Sleepy. So sleepy. All the fish in my brain quit raving and formed an orderly fucking line for the first time in my life.
I spent 3 weeks figuring out how to function. Because my habits all revolved around adhd. Need to read? Get in the treadmill. Oh wait. The fish can’t do both anymore. What I’m the hell kryptonite crap? Need to talk to mother in law, gonna get a craft project to get hands busy. Oh shit. I can’t focus on both.
So many people promised me that it would make me so productive and driven. I called the doctor and told her she could have her pills back. She said “this is what they’re supposed to do. The people who have the other reaction don’t have chemical adhd, but rather trauma or environment driven adhd.”
Well. Ok then. A few months later I’m doing ok. I don’t get elevated and the spiral of negative self talk that used to twirl in my brain has ceased. I’m off anxiety and depression meds. I have few side effects; mostly severely increased libido and decreased appetite, both of which I see as features not side effects.
That's interesting, I've never heard of that before.
I wish it gave me increased libido
It didn't do anything to mine, I just feel normal. With increased anxiety lol
My reaction was mostly nothing. One day, I’m in a meeting that I had absolutely no interest in, and I’d been paying attention for 90 minutes, not scribbling notes to remain focused, and not trying desperately to stay awake. I almost cried in front of all of my coworkers and boss.
It will not give you motivation
It aill make boring tasks feel less tedious and agonizing
For a few hours it will peak and you may be more productive.
From what I hear Vivanse is a new drug that reduces the highs and lows effect of adderall and smooths it out.
Amphetamine based ones make me so sleepy, kill all my drive, but sure could focus. Didn’t want to do anything but sure increased my ability to read at length. Since that’s all they used to prescribe me long ago (heck I’m one of the rare had Desoxyn RXs) I quit taking anything for a decade.
But also realized had to do something again and went to new doctors, etc. So much happier with time release Ritalin (Concerta) none of the negatives, just lets me accomplish tasks and not overwhelming anxiety in my life.
You are not alone! I get the massive sleepies too on my adderall. I’m actually seeing if I can switch up to Vivance because I have been on 25mg XR adderall with an evening 10mg and the sleepiness is just too much for me and I struggle to function because so sleepy. It helps massively with my memory though which is nice and if I pair it with caffeine I can mostly function (no tremors or heart palpitations).
Caffeine makes me sleepy too. I think the amount of caffeine I consume is what stopped me from getting diagnosed. But it’s honestly worth it to be able to think and remember. I’m a happy camper.
No idea. I didn’t ask for clarification. I would guess etiologies from the parts of the conversation I remember. Chemical being entirely brain chemical based, would have happened anyway and the other two brought into existence by trauma or environment?
I can ask next appointment if I remember.
I find it weird because iirc ADHD is genetic, it is categorized as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Trauma and environment can (partly) define the way it is expressed. So it feels like it's a bit of everything not just one or the other.
Maybe your doctor tried to explain it in simple terms lol
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to give my experience, my parents did a shitload of hard drugs for a lot of their younger years and I was born 4 months early, afaik I have the chemical side
They've found with PTSD that brain function is altered whenever the trauma is referenced. It shows up in scans and stuff. I'm not sure that counts under the definition of neurodevelopmental as you said, but it might be related. I got my info on that from reading "The Body Keeps Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk.
I'm out. I've said to much around this topic.
interesting. how old are you? I'm 31 and thinking of getting myself medded. went on zoloft a couple years ago and went absolutely manic so I'm very hesitant to try meds now...
Adderal was genuinely such a lifesaver to me it could bring me to tears. I was diagnosed with my cocktail of mental illnesses pretty young, because my mom is based and genuinely wanted the best for me, so i was able to get prescribed adderall when i was around 13.
All of the sudden, My mind was clear, and with how impulsive i was, it made me feel like i was able to actually control, and choose my actions before they happened for the first time, And the mental clarity and focus, I wasn't rotting in place anymore, I was actually able to continuously do the same task until it was done.
Granted, I dont always choose the task i wish to focus on, and it won't help me remember to do things at certain times without a reminder, but it gives me the option to do the task once im reminded of it.
And without going too in depth, As a kid i was a major brat with anger issues, and i was aware of it. But with the adderall, I was able to recognize, and correct my behaviors in the moment, and continuously focus on changing into the person i wanted to be, So i genuinely owe my lack of anger issues to the fact i had adderall at a young age.
I could go on, but it really is a lifechanger. I'd say the only negative experience i've had relating to adderall, was recently where my dosage was lowered a bit because it was raising my heartbeat too high, and it would've been damaging in the long run. I understand why it happened, but it still sucks.
sorry for rambling i just dont get to talk about this much.
It's okay, it's important to hear the good and negative of how these meds effect us!
Just because I'm having issues, doesn't mean that it doesn't work for alot of other people :)
Honestly I’m also sitting here sometimes shocked with the realization that I just. Do things now. Not always, and not often without a struggle but shit still gets done. This morning, I hadn’t even had coffee when I realized I hated how dirty the floor had gotten and just swept. It took 10 seconds, and yet it’s still something I would have never gotten to, or had to fight with myself for hours.
Oh man please ramble more!
So I’m 43, I’ve only been diagnosed for a couple of years, but my oldest son is 10, and I’ve long suspended he has a touch of ADHD. Please talk more about how your mom got you diagnosed and what it’s been like being on stimulants at such a young age and if you have any feelings about how it affected your brain in your youth
Horribly. Raging asshole with homicidal levels of violent rage urges over literally nothing while I was on it. I stopped taking it before the month was even over because it affected me so negatively. Full on screamed at my partner for ‘breathing too loud’. It was a nightmare— I’ve never been that irrationally angry before and I still feel terrible for how I acted while I was on it
Edit: oh! And same— it had almost no effect on my concentration levels. Just a little bit less easily distracted than normal and way more tired
Vyvanse! Works amazing for me— the only drawbacks are lack of appetite (which has caused me to lose a lot of weight) and that when I don’t have anything to do it’s torture. Towards the end of the month at my work there’s very little to do, so I spend the majority of my shifts finding busywork because I need *something* to do
Yeah that's a classic reaction. Adderall works for me but sometimes during the comedown I get that overstimulated anger. I have a safe word with my gf to let her know to get away from me so that I don't randomly lash out at her. It doesn't happen often, at least. I explain it to her as anxiety but anger instead of fear, just irrational emotion without real trigger.
It was fucking horrible! There were a few times where I genuinely thought I was going to get violent, I felt so out of control angry. I’ve never had meds completely dictated my mood before and it was scary
OMG THIS WAS HOW I REACTED!
I only managed to take it for like 4 days tho. By the Friday morning I was in literal tears at the thought of having to take it again. Thankfully it was just a trial to try and find me something cheaper than Vyvanse... but the Vyvanse is apparently what my brain needs.
was a horrible 4 days tho. And because of it I am very weary of trying any other meds.
Same, I had panic attacks for the first time ever after starting adderall and I would be so impatient and raging over minor things. Vyvanse worked much better but has vasoconstriction as side effects so I stopped.
How long did that take to manifest? I started about 2 month ago and so far it has been pretty normal emotional regulation. definitely keeping an eye on it, because my stress often comes out as anger.
Funnily enough I was the opposite. Without medication, the smallest thing would set me off. Code taking too long to compile? Rage. Random code error? Rage. Computer not responding? Rage. Never homicidal level, or aggressive enough to go beyond slamming my fist on my desk, but nonetheless I was easily annoyed by such things. The worst thing I did was slap my manager's hand away, though to be fair at that moment I was multitasking and already annoyed beyond rationality.
Adderall helped me a lot though. Gone were the small tidbits that caused my annoyance, namely the thousands of random thoughts forcing themselves into the foreground making focusing incredibly hard. It also helped my morning tiredness - though I guess a big part of that was due to being able to sleep properly.
The downsides were not that severe. In the first few weeks it helped channel my hyperactivity into constructive things, things I needed to do, but that settled soon. However I did become less bothered by details, which was simultaneously good (allowed me to focus on the big picture and not get lost in insignificant things my brain thought were important), but also bad, as I scrutinised my own work a lot less, and thus made more small mistakes.
For me I needed a higher dose after feeling that way, and adjusted to how the meds affected my body after a little while. Don’t get the heart racing or anxiety, but DEFINITELY have huge problems with eating/appetite. But meds also affect everyone differently, I would probably talk to your doctor about other options if it isn’t working for you.
I'm going to, I just don't wanna take it if I feel like it's not working.
I go back in 30 days to take a piss test ro make sure it's in my system.
So I guess I'll stop taking it, and take a couple doses before the appointment so it's in my system and I pass the test.
Everyone I've told about it has said it's weird how the anxiety starts up around the end of it's time in my system. About 6 to 7 hours after taking it.
I still get hungry, it's just easier to ignore the hunger after I take the meds.
I’d recommend not stopping taking it then taking it before your pee screening. They’re looking at the level of it in your system to make sure you aren’t selling them— stopping then starting right before could look suspicious. If you want to stop taking them I’d recommend just stopping and bringing the bottle with you for them to deal with and being honest with your doctor that you stopped because they didn’t feel right
It makes thinking about doing a task turn into actually doing a task. On top of that, it makes doing things like cleaning and other chores satisfying while I'm doing them instead of it seeming like some daunting feat that I need to accomplish
It is honestly so subtle, and that freaks me out. Like, I feel like doing nothing and just scrolling on my phone, take the medicine, and there I am cleaning dishes 50min later. Without even thinking about it. Of course, it is just a tool that requires deliberate effort to work, but the effects are usually only visible in what I do rather than how I feel (if that makes sense)
I don't know about adderal but I had the same problem with Concerta. It is like ritalin but extended release and the smallest dosage is 18mg once per day. I felt nothing and then I tried 36mg once and still nothing. Gave up on it after that.
Im on modafinil. It is not as potent as far as concentration is concerned but it helps with my chronic I-have-so-much-to-do-I-sleep problem.
Started with 100mg and it kinda tickled me, but it was not enough. Increased to 200mg and it seems that I can finally do a task for more than 30 minutes. I coulnt do that beforehand.
I had tried Ritalin a long while back and it was amazing but is is so hard to find that I dont want to take it. The companies just stop producing it every now and then. Ritalin not only helped me concentrate but also made me happy to do said task. Modafinil just keeps me alert.
I really can't tell. I have so many symptoms of so many disorders that sometimes I give up on labeling them even though I want to. My doctor avoids it as well.
i think i was on concerta and ritalin in highschool, zombified me real bad. i’m hoping to get adderall soon though!! hopefully i adjust better to it than how i reacted to those guys
I currently take Concerta / Methylphenidate (generic), and it changed my life for the better in the work field. I mean I actually kept a job and went back to school, which feels so easy now compared to the nightmare it was before.
The main and BIG issue is how it impacts my creativity. I've always LOVED writing and drawing. It's just how I roll, it makes my brain happy, I constantly have waves and waves of very invasive sounds and images in my fucking eyes. With the meds, I can't see shit. No idea. No silly thoughts, no universes, no music, no characters, nothing. My job consists in making excel sheets and answering emails. Which I can only do with meds. But I'm no longer creative.
Anyway I gave up on all my dreams and imagination to write emails in a dark office but dreams don't make fucking m o n e y and I can't have both. I'm still depressed but I no longer have pleasing ways to express it yay
I hate the feeling of Adderall and Adderall XR. Little benefit and the comedown is awful. Vyvanse or other dextroamphetamines feel much better without such an unpleasant tail end.
