I started taking Adderall at the end of December. I would take either two 15XR or a 30IR depending on what I could get. I found that it was the only drug that I have ever taken that actually made me feel content in my skin. Eventually I gave up my narcotic addiction and my need for Marijuanna. I went to my family Doctor in March and explained to him I needed a prescription and that it helps me. Much to my surprise he handed over a script. Now, Reading about the side effects and everything else, I have a few concerns.

(1) Weight Loss.... I am 5'3 and have always been underweight, usually sticking too about 115-120.... Now I am at 107. I have een trying to eat everyday since finding this out. Any suggestions on how to Gain Weight?

(2) Effects.... i usually take 60MG XR at about 9or ten in the morning. I have been reading about the length of a dose. I can never go to bed before 3 in the morning. I feel it peaks about 5 or 6 and then it's wind down time. What can I do to go to bed earlier? Get up at 6? And some days I feel really groggy in the morning, any suggestions on that?

(3) Psychosis.....Reading about this kinda scares me...Last week, was it stress or was it being crazy....I would hear the phone ring when it wasn't or my name being called when it wasn't. What is this from? Just stress?

Thanks

yah know when I first started taking adderall, only for the first few weeks to a month, I did hear my name, and my phone ringing.

it stopped and hasnt returned.

good luck with the other things

I would definitely take your dose earlier. Also, consider taking melatonin at bedtime and see if that helps.

As for the weight loss, I had that for the first couple months or so, but it went away. I'm the same height as you and am 115-120. I got down to 110 or so, but since then I have regained the weight. I can't say that my appetite has returned, but I make myself eat. Part of the problem is that I cant really taste food anymore, so unless something is super flavorful, it isnt appetizing. I've been adding sauces/spice etc, which seems to help.

ok, can i just say DANG? 60 mgs of XR? and you're only 105? geez louise. i'm hesitant to even take more than 30mgs and i'm taking 20ms XR in the morning and 10mgs IR in the afternoon. recently i've noticed serious insomnia.
i have never had any feelings of hearing my name/the phone ringing.
i took adderall for almost a full year 2004-2005 and i lost weight. i took a four month hiatus on meds and i gained it all back, but i can tell you that although i am still finicky due to the adderall-my appetite is still dicey - i'm not losing weight like i did last time.
i don't care but i just noticed.
i would suggest eating a decent meal before taking meds..eating as much as you can throughout the day..
as far as sleep, the thing about the adderall is although you may feel like attention effects have worn off its still stimulating your body (which is why i'm having insomnia)
so you might consider adjusting your med schedule and take your XR earlier in the morning..around 7-8 am?

I am really glad I found this post. I am on 10 mgs 2x daily and I am absolutely repulsed by the sight and smell of food. Just the thought of eating (even my favorite foods!) makes me feel sick. Not only do I not want to eat, when I make myself eat, I can't eat very much (e.g. two bites of salad) before I'm full.

I'm getting scared because I'm fairly active and I'm really not eating enough. For example, yesterday I had tuna with mayo (no bread), a pudding cup, and a thing of yogurt. Can anyone offer suggestions about how to make yourself eat?

I am really glad I found this post. I am on 10 mgs 2x daily and I am absolutely repulsed by the sight and smell of food. Just the thought of eating (even my favorite foods!) makes me feel sick. Not only do I not want to eat, when I make myself eat, I can't eat very much (e.g. two bites of salad) before I'm full.

I'm getting scared because I'm fairly active and I'm really not eating enough. For example, yesterday I had tuna with mayo (no bread), a pudding cup, and a thing of yogurt. Can anyone offer suggestions about how to make yourself eat?
Start a weight training regimen, your metabolism will rise and so will your appetite. Other than that, you either gotta quit adderall, or just force yourself to eat. Try protein shakes.

has anyone considered taking 'off days' during the week to make sure they eat enough? if you can afford to do that mentally (not needing to use it for focus so much on a certain day for example)

Yeah, I'd second what f_wcomboadhd (member.php?u=3281) said. I find this very helpful for me to keep me in check with my eating, sleep, and everything else.

Try protein shakes.Yes. I recently added 3 protein shakes a day (EAS Myoplex) - one in AM, AFT, and PM. It adds about 900 cals of slow burning protein. SInce I never liked to eat much meat - it has also helped me main a good protein balance.

I'm finding recently that my Adderall causes me many leas problems now that I drink the shakes. But it has to be like clockwork - as if the shakes were medicine ...

I have the same problem with not caring to eat when I take my meds. I used to take off the weekends to give myself a "med break" to be able to eat normal, but it ended up making me depressed.

I now take half my dose on the weekends to be able to eat, and not feel the total effects of not taking it.

By the way, what kind of protein shakes are good to take, I dont want to beef up, I just want to intake a normal amount of calories a day.

