Hi, first of all i am new to this forum...I will give a little info on myself...

I am 30 yrs old, I had been diagnosed as depressed about 5 years ago but i decided to try to cope with it without meds...i thought a healthy lifestyle and alternative therapies would work, but 5 years later the depression is even worse.

About 2 months ago I went to see a psychiatrist for the depresson who also diagnosed ADHD, which i am now finding out was probably the initial cause of my inability to follow through on life decisions and my constant need to change jobs, living situations, etc... the psych reccomended Wellbutrin due to my desire to sleep all the time and stay "holed up" in my house, and Adderall xr for the adhd. I started with the wellbutrin and noticed a difference right away...about three weeks ago i finally started on the adderall xr, 10mg 1/day.

Everything was great for the first two weeks, until a few days before my last menst. period (sorry fellas)...where I felt as i was feeling even before the wellbutrin...tired, spaced out, no focus, hopeless, regretful, visions of not existing... etc etc...although the feelings were not as intense as before, I just figured it was my hormones and that i would need time to adjust to the meds...well the period came and went, but that physical odd feeling has not gone away...its almost as if it is the adderall making me feel worse...could it be the low dosage? like i said, the first two weeks were great, but the past week has been pretty rough... i feel like i cant read anything... blurred vision, sparkley things in eyes, my skin is too tight, heavy head, droopy eyes, bloated, repetitive thinking, tired yet very anxious because im not sure what to expect from the adderall, so its making me nervous.

Odd thing is that i was told insomnia would be an issue on these two meds, but Im sleeping through the night for the first time in years, but still using melatonin and valerian to help with sleep, ocassionally tylenol pm. I have been using the alternatives for a long time because I had trouble falling and staying asleep for so long.

sorry for the long post, but essentially im asking could these symptoms just be an effect of my brain getting used to the meds? I have never been on anything else.

any good insight or personal experience would be appreciated!
thaniks in advance

in my opinion, the insomnia warning is a holdover from the older studies on the drug that have traditionally relied on non-adhd patients. the thing is, amphetamines are among the most studied psychoactive drugs, but sometimes they forget that we respond differently. i use adderll as a sleep aid, taking it throughout a 24-hour cycle, but i don't recommend that for everyone.

anywys, with your issues, two thoughts occur to me. one is that adderll and wellbutrin actully do similar things in the brain, they both boost the levels of the same neurotransmitters, so there is the possibility that they could be potentiating each other. one other thing, since it occurred during your period, is the possibility of anemia or hypoglycemia. in my experience, i have to make sure that i get plenty to eat, as adderall increases my metabolism a lot, especilly as i've been slowly increasing my workouts as i recover from an injury. today, for instance, i forgot about how last night's sparring match had burned through energy until i practically inhaled a rosted chicken breast for lunch. the dogs actully gave me a look like 'wow, you need to slow down and have some table mnners.' make sure you're getting nough to eat.

thanks for the reply. the eating factor does make sense, as I am a runner, and have been increasing my mileage over the past month or so as i train for race. I do find that eating seems to help with the bad effects...I really just noticed this yesterday, as i was feeling terrible until i started eating, then i felt better about an hour later. I just wonder why i initially feel sleepy when i take my morning pill.

i've written some longer posts on the subject, and you can probably find them by clicking on my name, but basically what's happening is that as the adderall increases the activation of the areas of the brain responsible for doing all the things that us adders can't do, it stops the rest of the brain from being overactivated the way it normally is to compensate. also, a lot of the areas that are being activated, where add people have problems, exist to inhibit other regions of the brain...in fact, the lack of this inhibitory effect is what causes all that impulsivity that we're known for.

so the combination of reducing the hyperactivity and the increase in inhibitory effects is what causes the sedating effect of these drugs. don't think of it as being sedated, though, think of it as the slow leisurely thoughts that the rest of the world experiences instead of the mile-a-minute trains of thoughts we have.

I was really surprised as well to get the sedated feeling. I had friends in high school and college who took it when they didnt need it and it would make them hyper and wide awake for hours. So, when I was diagnosed, that part scared me a little. But I got the opposite effect. It calms me down and now I can focus on getting things done. Also, I have found that around that time of the month, the meds just dont work! I really dont know why, but it's not just you, other women have found that to be a problem.

I would give the medicine a little more time.

I was really surprised as well to get the sedated feeling. I had friends in high school and college who took it when they didnt need it and it would make them hyper and wide awake for hours. So, when I was diagnosed, that part scared me a little. But I got the opposite effect. It calms me down and now I can focus on getting things done. Also, I have found that around that time of the month, the meds just dont work! I really dont know why, but it's not just you, other women have found that to be a problem.

