Adderall is like meth

by Bobbey
(Portland, OR)

I was told I had one of the worst cqases of treatment resistant depression thay had ever seen. I had Electroconvulsive Therapy 48 times and was in line for a Vargas Nerve Stimulation Implant. Like a pacemaker in my shoulder which senates shocks to the brain.

I was severely depressed, had insomnia, Panic attacks and anxiety, i clenched my teeth, had dry mouth and severe dental problems, I had a psychotic breakdown. At this point I'd been taking Adderall for 14 years. My dose was increased to 90 mg a day as you build up immunity I understand.. So now I'm addicted. So my research shows that after 10 years on a stimulant your body may need it to function normally. Addicted, paranoid, isolated, I gave up my family and every friend I ever had and isolated a paranoid being, They gave me antipsychotics to take with my Adderall along with Topamax to slow my brain.. I asked the doctors what the difference was between Adderall and meth. I was told it's cleaner and not made in a garage. I recently tried meth and found It's very similar. When I shared this information they cut off all prescriptions and refuse my adderall. Go figure after 14 years I'm addicted to it and now cannot get it.
They say that people who need adderall for it's intended purpose do not abuse it. I find this to be true. I took it as prescribed. I believe in part that Adderall did me in and led me to a life void of any meaningful future.

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Nov 05, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		In shock!
by: Anonymous

I'm completely blown away that people who could barely sleep in this drug and have all of these complaints continued to stay on it!? Those people are not candidates to stay on Adderall. It has changed my life and I swear by it. It's a blessing and even helps regulate my blood sugar level. If it makes you feel bad or sad or enraged or you cannot sleep on it then discontinue taking it. I'm so in shock after having discovered this page. When used properly "after determining appropriate individual dosage" this prescribed drug administered to people who are properly diagnosed with ADHD it can and will change your life! Don't be afraid to take it until you try it and see how it works for you. But don't be silly and think you'll know how it will affect you and help you long term if you only take it for a dog or a week! Take it for 60-120 days then evaluate by writing down YOUR OWN personal pros and cons.
-Goodluck to all :)
P.S. To the guy/girl that switched to Ritalin but felt "normal" on Adderrall, STOP TAKING RITALIN AND RETURN TO ADDERRALL DING DONG! It doesn't work for you because you have ADHD NOT. A mental health or depression problem. You will feel better again. ALL MEDICATIONS HAVE SIDE EFFFECTS AND WARNINGS. If it works then why on earth switch to something else? Choose the one that made you feel the best. Not to be mean but duh silly! Good luck. XXOO
Nov 04, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Adderall works great for me.
by: Anonymous

I'm so sorry to read all the stories of hardships. Adderall was a lifesaver to me after 30 years of being "scattered" & having to struggle in school. I am so clear headed, calm, organized & function at a level higher than I ever thought possible. It changed my life for the better.
That being said, I have run out before- & the withdrawal process is really bad. Although I've had to take Oxycontin & other pain medications after major back surgery & THAT withdrawal is the equivalent to having your skin ripped off you & your nerve endings set on fire, while experiencing the "hot/colds" -extreme internal & external feelings of pain so intense, suicide becomes a viable option. I ended up in the hospital. What I've learned from that & the few terrible times I've had to experience these hellish withdrawals is, even though I did benefit from particular medications, the doctor doesn't do a nearly thorough enough job explaining the process of "tapering" off or just stopping the medicines or
what to do if you run out, etc. Even certain muscle relaxants pose huge health risks when stopped abruptly.
What I do now.....I start with the lowest doses & increase as needed over 2-3 years, then go to a " detox" facility run by doctors monitoring your health, slowly taper off using less intense "comfort" medicines over 2 weeks to cleanse my system & have a drug holiday. I usually can only manage 1-2 uncomfortable months, but just that small amount of time resets my system & I can start out on the lower doses again with maximum benefit. It's almost like your body's way of saying thank you.....thanks for the mini vacation. It's also a way to check in every couple years to feel drug free & make sure there are no other issues or if you are having feelings of drug dependency that go beyond just physical. I always meet great people, learn something new & check in with my body. Its a good idea.