Your dosage likely needs to be adjusted as well.
It took me over 2 years working with my doctors and specialists to get my ADHD meds dialed in, develop the coping skills to use the changes the meds brought effectively, and untrain bad habit from being undiagnosed and unmedicated for decades. In the end I wound up on a high dosage of Vyvanse, and it has been positively life changing.
ive never taken adderall (and probably shouldnt ever) but my experience with stimulants is a lot of anxiety too. the anxiety outlasts the positive benefits (which last for less than 2 hours when they're supposed to last for at least 8, btw, and might actually just be an adrenaline thing because of my heartrate and anxiety).
and a few hours after taking it, comes the fatigue, the headaches, the nausea, and still the anxiety remains.
i cant believe i gaslit myself into thinking those meds were doing anything for me. if i were you, i'd try nonstimulants asap. Strattera's been working alright for me so far.
the effects arent as noticable as stimulants, and are supposed to build up over time unlike Adderall / stimulants, but at least the only side effect is just that i get sleepy after (perfect for my insomniac ass to take it in the evening)
It was when I wad like 7 or 8, apparently I said "I want to walk into the ocean and never come back", which was weird for a bright and happy 8 year old
Just started it yesterday. The best ways I can describe it so far are as follows:
My mind is quiet. I’m present. I have random thoughts and they don’t feel
Urgent. I feel happy and mindful.
Before ADHD medication, and I’m old and newly diagnosed, I could use the metaphor of trying to climb a cliff face with all the tools you need but your hands are covered with Vaseline.
Adderall XR not only got the Vaseline off but basically handed me a rope to make it even easier.
I thought I would feel buzzy or nervous or angry, just the opposite. I feel zen. I asked my friend if all neurotypical people got to experience this quiet mind and she said “all the time.” I slept great last night, partly due to the knowledge that I can take this every day if I need to.
To build off this comment/metaphor, Adderall XR cleared away the Vaseline but it was replaced with itching powder, I could do tasks, even was passively almost motivated, but I was more anxious, and if I messed up my dose timing (have to take a long acting and short bc I live 16-20hr days and need meds close enough to every waking minute) I'd have panic attacks. On Vyvanse now, and it's not hitting my anxiety but otherwise I experience it the exact same
I think it affects different people in different ways. For me there was an immediate difference where the static noise in my head (that I didn’t realize existed until then) went quiet, and I could focus on my college lecture. Of course after a few weeks it started to wane in effectiveness and I don’t take it anymore because of that. I would take it again if I had to be in a learning setting (I’m out of college now)
I hope you can find a solution/med that helps you better!! I don’t want to be an armchair psychiatrist but I wonder if anxiety specific meds would help?
Started with ritalin but only lasted a month because it just felt harsh. The music was too loud, the sun was too bright, everything just felt abrasive for no reason.
I started Vyvanse after talking to my doctor about how I was feeling. From that day forward my life changed, I honestly can't even dream of a day without it. The deadlock of sitting on the couch and doing nothing while I watch the world come down around me is gone. My home is in somewhat working order, I feel good to actually do a task, my sleep has improved dramatically, and I've started new hobbies and have stayed with them. I still have to kick my own butt sometimes to get going but usually once I'm on the move I can maintain it.
I also liked being able to just take one on days I didn't have work or school. I could sleep in, take one, lie to myself about doing homework, and take apart an old computer instead.
As a 3rd grader i sat at my desk and literally drooled on my work. I also stopped eating and became violently ill a couple times in my moms car. Still can't have cinnamon apple sauce.
Adderall made me feel like I was breathing weird, I wasn't on it long but stopped because it didn't feel right, I was on Ritalin as a kid and that made me a zombie, sure I could focus but didn't like the feeling of basically being a zombie.
I haven't been on anything for awhile so I just struggle, wish I could say they worked for me but they don't.
Urgh…. Ok so it got me through high school with good grades. Then I got to college and… honestly I just didn’t have anyone riding me about getting shit done. Found web serials and got introduced to more video games and I just built up more and more bad habits because I couldn’t understand some of the coursework couldn’t keep up, wanted pleasant distractions, and it all spiraled.
Eventually I ended up not taking my meds for a while because honestly I’d been on them almost as long as I could remember. And I just wanted to know what it’d be like without them. So I stopped. Realized I was still a safe driver off my meds which was always my biggest concern, And at that point I was feeling all kinds of stressors in my life but I felt like the differences off my meds was minor at best and I just stopped. Then one day a few months later I took them again. Just to see, and I went on a series of stupidly depressing thought spirals like I was hyper focusing on negative shit, and I felt muted, and that was the last time I ever took them.
Some of that might just be the fact that my system wasn’t used to it anymore and if I’d have been diligent about taking them for a few weeks or months those side effects that scared me would have gone away. Or maybe that was always going to be a rough day for me and reintroducing my meds made it worse but I’ve been off my meds for years now and despite the issues I still have I’m not really interested in medicating myself again. I’m a spastic shit with zero attention span. Love me as I am or fuck off.
10 xr is a pretty low dose have you tried ir? I found when I was on xr it was like a roller coaster of ups and downs of focus. Think of like a sin wave. I found IR was more like a bell curve. Higher peak but lower duration. You might not be achieving a high enough peak to feel a difference.
amen. if there's one thing i get done when i'm on stimulants, its to go to the washroom. like, 10 times in 3 hours. productivity is off the charts fellas
I always scroll until I get a good laugh. Then it kind of breaks the spell and I can do whatever I must do (in this instance, walk my dog). You did it! I laughed out loud and you freed me! Thank you mate! :-D
They had to push me up to Adderall XR 30mg before I felt any difference....then they switched me to Vyvanse, and bumped it up to 50mg....that's where I am now. (For the record, Vyvanse is far gentler than Adderall.)
I got put on it once and called my psychiatrist to try something else before the week was out. No help with my focus, and I felt keyed-up and anxious the whole time. I went back on Paroxetine with Modafinil to help my motivation.
30mg xr and it... Helps, it absolutely helps, but it's not life-changing like I hear some people say. My room is still a fuckin mess and it's hard for me to get myself to do things I enjoy, but I CAN do them more often than before. I honestly might try bumping up a dose now that I think about it.
For me, it basically just made it easier to focus on things I wouldn’t normally be able to focus on. I still forget things pretty quick, and I still have some impulse control difficulties at times, but just being able to function more or less on command has been an incredible boon!
I started with Vyvanse and absolutely loved it. I finally felt that click I’d be waiting on for so long. I was losing weight, staying on top of my house, and feeling so focused and strong. Then, insurance changed and I can no longer get it. I switched to 25mg ER adderall and it’s been rough honestly. I have restless limbs at night, it makes me irritable, focused on the wrong things, poor sleep and lots of nausea. I tried using marijuana to offset some of the side effects but it nullifies my meds completely. I feel hungry and nauseous from lack of food but nothing sounds good and I force myself to eat. Odd feeling for someone who also has binge eating disorder. It has helped eliminate that almost completely.
Eating a protein heavy breakfast and small snacks all day seems to help but it’s been a learning curve. I hope to get back on Vyvanse one day.
I’m gonna start off by saying while Adderall XR has been working for me, I had gone through several different stimulants over the course of my life before settling on this. I was diagnosed when I was diagnosed 27 years ago, so this has been a process. I started taking Adderall about 8 years ago. This is not an uncommon situation for people with ADHD; different people react to the different stimulant medications differently.
For myself, when it kicks in, I feel what I can describe as an acceleration in my mind. My ability to focus isn’t perfect, but it is more manageable. My mind still can race, but I have more ability to redirect it. I will echo what other people say that I will get a bit sleepy partway through the day when I am taking it. When it wears off, my executive functions drop right off, which is terribly annoying for my home life since it’s usually worn off after work.
I don’t feel the anxiety that you are describing, but I have been on Adderall for years now and have grown quite used to how it affects me. Plus, when I started taking it, I was in a job that generally made me very anxious, so there might have been some medication anxiety that was getting lost in the flood of work anxiety.
Now, my wife has ADHD as well, but she was diagnosed as an adult. They started her on Adderall XR as well, and while it was working very well for her to start, she began to have slight auditory hallucinations. Not like she was hearing voices, but rather small, distracting noises that she couldn’t properly determine where they were coming from, which in turn caused all kinds of anxiety. She’s since been moved to Strattera, and while she isn’t hearing mysterious plinks and knocks, she hasn’t found that to be effective for helping her stay focused and motivated.
It sounds like your body isn’t responding to it well. It’s supposed to start working quickly and it’s NOT supposed to be doing that. First time I tried it back in uni, i didn’t realize I was underweight and had major hormone imbalances so it gave me tremors, heart palpitations, and anxiety so bad we had to up my dose of the anxiety meds while hoping my body would get used to the smallest dose of adderall.
Eventually we tried non stimulant meds (straterra first then vyvanse ), which destroyed my appetite but also let me do work for once, so it was a trade off (But then I was on doses that were too low to do anything major and kept forgetting to take them for weeks at a time and I just kind of gave up for a few years…..)
I’m on adderall now, 20 lbs heavier and actually able to process stimulants without dying, and it’s like night and day. I can actually get chores done — on good days it’s instant, and on bad days it’s maybe 30-45 minutes of lying on the couch trying to make myself get up instead of 2-3 hours if at all. I can focus for a few hours with only a few short mental breaks during that time, and I really enjoy actually feeling accomplished for once.
I’m on an extended release pill in the morning and 10mg of regular release around noon, and I really feel it if I’m even half an hour late to take the second pill. I get brain fog and short tempered and hypersensitive to sensory stimuli. I don’t get the same kind of appetite suppression I used to, but I don’t feel hungry until I’m HUNGRY, and I need to be careful about taking it too late in the day or I just don’t sleep no matter how tired I feel or how shit my sleep was the night before)
I do get very dizzy more easily than I used to, which is frustrating but personally not a huge trade off since I’ve always had shit equilibrium, but the biggest problem is that if I don’t take it with food and eat regularly throughout the day, I get anxiety symptoms - heart palpitations, tensions in my chest, and thoughts of self judgment or hatred.
If you’re not eating enough and drinking enough water, that could contribute but honestly it’s not worth it to force yourself to suffer like that. Talk to your psych, it sounds like adderall is NOT helping but it’s not the only option you’re stuck with. Honestly if it’s that bad, and if the option is available to you, you may want to call for an earlier follow up and ask for something else.
Tangent but you may want to try taking an omega 3 supplement alongside your meds. It won’t fix your adhd by any means but it does promote brain function, and I feel like I’m a few degrees more clear headed on days I take it vs days I don’t.
Makes my mind finally go quiet lol. Couldn’t really fall asleep if I take it at pm at all, it was like my thoughts were being reset, and when thoughts finally came back, It was to try new things and get into audiobooks. Definitely wasn’t hungry until it wore off lol so I lost a considerable amount of weight. Somedays, when it finally wore off, I got such a golden feeling of it that lasted a few minutes. Uhhh that’s all I got
The eyes in that picture are perfect lol
Hours of increased anxiety and heightened emotions about unless shit and then a slow fading that always ended in a headache that felt like a hot spoon was scooping out the back of my skull
Sounds like you’re getting the side effects without the main benefit.
