back in september '04 was I diagnosed with ADD. after a short while, I began medication in january of this year. I started out with generic dextroamphetamine and with some unpleasant chest pains, I moved to brand name dexedrine. I take 2x 5mg Dexedrine tablets Monday through Thursdays for my accounting class and that's just about it. then I take it whenever else I need it but that's not very common. the problem is, I lead a fairly busy lifestyle. I got class mon-thurs from 10am-1pm, homework from 1pm-3pm, then closing at a TGI Fridays from 4pm till 12am. this is how my first four days of the week go.

the problem is, lately I've been getting heart palpitations about 8 hours after I take the dexedrine and it's a little (ok, a lot) uncomfortable. I didn't take it this morning and accounting was practically impossible to pay attention, let alone study for. thankfully my chest pains have lessened but I'm a little worried about picking the medication back up as it's fairly crucial to me passing this class. I mean, come on. it's a ******* accounting class!

the funny thing is, when I drink an orange juice half hour after taking the dexedrine, the effects are amplified and it's a noticeable difference compared to drinking water with my dexedrine. my questions are the following:

I'm just wondering why am I now getting heart problems after the medication has passed and why after months of taking it?

granted when I take the medication is hardly consistant, might that be an issue?

should I discontinue the dexedrine all together?

what dangers does continuing the medication pose to my heart and my body?

anything I can do to make my heart more resistant to heart palpitations or would it be recommended to try another medication all together? (never strattera again, blech)


I'd go to my physician about this matter but I think he's fairly useless when it comes to this matter. I'll research ADD specialists in my area to better help me but in the meantime, I'm looking for a quick solution. anything any of you can do to help would be great.

thanks again.

- stan the man

All I can think is that maybe you're problem is anxiety related to taking the dexedrine. The heart palpitations after 8 hours seems like a long time. There are some people on these forums with a lot more knowledge on this than me, but I'll tell you what I think might be the case. You say you're taking your Dex on and off...generally you're supposed to keep a steady schedule on it. Your body may be going through withdrawal some time after the dex has run out of your system. I take 15 mg of Dex twice a day, a dose lasts 4 hours. I find that when it gets near bed time, my body is (usually) sleepy enough that I don't have any problems. However, if I miss my afternoon dose, I find I am more agitated. This scared me with the Ritalin, because on that I felt like a robot, and I didn't want a dependency on it. But personally, I find the Dex does just what I want it to, and it doesn't alter my regular personality, it just lets me regulate myself more. So I actually am more independent of my actions when I am "dependent" on dexedrine. That's the give and take of it...

Sometimes I do have periods on the Dex where life can seem really overwhelming with a lot of stuff to do, and my heart starts beating really rapidly. For this, I find that if I go and distract myself for 5 minutes, it goes away.
Oh yeah and well twice I had a problem with heart palpitations early in the morning. I don't know if they were dream-induced, but I only had them after I started taking Dexedrine. I woke up from a weird dream, and I felt like my heart was beating so hard, I could hear the beats, and they were extremely fast. I felt almost paralysed. I think it was more that I was still in a dream-state, but my body had gotten so stressed it woke itself up, but I was still paralyzed in REM sleep. But I haven't had an expereince like that in almost a year now.

back in september '04 was I diagnosed with ADD. after a short while, I began medication in january of this year. I started out with generic dextroamphetamine and with some unpleasant chest pains, I moved to brand name dexedrine. I take 2x 5mg Dexedrine tablets Monday through Thursdays for my accounting class and that's just about it. then I take it whenever else I need it but that's not very common. the problem is, I lead a fairly busy lifestyle. I got class mon-thurs from 10am-1pm, homework from 1pm-3pm, then closing at a TGI Fridays from 4pm till 12am. this is how my first four days of the week go.

It sounds like you're a busy guy! Even your job at TGIF needs attention to detail and concentration.

the problem is, lately I've been getting heart palpitations about 8 hours after I take the dexedrine and it's a little (ok, a lot) uncomfortable.

You should tell your doctor about this. Doubley so if you (or anyone in your family) have any history of heart probems.

