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ContactCushion Your Crash Landing: Nutritional Needs After Adderall
March 1st, 2010 by LilahIf you’ve been using Adderall regularly for any extended period of time, you’re facing a multi-pronged challenge when you quit. First, you’ve most likely developed a strong psychological addiction and/or dependency on the way the drug makes you feel. Second, you’ll have to weather through physical effects of legitimate amphetamine withdrawal, as your body struggles to cope without a chemical stimulant you’ve come to lean heavily on over time.
The true amphetamine withdrawal, which is mostly marked by severe exhaustion and crazy mood swings, shouldn’t really last more than a few weeks if you give your body the rest and nutrition it is craving. However, for a long time thereafter you’ll be dealing with the third prong of the problem, which is also physical: the dopamine deficiency you’ve created for yourself during years of Adderall abuse. The good news? Diet and exercise can help address all three parts of the problem to varying degrees—especially the dopamine deficiency.
Iron/Zinc: Why Many of Us Turned to Adderall In The First Place
The majority of us who originally began taking Adderall because we thought we really did have ADD/ADHD and needed it were most likely suffering from low-grade dopamine deficiency thanks to inadequate exercise and/or nutritional deficiencies, namely iron and zinc. Approximately 70% of Americans are actually zinc deficient, and research has shown time and time again that zinc and iron deficiencies causes ADD-like symptoms. Additionally, zinc is much more effective than placebo in treating children labeled as ADD/ADHD, and zinc and iron supplementation increases the effectiveness of medications like Adderall in treating ADD/ADHD. If you’re quitting Adderall, you probably haven’t been eating right, and your chances of having such nutritional deficiencies are even higher than the average person.
Your transition away from Adderall will be much smoother if you pinpoint and correct these underlying deficiencies if you have them.
Symptoms of iron deficiency include: low energy/feeling weak; pale skin lining your eyes, gums, and nails; excessive irritability; frequent head rushes when you stand up quickly; brittle and pale/white fingernails; rapid bounding heart rate; severe menstrual pain and bleeding; brittle hair and hair that falls out easily during gentle brushing; depression; headaches.
Symptoms of zinc deficiency include: catching common colds easily; wounds that take a very long time to heal; skin conditions like acne, dermatitis, dandruff, psoriasis and eczema; hair loss; hang nails; white spots or lines in your nails; general skin rashes and dryness; depression; very bad PMS and other problems with the menstrual cycle.
Both iron and zinc are obtained from similar food sources and have to compete with each other for absorption, so if you are deficient in one, there is a good chance you are deficient in the other. A doctor can determine with simple tests what your body’s levels of both are, and I would recommend doing this if you can before you decide to take iron and zinc supplements, because in taking too much of either can actually have a harmful effect on your body. Keep in mind your body absorb up to about 30% of the zinc and iron you intake from animal sources, and significantly less from plant sources, plus the two have to compete with each other to be absorbed. Additionally, processing and cooking reduces the amount of the nutrients in your food, so you’ll want to eat these foods in the most natural state that you can (it is best to eat most plant sources raw, and don’t overcook meat sources, for example, rare steak has much higher nutritional content than its well-done counterpart.)
Generally high protein foods are good sources of both iron and zinc. Some good dietary sources of iron include: liver, oysters, poultry, eggs (especially the yolks), salmon, beans, kale, broccoli, raisins, prunes, and whole grains. Some good sources of zinc include: beef, pork, liver, oysters, pumpkin and other seeds, eggs, yogurt, cashews, and lobster.
The first best thing to do is to try to get as much as possible from your diet, as dietary sources are the most easily absorbed and have virtually no side effects compared to supplements. If you do choose to supplement, which may be necessary depending on the severity of the deficiency, you should do so cautiously, at least at first, or unless you are doing so under a doctor’s recommendation.
Many of us think we have been getting the nutrients we need if we’ve been taking a multivitamin, without realizing that many of the nutrients in the vitamins interfere with each other and in some cases render them useless (iron, zinc, calcium and copper all have to compete with each other for absorption, for example). So if you are going to supplement iron and zinc, you should do so in standalone formulations.
Tip: Ferrous sulfate, which is the most common form of iron supplement, is known to cause constipation and other digestive upsets, so you’ll want to look for an alternative form.
When I said I was going to try quitting Adderall, my psychiatrist recommended Enzymatic Therapy Ultimate Iron, which uses ferrous succinate, and does not cause gastrointestinal side effects and is very well absorbed. Don’t take more than 15-30mg of zinc a day for prolonged periods of time unless instructed by a doctor, to be on the safe side (50mg a day should be fine for awhile). If you’re taking both iron and zinc, make sure you take them well apart from each other and follow the instructions on how to take them that are on the bottle.
Tyrosine To Combat Dopamine Deficiency
Another plus to food sources over supplements? Generally the best sources of both iron and zinc are also protein-rich foods. Protein contains the essential amino acid l-tyrosine, which is the chemical from which dopamine in synthesized. In fact, when I first began taking Adderall, my psychiatrist cautioned me to make sure I got enough protein as well as to take l-tyrosine supplements, because dopamine is synthesized directly out of l-tyrosine.
Whether you believe you have an iron/zinc deficiency or not, protein intake is essential post-Adderall to combat the third prong of your problem: dopamine deficiency. Adderall causes your body to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness and motivation, much more rapidly than your body can produce it, depleting your natural stores of it. In addition, your body can only synthesize dopamine while you’re asleep, and it needs proper nutrition to do so. This means taking Adderall for a prolonged period of time is the perfect recipe for dopamine deficiency, especially since most Adderall users don’t eat well or sleep enough.
Symptoms of dopamine deficiency are nearly identical to “ADD” symptoms, including lack of interest in things, no motivation, sleeping a lot, procrastination, craving “uppers” and depression. In addition to a balanced diet with high protein, foods rich in tyrosine include almonds, avocados, bananas, eggs, yogurt, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Again, eat these foods in the most natural, unprocessed state you can to get the most nutritional value from them.
General Nutritional Guidelines For Your Crash Landing (And Beyond!)
Addressing low levels of zinc and iron and increasing your intake of tyrosine should help to combat underlying nutritional issues that make the task of quitting Adderall even harder. On top of addressing those nutrients, you should also make sure you are eating a balanced, nutrient-packed diet and make sure you are not eating bad food, which will negatively impact your healing process. Here are some nutritional guidelines to follow:
- DO eat lots of protein rich foods. Also try to eat meats that are free range and organic, they are significantly more nutrient packed, contain far less fat, and don’t have all the nasty antibiotic and growth hormone additives.
- DO eat a hard boiled egg and a cup of organic fat-free yogurt every day. Both are excellent for addressing iron, zinc and tyrosine deficiencies. Plus, they’re loaded with other beneficial nutrients/probiotics.
- DO eat lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors… think a rainbow on every plate! Make a goal to consume at least 1/3 of your diet from them.
- DO try to make all your calories count, make them healthy and nutritious!
- DO make sure that your carbohydrates like bread and pasta are whole grain or better yet sprouted grain, which means the live energy and nutrition in the grains has been released through sprouting (you can find delicious gluten-free sprouted breads in the frozen section of most health food stores). Oatmeal and brown rice are also healthy nutritious sources of carbohydrates and fiber. DON’T eat over processed carbohydrates like white bread and pasta. Most are high in calories and gluten, which decreases your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and causes a host of health problems, which will make quitting Adderall even tougher.
DO make sure you drink a lot of water and stay hydrated! - DON’T eat fried, fatty foods, they’ll only slow you down—the last thing you need right now! They’ll also cause weight gain as they’re loaded with empty calories.
- DON’T eat refined sugars, including soda. They’ll cause sugar crashes, weight gain, and contribute to your risk of diabetes. If you’re craving sweetness, try raw honey or agave nectar.
- DON’T intake excessive caffeine or alcohol. (If you can avoid it… I know how much you need coffee to get through the day sometimes when you’re quitting Adderall!)
These guidelines should help you significantly if you follow them as best you can. I know they did for me. I took Adderall for over three years before I finally quit. What prompted me to do so was a slew of health and psychological problems that made me feel like I was dying… literally. Not only was I taking anywhere between 20-80 mg of Adderall every single day, but my diet was terrible. I ate very little, and when I did, it was mostly processed carbs and sugars. I’m sure this only made my problems with the drug worse.
When I first quit Adderall, I started eating better, but very slowly. When I finally got serious about cutting the crap out of my diet and increasing the good stuff, I noticed such a significant upswing in everything: my energy levels, my ability to focus, my outlook on my recovery. It was so significant that I felt inclined to share this information here… I feel it made all the difference.
I took my last pill five months ago. I actually have gotten my life (organizing, cleaning, paying bills, etc.) on track… something I barely had before I even started taking Adderall. I credit my commitment to eating healthy and exercising. As far as work goes, I’m not in the career I want to be in and I know that now, but I’ve managed to perform satisfactorily there regardless of quitting Adderall.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask, I’d be happy to answer to the best of my ability. I’d also be happy to share healthy recipes/serving suggestions in the future if anyone is interested.
Hey Lilah, thanks for the great post!
I’m pretty new to this site (found it a few weeks back) and it has done wonders for me. I was quite hooked on Vyvanse for more or less seven or eight months. The date of when I was prescribed it initially is a bit fuzzy as my memory has been shot to hell. Whatever the case, I was on the fast track to a horrible place.. Lost at least 30 pounds in that period of time (was down to 123lbs at 5′ 11″ before I cut it off cold turkey).
I’m happy to say that I’ve been sober a little over 2 weeks now. Withdrawal was one of the most intensely uncomfortable experiences of my life but the worst of it has past, thankfully. I’ve thrown out the Vyvanse and will actually be seeing my psychiatrist this afternoon to tell him everything.
Your post has come at a very convenient time! I’ve been working hard at a better diet and have been following it to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, I need to maintain a low protein diet due to lacking one of my kidneys (long story..) but I’ve been eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, taking vitamin-C and a multi-vitamin, scrambled or hard-boiled eggs in the morning, and some carb-heavy foods like pastas.
A final note: I’ve gotten back into skateboarding (which became a bit hard to do after losing a lot of muscle-mass and dealing with the other nasty effects of amphetamines. I hit up a skatepark a few days ago and managed about an hour and a half! I’m still a little sore from that but it’s better than everything I was dealing with before.
Thanks again! I will continue to follow this site and am looking into NA currently.
Hi Chris! Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you found the post useful. 🙂
First of all, a huge congratulations on making it through your first two weeks! I know how bad they suck. But it sounds to me like you’re on the right track and have the right attitude. Beating amphetamines is a huge challenge no matter how you handle it, but your commitment to eating right and exercising will give you a serious edge.
Seems like you’re doing pretty well with your diet! My only suggestions would be to make sure your carb-heavy foods are whole or sprouted grain, and to try adding some yogurt to your diet for added zinc and tyrosine, if your kidneys can handle it (I don’t think yogurt is too high in protein but I don’t know what your body’s limits are).
Glad to hear about your trip to the skate park! Exercise is critical too… its actually the only non-prescription thing that is “medically approved” as an ADD/ADHD treatment.
I considered NA as well when I quit Adderall, but never ended up going. If you think it would be helpful though, you should check it out. I know a lot of people who are pretty heavily into NA/AA and it is a good personal growth program.
Best of luck Chris!
Tank you for sharing. This is great information! Whether quitting adderall or not, these guidelines should be followed by everyone!
Does anyone have a complete list of protein foods ?’*.
Hi Lilah,
Thank you for sharing your story. It gave me hope I very much needed. I have been taking Adderall for the past 5 years. I was taking 20mg XR daily. I have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and thought I may have ADHD as well. Five years ago I convinced my doctor to write me a prescription for it to try it out. It was great and I loved it. I could concentrate better, had tons of energy, lost weight, very happy moods…it was just the best thing ever. I really don’t think I have ADHD. I believe I just convinced my self and my doctor that I did so I wouldn’t feel guilty taking it. Well, as time went by the initial side effects wore off. I decided to up my dosage to achieve the same “high” but felt too anxious and paranoid. I decided to stay at my prescribed 20 mg. My daily life was fine on the drug. I ate healthy, slept well, performed my job well, etc. I would work out 5x a day and became addicted to sugar free red bull. In addition to taking 20mg XR daily, I would drink 4 or 5 8.3 fluid ounces of sugar free red bull and workout. It’s amazing I didn’t have a heart attack. In January 2010, I told my general doctor that I wanted to quit taking Adderall and try living a healthier lifestyle without chemical dependency. I slowly weaned myself off the red bull. I was amazed I could still workout without the red bull. I had convinced myself I couldn’t workout without it. It was great stopping it. I also quit tanning in the tanning salon. I didn’t want to increase my chance of getting cancer, wrinkles, etc….I also lowered my dosage of Prozac from 80mg to 60mg. (I take it for OCD) I successfully quit red bull, tanning, and lowering the Prozac dosage and felt great. I then quit drinking alcohol. Today is my 76th day without it. I also quit smoking. I never really smoked much…2 or 3 cigarettes a day. I was a closet smoker….embarrassed by the
nasty habit. I always thought of it as a trashy, low class habit and never wanted anyone to know. Today is my 7th day without smoking. As far as the Adderall, I went from 20mg to 15mg for a month. The next month 10mg, the next 5 mg, and then zero. Today is my 7th day being Adderall free. The weaning process was not very difficult, however I seem to be having trouble getting back in the groove of things without it. I am sleeping more, eating more, etc…it is harder for me to get motivated to go to the gym. I am afraid of gaining weight. I lost 40 pounds 2 years ago by changing my diet and working out more and was always afraid to stop the Adderall for fear of gaining weight. I know that is not a good reason to take it but I was always afraid to live without it. I am very happy I am off the drug but I just want my energy and motivation back. How long until this happens? I was trying to find a list of benefits of quitting Adderall to help keep me off of it. This is how I came across your story. I am following your suggestions and going to get the vitamins which were recommended. Any other tips or suggestions? I don’t want to revert back to the drugs anymore. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for sharing and inspiring me to be a healthier and happier person.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your story! Congratulations on your choice to take control of your health, both now and in the future. You’re probably going to have several rough months ahead of you as you transition away from Adderall, but you’ll thank yourself later.
I can totally relate to your fear of gaining weight without the Adderall. I had the same fear, as do many people (especially women). Adderall let me “cheat” at staying thin… it took away my natural drive to want to eat all the time. I didn’t have to use any willpower. Initially, I did gain weight when I quit. A lot of this is because I was eating a lot more, and a lot of it is because a body that’s been forced into starvation mode for a long time is going to try to store more food as fat because it is anticipating another starvation period is coming soon. I’m a pretty small girl, when I quit Adderall I weighed about 120 pounds and I went up to about 130 after a few months off of it. However, at that time I took control of my diet and exercise regime. I started using livestrong.com to log everything I ate and was strict with myself about my calorie goals. I also started doing the Shaun T Insanity workouts. I was amazed by how fast I lost the weight. I actually ended up going from 130 down to 112, which is less than I ever weighed on Adderall (I think the least I ever weighed on Adderall was 115).