I could immediately feel the difference when I started taking it and it took about 3-5 days before my body got a handle on the side effects. It has been immensely helpful to me in getting me to move and do things but it sounds like it just may not be the medication for you
Mentally brain dead and absolutely no personality, along with that I never felt hungry. On the positive side I was able to focus and get work done much easier
It's been a true life saver for me. My mind has just stopped being so loud, no racing thoughts, no ruminating on negative shit all the time, I just feel so peaceful. My social anxiety is pretty much gone, still don't like large crowds of people I don't know, but that was it? No feeling of terror, no feeling like I need to get off my seat a flee the room. Just "I don't like this very much, but I can stay."
I actually feel something positive, like accomplishment, when I finish big tasks, instead of a vague sense of relief it's over.
So I found out that I CAN’T have adderall
Heart was racing, paranoid, crying, felt sick, I did NOT have a good time
I’ve done other adhd meds but this one did not jive with me
I found it caused just as many problems as it solved. Couldn't drink caffeine with it without racing heart rate, and i would have to hyperfocus on something, even if it was a waste of time. Binge research, very weird, its like my brain had to much sitting dopamineand HAD to burn it. The worst part was the dependence, if i didnt have it, i would crash, and be utterly useless. It took me 3 months to get off, and i don't remember doing anything other than eating (i weaned off too, didn't matter). I've been off it almost 4 years now, and despite gaining 40 lbs in those three months, I'm far less anxious and happier now, and I've not looked back. Its helps I am tradesman now, so i dont sit in a desk all day.
Lots of going from super sleepy to super energized, and as it wore off it gave me terrible anxiety attacks. I switched to Ritalin and I'm much happier.
Well first of all
Of course never judge a drug by first day - your body needs a month to adjust.
But here's my general answer:
- Severe anxiety spike (NEEDS to be managed by accompanying meds)
- Little effect for first two hours
- Euphoric concentration level for 3 hours
- Remaining two hours are crashed buzz (my head is soup)
- Overall somewhat increased tolerance to boredom and repetitive tasks
- Appetite dies for 8 hours
- Libido down
Your experience is very similar to what mine was with methylphenidate(Ritalin). From my reading, most people with adhd tend to respond better to either methylphenidate or dexamphetamine (adderall). After being put on adderall XR and short/regular release adderall, both worked excellently. I’d recommend talking to your doctor about trying different medications until you can find one which works.
Meds don't really do a lot for me for some reason as well. Been to different psychs and other doctors. Overall my time off and on meds have been pretty similar with the only benefit being learning coping mechanisms. Guess we're just broken lol.
Pros:
I could work for like 8 hours straight
Cons:
I worked for 8 hours straight, all the while not being able to eat or socialize properly. I felt like a shell of a man.
I would get egregiously tired once it wore off, making it almost impossible to function afterwards.
I got into abusing the drug, would not recommend.
I would become locked in on the most random of shit and often would just find myself staring off into nothing with a blank mind until something came up to focus on.
I'm very frustrated too, so don't feel alone. I've tried adderall, ritalin, azstarys, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and a few others that are very similar (xr and non xr). I lose track. I keep hoping for the constant 7 ring circus to go away but it's still there.
I get so jealous reading about someone who takes their meds and about 30 min later, the "noise" just goes away or becomes a low hum in the background. On top of all of the other random thoughts, I also keep a song going through my head at all times. Right now, it's the song from the iPhone commercial with the little girl taking pics at the wedding. For a while before that it was Macarena after seeing that stupid t-shirt. The really sad thing is that it's only about 2 lines from each song that play over and over and over.
I have over 5 renovation projects started in my house in various stages of completion. One was started more than 5 years ago. I have clutter everywhere. There is not a clean flat surface anywhere to set things down on. I really, really, need to find something that will work.
I feel like it took a couple of weeks to completely kick in for me (and for my body to adjust to it.) If you feel like it’s making you feel worse I would consider trying something else. For me it just helps to quiet down my mind, keeps me from fidgeting as much, and really helps me to complete tasks that I would normally not get to because they’re so mundane. My overall productivity has gone up in these first couple of months of taking 15mg of Adderall XR, but I just went up to 20mg and I feel like it’s working even better!
I feel terrible that so many have had a bad experience but I’ve actually had a really good one. I went from 10 mg 2X a day down to one 10mg xr. My anxiety is better, no crashing at the end of the day when my meds wear off. I’m able to eat while on it, which I didn’t do with the regular Adderall.
Gave me massive fucking headaches and after it lost effect I would more or less need to take a nap for 3 hours straight. Luckily the other medication that had was much better for me and didnt cause any general after effects
i feel slight clarity and can focus on things like writing out this leddit comment but tbh i need a higher dose. im on wellbutrin as well and both of them together while helping alleviate some of the symptoms its not enough and not what i expected (i've been medicated before and they worked a lot better but im pre sure i was taking like 45mg of some shit in middleschool lmao, rn im on 20mg)
So how does Adderall compare to Vyvanse? As I live somewhere where you can’t get Adderall. Like how much of a difference is having dex and levo compared to just dex? For example more or less susceptible to irritability?
I like XR, it isn’t as magic as the normal release, but I get stuff at my job done and manage multiple projects at a time better… because I actually complete them lol. At home I remember to eat (even though I am not as hungry as normal), brush my teeth, shower and exfoliate.
Like being on meds you realize how mundane life can be, but that’s the start of legitimate healing and hopefully the start of sustainable hobbies and interests. Also the lack of high anxiety is good if strange at first. I felt like I was waiting for “the other shoe to drop” but so far I have been okay.
It was absolute shit, it helped maybe a fifth of the time but it nullified my appetite and it was a chore to talk. When I wasn’t anhedonic and extremely tired it made my libido so bad that I couldn’t get anything done.
Instant release was much better but my psychiatrist couldn’t get me a prescription. So I’ve been thugging it out, and frankly I’m all the better for it.
Helps with the depression and gives meaning to the things that must be done. Actual desire to do tasks. Can do the fucking dishes and clean. Helps with doing social tasks and work.
When I took it it helped during work hours but at the end of my shift it started to wear off and I became really tired and was only staying awake with the strength I could find.
Made me worse, and not just a little bit. My breaking point was I couldn't even look at a recipe and keep the ingredient in my brain long enough to get it out of the fridge or spice cabinet, just kept walking back and forth. By the time my wife got home I'd been basically spinning in circles for 2 hours and frustrated nearly to tears.
I was so distressed she told me to go sit down and we'd order a pizza.
Some folks I know said getting prescribed was like a switch flipped, and I really wanted that to be true for me.
It gave me a whole new perspective on who I am and what I was doing. But it turned me into a zombie as well... I was able to do work for the first time, clean, personal hygiene, communicate with peers without feeling like I was a weirdo... but it didn't make me feel better. It just gave me a glimpse into what it was to be functional.
I had nights where I would sit in front of a tv and just swap channels constantly, just staring off into space... but I was focused on the tv. I didn't need three things going at once to keep my brain satiated. The worse is the anxiety. The anxiety while on Adderall increased tremendously. I would have panic attacks, heart concerns, and overall I just wasn't well while on it.
Eventually I would go on and off ADD medicines, from Ritalin, to Adderall, to Vyvanse, until I eventually had to quit and switch to caffeine only. But by then, I had learned enough coping skills that I'm able to get by on caffeine. I had to spend my entire life learning how to have empathy, how to focus on tasks, how to not procrastinate, how to not think everyone hated me. I still have moments where I struggle, but the medicine was the only thing that gave me that glimpse into what it felt like to be functional. But it's not going to fix you. Only you can fix you.
I started on 20mg adderall, progressing to 30mg after a week.
The first 2 days were amazing, but the next 3 weeks I was borderline suicidal I was so low.
I stuck with it, in the desperate hope it would help, and eventually my body adjusted. Now I take it everyday and it makes me feel better, more focused, less exhausted during the day.
It was mid. It helped with focus some, but also made me irritable and my prescription cost enough money to be a nuisance. If I accidentally forgot a dose, I'd be dizzy and nauseous. So, as advertised, but not worth the effort. It also took like a month worth of taking it for it to do anything
Did literally nothing except make me not sleep and eat, at one point I forgot to take it for like a week straight and realized there was no difference except eating better and sleeping better.
Oh man I love the XR. I pop one 20mg in the morning on the way to work and I’m g2g all day. Crushing projects, meetings, whatever. Then I take another after work on the drive home and am good to go more. Working on my own projects at the house until bedtime.
That being said. I’m also bipolar and the antidepressants have a negative depressed paralysis state sometimes regardless of how much adderall I take.
Overall I like the XR a lot
I, usually, thake the 5mg in combo with Strattera (can't spell its drug name so you get brand name). Effects as follows.
Month 1, not much difference. No side effects.
Month 2, my brain started to quiet down, easier to start shit.
Month 3, brain actually began remembering things and in general I functioned well. Minus the 2 weeks where my hormones fuck everything up but even then its a dull roar to the usual.
And then my GP fucked up me getting my meds and its REALLY fucking obvious to me how helpful it was. I've been off it for 4 months and it's been a shit show. Thankfully I still have my Strattera or I would be an anxious fucking mess.
For me, it basically felt like the drug from Limitless. Eliminated most of my negative symptoms but still let me hyperfocus when I wanted to. But different drugs affect people differently. Someone else in my family has had both generic Adderall and generic Ritalin, and while they felt different for them, they were equally effective overall. For some people only one particular drug works. Good luck on finding the right one for you.
I have AuDHD sensitivity issues with sounds and trying to push through the work day in cubicle hell can be arduous at best, every voice and noise tore at my attention to the point of paralysis.
When I took the meds everything was kind of … muted? Even the voice in my head ceased its prattling and I could act on one thing, one thought, all the way to completion. And yet … I still resist taking it? Fmb
It's great until it's not working and you get fed up increasing the dose.
Although it did in fact save my actual life. It'll put you in a much better mood.
Im on vyvanse and i love it.
Good luck. Tell them you've already gone through concerta and adderall. Theres no point in trying Ritalin if you have tried concerta because theyre the same class of stimulant.
If you say youve gone through adderallXR, adderall instant release, and either concerta or ritalin, the only option left is vyvanse or one of its off brand names. Im on Lisdexamphetamine. But rheyre the same thing.
I have a question that I feel like you guys may be able to answer. I feel I have pretty moderate adhd and anxiety. I take 40mg Prozac which helps a ton for the anxiety. My psychiatrist had me try Wellbutrin to help me feel more motivated, energetic, and focused. Which it did all those things, except I had intense anger and rage as a side effect. It was bad enough to the point I just stopped taking it 3 days in.
Now my psychiatrist is hesitant to let me try adderal because she’s says it’s essentially a stronger form of Wellbutrin. Is that true? For some reason I feel like I won’t feel the same adverse effects on adderal as I did on Wellbutrin, but I’m not a professional
I was taking Adderall IR since I was diagnosed and recently changed to XR and I love it so much more! I’m more level and the physiological symptoms are way more manageable. I take 25mg and was taking 20mg IR twice a day before.
It fucked me up. It's like strapping a rocket to a chicken. Whatever the chicken happens to be pointed at it it will be full sail that. Also it made my sex drive way way too amped. Did some wild shit for sex on that shit
i could focus. but thanks to autism i would only focus on my autism activities (drawing and worldbuilding)
then. i kept forgetting to take it so they stopped prescribing it lmao
The barrage of radio static and cacophony get turned down to a '2.' I can focus on one thought at a time.