I didn't take it this morning and accounting was practically impossible to pay attention, let alone study for. thankfully my chest pains have lessened but I'm a little worried about picking the medication back up as it's fairly crucial to me passing this class. I mean, come on. it's a ******* accounting classs!

Ha! Ha! An accounting class would strike terror into every bone in my body!

the funny thing is, when I drink an orange juice half hour after taking the dexedrine, the effects are amplified and it's a noticeable difference compared to drinking water with my dexedrine.

The acidity of the orange juice would affect the rate at which you absorb the Dexedrin. Something like milk would buffer it somewhat.

my questions are the following:

I'm just wondering why am I now getting heart problems after the medication has passed and why after months of taking it? granted when I take the medication is hardly consistant, might that be an issue?

I would say it IS the prime reason why your symptoms have not gone away. You don't take your medication with any consistancy. You body can't get used to it because it has no idea exactly WHAT to expect from you! I think your whole body would appreciate a consistant dose of Dexedrine, or none at all, instead of an occasional one.

should I discontinue the dexedrine all together?

It sounds like you really need Dexedrine. And since you've tried Straterra and hated it... give Dexedrine more time. Your other alternative is Ritalin. Ritalin is even shorter acting than Dexedrine and I had more side effects from it than Dexedrine.

what dangers does continuing the medication pose to my heart and my body?

Taken as your doctor recomends, Dexedrine and Ritalin are known to be safe. Forty (40) years of history (compare that to Strerra, which has hardly been on the scene for 5 years) or more with these drugs. Both these drugs have been approved for many years by the FDA (United States) and Health Canada. Health Canada recently removed Dexedrine from the list of medications for which you need a triplilcate prescription for.

anything I can do to make my heart more resistant to heart palpitations or would it be recommended to try another medication all together? (never strattera again, blech)


Yes, work with your doctor to find the optimum dose that treats your ADHD symptoms.

I take my first dose of Dexedrine when I get up in the morning and the last one 5-6 hours before I got to bed. That's 3 to 4 times a day. Taken that way, my symptoms dissapeared. The fluttery heart, the headache and the so called "rebound effect" when the dexedrin is wearing off. I've arranged for mine to wear off near bedtime so I'm ready to sleep when Dexedrine is going off duty. Taking it this way I have found that many more things about my day evened out and became easier. That was a pleasant surprise!

What doesn't work: Taking Dexedrine or Ritalin only when I think I need it. In my case, that approach was a complete failure.

I need to be attentive and organized all the time, no part of my life is any less important than another.

I'd go to my physician about this matter but I think he's fairly useless when it comes to this matter. I'll research ADD specialists in my area to better help me but in the meantime, I'm looking for a quick solution. anything any of you can do to help would be great.

Your GP can monitor your heart problems. For the most part, he already knows you and he's halfway to being a good adhd physcian. Mine started from a complete dissbeliever and has become my biggest asset. Granted, I've had to kind or "educate" him, but I'd never actully say it like that to him!

Go and get a good book on ADHD. Try "Driven To Distractsion" and "Delivered from Distration" by Edward M. Hallowell,John J. Ratey. OR, a book that's readable and also meant for your doctor (I take it to my appointments these days) "ADHD in Adulthood, a Guide to Current Theory, Diagnosis and Treatment" by Margaret Weiss, Lilly Trokenberg Hechtman and Gabrielle Weiss, (pub. Johns Hopkins University Press). Margaret Weiss has been following several groups of childeren from about age 5 to the present as they go through college and enter the workforce. These books will answer your questions.

My GP read "Driven to Distraction" and was impressed, and he uses information from my copy of the Margaret Weiss book to check facts and suggested treatment programs. The book is written primarily to doctors by a doctor so it speaks with a kind of authority which I cannot.

There are so few psychiatrists who can or will treat adults that your GP might be the best you can do. There are more skeptics regarding ADHD in adults than believers. Hopfully that will slowly change. The book by Margaret Weiss will give him all the information he needs. It has tests, treatment plans and has helpful suggestions for all the side effects you're having.

