee.

and for all those who say they self-medicate with caffeine because it is safer... guess again. long-term caffeine use has been linked to high blood pressure and cardiac problems. my psych told me i was addicted to caffeine and he'd much rather see me on a controlled dose of ritalin or adderall, than irregular and excessive doses of caffeine.

basically... if somebody uses their stimulants just to wake up in the morning then i'd question the validity of their ADHD diagnosis. flame me for that... but that's how i feel.

I continue to be concerned about all the people who are venemently attacking these drugs. Just because something has the POTENTIAL for abuse, side effects and is heavily abused, is no reason to discount it. A healthy ADD'r who is getting GOOD care should never feel guilty or scared for taking adderral or any other amphetamine. I seriously think a lot of these people who feel "high" or need it for energy, either might not have ADD, or are taking too much. It takes a experienced doctor and patient experimentation to get to the right dosage. These drugs should make you feel normal or calmer, not hyped up. When are people going to start getting worked up over the incredible loss of productivity, confidence and damaged self-esteem and possibly even crimes that may be committed because of untreated ADD? Please no one ever let one scary post get you from getting treatment. These drugs have been used for over 50 years, most of the preservatives & chemicals we injest daily are newer. Just use a balanced approach to your health.

my brother has severe ADHD but refuses conventional treatment. instead he is a drug addict and a pot head, and basically thinks he's worthless because he can't accomplish any of his goals. that's what happens when you have ADHD and DON'T take stimulant medication.

my own untreated ADHD had me clincially obese with a BMI of over 40 due to binging on carbs and sweets for the stimulation and even caused my psychiatrist to write on my chart that i am a caffeine addict. i used to drink two coffees and about 10 cans of diet coke per day. i started my weight loss waaaay before being diagnosed ADHD so i'm not using adderall for appetite control - in fact it seems to make me more hungry... but it is clear i was on a short road to death before being diagnosed. i'm now maintaining a 50lb weight loss and am down to three cans of diet coke a day. (still trying to kick the habit for good!) THAT'S WHAT UNTREATED ADHD CAN DO TO YOU. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE STIMULANT MEDICATION.

chameleon
Hard to believe your Dr would put you on this drug and not tell you that it is addictive . Benzodiazepines*are the most addictive substances on the earth*. Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time.

(NOTE: Links have been removed by moderator for the purposes of promoting safety and adherence to forum regulations.-KJ/C)

i've been on clonazepam for five years and am not addicted at all in the sense that i have never abused my prescription or taken more than i was prescribed. i take 1.5mg per night and have done so for years. my psych is perfectly fine with treating my OCD with clonazepam and there's no need for me to feel scared about this medication. if i ever go off it i'll taper down and be fine afterward; although as always i risk the return of the symptoms the clonazepam controls. my thought is that people who abuse medications and become addicted might not have needed the medications to begin with. not in the way they were meant to be taken.

I still want to know how you thought dopamine isn't the pleasure neuron.

:confused:

Dopamine fails a very important test for being something called "the pleasure neuron"; dopamine is not a neuron. Calling dopamine "the pleasure neuron" is like calling Brand X hydraulic fluid "the pleasure car".

Dude?What they mean by hyperactivity is usually a hyperactive mind.As in hyperactivity, the H part of ADHD? Dude, if you believe the H stands for a hyperactive mind and not a hyperactive body, then you need to sit down and do your research before playing with the big guys.

Trust me I know all about the human mind and drugs I do my homework. All's ADHD is a lack of dopamine (the feel good drug) it causes more productivity and thats what ADD/ADHD people lack...

Yes. Let's all trust the biggest armchair psychiatrist in the forum who thinks Dopamine is a "drug".

Cut your losses while you can KillZone. You sink further and further into the depths of infinite ignorance with each post. What person in their right mind is going to join this forum, see your nonsense slathered everywhere, and not have second thoughts about the members here being intelligent people with helpful insight to offer? The info you post is either elementary, hypocritical, or just plain WRONG.

chameleon
Hard to believe your Dr would put you on this drug and not tell you that it is addictive . Benzodiazepines*are the most addictive substances on the earth*. Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time.


(NOTE: Links have been removed by moderator for the purposes of promoting safety and adherence to forum regulations.-KJ/C)


I highly doubt that this poster is still active or frequents this forum anymore, but I feel the need to address the statements made in the post.