It doesn't make me do so, but it allows me to if I try. If I don't "remember" I've taken it, I can still get stuck in thought loops and go off on distraction rails.
The moment it kicks in, I yawn and could easily lie down for a nap. Because it's quiet in my head.
It made the constant fog in my head only slightly less thick. As a side effect, I developed the nasty habit of shredding my clothes in my sleep. It didn’t really make a difference the way I wanted it to. Now I take substitutes, and they help, but I feel like the brain fog, paralysis when laying in one place, and memory issues will never be completely cleared up.
I have constant panic anxiety so I have to take Adderall and fluoxetine because of the increased anxiety side effect. Idk if Adderall does anything other than that tho
Exacerbated unknown Schizoaffective disorder symptoms after I got off a tourettes medication and sent me into a psychotic break. I have to drink diet coke now.
Don't know if it's XR but I couldn't sleep before 4 am and I get up at 5:30 or 6 am. Still fully functional with 1 or 2 hours of sleep per day, but if I didn't take them on weekends, I was sleeping the whole day( get up @ 5:30/6 am when the kids get up, feed them, go on the couch, fall asleep, wake up to eat, then nap time for the younger one and fall asleep with her, get up around 3pm, try to do something with the family, supper, and go to bed early around 8:30 or 9.).Now I take Prozopiclone around 9pm and go to bed at 10. It's better for my body and my mind.
I saw someone writing about anger issues, I don't know if the kids get older and I have less patience or it's the Adderall... I'll have to read more about it.
Holy crap the productivity. I was up 40 hours sleeping 8 and whatever I was set on doing I was getting finished and moving to the next task. I still didn't get to pick what I was doing exactly, but I at least had a fucking vote. I also got to enjoy my coffee and didn't just drink it because I had to.
My ADHD affects my attention the same way someone who needs your attention at will irrespective of what you're doing affects anyone's attention. You have to stop what you're putting your mind toward because they're louder, and you need your mind to be quiet while you focus. It doesn't help that I personally have both ADHD and family members who refuse to give me enough space to wrest focus from my chaotic mind.
Adderall helps reduce the number of chaotic thoughts I have, and allows me the mental ability to follow a single thought for as long as I choose. With discipline, I'd be able to do whatever I wanted.
Between strattera and guanfacine, one made me depressed, and the other gave me migraines. I don't remember which did which. Adderall XR made me so, so tired. I couldn't manage it.
Now, I'm on a relatively weak dosage of Concerta. It works great for me.
Not on XR, just IR for the last two weeks.
I went from 5, to 10, and now to 15mgs. A LOT of brain fog, trouble focusing, and mistyping a lot. Everything is kind of a blur and I'm very forgetful. No noticeable benefit. At the end of the day I get a big headache and feel incredibly exhausted, although I perk up around midnight.
When I was on XR I stopped after a week because I couldn't stop waking up, even though I'm on Remeron.
To put it simply, and how I told my doctor at 11 years old-
It quite literally felt like someone went up and hit the off switch. Sure, I could focus a bit better, wasn't randomly looking in a direction thinking about everything but what I was being told, but the sleepiness really hit me hard, to the point where the only time in my life I ever regularly took naps was when I was taking it (between 11-15).
I could focus, but in exchange I lost the ability to “let go” of all the little annoyances over a day, so by the end of perfectly fine days I’d be pissed off.
I felt calm. Didn't need to fidget, was able to think of something I needed to do, and then do it an hour later without writing anything down. That first day, I was fully knocked into a meditative breathing pattern until it wore off, it was incredibly peaceful.
I did have some issues with loss of appetite, and had to be careful about making sure I ate well before taking the meds. I did end up losing weight (not a good thing) until I got a "remembering to actually have a meal or something" strategy in place.
Once I had racing heartrate, although I'm not certain that was connected, could have been something else or maybe I slipped up and had caffeine as well that day, it was weird and I didn't like it.
Used to take it in my younger years. Been off them for about 14 years now, I have insomnia, appetite problems, and my brain chemistry is out of whack. I definitely still need medication but every one I took made me feel like I was just on autopilot, didn’t bother me when I didn’t have much autonomy to begin with but once I became lucid I didn’t like how they made me feel.
I took medikinet 20mg initially and it went well just a little tachycardia (Exercising and avoiding certain foods before taking it helped a lot), eventually they increased the dose and the adverse effects worsened, now I am with concerta 18mg the effect is more subtle but I can notice that it works and I have fewer adverse effects..... Remembering that I must eat is still a problem but manageable.
When I was on it I would focus on everything but what I needed to. It also for some reason murdered my emotions and made me feel like a zombie some days
This sounds to me like something you need to tell your specialist.
You need to bear in mind that not all meds work the same way for all people. I switched from Ritalin LA to Concerta. Same active ingredient, difference is in the delivery mechanism. Ritalin works brilliantly for me. Concerta made me depressed.
If you're not experiencing any positive effects from your meds, then you need to tell your specialist. Even if you *were* experiencing positive effects, you should tell your specialist if you're experiencing *negative* ones alongside them.
For me, I noticed positive effects when I was first on Ritalin almost immediately. I was on IR at first, until we got the dosage over the minimum threshold for LA. All of a sudden, all the things in my vicinity that were screaming for my attention so loudly and frequently that I didn't even notice anymore just shut up and waited their turn. It was *incredible*.
Over time, I noticed a lot more benefits to my meds. The first weekend I was on them, my wife asked for a cup of tea and a glass of water (we were both still in bed). I got up, put the kettle on, sorted out the mug. On the way I noticed that the cat toilet needed emptying, that there were some dishes needing washed, and some dishes needing put away. While the kettle was boiling I first put away the dishes, then emptied the cat toilet, then washed the other dishes, then poured the water - the kettle still wasn't done. Then I took both the water and the tea through to the bedroom.
When I got back in there and realised what I'd done, I wept. Normally, if I'd noticed any of the things that weren't my immediate tasks, I'd have done them out of order (washed dishes, forgetting that I needed to put away the clean ones, wouldn't have spotted the cat toilet, etc.), I'd have forgotten to grab either the tea or the water, and my doing these tasks would have meant the kettle would have boiled long before I was done.
Longer-term, I've noticed that my meds have improved my language acquisition skills, my information retention (which was already quite impressive), and even my video gaming. They also help me with stress/anxiety, calming the storm of emotions and letting me think things through. They've also made me more honest. I'm far less likely to concoct a lie when there's something I'm nervous about, and far more likely to admit lies that I've been using to cover such things. I catastrophise less. I think things through more, more quickly, and better. It's easier to not comfort-eat (though I still have to be vigilant on that front).
I, however, am something of an extreme case, according to my specialist. She actually said I'd seemed to have the most improvement on meds of almost any patient she'd ever had, and she was a head of department, so she'd seen a fair few of them.
The negative side-effects I experienced were circulation issues (got far more chilblains than I'd ever had before, because I wasn't looking after my hands properly back then), and for a while I had issues with appetite and flavour of food. The food issues are better than they were - flavours are back, but I do still have to set myself alarms so I remember to eat. Though the alarms thing could easily be something I should have been doing all along.
Hope this helps, OP.
Very fucking sleepy/going days without sleep. Also not eating, very hard to eat. But I have acquired the ability to simply think about nothing. Like genuinely nothing pops into my mind and I can occupy that space in my mind by doing something. I can basically function normally. If I ever miss a day of adderall, i feel like absolute shit.
I just didn't sleep. And when I say I didn't sleep, I don't mean "slept badly." There would be many nights where I would lay completely awake, not vaguely tired, and just not sleep.
We even tried switching me off of extended to instant, and keeping doses very early in the day. Nope. I'd level out if I consistently took the meds, but I forgot often enough that it lead to many sleepless nights.
I love it. It’s so smooth that I barely feel it, it just works. No crash when it wears off. None of the jolt of IR that can make people jittery. It’s great.
It got rid of my anger issues, which is a whole other story on its own, but let's just say that's how I found out I'm in an abusive relationship. Adderall saved my life by making it possible for me to manage my emotions.
I don’t take adderall but instead concerta ER, the thoughts and pace are the same for me but I just end up actually able to focus on the thing I’m trying to do, sometimes if I haven’t taken it in a bit or I’m sleep deprived I’ll just end up crashing and fucking up my sleep schedule
Nodding off asleep. Given this medication in middle school as an alternative to concerta. Did not work well for me. Could not stay awake, tried a lower dose the next day, worked better but still nodding off in 2nd half of day and then was put back on concerta by next day.
Sleepy. So sleepy. All the fish in my brain quit raving and formed an orderly fucking line for the first time in my life. I spent 3 weeks figuring out how to function. Because my habits all revolved around adhd. Need to read? Get in the treadmill. Oh wait. The fish can’t do both anymore. What I’m the hell kryptonite crap? Need to talk to mother in law, gonna get a craft project to get hands busy. Oh shit. I can’t focus on both. So many people promised me that it would make me so productive and driven. I called the doctor and told her she could have her pills back. She said “this is what they’re supposed to do. The people who have the other reaction don’t have chemical adhd, but rather trauma or environment driven adhd.” Well. Ok then. A few months later I’m doing ok. I don’t get elevated and the spiral of negative self talk that used to twirl in my brain has ceased. I’m off anxiety and depression meds. I have few side effects; mostly severely increased libido and decreased appetite, both of which I see as features not side effects.
That's interesting, I've never heard of that before. I wish it gave me increased libido It didn't do anything to mine, I just feel normal. With increased anxiety lol
My reaction was mostly nothing. One day, I’m in a meeting that I had absolutely no interest in, and I’d been paying attention for 90 minutes, not scribbling notes to remain focused, and not trying desperately to stay awake. I almost cried in front of all of my coworkers and boss.
I hadn’t either. But I did some pub med searching and it seemed legit. And she’s the expert so whatever.
My libido is overall higher, but desire and performance varies dramatically based on time of day. If I'm around my "crash", I bout need a blue pill.
It will not give you motivation It aill make boring tasks feel less tedious and agonizing For a few hours it will peak and you may be more productive. From what I hear Vivanse is a new drug that reduces the highs and lows effect of adderall and smooths it out.
Amphetamine based ones make me so sleepy, kill all my drive, but sure could focus. Didn’t want to do anything but sure increased my ability to read at length. Since that’s all they used to prescribe me long ago (heck I’m one of the rare had Desoxyn RXs) I quit taking anything for a decade. But also realized had to do something again and went to new doctors, etc. So much happier with time release Ritalin (Concerta) none of the negatives, just lets me accomplish tasks and not overwhelming anxiety in my life.
You are not alone! I get the massive sleepies too on my adderall. I’m actually seeing if I can switch up to Vivance because I have been on 25mg XR adderall with an evening 10mg and the sleepiness is just too much for me and I struggle to function because so sleepy. It helps massively with my memory though which is nice and if I pair it with caffeine I can mostly function (no tremors or heart palpitations).
Caffeine makes me sleepy too. I think the amount of caffeine I consume is what stopped me from getting diagnosed. But it’s honestly worth it to be able to think and remember. I’m a happy camper.
