Less Adderall absorbtion due to irritable bowel syndrome??

[gqprince]

Hey guys, I'm posting this because I know there are experienced people on this site and I need their input.

I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) for 7 years. Well 7 years ago I decided to go to vacation in the Indian subcontinent and I stupidly drank unfiltered water..I know very stupid. And I ate various food. I got very sick in couple of days and when I came back to the US my doctor put me on antibiotics and she took a stool sample. That doctor never got back to me and I didnt have insurance so I let it go and I tried to cope with my IBS. And for 7 years I was wondering what is wrong with me. I became lactose intolerant all of a sudden so I take lactase pills before eating anything dairy. And my stools would be loose and very loose depending on the day, and no one else in my family has this symptom.

I'm 27 years old and recently, about 3 weeks ago, I got diagnosed with ADD, and I was placed on Adderall XR, I heard bad stuff about the generic so I paid an arm and a leg for the brand name Shire Adderall XR 15 mg, since I don't have insurance.

My experience with brand name Adderall XR: The first 3 days was great, I was able to focus like no tomorrow. The first day I did get euphoria but I guess it's normal. Then all of a sudden on the 4th day my focus wasn't as a strong, keep in mind I using brand name Shire and I know my tolerance shouldn't form that fast. I called my doctor and he put me on Adderall IR 10 mg for the afternoon. It helped slightly but it wasn't as great. I noticed that the days I get diarrhea my focus is way off. One thing I can remember is that I used to drink Apple Cider Vinegar (diluted with water of course) often until I started taking Adderall. I drink Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) often because of my stomach aches that would occur at random times in the week and ACV would help it go away the next day. I stopped drinking Apple Cider Vinegar because I was afraid of drug interaction of Adderall with the acidic ACV.

Today, I read about IBS so I drank ACV. Also, I started on a probiotic, which I never tried before. I heard that probiotic rids IBS syndromes for better absorbtion.

My question is, did my Adderall XR effects subside because of malabsorbtion? Keep in mind this is Adderall XR 15 mg. So im getting 7.5 mg. I don't do drugs, nor smoke, nor drink alcohol. My diet is mostly Indian cuisine with salad and fruits throughout the week.

[fracturedstory]

Hmm, come to think of it I find it harder to concentrate when I have IBS. I thought I was just being irritable for having irritable bowel syndrome.

I actually don't know for sure, but I relate.

[spunkysmum]

If the onset of your IBS coincided with your illness after drinking unfiltered water on that vacation 7 years ago, you should absolutely get checked out again for parasites or whatever other possibilities there are for causes of your problems that could stem from that incident. It was really irresponsible for that doctor not to get back to you - even if you tested negative for whatever you were being tested for, for the sake of your information. I'd definitely follow up on that if I were you. If those problems could be explained, and even better, solved, it could improve the quality of your life quite a bit.

[JR1973]

Yes it could certainly effect Adderall XR. You should be fine with the initial dose but the extended release portion *could* be weakened or totally negated if you have an IBS episode. My ex-wife had Crohn's disease (the wicked stepmother of IBS) and she had to switch most of her oral meds to other types (such as patches).

You might want to discuss with your doctor and come up with a cost effective solution. Switching to generic IR Adderall would be cheaper. You would just have to take more per day.

[Divacai]

I have IBS. IMHO, I agree with the others and going to the Dr and covering all your bases.

IBS can be controlled by making sure you eat enough fiber in your diet and avoid the things that trigger it. One of the things that helped me get my IBS under control in the beginning was taking fiber chewable pills every day. Since I started taking Adderall I actually have less incident of IBS attacks, mainly because I eat less and am able to make better food choices when I eat meals.

[Divacai]

I read further your post. Switch to water and stop drinking the ACV when you take your Adderall. I think that's where your problem lays. Drinking anything acidic, coffee, juice, soda...in your case ACV causes the meds to filter thru your system faster.