Was "Benzodiazepines are the most addictive substances on earth" an excerpt from a body of literature proving this to be true after it tested the addiction potential of every other substance on earth? Or was it the result of a planet-wide poll?

"Benzodiazepines are only meant to be taken for short periods of time , and can become ineffective and induce drug dependency when used for inappropriately long periods of time."- Often, someone who is experiencing high levels of anxiety or panic attacks will be prescribed a benzo along with an SSRI or a medication that increases the amount of available serotonin. If the serotonin agent starts working, it will often alleviate the anxiety issues, and the benzo will rarely, or no longer be needed. But this does not work for everyone. I personally went through this process a decade ago w/ Xanax and Paxil. Before coming in to see my doctor, my panic was so bad that I became suicidal because I could not escape it. During the time on Paxil, I rarely needed a Xanax. But Paxil taxed my body and mind heavily in many ways. There are people who have debilitating anxiety and cannot function because of it, and have tried SSRIs or other anxiolytics to no avail. For many of these people, a benzo is the only thing that works and enables them to function by taking away a crippling feeling, not by giving them a pleasurable one. A benzo is the only medication that stops my panic and severe anxiety since stopping SSRIs because of the side effects. I have been at 2mg daily for over a year with no signs of fading efficacy. If it were not for benzos, I'd have ended my life 10 years ago because I did not know what was happening to me or how to escape the grip of daily panic attacks. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

And as far as "becoming ineffective" & "inducing dependency"... That makes benzodiazepines exactly like almost every other medication. Stimulants, anti-depressants, analgesics, nasal sprays, etc. Why assign this horrific attribute to only a benzo? If someone is on Klonopin, Xanax, or Valium on a daily basis, it should be common knowledge that stopping them abruptly will almost guarantee unpleasant withdrawal, or if at high doses, possibly seizures. If the user does not know this, then either their doctor failed to cover the topic (unlikely when prescribing these meds), the patient disregards the info packet that comes with their prescription, or ignores the pharmacist upon receipt of the medication. There's also the possiblity that someone is taking it that shouldn't be and has no idea what they are putting into their body. If this is the case, ignorance will come with a hefty price tag. That is why if someone chooses to come off of them, it should be done under the strict supervision of a physician and on a structured and very gradual tapering schedule.

I get tired of benzophobes striking fear into someone who may benefit greatly from these medications, especially if they have tried all other options with no success. They are powerful medications that need to be taken as directed and with discipline. They can be life savers for someone who is afflicted with severe panic disorder. And, as with many other powerful medications, should be discontinued in a very specific manner if one chooses to part ways with them.

Was "Benzodiazepines are the most addictive substances on earth" an excerpt from a body of literature proving this to be true after it tested the addiction potential of every other substance on earth? Or was it the result of a planet-wide poll?

Not that I agree with the post to which you were responding, but the quoted statement has some validity (in terms of physical dependence; taking a very broad definition of "addictive"). Benzos are some of the few drugs whose withdrawal symptoms can kill you. Few drugs have that "ability"; heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines (e.g. Adderall) do not have that ability. Barbiturates and ethanol can also kill via withdrawal; both similar (the same?) ways as benzos.

I don't think this was the point of what you quoted, but it is something worth noting.

I get tired of benzophobes striking fear into someone who may benefit greatly from these medications, especially if they have tried all other options with no success. They are powerful medications that need to be taken as directed and with discipline. They can be life savers for someone who is afflicted with severe panic disorder. And, as with many other powerful medications, should be discontinued in a very specific manner if one chooses to part ways with them.

Exactly (does this forum have a "thumbs up" for text?). Benzos are a powerful tool. As with most powerful tools, they must be used with care.

Time for a silly analogy... Chainsaws are powerful tools; they may even be enjoyable to use... but the fact that some people might get hurt slicing everything in sight is not a reason to ban chainsaws.

i've been on clonazepam for five years and am not addicted at all in the sense that i have never abused my prescription or taken more than i was prescribed. i take 1.5mg per night and have done so for years. my psych is perfectly fine with treating my OCD with clonazepam and there's no need for me to feel scared about this medication.

You may not be addicted in the clinical sense, but I (taking the same med & dose, but for a different Dx) would say that are certainly physically dependent, a fact of which you are clearly aware. There is nothing particularly wrong with this; many people are physically dependent on "non-habit forming" medications like beta-blockers, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, etc.

