since i've started taking adderall a little over 2 months ago, i've been really moody. i mean don't people usually say that they get happier on it.. & isn't it sometimes prescribed for treatment resistant depression? i was looking at the side effect sheet for adderall or something i'm not exactly sure if it was the official one, but it said a common side effect is "emotional lability" which is unstable emotions.. i believe..? i like what adderall is doing for me education-wise so far, in fact i think i should increase my dosage (im taking 30mg xr). but does anyone get this side effect w/ a stimulant or had this side effect adn changed stims and it was better? or did anyone add another med like an ssri to even out your mood? i'm also on wellbutrin n i've never had mood problems w/ that but i was thinking maybe i should drop the wellbutrin b/c maybe it doesn't play nice with adderall. can anyone help? thanks in advance! :)

I'd really encourage you to discuss this with your doctor. It may just be "settlin' in" stuff, but if there are any undiagnosed underlying bipolar issues, stimulants and anti depressants can sometimes bring them to the surface or make them worse.

My daughter got more aggressive on stimulant medication (we took her off it), and for several months I had huge feelings of rage, especially as the medication was wearing off. That eventually passed (thankfully!). But I did discuss it with my psychologist at the time -- a professional outsider's opinion is good to have when you're adjusting to medication.<O:p></O:p>


Take care,
Scattered

Speaking to the doctor is a good idea when it comes to combining stimulants and antidepressants. Some may or may not play nicely and even if you can take them together you will respond differently than i would on the same combo. So make sure to speak to the doctor...

Ritalin makes me feel this way from time to time(emotional lability). I don't know if this means their is an element of bipolar disorder or not. I could imagine stimulants creating these symptoms in non bipolar patients also. perhaps a small dose of atypical antipsychotic or antihypertensive may help. Talk to your doctor.:)

What are your meds? On more than one? That can do it.

what combination of medications could cause emotional lability? Are you talking about multiple stimulants or antidepressant + stimulant etc.

What are your meds? On more than one? That can do it.Good point -- sometimes even supplements and such you take can do this. For example, when I started taking Estroven ES with my Concerta, the first day I was flying high as a kite -- I looked and sounded like I was hypomanic. I had to lower my dose of Concerta. That's why this is a good thing to discuss with a doctor and be sure they know everything you're taking.

Scattered

woops, i forgot about this thread haha. um i hope i'm not bipolar! what are antipsychotics? i don't like the sound of them..lol. to answer your question, i'm taking adderall xr 30mg and wellbutrin xl 300mg. and i take tylenol pretty much everyday, but that doesn't have any interactions htat i know of. i hoping i am just overstimulated.. maybe i can halve the wellbutrin dose? its not like wellbutrin does jack for my adhd...

the combination of adderall and wellbutrin could be the cause. Perhaps lowering doses would help.:)

Why do you need to take Tylenol almost every day?

woops, i forgot about this thread haha. um i hope i'm not bipolar! what are antipsychotics? i don't like the sound of them..lol. Antipsychotics are also known as major tranquilizers, as opposed to minor tranquilizers like the benzodiazapines et. al. In high doses they are effective for sedating and stabilizing psychotic patients. In low doses they are very effective for anxiety and mood stability. I take 3-5mg tabs of Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic, daily, and suffer no side effects. I also happen to be bipolar, not psychotic in any way.

The comorbidity rate between ADHD and bipolar disorders is very, very high, by the way. Many members here have a dual diagonosis.

I think this tends to be more common with Adderall than other stimulants, but I'm not sure on that. I don't think I get "moody" on it... I tend to get along better with others while on it. However, I do tend to be more "serious" while on it.

Why do you need to take Tylenol almost every day?

i get bad headaches pretty much everyday. i went to the doc about it back in december and he told me i had a sinus infection and gave me some antibiotics lol. but yeah, there's not much i can do about them except take tylenol.. NSAIDs hurt my stomach way too much.


