has anyone else experienced this with adderall? just the overwhelming sensation to not have anything to do with the outside world when i take adderall, XR or the normal release. This also happened when i took Focalin, unfortunatly these two were the only two ADD medications that have had a positive effect on me being able to concentrate for more than 5 minutes at a time. Any suggestions?
Desperate,
Thanks.

Yes. I feel like right after I take my meds at work, that it's just me and my computer and I don't want to talk to anyone else until I get everything done. I get so focused...maybe too focused sometimes. Also, it has gotten better the longer I have been taking the medicine. So, you may find it will going away with time.

I know what ya'll mean. In my case, it's not so much "anti-social" as it is...being more selective in what social activities I attend and with whom. I.E.; Do I feel like going to that movie alone or with someone? Do I really want to go to that wedding tomorrow? Do I want to go out with this guy yet?, etc.

That nervous energy is gone because of the Adderall so I guess we're more laid back in the sense that we don't need as much social stimuli, maybe? Who knows.

I feel like a zombie and don't want to interact with anyone because I feel no joy in it. I lose my sense of humor like something funny will happen and it wont effect me one bit.

I actually felt that way when I first took it, but I also recent reduced my dosage at my request because of this.

I took a 3 month break to see what and how I would act again without taking the medication and I found I'm naturally more outgoing and social without taking it..

Now that I've reduced my dosage.. yeah, its not as easy to get totally focused on something, but I think its a better balance.. its a struggle still to get things done, but when I try I can.

Adderall have the opposite effect on me, I'm too social.lol:) Some of my family members even said I talked to much, too fast and I babelled, this get on their nerves but it just theses 2 persons, usually peoples said they like me better when I'm on adderall coz I'm more active, I'm not in my usual bad mood and they don't think I talked to much, they said I make sence and I seem more into the conversation. I don't feel antisocial at all, I maybe even too social lol:), well I'm much more social when I'm on adderall, it's seem easier for me to talked to peoples and I don't feel shy. That's weird adderall can create one effect to one person and create the opposite effect to another one???

I've been in a really unique situation the past 20 years or so, of seeing how ADHD meds affect a wide variety of children and disorders. I myself have severe ADHD - by formal diagnosis - and may have mild Asperger's as well. For me, Adderall does little to how I think or feel - I just get a lot more done. I do think that I may be less social than before, but that's because I've got so many projects to work on, and I will hyperfocus on them. Strattera was a different matter. A week or so after starting that - and still taking Adderall - I noticed I was joining in conversations and discussions MUCH more than I used to. If the doc adds something like Lortab to the mix, I go into non-stop talking mode.

Our ten year old adopted HFA/ADHD son has much the same response. Recently, Medicaid told us we had to choose between his Concerta, and Strattera, as they will no longer pay for both. We chose to take him off the Concerta, because we could see how much the Strattera improves his social issues. At first, we were quite disappointed in having to do this - the combo had worked so well for him - but we see now that he is a much happier person without the Concerta - although his teachers tell us they are having more difficulty keeping him on task at school. But hey ! We would rather see him grow up to be a happy custodian or groundskeeper, than a depressed and miserable bank director. His favorite book is "Grays Anatomy." Anyone know where I can get the money to put him through med school ! :eek:
Keith

I take Focalin XR, but all the stimulants have had the same effects on me. I am totally antisocial when i'm on the meds and when i'm off of them i'm laid back and able to be social and have fun. I'm really shy when i'm on Focalin XR and even when i want to talk to someone, i just won't bring myself to do it. It sucks because I like being very social and I'm naturally a friendly person. But when I'm on my meds, i tend to just keep to myself. I need to fin a balance between being social and getting my work done.

the meds also make me really uptight.

stimulants usually make people more social and talkative when they first start drug therapy. This is espeacially true when someone is prescribed too much which can produce euphoria. This happened to me. I am very sensitive to stimulants and was prescribed 40mg/day. I was talking to everyperson that was willing to talk. Now my body has adjusted and it has more of the antisocial effect. This is how it can have opposite effects on different people. Also some people report feeling anti social when "coming down" from the stims.

I was like that before the meds. Very anti-social and only wanting to be by my computer, home with a book, or in the company of one of a very small group of people. Anything else seemed exhausting and overwhelming. I don't feel that way at all now.

I feel like ever since I started taking the Adderall, although I feel sooooo much more productive and get a lot more accomplished, my tolerance for people has dramatically dropped. I wouldn't say that I was anti-social b/c I'm still my talkative/loud/laughing self, but I sometimes feel like I hate people. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I will be in a social environment having fun but then it seems like the littlest things will irritate the heck out of me. I can feel myself snapping at people and I do not like that feeling, at all. Sometimes I wonder how I have any friends at all b/c I don't think I'd want to be friends with someone like me; someone who is easily irritated, moody, and has absolutely no tolerance for certain people/acts/etc. Well, ok, I guess I've always been a bit moody, but I feel that while on the Adderall, it is more apparant.

I like the adderall b/c I am a student and I know that my concentration has improved (a lot), but I am not sure of whether or not it is all worth it. I sometimes think maybe I should just suck it up b/c I only have one more year of school left....but then I think about changing meds, as well. Like I said, I really like what the Adderall has done for my concentration and attention span but I do not like what it has done to my attitude.

As I am typing this, the thought popped into my mind that maybe b/c of the Adderall, I am more observant of people and that is why I can't stand people...maybe I was too preoccupied with everything else going on to notice what my friends were saying/doing. Or, I am just tryinng to place the blame on them? LOL

Any thoughts? Suggestions??

One of the lesser-known characteristics of depression is irritability. When I was depressed, I was often short-tempered, snappish, impatient, and often just very poorly able to tolerate most people. I know a lot of people seem to experience depression on the stimulant meds; you may consider talking to your doctor about these side effects and see whether maybe adding something like Wellbutrin might help.

Yeah I do. I take 30mgs 3x a day. It takes about 30 mins to notice anything ( as if I am payin attention anyways) But I believe it is Hyper Focusing. Which means to much Amphetamine Salts.

But I find myself going in circles. I lose all concept of time. I am on my computer to much. I find I like electronics and gadgets more. I always loved working with my hands.

But I take the salts and zoloft and diazepam and for sleepy time I take 75mg of Seroguel.

I was taking a ton of different epilepsy medicine but that didnt work to much.

My doc is pretty cool he says play around with it see what happens.

Anyways yeah I dont like dealing with people. I have a major problem with authority.

I would never hurt myslf. But sometime I wonder if these medicines are hurting me.

What helped me was I got a job where I had no choice but to deal with people. Like outside sales. So I got used to it.

But then I started to get paranoid like people were lookin at me al funny an ****. My pupils were always pin point tiny and glassy.

I hate the sun to. Its to bright. I have very high BP 140/165 I believe last I was checked.

My new hobby to help in my stress and focus has been shooting. It really relieves stress.

But on the anti-social thing I know I am at home. My wife is always buggin the crap out of me. I would rather not talk about my day or hear about hers.

I dont mean to be meen but I am busy HELLO!

Since I have been taking amphetamine salts my memory has gotten very bad. I forget everything . Tell me your name I forget it. My sense of direction is all gone.

But other than that Im peachy.

On the upside I have taught myself things I like my way at my pace. Like math, history, physics, I am going to try my hand at mortuary science next.

How to trade stocks. I a starting to pay more attention to whats goin on in the government.

Comedy Centrals got nothing on CSPAN or MSNBC.