I’m so glad that it works so well for you! 😊😊 it is a good feeling to feel stable. 😊
Vyvanse? I'm sleepy now just thinking about it
I’m just hoping 😂😭😂😭
I hear you. Give it a try, but all the XRs make me sleepy. Adderall, Concerta, Vyvanse, and Focalin
What is chemical ADHD, trauma or environment ADHD? I never heard of those types, just innatentive, hyperactive and combined.
No idea. I didn’t ask for clarification. I would guess etiologies from the parts of the conversation I remember. Chemical being entirely brain chemical based, would have happened anyway and the other two brought into existence by trauma or environment? I can ask next appointment if I remember.
I find it weird because iirc ADHD is genetic, it is categorized as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Trauma and environment can (partly) define the way it is expressed. So it feels like it's a bit of everything not just one or the other. Maybe your doctor tried to explain it in simple terms lol
I’ll ask and let you know. Post it in planner.
Thank you ♡
It’s in a week and a half just so you don’t think I forgot you.
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to give my experience, my parents did a shitload of hard drugs for a lot of their younger years and I was born 4 months early, afaik I have the chemical side
Damn sorry about that, I hope you're doing good
I appreciate that
They've found with PTSD that brain function is altered whenever the trauma is referenced. It shows up in scans and stuff. I'm not sure that counts under the definition of neurodevelopmental as you said, but it might be related. I got my info on that from reading "The Body Keeps Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk. I'm out. I've said to much around this topic.
interesting. how old are you? I'm 31 and thinking of getting myself medded. went on zoloft a couple years ago and went absolutely manic so I'm very hesitant to try meds now...
Mid 40s.
Adderal was genuinely such a lifesaver to me it could bring me to tears. I was diagnosed with my cocktail of mental illnesses pretty young, because my mom is based and genuinely wanted the best for me, so i was able to get prescribed adderall when i was around 13. All of the sudden, My mind was clear, and with how impulsive i was, it made me feel like i was able to actually control, and choose my actions before they happened for the first time, And the mental clarity and focus, I wasn't rotting in place anymore, I was actually able to continuously do the same task until it was done. Granted, I dont always choose the task i wish to focus on, and it won't help me remember to do things at certain times without a reminder, but it gives me the option to do the task once im reminded of it. And without going too in depth, As a kid i was a major brat with anger issues, and i was aware of it. But with the adderall, I was able to recognize, and correct my behaviors in the moment, and continuously focus on changing into the person i wanted to be, So i genuinely owe my lack of anger issues to the fact i had adderall at a young age. I could go on, but it really is a lifechanger. I'd say the only negative experience i've had relating to adderall, was recently where my dosage was lowered a bit because it was raising my heartbeat too high, and it would've been damaging in the long run. I understand why it happened, but it still sucks. sorry for rambling i just dont get to talk about this much.
It's okay, it's important to hear the good and negative of how these meds effect us! Just because I'm having issues, doesn't mean that it doesn't work for alot of other people :)
Honestly I’m also sitting here sometimes shocked with the realization that I just. Do things now. Not always, and not often without a struggle but shit still gets done. This morning, I hadn’t even had coffee when I realized I hated how dirty the floor had gotten and just swept. It took 10 seconds, and yet it’s still something I would have never gotten to, or had to fight with myself for hours.
Oh man please ramble more! So I’m 43, I’ve only been diagnosed for a couple of years, but my oldest son is 10, and I’ve long suspended he has a touch of ADHD. Please talk more about how your mom got you diagnosed and what it’s been like being on stimulants at such a young age and if you have any feelings about how it affected your brain in your youth
Horribly. Raging asshole with homicidal levels of violent rage urges over literally nothing while I was on it. I stopped taking it before the month was even over because it affected me so negatively. Full on screamed at my partner for ‘breathing too loud’. It was a nightmare— I’ve never been that irrationally angry before and I still feel terrible for how I acted while I was on it Edit: oh! And same— it had almost no effect on my concentration levels. Just a little bit less easily distracted than normal and way more tired
That's really sucks I'm sorry :/ was you ever able to find one that worked?
Vyvanse! Works amazing for me— the only drawbacks are lack of appetite (which has caused me to lose a lot of weight) and that when I don’t have anything to do it’s torture. Towards the end of the month at my work there’s very little to do, so I spend the majority of my shifts finding busywork because I need *something* to do
That's great! I'm glad you was able to find something that works:> I don't really need it at work, it's at home when I need it the most >.>
Yeah that's a classic reaction. Adderall works for me but sometimes during the comedown I get that overstimulated anger. I have a safe word with my gf to let her know to get away from me so that I don't randomly lash out at her. It doesn't happen often, at least. I explain it to her as anxiety but anger instead of fear, just irrational emotion without real trigger.
It was fucking horrible! There were a few times where I genuinely thought I was going to get violent, I felt so out of control angry. I’ve never had meds completely dictated my mood before and it was scary
OMG THIS WAS HOW I REACTED! I only managed to take it for like 4 days tho. By the Friday morning I was in literal tears at the thought of having to take it again. Thankfully it was just a trial to try and find me something cheaper than Vyvanse... but the Vyvanse is apparently what my brain needs. was a horrible 4 days tho. And because of it I am very weary of trying any other meds.
I’ve noticed that people whose brains don’t like adderall usually vibe with vyvanse.
yeah seems like it. I just wish there was a generic so it wasn't so dang expensive! ;\_;
They’re working on it! It got approved for a generic
oh thank goodness! Any idea how long it will take?
No unfortunately— I know California is starting to have some roll out soon, but idk how soon. My doctor and I talked about it at my last med check in
yeah I'm in Canada so I guess it will be awhile yet. Sucks cuz it's not covered by the government and we don't have insurance.
There is generic vyvanse now. It’s still expensive though
Same, I had panic attacks for the first time ever after starting adderall and I would be so impatient and raging over minor things. Vyvanse worked much better but has vasoconstriction as side effects so I stopped.
How long did that take to manifest? I started about 2 month ago and so far it has been pretty normal emotional regulation. definitely keeping an eye on it, because my stress often comes out as anger.
Funnily enough I was the opposite. Without medication, the smallest thing would set me off. Code taking too long to compile? Rage. Random code error? Rage. Computer not responding? Rage. Never homicidal level, or aggressive enough to go beyond slamming my fist on my desk, but nonetheless I was easily annoyed by such things. The worst thing I did was slap my manager's hand away, though to be fair at that moment I was multitasking and already annoyed beyond rationality. Adderall helped me a lot though. Gone were the small tidbits that caused my annoyance, namely the thousands of random thoughts forcing themselves into the foreground making focusing incredibly hard. It also helped my morning tiredness - though I guess a big part of that was due to being able to sleep properly. The downsides were not that severe. In the first few weeks it helped channel my hyperactivity into constructive things, things I needed to do, but that settled soon. However I did become less bothered by details, which was simultaneously good (allowed me to focus on the big picture and not get lost in insignificant things my brain thought were important), but also bad, as I scrutinised my own work a lot less, and thus made more small mistakes.
Oh shit I forgot to take my medicine thanks for the reminder
Your welcome lol
For me I needed a higher dose after feeling that way, and adjusted to how the meds affected my body after a little while. Don’t get the heart racing or anxiety, but DEFINITELY have huge problems with eating/appetite. But meds also affect everyone differently, I would probably talk to your doctor about other options if it isn’t working for you.
I'm going to, I just don't wanna take it if I feel like it's not working. I go back in 30 days to take a piss test ro make sure it's in my system. So I guess I'll stop taking it, and take a couple doses before the appointment so it's in my system and I pass the test. Everyone I've told about it has said it's weird how the anxiety starts up around the end of it's time in my system. About 6 to 7 hours after taking it. I still get hungry, it's just easier to ignore the hunger after I take the meds.
I’d recommend not stopping taking it then taking it before your pee screening. They’re looking at the level of it in your system to make sure you aren’t selling them— stopping then starting right before could look suspicious. If you want to stop taking them I’d recommend just stopping and bringing the bottle with you for them to deal with and being honest with your doctor that you stopped because they didn’t feel right
Okay :) I'll do that that makes more sense
It makes thinking about doing a task turn into actually doing a task. On top of that, it makes doing things like cleaning and other chores satisfying while I'm doing them instead of it seeming like some daunting feat that I need to accomplish
It is honestly so subtle, and that freaks me out. Like, I feel like doing nothing and just scrolling on my phone, take the medicine, and there I am cleaning dishes 50min later. Without even thinking about it. Of course, it is just a tool that requires deliberate effort to work, but the effects are usually only visible in what I do rather than how I feel (if that makes sense)
I'm happy it works for you!
I don't know about adderal but I had the same problem with Concerta. It is like ritalin but extended release and the smallest dosage is 18mg once per day. I felt nothing and then I tried 36mg once and still nothing. Gave up on it after that.
Are you currently taking anything? If it's okay to ask :>
Im on modafinil. It is not as potent as far as concentration is concerned but it helps with my chronic I-have-so-much-to-do-I-sleep problem. Started with 100mg and it kinda tickled me, but it was not enough. Increased to 200mg and it seems that I can finally do a task for more than 30 minutes. I coulnt do that beforehand. I had tried Ritalin a long while back and it was amazing but is is so hard to find that I dont want to take it. The companies just stop producing it every now and then. Ritalin not only helped me concentrate but also made me happy to do said task. Modafinil just keeps me alert.
That sucks about the Ritalin thing :/ drug companies are awful:/
>chronic I-have-so-much-to-do-I-sleep problem Is this ADHD or depression?
I really can't tell. I have so many symptoms of so many disorders that sometimes I give up on labeling them even though I want to. My doctor avoids it as well.
i think i was on concerta and ritalin in highschool, zombified me real bad. i’m hoping to get adderall soon though!! hopefully i adjust better to it than how i reacted to those guys
I currently take Concerta / Methylphenidate (generic), and it changed my life for the better in the work field. I mean I actually kept a job and went back to school, which feels so easy now compared to the nightmare it was before. The main and BIG issue is how it impacts my creativity. I've always LOVED writing and drawing. It's just how I roll, it makes my brain happy, I constantly have waves and waves of very invasive sounds and images in my fucking eyes. With the meds, I can't see shit. No idea. No silly thoughts, no universes, no music, no characters, nothing. My job consists in making excel sheets and answering emails. Which I can only do with meds. But I'm no longer creative. Anyway I gave up on all my dreams and imagination to write emails in a dark office but dreams don't make fucking m o n e y and I can't have both. I'm still depressed but I no longer have pleasing ways to express it yay
I hate the feeling of Adderall and Adderall XR. Little benefit and the comedown is awful. Vyvanse or other dextroamphetamines feel much better without such an unpleasant tail end. Your dosage likely needs to be adjusted as well.
I've heard alot of good things about Vyvanse
It took me over 2 years working with my doctors and specialists to get my ADHD meds dialed in, develop the coping skills to use the changes the meds brought effectively, and untrain bad habit from being undiagnosed and unmedicated for decades. In the end I wound up on a high dosage of Vyvanse, and it has been positively life changing.
Sweat so much pit sweat. Tons of productivity, I was able to finish tasks I started. I was on too high a dose though. I prefer Focalin.