Proper diet and exercise did more than just help me shed pounds though. They really affected my mental state and my ability to keep my life together without the Adderall. (Exercise is actually a medically approved treatment for ADD/ADHD, by the way). I know this because since I wrote this article, I moved to another state. I was far away from home, in a transitional period, and totally fell off the wagon as far as eating right and working out. I put some weight back on and started to feel awful and unmotivated. I knew I needed to get to the gym again but couldn’t work up the willpower. Finally, a few weeks ago, I went back. As soon as I got there I started wondering why it took me so long to psyche myself up to go- I LIKE the gym! I left there feeling so much better about myself and so proud. So as far as not having the will to workout, my suggestion is to take a page from Nike and just do it. Tell yourself it is not optional. Make a schedule and tell yourself that sticking to it is mandatory. Otherwise, eat right, drink lots of water, keep thinking positive and come back to this site if you need any more support. Best of luck!
Hi,
I am 20 years old. I have been taking adderall xr for 4 years now. I started at 20mg/day. For the past 2 years i have been taking 40mg/day. i dont think i even had add or adhd in the first place.
I feel like a different person now. Not in a good way. Im not as happy as i use to be. i am not as fun as i use to be. and i am not as funny as i use to be. i feel like adderall has sucked the personality right out of me. i am scared that i wont be able to get the real me back. 🙁
Kara,
I understand how you feel. The good news is that once you quit, your bubbly personality and love for fun is actually one of the first things that comes back. Good luck!
I’m 39 and been on adderall for almost 5 years. I’m having to quit and was terrified of being without it.It’s been my crutch and just knowing I had that little pill got me through the day especially with 3 kids and work. Ive been lost until I found this site. Knowing there are other people who know how I feel makes it so much easier. With the help from the good Lord and all of u this may not be as scary as I thought. Thanks all of u on here.
protein foods are great if you want to build muscles while doing saome bodybuilding routines.’-
Wait, so should I be taking Tyrosine WHILE taking Adderall? or when I stop taking it?
Because I was just reading about Tyrosine, and they say not to take it with stimulants.
Thanks,
Sam
Sam,
My to take L-tyrosine supplements if I started developing a tolerance. Not saying that means you should take it while on Adderall, because I don’t really believe everything my shrink ever said was in my best interest. After all, he prescribed me Adderall in the first place and advised against me quitting it when I told him I planned to do so. But the reason he said to take it is that Adderall requires dopamine to work, but Adderall use tends to deplete dopamine stores, which is why long-term Adderall users tend to have a problem where they’re dependent on the drug even though it really yields no benefit to them anymore. Dopamine is synthesized from L-tyrosine while you’re asleep, so getting more sleep and taking L-tyrosine should make the medicine function more effectively in theory anyway. But I suppose it could potentially also make it too effective. Be careful. I’d advise maybe eating more tyrosine rich foods instead of taking pure L-tyrosine supplements, its safer to get your nutrients naturally in your diet than artificially through supplements.
Lilah
Hi. Thanks for a great post. I’m 48 and have been taking +/- 60mg adderall for about 7 years. I quit exactly one week ago today and am happy for that. Everything in my being tells me this is the right thing to do. I finally realized just how addicted to this crap I was. (am?) I’m glad I found your post today because I’m feeling particularly exhausted at the moment and itching to get another script from my doctor. I won’t do that — and I’m hoping that the nutritional info you give us here will help me get over the “hump”. I didn’t realize it would take 30 days or so to really beat this. (naive of me, I guess) The first four or five days after stopping weren’t too bad. Seems like it’s hitting me more now than then. If you know of a helpline/hotline I could call in the bad moments, that would be great. Either way, thank you again. Peace, Ian
i always do some heavy lifting and body building exercises and protein foods are my priority on my diet .;”
I called my dr. today to make an appointment for a refill of my Adderall and was told he is on Administrative Leave for the next 30 days. With only two pills left, I’m really concerned. I’ve been on Adderall consistently for about 4 years, and off and on before that. My doctors were okay with me taking Adderall through my first pregnancy, as the stress I would be under without it was considered to make it worth the risk. My son has showed no negative side effects from it, so I’m grateful for that. I did try to wean off of it near the end of my pregnancy, but I became so depressed that I didn’t feel like it was healthy. After he was born, I tried Ritalin, then Concerta, but they didn’t work as well, so my doctor put me back on Adderall. I struggled with whether I really needed it, and I still struggle with that.
I’m 18 weeks pregnant now, and again worried about taking the medicine while pregnant. However, I also know it isn’t healthy for me to be extremely stressed and depressed, and I have to concentrate a lot at work, so I can’t really afford to be unproductive and uncreative for over a month.
I can see another doctor on Tuesday and possibly get another prescription, but I’m really debating what to do. I will run out before then anyway, and I think that may be a sign that it’s time to just go off of it, but I really didn’t want to go off cold turkey. I’d much rather wean off slowly. I also really like to run, and I’m afraid of it zapping all my energy again so I can’t get out and exercise. We don’t have much money to buy healthy food, but I guess if I’m not spending the money on doctor’s visits and prescriptions, then that is money I can use on more protein and fresh fruits.
I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do, but what I read here really helps. It’s nice to know there are other people who have enjoyed the effects of Adderall but questioned whether they really needed it, and now feel better after going off of it.
Hi all-I have been on Adderral 60 mgs a day and I too became addicted. It took me checking myself into a detox unit on my birthday to be honest. IT WAS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT I COULD HAVE EVER GOTTEN…MYSELF BACK! Believe me, this drug is good for some but for me, I became addicted and it took my life away. I was eating AT ALL, I relied on it all day long, and it made me malnourished. Today I have been off of them for 3 weeks. My mind is wonderful and my heart is great (no more derpression) but I am having a problme with body aches. I got my vitamins checked and my B12, calcium and Vitamin D are a little low so I am starting supplements. I am never touching this drug again. I never thought I could come off of it but I did. IF I CAN DO IT YOU CAN TOO, BELIEVE ME ON THIS…
Hey all,
I have been on adderral for about 2 years now and had no idea how addicted a person could become to this awful drug. I went to the doctor to get a prescription because i began law school and had heard from other people it would help me focus and study. I was surprised at how easy it was to get a script for this stuff!!! I didnt have to say anything to the doctor besides “im having trouble focusing,” and he wrote this script immediately with no questions asked. I started out with 10 mg a day and significantly increased to 30 mg a day. Even at this point i was taking more than prescribed and taking twice what i was prescribed to keep the desired effect because it felt so great. Nahala, i had to do the same thing as you! I checked myself into the hospital because i literally felt like i was going to die. I am proud to say i have been off of it for a little over 2 weeks now(which were the hardest two weeks of my life) and I am never going back to using it. Coming off it was very scary, to the point where you cant even control your thoughts and start thinking scary things (suicide, etc.)It is a slow process but each and every day I feel more like myself and am told by others around me that I look more like myself. Reading all of your above posts really made me smile knowing that I am not going through this alone and that making it through this period of withdrawl is possible! Thank you all.
I am 35, and have been on 20mg of aderrall xr for about 6 yrs, with 2 “vacations” due to pregnancies. I want to quit but tried cold turkey last year and truly felt like I was losing my mind. Depressed, exhausted, impatient, MEAN. So… To feel’ normal’ got back on. What is the easiest way to stop? Cold turkey or weening ? I thought ab taking 20 every other day then next RX GOING lower…. I just want to be done with this crap. The sooner the better. I assume the vitamins etc..is for when u cold quit?
Also, my heart feels weird…. Beats are hard. Sometimes I feel a flutter.. It’s scary!
Hey guys, here are some withdrawl symptoms I’m experiencing this morning after stepping down to 2 10mg tabs (20mgs) daily, from 4 (40mgs) my completion goal (quit by date) is May 1. I don’t need this drug anymore! 🙂
This is how I feel as I make my husband breakfast and help my 8-yr old get ready for school, before driving her:
Headache, nausea, sensitivity to sound, bodyache, groggy, irritability, exhaustion, butterflies in stomach, imbalanced feeling, feeling like I want to scream, feeling like I want to squeeze something tightliy with my hands, feel like I want to scratch or claw something (arm of the couch) Jaw clenching.
“fun times” 😀
This is the best thing I’ve seen posted on this website.
30mg 8-10 daily. I’m soo concerned w/my usage and dependency. Life, career, family relies on me to continue to provide; stopping the abuse I can do. I am very dicipline person and quitting would’nt be devastatingly difficult; however the overwhelming exhaustion-depression-appetite-zero motivation factor felt almost immediately after (approx. 1 day) not taking the drug. Soo much is required of me to perform optimally at my dream job and sacraficing the opportunity isn’t an option; but I’ve got to one day get off the prescription. I tell myself, as soon as the timing is right and secure with my position within the company; then I’ll quit (have been saying/thinking this for 2 years and the timing still isn’t right). Checked blood pressure at doctor’s office – 148/92 and I am always hot with mild presperation. NOT LOOKING GOOD! Honestly thinking of leaving everything, packing only a book bag, relocating to carefree environment w/relax environment. AHH reality just set in; people care for me and rely on me too much to do such!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!pray for me
I’m SO SICK of being a slave to this drug!!!!! Adderall XR addict for about 5-6 years. Currently abusing at a horrific rate of 200mg…usually 2/day. Usually average about 3 (24 hr) days with no sleep before I crash and burn for 3-4 day sleep marathons. I’m freakin sick of this life…I’m getting my old life back! And it’ll be even better than before. I’m 39, with the most precious grandson in existence (born 2 days ago, May 25, 2011).
No way in HELL will he EVER know his MiMi like this…NUH-UH!!! My recovery will be dedicated to MiMi’s MOST PRECIOUS ONE!!!! My family deserves better. I DESERVE BETTER!!!
I’m giving it over to my LOVING and MERCIFUL FATHER GOD!!!
Thank you so much for this website. I stumbled onto this website while exhausted and searching for some sign of hope. I was just a doc appt away from convincing myself and my doc that I had ADD just to get a script. I’m tired of living a life that is controlled by a pill. I don’t even know how I let this happen to me. I’m done with Adderall. Thank you for all the wonderful information. Wish me luck & good luck to all of you! Hopefully I’ll report back in 3ish weeks with a different outlook on life…
@Anonymous – Good luck! You caught this just in time. If you think it’s bad now, while you’re stuck procuring pills from friends, it gets much worse when you get a prescription. At least when you’re stuck buying pills you have to conserve just to save money and limited resources. When you get prescribed, you never run out of pills and most doctors will readily increase your dose if you ask them, so you don’t actually need any sort of of control over yourself.
But the worse part about getting prescribed (vs. buying off the street) is that it becomes a thousand times easier to rationalize.
Getting hooked on off-label Adderall use is a good way to kill 1-2 years, but getting prescribed is how you kill 5-10. It just becomes natural and easy to keep using it. You’ve got all the pills you can pop, your name on the bottle, a doctor validating your use…the stigma is gone. And that’s what makes it dangerous if you don’t need it.
So congrats on deciding to do this before you fell too far down the rabbit hole!
Also: You let this happen to you because you wanted to be better. That’s not a bad motivation. Keep that drive around. Just re-calibrate it. 😉
hi, i’m glad to find this site. i’m kicking the pills but i want to be sure i do it in a good way. i went to rehab for it 2 years ago, 3 months later i picked it up again because i couldn’t get anything done. any help? i applaud everyone for their courage here.
@addyaddict – You have to accept that you can’t get anything done at first. You have to set very low expectations for your post-Adderall productivity. You’re accustomed to relying on a pill, and now you have to rely on your willpower, which has mostly atrophied while you’ve been on the pills. Willpower is the hardest thing to rebuild. But that’s your challenge. It can take years, but in the end you’re much stronger for it.
If all else fails, you might try a non-stimulant focus aid.
I dont know where to start,
First of all I have bad ADD (Combined inattentive & hyperactive). My psychiatrist has diagnosed me with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. I have been on 10 MG adderall 2 times a day, Xanex 5 times a day (two before bed) and Cymbalta. I was worried because my SIL is a pharmacy technician and wondered why my “mix” seemed to contradict each other. My Pyschiatrist told me that I was “different” from most and needed medicine to help with each issue. The mix worked great for several months but I finally started to crash about 3 months into being on adderall, so I was put on 10 MG 3 times a day. After that I started to take more than I was supposed to having a full time job 3 boys and stress beyond belief (my husband currently is unemployed, my oldest two boys father hasnt paid child support in months, trying to modify child custody papers because there are bad issues with their dad and I am very concerned for them when he has visitation with them, helping out a friend that is in need, in law issues, and general life stressers) well I was beginning to have confusion because of overmedicating myself my husband had me to throw out the bottle that I had (we were in the middle of a bad arguement)and he felt it was changing me.(We have both had issues with addiction in the past) that will be two weeks ago today and I have never in my life been this exhausted (exhausted is an understatement) my job is suffering I cant get focused enough to even think about working which is terrible because I am the one my family relies on for income as little as my income is its all we have. I also have a very nice home that is a perk of working where I do I pay $750 a month all bills paid and its a 4 bedroom home. I worry that everything is going to fall apart because I cant get myself together. I have lost my “work keys” twice already in two weeks (not to be funny but I am a locksmith) so losing keys is not very funny. I have lost my car keys 3 times, and recieved a letter from my sons teacher to give to my attorney and when i went to visit the attorney I forgot to take the letter(I had recieved it that day) I cant clean up I cook dinner but dont even want to think about the dishes. My oldest two boys are on their summer vacation with their dad so in a way I am grateful because they dont have to suffer my absentmindedness. I feel like I did before I was ever on the medicine, pretty much useless and a waste. I know I needed to cut down probably back to 20 MG a day but as of right now I feel like I wont make it. I have a dr appointment next week but that seems like forever away. Just before my meds were “thrown” out my boss came up to me and told me how proud he was of me and all of my improvements he didnt understand ADHD and studied it for about 2 hours and actually helped me write up a “schedule” for daily activities to also go along with my medicine. I know my job is suffering and am embarrased to tell anyone that we threw the meds out. Just wondering if anyone has something like this happen to them. My thoughts are rambling and sorry if I am hard to understand just one of the fun things of ADD.
