Adderall has been great for me, but only at the correct dosage

by Kate
(Philadelphia)

I have been on and off Adderall for the past few years, since being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 31. (I'm 36 now.) I stopped when I found out I was pregnant with my youngest child, and resumed after she was a year old due to breastfeeding.

When Adderall has worked for me it has been AMAZING. The very first time I took it, it felt as though time stretched out ahead of me -- for the first time I could remember, I sat down with my kids to complete a craft with them and didn't get frustrated and didn't feel like jumping up to do something else.

Over the years, my needs have changed and my reactions to the drug have changed. I took only the XR for a while, and asked my doctor to adjust the dosage upwards. With that adjustment came rapid weight loss (40 pounds in 2 months), loss of hair, greyish skin tone -- it was terrible. Within a few months of returning to my previous dose, I was fine. We did tweak it upwards a smidge, and I added 2x daily dose of a small amount of immediate release pills as well - I have to cut the 5mg pills in half in order to do this. I resisted for the longest time but it has been working wonderfully. I am able to stay focused on tasks throughout the day, am not hyperfocused or hyperactive, and am able to sleep at night. I have a normal appetite.

Other not-so-great things that I've had that I attribute to the Adderall are increased anxiety (especially with generic XR and the blue generic IR pills of any dosage size) and I also suffered Reynaud's Syndrome in my hands and feet when the dose was too high.

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May 24, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		It Starts That Way NEW
by: TJ

Mel,

It always starts out positive and feeling great. Feeling like you can actually get things done, think, be happy. It eventually goes down hill because the causes of the symptoms don't get addressed and constant use of stimulants is bad for the body (and toxic).
May 23, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		Weight
by: Anonymous

How much were you on when you lost lbs
Dec 05, 2013
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starstarstar 		I am new to Adderall
by: Mel

Hi Kate-

I just started Adderall today. I know it is only one day, but I could tell somewhat of a positive change when I was listening to music or reading. That is a good thing since I like to do those things, but I fall asleep normally. I just got diagnosed yesterday and I would love to write to you and compare notes by e-mail or snail mail as a way to help me cope with this. How do you cope?
Your Friend,
Mel
Nov 28, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mom of three boys
by: MrsShastaWright

I am a mom of three boys, 13,9,and 3. I was diagnossed with ADHD and OCD, and ODD. Basicly I'm a walking alphabete. I't wasn't until my nine year old was going through the hardest complications in school, just trying to be normal was the most trying thing ever. After going threw therapy (with my son) and alot of trial and tribulations with differnt meddication; I myself went to the doctors to talk to them about what I thought was depression. I was diagnossed!!! Yah! I'm not crazy! Anyways I was telling my doctor that I felt like a hamster on a wheel when it came to cleaning my house or anything else. I would run in circles at a hundread miles an hour and never get anywere fast. It was so frustating and I just wanted to shut down and crawl in a hole and CRY! I'm not a cry baby by any means unless I'm mad. Wich I wasn't just frustraited!!! Veary much so! I was given Adderall, 30mg x3 a day!When I'm on it I am foccused and can IT ALL done. I I had been propperly diagnosed when I was in high school I would have probably gone on to collage and made many different choices in my life. Although I live my life with lessons leared and no regrets attitude. Had I been on adderall at an earlier stage in my life I think would have raised the vail and really made the skies the limits. If you are a parent and have any doubts about if you have this same diagnossis. DON'T WAIT! TAKE THE TEST! SEE A DOCTOR! TALK TO PEOPLE! You are not alone!! My doctor told me that 9 out of 10 children who have ADHD,ADD,OCD,or ODD have a parent with it also. Knowing this and being medicated made it possible to understand and deal with my child who also has it......this is my story I hope it will help someone feel lees alone on a day that seems without struggles. -MrsShastaWright
Aug 10, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tylenol
by: TJ Chambers

Be careful with pain meds. Tylenol will mess up your Liver really bad and other pain meds aren't any "safer".

The problem with taking a pill to lose weight is that as soon as you stop the pill, you will gain your weight back and possibly even more.

Eating properly and dealing with constipation is the way to go, not suppressing the body's hunger and stimulating it to keep going.

That is a great way to run your body down though.
Aug 10, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		adderrall
by: Anonymous

I take adderrall 90 mg a day, but was never diagnosed with ADD or ADHD . My doctor gave it to me so I could lose weight (he said I should lose 100 pounds in 6 months on adderrall). It definately works though , The only thing is i'm never hungry . I literally have to force myself to eat , and when I do... it sets off my gag reflex . Although I wasnt diagnosed with ADHD or ADD , adderrall helps me concentrate so much better ! I was never able to stay with one task , and now I can . My side effects include nausea , headaches , loss of appetite , and I talk 100 times for than I used too . It makes me very energized , and it seems to make me happier . When I come off , I get a headache that doesnt go away until I go to sleep , and i'm irritable . but if I take a tylenol when I take my adderrall , my headches reduced A LOT ! I love adderrall , I just don't want to get addicted !
Aug 01, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		natural meds vs. doctor prescribed just want to feel normal
by: Anonymous

i am 35 i work with add and adhd students i know for a fact i have it and have been struggling for years want to get on med cause when i was a senior in highschool the doc gave me the wrong thing i got real depressed and had no sex drive with my soon to be husband that summer. i went to catholic school they didnt recognize it and college just said i had trouble concentrating and never got diagnosed, It wasnt until this year when i realized i have the same thing as my students cause i can relate to them so well. Ive been on effexor, pozac,right before i grad highschool and nothing since. Any good adhd drugs with little side effects do they exist? There are natural ones i recently came across thinking of trying ADDED ATTENTION, BERRY TRESURE, PEDIA ACTIVE, are all found at health stores and PHOSPADYL SERIME at gnc i want to start on something so i can go back to college and hopefully graduate this time or have them give me extra time to complete courses once i get diagnosed finally and maybe try adderall since i hear its the least worst of the drugs for adhd with no sexual side effects. I am a mom with 3 kids and a loving husband. I just want to be normal and be as successful as my friends without having to struggle so hard to learn and adapt socially without getting boosts of energy from nowhere and having a hard time sleeping and anxiety.
Aug 01, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		add/adhd
by: Anonymous

I JUST FOUND OUT I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADD AND IM 38 BUT WENT TO DOCTOR REGULARLY AND NO ONE COULD DIAGNOSE ME UNTIL MY DAUGHTER SAID MAYBE YOU HAVE ADHD I LOOKED UP SIGNS ON INTERNET AND SURE ENOUGH THAT WAS ME. I WENT TO SEE A PYSCHOTHERPIST TOOK TEST ETC, AND FINALLY TAKING ADDERALL. THIS HAS BEEN A HARRRRRD BATTLE BUT I FINALLY KNOW NOW I CAN GET MY G.E.D THEN GO TO COLLEGE!
Jul 26, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		How come you hadn't diagnosed until age 31
by: Ali

Hi
I am very new to ADHD and sort of worried about it and its consequences. My question is how come you hadn't diagnosed for ADHD until the age 31.
How did you passed your school and college.

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