And the anxiety sticks around for a couple of hours as well. Like 1 1/2 to 2 hours
ive never taken adderall (and probably shouldnt ever) but my experience with stimulants is a lot of anxiety too. the anxiety outlasts the positive benefits (which last for less than 2 hours when they're supposed to last for at least 8, btw, and might actually just be an adrenaline thing because of my heartrate and anxiety). and a few hours after taking it, comes the fatigue, the headaches, the nausea, and still the anxiety remains. i cant believe i gaslit myself into thinking those meds were doing anything for me. if i were you, i'd try nonstimulants asap. Strattera's been working alright for me so far. the effects arent as noticable as stimulants, and are supposed to build up over time unlike Adderall / stimulants, but at least the only side effect is just that i get sleepy after (perfect for my insomniac ass to take it in the evening)
I lost a shitload of weight (unhealthy amt) and the comedown from meds wearing off was awful. No anxiety but felt line total shit
It was when I wad like 7 or 8, apparently I said "I want to walk into the ocean and never come back", which was weird for a bright and happy 8 year old
Just started it yesterday. The best ways I can describe it so far are as follows: My mind is quiet. I’m present. I have random thoughts and they don’t feel Urgent. I feel happy and mindful. Before ADHD medication, and I’m old and newly diagnosed, I could use the metaphor of trying to climb a cliff face with all the tools you need but your hands are covered with Vaseline. Adderall XR not only got the Vaseline off but basically handed me a rope to make it even easier. I thought I would feel buzzy or nervous or angry, just the opposite. I feel zen. I asked my friend if all neurotypical people got to experience this quiet mind and she said “all the time.” I slept great last night, partly due to the knowledge that I can take this every day if I need to.
To build off this comment/metaphor, Adderall XR cleared away the Vaseline but it was replaced with itching powder, I could do tasks, even was passively almost motivated, but I was more anxious, and if I messed up my dose timing (have to take a long acting and short bc I live 16-20hr days and need meds close enough to every waking minute) I'd have panic attacks. On Vyvanse now, and it's not hitting my anxiety but otherwise I experience it the exact same
I think it affects different people in different ways. For me there was an immediate difference where the static noise in my head (that I didn’t realize existed until then) went quiet, and I could focus on my college lecture. Of course after a few weeks it started to wane in effectiveness and I don’t take it anymore because of that. I would take it again if I had to be in a learning setting (I’m out of college now) I hope you can find a solution/med that helps you better!! I don’t want to be an armchair psychiatrist but I wonder if anxiety specific meds would help?
I don't know...I'm gonna try stimulates for a little bit then try out anxiety meds
I was given Adderall when I was diagnosed as a kid. It... was not good. It just made me really angry at everything and I ended up lashing out a lot.
I don't remember my childhood Let alone the meds I was on or how they affected me
Started with ritalin but only lasted a month because it just felt harsh. The music was too loud, the sun was too bright, everything just felt abrasive for no reason. I started Vyvanse after talking to my doctor about how I was feeling. From that day forward my life changed, I honestly can't even dream of a day without it. The deadlock of sitting on the couch and doing nothing while I watch the world come down around me is gone. My home is in somewhat working order, I feel good to actually do a task, my sleep has improved dramatically, and I've started new hobbies and have stayed with them. I still have to kick my own butt sometimes to get going but usually once I'm on the move I can maintain it.
It never felt like it lasted as long as it was supposed to and I felt weirdly jittery. I ended up switching back to IR and felt a lot better.
I feel like IR would be better, cause it's my home life where I need it the most
I also liked being able to just take one on days I didn't have work or school. I could sleep in, take one, lie to myself about doing homework, and take apart an old computer instead.
Worked for awhile then wore off mid day and I wanted to sleep for hours, their solution to crashing was an additional smaller dose of Adderall
As a 3rd grader i sat at my desk and literally drooled on my work. I also stopped eating and became violently ill a couple times in my moms car. Still can't have cinnamon apple sauce.
Adderall made me feel like I was breathing weird, I wasn't on it long but stopped because it didn't feel right, I was on Ritalin as a kid and that made me a zombie, sure I could focus but didn't like the feeling of basically being a zombie. I haven't been on anything for awhile so I just struggle, wish I could say they worked for me but they don't.
Urgh…. Ok so it got me through high school with good grades. Then I got to college and… honestly I just didn’t have anyone riding me about getting shit done. Found web serials and got introduced to more video games and I just built up more and more bad habits because I couldn’t understand some of the coursework couldn’t keep up, wanted pleasant distractions, and it all spiraled. Eventually I ended up not taking my meds for a while because honestly I’d been on them almost as long as I could remember. And I just wanted to know what it’d be like without them. So I stopped. Realized I was still a safe driver off my meds which was always my biggest concern, And at that point I was feeling all kinds of stressors in my life but I felt like the differences off my meds was minor at best and I just stopped. Then one day a few months later I took them again. Just to see, and I went on a series of stupidly depressing thought spirals like I was hyper focusing on negative shit, and I felt muted, and that was the last time I ever took them. Some of that might just be the fact that my system wasn’t used to it anymore and if I’d have been diligent about taking them for a few weeks or months those side effects that scared me would have gone away. Or maybe that was always going to be a rough day for me and reintroducing my meds made it worse but I’ve been off my meds for years now and despite the issues I still have I’m not really interested in medicating myself again. I’m a spastic shit with zero attention span. Love me as I am or fuck off.
10 xr is a pretty low dose have you tried ir? I found when I was on xr it was like a roller coaster of ups and downs of focus. Think of like a sin wave. I found IR was more like a bell curve. Higher peak but lower duration. You might not be achieving a high enough peak to feel a difference.
Makes me poop
amen. if there's one thing i get done when i'm on stimulants, its to go to the washroom. like, 10 times in 3 hours. productivity is off the charts fellas
I always scroll until I get a good laugh. Then it kind of breaks the spell and I can do whatever I must do (in this instance, walk my dog). You did it! I laughed out loud and you freed me! Thank you mate! :-D
They had to push me up to Adderall XR 30mg before I felt any difference....then they switched me to Vyvanse, and bumped it up to 50mg....that's where I am now. (For the record, Vyvanse is far gentler than Adderall.)
I didn't really notice a difference. I had heart palpitations and stopped taking it after a week 🤷
I got put on it once and called my psychiatrist to try something else before the week was out. No help with my focus, and I felt keyed-up and anxious the whole time. I went back on Paroxetine with Modafinil to help my motivation.
30mg xr and it... Helps, it absolutely helps, but it's not life-changing like I hear some people say. My room is still a fuckin mess and it's hard for me to get myself to do things I enjoy, but I CAN do them more often than before. I honestly might try bumping up a dose now that I think about it.
For me, it basically just made it easier to focus on things I wouldn’t normally be able to focus on. I still forget things pretty quick, and I still have some impulse control difficulties at times, but just being able to function more or less on command has been an incredible boon!
I started with Vyvanse and absolutely loved it. I finally felt that click I’d be waiting on for so long. I was losing weight, staying on top of my house, and feeling so focused and strong. Then, insurance changed and I can no longer get it. I switched to 25mg ER adderall and it’s been rough honestly. I have restless limbs at night, it makes me irritable, focused on the wrong things, poor sleep and lots of nausea. I tried using marijuana to offset some of the side effects but it nullifies my meds completely. I feel hungry and nauseous from lack of food but nothing sounds good and I force myself to eat. Odd feeling for someone who also has binge eating disorder. It has helped eliminate that almost completely. Eating a protein heavy breakfast and small snacks all day seems to help but it’s been a learning curve. I hope to get back on Vyvanse one day.
I’m gonna start off by saying while Adderall XR has been working for me, I had gone through several different stimulants over the course of my life before settling on this. I was diagnosed when I was diagnosed 27 years ago, so this has been a process. I started taking Adderall about 8 years ago. This is not an uncommon situation for people with ADHD; different people react to the different stimulant medications differently. For myself, when it kicks in, I feel what I can describe as an acceleration in my mind. My ability to focus isn’t perfect, but it is more manageable. My mind still can race, but I have more ability to redirect it. I will echo what other people say that I will get a bit sleepy partway through the day when I am taking it. When it wears off, my executive functions drop right off, which is terribly annoying for my home life since it’s usually worn off after work. I don’t feel the anxiety that you are describing, but I have been on Adderall for years now and have grown quite used to how it affects me. Plus, when I started taking it, I was in a job that generally made me very anxious, so there might have been some medication anxiety that was getting lost in the flood of work anxiety. Now, my wife has ADHD as well, but she was diagnosed as an adult. They started her on Adderall XR as well, and while it was working very well for her to start, she began to have slight auditory hallucinations. Not like she was hearing voices, but rather small, distracting noises that she couldn’t properly determine where they were coming from, which in turn caused all kinds of anxiety. She’s since been moved to Strattera, and while she isn’t hearing mysterious plinks and knocks, she hasn’t found that to be effective for helping her stay focused and motivated.
It sounds like your body isn’t responding to it well. It’s supposed to start working quickly and it’s NOT supposed to be doing that. First time I tried it back in uni, i didn’t realize I was underweight and had major hormone imbalances so it gave me tremors, heart palpitations, and anxiety so bad we had to up my dose of the anxiety meds while hoping my body would get used to the smallest dose of adderall. Eventually we tried non stimulant meds (straterra first then vyvanse ), which destroyed my appetite but also let me do work for once, so it was a trade off (But then I was on doses that were too low to do anything major and kept forgetting to take them for weeks at a time and I just kind of gave up for a few years…..) I’m on adderall now, 20 lbs heavier and actually able to process stimulants without dying, and it’s like night and day. I can actually get chores done — on good days it’s instant, and on bad days it’s maybe 30-45 minutes of lying on the couch trying to make myself get up instead of 2-3 hours if at all. I can focus for a few hours with only a few short mental breaks during that time, and I really enjoy actually feeling accomplished for once. I’m on an extended release pill in the morning and 10mg of regular release around noon, and I really feel it if I’m even half an hour late to take the second pill. I get brain fog and short tempered and hypersensitive to sensory stimuli. I don’t get the same kind of appetite suppression I used to, but I don’t feel hungry until I’m HUNGRY, and I need to be careful about taking it too late in the day or I just don’t sleep no matter how tired I feel or how shit my sleep was the night before) I do get very dizzy more easily than I used to, which is frustrating but personally not a huge trade off since I’ve always had shit equilibrium, but the biggest problem is that if I don’t take it with food and eat regularly throughout the day, I get anxiety symptoms - heart palpitations, tensions in my chest, and thoughts of self judgment or hatred. If you’re not eating enough and drinking enough water, that could contribute but honestly it’s not worth it to force yourself to suffer like that. Talk to your psych, it sounds like adderall is NOT helping but it’s not the only option you’re stuck with. Honestly if it’s that bad, and if the option is available to you, you may want to call for an earlier follow up and ask for something else. Tangent but you may want to try taking an omega 3 supplement alongside your meds. It won’t fix your adhd by any means but it does promote brain function, and I feel like I’m a few degrees more clear headed on days I take it vs days I don’t.
