On Adderall for 6yrs - worried about heart, anyone have success going off it?

[stellabarr]

Hi! I've been on Adderall for 6 years, for ADD and depression. I also have fibromyalgia. Adderall fixed a lot of those problems and has been a huge aid in my life. I started on Adderall 20mg XR twice a day, which we then switched to Adderall IR 20mg 3x a day so I would have more flexibility with it. The dosage was determined by the number of hours in a day, I actually didn't even know there was a such things as a 10mg pill, I just took what she gave me. Also I take elavil 15 mg a night before bed for my Fibro, which I've been taking since 2001.

I've felt heart palpitations and thumping since the get-go with Adderall, but mostly overlooked it. When I don't take it nothing changes with my heart rate, but I feel like ****.

I had an EKG and blood panel in 2005, and everything was a-ok. This surprised me because I'd had a bit of a party girl summer with drugs & alcohol and I was certain my EKG would announce my impending death but it did not!

I excercise regularly, 4-5 times a week, which helped my EKG I'm sure.

In August 2008 I asked to be switched to the XR 'cause I felt the IR was too easy to play with -- I was sometimes taking ambien to sleep so I could stay up until bed getting work done, and would mix it with alcohol or weed at night. (I've never drank or smoked during the day). I switched to 40 mg XR and stopped taking ambien and felt much more steady.

Now I have a start-up business that I run with about 20 people regularly answering to me every day, and we're not in the "making money" part yet so it's pretty much endless work and I am required to keep everyone on track and organize everything. My doc added another 20mg IR to my daily regimen, but I usually only take 1/4 or 1/2 of that a day in addition to the XR, if any.

I realized a few months ago that I was drinking or smoking nearly every night to unwind because I work online, and perhaps needed some way to punctuate the day I spend physically alone, and there's endless work. Oddly it's like we're socializing online and everyone is drunk?

So once I had that "a-ha" moment, I just stopped drinking & smoking unless I'm out. It's been really easy actually, and I feel really great! I'm happy about that but worried I may have messed myself up by mixing so much before.

I keep wanting the business to become stable b/c I don't want to be on Adderall forever, but whenever I don't take it, I feel completely fatigued. I think it is effecting my heart, and maybe even my teeth?

I had terrible anxiety for my whole life before Addy, 'cause although I'm really smart I could never get anything done and I was always exhausted. I hated myself for having so much potential and so little ability to actually do anything, ever. I zoned out all day and at night would lie there with anxiety about whether I would do everything i needed to do the next day. I was very self-destructive at that time, too, and would go shopping for hours, slept around, cutting, wanting to kill myself, etc., the whole nine yards. Addy turned my life around. Since going on it I've come to terms with my sexuality and what I want in life, been more social and outgoing and made real friendships I never had before -- I listen to people when they talk to me now!

A month ago we got a new psychiatrist at my clinic who said he won't keep prescribing me Adderall unless i get an EKG and CBC again. So I am doing that this week. My resting heart rate today at the doctor was 104 and my blood pressure was 137/85, even though I didn't take Adderall this morning.

I am getting the bloodwork and EKG later this week. I am nervous that it's not going to come out well -- and worse, my experience today at the clinic waiting for four hours without having taken Adderall was literally excruciating, I felt exhausted beyond belief.

I think my dosage is probably too high, I don't know why they started me this high, so I'm hoping he'll just take me down. But he's an *******, and I am totally petrified he'll just cut me off cold turkey. I have a lot of backup from not taking my full RX, but I'd rather have him taper me down.

People have invested thousands in my business, I have so much responsibility and everything rests on me every day. What if I am taken off Adderall and I sleep for a week? There must be another way. My Mom has ADD and depression and is on XR, she seems ok about being on it forever.

Does anyone have a success story about going off Adderall? Also, does anyone know what will affect the EKG? Should I take or not take the meds before going? Will cutting back on caffiene help with heart palpitations? Anyone have a similar experience? Would it help to go on Wellbutrin or something instead?

[meadd823]

Waiting for four hours to see a dick of a doctor would cause not only me to have chest pain but every one in the office to have some sort of pain some where within their physical being -

Aside from that I would guess simply based on what you wrote that what is causing the elevated heart rate is not the adderall - obviously because you said you had not taken it at all , This to me pretty well indicates the reason you had a heart rate of 104 was anxiety{and possibly irritation due to the long wait}.

I would not see a doctor I did not like Honestly I haven't the temperament to put up with stupid crap especially from some one whom is basically working for me

As far as going off of it and functioning I am guessing it is possible but not probable especially at the point in your life where you are - If you did not functioning like crap to begin with you would not be on it - stopping it means going back to functioning like crap according to my personal experiences any way .

When I was forced to stop cold turkey I was irritable and whinny - Metaphorically I felt like I was trying to read street signs in a dense fog - It took me all day to accomplish task I normally accomplish in about two hours - in other wards taking adderall for the last 12 years had NOT cured my ADD because once I stopped taking the medication the damned ADD returned

The only change I noticed was that I was less hyperactive and more inattentive - My guess is that has more to do with my age than the adderall

I take about the same amount of medication you and in much the same manner - I take it according to hours - one 20mg IR every 4.5 - 5 hours I am awake and required to accomplish any thing remotely productive.

I guess I am probably like your mom - I am probably as old as your mom and once you reach a certain age pills of some sort seem to be an enviable part of your life - Better living through modern chemistry - because one day I will be to the point where modern chemistry can't help me so I am going to appreciate this time in my life where it can.

Perspective changes with age . . . .