This is such a fantastic web site, thank you so much. I was amazed to see Katie’s response that she was able to take her medication when pregnant. I have been taking adderall for almost 1 1/2 years, ever since my post partum depression began (my 1 1/2 year old is extremely hyperactive, and I can barely keep up with him). The adderall has been amazingly helpful for my focus, attention, motivation, but also has done wonders for my depression, and I am so scared to stop taking it and not be able to take care of my little guy. I am so curious if Katie is still reading, how she did it. I don’t have the opportunity unfortunately of getting anyone to help ($$$) with him while I stop the adderall, but know I can’t take it forever and am now looking into as many nutritional supplements as I can to get me through it. I’m going to start on a weekend when my husband is home, and hope to find the right mix of supplements (tyrosine, maybe ginseng, or gotu kola???) to take in place in hopes of not being too energy deficient, and most of all, in hopes of my depression not returning! If I find anything else that works, I will let you all know, and thank you so much for this fantastic site! I am going to print out the page on helping a friend though it for my husband!!! Thanks for this site, so much – I loved reading, I am bigger/stronger than this pill!!!
Hi just thought i’d let you know something.. This can be twice now i’ve landed on your blog in the last 15 days looking for totally unrelated things. Spooky or what?
Thank you so so much for this! What an amazing website and blessing to read so many other people deal with such agony from a drug that Doctors hand out to just about anyone. I have gone on and off the “I’m quitting this stupid Adderall” wagon and today was my first day committed to letting it go for good. I have always been a space cadet, but also a very healthy person. An eating disorder in high school was not a good precursor to the perscription the doctor gave me a little over a year ago. I value my personality and natural brain too much to let this conspiracy of a drug ruin my life. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUCH SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION!
I am addicted to adderall, it has robbed me for the last time. I am to the point where I think I need a few of those little blue monsters to do anything. I always run out of my script 10 days before i can refill. during those ten days i am a horrible person to be around. my wife doesnt understand my mood swings, and im afraid that if today is my last day on adderall that the next month will ruin my marraige.
Great advice all meds have there side effects good to do the research and put back in your body what the meds are taking out of it when you.are that a medication for a continuous period of time this is my question is it this a good diet plan while you are still on a.regiment of taking it?
Thank you so much for putting this site together, it is extremely motivational. I am pretty sure you’re the only one on the web who talks in any sort of depth about Adderall.
I have a question: Why I’m I getting tired/sluggish a few hours after taking Adderall lately?
In the past, I took Adderall a few times in college, and after I graduated I had a real hard time working and was diagnosed with ADHD, but who knows either way. I’ve been on it now for a year, starting from 5mg twice a day, up to 20mg twice a day 6 months later, which is where I’m still at now. I have no desire to take any more than that because the few times that I have (50mg max), I basically have to lay down and close my eyes. I usually take each 1/2 at roughly 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm, and I’ll sip a 12oz coffee throughout the day, but recently I don’t really like drinking the coffee (it used to really bring an edge to the focus, now it just adds to the sluggishness). I take it pretty much every day… even the weekends… maybe I’ll have a crash day where I just sleep a whole day to recover, but I may go 3 or 4 weeks working 7 days a week from 10am to 2am nonstop.
For the past 3 or 4 months, by like 3 or 4 in the afternoon I get a dragging/zombie/sluggish/tired feeling, where it just have to close my eyes and lay down and disconnect, but I definitely can’t take a full on power-nap. I thought it was a heart thing, but the doctor said everything looks fine (except blood pressure increases to 135-140/80 for a few hours). I’ve been working every second of every day for almost a year now, with maybe 1 night a month going out to hang out for a few hours. I have no friends because of the same things you talk about on your ‘Top 5 “I wish I could turn it off” Situations’ article. If I take a lower dose (10-20mg instead of 30-40mg a day), it doesn’t help me focus really at all now, whereas before it made the impossible possible – 5mg used to make all the difference. Sometimes, every bit of Adderall I take above 5-10mg now (in the 10mg – 40mg), just makes me more and more tired where I just have to take a nap, but at the same time, anything less and I don’t feel focused. It’s not a tired like “I just had a productive day, made dinner, showered, and am ready for bed” tired, but like “I’m completely overwhelmed, none of this is possible” tired, whereas before I could have 10 projects all going at once and be able jump back and forth working productively for a few hours at a time on each. The Adderall only really works for that period from 11am-2pm now, and even then I’m still not as focused as I was before. And every morning I wake up lately, I’m pretty angry and short tempered, and I’ve always been the happy, optimistic, inspirational kid.
I wonder, is this just because I have no life balance, that I’m trying to do too much? In school I would study for 6 hours max a day, for 2-3 days a week. Now, I can’t even understand how I got through school, or anyone does, not working 12-16 hour days 7 days a week.
Or is this because I just don’t like my job, or that my job is too stressful and after a while the focus from Adderall can’t overpower the stress?
My question boils down to, what are some reasons for this sluggishness besides tolerance, and what are some solutions? Is this a nutrition problem? I take a multivitamin and magnesium every day, and I eat exactly the way you describe here. Even though I rarely eat fast food, I probably add a bit too much salt to the food I cook, could that be a cause? I drink way more water than most people do, and I run/workout 3-5 times a week for 30-60 min, but my body and mouth feel pretty dry and and tight most of the time (I have to constantly stretch during the day). Or is this Adderall tiredness thing about sleep, life balance, and the lack of a social life?
I would love to see an article on that topic. I used to be able to pull an all-nighter every other week (and recover the next night by going to bed early and waking up late), but now even with Adderall there’s no way I can stay up all night and be focused. I sleep 6-10 hours a night, but I never go to bed at a predictable time because I’m rarely ready to fall asleep before 1-2am, even though I may be tired, and I never wake up feeling refreshed (I feel like I’d have to sleep until 2 or 3 in the afternoon!). You’ve taken Adderall for several years straight right? Is there a time you found you can’t take adderall after if you want to be tired by 10 or 11pm? Or is just a general, “you can’t take Adderall more than every other day” type thing?
I feel like this is probably insomnia, and probably because I’m trying to do too much at work, and that continuing to take adderall day after day for more than a few months your body never really fully rests. Is that true? Is it pretty much necessary to take a few days off every week to not run into this problem in your opinion? I ask because after coming to your site, I am tempted to go cold turkey because I know I’ll get back to a regular sleep schedule and be happier in general. But at the same time I love the work I’m doing and Adderall is really moving me up the ladder fast career-wise, and there is no way I can do the type of work I’m doing now without it. If I quit I’ll have to basically move back in with my parents, rejuvinate, and start a new career, which seems too daunting and dissappointing… That’s why I wonder if this sluggishness when taking any (and especially more) Adderall is because I never take a break and my body is just shutting down from overstimulation. Or is there some productivity limit you have found to balance Adderall and being happy / having a social life / getting good sleep?
Any advice would be seriously appreciated (or an article :D). I enjoy the benefits of Adderall and want to understand if there is any system, and what the limits are, for taking it, before it starts doing more harm than it does good. I haven’t even been able to finish my work stuff lately because I keep getting tired and frustrated but am unable to say to myself “just take a few days off and rest” because I have no desire to do anything but work… even if I’m just sitting there with a blank stare. If I knew “it starts becoming a vicious cycle if you don’t rest every 3-4 days for 1-2 days”, or “you can be just as productive without it”, that would really help me make some decisions. Thank you again for such a wonderful collection of articles.
I started taking Adderall 5 days ago. The first day was indescribable! I was finally able to get off of the couch and live! I wanted to go outside finally, and have fun with my wife and kids. The second day, I doubled the dosage (per my doctor’s instructions) and took 15mg at breakfast and 15mg around 1pm. I couldn’t believe the difference it was making in my life. I went to the gym and lifted weights for two hours! My body is looking fantastic, and I also “aced,” a job interview at a very prestigious company. They told me they were impressed. However, I noticed on the third day that coming down, I crashed HARD. Mentally that is. I’m avoiding my wife because I don’t want to talk to her. I adore my wife, but the last few days I just haven’t really cared. We’ve been married for 14 years, and I’ve always felt that I was more emotionally needy than she is. Now, on Adderall, it’s as if I’m thinking, “Fine, you don’t need my affection than I don’t need yours.” Yesterday, I had a cappacino at lunch at was ended up being way too wired. I was a chatterbox. I took two Xanax and finally came down and went to sleep and slept deeply, but woke up this morning very depressed and missing my wife, who is at work. I’m afraid to live the rest of my life unmotivated and stuck on the couch, fat and out of shape, but should this medicine be making me feel like a completely different person? For example, I have a real bad self image of myself. I think I’m ugly, etc…The second day I was taking the Adderall, I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror and just stared at myself, the said aloud, “Son of a bitch! You ARE a good looking guy, aren’t you?!” Anyway, I cut my dosage in half this morning, taking a quarter of a 30mg pill, so, 7.5mg. I don’t feel very focused, or energetic or motivated, just hopeless. I want that feeling I had the first day, but not the paranoia and dangers of getting dependent. My life is Hell. Do I live the dream and lose my soul or do I be myself and wish I was dead?
Wow, you’ve hit the bullseye! I feel the same! Wish I had a better answer for you
I quit Adderall several times and the thing that kept me from relapsing was going to N.A. I got a sponsor, am going to meetings and working the steps. It is a tough road, but can be done.
Wow, this article really made me excited to quit adderall. Finished my last pills today and have literally been horrified for what tomorrow brings. Ive been taking it off and on for a few years and just recently made the decision to quit cold turkey when i could not control myself from taking more than necessary. That, on top of feeling close to death (like you mentioned) and losing my positive outlook on life in general. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done and I’m going through it by myself but i really am very excited to get my life back and your words are so helpful. Thank you.
Ive been taking adderall 20 mg 2X daily, went up to 30 mg 2X daily for a brief period but it gave me HORRIBLE headaches, so i went back down to 2 20s a day. Adderall was a miracle drug for me in the beginning! I am currently in college & have never been good at school, but scince adderall, my GPA went from a 1.8 to a 3.2, i have kept a job for longer than 4 months, & i recently was accepted into a nationally accredited university (ODU)… adderall SEEMS like a miracle drug & every doctor is advising me NOT to come off of it because of the improvements it has helped make in my life. I feel like a totally diffrent person, i have lost my personality due to adderall! But most of all, headaches have taken over my life! I have been on 20 diffrent meds for headaches & i know it has to be caused by the adderall! I began taking narcotic pain killers (vicadin & percocet) for the headaches bc these seemed to be the only things that would help. I now find myself in a vicious cycle… 50-120 mg of adderall a day (to function)… A pounding headache… & Then 10-40 mg hydro/oxycodone daily to help relieve headaches. I have found myself using headaches as an excuse to take pain meds bc now i am becoming addicted. I realize how HORRIBLE this is for my liver & my health in general & i know it has GOT TO STOP! i am only 21 years old, i cant imagine where ill be in 3-5 years! Let alone 10-20 if i continue on this path. I tell myself im going to quit all of the above everyday it seems. But i just cant find the willpower or the motivation to do so. The mind is a POWERFUL thing. I find that no matter what i tell myself, my mind tells me something else & its almost an impossible urge to fight! I am a strong person & i know, given the right tools & guidance, i can stop… But its def the hardest thing ive come accross in my short life span. I cant continue lile this. All i want is my worry-free life back. I want to function normally again wihout my every second, of everyday, revolving around “the next pill”!!! Its very exhausting & IM OVERRRR ITTTTT!! i just wish there was a simple answer or a magic solution to end this all at once. When i dont take my adderall i feel like a zombie, i cant even get out of bed… I dont have time for that. I go to school full-time & work, im graduating with my degree in december… I dont have a week or 2 to just lay around and relax & w/d… Ahhhhhh i need a solution. Help? Thanks for reading my babble 🙂
Ive been taking adderall 20 mg 2X daily, went up to 30 mg 2X daily for a brief period but it gave me HORRIBLE headaches, so i went back down to 2 20s a day. Adderall was a miracle drug for me in the beginning! I am currently in college & have never been good at school, but scince adderall, my GPA went from a 1.8 to a 3.2, i have kept a job for longer than 4 months, & i recently was accepted into a nationally accredited university (ODU)… adderall SEEMS like a miracle drug & every doctor is advising me NOT to come off of it because of the improvements it has helped make in my life. I feel like a totally diffrent person, i have lost my personality due to adderall! But most of all, headaches have taken over my life! I have been on 20 diffrent meds for headaches & i know it has to be caused by the adderall! I began taking narcotic pain killers (vicadin & percocet) for the headaches bc these seemed to be the only things that would help. I now find myself in a vicious cycle… 50-120 mg of adderall a day (to function)… A pounding headache… & Then 10-40 mg hydro/oxycodone daily to help relieve headaches. I have found myself using headaches as an excuse to take pain meds bc now i am becoming addicted. I realize how HORRIBLE this is for my liver & my health in general & i know it has GOT TO STOP! i am only 21 years old, i cant imagine where ill be in 3-5 years! Let alone 10-20 if i continue on this path. I tell myself im going to quit all of the above everyday it seems. But i just cant find the willpower or the motivation to do so. The mind is a POWERFUL thing. I find that no matter what i tell myself, my mind tells me something else & its almost an impossible urge to fight! I am a strong person & i know, given the right tools & guidance, i can stop… But its def the hardest thing ive come accross in my short life span. I cant continue lile this. All i want is my worry-free life back. I want to function normally again wihout my every second, of everyday, revolving around “the next pill”!!! Its very exhausting & IM OVERRRR ITTTTT!! i just wish there was a simple answer or a magic solution to end this all at once. When i dont take my adderall i feel like a zombie, i cant even get out of bed… I dont have time for that. I go to school full-time & work, im graduating with my degree in december… I dont have a week or 2 to just lay around and relax & w/d… Ahhhhh help!? Thanks!! 🙂
I have been off Adderall for two days. I actually was buying castor oil for my acne Sunday night and somehow it turned into me buying natural toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and a couple other natural things out of NOWHERE. I have no clue why I did it because it was something I never just went a head and did before. Just that Saturday night and early Sunday morning I cried my eyes out and begged for a god and angels I didn’t really believe in at the time to help me be a better person and to help me be a more happy person. I guess buying those natural products and stopping Adderall was god or my angels telling me that “look this is what needs to be done, it will suck but you have no choice.” It sucks so bad no lie, only two days and I feel the pain. When you mentioned Iron and Zinc deficiencies I was completely shocked. I have PMDD and I can’t help but think that it is DIRECTLY related to that. Every thing you mentioned about those too completely shocked me, because I have everyone of those issues. I had an eating disorder for years so I know that didn’t help with the deficiencies in the slightest bit. You know what’s funny to me is that I have been craving bananas and eggs ever since Tuesday…go figure :P.
I’m sad though that I don’t get up to exercise anymore, I love to do it very early in the morning, but I just cannot wake up for the life of me. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to again 🙁 I know it’s important for me to get better, but how do I do it when I can’t move? I don’t know what I’m gonna do about that. Any advice to get me up and out of the house at 6:00 a.m.?
It’s only two days and I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of difficult mornings or days in general, but it needs to be done. I can’t live like that.
hey everyone,
Great blog…wish I would have found it months ago. I used adderal for about 2 1/2 years. That 2 1/2 years was straight HELL (now looking back, but at the time it seemed like I felt like I could do anything-I built my own prison) I quit about 4 months ago.