Hope this helps,
katatak

ok so let me recap... you're taking 10mg brand name dexedrine, and eight hours later having some palpitations.

firstly, i am assuming you are a caucasian male of average weight and build, and that other than your inability to pay attention, you are healthy. this means your kidneys/liver work great, and that you are on no other medication.

this is a most curious situation then, because such a low dose <i>shouldn't</i> cause a sympathomimetic response such a long time after taking it, especially if you've been taking d-amphetamine for six months without this effect. notice i said <i>shouldn't</i>. dexedrine usually takes about 2-2.5 hours to reach peak plasma level, and it's halflife is anywhere from 4 to 10 hours. so there is definitely some amphetamine left in your system, how much depends on your individual renal function, and the acidity/alkalinity of your urine.

are you taking ANY other medications with the dexedrine? are you using any other stimulants with the dexedrine? coffee? tea? cigarettes? nicotine patch? cold medicines? antihistamines (allergy) medicine? all of these can potentiate the effects of dexedrine, especially stimulants or decongestants. antihistamines may alter the metabolic pathways that the liver uses to disassemble amphetamine, and antacids alter your kidney's ability to excrete amphetamine into the urine by throwing off your bodily pH.

let me know all the details, and definitely consult your doctor if symptoms continue or worsen.

ryan

My guess would be that these palpatations are related to anxiety and are similar to what happens during a panic attack. I don't know how old you are, but I'm betting you don't have any heart problems because you are being prescribed dexedrine - most doctors are petty careful about that. Panic attacks can and are mistaken for heart attacks or allergic reactions, etc. They can be very frightening. You should check it out - with studying and now fretting about the meds that are helping you, you are under more pressure and will be more prone to panic attacks - if this is what is happening. Dexedrine can make people more prone to panic - it can increase anxiety, but in your case it sounds like the anxiety is peaking when the dex wears off.
You should talk to your doctor about your situation - I'm not a health care pro of any sort and I don't know your medical info so I'm totally guessing! If it is anxiety, clearly it's situational - when your exams and studies are over, you won't be so stressed - so if I was in this situation I might ask my doctor for a short prescription for an anti-anxiety medication like Xanax or an SSRI, etc.
You might want to get a EKG or something on your heart, if you haven't already, just for your piece of mine - I did this, and now I don't worry about my meds,
Good luck on your exams!
Greg

ok so let me recap... you're taking 10mg brand name dexedrine, and eight hours later having some palpitations.

firstly, i am assuming you are a caucasian male of average weight and build, and that other than your inability to pay attention, you are healthy. this means your kidneys/liver work great, and that you are on no other medication.

this is a most curious situation then, because such a low dose shouldn't cause a sympathomimetic response such a long time after taking it, especially if you've been taking d-amphetamine for six months without this effect. notice i said shouldn't. dexedrine usually takes about 2-2.5 hours to reach peak plasma level, and it's halflife is anywhere from 4 to 10 hours. so there is definitely some amphetamine left in your system, how much depends on your individual renal function, and the acidity/alkalinity of your urine.

are you taking ANY other medications with the dexedrine? are you using any other stimulants with the dexedrine? coffee? tea? cigarettes? nicotine patch? cold medicines? antihistamines (allergy) medicine? all of these can potentiate the effects of dexedrine, especially stimulants or decongestants. antihistamines may alter the metabolic pathways that the liver uses to disassemble amphetamine, and antacids alter your kidney's ability to excrete amphetamine into the urine by throwing off your bodily pH.

let me know all the details, and definitely consult your doctor if symptoms continue or worsen.

ryan
absolutely NO other medications what so ever. no coffee, barely even soda as I try not to drink it. I don't really drink alcohol either so by all means, my kidneys and liver should be in excellent shape. minus the acid reflux, which has been in check lately, I should be ok.

admittedly, I take the medication without any form of consistancy and until recently, I've been taking it with orange juice which seemed to have an effect on how much was absorbed because I definitely noticed a difference in when I took the dexedrine with OJ and without, and recently, I stopped the OJ.

just wondering why after more than 36 hours of taking the drug am I still getting intermittent chest pains.