Feb 11, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Changed my mind about the adderall
by: Anonymous

I'm the one below (the person in their sixties) who said I feel normal while taking Adderall and like I'm on meth when I don't take it, I am so anxious and hyper.

I've changed my opinion and no longer take the Adderall. I read pro and con reports regarding Adderall, but my experience was positive - that is, until I suddenly stopped taking it and had withdrawal symptoms I can only describe as a feeling of being enraged continually without any provocation.

A few months ago, I was out of town and unable to get my Adderall prescription filled (the shortage), so I ran out of it. Well, I experienced the Adderall rage I've heard about. According to my doctor and two pharmacists, it was withdrawal from the drug. Prior to suddenly stopping it, I had been having problems getting the prescription filled, so I had dropped my dose to one tablet per day instead of two (10 mg - not extended release). Cutting the dose in half for a few weeks probably helped me out with the withdrawals.

I started taking Ritalin instead (same dose) - because I became terrified of the drug (Adderall). I was angry for weeks; it consumed me. Normally, I am slow to anger, so that was really shocking to me and also to people who know me well!

I don't do nearly as well, taking Ritalin as a substitute for Adderall, but I am terrified to take it again. Wow! I felt so normal on the drug; I never felt like an addict until I stopped taking it! My body was truly addicted to the drug. Plus, I stopped taking it - suddenly - when out of town and unable to get the prescription filled! It's not a drug to take lightly.

I have no idea what effect the Ritalin is having on my body, but I don't feel as normal taking Ritalin as I did taking the Adderall. I only feel a slight improvement on my anxiety and mind racing, etc.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
Feb 11, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		about addweall
by: Anonymous

your roller coaster ride on adderall im sure has been a nitemare. I used the same med yet i've cut my intake down to i.5 in the morning after food and go on with my day,and perhaps if i get the draggs i may use another 1.5.This is my total daily usage,which serves me just fine. I hope that u could find the same daily usage for yourself,as i feel that adderall is a wonderful drug for adhd patients,even if they are 55 years old.
good luck and god bless
your tennessee friend.
Nov 12, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I felt like I was on meth PRIOR to taking Adderall
by: Anonymous

Wow! You sound as though you're in the condition WITH the Adderall that I was in PRIOR to taking the Adderall - with the exception of the ECT!

I've been taking Adderall 10 mg every day (the doctor ordered it twice per day), but I take any drug cautiously.

I'm in my early sixties, so according to your letter, I figure I have until around age seventy to want to continue living the normal-seeming existance I'm now living, because prior to taking the Adderall, I was at the point where you now seem to be. I simply could NOT continue living my life at the level of pain and enxiety I'd lived my life, up until that point. I'd reached a zero-tolerance level for the effort it took to cope with life. Sixty years of living with severe ADHD - and no help other than my continuous effort in positive thinking - had taken its toll, and I was in a crisis point in my condition. I was LITERALLY unable to sleep more than 6 to 8 hours per WEEK. My heart was pounding. I was hypertensive, extremely anxious, and totally unable to cope - yet more was expected of me than ever before in my life, which is what I believe kicked my ADHD into overdrive. And I was severely depressed and lethargic.

When I started taking the Adderall, it was nice to feel normal for the first time in my life and smell the roses, so to speak.

I was SO HAPPY to start taking my medication again. The week without it, it was back to 'fight or flight!' I continue to limit my dose, but now, I'm doing so in order to conserve the medication!

Let me stress, here, that I feel like I'm taking "speed" when I'm NOT taking Adderall and feel normal when I AM taking it.

I'm not being argumentative, just stating my position (and likely the position of others here who may actually be experiencing a positive benefit from taking the drug).

If I were having a problem with the drug, I would be the first to discontinue it, but my experience with Adderall has been nothing short of a positive miracle in my life.

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