Should one tell a parent to stop taking blood pressure pills because those pills cause dependence?

In response to PARA's post


Wow this post offends me, to tell me that the last 27 years of my life unmedicated was my own fault for not "listening to my mind"........ I got thorugh all of school and a four year degree without being on medication before I finally decided that I had suffered enough. Do you know how many times I would ask whats wrong with me? Why am I not normal, why can't I feel the same way everyone else seems to. Even my family cannot relate, they just don't know me that well except for a few really close friends. So yeah I guess I'm an addict because I sought help and am trying some meds. Did you know that anything in the right amounts are a "poison" to our bodies. Even water and air can kill in excess amounts. Anyways I refuse to let one more person tell me that I just need to think about it or listen to myself, beleive me I have tried everything else and just want to experience a normality for awhile if thats even possible.

After 6 years of being on Adderall 40-60 MG a day I decided to stop because I felt like I was a slave to this drug for my energy . Well it is hell and the Dr.'s will tell you it is your ADD coming back ....... no this is someone who was addicted to a powerful Amphetamine and whose life is hell right now from the withdrawals . For me the morning pill was what got me going in the morning and defined who I was all day . My God I read all of these posts and no one seems to talk about the fact that this drug is what is giving them the edge they now need to function ... and not to control there ADD but to keep them high all day . Well for those who have only been on it for a few years well wait till about 5 years + and then try to function without it . I am not trying to scare anyone but I would love to hear from someone who has been on it for over 5 years like I was and then live life without it . I did not realize how much energy it was giving me .

Again I wish someone had told me years ago when I first started it that I would pay dearly for this wonder drug that made me feel so good when I had to get off of it . And yes I do not believe you can stay on it for life ... when you get up to needing about 60 + mg a day in your 4th or 5th year you start to understand the toll an Amphetamine takes on your health over a long period of time . Again this is just my experience and I am looking for someone who has been on it 5 or 6 years to tell me where they are at . As I read these posts I see most people have only got a few years if that on the stuff .

I just experienced the same exact thing. My tolerance and withdrawal, when I could try to come off adderall, were insane. I tried everything to battle the tolerance and withdrawal. I read on a few forums that people were experimenting with benadryl, dxm, and other strange ways to try and curb tolerance. I tried these remedies and they made me feel worse. The only thing that worked for me was a homeopathic supplement called Ampheta-Restore. It cut my tolerance in half and I was able to sustain the same effects from 1 30 mg xr/day. This stuff is good and has been the only thing that has worked! I have shared it with my other friends who have children that have been on adderall and dexedrine for several years now. I hope other people can benefit from this.

Yes. Let's all trust the biggest armchair psychiatrist in the forum who thinks Dopamine is a "drug".

Cut your losses while you can KillZone. You sink further and further into the depths of infinite ignorance with each post. What person in their right mind is going to join this forum, see your nonsense slathered everywhere, and not have second thoughts about the members here being intelligent people with helpful insight to offer? The info you post is either elementary, hypocritical, or just plain WRONG.

I don't even recall ever posting that. Please provide a link with that nonsense. I said dopamine is what causes pleasure. I really don't get what is up with you attacking me.

I don't even recall ever posting that. Please provide a link with that nonsense.

Here you go.

It was, um... post # 66 (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=719608&postcount=66)on this thread.

I don't even recall ever posting that. Please provide a link with that nonsense. I said dopamine is what causes pleasure. I really don't get what is up with you attacking me.

Why do I need to provide a link to it when YOU ARE QUOTED AS SAYING IT IN MY REPLY? Do you think I have an alternate account here with your exact name and I log in to post misinformation about what Dopamine is, log out, log in under my name, and quote the fake KillZone's absurd posts?

I'm not attacking you. I share the same opinion as quite a few others when I say that you simply don't know what you're talking about. And until you do, you should either cease posting or post personal experiences and simple opinions instead, rather than what you have been. No further explanation required or desired.

THE END.

Benzos are some of the few drugs whose withdrawal symptoms can kill you. Few drugs have that "ability"; heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines (e.g. Adderall) do not have that ability. Barbiturates and ethanol can also kill via withdrawal; both similar (the same?) ways as benzos.