I'll talk to my doctor tomorrow morning either way.

All I can think is that maybe you're problem is anxiety related to taking the dexedrine. The heart palpitations after 8 hours seems like a long time. There are some people on these forums with a lot more knowledge on this than me, but I'll tell you what I think might be the case. You say you're taking your Dex on and off...generally you're supposed to keep a steady schedule on it. Your body may be going through withdrawal some time after the dex has run out of your system. I take 15 mg of Dex twice a day, a dose lasts 4 hours. I find that when it gets near bed time, my body is (usually) sleepy enough that I don't have any problems. However, if I miss my afternoon dose, I find I am more agitated. This scared me with the Ritalin, because on that I felt like a robot, and I didn't want a dependency on it. But personally, I find the Dex does just what I want it to, and it doesn't alter my regular personality, it just lets me regulate myself more. So I actually am more independent of my actions when I am "dependent" on dexedrine. That's the give and take of it...

Sometimes I do have periods on the Dex where life can seem really overwhelming with a lot of stuff to do, and my heart starts beating really rapidly. For this, I find that if I go and distract myself for 5 minutes, it goes away.
Oh yeah and well twice I had a problem with heart palpitations early in the morning. I don't know if they were dream-induced, but I only had them after I started taking Dexedrine. I woke up from a weird dream, and I felt like my heart was beating so hard, I could hear the beats, and they were extremely fast. I felt almost paralysed. I think it was more that I was still in a dream-state, but my body had gotten so stressed it woke itself up, but I was still paralyzed in REM sleep. But I haven't had an expereince like that in almost a year now.
that last portion sounds like sleep paralysis. you get it with some SSRI's and other miscellaneous medications that affect your brain chemistry or nervous systems. it's rare but is known to happen most often when you are lying back on your pillow, not on your side or stomach. it used to happen to me when I was on zoloft 5-6 years ago but after I stopped taking it, I had maybe one instance of sleep paralysis since and that was about a month ago.

oddly enough, I have NO other symptoms of withdrawal at all. maybe some tiredness but I'm not really irritable, aggitated, depressed, anxious or anything. I feel just fine, fine being when I'm not medicated.

My guess would be that these palpatations are related to anxiety and are similar to what happens during a panic attack. I don't know how old you are, but I'm betting you don't have any heart problems because you are being prescribed dexedrine - most doctors are petty careful about that. Panic attacks can and are mistaken for heart attacks or allergic reactions, etc. They can be very frightening. You should check it out - with studying and now fretting about the meds that are helping you, you are under more pressure and will be more prone to panic attacks - if this is what is happening. Dexedrine can make people more prone to panic - it can increase anxiety, but in your case it sounds like the anxiety is peaking when the dex wears off.
You should talk to your doctor about your situation - I'm not a health care pro of any sort and I don't know your medical info so I'm totally guessing! If it is anxiety, clearly it's situational - when your exams and studies are over, you won't be so stressed - so if I was in this situation I might ask my doctor for a short prescription for an anti-anxiety medication like Xanax or an SSRI, etc.
You might want to get a EKG or something on your heart, if you haven't already, just for your piece of mine - I did this, and now I don't worry about my meds,
Good luck on your exams!
Greg
I took an EKG when I first starting taking generic dextroamphetamine as I had steady chest pains but they found nothing. then I switched to brand name and that all went away.

as for anxiety, I have absolutely nothing of the sort. the only thing I have, are chest pains. I'm in the middle of taking an order for some guests at work and just a pain goes through my chest and goes away. that's it.

unless you have a different definition of anxiety than I do?

It sounds like you're so busy that a doctor visit would be just one more demand on your time.
If you find some plausible reasons for the palpitations online, it would save you the time spent spent seeing a doctor who would likely order one or more TESTS -- more time!

Please do not be convinced that way. See your doctor!

However likely it is that you don't have a serious problem, you need an educated diagnosis -- not to mention the peace of mind -- gained ONLY from seeing a medical professional. That nagging concern can do nothing but detract from the all-important concentration that should be directed toward studying.
That's MY "educated diagnosis." ;)