After quitting I am my old self, I too was scared I would never be myself again, but had to quit and find out. I laugh again, I smile, I FEEL happy, I have patience, I have motivation. Here are some symptoms I used to have…
I used to feel SO up tight, jaw clenching, smoking 20 ciggarettes a day, hating my boyfriend and others for no reason, SEVERE mood swings, became obsessed with my weight, cramping in my legs because I never ate, began drinking alcohal to soften the everyday blow of coming down in the evening, barely slept, obsessed with my appearance, picked at my skin, failing courses in college… all in all I was a MESS…i was like a junkie.
I can’t beleive it took me so long to open my eyes and realize how amazing life is just being plain old me. It feels so good to have that deep belly laugh back, and that twinkle in my eye. It feels good to have my boyfriend look at me in the eye and say I love you so much, you are beautiful,<- and actually beleive him, whereas before I never beleieved him on adderall. It feels good to have a personality again. To all of you contemplating quitting, I can assure you that it will be the best decision of your life. If you want to really experience life, then quit.
I’ve been off adderall since august 10th. As a whole it’s great to feel like me again but I hate the weight gain I’ve experienced and the overall lack in ability to party with friends as easily as I used tk be able to.
This is such good info. And for iron deficiency check the sclerae( the white) of your eye. It will take a shade of blue if you are deficient.
Make sure you take Licorice Root Tea each day to help with the fatigue that adderall causes to your adrenal glands, especially if you are not sleeping enough.
Hello…has no one had any good long term results with Adderral. I take 30 mg a day and I am doing fine. I need to get off some other medications, but Adderal isn’t a problem. I guess I have been on it for a year. NOW…I could be very very very wrong but has anyone considered its a doseage issue? Like I say, I am new to Adderal, but I am wondering if maybe dropping down to 10 mgs a day and see where the sweet spot is. You may find all you need is one 10 mg to start your day or maybe one when you wake up and one in the afternoon. I probabky would go from where you are at to lower but lower to higher. I dont take my full prescribed dose because I know it is too much. I take what he gives me and that way I am never rushing to the doctor. Like I called my doctor today to get my refill and he is out of town for 10 days…but I have enough to get by. Please do not misunderstand me..I am not trying to tell you if you are strung out well just take less. Like would I tell an an alcoholic to just drink less? So for those of you who think you are a addicted please please quit. Go to AA not NA. I know it seems like your issue is a drug not alcohol. Its a huge difference. Look alcohol is a drug. I mean if you have to pretend you drink as in say i have been sober 25 days sober I would definitely do that…NA in some meetings are like a swingers club. Thats not say all NA meetings are like that, but you have shorter clean time there. For example you see ladies and Men with 40 years. Thats very rare in NA, high numbers are like 12 and 13 years. Now there are some that get a lot of time but its much rarer, but people do do it. there is very very very little dating going on AA. Its called 13th stepping when you date a new person. The kinda undrground rule is dont date til ya have a year. It no official, but many like that rule. In NA it happens pretty frequently. I in no way mean to put down the good work they do, but outside distractions get in the way. Some NA meetings you do have some jack asses dealing. Its not the norm, but in AA naturally no one brings boose and there not drugs there just by the nature oof the population. But just a tip or 2 with AA people have a blast but talk sobriety and helping others SERIOUSLY. You will just find its a much more stable environment. Now Please bear in mind I live in Pittsburgh, and in the South Hills…so as you can probably imagine I don;t have a huge sample population to speak for all of NA What I am telling you is my personal expereence and observations.Be sure I make sure what I am telling you form my small spot on this planet is 100% correct. I am going on my experience in my little corner of the world and what my friends have told me that went to NA first. You see a lot of addicts making the switch too. So I have asked many of them why they switched and it could be that there are jist like 10 times more AA meetings than NA or some of what I say is true. I know a great deal about phamaceuticals. Many of you sounded like you are being prescribed too too much. Like you only need 10 mgs in the morning and maybe 10 mgs like 1Pm or 2PM and you are taking like 2 or 3 times that amount. ( side note:It worked so well in the beginning for mr I am wondering if the issue is being over prescribed It seemed to work so so well for many of you).I wake up at 4:30 AM so you see by 2 its pretty far into my day. My other question is why doesnt anyone want to wein off of it? I am not being critical I am assuming there is a good answer and I want o know it.
Ok I am REALLY hoping I did not offend anyone I can easily see how what I said coud be offensive so if it did PLEASE PLEASE forgive me. I just wanted to give you my gut feeling just in the event it may help just one person.
You all sound like wonderful successful people..So I take what you have said very seriously. None of you are by any means low end drug addicts. You are just great folks, so I hoped I maybe just one person was helped by this.
I hope it wasn’t too long I wanted to tell you a lot. You folks are really great.
Warm Regards
Tim Lang
I am 42 and have been using Adderall for several years now. I started at a mere 5mg a day and now take 45mg a day…when I use it correctly. I sometimes take as much as 120mg a day just to fight off the weak feeling that comes as the adderall starts to wear off..My moods do not swing but I don’t have a good sleep pattern. I have ran out of my script several times lately and have had to go two weeks without it. I always tell myself that I am going to quit but my willpower always fails me.. I feel like such a failure. I don’t want my kids to look at me as a drug addict. Their father was an addict and committed suicide six years ago. That is when I started Adderall so that I could cope with life without him. I am a teacher. I supposed to be someone everyone can look up to, but secretly I am just an addict. I want to be free of this drug, but my doctor told me today that the withdrawals were like those of someone withdrawing from meth! He said that it could take up to 13 months for the dopamine receptors to start working correctly again. I so want to quit. Help me.
Hey Cheyenne,
I know how you feel. I’m 38 and have been using it for four years. I too am a teacher. My script is for 30 mg twice a day of IR. At first it was a lifesaver but of course I have built up a tolerance. This summer I ran out for a few weeks and I was surprised to find I started feeling better than when I first started. I had reduced my dose to make it last longer because I moved and knew I couldnt get my new script. I losr weight, woke up at 5 every morning and had energy. I stupidly drove back to my doc for a new script though. I have gained back every pound i ever lost on it. I stay up til 4 am a few nights a week and struggle to get up at 6 am for school. I’m a mess. You have been through a lot and you cant beat yourself up for getting through that time and keeping things going at home. In my opinion you should accept that you are going to be less productive for a while and try to take ur meds as prescribed for a month. Dont let it run out. You will decrease your dosage by doing that. My doc told me to take less on the weekends. Write out a plan on a calendar and slowly decrease by just a half or even a fourth for several days. Just keep inching down. If u are like me you have to work and take care of the kids, so be realistic about it. You will start to feel so much better. I am doing the same thing. You really can do it if u think of getting through one day at a time. I’m no doctor but i do know that it worked for me this summer. You sound mentally ready. I wasnt this summer but i am now. Good luck!
Just this last December I gave up Adderall (was taking a little over 60 mg a day) over my holiday break. The first week or two WAS IMPOSSIBLE. Then I went back to Los Angeles where I live and got back on it… now I’ve run out and my doctor who was basically dealing them to me has been super shady and I have yet to see him.
This is day 2 and I can’t move out of my bed. Im having headaches, weird dreams and am constantly hungry . The only thing that has really helped is reading peoples comments on this sit. Its comforting to know Im not alone. I don’t know if I’m ready to quit completely and while a part of me is saying just stop you don’t need it another part of me is scared to face the music. I don’t want to be unproductive, don’t want to put on weight (which i know will happen given my increased appetite and lack of motivation to go to the gym) and just don’t know If I’m ready. Please someone any suggestions
I guess my system is different than everybody else. My doctor prescribed me Adderall IR 10 mg the fall of 2009 and increased over time to 30 mg (up to 3 a day). When I first started taking the Adderall I was fine and even lost some weight. My problem & question is, since May 2011 I have steady gained weight. I have gone from 149 lbs in 2010 to current weight of 183 lbs (I’m 5’7″). I have tried Vyvanse with no luck also. I can go days without taking the Adderall and can’t tell a difference. He has also prescribed in the past Dexedrine 10 mg which I will take occasionally. So why is the Adderall not working for me? Why am I gaining SO much weight? I really need help trying to figure this out cause my doctor said I’m the only patient he has taking it and gaining weight. Like I said before I stop taking it all the time and would either take the Dexedrine or nothing. Just this last week I switched to Phenterine hoping it would help with my weight issue but I would rather take the Adderall because it also kept me focused, if I can get it to work! Any advise??
I have been on Adderall XR 20 for a year and a half. I did lose weight in the beginning but have gained weight these past few months. Having cravings from the minute I get home til I go to bed. Like grazing on snacks all night. I don’t understand this. I have gone off Adderall for a couple months and did not lose any weight when I went back on. Originally when I went on, it helped with the ADHD symtems and the weight loss was a wonderful bonus. I stopped having thoughts of food and weight gain on my mind. It was the first time in years that my weight wasnt on my mind. It was freedom. Now it seems to be all I think about in the evenings and so Im depressed about lack of control again and the fact that I feel Im twenty pounds over- weight. I want it to work like it did in the beginning, slow me down, make me focused, and control my weight so I dont have to think about it all the time.
This is really a great post and validates my personal experience with quitting Adderall.
5 years ago I was on Adderall for 9 months. When I stopped taking it my life was shit, but just for a short time. After about 2 weeks I noticed an improvement in my mood and drastic improvement in my ability to be emotionally present with others. By 3 weeks it was as if I had never been on it.
In 2010 I went back on Adderall and stayed on it a bit longer, for a full year this time. I sensed that disconnect from life creeping back in, and the effectiveness of the drug virtually disappeared, so I decided once again to stop taking it. This time though the fatigue, memory loss, depression, and inability to focus or give a shit about work, were much worse and have lasted months. It’s been 4 months now and I still struggle with those things. In fact I’ve recently been considering getting back on it, but reading this post has changed my mind.
After reading this I realized that the first time I quit I immediately started working out again, upped my protein intake, and cut out the garbage in my diet. This time I did none of that. I regularly give in to the sugar cravings and still haven’t renewed my gym membership.
I’ve been wondering why I’ve had such a hard time and was worried that I may have done irreparable damage. But after reading your post and thinking about what I did differently last time, I have renewed hope. Going to clean out the cupboard and stock up on leans and greens tonight.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
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so glad to find this site, i really felt alone and empty and hopeless hitting my 2nd week without adderall and was ready to call the doctor. now i know what foods to boost up, stopping to get l-tyrosine supplements tomorrow, and will not pressure myself as hard in school and life these first 30 days as i wait to adjust. thanks for everyone’s input and participation on here. we’re not alone!
Thank you for this article and all comments! I once worked in a fast paced environment and then bam! Broke a limb and was stuck in my racing thoughts without being able to exercise. My doctors before my break, put me on all types of anti-depressants, and none of them worked. I have always been quite active and into running and other sports, so when I became immobile, I went crazy. The doctor gave me addorrall and it helped with my finance job, but I never took it every day (except for one week, which it made me throw up)…I only took it to get me thru work and leftover take-home work.
I have always been a proud advocate of zero drugs in my life and not wanted to take anything ever. I dont even like to take aspirin or ibprophrin, and have never tried coke, so I was very hesitant to take this but I will say that it worked. 10mg didn’t effect me at all, but the 20 worked great, helped me focus!… and build an additional shell that I am now forcing myself to face all over again now that I moved out of state and cant afford a new doctor since switching jobs.
I feel now that I want to buy it again, no matter what the cost. Thank you for giving me these tips since I have always known I am anemic and don’t take the supplements because they make me huge from constipation. I will try the other supplements that you have mentioned. Anybody have experience in addorrall creating excess lactic acid when you exercise? I am just beginning to get into it again and without it, have gained weight, so I don’t know if it is the weight gain from my not moving much or the drug side effect.
God, what a great website, and a wonderful article. I abused Adderall badly for about a year, and it resulted in my withdrawing from grad school. Thankfully, I was able to salvage the beginnings of a career at another institution, and it has turned out to be better than what I had while strung out on Adderall, but I am fortunate in that regard. I still use Adderall very occasionally every 4 or 6 months, but it is horrible for you and I strive to not use it.
In a weird way, it’s actually healthier for me to get it illegally than legally. The year I abused it heavily, I had a prescription. That is bad news for someone with a hell of an addictive personality.
What is exceptionally beneficial about this article is the specificity and knowledgeability of the nutritional recommendations here. It is far and away the best, most concise article on the subject I’ve seen. I now know what exactly to ask my doctor about when I go in to get some blood work done, and what to eat in the meantime. Thank you so much for this article!
Great site. I have been abusing adderrall for over 10 years. in the last year it got out off control. i cant even tell u how much i was taking. My story is exactly like so many here. THE BEST WAY ANDONLY WAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE WAS CHECKING INTO A REHAB/TREATMENT CENTER FOR 90DAYS. YES I HAVE 3 JOBS AND A MORTGAGE, AND 10,0000 OTHER RESPONSIBILITES GOING ON….HENCE ADDERRALL ADDICTION. BUT SERIOUSLY I NEVER THOUGHT I’D FEEL THIS GOOD WITHOUT IT. I HAVE MY LIFE BACK. And it was not easy…seriously…but in the end i think my subconscious wanted to live more than die. i am 4 months clean….and so grateful to my family. there is NEVER a good time to surrender and say “i need help” so JUST VIVE UP THE FIGHT TODAY. I PROMISE YOUR WORSE DAY IN RECOCERY IS NEVER AS BAD AS YOUR BEST DAY TAKING ADDERRALL. getting help saved my life.
In response to “quitting not easy” Dude….it isnt easy. the only way i beat it was rehab. i was in bed for the first 8 days. for 2 months after that crazy mood swings. in the third month i really evened out and therapy and counseling big bonus. cold turkey is too dangerous. i am telling you for myself rehab worked. I needed to be in a place where i couldnt get adderrall anywhere. and then relearn how to live my life without it. I owed it to myself and the people that love me to go into treatment. honestly 60-90 days seems like alot at first, but in retrospect it is a minor speed bump….and i got years of my life back. I took back control. i never thought i could feel this good without it. Best wizhes to all.
What an inspiration all of you are! Reading your stories and relating to some of your experiences is pure therapy. May 11, 2012 was my first day weaning off Adderall. I was taking 15mg twice a day since Jan 2010. The weaning process was short and very painful (mentally & emotionally). I was following the Dr.’s recommendation. At the same time I was also coming off of Cymbalta and Lortab for severe nerve pain from 3 prior surgeries in the past 8 months. In the past 11 months Dr.’s have literally prescribed over a dozen different meds for my pain, ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and on and on. I had to get off that roller coaster of destruction. Most would call this combo of meds a cocktail for a ticking time bomb. That’s putting it mildly. The majority of the meds I weaned off cold-turkey without any real medical or emotional support. It was and still (at times) a PURE LIVING HELL! Times when you cannot even tolerate being in your own skin- it crawls. I’ve told others you cannot really put true words to the feelings it creates. You have to experience it for yourself to truly understand. Anyhow back to the Adderall story, I have been completely clean of ALL meds except for one- that is Xanax. I only take .5 mg twice a day. It definitely helps, but everyday is still a real trial to keep my cool with all I’m still going through. I am finding that each day is slowly getting easier, but still VERY challenging.