A person taking extremely high doses of a benzo who stops abruptly is at a very high risk for seizures, which could in turn lead to death. I've never actually read or heard of death as a result of benzo use/discontinuation, but theoretically it could be possible. But, this is at the extreme end of the spectrum and would most likely be the result of someone who was taking it for non-therapeutic purposes for an extended time period, ran out of their supply, and received no medical care afterwards. If a benzo had a listed common side effect of "death", it would simply not be available as a medication.

I believe it is important for people to be informed about what they are putting into their bodies. If they don't bother, and abuse it, then the time will come to pay for their own stupidity. I personally know that if I even try to cut down half a milligram of Xanax, I feel very strange for weeks. I have accepted the fact that this is the only drug that works for my condition, and that eventually over time, I'm sure my dose will need to be raised slightly. I am dependent on it to keep my panic at bay, however, I am not addicted to any feeling it gives me, because it doesn't give me any at all. It merely takes one away. I will most likely be on it until my dying day, and given the long term studies on benzos, there really isn't anything that has surfaced that is a major cause for alarm for me (some reports of slight liver damage after 20+ years at doses of 6mg daily or more).

It all just comes down to being smart about it. If you have to be on a benzo, then so be it. If it's used as directed and under a physician's supervision, the chances of developing an addiction that could lead to death are so slim that it's almost invisible. Alcohol and tobacco kill people every minute, whether it be directly or indirectly, and the long term effects of both substances on the body have been proven repeatedly. Yet, strangely, I don't see anyone demonizing them in the manner that benzos are by many people on this and other forums.

After 6 years of being on Adderall 40-60 MG a day I decided to stop because I felt like I was a slave to this drug for my energy . For me the morning pill was what got me going in the morning and defined who I was all day . My God I read all of these posts and no one seems to talk about the fact that this drug is what is giving them the edge they now need to function ... and not to control there ADD but to keep them high all day . I did not realize how much energy it was giving me .




Very Interesting.. I have only been on it a short time but I do feel alot better on it than I did off it.. before it I was considered lazy and I procrastinated badly.. now While on it (60 mg per day) I feel like my old self but with a lot more concentration than I had and yes I admit it.. more energy.. I think..lol like when Im working at a project, i will go an go till I cant go anymore.. but whats funny is, I will be tired, beat like a zombie but still want to be working at whatever it is im doing. Recently, i was the only person at work from 2PM on till we close at 5.. One boss (the owner) told me to leave at about 3.. the other boss his partner) asked me to stay untill 4-ish because he didnt think it was good business to close at 1/2 day on a friday. I stayed and was working on some valves, I got so into it that when 4 o clock came, i didnt wanna stop so I stayed till 5 when i didnt even really wana stop then. When I start getting into a project, watch out.. lol anyhow, I do feel a little boost in energy when I wanna do something but for the most part, i can fall asleep at the drop of a dime and even after my nooon time 30mg Adderall, im ready for sleep.. sleeping at my desk, fighting to stay awake in the car.. but if Im moving im fine. did this happen to you

my own untreated ADHD had me clincially obese with a BMI of over 40 due to binging on carbs and sweets for the stimulation and even caused my psychiatrist to write on my chart that i am a caffeine addict. i used to drink two coffees and about 10 cans of diet coke per day. i started my weight loss waaaay before being diagnosed ADHD so i'm not using adderall for appetite control - in fact it seems to make me more hungry... but it is clear i was on a short road to death before being diagnosed. i'm now maintaining a 50lb weight loss and am down to three cans of diet coke a day. (still trying to kick the habit for good!) THAT'S WHAT UNTREATED ADHD CAN DO TO YOU. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE STIMULANT MEDICATION.

Amen.... I hear that! Although I love the appitite control part of the Adderall, I also love that i can now start something and finish it.. although it does nothing to wake me up, it does help me get through tasks without driving me crazy. It also helps me to controll eating but I still love my carbs and sweets..lol but most times now, I can say.. No! and i can eat much much less and feel full. so for me, it is a win - win drug, it helps my two biggest problems, weight and ADHD.

No offense, but a lot of the posts in this thread are examples of someone taking a medication for the wrong reasons.

I mean, seriously...? Taking it FOR energy? You realize this medication is intended to treat those who have problems with focus/inattention and hyperactivity, right? Nowhere in the prescribing information or indications does it say to use Adderall to give you energy or make you feel good. It isn't an energy drink. Just saying "I take an anti-hyperactivity medication to make me hyper" should make you realize that you're doing something wrong.

