I haven't taken Dex in a few weeks, like a month and a bit, but I am still chewing the inside of my cheeks, and lips.

I didn't take a high dose. I think it was "Five 5mg tabs" daily, but I can't remember anything to do with numbers. Anyway, the most I ever took in a day was ten as an "experiment", in a short space of time. Never again. There is a big difference between the mild noticeable feeling of five throughout the day, and ten. Aside from that I rarely went past the prescribed.

Anyway, like most people, I don't want to chew a hole through my cheek.

When I was twelve a stranger with holes, not of a surgical nature, clean through his cheeks asked me if he could bum one of my smokes.

I've got this image of this guy in my head.
So I'm ****ting myself a little each day, wondering when I'm "gonna get through."

The inside of my mouth looks bad, the sides getting pinkish white mounds of flesh in the shape of teeth dents pushed toward the bottom.

Advice? That is not "see a doctor."

Also, everything I read says, in small doses, it does not stay in the system long or make many changes in the brain.

I can still feel it in my head.

There are changes to my behaviour I can't seem to help. How long will they last?

I don't want to be a totally dull person, which is the actual reason I stopped taking them because they made me feel that way.

hmm thats strange, ive never heard of people still having jaw tension for over a month after they stopped but your muscles in your cheeks could be so use'd to bitting down they do it out of habi ti would recommend if oyu are reall yparanoid about it to go see a dentis they can give you a plastic piece to put in your mouth to keep you from bitting down (although usually NOT covered by insurance, its fairly expensive at about 350 for me (my insurance wouldnt pay and the quote was about 350))

If Tourettes or Tardive Dykensia was triggered it can last beyond when you stop the medication. I don't think it's very common but it does happen. It happened to me too with a Prozac and Concerta Combo and both stimulents and SSRI's are listed as potential triggers for TD and stimulents for Tourettes. I quit my medication almost 5 weeks ago and am still chewing the inside of my cheek. If it's TD (and I don't know how to tell the difference since one type of TD is Tourettism which is a drug induced Tourettes) some studies have shown that if the duration was less than five years on the medication that Vitamin E may help. Some places say to start with 800 mg a day. Obviously I don't have the answer since, I'm still chewing away too. Hopefully in time it will remit, although unfortunately not all cases do.

Hope things are back to normal soon!
Scattered

http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic362.htm#target3

You might check out this link to learn more. They list TD symptoms like chewing, etc and give a list of drugs that are associated with this including stimulent medication. It also gives a description and bit of background on TD and Tourettism.

Although TD has been observed after exposure to various substances (eg, L-dopa, amphetamine, metoclopramide), the prototype TD is the orofacial (ie, buccolingual, masticatory), hyperkinesias induced by neuroleptics (antipsychotic dopamine D<SUB>2</SUB>-receptor blockers). People with other movement disorders and those with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of TD.
Do you have any family history of Tourettes or tic disorder? Tardive Dykensia is more often seen from the anti psychotic medications but like it mentioned L-dopa and amphetiamine have also been known to trigger it as well as a number of other medication, but much less frequently than the anti psychotics).


Scattered

thanks a lot. Shall be sure to check it out.
Any other suggestions will be most appreciated.

dotn forget gum!
gum might make your jaw hurt but if you get a good long lasting flavored gum (i highly recommend Stride gum) take 2 or 3 pieces (a good sized ammount atleast) and chew it its better to have a sore jaw for a week and a 100$ gum bill than a hole in your cheek, and a 1000$ dentist bill (or plastic surgery bill)

dotn forget gum!
gum might make your jaw hurt but if you get a good long lasting flavored gum (i highly recommend Stride gum) take 2 or 3 pieces (a good sized ammount atleast) and chew it its better to have a sore jaw for a week and a 100$ gum bill than a hole in your cheek, and a 1000$ dentist bill (or plastic surgery bill)I tried this unfortunately and managed to bite my cheek while I was chewing (I occasionally have the same problem eating).:eyebrow: Anyway, I discussed this all with my therapist the other day, he feels my cheek chewing and eye twitch and such are motor tics probably exaserbated by medication (I had some preexisting minor non problematic tics before). He said lot of ADDers had motor tics and obsessive tendencies -- those three are frequently seen together. He also said in my case it might or might not being an ongoing part of my life. I guess each of us is pretty unique -- I know some people's tics actually get better on stimulent medication even though the warning labels suggestions not using it if there is a family history of Tourettes.

My dentist told me that daytime mouth guards are available, if this problem continues, so that might be an option too.

I've found that for me not fighting it has been very helpful. I was getting pretty angry and feeling very broken and decided to give that all over to my Higher Power and get on with life. I've got a lot to be grateful for and I find I do much better when I focus on that. I'm still chewing but it's not as problematic now that I've stopped fighting it emotionally. I think the stress I was causing myself over it actually made it worse. As my counselor said, "Oh well ...." Some thing in life just are.


Scattered

Thanks Just.
I'll give it a shot.
..I hate dentists.

going to them anyway. Maybe If I make my jaw sore it will give up?

Thanks scattered.
Sometimes acceptance, regretfully, is a necessary thing in life, and it's better to get it sooner than later sometimes, only
I just never remember that when I should, so it's good to have someone remind me. Reflect the good stuff, yknow?

Just hope I don't get that big ol hole in my face.

Maybe I gotta go pay for that doc with big money and big time......

sucks...that's life sometimes I guess.
Back to it.

Thanks Just.
I'll give it a shot.
..I hate dentists.

going to them anyway. Maybe If I make my jaw sore it will give up?

Thanks scattered.
Sometimes acceptance, regretfully, is a necessary thing in life, and it's better to get it sooner than later sometimes, only
I just never remember that when I should, so it's good to have someone remind me. Reflect the good stuff, yknow?

Just hope I don't get that big ol hole in my face.

Maybe I gotta go pay for that doc with big money and big time......

sucks...that's life sometimes I guess.
Back to it.I'm pretty sure the hole in the cheek is unlikely, although some folks do cause some more minor injury to their cheeks. Just guessing but the guy you saw was probably either on some illegal drugs or a victim of oral cancer.

If you're off the medication there is at least a 50% chance this will go away. My doctor said it can take a while after you quit to improve. I've even heard of 6 months to a year scenarios.

Reflecting the good stuff is always a good idea, I think. It also really helped me to be able to talk to my counselor about my feelings (or someone who's a good mate in any case!).

tc,
Scattered