EXTREME weight loss on Adderall XR...

[Ruby85]

That's great advice. "Just smoke weed. The munchies will take care of anorexia, and of course it won't cause any new problems."

Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, you need a legitimate reason for it, like you have cancer and you're on chemo. I doubt any doctor would prescribe it to offset Adderall side effects.

[ozchris]

40 mg is a hefty dose for some people. The higher the dose the more likely you'll get the appetite reduction.

If you keep going the way you are, it's not going to be pretty. You'll waste away. Not eating for over 24 hours is terribly unhealthy, I'm not certain but I believe you can even damage your brain by doing that.

Post #5 pretty much summed it up. Listen to this guy or you're going to be in much deeper trouble than you could imagine.

Sorry for being so negative but sometimes I need a good slap in the face to wake up and change something. You gotta ask yourself if this keeps being a problem for you - what's more important? my education or my health? Hopefully there's a happy medium where you can keep treating your ADD with adderall and still eat enough.

[DarkCode]

Originally Posted by Ruby85

That's great advice. "Just smoke weed. The munchies will take care of anorexia, and of course it won't cause any new problems."

Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, you need a legitimate reason for it, like you have cancer and you're on chemo. I doubt any doctor would prescribe it to offset Adderall side effects.

Having ADD/ADHD is considered a legitimate ailment to be 'recommended' medical marijuana.

To respond to your statement: they do, and they will.

[twinch42085]

FORCE yourself to eat......

Twinch :-)

[Chris Jones]

Originally Posted by oxcheerinchicxo

Hey everyone.

I'm 21 years old, and began taking 40 mg daily of Adderall XR in November after having unsuccessful effects with both Strattera and Wellbutrin. It's working extremely effectively for me. I used to be so spacey, disorganized, and flustered and the Adderall really gets me focused and clears my head. I don't experience any "crash" like I've read in some of these threads, I only notice myself getting spacey and a bit tired around 8-9 at night.

I'm extremely concerned because I've lost a significant amount of weight on this medication. I've always been tiny, I'm a 5'0 petite girl whose average weight is 100. When I began taking the medication I weighed 105, within four weeks I was down to 88 pounds. I literally never ate, and if I did it would be less than 500 calories a day. Sometimes I would go an entire 24+ hour period without consuming anything. I had absolutely no desire to eat, and I'm a senior in college, so cooking for myself just won't happen. I even stopped menstruating for a bit.

I gained about 15 pounds over my Christmas break when I was home. Since starting back at school second semester, I have been more attentive to me weight and diet, but I've slowly been losing weight again over the past three weeks. I'm back down to 90 pounds, and some people have expressed their concerns for me, because I literally look like a skeleton.

Now, I've had some amazing experiences since starting the Adderall, and the only side effect I'm experiencing is this weight loss. I've always been small, and my metabolism has always been fast. I haven't had success with any other ADHD medications, so I don't really want to switch to anything else. I'm also quite content with my dosing, in relation to how I feel throughout the day.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does anybody have any tips for me on how to gain weight? I consume probably less than 1000 calories a day, and I know that's absolutely nothing. Are there any protein/carbohydrate drinks I could substitute as a meal?

Thanks for any help!

I'm 27 and I've been taking Adderall for more than 10 years. I've been on Adderall XR for the last 7 years and have noticed the weight loss issue as well. Personally, I've found it to be a blessing. Try and eat a lot when your not on the medication, but even when you are you need to force yourself to eat anyway. You'll find that the appetite issue becomes less of a problem the longer you're on the medication. I can remember years ago when I literally didn't feel like eating anything ever, but now I just eat a normal amount of food.

[KillZone]

Originally Posted by Ruby85

That's great advice. "Just smoke weed. The munchies will take care of anorexia, and of course it won't cause any new problems."

Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, you need a legitimate reason for it, like you have cancer and you're on chemo. I doubt any doctor would prescribe it to offset Adderall side effects.

No they will. One of the listed reasons is for anorexia.

[Ruby85]

But for anorexia caused by another medication? They might just tell you to switch from Adderall to something that doesn't kill your appetite.

My main point was that marijuana causes problems of its own. And it seems like it could interfere with the improvement in cognitive function that Adderall provides for ADD people.

[Grasshoppaa]

Hey, I am a college student and have similar experiences to yours. I was 150lbs when I started Adderall XR, and went down to 128lbs or so very quickly. I just didn't want to eat, even small stuff like granola bars.

I got my doctor to prescribe me 20mg IR pills, and on days when I can manage, I try not to take anything in the mornings and eat a lot, then take the IR in the afternoon.

I actually found that I like this better, this way I can focus more when I NEED it. It might be hard for you to not take it every day, but just try it and see.