I would give the medicine a little more time.thanks

that helps, because I know that what i am feeling physically and mentally is not right. I have an appt. with my psych this coming thursday, i hope he can give me some insight. Im hoping that time is all i need because at first i felt very hopeful that this med would be something to help me get my life back in order, and it seemed like it was until this week.

Take today for example, I took my wellbutrin 300mg at about 8am. I waited and took my 10mg adderall xr at about 8:20...immediately i started to feel a little bit groggy, my face seemed to puff up and i felt like i was floating, but had absolutely no focus. Around 9 i felt a little more "normal" (whatever that may be), and went for my run at around 930...had a great run, better than any lately, ate breakfast. shortly after breakfast, BAM like a ton of bricks just fell on me...crying for no reason, anxious, feeling like crap...i had to go into work this way, so i sucked it up and got ready, went into work...i ate an apple around 2:30, felt a bit better, had light lunch around 3:45, by about 4 i started to feel better, clearer and more able to focus and remained so for the rest of the night...but the first few hours were like i was looking out at the world through a bubble. I just dont understand why this med seemed to be the answer for the first two weeks, but now suddenly has me feeling like this...

sorry to be redundant

It's not uncommon for depression to be part of ADHD....think about before you were on either medication...most of the time, were you depressed, but then sometimes very happy? Moodswings are part of ADHD for some people, I know I am one of them. Most of the time I am in a depressed state, but there are things that make me extremely happy from time to time...but you just get used to being in one state of mind (usually a depressed state).

Anyways, amphetamines always cause a bit of water retention in the face; it should go away after your workout. The weird feelings and the distorted vision are usually due to over-working your body. You are probably not truly getting a good night's rest. Try to get a full 8 hours and use valerian, melatonin, and Tylonel PM extremely sparingly. Melatonin can easily cause a worse night's sleep if your body develops a dependance for it.

And maybe try not taking the Wellbutrin and only the adderall for a few days? Both medications are appetite suppressants which is pretty bad.

Hi Lanipula,

I think it's important to remember that most of us here are not medical doctors - and I don't think the Moderators of this board want us to be giving each other dosing advice about our prescription medications.

So, before you start playing around with NOT taking your antidepressant for a few days, I would either call the doctor and/or wait until you see your doctor this week. Keeping a daily "log" of your symptoms each day can really be useful for helping your doctor truly get an understanding of what is happening for you.

I can tell you, Lanipula, that it seems so many of us experience that "demi-euphoria" for the first few days or weeks when beginning the Adderall and then wonder why it doesn't work that well anymore. I know that Adderall can have depression as a side effect and Wellbutrin can cause depressing side effects like agitation, etc. too. I think they both can cause feelings of fatigue. So maybe your body is adjust to this new combination. And like I said, it's very common to feel GREAT when starting taking an amphetamine.

I have been treated with a variety of antidepressants and ADHD meds for about 15 years, and it has been common for me to experience side effects - such as sleepiness - as well as improvement with my condition. I'm remember when I first took Prozac for depression. It helped by taking the edge of my depression. After a year or so I noticed that I was SOOOOO sleepy alot, which was also part of my depression. Eventually the sleepiness became so bothersome that I forgot that I was in such a bad state before taking the Prozac - and I asked to stop taking it. After several months I was back down, couldn't get up - and needed an antidepressant. Again - I soon felt relief. Then - after AWHILE, I get used to the new feelings of improvement and start noticing bothersome "side effects." Just my experience, for what it's worth.

Sue

Sue, it's important to remember that I don't care what you think.

I too am prescribed to take 300mg of Wellbutrin in the am along with my 10mg IR...I have found that if I break up the Wellutrin into 2 150mg doses that I am less drowsey feeling during the day....I am also prescribed the 10mg IR to take 10-20mg as needed and have found that for the most part, along with the Wellbutrin 15 is my ok average....

So for me, I'll take 150 of well and 10 of the IR in the morning, with breakfast and then around dinner timeish I'll take the other 150 of well...sometimes I take the extra 5 of the IR and sometimes I don't..just depends on the day I am having....It's just like for me, splitting it up helps with the drowsiness effect I am getting...

Now, if I could only find a way to get that wonderful curb your appitite side effect so many others get...mine's stayed the same....LOL

I do in home childcare too so.....whew....

Hi, first of all i am new to this forum...I will give a little info on myself...