When I gave up all my meds, especially Adderall, I immediately gained back 25 lbs. and still gaining. 🙁 That has really added to my (life-long) issue with depression making it much worse. Tonight it finally dawned on me, why don’t I Google this topic on weight gain after Adderall? Then poof! Here all of you are! 🙂 I really needed your inspiring stories to help give me hope, support, and most of all a direction to take on my map to discovering who I truly am. I have recently discovered (with the great knowledge of my therapist) that my entire life has been based upon negative energy. I truly feel that if I can find some way to clear this negative energy pattern that I will have the power to “move mountains”. What I’m trying to say, is that I am tired of being tired, having no self-esteem, being negative about anything and everything, depressed, extremely moody (all the time), most of all not being able to truly love myself. I could go on and on, but again, it’s feeding that negative energy. Adderall really seemed like the real “cure” to all my problems. Not true. It became the wrecking ball to my marriage, the relationship with my children and family, it caused me to loose my career, and so much more.
I’m hoping that someone out there who is reading this can relate and understand my pain and frustration. Anyone reading this who has recommendations, advise, or suggestions to help me get through this tough time, I’d be so grateful!!! I don’t know what else to do. I really don’t want to take any more meds and see any more therapists. I have to admit, going back to the Adderall in doses of 1/8 of a 15mg pill has been heavily on my mind. Then I have to remind myself I cannot go back to that living hell.
Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of my story. This is the first time I have ever shared my experience with anyone outside my doc and family. To end on a lighter note, “May the force be with us all!”. 🙂
P.S.
I hope this all made sense.
Hi jennifer. I am jen who wrote comments yesterday right before you. sounds like we have a lot in common :). I have weight issues and put on 30 lbs in 3 months since i went off. sucks…but so true that i need to learn to love myself…as you said about yourself. if you want to go off xanax PLEASE tell ur doctor…going off cold turkey is seriously dangerous. Biggest is seizures. So be careful. also i learned to give myself, my brain and my body time to recover. it took about 45 days to get off theemotional roller coaster of detox from my xanax and adderall. i take effexor and strattera now “borh non narcotic) and i feel sooo much better. I discussed with my doctor non non narcotic drugs to help with my depression and moods…and these two help me a lot. good luck to you. ps. this is the first time i ever shared on a website too! Keep ur chin up and best wishes!
Thank you for some other magnificent article. The place else may just anyone get that kind of information in such an ideal way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such info.
I recently quit adderall after being on it for a year. I started off at 10mg and then went up to 30. I quit cold turkey and was extremely nervous about the withdrawals id have (adderall gave me the energy to manage working 3 jobs) but i didnt have any problems. The first week i was really tired but other than that i was fine. I feel like i got my personality back and im not the irritable zombie i transformed into. I forgot how funny and happy i used to be. However, i did gain 10 lbs in the 1st month and with this new found appetite i have, im sure ill gain more. Ive still been able to manage my 3 jobs and im in a very good place in life without the adderall. To anyone out there who is thinking about quitting, trust me there is hope!!!!
This is the most helpful, amazing website. Thank you for putting out information, quitting adderrall has been so much easier this time around!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for taking the time to write this 🙂 I have been feeling so hopeless and (honestly) screwed, as a mom of 2 sweet toddlers and a husband that is healing from his second back surgery I went a little crazy with my adderall and we are all now paying for it. I have been blessed with a very understanding husband and family and now by coming across this article ..
The worst part for me in quitting adderal is the stomach problems i have now. Ive been off and on the 3 amphetamine salts combo for about 5 years and am 30 years old now. With adderal I could go Number Two at will 30 mins after popping a pill, but my life was a mess. Ive been off adderall for 34 days this time and have been suffering from constipation and the horrible gas that results from it. Literally, I fart 150-200 times a day. sorry for being graphic but its very hard to live life this way. I use a laxitive to help me go to the bathroom and have stated using a probiotic supplement. I just hope that I haven’t screwed up my stomach permenantly…Anyhow, may this be a future warning to people that if you stay on this crap (aka adderall) long enough you may very well be dealing with more than a “few depressed and tired days” when you come off of it.
Thank you for this article, i think it will help focusing on having a healthy diet and excercising during the withdrawels. I’m currently having the same withdrawels as everyone else, it is making studying difficult but i will persist. When I first wanted to quit months ago my main concern was weight gain, but when i came to the realisation that this medication has affected my personality and getting paranoia and other things, i didnt care what the price was to quit.. i just had to do it. Not only that my health has been affected in numerous ways, i cant wait to be free of this xx
adderall has destroyed my life. lost my wife, had a heart attack still took it and now im just about homeless.
[…] Cushion Your Crash Landing Nutritional Needs After Adderall …Cushion Your Crash Landing: Nutritional Needs After Adderall. March 1st, 2010 by Lilah. If you’ve been using Adderall regularly for any extended period of time, … […]
I had a adderall problem that developed last semester in grad school….But depression took over and I had no desire to even take it (2009) I have always been able to drop something that like affects be so greatly. Unfortunately my husband’s pill problem (any pill- mixing)causes me to call 911 twice with him being admitted and last time ICU (This past year) . I believe I called 911 3 other times as well on him because I was always scared. His main pill of choice was Pain pills and Benzo’s. Well since the first overdose he has been taking suboxine. Well, 4 or so months later he started taking many benzo’s all the time. His tolerance is so high I have caught him popping 5 bars (2mg) at one time and that was not all i am sure for the say.
I got him clean at home 3 months ago and my husband 3 days with nothing in his system had a seizure and I had to call 911 again ! I later found out it was from benzo withdrawl. Well, although he expressed his a huge fear that that happened to him, He still managed to find his way back to that same dangerous pattern with Benzo bar’s abuse (and god knows what else) that was the ICU coma 2 months ago. And days later another seizure happened. He is 30 and abusing for so long that his body is seizing, which can cause brain damage, brain imflammation (later affects in life)! During that time he did a bradford outpt., and numerous therapists…Nothing would wake him up….BC HE HAD TO WANT IT! I can honestly say we are there! And It found us…GOD!!!! It’s been 5 years of pills being in my life and one bad scary deathly year! And never have i felt it was over or expressed it…But i am so happy because I feel its over too! We met with our preacher yesterday for counseling and it was so powerful! For all of you who know God- Please he is your answer to stopping!
Also I asked my pharmy what we could get for him to help his brain ….it’s so depleted from everything! This is what We got…
****SAM-e complete – it’s a nature made from GNC for dopamine, joint comfort and other things that your brain needs naturally… very powerful yet very expensive 24 pills for 27 dollars…
****Ginkgo Biloba – for brain function,memory and circulation (loaded with antioxidants to fight free radicals!
****5-HTP – Its a neurotransmitter support, a mixture of more antioxidants but focuses on serotonin.
We actually take others too like Vit C & D… lots of B vitamins (B12 esp)… I am out of zinc and going to get Iron now! And i am going to look into Cod oil and Castor oil! Oh that Licorice Root Tea too… I will ask my phary about it all though!!! But those I named up top will help speed the process up of all the damage drugs does! Good Luck To You All! Never give up! Dont cheat yourself or family from it….When it’s over you will realize that you been trying to get clean for so long that you did not even think of all the damage your problem has caused your loved ones and yourself! His addiction changed me as well…and i never could threat with divorce b/c we have this love that we know is forever…our relationships suffered…and he is just now realizing how I feel and We gotta lot of work to do! It affects everyone and it’s so selfish if it’s abuse! please keep trying!!!
aweg
if i stopped taking adderall i would fail in school. i’m not addicted at all, every single day i wish that i didn’t have to take it so that i wouldnt be so scared talking to people. i absolutely despise the way it makes me feel but i need it to succeed in school. ive stopped taking it before without a single qualm and i hate how this site makes the assertion that getting prescribed to it means you’re addicted. thats just really sick, assuming, biased bullshit.
Hey masked pillager…not everyone gets hooked. Your response is typical though, of someone early in their adderall career that has yet to notice all the things it takes from u as it’s making u b all u can b. Long term amphetamine use of any kind is unsustainable. I hope u never live the hell you are dismissing as bullshit
….also, I think you’re a bit of a dick.
Funny i have been using ir for 3 1/2 years but im different because u see its not my script its shared and its 25 xr 2 xs daily. We run out every month early and go up to 19 days with none and smoke weed so we can eat and sleep only if needed though. Im 20 and have a 3 yr old im reckless but aware and im on this site after staying up all night almosr smoked a pack yesterday im 5’8 135 lbs healtly but am so happy i read all of this. Opened my eyes just a little more but ya gotta do what u gotta do and addy is just one of those get stuff done now pills then pay the price for cheating life later. Names Zoe. Was a pleasure reading this 🙂 take care. I i have to quit cold monthly! Its not so bad if u do it right .
I have been looking at sites like this for a couple months now….and this is the best blog-type one I have come across.
I feel like Adderall and then Vyvanse have been my little secret for a couple years now…trying to schedule my actual life, work and personal around when I would take it….because, after long term use, the side effects are considerable. I went through about a year where I became completely closed off socially, and when I came out of it, I had barely any friends and felt like I had lost myself/my personality….it has been very difficult to get even part of it back to what it was, but I also continued on and off use of Vyvanse….I couldnt totally give it up. Without it I feel like I have no motivation, get nothing done, am unorganized…ect.
I wish that I had never started taking this medication in the first place! I am at a decent point in my life and have managed to accomplish some of my goals but I know….I know…I would have had a completely better life and be in a better position than I am in now if I had never been diagnosed with ADD…
To list some of the issues I have been living with:
-very antisocial after taking it, to the point where I sometimes feel paranoid
-My skin is in horrible condition…and recently I have started to experience hair loss..
-memory loss
-fluncuations with weight
-when not on it, I have no energy and no motivation…
-drinking more
And thats just some of the things I have experienced…
I have been trying to figure out how to get off Vyvanse without feeling and becomming totally useless….
I was only taking ads for about 2 months and made the decision to quit cold Turkey. I have been off for a period of 5 days now and literally feel like I’m dying. I have no clue how long this is going to last and can use any advice possible to make it through this.
Victoria, I’m on day two going into day three now. I slept all frigging day, my fam doesn’t know what’s wring with me.
I hope you are now two months sober judging by the date of your post. Let me know how it went for you, if you happen to see this.
How about a little summary:
Adderall depletes dopamine. Adderall causes a list of withdrawal symptoms that include depression, hunger, heavy fatigue and an inability to focus on work. (Some of which are due to a lack of dopamine.)
What’s a person to do to ease/shorten the withdrawal time?
A. eat healthy food: protein, fruits, veggies and very-complex-carbs
B. take some supplements: L-Tyrosine, 5-HTP, Magnesium, B-vitamins, Vitamin C, Iron and Zinc
C. get exercise
D. get sleep…preferably 8 to 10 hrs during normal sleeping hours as soon as you are capable of getting on a normal schedule.
How long will the withdrawal last?
Depends on what your dosage was and how long you have been taking adderall. Expect at least a week for the initial super fatigue part. Expect 2 to 3 weeks for lesser fatigue, but could be more if you don’t exercise, eat healthy, supplement and sleep.
Will life be “normal” again?
Yes, but without the adderall high-focused-energy. Your humor, sex drive and personality will come back fast. Your energy will take 2 to 6 weeks or more, and it will come back!
I am male, 49 and was on 20-40 mg/day of IR for about 6 months…all within my script(s). Prior to adderall I took vyvanse and a few others for about two years. Adderall took my easy going personality. Yes, adderall gave me energy and focus, but I was irritable and mean to my wife and kids. I was so focused on getting things done that the little things were driving me nuts. I had less patience. I was more stressed than I needed to be. I did not like what I had become and what I was becoming. I tapered down to 5 mg/day over about 3 weeks and then stopped. Wow…talk about suddenly unproductive for about a week. I am starting to exercise again and am eating right. My humor, creativity, caringness and energy are all coming back. The energy is coming back the slowest, but it is coming back. The depression disappeared after about a week. The focus started coming back after about a week also.
If you don’t like being on adderall, you too can get yourself off it. If you don’t have a heavy ADHD problem, then you will probably find that the real you is better than the adderall dependant pill popping you. Enjoy the freedom of not worrying that your script is almost out and you need another one……. Enjoy every moment of the day more. Enjoy exercise and the taste of good food in small quantities…..because you want to.
OOps!!…A little correction on the above post:
Don’t supplement with 5-HTP. Instead use fish oil and DMAE.
I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this website. I began taking Adderall 4 years ago. Both my sister and father were “diagnosed” with ADD. Long story short, I made myself an appointment with the doctor, listed off the symptoms found on WebMD and walked out with my own prescription for 20 mg XR.
Within the first two weeks of taking it, I lost 7 lbs, started paying my bills on time, stopped spending money on useless crap at the mall, and was performing extremely well at work. I looked fantastic and felt fantastic.
Now, almost 5 years later…recently married…my husband wants to start our family. I’m panicked because I never told him I take Adderall and I know I can’t take this drug while pregnant. I want to start our family but I’m scared to stop taking the drug. I’m afraid I’ll stop performing well at work (I’m in sales and my salary is dependent upon me successfully selling product) and even more afraid of the weight gain.
I didn’t take my 30 mg XR this morning…my thought process is to start taking it every other day during the week and no pills on the weekends to try and wean off. I figure I’ve got about 3 weeks to kick the pills before I ovulate and have to explain to my husband why I want to wait another month before we “try” to get pregnant.
I had my 12 oz coffee this morning, managed to run 3 miles on the treadmill and was still able to get up with my 4:45am alarm today…but what will tomorrow bring without a pill? Is it best to just stop cold turkey or do the every other day/no weekends?
Adderall took away my easy going personality, sex drive, and gave me weird mood swings. But it also helped me eliminate all my debt, maintain a low weight (122 lbs and I’m 5’2″) and have amazing workouts at 5am every day. I miss my old personality but I’m also narcissistic and don’t want to gain the weight and feel lethargic/depressed.
I’m going to follow the advice of getting more zinc and iron naturally into my diet…along with protein. Ironically I was craving eggs after my run this morning… I usually have no appetite until 1pm (I take 30 mg XR at 5am daily) and here it is 11am and I’m RAVENOUS!