I drank two whey protein shakes a day from GNC that were around 2000 calories a piece. I was taking in 5000+ calories a day and still didn't gain any weight. So for some people (like you and me), the adderall might speed metabolism no matter how much you eat.

By doing this, I'm back to 136-139 pounds. I don't force myself to eat, but I do eat enough to be sure I'm full. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

[Roger14]

Here's what you gotta do. Take one day out of the week to stock up on food. Be all about it. Make a list of things to buy at the store. Buy snack stuff and also stuff you can cook up. Then cook up a big portion of your favorite food and then keep it on hand for when ever you can eat it. Also buy stuff that is easy to prep like cereals and oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Take as many snacks with you to school as possible. That's what I do, I take 5 classes.

[KitKat]

My dr weighs me every 3 months. If I lose too much weight, he'll take me off the Adderall XR. Since it has worked so well, I don't want that to happen, so I just made myself eat, usually protein based foods.

I had to set reminders to go get food, or else I would just forget.

[Kaitlyn]

Originally Posted by liposuction

I have been taking adderall for three days to lose weight. It has definitely worked, I feel full with small amounts of food. The problem is that my heartrate accelerates at times, which is annoying, and I get really thirsty.

if you are trying to lose weight I think phentermine would work better than adderall

[mithrilstar]

OMG! I know I am weird. I know I am different than most people, but OMG! I just don't get it! I just don't understand how hard it could be to not lose weight, and to even gain weight, if you really wanted to.

Okay, I am 5'9", and 150lb. I am a 42 year old female. I have been on Adderall since last Sept. I take 60xr a day. I have currently lost a total of...ready? 8 whole lbs!!! Am I just really unusual here, or something? I mean, I have even been TRYING to lose weight. Yeah, for the first month or 2 I experienced some appetite suppresion, and that is mainly when I lost most of the 8 lbs. But now it's just like normal, with my appetite. Maybe it's just because of my sweet tooth/junk food cravings. I don't know.

But anyway, here's what I would say to do:

Go to your local supermarket, and tell yourself you are going to allow yourself to have ANYTHING you want to eat, for one week, as a special treat. Think: BINGE!!! Yeah, binging on junk food isn't good to do long-term, but once in a while won't kill you, especially if you need to gain weight. Just make sure to go back to eating mostly really healthy food afterwards.

Okay, so you are at the supermarket. Ask yourself: what are your most favorite junk foods/special treats? Then go from aisle to aisle, picking them up. Here's an example of what I would get:

Ring Dings, orange cupcakes, Enteman's chocolate-covered donuts, any kind of donuts, pringles potato chips, any kind of potato chips, brie cheese, spray-can easy cheese (best on ritz crackers or celery), double stuff oreos, mint chocolate-covered oreos, {from frozen section: carrot cake, (in those big tubs: creampuffs, choc. covered creampuffs, mini éclairs)}, velveta and shells, any macaroni and cheese, ready to bake toll house Ultimate chocolate-filled cookies, homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade brownies, cake (either bought or made from box and tub of frosting), spaghetti, spaghetti-o’s, (all kinds of bread, esp.: french bread w/ butter, garlic bread, raisin bread, rye bread, bagels), pancakes w/syrup, ice cream sundaes, (candy: i.e.: chocolates, candy bars), baklava, pie, mashed potatoes, cashews, sugary cereal, i.e.: fruity pebbles, frosted flakes, etc.

Also: (from a food joint/restaurant): french fries, chinese food, corn chowder, pizza, cheese sticks, mozz. sticks, etc.

Okay, this should be enough to give you a few ideas, hopefully. (Oh, yeah, as you can probably see, and have probably guessed from my list of favorite foods, I am a vegetarian. So, feel free to add any and all meat products that you want, if you are not. Think: bacon, big macs, etc.!)

Now, GO TO IT!!! Eat to your heart’s content (although try to at least balance it out with SOME healthy food each day, like at least a salad, fresh fruit, or some veggies). You won’t have to worry about getting enough protein, believe me. Unless you're actively working to increase your muscles though body building or some other such activity, 50 grams of protein a day is all you need. And even if you don’t get that much, it won’t kill you. Not for a LONG time, anyway, like years. But do go back to healthy eating after a few days, or a week at the most, although you can then continue to eat as much junk food as you like, as well, as long as you eat pretty healthy food most of the time. And I can GUARANTEE you, you will gain weight, as much as you could possibly want. I helped out my friend with this once, who as 5’0, and 90lbs. She never thought she’d possibly be able to gain weight, as she had tried all her life. And LOW AND BEHOLD, within 3 weeks, she had gained 5lbs! And another 10 by 2 months later. Then, she actually had to start cutting back on food! So, have fun! And good luck!