In my experienc it was coffee, I had to wean my self slowly off drinking the mass quantities of coffee I was used to, now I just drink water all day and the effects of my meds last way longer than before.

[Traveler5]

I can't address your absorbtion question. I don't know because I was diagnosed with ADHD only a few months ago and have been on Adderall IR 30mg per day since then. But I do want to say something about your IBS and hopefully it helps you.

First off, have you been officially diagnosed with IBS? If not, your symptoms could be many different things -- to include lactose intolerant -- some of the symptoms of IBS are very similar to more serious conditions such as Chron's disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Despite not having insurance, go to a doctor anyway. You may not be lactose intolerant after all and it may save you some serious grief down the road.

I was diagnosed with IBS (diarrhea type) over 20 years ago and have been dealing with it on a regular basis. I used to take Fiber Con everyday for many years, which helped until one day a few years ago I was hit with mega diarrhea with a vengeance -- it was terrible. My GI doctor suggested I try probiotics which has been a life-saver for me.

Just prior to starting the probiotics, I had massive sinus infections and was on at the time multiple antibiotics (some of them were very powerful) for several weeks. According to my doctor the antibiotics killed the "good bacteria" in me, that's in everybody's gut. Once good bacteria is depleted your gut reacts and causes diarrhea. After taking the probiotics the severe diarrhea I had disappeared but my IBS returned to a lesser degree so I went back on the probiotics to see what happened. As far as I'm concerned, probiotics are one more pill I HAVE to take everyday but totally worth it to me. As long as I stay on the stuff my gut is fine. When I miss 3 or 4 days I'm back to having IBS problems.

I'm not certain what kicked-off my IBS years ago, but I do know that prior to the onset I was on antibiotics for, you guessed it, a sinus infection (since then I have add two sinus surgeries). I highly suspect the antibiotics killed the good bacteria and put me on track to have, and live with, IBS for the rest of my life.

It sounds like your doctor put you on antibiotics for possible Giardia. I'm wondering if you were on it for very long, because as I say, the antibiotics can wreck havoc on your gut like they did mine which may have started the IBS ball rolling for you.

Long-story short, if you're having chronic gut problems, odds are taking a probiotic daily will help you. Maybe even if your problem is not IBS but something else. As far as IBS goes, preventative measures can really help. Drink a lot of water. Stay away from foods that have any kind of legume beans in it -- to include peanuts. Stay away from eating a lot of greasy fried foods. A lot of sugar can cause problems especially dark chocolate and Coke. Also, make sure you eat a lot of high-fiber foods.

Oh, by the way, STRESS can put IBS on a full-steam ahead path. IBS and anxiety go hand in hand. In fact, studies show that people who have IBS are also dealing with some kind of anxiety disorder. For me, I have GAD which I've had since I was a teen.

Good luck!

[gqprince]

I appreciate everyone's response, thank you. Your opinions help a lot.

Here is a my update:
Update #1: I called up a family friend, who is a resident doctor in another state, and he suggested getting a total blood count, which can measure my Iron, Folic Acid, and B12. I plan to do that whenever I get the chance. I studying for a big board exam so my schedule is tight with little free time.

Update #2: I took the probiotics, the 30 capsule Culturelle brand from the Vitamin Shoppe. And all I can say is it's a LIFE-SAVER!!! I have yet to have any unusual stools and I feel so much better. I don't get bloating or cramps after I eat. And Traverls5, I had a feeling I'm not lactose intolerant because I can eat ice cream few times and nothing happens so yeah.

Update#3: I'm guessing for the past years I wasn't absorbing enough vitamins and minerals due to my IBS, may be that's why my Adderall is not working because I know the nutrients are VERY important for catecholamine synthesis (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and especially dopamine). So I bought chelated Magnesium (the glycinate/lysinate form), Vitamin B6 100mg, L-Tyrosine 500mg, which I will take at night on top of my Multivitamin. I'm not much of a meat eater so I know I need the L-tyrosine for the catecholamine synthesis. I'm taking these to replenish my catecholamines and to reduce my Adderall tolerance even though I've been on it for three weeks with one Adderall XR 15 mg and Adderall IR 10 mg.