I am on 60mg XR in the am and 10mg IR at 5pm. Hearing things that don't exist is quite scarey and it tweaks me out, I find that I too have this problem, I think it is due to the development of speed psychosis. I will hear my name or hear a familiar sound even though it truely isn't there. This has caused me much stress and anxiety because I will be trying to relax and get comfy when I will hear my name or a sound and I will tense up. It has me doubting things and that is of no benefit. At the same time I know that if i am not on adderall for even a day, I get the worst withdrawal effects, I get moody, severely depressed, and yes, suicidal. It usually takes me a few days back on the adderall routine to lift me out from the negative withdrawal aftermath.
I have stimulant induced anerexia from this medication. As others have mentioned in here, food is repulsive even when it is just being brought up in conversation. I have to force myself to eat and push myself to eat more than what my senses tell me to. Even doing so I do not gain weight and my friends still worry about the amount of food I am eating. Stopping routine dosage just makes things worse since the withdrawal depression makes me not care if i eat because i rather not be alive. I find myself stuck in a possition where I can either continue functioning in daily life, or quit stimulants and risk the tragic life that untreated ADHD combined with dysthymic disorder brings.
The best thing i have found that works for eating more, is to take half of what you normally take one day of the week, make sure that you have no big things to do such as school or work. Never abuse this drug by opening the capsules, and never do anything but swallow the medication. The last thing you need is to peak over into a severe case of psychosis that my be a one way path. If you start hearing things more often, or begin to see things that you swear you saw (such an example is entering a room, seeing something on a shelf, when you look back to the shelf seconds later, you don't see anything of the sort) you must seek inpatient care at your local hospitals mental health ward.
I know when I was on ritilin, after about three years on it, I had the seeing things problem, although it was minor, it always tweaked me out, putting me into a state of comfusion and doubt. I never got help for it, but after I switched to concerta things mellowed out to where i was no longer having that experiance. Then when concerta seemed to stop working after several years of use, I switched to Adderall which was a completely new experiance and very potent. I have used adderall for about two years now and I moved from 20mg XR to where I am now. I found that even on a low dose, missing a dose is dramatic in its effects. It is best to always take the med and always at the same time of day. Skipping doses causes trouble that is best advoided.

One additional thing I have noticed from a life of being on stimulants is the severe tense back and neck muscles. Almost all of my girlfriends have had little luck in relaxing them. Is this just one additional side effect of the drug since it sparks the "fight or flight" system? I am thinking it is, but I can use feedback.

HI, I am looking for some input. I have been on ADD meds for 3 years. I am 45.
My first med was a non-stimulant. It did not work for me. Then I switched to Metadate timed release. That worked for me very well but I have medicare and they have made all those changes of what they cover and do not cover and they will not cover that. I now take Methylfenidate. It works for about 3 1/2 hours, then I just totally crash. I get angery, hostile, short tempered, frustrated. I just hate having to perform a task or be somewhere with other people when it wears off. I never experienced that on Metadate.

I was considering trying Adderall XR. I called and found out that I would be covered. I am just wondering what kind of success people have had with it.

I take Adderall XR and I have found it very helpful. I have never taken the reg adderall but the XR is supposedly smoother. Since it does last longer than the reg you have to give this med some time to figure out how much longer, when during the day to take it, and how much. So, yes it may be trickier to figure out than the reg, but I feel like for me it lasts in my system longer than I actually "feel", and I like that.

FYI- the first couple weeks I was on it, I was very irritable and felt groggy. But it did go away after that and since then it has worked great! So, if you do try it, give it at least 2-3 weeks.

I like it. I take them early in the day. It works like a charm.

HI, I am looking for some input. I have been on ADD meds for 3 years. I am 45.
My first med was a non-stimulant. It did not work for me. Then I switched to Metadate timed release. That worked for me very well but I have medicare and they have made all those changes of what they cover and do not cover and they will not cover that. I now take Methylfenidate. It works for about 3 1/2 hours, then I just totally crash. I get angery, hostile, short tempered, frustrated. I just hate having to perform a task or be somewhere with other people when it wears off. I never experienced that on Metadate.

I was considering trying Adderall XR. I called and found out that I would be covered. I am just wondering what kind of success people have had with it.

Yes. I recently added 3 protein shakes a day (EAS Myoplex) - one in AM, AFT, and PM. It adds about 900 cals of slow burning protein. SInce I never liked to eat much meat - it has also helped me main a good protein balance.

I'm finding recently that my Adderall causes me many leas problems now that I drink the shakes. But it has to be like clockwork - as if the shakes were medicine ...i have also noticed that the more protien i eat thru the day the better i feel... there are days when i kinow that im not eating enough (i run 5-7 miles 6 days per week) and trust me i feel it the next day if i dont eat enough. i guess its my metabolism but i also find that if i dont eat steadily through the day i feel bloated and tired.

I am 6'2 230 if I take more then 40mgs a day I would think the CIA was following me around.... wow thats a lot of Adderall for such a small women. I would get some anavar

IIRC, size doesn't correlate directly to dose the way it does in some other drugs. Don't kids get way higher doses than adults?

Yes you are right about that.

It all depends on how it affects your body. A lot of times, if you are small, you actually need more because it doesn't stay in your system as long. If you dont have a lot of fat in you, you may have to take more to keep more in you.

Im a pretty small person, and it runs through me fast! I thought my doctor would be surprised when I told him this, but he told me that is normal.

My son had the first two issues, and putting him on IR really helped. He only has one dose, but it doesn't seem to wear off until about 6pm, and he takes it at 7am. I would talk to your doc, and see if this is an opption for you. If not I have heard good things about stratera.
Lots of luck,
Jme