My productivity comes from being able to focus on one thing (well, more or less) long enough to actually finish it. My friends and family can spot exactly when my medication is wearing off because I start bouncing off the walls with restlessness and start losing focus halfway through something before jumping to something else. It doesn't motivate me to do anything or help me get up in the morning, it helps me sit my *** down and focus my existing motivation to specific tasks.

And I haven't ever needed an increase in dosage. In fact, the longer I've been on it, the LESS I've needed for the same effect. I worked in the psych field for years, and I've seen a lot of junkies in general. How many addicts have you come across who have a heart rate of 80, a blood pressure of 90/60, and an endless supply patience while they are high? Because that's me while I'm "high" on my medication.

And I have never, ever felt any sort of euphoria from it. I actually can't stand anything that makes me jittery at all. I haven't had any caffeine whatsoever (not even chocolate) in over a decade, just to avoid that sort of feeling. When you add that to restlessness, it's just... ugh. No, thank you.

Also, as a side note, Dopamine is not the "feel good" neurotransmitter. Serotonin is most responsible for that in the brain, epinephrine/norepinephrine in both body and mind. Dopamine has to do with brain activity. Too little and you'll end up scatter-brained, too much and you'll end up with things like Schizophrenia (anti-psychotics specifically reduce Dopamine).

A schizophrenic is obviously not someone who is high. It's someone who is seeing/believing/hearing/feeling things that are not really there because their brain has way too much going on. They see things because their brain sends the exact same signals that it would have if they had really seen those things.

ADHD is the opposite. We don't have enough of the stuff to form and hold thoughts and get them from one part of the brain to another.

It makes us inattentive. We get to the store and forget why we went there. We start talking about one thing, go off on a tangent, then go off on a tangent of that tangent, and then get upset because we can't remember what the wonderful story was that we were telling.

It also makes us hyperactive. Our brains are lacking stimulation, and that expresses mostly as restlessness (hyperactivity is just a symptom of that restlessness). We feel like there is something we need to do. Something urgent. But we can't remember what it is or why we're supposed to do it. We sit down to watch TV, but no.. that's not what we want to do. We step outside, but no.. that isn't where we want to go. We sit down to write an email, but no.. that's not what we should be doing. So we jump from thing to thing to thing - with building agitation - because nothing feels quite "right" and we can't find anything that does. That's hyperactivity.

Lack of motivation, needing energy, wanting a kick, getting euphoria.. none of these things has anything to do with ADHD and are not reasons anyone should ever take the medication. Please don't blame the medication for improper usage of it. I'm not saying anyone intentionally abused the medication, but they obviously took it without realizing exactly what it was and was not for.

I just realized that this post is entirely too long considering the forum I'm posting to.

I'm sure what you wrote is true for you, but lack of motivation and needing energy are actually more than a little common amongst people with ADD (can't speak to ADHD). In fact, for myself, if Adderall didn't give me energy, none of the other effects it has would make any difference because I'd be too sleepy to do anything regardless of how well I could focus on it. In fact, before diagnosis and meds, I would basically mainline caffeine from dawn to dusk, and not only did it never make me jittery, it never kept me up at all.

Also, euphoria at the beginning of treatment with Adderall is, again, pretty common. I certainly experienced it, and I've never seen a reason to lie about that or act as if there was something wrong with that. It felt GREAT. If there was some practical way for me to feel like that most of the time, I would. Not all the time, but most. It's actually a little sad that we're not designed to feel that good on a regular basis, at least not through the use of meds (achievement of a transcendental state of being through spiritual practice is a different matter, of course, but pills are easier).

You started your post by saying that a lot of people's reasons for taking meds were "wrong." Don't you think that's more than a wee bit judgmental? While I understand the difficulties it causes those of us with ADD when people misuse ADD meds, either with a prescription or without, if a medication makes someone's life better, more tolerable, more enjoyable, then there's really shouldn't be any room for anyone else to take issue with that, should there?

According to you, because I take Adderall for (amongst other things), energy, it's "wrong" for me to take it.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but how is it exactly that you think you have the right to tell me that the medication that has so drastically improved my life is something I shouldn't be taking?

Speak without offending; listen without defending.

