LucPA
05-18-06, 01:47 PM
Well, I begin my posting on the forums here in the hopes to be able to help out everyone, as I've been unable to find help through my struggles in my years with my diagnosis(es?) as it always seems that no one ever experienced my problems, their remedies didn't work for me, or vice versa. However, in relation to adderall, I hope to have a ton of information that'll help anyone. First a little background :)
I'm 27 years old, been dual diagnosed ADHD/bipolar (its tough to diagnose because of the symptons, but we're pretty sure its been nailed down) for about 15-16 years. I've been hospitalized several times. I've been on all the mood stabilizers that the market could offer, I've been on standard SSRI antidepressants (Zoloft, Prozac and the likes, what a mess), I've been on everything short of dexedrine that has been approved for ADHD use (a short history of drug abuse had convinced my doc to keep me off of it) and never experienced such success as I have had with adderall. Its successfully contained my manic episodes, and its been able to keep my mind straight without wandering all over well enough to hold down employment, most recently a great job as well. The big plus is that after a few realizations is that the big problem with stimulants that I have felt in the past (the "stifling" of creativity) has been avoided by a few changes.
Okay, here comes the informational part! First of all - Chances are that if you've been on adderall for a period of time exceeding 4-6 months and have increased your dosage more than once, you are probably on too high a dose. We (humans) don't neccessarily develop a tolerance to the actual beneficial effects of adderall, however we DO develop a tolerance to the initial rush feeling that it gives us, the jump that it might put in us the minute we take it in the morning. This is VERY OFTEN misconstrued as not working as well. Many times docs don't even consider this when people say its not working anymore. Be very mindful. Is your mind REALLY wandering to the point that you can't control your actions, and you can't stay organized and on track, or you just don't have that feeling of Boom its time to go when you first take it? (This is significantly lessened in the XR capsule, and they will tell you its eliminated completely but I used to be on XR as well, and I'll tell you its still there). Keep this in mind.
Heres another interesting part - this is probably on the board already, and is readily available to find out, however its so amazing how well it works I want to repeat it. People with ADHD for whatever reason tend to have a defeciency in magnesium. Adderall also causes a defeciency in magnesium over time. Magnesium will also assist in keeping the medication in your system longer, and its also good for your heart rhythm as well, which is an unpleasant side effect some get from adderall as well. The addition of one 300mg magnesium suppliment (actually I'm using a calcium/magnesium sup) allowed me to remove 10mg a day adderall without issue, and I feel I'm actually sleeping better. Give it a shot.
Adderall XR is a strange one. I could never get anyone else to confirm this happened to them, but I'll put it out there for you to consider. I couldn't take XR because it was waaay too erradict with how long it lasted. I was taking one XR then 15MG regular adderall when I felt it wearing off about a year and a half ago, when I started to notice some days the XR would wear off to the point I was ready to fall asleep 8 hours after I took it, sometimes 6 hours, sometimes 12 hours. This unpredictability led me to switching back to standard adderall tabs that really had a much more predicatable lifespan, regardless of being a bit more of a pain in the butt to take.
Another comment on the strength of the medicine. Its well known that adderall tends to supress the appetite. This is all well and good, but don't forget to get proper nutrition. I read about people losing weight, and talking about being underweight. Then they go on to complain about the adderall no longer working and they're not able to concentrate and they are tired all the time. If you're not eating, and your body doesn't have the fuel to keep itself going, you will be tired regardless of what medicines you are taking. Whats worse is that if you're not eating properly and your body is losing muscle mass, you'll be worse off than when you started!
I hope this information helps, I know its a lot at once, but these are issues that I have realized over time, and that have affected me, in respect specifically to adderall. Its a fantastic medication thats really changed my life, and properly used, can make a positive impact for many people. For all, I hope the best.
I'm 27 years old, been dual diagnosed ADHD/bipolar (its tough to diagnose because of the symptons, but we're pretty sure its been nailed down) for about 15-16 years. I've been hospitalized several times. I've been on all the mood stabilizers that the market could offer, I've been on standard SSRI antidepressants (Zoloft, Prozac and the likes, what a mess), I've been on everything short of dexedrine that has been approved for ADHD use (a short history of drug abuse had convinced my doc to keep me off of it) and never experienced such success as I have had with adderall. Its successfully contained my manic episodes, and its been able to keep my mind straight without wandering all over well enough to hold down employment, most recently a great job as well. The big plus is that after a few realizations is that the big problem with stimulants that I have felt in the past (the "stifling" of creativity) has been avoided by a few changes.
Okay, here comes the informational part! First of all - Chances are that if you've been on adderall for a period of time exceeding 4-6 months and have increased your dosage more than once, you are probably on too high a dose. We (humans) don't neccessarily develop a tolerance to the actual beneficial effects of adderall, however we DO develop a tolerance to the initial rush feeling that it gives us, the jump that it might put in us the minute we take it in the morning. This is VERY OFTEN misconstrued as not working as well. Many times docs don't even consider this when people say its not working anymore. Be very mindful. Is your mind REALLY wandering to the point that you can't control your actions, and you can't stay organized and on track, or you just don't have that feeling of Boom its time to go when you first take it? (This is significantly lessened in the XR capsule, and they will tell you its eliminated completely but I used to be on XR as well, and I'll tell you its still there). Keep this in mind.
Heres another interesting part - this is probably on the board already, and is readily available to find out, however its so amazing how well it works I want to repeat it. People with ADHD for whatever reason tend to have a defeciency in magnesium. Adderall also causes a defeciency in magnesium over time. Magnesium will also assist in keeping the medication in your system longer, and its also good for your heart rhythm as well, which is an unpleasant side effect some get from adderall as well. The addition of one 300mg magnesium suppliment (actually I'm using a calcium/magnesium sup) allowed me to remove 10mg a day adderall without issue, and I feel I'm actually sleeping better. Give it a shot.
Adderall XR is a strange one. I could never get anyone else to confirm this happened to them, but I'll put it out there for you to consider. I couldn't take XR because it was waaay too erradict with how long it lasted. I was taking one XR then 15MG regular adderall when I felt it wearing off about a year and a half ago, when I started to notice some days the XR would wear off to the point I was ready to fall asleep 8 hours after I took it, sometimes 6 hours, sometimes 12 hours. This unpredictability led me to switching back to standard adderall tabs that really had a much more predicatable lifespan, regardless of being a bit more of a pain in the butt to take.
Another comment on the strength of the medicine. Its well known that adderall tends to supress the appetite. This is all well and good, but don't forget to get proper nutrition. I read about people losing weight, and talking about being underweight. Then they go on to complain about the adderall no longer working and they're not able to concentrate and they are tired all the time. If you're not eating, and your body doesn't have the fuel to keep itself going, you will be tired regardless of what medicines you are taking. Whats worse is that if you're not eating properly and your body is losing muscle mass, you'll be worse off than when you started!
I hope this information helps, I know its a lot at once, but these are issues that I have realized over time, and that have affected me, in respect specifically to adderall. Its a fantastic medication thats really changed my life, and properly used, can make a positive impact for many people. For all, I hope the best.