Its really nice to read through other people’s experiences with quitting the pills. The longest I’ve gone without Adderall is 3 days in a row when I ran out of my script and the pharmacy was actually out of stock when I went for my refill (sign that this drug is over prescribed?!!?!). I felt like total crap…slept pretty much 2/3 of the time I was without the pills. I’m really not looking forward to dealing with that feeling for a longer period of time…
Fingers crossed the desire to start our family keeps me on the right track…
I wanted to thank you for all of your efforts here. After almost 3 years of an ADHD diagnosis, then medication, I have decided to free myself of Adderall. In the beginning it was as if someone had turned the lights on for me, having been in the dark for 35 years. Or rather, the dim, I won’t get overly dramatic.
And, being an addict I eventually started taking more and more. But how could I give up such incredible benefits? Especially being an artist, it gave me a clarity and precision in my work that I had never known before.
Then, I stopped getting the benefits, I started acting like a miserable irritable and unhappy person. I was now in my usage, until I did some soul searching. I stopped listening to those around me and started to listen to myself. I now know I can no longer take this stimulant. I will die on this path. I am now ready to face a difficult challenge.
Thank you for the hope I received from this…
Liz
Highly descriptive blog, I enjoyed that bit.
Will there be a part 2?
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I quit today
i started using adderall about two years ago i was off Adderall till i started grad school in September prior to taking adderall i used to be lean and had muscle tone weighed 193lb pure muscle. after i stopped going to gym i had trouble;focusing at my job, finishing homework and even staying up in class. it is scary how this drugs made me an evil person with constant mood swings getting pissed off to anyone , speed talk that lasts forever nights with full of insomnia and list goes on. i believe i have a lack of zinc and iron in my body too. i dont know what to do. i was fun, loving person always exercised played sports and now i need a direction from you friends and god. Please show me a path way to get this drug of my system. I have a month to stop thius drug and get back to game. Please help thanks jin
You are an angel. Thank you for sharing this. I’ve been on it since I was a rather young lass (age twelve) and quit six months ago. I am 23, now. A few years ago I told my doctor I didn’t need Adderall and that I wanted to wean myself off so that I would be able to stop completely. His response was, “you can’t wean yourself off of something that you need!” That haunts me to this day. I don’t want it anymore. I don’t need it. I hate it. God bless us and everyone who has taken it. I will say this, though. My mom did her best to help me and with the way I grew up and the fact that I am a product of the public school system I wholeheartedly believe that Adderall kept me out of trouble. For those whom are not-so-fortunate, I am truly sorry. I pray you find the peace and strength and perseverance you need, myself included, to let go once and for all. I commend those of you who already have and pray for your continued health of mind and body. Take care
Correction: I quit three** months ago. In order to be considered for any type of military branch I have to prove that I can function without it for at least six months. I suppose that’s why I said “six” and not “three.”
Adios!
“Protein contains the essential amino acid l-tyrosine…” l-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrosine
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I was on it for almost a year. I followed the Doc’s orders and cycled off on the weekends and never took more than I was supposed to- and at first it worked great. I paid my bills on time, I did well in college, I made all my appointments… it was like putting glasses on for a blurry brain; but it turned on me and the glasses became binoculars. Clarity became obsession. I was no longer present beyond my obsessions- people, art, music and the world no longer mattered beyond my obsessions. I felt so alone, and so angry, because no one understood my fascinations. I waited, because I knew it would be hard, until my son went away for summer camp. I didn’t want him to have to see me in withdrawals. I’m now 6 days off and it sucks. I’m tired, migraine-laden, my digestive track seems to have gone on strike, sore… but I am coming back. I care outside the bubble again. I can’t wait until I am me again.
I am inattentive ADD. I know longer believe that it’s a disease or an issue other than the lack of living under societal norms. The world has been defined for a certain type of people- and that’s fine. I’m not that type of person though- but that doesn’t mean I am deficient in any way. I was made the way I was made for a reason; I don’t know what the reason is yet but I don’t have to kill the lady that I am to fit into norms. I just need to embrace myself and what I know about myself and live my life accordingly.
I’ve been on Adderall Xr for 4 years now. Take it daily or I can’t get out of bed. I set my alarm for 6am, roll over take my pill and go back to sleep for 45mins to an hour.
I started Adderall (25mg) to help with college due to a learning disability. I’m 27(female)now and almost finished with college.
I was also over weight when I started, so with meds, working out and dieting and changing over to a healthy eating life style Iost about 60 lbs. I was 188 at my heaviest. A size 13 in juniors and 4 years later I’m still maintaining my weight at 124lbs and a size 0 !! I’m also 6’1″. I’m afraid to gain the weight back whenever I decide to stop taking Adderall. This page has helped a lot at least I’m not the only one with this problem.
I also have pernicious enima (sp?) I can’t asorb b-12 through my food as I lack the interesic enzyme (sp?) not sure if its from Adderall. Was told its hereditary but only found out about it a little over a year ago now.
I hope one day I can do what everyone else has. But I’m scared to death to come off this crap. I know what it feels like to miss one does. #%*+! Don’t wish that on my worse enemy!
So grateful I came across this article! Have become completely ashamed of the person I have become since I’ve been taking Adderall. I’ve been prescribed 45mg daily for over 5 years now, the last year has been very stressful and found myself popping an extra pill to get through my day. In the last few months I’ve ran out of my prescription a week early due to my increase “need” for it. I feel like I can’t even run to the grocery store without taking one. I revolve everything I need to do around when I take my Adderall. Have hid my abuse problem from everyone because I’m so ashamed. I know people know there is something wrong with me. This drug has destroyed the person I used to be! I have lost almost all my friends in the last few years, am so negative, procrastinate worse than ever, feel stupid half the time because my brain thinks so fast that my mouth can’t keep up resulting in looking like a stammering idiot. Looking at myself in the mirror is like looking at a complete stranger. Where did I go? Where is my fun loving, upbeat personality, the girl who never met a stranger, the girl who always had a smile on her face? I was diagnosed as ADHD when I started the Adderall, if I knew what I know now, I would stayed with being a little spacy. Leaving the keys in the door, half cleaned rooms, half done projects, and always on the go is a much better life than the hell that my addiction to Adderall has caused. Reading this article and all the comments has given me hope for the first time in a long time. Worried about the withdrawal period, going a week without is horrible, but a lifetime of this is going to kill me.
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve been battling with wanting to quit adderall for months now, but have been too ashamed to admit it, let alone put it out there for the world to see. I was wondering, how did you quit? Cold-Turkey? Slow reduction of intake? Did you do it alone? If not, did you confide in friends, or your doctor for support? Just looking for some insight on how to start the process. Every time I’ve tried to quit, I’ve failed. Any guidance you could give me for successfully quitting?
Thank you so much for the time you out into this information. I’m at costco right now ready to buy everything you mentioned. I am however, still prescribed adderall and will most likely continue to take it, casually decreasing my intake, until the end of the semester. Do you think these foods will help a whole lot while in still taking it?
I have been taking adderall for close to two years. I took more than prescribed and have never missed a day. I knew I wanted to stop, but didn’t know how I would be able to do it. Then, by a stroke of luck, I found a an herbal product that made me lose the craving for adderall! I was able to taper down with absolutely NO problem. I’m so grateful. I really wanted to let everyone here know about it. It’s an Herbal thing called Tian Chi – google it, try it. I hope it helps everyone like it helped me.
i believe i have a lack of zinc and iron in my body too. i dont know what to do. i was fun, loving person always exercised played sports and now i need a direction from you friends and god. Please show me a path way to get this drug of my system. I have a month to stop thius drug and get back to game. Please help thanks jin
Jin,
I am so sorry to hear what you are going through, and there are a lot of people out there that know exactly how you feel and have gone through the same thing you are. The thing is, it does make you a different person after awhile, especially if used incorrectly. It begins to seem like it would be absolutely impossible to go on and continue being successful without it, especially in grad school.
Knowing what you are going through, I’ll give you advice that was the only one that worked for me. I wouldn’t recommend quitting cold turkey, but decrease the amount you take slowly. Have a planned out schedule, make sure you cant everything you take, and stick on it.
At first it is hard getting back into the things you love (working out, sports, hanging out with friends, eating right, etc.) but you need to include that in your schedule also. Decrease the amount you take, and split it up into two portions. Do NOT let yourself take any adderall at any time without doing what is on your list for the day (eating a healthy meal, playing some basketball, going to the gym, doing an hour of homework). You will be using less aderrall, and using it as a reward after you have already shown yourself you can accomplish anything you need to without it. Take a day off when you don’t need it.
And now the thing you need to hear the most. I know that it seems like the things you loved the most just won’t make you happy anymore, and at first they won’t be as enjoyable as they once were. But after you force yourself to do your old hobbies a few times, start exercising and eating right, cut back on your dosage, you will realize you are capable of doing anything you want without adderall
(Continued from Post Above, to Jin)
You will be in an unhappy mood at first, that is true. But I promise you, everyday you are on a schedule and working on the things I mentioned, you will suddenly notice a change. You wake up and want to go to the gym or play the instrument you used to play.
The things you once loved become more enjoyable by the day, and you don’t know how you ever went without them. You sleep better, wake up more rested, have more energy, and best of all NO MORE MOOD SWINGS! Old relationships come back, you’ll be a more enjoyable person to be around, and you can finally be at peace with your life again. After eating right, exercising, and getting back into your old hobbies, you will literally notice a change in days. The cravings reduce daily, old hobbies are becoming more and more enjoyable, more sleep and better health lead to a better lifestyle and mental health, you will be less irritable and have less mood swings, and eventually find that cutting your dosage back further isn’t a problem at all.
The world is a beautiful place Jin, and there are so many more ways to find happiness (and release dopamine) than adderral. Suddenly, you’ll have several things you can turn to throughout the day to make you happy. At the beginning, I would also recommend starting up a new hobby (maybe one you’ve been meaning to start for a long time) and fall in love with something new.
Your in grad school, you are obviously a smart person that has the potential to be very successful. It may seem like this has been going on for so long and become such a long habit so there’s no way you can do this.
But I promise you Jin, you can. Set goals, make a schedule, and follow it. This isn’t some half-hearted attempt. You’re about to take control of your life again. Smile tonight, because tomorrow is the day you start turning everything around. Always keep your head up, and know that you aren’t an evil person. Everyone you know will realize that again soon, and so will you.
Has anyone had problems with dry eyes on adderal?
Today I noticed sores on my toes and I knew it was due to my Adderall addiction. I have 5mg left for tomorrow as I have gone from 80-120mg day down to 20mg the past couple of weeks. This will be my third time going through a major withdrawal. I cannot say that it hasn’t helped me perform at a high level the past couple of years. It certainly has (and kept me awake as that is why this journey began), but at a physical and mental cost that is just way too high. I am so glad to find this site this evening too as it eased some of my anxiousness. I look forward to coming back tomorrow and the coming days to read the many comments left above me. I don’t feel nearly as alone as I once did. 🙂
Awesome website and I thank you for that! I’ve been taking amphetamines for about four years.. Wasn’t untill about two years ago I noticed my addiction was outta control and about to get worse. My parents didn’t even know I was taking them- paying for the doc and the priscription myself. When I’d run out of my pills mid-month i’d find other people with adderoll that would sell them to me- became a pricey habit. Looking in the mirror i’d see someone else, someone I hated, someone that was smothering the person I was created to be. These past two months I went nuts taking vyvanse, adderoll, concerta, any ADD medication I could find. At 5’7 1/2 I was 105 pounds with pale skin and lifeless eyes.. My mom was worried but I couldn’t tell her I was addicted to Adderoll for the selfish reason of knowing she’d take my pills. Anyway early this week I stumbled upon your website and I haven’t taken Ampehets. since! I know it’s only been a week, but this is the longest I’ve ever gone without them:) THANK YOU!! I was able to tell my boyfriend my problem.. He is the only one who knows but he is so understanding and supportive. I took a leave of abbsence from work cause I’m just so dang tired and work and school were originally why I started taking them so I dont want any ‘triggers’ right now. I also spent lots of money on a trip to florida to prevent myself from going out and buying more adderoll! haha hey it works for me.. Yoga is very helpful and I highly recommend it to us quitters! Simple meditations bring you on an inward journey and you begin to love who you are without drugs.. I know this is a bit unlady-like but since Istopped taking adderoll I have had a hard time going #2 :/ i’ve tried all my herbal rememdies but they’re not working any suggestions?
Thank again for all your support I’m already feeling like the girl I was meant to be! ~Namaste
Wow what a great article, thank you so much
At the age of 7 I was diagnosed ADD and immediately prescribed Ritalin. I remember feeling very irritable and sick to my stomach. After a brief time it was decided that Ritalin was not the right choice for me so with the help of my doctor and parents we began to search for something that did work. Over the next couple years I tried just about every ADD medication on the market and eventually landed on adderall. It seemed to have the most mild side effects of them all. Adderall seemed like such a miracle for me! My work was being completed, handwriting improved, and I was 100 times more attentive in class. When I got to college the adderall seemed to stop working- that’s when I discovered you could take more than one pill a day. Only one problem, I was starting to run out of my prescription earlier and earlier and I felt as if I could not complete tasks properly without the adderall. After about a year of buying additional pills off of friends to get me through the second half of the month I knew there had to be an easier way to get more of this stuff! So I went to a second doctor and got prescribed another set of pills with a slightly higher dose to throw off the insurance company. Somehow I got away with it. Well, eventually that too was not enough adderall. Here I was 19-20 years old commiting insurance fraud. Things continued to escalate and I felt hopelessly addicted to the medication I once dreaded as a child. Before entering rehab I was taking between 100-140 milligrams of adderall every day. After 45 days in a rehabilitation center I began to feel better despite the fact that I was still sleeping several hours during the day. I managed to stay off adderall for 63 days. I began stealing my parents addy and got kicked out of their house. Who the hell had I become?! I am no longer able to be prescribed the adderall but I still buy it as often as I can. I try very hard to ration it and stay under 30 Mgs a day. When I don’t take it I literally feel as though I’m dying. I can’t keep my eyes open, I feel week and depressed. A few days off adderall and my house becomes a mess. This horrible addiction has gone too far and after reading through this website I feel as though it’s possible for me to quit. Tomorrow I will take the plunge and stop taking it cold turkey. After taking adderall for 12 years I am ready to stop relying on pills.
Great post & thank you so much for taking the time to write it.
10 + years on Addies and I see no escape. I’m 6 days off and I’m in the darkest place imaginable. I’ve been off before. The longest was 5 months. I never felt better during that time so I refilled my scrip. I’ve lost all of my friends and humor to this drug. It’s a chemical lobotomy. Please stay clear of this medication.
I feel that my only option now is a tall building and swan dive.
A special F/U to the Psychiatric community.
Andy,
If you feel that terrible, I would consider either rehab or talking to someone. maybe a holistic medical doctor. something to help you get through it!