I understood raj's post, but perhaps I misunderstood raj's post?

Now I remember! I did a search of the posts by a sixteen year old authority on ADHD and medication and was able to understand what raj was writing about.

"I thought my dose just wasn't high enough or maybe Adderall just wouldn't work for me.
But I REALLY thought that ADDers did NOT get 'high' on methamphetamines. That it had the opposite effect on us. I thought that's why they use it on us"

this is a common misconception that ADDers don't get high on amphetamines. this stems from adderall's effect on the ability to concentrate in those with ADD. the part of our brains that allows us to ignore unimportant thoughts and things in our envirnment has low activity in ADDers. so when an amphetamine is taken (which speeds up all brain activity) that portion of the brain is now able to function correctly. when on adderall, ADDers are able to concentrate. so now they are less scatter brained and less hyper. it gives the appearance that adderall "has the opposite effect" on ADDers. in reality, ADDers still get high, get speedy, dry mouth etc. although, since you use it everyday, you build a tolerance so these effects become hardly noticable. if you gave some of your adderall to a non-ADDer, they would get pretty high from it because they have no tolerance, not because they dont have ADD.

Okay, I feel I need to step in and add some balance along with the rest of you (who added reason and balance). I've been on and off of Adderall for 9 years, and am currently back on it, 40 mg per day. If I am off of it for more than a week my chronic depression comes back to knock me down flat, despite the anti-depressants (cymbalta and Trazadone) that I take daily.
If it's been like 3 weeks to a month, when I start back on I too feel really great. I still get frustrated by mistakes I may make, but all in all the depression immediately lifts. I do know I have ADD because I have all of the symptoms, along with the depression. Anyway, my point is this: like others who posted in this thread, I think the best thing to do is to take days off, such as weekends or 'light' days of activity, or at least reduce the amount for a day or two. Give yourself these little mini vacations from the med and you'll fine, if you are like a lot of people, that you won't develop a tolerance so soon. Also, I have to add my vote to the "it doesn't make me feel speedy or hyper" after starting back on it. In fact, I become much more patient and calm, and I can focus and accomplish things that need to be completed, instead of starting projects that really don't make sense, such as cataloging all the magazines (by volume and issue #) that we recycle--don't ask.

Oh, and if you do decide to go off the meds after a couple of years or so, for crying out down do so gradually, like over a two or three month period. Every few weeks reduce the daily dose by a couple of milligrams, and the whole thing will be a lot smoother.

Hope my rant helps someone!?

Esskay

I try not to take Adderall on the weekends unless I'm coming into work. It can be a bit draggy on some days but I'm trying not to rely on it for non-work times... I can see where the dependence comes from. I've only been on this a short time so I'm not sure what I'll do on vacations...probably try to stay away from it.

Great post, Muldoon - thank you! I'd like to add a couple of thoughts;

Before I was diagnosed with ADHD I self medicated for a long time with alcohol. Lots of alcohol - I drank close to a quart of vodka a day for years, when for some reason I chose a different form of alcohol I kept the same level.

The key issue for me is that I am an alcoholic; I had absolutely no control over the amount I drank and I don't recall ever stopping until I passed out. I would no more dream of having a drink today than I would of trying heroin (best example that came to mind). I haven't had a drink in twenty years although I had a brief period of Ativan addiction a few years ago. I simply cannot handle Ativan; if I take it even once I'm guaranteed three subsequent nights of miserable insomnia - not my normal type where I just don't want to go to bed, this is a complete inability to go deeper than a light doze.

But I take 2 mg of clorazepam every night before I go to bed. I have no urge to take more but I also have no intention of stopping - this works for me and I accept it. Benzos per se are not evil - people swallow anything their doctor hands them and we've been brainwashed into Dr. = Deity. There are many medications which have horrible side effects - Premarin, for instance. I don't take anything I haven't researched thoroughly.

The other point I wished to raise is one I don't believe anyone has addressed. (In all honesty, though, I didn't have time or patience to do more than speed read the whole thread.) SSRIs - widely prescribed, certainly not a demon drug like the benzos, at least on the surface - carry a withdrawal load every bit as nasty as Xanax. Paxil has a particularly unpleasant reputation in this regard. It's almost worse because until recently the pharmaceutical companies vehemently denied the existence of withdrawal symptoms connected to antidepressants. Of course then the doctors doing the prescribing treated people like hypochondriacs, accused them of "attention seeking behavior" or assumed they were slipping back into a depression and put them back on either the same or a different SSRI. All the symptoms described on the first page of this thread regarding withdrawal from Adderall can be found time and time again on every SSRI board akin to this.