Everything was great for the first two weeks, until a few days before my last menst. period (sorry fellas)...where I felt as i was feeling even before the wellbutrin...tired, spaced out, no focus, hopeless, regretful, visions of not existing... etc etc...although the feelings were not as intense as before, I just figured it was my hormones and that i would need time to adjust to the meds...well the period came and went, but that physical odd feeling has not gone away...its almost as if it is the adderall making me feel worse...could it be the low dosage? like i said, the first two weeks were great, but the past week has been pretty rough... i feel like i cant read anything... blurred vision, sparkley things in eyes, my skin is too tight, heavy head, droopy eyes, bloated, repetitive thinking, tired yet very anxious because im not sure what to expect from the adderall, so its making me nervous.


any good insight or personal experience would be appreciated!
thaniks in advance
Hi I just want to add in that I notice that my abilities fluctuate with my hormones that are pms related. I noticed the trend and now I just accept it. There are some days during pms when i am an absolute mess!! I am on a totally different planet, I cant focus on anything for longer than 1 second, I am spacey, etc. With or without meds, its liek that. pms totally makes my adhd so much worse!! So you arent alone.

As for waht the other poster (I forget exactly who, sheilded maybe?) said, mood swings are definately involved in ADHD.
I know for me, I would go from being happy as a pig in s**t to feeling like everthing is wrong and its all my fault....now with ritalin its not so bad as before.

Good luck
-A

Definitely second the 'meds not working' during PMS. I have to mark my pms days on the calendar, so I can be prepared ahead of time for the fun rollercoaster ride of anxiety and crankiness.

I'm on Zoloft instead of Wellbutrin. When I first complained about the pms problem, my doc increased my dosage for the week before my period started. That didnt do it, so she raised my overall dosage. This month, while my adhd traits came back during PMS, there was very little anxiety/depression.

Good luck

wellbutrin + adderall was my cocktail for awhile and then i realized it was making me grouchy and agitated. i was seriously on edge, i would cry instantly if i was a bit sad and i felt totally stressed..my doc and i discussed it...i already have an anxiety disorder DUHHHHHHHHHHH
and anxiety is ramped up by both wellbutrin and adderall. wellbutrin is a great drug but i couldn't do it anymore with adderall.
so i decided to take an antianxiety-buspar and adderall, seems to be fine, i just started.
shielded: LOLLLLLLLLL that cracked me up.

Hello. Hope this clears things up for you. The Tylenol PM contains diphenhydramine, and is the component of the drug that helps you sleep. Yes, the halflife of the diphenhydramine is short, but it still can have residual effects the next day. Additionally, the valerian and the melatonin are significant here. They can be very powerful sedatives in certain people. These too can have residual effects the following day. All three of these can lead to your depresion and feeling of general lethargy the next day. As for the Wellbutrin working the first two weeks and not working anymore points to a placebo effect. Wellbutrin usually will not produce effects for approx 2-3 weeks in most individuals. (yes, there are exceptions to this as some people show definate improvement in shorter time). So the effects you are feeling NOW are probably from the Wellbutrin, not the Adderall. In other words, what you are feeling now is the Wellbutrin taking effect and the "good" feeling you are not feeling anymore could be due to the end of the placebo effect. Wellbutrin works on the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, and Adderall dopamine almost exclusively. Some people tolerate the class of antidepressant that Welbutrin is quite well-with marked success and effectiveness. Others cannot tolerate the drug at all and it can be a horrible experience. My advise to you would be to stop all of the OTC sleeping aids you are taking. THEY ALL CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION!!!!!. Then talk to you doc about switching to another type of antidepressant, as in an SSRI. If Straterra or Cymbalta is reccomended to you, I would kindly ask for a different drug, since some research suggests patients that don't do well with Wellbutrin, won't respond favorably to these two either. Additionally, with the SSRI, the anxious feelings can often be releived. So in a nutshell, stop the OTC'c, have the Doc switch the antidepressant, and stick with the Adderall. If the feelings of being light headed or heavy headed continue, (and I don't think the will), I would the talk with the doc about switching the stimulant. Good old Ritalin is a great stand by. Very high success rate in many pts. A good idea might be to have the doc start you on the immediate release form. Don't even mess with extended versions at first. Reason for this is the short duration of the IR form. Some people view this as a negative, but the good thing is that you will be able to see results quickly, and (if it is really working), you will see the results stop just as quickly. (you can always use the extended versions once you determine if Ritalin is working for you) Don't forget always start low dose with any stimulant and titrate up to the dose that is most effective for you. You will know when you hit this dose when side effects become more apparent. Good luck. Keep us posted as to your progress. Oh btw, Im not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!!...lol