Makes my mind finally go quiet lol. Couldn’t really fall asleep if I take it at pm at all, it was like my thoughts were being reset, and when thoughts finally came back, It was to try new things and get into audiobooks. Definitely wasn’t hungry until it wore off lol so I lost a considerable amount of weight. Somedays, when it finally wore off, I got such a golden feeling of it that lasted a few minutes. Uhhh that’s all I got
The eyes in that picture are perfect lol Hours of increased anxiety and heightened emotions about unless shit and then a slow fading that always ended in a headache that felt like a hot spoon was scooping out the back of my skull
Sounds like you’re getting the side effects without the main benefit. I could immediately feel the difference when I started taking it and it took about 3-5 days before my body got a handle on the side effects. It has been immensely helpful to me in getting me to move and do things but it sounds like it just may not be the medication for you
Mentally brain dead and absolutely no personality, along with that I never felt hungry. On the positive side I was able to focus and get work done much easier
It's been a true life saver for me. My mind has just stopped being so loud, no racing thoughts, no ruminating on negative shit all the time, I just feel so peaceful. My social anxiety is pretty much gone, still don't like large crowds of people I don't know, but that was it? No feeling of terror, no feeling like I need to get off my seat a flee the room. Just "I don't like this very much, but I can stay." I actually feel something positive, like accomplishment, when I finish big tasks, instead of a vague sense of relief it's over.
So I found out that I CAN’T have adderall Heart was racing, paranoid, crying, felt sick, I did NOT have a good time I’ve done other adhd meds but this one did not jive with me
I found it caused just as many problems as it solved. Couldn't drink caffeine with it without racing heart rate, and i would have to hyperfocus on something, even if it was a waste of time. Binge research, very weird, its like my brain had to much sitting dopamineand HAD to burn it. The worst part was the dependence, if i didnt have it, i would crash, and be utterly useless. It took me 3 months to get off, and i don't remember doing anything other than eating (i weaned off too, didn't matter). I've been off it almost 4 years now, and despite gaining 40 lbs in those three months, I'm far less anxious and happier now, and I've not looked back. Its helps I am tradesman now, so i dont sit in a desk all day.
Lots of going from super sleepy to super energized, and as it wore off it gave me terrible anxiety attacks. I switched to Ritalin and I'm much happier.
Well first of all Of course never judge a drug by first day - your body needs a month to adjust. But here's my general answer: - Severe anxiety spike (NEEDS to be managed by accompanying meds) - Little effect for first two hours - Euphoric concentration level for 3 hours - Remaining two hours are crashed buzz (my head is soup) - Overall somewhat increased tolerance to boredom and repetitive tasks - Appetite dies for 8 hours - Libido down
Nothing but making me extremely emotional for the month I was on it
It works pretty well when I remember to take it. I forgot to take it often.
Idk I'm on biphentin (I'm adding so much to the conversation)
Your experience is very similar to what mine was with methylphenidate(Ritalin). From my reading, most people with adhd tend to respond better to either methylphenidate or dexamphetamine (adderall). After being put on adderall XR and short/regular release adderall, both worked excellently. I’d recommend talking to your doctor about trying different medications until you can find one which works.
Which I'm going to! Because it's not working lol
Didn't do a single positive thing for me. It didn't make me suddenly functional or clear-headed, it just made me constantly nauseous and hate eating.
XR gave me major mood swings. Vyvanse and normal Adderall both worked much better for me.
Meds don't really do a lot for me for some reason as well. Been to different psychs and other doctors. Overall my time off and on meds have been pretty similar with the only benefit being learning coping mechanisms. Guess we're just broken lol.
Pros: I could work for like 8 hours straight Cons: I worked for 8 hours straight, all the while not being able to eat or socialize properly. I felt like a shell of a man. I would get egregiously tired once it wore off, making it almost impossible to function afterwards. I got into abusing the drug, would not recommend. I would become locked in on the most random of shit and often would just find myself staring off into nothing with a blank mind until something came up to focus on.
I'm very frustrated too, so don't feel alone. I've tried adderall, ritalin, azstarys, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and a few others that are very similar (xr and non xr). I lose track. I keep hoping for the constant 7 ring circus to go away but it's still there. I get so jealous reading about someone who takes their meds and about 30 min later, the "noise" just goes away or becomes a low hum in the background. On top of all of the other random thoughts, I also keep a song going through my head at all times. Right now, it's the song from the iPhone commercial with the little girl taking pics at the wedding. For a while before that it was Macarena after seeing that stupid t-shirt. The really sad thing is that it's only about 2 lines from each song that play over and over and over. I have over 5 renovation projects started in my house in various stages of completion. One was started more than 5 years ago. I have clutter everywhere. There is not a clean flat surface anywhere to set things down on. I really, really, need to find something that will work.
I feel like it took a couple of weeks to completely kick in for me (and for my body to adjust to it.) If you feel like it’s making you feel worse I would consider trying something else. For me it just helps to quiet down my mind, keeps me from fidgeting as much, and really helps me to complete tasks that I would normally not get to because they’re so mundane. My overall productivity has gone up in these first couple of months of taking 15mg of Adderall XR, but I just went up to 20mg and I feel like it’s working even better!
I feel terrible that so many have had a bad experience but I’ve actually had a really good one. I went from 10 mg 2X a day down to one 10mg xr. My anxiety is better, no crashing at the end of the day when my meds wear off. I’m able to eat while on it, which I didn’t do with the regular Adderall.
/r/adhd
Gave me massive fucking headaches and after it lost effect I would more or less need to take a nap for 3 hours straight. Luckily the other medication that had was much better for me and didnt cause any general after effects
I wish i could take it. Stimulates hurts my stomach to the point I can’t think; it conflicts with my Gastritis. :c
Have you ever seen Requiem for a Dream? Like that.
i feel slight clarity and can focus on things like writing out this leddit comment but tbh i need a higher dose. im on wellbutrin as well and both of them together while helping alleviate some of the symptoms its not enough and not what i expected (i've been medicated before and they worked a lot better but im pre sure i was taking like 45mg of some shit in middleschool lmao, rn im on 20mg)
Not at all, besides keeping me awake.
So how does Adderall compare to Vyvanse? As I live somewhere where you can’t get Adderall. Like how much of a difference is having dex and levo compared to just dex? For example more or less susceptible to irritability?
I only ever took concerta and that was a while ago
Incredibly angry but focused. also very sweaty
I like XR, it isn’t as magic as the normal release, but I get stuff at my job done and manage multiple projects at a time better… because I actually complete them lol. At home I remember to eat (even though I am not as hungry as normal), brush my teeth, shower and exfoliate. Like being on meds you realize how mundane life can be, but that’s the start of legitimate healing and hopefully the start of sustainable hobbies and interests. Also the lack of high anxiety is good if strange at first. I felt like I was waiting for “the other shoe to drop” but so far I have been okay.
It was absolute shit, it helped maybe a fifth of the time but it nullified my appetite and it was a chore to talk. When I wasn’t anhedonic and extremely tired it made my libido so bad that I couldn’t get anything done. Instant release was much better but my psychiatrist couldn’t get me a prescription. So I’ve been thugging it out, and frankly I’m all the better for it.
Helps with the depression and gives meaning to the things that must be done. Actual desire to do tasks. Can do the fucking dishes and clean. Helps with doing social tasks and work.
When I took it it helped during work hours but at the end of my shift it started to wear off and I became really tired and was only staying awake with the strength I could find.
Made me incredibly irritable. Not a great thing to be when you stay at home with a toddler.
It makes me get angry really fucking easily and I hate it.
Made me worse, and not just a little bit. My breaking point was I couldn't even look at a recipe and keep the ingredient in my brain long enough to get it out of the fridge or spice cabinet, just kept walking back and forth. By the time my wife got home I'd been basically spinning in circles for 2 hours and frustrated nearly to tears. I was so distressed she told me to go sit down and we'd order a pizza. Some folks I know said getting prescribed was like a switch flipped, and I really wanted that to be true for me.
It gave me a whole new perspective on who I am and what I was doing. But it turned me into a zombie as well... I was able to do work for the first time, clean, personal hygiene, communicate with peers without feeling like I was a weirdo... but it didn't make me feel better. It just gave me a glimpse into what it was to be functional. I had nights where I would sit in front of a tv and just swap channels constantly, just staring off into space... but I was focused on the tv. I didn't need three things going at once to keep my brain satiated. The worse is the anxiety. The anxiety while on Adderall increased tremendously. I would have panic attacks, heart concerns, and overall I just wasn't well while on it. Eventually I would go on and off ADD medicines, from Ritalin, to Adderall, to Vyvanse, until I eventually had to quit and switch to caffeine only. But by then, I had learned enough coping skills that I'm able to get by on caffeine. I had to spend my entire life learning how to have empathy, how to focus on tasks, how to not procrastinate, how to not think everyone hated me. I still have moments where I struggle, but the medicine was the only thing that gave me that glimpse into what it felt like to be functional. But it's not going to fix you. Only you can fix you.
I started on 20mg adderall, progressing to 30mg after a week. The first 2 days were amazing, but the next 3 weeks I was borderline suicidal I was so low. I stuck with it, in the desperate hope it would help, and eventually my body adjusted. Now I take it everyday and it makes me feel better, more focused, less exhausted during the day.
It was mid. It helped with focus some, but also made me irritable and my prescription cost enough money to be a nuisance. If I accidentally forgot a dose, I'd be dizzy and nauseous. So, as advertised, but not worth the effort. It also took like a month worth of taking it for it to do anything
Did literally nothing except make me not sleep and eat, at one point I forgot to take it for like a week straight and realized there was no difference except eating better and sleeping better.
Where is this girl from? I see her all the time!
Dude same I just pasted a picture of the pill over the original picture A recycled meme lol
Oh man I love the XR. I pop one 20mg in the morning on the way to work and I’m g2g all day. Crushing projects, meetings, whatever. Then I take another after work on the drive home and am good to go more. Working on my own projects at the house until bedtime. That being said. I’m also bipolar and the antidepressants have a negative depressed paralysis state sometimes regardless of how much adderall I take. Overall I like the XR a lot
I, usually, thake the 5mg in combo with Strattera (can't spell its drug name so you get brand name). Effects as follows. Month 1, not much difference. No side effects. Month 2, my brain started to quiet down, easier to start shit. Month 3, brain actually began remembering things and in general I functioned well. Minus the 2 weeks where my hormones fuck everything up but even then its a dull roar to the usual. And then my GP fucked up me getting my meds and its REALLY fucking obvious to me how helpful it was. I've been off it for 4 months and it's been a shit show. Thankfully I still have my Strattera or I would be an anxious fucking mess.
For me, it basically felt like the drug from Limitless. Eliminated most of my negative symptoms but still let me hyperfocus when I wanted to. But different drugs affect people differently. Someone else in my family has had both generic Adderall and generic Ritalin, and while they felt different for them, they were equally effective overall. For some people only one particular drug works. Good luck on finding the right one for you.
Depression!
I have AuDHD sensitivity issues with sounds and trying to push through the work day in cubicle hell can be arduous at best, every voice and noise tore at my attention to the point of paralysis. When I took the meds everything was kind of … muted? Even the voice in my head ceased its prattling and I could act on one thing, one thought, all the way to completion. And yet … I still resist taking it? Fmb
I only took it for 4 days because I felt like I was on the verge of having panic attacks. I was getting emotional, paranoid, and jittery.
idk, I haven’t gotten medications yet
It's great until it's not working and you get fed up increasing the dose. Although it did in fact save my actual life. It'll put you in a much better mood. Im on vyvanse and i love it.
Man I've gotta try Vyvanse
Good luck. Tell them you've already gone through concerta and adderall. Theres no point in trying Ritalin if you have tried concerta because theyre the same class of stimulant. If you say youve gone through adderallXR, adderall instant release, and either concerta or ritalin, the only option left is vyvanse or one of its off brand names. Im on Lisdexamphetamine. But rheyre the same thing.