--Jen

[lilhotADDmama]

Originally Posted by Ruby85

My main point was that marijuana causes problems of its own. And it seems like it could interfere with the improvement in cognitive function that Adderall provides for ADD people.

Their have been studies that have shown that medical marijuana can actually help ADD/ADHD- With this being said, they would most likely take said person off Adderall on only have them on marijuana. But I have also heard, people who take Adderall and use marijuana and they have good results, focused, organized, but none of the normal side effects of adderall.

To the OP- you just need to make yourself eat- whether your feel hungry or not- I am on IR and if I don't eat before I take it I won't eat all day and when it's wearing off I could just go to bed without eating. I am only 5"1 and around 105- it I drop below 100 my doc will take me off it. So I do whatever it takes to stay at 105. Even if this means drinking protein shakes, forcing myself to eat. In the AM eat breakfast before your first dose, and then eat a few small high protein/carb meals throughout the day.

[lilhotADDmama]

Here are some links regarding the use of Marijuana for ADD. Remember that this isn't just smoked, it would be given in food or pill form

http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/2008020514...dhd-video.html
http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/add&mmj.htm

[Kaitlyn]

Originally Posted by mithrilstar

OMG! I know I am weird. I know I am different than most people, but OMG! I just don't get it! I just don't understand how hard it could be to not lose weight, and to even gain weight, if you really wanted to.

Okay, I am 5'9", and 150lb. I am a 42 year old female. I have been on Adderall since last Sept. I take 60xr a day. I have currently lost a total of...ready? 8 whole lbs!!! Am I just really unusual here, or something? I mean, I have even been TRYING to lose weight. Yeah, for the first month or 2 I experienced some appetite suppresion, and that is mainly when I lost most of the 8 lbs. But now it's just like normal, with my appetite. Maybe it's just because of my sweet tooth/junk food cravings. I don't know.

But anyway, here's what I would say to do:

Go to your local supermarket, and tell yourself you are going to allow yourself to have ANYTHING you want to eat, for one week, as a special treat. Think: BINGE!!! Yeah, binging on junk food isn't good to do long-term, but once in a while won't kill you, especially if you need to gain weight. Just make sure to go back to eating mostly really healthy food afterwards.

Okay, so you are at the supermarket. Ask yourself: what are your most favorite junk foods/special treats? Then go from aisle to aisle, picking them up. Here's an example of what I would get:

Ring Dings, orange cupcakes, Enteman's chocolate-covered donuts, any kind of donuts, pringles potato chips, any kind of potato chips, brie cheese, spray-can easy cheese (best on ritz crackers or celery), double stuff oreos, mint chocolate-covered oreos, {from frozen section: carrot cake, (in those big tubs: creampuffs, choc. covered creampuffs, mini éclairs)}, velveta and shells, any macaroni and cheese, ready to bake toll house Ultimate chocolate-filled cookies, homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade brownies, cake (either bought or made from box and tub of frosting), spaghetti, spaghetti-o’s, (all kinds of bread, esp.: french bread w/ butter, garlic bread, raisin bread, rye bread, bagels), pancakes w/syrup, ice cream sundaes, (candy: i.e.: chocolates, candy bars), baklava, pie, mashed potatoes, cashews, sugary cereal, i.e.: fruity pebbles, frosted flakes, etc.

Also: (from a food joint/restaurant): french fries, chinese food, corn chowder, pizza, cheese sticks, mozz. sticks, etc.

Okay, this should be enough to give you a few ideas, hopefully. (Oh, yeah, as you can probably see, and have probably guessed from my list of favorite foods, I am a vegetarian. So, feel free to add any and all meat products that you want, if you are not. Think: bacon, big macs, etc.!)

Now, GO TO IT!!! Eat to your heart’s content (although try to at least balance it out with SOME healthy food each day, like at least a salad, fresh fruit, or some veggies). You won’t have to worry about getting enough protein, believe me. Unless you're actively working to increase your muscles though body building or some other such activity, 50 grams of protein a day is all you need. And even if you don’t get that much, it won’t kill you. Not for a LONG time, anyway, like years. But do go back to healthy eating after a few days, or a week at the most, although you can then continue to eat as much junk food as you like, as well, as long as you eat pretty healthy food most of the time. And I can GUARANTEE you, you will gain weight, as much as you could possibly want. I helped out my friend with this once, who as 5’0, and 90lbs. She never thought she’d possibly be able to gain weight, as she had tried all her life. And LOW AND BEHOLD, within 3 weeks, she had gained 5lbs! And another 10 by 2 months later. Then, she actually had to start cutting back on food! So, have fun! And good luck!

--Jen

You stated you are 42? You might be going through peri menopaue or menopause. Our homones do mean things to us when reach that age. weight gain s one of them and a thicker waist is another. it's mother nature. not much we can do about it. At least you are not gaining!