It’s so good (for lack of a better word) to see that I’m not the only one who feels like this. I have been taking adderal 30mg XR for almost two years and I feel like a shell of myself. I’m so boring anymore I don’t laugh or have fun. I can’t remember anything! experiences I’ve had during this time don’t even seem real really. it’s hard to explain but this drug was like a miracle and now I hate it and I can’t risk trying to get off of it now! I’m at a very critical time in my college degre and and can’t afford months or weeks of sleeping. I’ve considered asking my doctor to wean me off. I’m definitely going to try to take the nutritional advice. thanks for all the posting! I’m bookmarking this page.
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Hi Lilah,
Thank you so much for this post. I’m weaning off Vyvanse right now. I’m down to a 1/3 of my normal dose. It’s been about 2 weeks since I got off Adderall and started decreasing the Vyvanse. I started weight training in that time. I also have been gluten free and calorie counting for the past 6 weeks. I’m so frustrated because the pounds just keep coming! At night, I’m soooo hungry. It’s so hard for me to not go over my meager 1200 daily calories (as recommended by myfitnesspal –to lose 2 lbs a week). On those stimulants, I was eating poorly (high fat & calories) and infrequently. I have since upped by meals/snacks to 6 times a day. I swear it feels like this has never worked for me. The more often I eat, the more I gain. Also, the more often I eat, the more hungry I get. I feel like I’m trying so hard, and it’s not getting me anywhere. It’s been 2 weeks and I’ve gained 6 lbs. Some of that could be from building muscle density, but my clothes don’t fit anymore!! Another complicating factor is that I’m a vegetarian. I try to eat beans, nuts, eggs (whites), cheese, yogurt, etc, but it seems like not enough. My trainer recommended hemp protein. What do you think about that? Any other advice? I’m feeling very defeated by the damage this drug has done and fear continual weight gain.
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Adderall completely screwed up my life but there is light at the end of the tunnel..and I’m finally living a normal happy life again. I was prescribed 10 mg a day to begin with which overtime went to 60 mg a day and my Dr. wanting to switch me to Vyvanse. I have always been a hard worker who had trouble focusing but had incredible self motivation. This all stopped when I started taking Adderall. Over three years I deteriorated physically, emotionally, and psychologically. I lost myself – my drive, my health, and all self respect and self esteem. After I (and my husband) couldn’t take anymore I decided to quit. My anxiety had increased, I was severely depressed, lost my job, obsessed about trivial things, my skin was always broken out, had migraines, was paranoid, couldn’t sleep, had mood swings, and everything sucked. I couldn’t even get out of bed without it and over time I took more than prescribed. Eventually when shit hit the fan my husband forced me to go to the Dr.
At the time I HATED him and felt betrayed and humiliated, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought (Adderall paranoia). I stopped cold turkey (which my Dr. Didn’t advise) and week later started taking Wellbutrin. I guess it is bad to take another medicine but it is not a stimulant or addictive but really works. It also has appetite suppression as a side effect (for those worried about weight gain). The best part is that it is for ADHD and depression, and offered me a much gentler come down. It took about a month to adjust but I now have myself back! It has been a struggle but believe me it is worth it. Adderall makes you think you are better with it, but it’s not the case. You can be even better without it.
Also I have been struggling with health effects since I stopped so I began a detox program which allowed healthy, normal eating and the use of vitamins. My body was so toxic when I quit that I had stuff literally coming out of my skin. I had completely destroyed my immune system with this drug which allowed foreign toxic waste to buildup and take over. I started a detox for heavy metals, candida, and parasites. In the past when I got used to adderall and wanted to take more, it was my body telling me to stop because it was working overtime. I think sometimes we forget to listen to our bodies, because of stress or other pressures, but you are nothing without your health. I also did a lot of research and was surprised by the fact that when we have health problems we go to the Dr., whose answer is a prescription. These prescriptions are (mostly) not good for our bodies and only suppress and mask the real problem. When you have a health issue it is usually a side effect of your body functioning well and getting rid of toxins. Over time the heavy toxicity load that is present in the modern world leads to disease because our bodies cannot handle the burden. It is scary to think that Drs. Are blind to nutrition and whole food eating but instead of give us the quick easy but toxic fix.
So after researching I started a high quality probiotic, because our gut health is directly linked to our whole body health. I also started taking New Chapter vitamins (whole food, organic) for general health, then started vitamins that detox heavy metals, environmental contaminants, candida and parasites, and improvement my diet by eating more whole foods that are preferably organic. I also started making smoothies in the morning with organic juice, Amazing Grass(which is a blend of vegetables and fruits) and is directly related to destroying free radicals in your body. I also did a smoothie blend that supports your liver. During this I still ate healthily, and took my BC and Wellbutrin. I know most detoxes are more hardcore but I just wanted to support my body cleansing process.
I also watched products I used (makeup, lotion, toothpaste, other products), because our skin and bodies usually absorb the chemicals in them adding to our toxic load. I started using The Honest Company, to get high quality, no chemical, toiletry items and cleaning products. They are very affordable too which makes it better. I use deodorant without aluminum, Method hand soaps and body wash, The Honest Company’s fluoride free toothpaste, hair conditioner, soaps, and laundry derergents, hand sanitizer, and lotion, & cleaning supplies. I also use all natural/organic makeup when I can. I also ordered bentonite clay and mix small amounts in my lotion. This has done wonders for my skin and helps my body chelate chemicals.
I apologize for all of the lengthy nutritional advice, and I know what is good for me probably isn’t good for everyone. After all I’m no health expert. The point I’m trying to make that getting back to the basics, helping your body run efficiently, and avoiding toxic substances, really helps when quitting Adderall. Your mind and body will be rejuvenated and you will have so much energy. I’m still doing this regime and it’s been two months and I have had so much gunk come out of my pores and body it is shocking. Sometimes I have unpleasant symptoms which is my body clearing things up. I feel amazing now and can’t believe I used to be hindered so much with Adderall. I also know that those products do cost money but I just purchased things here and there. Just do what you can. I also listen to my body now and take it slow when it is tired and try not to take over the counter medicine when I have a pain bc I know my body needs to do this to heal. Medicine just temporarily masks it and burdens your body. I hope one day to be off of Wellbutrin as well, but for now it’s helping me have drive and feel positive. I also work out at least three times a week but do Barre videos and Pilates because they aren’t so hard on my body. (Plus I think they are more fun:). Good luck to everyone and I know those wanting to quit can do it!!! Stopping is the hardest part but it is so so so worth it. You all are great people and I hope this advice doesn’t make me sound like a know it all ha. I’m just trying to give you all some advice to truely help you recover. Best wishes!
P.S. Sorry for the grammar errors.
I have been taking adder all (this site won’t let me spell it correctly) for almost two years, 20 mg/day. I loved it at first (for about 4 weeks) and then developed severe neck and upper back aches and headaches. I also developed muscles twiches and strange breathing sounds. I kept twisting my body to stretch tight muscles, mainly waist and shoulder areas. Then I began to develop what I call periodic “frissons” of irritation for no reason at all. I began not to be able to taste foods that I had once loved, and I came to a point where I didn’t care about eating; I put food in my stomach simply to stop hunger pains. My sleep pattern was disturbed, even though I took melatonin, and I had strange dreams of compulsion, like I had to be going to classes and engaging with people I didn’t like and rushing around doing stuff like that. I was horribly sluggish when I woke up and had to sit for about two or three hours before I felt like doing anything. I had to force myself to eat something for breakfast. I also developed heart palpitations and strange vision floaters and lights. I am now stopping this stuff. I occurs to me that this is a mind-altering drug as well as a danger to my physical body. I know it is not going to be easy to stop because when the FALSE ENERGY hits, it is helpful. But all of this other stuff makes it not worth it. I am beginning to take some good nutritional supplements, trying to stay on a reasonable sleep schedule, and get good exercise. I can’t stand the way this stuff has been making me feel. I am going back to good old Java Jive (coffee) as in the old days, wait this withdrawal period out, and get back to my old self. Taking this stuff was one of the worst decisions I have made in my life. I am just glad that I have not become psychotic or had a heart attack yet. Any of you going through this, just hang in there, try to eat well and sleep well, etc. and it will surely be a lot better. This stuff is poison.
Wow. I’m not alone. This website is literally a God send. Although there’s no telling what the future will bring, knowing that there’s a resource like this where we can all commiserate makes me hopeful. I quite adderall cold turkey for a whole six weeks and unfortunately stated taking it again. Right now I’m in the same, dark place I was a few months ago. My biggest fear is not so much the withdrawal but if my depression comes back. Now that I’ve relapsed (so to speak) I don’t trust myself as much that I will be able to resist the temptation.
Wish me luck!
Rebecca, Thank you for your writing your reply! I could not read any of the others because it is my first day with no pill and I had no patience but something compelled me to read yours. Our stories are so similar that I had to let it out!
I have decided to quit Adderall and of course it is already scaring the crap out of me. It has only been one day but after reading your post, and with how I feel everyday, I am starting to feel much better about my decision because our stories are so similar. And after reading your comment,(especially since I couldn’t focus to read any other comment) I know that I can do this. It’s a trip because for some reason I stopped & made myself read your story, & it inspired me to really quit. I used to be really into being healthy, not a work out queen or anything, but I always made sure to take care of myself. But when I see myself now, I cannot believe the person I’ve become.
Anyway, I was on this medication for 3 years but when I first started taking it, I thought it was a miracle drug! I started taking it because I was having problems that associated with untreated Adult ADD. It did make sense but I realize now that instead of figuring out what was really wrong with me, I took an easy way out. I mean, Adderall could have helped fix anything if you really think about it!? And I really do have Adult ADD but instead of looking at alternatives to a meth-like substance, I accepted this “FALSE ENERGY”. Little did I know 3 years later that it would end up ruling how I lived out my daily life. I got to a point that each morning I would wake up knowing that I needed 2-3 hours just to get up and ready to go anywhere. And that is if I had an appointment, or if I had to go grocery shopping which should be the simplest thing right!? But it wasn’t since my body was so dependent on this drug. I have been taking different types of stimulants for 3 years but for the last year I was prescribed 40 mg of Adderall that I took daily & eventually I started overtaking. It worked so great at first, Like it always does. I was more motivated, felt accomplished again & happy. But it was a fake feeling that would go away eventually. It really is sad too because before this drug came into my life I was actually able to associate with other people and have a natural desire to go out and do things just for fun. But that version of myself is long gone which has made me even more depressed which is why I started taking more because I thought it would help. But it didn’t. I became so weak having no real nutrition in my body that even a drug like Adderall could fix.
When I write all of this I seriously do not know what to feel because I am the one that decided to take it. But I have had enough! I am awake and the girl I used to be is slowly coming back, kicking me in the ass for the decisions I’ve made in the past 3 years! It is not worth it, I mean in the beginning you feel unstoppable but eventually you just watch yourself slowly weaken. How you feel in the beginning is something you will never get back because your body eventually cannot reproduce that easily. I wish I would’ve know this 3 years ago, but I didn’t.
So 3 years of malnutrition and living in my little bubble, I am pretty scared & nervous right now about quitting only because of the unknown. I know how to live my life with adderall & what to expect but I have no way of knowing what I am going to be up against now that I’ve decided to quit a chemical cold turkey that has had so much control over my body. But after watching myself slowly wither away to nothing, I do not feel scared anymore. I feel ready and willing to have another chance to do things the right way.
I was prescribed and took Adderall for 2.5 years. I feel as if I took too much but never took more than the prescribed dosage. I would take 30mg a day about 3-4x a week and occasionally got up a little higher in dosage than that. I was prescribed 30mg 2x a day.
I have been off Adderall for 16 months and haven’t felt 100% normal at any point in the past 16 months. My brain feels like it was fried during those 2.5 years. I have had blood work to check for deficiencies and do not have any. Has anyone else struggled with what I am dealing with? I constantly feel disoriented. I am obviously cognitively slower than when on Adderall and keep thinking I would return to normal but it hasn’t happened. I have a full time job and just built a house but feel dumb all of the time. Could someone please help. Thanks!
I have been on Adderall for a little over 5 years now. I am 21 years old and currently in AA and have been free if alcohol a little over a month. I feel amazing due to the hard work and determination I’ve out into this program. Note: I’m not pushing it on anyone. Anyhow, I still take my Adderall 10 mg twice a day, which I obviously take at least 6 to get through without feeling like garbage. I ALWAYS run out before my new script. I am an addict as well as an alcoholic. Thank God the alcohol is being taken care of, but I have NEVER been so terrified in my whole entire life. I am afraid of depending on a pill to help get up everyday and function. Over the years my tolerance has obviously increased a hell of a lot. I don’t eat well so I am glad to see foods I need to buy to help with my diet because I have heard over and over how important diet and exercise are. When I run out if adderall due to abuse I obviously feel like I am shutting down. I’ve lost several jobs due to this and quit college, which I have an interview this week and am enrolling in classes today. I just don’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results: INSANITY. I am completely powerless over this drug. It has me in it’s grip and I am truly terrified of quitting but am MORE than willing to quit and really need advice on the least painful way. I want to be Mary again. Not this woman who depends on substances to get up and abuses the living hell out of them knowing damn well what the end trail will be: misery. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know I lack vitamins and I need a list of them to get as well as foods to buy, yet again. Please give me some advice. I believe in a Higher Power and I pray for Him to help take away the temptation. It’s about willingness. Do you want to stop or not? Of course I do, but it’s going to be a living hell and I need a way for it to affect my life in the least way possible. I cannot sleep for weeks and lay around constantly. I have so much to do and I need to be off of this medication slowly. I feel it’s the safest way. I have so much to live for. My whole life ahead of me. I want my life back. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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An impressige share! I have just forwardedd this onto a co-worker wwho
has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me lunch bedcause I stumbled upon iit for him…
lol. So alloiw me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
Butt yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this matter here on your web page.
Im so happy to have found this site: God bless the person who created it. I need my life back.
I started taking vyvanne three years ago and my doctor switched me to addreall four months ago. I want to get off this mess. I want my old self back. I want my vitality back. I take 40mg s day at 4:30am and around 2:00pm I feel depressed and much more. I feel like I losing control over my life. I had more life in me 10 years ago when my husband was drinking, gambling, two kids in school workout five days a week and cleaning two houses a day. Help me!!!
I stumbled up in this site around 8 months ago while taking adderal. I was taking adderal for about 2 years. The first year on and off abs the following year everyday’ mind you I’m in a very intensive medical program. My life came falling apart slowing but for surely. I decided to kick the habit, since I knew I would have the power to prescribe this to myself someday, it would ultimately lead to my own self destruction. To be honest, being clean has been the best feeling ever. A healthy diet, and a healthy mind is ultimately what’s best for people and breaking free from this drug will provide you with that ability.
PLEASE READ THIS: Two months ago, I landed myself in the hospital because I was completely and utterly addicted to Adderall. Here are some things that really helped me while in the behavioral health unit:
1. Don’t beat yourself up. Especially if you are withdrawaling. You will go through the first stage of straight sleeping for 1-2 days. Don’t let that bother you, your body needs this and it’s absolutely necessary.