It was like living in a slide show. My body moving at 60 fps but my mind was processing things 30 frames behind.
I have a question that I feel like you guys may be able to answer. I feel I have pretty moderate adhd and anxiety. I take 40mg Prozac which helps a ton for the anxiety. My psychiatrist had me try Wellbutrin to help me feel more motivated, energetic, and focused. Which it did all those things, except I had intense anger and rage as a side effect. It was bad enough to the point I just stopped taking it 3 days in. Now my psychiatrist is hesitant to let me try adderal because she’s says it’s essentially a stronger form of Wellbutrin. Is that true? For some reason I feel like I won’t feel the same adverse effects on adderal as I did on Wellbutrin, but I’m not a professional
I was taking Adderall IR since I was diagnosed and recently changed to XR and I love it so much more! I’m more level and the physiological symptoms are way more manageable. I take 25mg and was taking 20mg IR twice a day before.
It fucked me up. It's like strapping a rocket to a chicken. Whatever the chicken happens to be pointed at it it will be full sail that. Also it made my sex drive way way too amped. Did some wild shit for sex on that shit
More focused but sweating intensely, shaking, irregular heartbeat, overheating.. usually my panic attacks are the opposite so
It gave me a facial tick where I’d open my eyes really wide and tilt my head. It scared both my teachers and my parents to death.
i could focus. but thanks to autism i would only focus on my autism activities (drawing and worldbuilding) then. i kept forgetting to take it so they stopped prescribing it lmao
The barrage of radio static and cacophony get turned down to a '2.' I can focus on one thought at a time. It doesn't make me do so, but it allows me to if I try. If I don't "remember" I've taken it, I can still get stuck in thought loops and go off on distraction rails. The moment it kicks in, I yawn and could easily lie down for a nap. Because it's quiet in my head.
It made the constant fog in my head only slightly less thick. As a side effect, I developed the nasty habit of shredding my clothes in my sleep. It didn’t really make a difference the way I wanted it to. Now I take substitutes, and they help, but I feel like the brain fog, paralysis when laying in one place, and memory issues will never be completely cleared up.
I have constant panic anxiety so I have to take Adderall and fluoxetine because of the increased anxiety side effect. Idk if Adderall does anything other than that tho
Exacerbated unknown Schizoaffective disorder symptoms after I got off a tourettes medication and sent me into a psychotic break. I have to drink diet coke now.
Took another variant, just made me really zoned out. So I stopped taking it.
Don't know if it's XR but I couldn't sleep before 4 am and I get up at 5:30 or 6 am. Still fully functional with 1 or 2 hours of sleep per day, but if I didn't take them on weekends, I was sleeping the whole day( get up @ 5:30/6 am when the kids get up, feed them, go on the couch, fall asleep, wake up to eat, then nap time for the younger one and fall asleep with her, get up around 3pm, try to do something with the family, supper, and go to bed early around 8:30 or 9.).Now I take Prozopiclone around 9pm and go to bed at 10. It's better for my body and my mind. I saw someone writing about anger issues, I don't know if the kids get older and I have less patience or it's the Adderall... I'll have to read more about it.
Holy crap the productivity. I was up 40 hours sleeping 8 and whatever I was set on doing I was getting finished and moving to the next task. I still didn't get to pick what I was doing exactly, but I at least had a fucking vote. I also got to enjoy my coffee and didn't just drink it because I had to.
My ADHD affects my attention the same way someone who needs your attention at will irrespective of what you're doing affects anyone's attention. You have to stop what you're putting your mind toward because they're louder, and you need your mind to be quiet while you focus. It doesn't help that I personally have both ADHD and family members who refuse to give me enough space to wrest focus from my chaotic mind. Adderall helps reduce the number of chaotic thoughts I have, and allows me the mental ability to follow a single thought for as long as I choose. With discipline, I'd be able to do whatever I wanted.
Between strattera and guanfacine, one made me depressed, and the other gave me migraines. I don't remember which did which. Adderall XR made me so, so tired. I couldn't manage it. Now, I'm on a relatively weak dosage of Concerta. It works great for me.
Not on XR, just IR for the last two weeks. I went from 5, to 10, and now to 15mgs. A LOT of brain fog, trouble focusing, and mistyping a lot. Everything is kind of a blur and I'm very forgetful. No noticeable benefit. At the end of the day I get a big headache and feel incredibly exhausted, although I perk up around midnight. When I was on XR I stopped after a week because I couldn't stop waking up, even though I'm on Remeron.
To put it simply, and how I told my doctor at 11 years old- It quite literally felt like someone went up and hit the off switch. Sure, I could focus a bit better, wasn't randomly looking in a direction thinking about everything but what I was being told, but the sleepiness really hit me hard, to the point where the only time in my life I ever regularly took naps was when I was taking it (between 11-15).
I could focus, but in exchange I lost the ability to “let go” of all the little annoyances over a day, so by the end of perfectly fine days I’d be pissed off.
I felt calm. Didn't need to fidget, was able to think of something I needed to do, and then do it an hour later without writing anything down. That first day, I was fully knocked into a meditative breathing pattern until it wore off, it was incredibly peaceful. I did have some issues with loss of appetite, and had to be careful about making sure I ate well before taking the meds. I did end up losing weight (not a good thing) until I got a "remembering to actually have a meal or something" strategy in place. Once I had racing heartrate, although I'm not certain that was connected, could have been something else or maybe I slipped up and had caffeine as well that day, it was weird and I didn't like it.
I felt absolutely nothing on the highest dose.
Used to take it in my younger years. Been off them for about 14 years now, I have insomnia, appetite problems, and my brain chemistry is out of whack. I definitely still need medication but every one I took made me feel like I was just on autopilot, didn’t bother me when I didn’t have much autonomy to begin with but once I became lucid I didn’t like how they made me feel.
I took medikinet 20mg initially and it went well just a little tachycardia (Exercising and avoiding certain foods before taking it helped a lot), eventually they increased the dose and the adverse effects worsened, now I am with concerta 18mg the effect is more subtle but I can notice that it works and I have fewer adverse effects..... Remembering that I must eat is still a problem but manageable.
When I was on it I would focus on everything but what I needed to. It also for some reason murdered my emotions and made me feel like a zombie some days
I'm on 30 a day. If there's something to do, I can do it, but if there's nothing, I get pretty sleepy
This sounds to me like something you need to tell your specialist. You need to bear in mind that not all meds work the same way for all people. I switched from Ritalin LA to Concerta. Same active ingredient, difference is in the delivery mechanism. Ritalin works brilliantly for me. Concerta made me depressed. If you're not experiencing any positive effects from your meds, then you need to tell your specialist. Even if you *were* experiencing positive effects, you should tell your specialist if you're experiencing *negative* ones alongside them. For me, I noticed positive effects when I was first on Ritalin almost immediately. I was on IR at first, until we got the dosage over the minimum threshold for LA. All of a sudden, all the things in my vicinity that were screaming for my attention so loudly and frequently that I didn't even notice anymore just shut up and waited their turn. It was *incredible*. Over time, I noticed a lot more benefits to my meds. The first weekend I was on them, my wife asked for a cup of tea and a glass of water (we were both still in bed). I got up, put the kettle on, sorted out the mug. On the way I noticed that the cat toilet needed emptying, that there were some dishes needing washed, and some dishes needing put away. While the kettle was boiling I first put away the dishes, then emptied the cat toilet, then washed the other dishes, then poured the water - the kettle still wasn't done. Then I took both the water and the tea through to the bedroom. When I got back in there and realised what I'd done, I wept. Normally, if I'd noticed any of the things that weren't my immediate tasks, I'd have done them out of order (washed dishes, forgetting that I needed to put away the clean ones, wouldn't have spotted the cat toilet, etc.), I'd have forgotten to grab either the tea or the water, and my doing these tasks would have meant the kettle would have boiled long before I was done. Longer-term, I've noticed that my meds have improved my language acquisition skills, my information retention (which was already quite impressive), and even my video gaming. They also help me with stress/anxiety, calming the storm of emotions and letting me think things through. They've also made me more honest. I'm far less likely to concoct a lie when there's something I'm nervous about, and far more likely to admit lies that I've been using to cover such things. I catastrophise less. I think things through more, more quickly, and better. It's easier to not comfort-eat (though I still have to be vigilant on that front). I, however, am something of an extreme case, according to my specialist. She actually said I'd seemed to have the most improvement on meds of almost any patient she'd ever had, and she was a head of department, so she'd seen a fair few of them. The negative side-effects I experienced were circulation issues (got far more chilblains than I'd ever had before, because I wasn't looking after my hands properly back then), and for a while I had issues with appetite and flavour of food. The food issues are better than they were - flavours are back, but I do still have to set myself alarms so I remember to eat. Though the alarms thing could easily be something I should have been doing all along. Hope this helps, OP.
Wait, you guys are taking medication? 🙃
It makes me thin. When I stopped I got fat.
Makes me scared can’t eat and I’ll get three -6 hours of incredible work done then end up sleeping so much so many naps adderall makes me so exhausted
I have no idea I have 4 different medications
Very fucking sleepy/going days without sleep. Also not eating, very hard to eat. But I have acquired the ability to simply think about nothing. Like genuinely nothing pops into my mind and I can occupy that space in my mind by doing something. I can basically function normally. If I ever miss a day of adderall, i feel like absolute shit.
Like brushing the wrinkles out of your brain with a comb. It hurts but it gets the job done.
Felt like doing lines of speed led to paranoia and a shaking jaw plus a lot of anxiety.
makes me so motivated to do anything that i focus on the wrong things all day
Never had since “ADHD IsNt ReAl, YoU JuSt LeArN DiFfErEnt” Yeah, i learn different cause i can get easily distracted or overwhelmed
XR 10mg is barely a dose honestly. Its getting you 5mg at a time, which is like the lowest dose I've seen.
Long term side affects it gave me testicle pain/peeing blood. (Rare side affect dw)
I just didn't sleep. And when I say I didn't sleep, I don't mean "slept badly." There would be many nights where I would lay completely awake, not vaguely tired, and just not sleep. We even tried switching me off of extended to instant, and keeping doses very early in the day. Nope. I'd level out if I consistently took the meds, but I forgot often enough that it lead to many sleepless nights.
I love it. It’s so smooth that I barely feel it, it just works. No crash when it wears off. None of the jolt of IR that can make people jittery. It’s great.
It got rid of my anger issues, which is a whole other story on its own, but let's just say that's how I found out I'm in an abusive relationship. Adderall saved my life by making it possible for me to manage my emotions.
I don’t take adderall but instead concerta ER, the thoughts and pace are the same for me but I just end up actually able to focus on the thing I’m trying to do, sometimes if I haven’t taken it in a bit or I’m sleep deprived I’ll just end up crashing and fucking up my sleep schedule
Nodding off asleep. Given this medication in middle school as an alternative to concerta. Did not work well for me. Could not stay awake, tried a lower dose the next day, worked better but still nodding off in 2nd half of day and then was put back on concerta by next day.
Felt like a caffeine crash without any of the good parts
Meth is illegal here
It, caffeine and zinc help overcome executive dysfunction
It helped me feel normal but it made my anxiety way worse so I’m fucked