Any vegans on Adderall?

[an iceberg]

I've been vegan for almost three years and just started Adderall. I'm still trying to balance what dosage is right for me and what time I need to eat, etc., but I'm starting to get a little freaked out about the food thing and even more freaked out about the way some people talk about the pretty harsh limits on food intake and various vitamins.

Being a vegan has drastically improved my health, but it's important to keep a balanced diet and to make sure that I'm getting enough of what I need. And it's kind of hard for me to gain a lot of weight unless I'm either eating A LOT or I'm eating a lot of sweets. So for goodness sakes, I really need to be eating even though it's hard right now.

I'm kind of just really, really hesitant about continuing Adderall because of, by the way it sounds, I really need to be crazy about the way I manage my diet. But I already have a very restricted diet!

I really would like to be able to take Adderall and continue to feel like I'm a normal person and not have to change my life so much for it. It will just bring me stress, and that's not what this drug is supposed to do for me.

Vegan or not, I guess I'm just wondering how much you guys have altered your eating habits, and if it's a huge damper on you. And I'm wondering if there's some of you who simply haven't had to change their diet. I would like to know if that's possible and if not, I'm going to want to switch to something else. But I don't want to.

And if there's any vegans out there, how are you managing?

[lightpollution]

I'm vegan too. Being vegan on Adderall is not that hard in my experience. The only problem I've had is consuming acidic foods/foods with a lot of vitamin C too closely to the time I took my medication. I remember reading somewhere that the recommended wait time is 2 hours before and 2 hours after. So if you take it at 8am then don't consume acidic/vitamin C foods between 6-10am. In the mornings eating a complex carb with a lot of protein and fiber is a good idea because it will keep your energy and sugar levels stable if you forget to eat. Some good options: lentil soup, oatmeal, natural peanut butter on whole grain toast, whole grain crackers or chips with hummus, whole grain cereal or granola and non-dairy milk.

[PedroDaGr8]

light is 100% correct, while I am not vegan I can give a few insights. For one thing, I tend to try to leave vitamin C and acidic fruit juices to the end of the day when I no longer need the medicine in my blood stream. Also, especially for the first 3-6mo you will need to almost force to yourself to eat regularly (especially since you are vegan). This DOES fade but in the beginning it is hard.

Lentil soup is awesome and a GREAT natural source of some complex carbs. My wife is from India and she makes an awesome Daal (indian lentil soup with cumin seeds, spices, turmuric, etc.)

The food restrictions are just limited to the acidic ones and ones containing high doses of Vitamin C (which are usually acidic).

Good luck with things and RELAX we ADHDers are prone to WAY over analyzing things.

EDIT: Also, much respect for you people who can maintain a vegan lifestyle. I just couldn't do it on american vegetarian food. On Indian veg food, I actually prefer it to the non-veg (I always thought that is funny, here we have "normal" or vegetarian, in India it is Vegetarian and Non-Veg).

[an iceberg]

Thanks, you guys. I'm taking your advice next time I go grocery shopping.

I'm starting to take charge already - last week I seriously felt like fainting at one point, and realized I REALLY need to not just get necessary nutrients, but an abundance. I didn't always have the best energy when not on Adderall and definitely didn't take good care of myself in terms of getting what my body needed. So this kind of pushed me into filling those needs.

I've been forcing myself to eat now, making sure I get PROTEIN and B-12. I have soy yogurt a lot (7g protein) and a banana shake from trader joe's that has a lot of good stuff in it. I also eat oatmeal, vitamin-packed cereal, PB+J, hummus, and I make sure I'm snacking on crackers all the time. I've felt a lot better.

One thing I found - I'm not sure if any of you have heard of it - is this:

http://www.nutiva.com/products/0_protein.php



It's a hemp protein shake that's a huge seller (apparently). Unlike a lot of soy drinks, it's raw and unprocessed. The best thing: It has TONS of Ameno acids AND Omega 3's - which is supposed to be really good for ADD/ADHD. And there is also a product that's protein + fiber. I haven't gotten it yet, but I plan on it. Oh, did I mention no Vitamin C?

[PedroDaGr8]

Nope never have seen that, it has a good amount of magnesium too.

[Hydrostatic]

Awesome advice in this thread! I was vegan 4 years, fell off the boat but I still keep the meat to a bare minimum. I salute your will to take the healthy road, OP!

You may find Adderall kills your appetite; try to keep your food intake the same as it was before you began taking Adderall - you might have to force it, and doing so is a pain in the tail. I regained most of my appetite within 3 weeks of starting the medication.

Also if you are concerned about aminos, that hemp stuff sounds neat but it sure is pricey! I urge you to check out Bragg's Liquid Aminos; it's dirt cheap, tastes like soy sauce, and goes with, in, on just about anything! Should be able to pick it up at Wild Oats, Whole Foods and similar stores.