Antipsychotics are also known as major tranquilizers, as opposed to minor tranquilizers like the benzodiazapines et. al. In high doses they are effective for sedating and stabilizing psychotic patients. In low doses they are very effective for anxiety and mood stability. I take 3-5mg tabs of Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic, daily, and suffer no side effects. I also happen to be bipolar, not psychotic in any way.

The comorbidity rate between ADHD and bipolar disorders is very, very high, by the way. Many members here have a dual diagonosis.


thank you for the info. i think mood stabilizing would probably be a good thing for me. i hate the ups and downs of stimulants... i'm seeing my doc on thursday, i'll see what she says about it.

I think this tends to be more common with Adderall than other stimulants, but I'm not sure on that. I don't think I get "moody" on it... I tend to get along better with others while on it. However, I do tend to be more "serious" while on it.

yeah i think i get more serious too, almost to the point of being like annoyed with people for talking lol. maybe its working too well on the impulsivity thing, i find myself holding my tongue way too often.

thank you for the info. i think mood stabilizing would probably be a good thing for me. i hate the ups and downs of stimulants... i'm seeing my doc on thursday, i'll see what she says about it. I'd encourage you to research the side effects of mood stabilizing medication (weight gain, movement disorders, etc) -- for some they can be quite severe. Sometimes they are unavoidably necessary, but I'd be cautious about taking them unless you have to.

http://www.medicinenet.com/bipolar_disorder/page6.htm

Medication Side Effects

Before starting a new medication for bipolar disorder, always talk with your psychiatrist and/or pharmacist about possible side effects. Depending on the medication, side effects may include weight gain, nausea, tremor (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=504), reduced sexual drive or performance, anxiety (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=42985), hair loss (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10560), movement problems, or dry mouth (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43095). Be sure to tell the doctor about all side effects you notice during treatment. He or she may be able to change the dose or offer a different medication to relieve them. Your medication should not be changed or stopped without the psychiatrist's guidance.Just for clarity the "movement disorders" can include uncontrollable urge to stick you tongue out, chew the inside of your cheek, move your jaw, twist you neck, etc. Having developed a movement disorder on medication, in my case it was only Prozac which is unusual but does happen, I can tell you it's no fun. It also rendered me unable to take my ADD medicine without severe relapse of "chewing the cud" action. The weight gain can at times be significant as well. If bipolar manic episodes are involved, you have to weigh risks of medication again the very substantial risk of mania, but if it's just ADD ups and downs -- exercise, Omega III fatty acids, and such are also helpful and very healthy options to explore or perhaps a longer acting ADD medication. This is a good subject to explore with your doctor.

Take care,

Scattered

scattered -
thanks for your concern, i certainly wouldn't take anything with severe side effects if i didn't have to.

i know that i can't rely on pills for everything, too. the first thing i want to do is lower my wellbutrin xl doseage or possibly wean off it. i have no idea what exactly is causing my mood ups and downs, so its hard to come up with a solution. i'm not exactly sure what to even call what i'm feeling, lol. i looked into bipolar though, and i've never had a manic episode in the way they've described it, so i'm pretty sure it's not that. maybe i'm just anxious b/c i'm overstimulated by meds; that's the best explanation i can think of right now...

does anyone know of a "smoother" add drug than adderall xr? i know this probably goes against common sense, but i was thinking that regular adderall might be good. i mean, with xr you're not really sure how much adderall is in your system (actively working) at any given time or how its releasing and whatnot, and it seems like ir would be more predictable...

The med thing is so individual for each person. The short acting does better for some people -- worse for others. Have you tried Strattera -- again for some it's not as good, but for some they report great success and more stability. It was originally designed as an anti depressant but wasn't as good as some others, but was found helpful for ADD. Hopefully your doctor is up on the options. I've also heard some people say Dexedrine is smoother. I have no experience with either of these and your experience would probably be different anyway.

Good luck!
Scattered