[oneup]

Glad you figured it out. I've had similar problems. I'm hoping to switch to IR adderall soon.

[Traveler5]

Originally Posted by gqprince

I appreciate everyone's response, thank you. Your opinions help a lot.

Here is a my update:
Update #1: I called up a family friend, who is a resident doctor in another state, and he suggested getting a total blood count, which can measure my Iron, Folic Acid, and B12. I plan to do that whenever I get the chance. I studying for a big board exam so my schedule is tight with little free time.

Update #2: I took the probiotics, the 30 capsule Culturelle brand from the Vitamin Shoppe. And all I can say is it's a LIFE-SAVER!!! I have yet to have any unusual stools and I feel so much better. I don't get bloating or cramps after I eat. And Traverls5, I had a feeling I'm not lactose intolerant because I can eat ice cream few times and nothing happens so yeah.

Update#3: I'm guessing for the past years I wasn't absorbing enough vitamins and minerals due to my IBS, may be that's why my Adderall is not working because I know the nutrients are VERY important for catecholamine synthesis (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and especially dopamine). So I bought chelated Magnesium (the glycinate/lysinate form), Vitamin B6 100mg, L-Tyrosine 500mg, which I will take at night on top of my Multivitamin. I'm not much of a meat eater so I know I need the L-tyrosine for the catecholamine synthesis. I'm taking these to replenish my catecholamines and to reduce my Adderall tolerance even though I've been on it for three weeks with one Adderall XR 15 mg and Adderall IR 10 mg.

Now that I think about it, if a person is experiencing diarrhea for whatever reason, I can see where absorption of a med would be lessened because of the way the gut processes what is consumed. In terms of meds, and how they're absorbed into a person's system through the intestinal wall, I can see how Adderall XR's effectiveness would be diminished because the flow of matter in the bowel is greatly accelerated from having diarrhea. Adderall XR would not "sit" in there long enough to get fully absorbed.

Hopefully this won't be an issue when the diarrhea stops. I believe Adderall IR would do a better job for you instead XR during bouts of diarrhea. This is totally a guess. I could be dead wrong in how drugs are absorbed during diarrhea but it makes sense to me

[gqprince]

hey guys, here is my update...my stomach is so much better (thank God) and I actually got my work done efficiently today. The feeling of satisfaction is incredible, just like when I started taking Adderall on the first day.

I'm also taking the supplements required in order to replenish my neurotransmitters every night so I'm sure they are helping significantly.

[blindsight]

I think its great that you have found a solution to your problem and I think this is a great post for others to refer to when they have problems with their medication - a major problem area could be your stomach.

However, I would like that add to what a previous poster said about taking less acid - this is definately true. However, if you have way too little acid in your stomach, this can also lead to the reduction in effectiveness of adderall but in a different way. This this case it really wouldn't be a good idea to try to reduce it further. If you have too little stomach acid, you basically feel wired up and the adderall coming in sharp spikes but you feel terrible and hardly get any of the positive effects from adderall.

This may not be the issue with the OP since the problem seems fixed. However, this is a caveat for any reader who is thinking of changing their stomach acid patterns in regards to lack of adderall effectiveness. I would recommend to get a stomach acid test done in this case (there's also a simple baking soda test that you can do at home to give a rough idea).

[425runner]

I have IBS too and when the diarrhea strikes I feel like hell, no matter if I took my meds or not. Stress makes it a lot worse and it becomes a vicious cycle, you take your meds hoping to get some work done, then sh*T them out, then start worrying why they're not working which leads to anxiety, which then worsens IBS etc.

I had a systemic candida overgrowth and switched to a low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet but now eating all these fatty foods is killing me!! Probiotics make my butt hole itch so I stopped taking them. Gotta make some changes to my diet and quit the coffee I guess..