Hi,

I have been on everything since I was 17.. Adderall, Concerta, Strattera, and now Adderall XR. Has anyone taken these medications, gained tolerance to them, stopped taking them and actually seen improvement in their symptoms after getting off the meds?

Your tolerance will go down over time, and you should be able to get back on medication again; possibly at a lower dosage than before.

I don't know if your ADHD symptoms would get better over time beyond the point of losing tolerance to meds. It's my understanding that ADHD is a chronic condition and would require lifelong treatment. YMMV though.

AD/HD is so variable and unpredictable that your post is a hard sell.

Hi,

I have been on everything since I was 17.. Adderall, Concerta, Strattera, and now Adderall XR. Has anyone taken these medications, gained tolerance to them, stopped taking them and actually seen improvement in their symptoms after getting off the meds?

No --- wait, all at once? No, wait...what?

:confused:

No.. ha... at different points in time.. never in conjunction with one another.

In answer to your original question -- yes and no! How is that for an answer?:p

Let me elaborate -- while I didn't develop tolerance, I had to get off Concerta because when it was combined with Prozac I got some very nasty side effects. I found that I actually got more done and got myself better together after I got off medication. Here is what I think happened -- while my ADD symptoms (forgetfulness, organizational issues, problems with time, etc) came back in full force, I knew there was no magic pill that was going to fix things for me and that it was up to me to make things different, or I was going to be a real mess. I started reading some of those boring organization books and putting into practice the things my ADD specialist had been telling me all along (writing everything down, carrying a planner with me, exercising, etc.). That combined with the fact that I also didn't have the attention span to stay on the computer as long actual helped me get more done. I was slower, but it actually got done. I started taking responsibility for me and it really made a difference. I'm also more mellow and easier to get along with off medication, which helped my marriage. I felt good, because I was accomplishing those things without medication which made me feel good too. I also learned a lot more about focusing on my strengths and getting help with my weak areas (this included family, friends, psychologist, work associates, and God).

The no part of course is that yes I still had ADD problems, but I learned to adjust my schedule, ask for help, and actually use those organizational tid bits that really work (but only when used!). Sometimes I would still mess up -- so I learned to say I'm sorry without beating myself up for it.