If you don't taper off slowly - sometimes by no more than 1/16 of a tablet and all stages for at least two weeks - it's easy to assume you're either crazy or in such a chronic depression that you'll be on meds the rest of your life. You don't have seizures - but you may feel as though you are receiving repeated electric shocks. Sometimes only in your head or face, sometimes over the entire body. Nausea, cramps, diarrhea, headaches, muscle twitches, malaise......no, nothing that might overtly cause death but while a few people are able to ride it out, many resume taking the SSRI and a few commit suicide because they're miserable and have lost hope.

Geez - there are even people who become addicted to nasal sprays because of their rebound effect! Any medication can cause problems, a great many definitely do and many don't with informed use. Heroin and morphine are unequaled in pain relief and most people do not become addicted under those circumstances. It's all relative.

I'll echo Muldoon...the solution doesn't lie in blaming a drug unless you look at all available commonly prescribed drugs with the same consideration. The only solution is twofold; we need to realize that ultimately our bodies are our own responsibility and the government needs to treat us like adults and give us access to whatever information we require to learn what best suits our individual chemistry.

December


A person taking extremely high doses of a benzo who stops abruptly is at a very high risk for seizures, which could in turn lead to death. I've never actually read or heard of death as a result of benzo use/discontinuation, but theoretically it could be possible. But, this is at the extreme end of the spectrum and would most likely be the result of someone who was taking it for non-therapeutic purposes for an extended time period, ran out of their supply, and received no medical care afterwards. If a benzo had a listed common side effect of "death", it would simply not be available as a medication.

I believe it is important for people to be informed about what they are putting into their bodies. If they don't bother, and abuse it, then the time will come to pay for their own stupidity.

It all just comes down to being smart about it. If you have to be on a benzo, then so be it. If it's used as directed and under a physician's supervision, the chances of developing an addiction that could lead to death are so slim that it's almost invisible. Alcohol and tobacco kill people every minute, whether it be directly or indirectly, and the long term effects of both substances on the body have been proven repeatedly. Yet, strangely, I don't see anyone demonizing them in the manner that benzos are by many people on this and other forums.

Now that I try to remember back in college, one of the biggest reasons why I stopped taking dexedrine was because the moment one person knew in college I took something for ADHD, all the kids wanted one. Now if only I didn't share that knowledge with others. More times than not those same people smoke weed, or drank A LOT. I would always ask myself, "why do they want to take it just to study better when I find myself needing it to study or focus at all?" ADHD was put on the back burner to deal with something even more critical for me, which brought out depression. My doctor threw every anti-depressant she could think of. Nothing worked. Oh wait, EVERY SNRI/SSRI gave me daily migraines, the tri-cyclics at least didn't help the depression and of course the one time I had a seizure when I accidentally took a double dose of Wellbutrin XR--the only med that did anything (a NDRI). She legally had to have me stop taking it though because prescribing it was a liability issue. I got over the underlining cause of my depression, and my depression went away from it. And now it's back because I'm dealing with ADHD.. You the reader can be the judge of why anti-depressants didn't work for me...

In regards to dopamine vs norepinephrine, I'm reading that it is "synthesized from dopamine by dopamine β-hydroxylase" In fact this bit of knowledge is making postulate if there's a very good reason Strattera was bang on for about 3-weeks, and then it's effects went away and now it's making me sleepy? (perhaps I have limited norepinephrine because of a lack of dopamine already?) Also makes sense why I read that Adderall works better than Vyvanse for some people as Vyvanse doesn't effect the norepinephrine levels as much..

December15: I remember a friend of mine, who had a anxiety disorder (?) offered me take one of his Klonopin. Phew I acted like I was stoned & drunk. He couldn't function without. Then I tried weed a few times, and freaked out like I was a schizophrenic. My friend on the other hand thought marijuana was great. Good thing I never gave him a dex pill. He probably would've lost it. I guess substances effect people in different ways. Also so I don't sound like a drug addict: I don't do any drugs anymore (I can pass a urine test at a moment's notice) and rarely drink...

Hrm...