2. Get your circadian rhythm back. Go to bed around 9pm and wake up at say 7 am. I understand that some of you may not remember that kind of rhythm because adderall is a cover-up and tricks your brain until you usually want to stay up later. Realize that what matters most is having a sleep schedule 7 days a week. This was a HUGE help for me.
3. Stay away as much as possible from sugars. Opt for stevia, it’s the best choice.
4. Drink more water than you ever have before, preferably artesian water or spring water because they have at least some electrolytes which brings me to the next…..
5. Adderall not only depletes you from iron, zinc, and tyrosine- but it also depletes magnesium. Magnesium and b6 have often compared to benzos for anxiety and I guarantee you, you will experience anxiety. The best kind of balanced electrolytes is Natural vitality’s: Natural Calm with Calcium. It contains sufficient magnesium, balanced with calcium, potassium(very important), vitamin C(very important!) vitamin d3(very important!) and boron. Available cheaper online at puritanspride.com
6. Iodine is very important for adrenal function. If you are taking iodine supplementally, you need to add a small amount of copper to balance it.
7. Sodium. Salt the heck out of your food as your body loses a significant amount due to starvation and the diuretic effect of any stimulant- especially adderall.
8. Take a b-complex. Your body needs these because they help as cofactors to amino acids.
9. Come clean with those you are shamefully hiding this from. Admitting to those who care about you that you have become addicted releases a lot of the anxiety and pressure that builds up when you realize you are abusing it/Addicted.
10. Pray to God and read the bible and go to worship. This will help you tremendously as God is greater and stronger than ANY addiction. If you don’t believe
in God, I encourage you that He is real.
11. Help others and try to make others loads less burdensome. Even something small like taking out the trash….
12. Meditation: it will help you with sleep, anxiety and give you motivation.
13. Buy the book: what on earth am I here for(the purpose driven life by Rick Warren. This book is amazing at helping you realize that life must be simplified and that you don’t have to feel guilty about petty things. It helps you focus on the bigger picture.
14. Take breaks. Realize that you are human and that you will have good and bad days. Don’t feel guilty if you need to lay down and relax. Gratitude and thanksgiving go a long way…
15. Stay the heck away from bread and dairy as much as possible. Focus on eating protein, healthy omega 3 fats, and blood sugar stabilizing foods like sweet potatoes.
16. Realize that you can do this and be fully dedicated to it and seek counseling/NA meetings for the underlying issues you have. We all have them and this is what could really help you maintain sobriety.
17. I was off of adderall for a month before I was tempted into taking it again when I put counseling on the back burner and didn’t maintain the above steps because of tragedies. Don’t be like me and have to do this all over again! Get help: talking to someone who understands and has overcome and maintained sobriety is essential.
18. Believe in yourself and that you are far better than this terrible drug.
19. Start slowly on exercising. Set goals. Get active and do not isolate yourself!
20. Take hot showers and take care of yourself like you would a baby. Be good to yourself.
I really hope this helps someone and if anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me: michaeljbattin49@icloud.com
I have been off and on adderrall for 15 years. A couple years on and a couple years off and back again. Each time I quit cold turkey. My only side effect was exhaustion, lack of emotion for a week or two, Weight gain(10-15lbs) and no motivation. Once that passes I feel human again. I think things through more clearly rather than intensely and I am a happier person overall. Adderall is always good in the begining, but it has always ended up cause the opposite reaction after a year or so. Once that happens I stop again. I usually go back to it when I have challenging tasks to face in school or work, but the stuff is evil in the end. I always plan a weeks vacation before I quit and it takes the fear away from stopping form having to go to work and school. Diet is key, but man do I want to eat everything when I stop. I have a very managed routine when I’m taking it and always need a something to help me fall asleep. It is a vicious cycle and I’m stopping again after my state board exam. 8 day vaction by myself with yoga and medition and an opportunity to get out of my head and this rat race to reflect on life and just slow down.
Adderall is a double edged sword and no one really needs it, but we live in a society moving so fast that we look for an easy fix because we can’t keep up with what is ahead of us. Every time I quit, I feel so wonderful and human again. I smell the flowers and pause…. I’m sad about the weight gain I will be putting back on, but I will be gaining my self back and that is something you can’t get on adderall, but I can just work out to loose the weight….
I have never weaned myself off of it and it was the best choice for me to just not bring it on my vacations. Everyone is different though and do what is best for you to get off it. It is so rewarding to not be dependent on anything.
I have never posted on a site like this, but hope my story inspires someone.
The untreated adult ADHD has an increased risk of substance abuse later in life, the future drug abuse disorder is decreased when adult ADHD is properly treated. HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF DIET, SLEEP AND WATER INTAKE. (The body and the brain are 100% functional now so chose carefully your food) I feel sorry about this people, I think they was a little bit greedy. Anyway.. sorry about my english and quick recovery for everyone!
Jesus I thought I’d never find helpful advice. At first I thought adderall was the miracle drug. I found out the hard way it was just like every other drug, a drug. Creating dependence and inconvenience. I cheated my body out of health for that crap for a long time. I’m only a couple days along right now but thanks. You’ve given me some hope
This website has given me hope and a positive outlook on my situation. I can’t express how appreciative I am to see that it is possible to be happy and healthy in my future, even if I’m stuck in a rut with this adderall right now. Thank you for this site, I’m sure you’re helping so many people!
Adderall…What can I say? It helped me, it’s killing me. Did it ever really “help” me? My story: I have been on this drug for nearly two years. I always abuse it, taking too much in the first days/weeks then running out of my script. When I take, I feel hope and happiness; when I don’t I feel depressed, hopeless, and even suicidal. This is not me; this is not how my life should be. I go weeks at a time without the drug, because I run out and have to wait to get more. Every month I get the withdrawal symptoms and get through them (with great difficulty), then when the time comes I get the script again and get the medicine. I reflect on this, as I wait for the pharmacist: Do I need this? Will I take them as I should? Should I, at all, take these? Again I have run out, and I am feeling cloudy. Thinking of my first thoughts about Adderall for schoolwork: I remember thinking that the work was put out faster and in greater quantity, but at lower quality (less creativity, actually). The unmedicated person works more slowly, but more thoroughly; tries harder, but her work pays off in its content.
I’ve cried so many tears, uselessly, because of this medication. I’ve lost some friends (I still wonder if this is actually a bad thing, since they weren’t so great anyhow), family members are more distant than before. I now wonder if I should trade up/down for a new drug, to help me to adjust to this new, shattered life that Adderall has help to create for me. I shudder at the new list of side effects of new medications… I’m glad to have found this site. I like the idea of being “fixed” with natural remedies. I’m glad too to have found all of your stories, which make me here, sitting at my desk, wanting to cry/scream/chew my lips to hell and pick my scalp/go to sleep…which makes me feel like it’s not me at all, or at least it’s the drug primarily. Thanks for sharing, because of you now I too am naked for you to see. Beware young people desiring this medicine, this is your future.
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Your post is very inspiring to me. I have been taking adderall for a year and I just stop taking it because I started to feel like I was a zombie and didn’t even have a personality. It has been pure hell since I have stopped taking it a few days ago and was wondering how long the recovery process is going to take?
i have been on ADD meds my whole life but it became a dependence and then an addiction. i knew i needed to stop taking the Adderall because I was taking too much so my Doctor prescribed me Vyvanse which was just as bad. I came clean and stopped.. However my horror has come true.. I am about 23 days off of the pills and I have gained 10 lbs! I try to eat healthy and I definitely excursive everyday but I am still 125 lbs and I hate thAt!
It makes me really sad and angry
hi marcie
I don’t know what, if any, other medications or supplements you are taking, so please check with your physician (preferably a naturopathic doctor) first. look into the supplements 5-htp and SAMe they have really helped me with appetite control and mood. just like anything else though, you need to take them as directed, and of course follow the guidelines of a healthy diet and exercise routine. good luck.. you can do this!♡ putting on a little weight but gaining control over your addiction, is worth every pound
I swear that Vyvanse has actually made my ADHD much WORSE by depleting what little dopamine that I have. But it still does ‘something’ and that ‘something’ is why I’m having trouble quitting. That ‘something’ is an element of depression that sucks. It’s that ‘spark’,’zest’ or excitement that life can give you at times. The color in the trees, etc. Everything can be falling apart but if that ‘spark’ is still there you remain positive. Maybe that’s what it is..I’m still very positive while I’m on it. I’m quite negative when I’m not. But the ironic thing is that my life is ‘in theory’ much more organized and accomplished without it.
I am going to cushion the crash with tyrosine and 5HTP and eat tons of raw seafood first thing in the AM as per “The Leptin RX” on the Jack Kruse website. This brain surgeon is brilliant!
http://www.jackkruse.com/
I have 3 egg whites with one yoke everyday for breakfast and I’ll have 4 ounces of chicken at lunch and twice a week I’ll have red meat (I work out 5-6 days week and need that much red meat). I juice daily as well using a masticating juicer and juice either kale or spinach with celery and an apple and either black or red berries. I also love salads, even crave them at times. My diet is sadly not the problem and it is genetic. My father has it as well as his mother.
I have also had blood work taken just a few months ago thinking that maybe I didn’t have enough iron. Turns out I’m on the higher end of the normal range for iron. The only problem I ever had with my diet was that at one point I was actually drinking to much water and flushed out to much sodium (one bowl of salty popcorn later and I was fixed).
What can a person with real ADHD do to wean off of this drug and still focus? I exercise vigorously for 2-3 hrs daily to increase my dopamine witch really does seem to help a lot but I’m afraid of what this medication will harm 30 years from now and the reason why I’d like to get off.
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This was very informative. I have been on this drug now for 5 years. I am prescribed 20mg 1 per day.I could never take this entire pill. I have taken a half before and felt horrible, trouble sleeping racing heart ect.. I take half of a half or about 5 mg a day which would seem like nothing..Every morning i take when i get up and get going otherwise i feel exhausted. I have had skin issues though for several years that seem to be getting worse. itching, redness, dry . flaky like skin on body and face resembling eczema. I am convinced this drug has brought this on and or is making it worse. I eat very healthy and get 8 hours of sleep every night. I wondered if others have had itching or skin issues even with such a small dose ? I am working on cutting myself off. I once forgot my meds and went on vacation and did not need them and felt great but at home i feel i am tired and cant function without. I appreciate all thoughts .
G’day g’day,
I really feel for you all and am glad you recognise what a pandora’a box amphetamine use can be.
But let’s be realistic, adhd medication isn’t ruining your lives a combination of things are causing your life to be a living hell.
Medical amphetamines should NEVER make you “feel good”, if you get a euphoric rush on a small dosage early on you do not have adhd and should not be taking stimulant medications.
Are you controlling the drug or is the drug controlling you? Don’t blame the doctors because you wanted legal speed and convinced yourself some pharmacy grade uppers would solve all your problems, oh but then when your tolerance goes up and feeling good is more important than a healthy diet, exercise or heaven forbid… SLEEP and you keep running short of your next script it’s “Damn! those drug companies and dodgy doctors who tried to help me after I deceived them into believing whatever it takes to get my hands on some of those magic little beans.”
THE PROBLEM IS ADDERALL ABUSE NOT ADDERALL.
The guy who suggested your dosages are too high hit the nail on the head, you are depriving your bodies of what God intended for sustinence (fruit veges WATER exercise SLEEP) and depending on toxic dosages of a chemical to prop yourselves up or “FEEL GOOD” well guess what: all these horrendous side effects are SELF INFLICTED.
You are not qualified to self administer a drug prescribed for an illness you don’t have.
Sure they help you in the beginning until your life revolves around pills instead of eating and sleeping and now you drink or smoke 200 cigarettes a day or take sedatives in an attempt to quell the anxiety caused by an acidic and toxic system unable to maintain normal brain function because your FRYIN.
Complete brain chemical depletion, inadequate diet, no sleep until your script runs out then when you crash DAMN THAT MEDICINE NOT MEANT FOR ME… You might as well be ice addicts.
STIMULANT MEDICATION AT THE CORRECT DOSE FOR A GENUINE ADHD SUFFERER IS LIKE VALIUM TO A NON ADHD PERSON… CALMING… NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.
YES ADHD SUFFERERS CAN GET HIGH BY ABUSING THEIR MEDICATION BUT IF THEY HAVE HALF A BRAIN THEY REALISE A HEALTHY DOSAGE IS A SMALL DOSAGE AND THEY HAVE THE GUMPTION TO STICK TO IT IN ORDER TO PREVENT EVERYONE AROUND THEMS LIVES BECOMING A LIVING HELL.
DID ANYONE READ THE LABEL OR WERE TO TOO BUSY GOBBLING DOWN “UPPERS”.
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I am 46 and take 10 mg twice daily. Adderall has been a positive experience for me and very helpful. I don’t plan on stopping it anytime soon. 🙂
I was prescribed Adderall about 10 years ago for by ADD. I was healthy but lacked focus and was naturally tired. I was told, I genuinely suffer from ADD and that is could be treated with a small dose of Adderall. I was unaware of any long term effects and was advised to continue the medication throughout the rest of my life.
It saddens me to know how badly abused this prescription drug is, how pregnant women continue to take it, and how excessively high doses are consumed allwhile they complain about what the drug is doing to their lives. It isn’t just the medication– it is the abuse of the medication and the long-term effects that cause damage.
Last year, I noticed changes in my facial structure that general doctors could not explain. I noticed loss of long and short term memory, and that the prescription was no longer in effect. Over the years, I had taken a break for up to 8 months. This time, I decided to stop for good.
I know that if you really want to– with will- there is a way! You CAN TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LIVE WITHOUT ADDERALL. Knowing that it is my choice to stop taking it, gives me control and the drive to take back the power that I gave away for so many years while taking Adderall and depending on it to focus me through my life.
I’ve been off of the medication for 1 week now and I’m happy to say I FEEL FINE. Not everyone feels depressed, hopeless, like life is over, etc. That all could be due to a depressed mind or someone who isn’t willing to do the work to live WITHOUT ADDERALL.
IT IS NOW 2016, NO MORE EXCUSES, NO MORE BLAMING THE DOCTORS, NO MORE BLAMING THE MEDICATION, IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON YOU!!!
YOU ASKED FOR THE MEDICATION, YOU ASKED TO SEE THE DOCTOR, YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO TAKE THAT DOSAGE…. MAKE THE CHOICE TODAY TO GET SMART & HEALTHY.
Believe that you CAN MAKE IT without Adderall. You have it in you to TRAIN YOUR MIND to see clearly than you ever saw before. Open doors for yourself because in time, you may not notice it until its too late, but the medication may close doors that won’t ever open again.
I believe that I do suffer from ADD but I don’t want to be part of the statistics that just take the “easy way out” and medicate to live. Life is tough either way but while taking Adderall some things that I knew were important became dull to me and started to fade while other things would light up and I’d focus in on that. Over time, I feel that my focus may not have been in the right place… who can I blame for that? Only myself. While you still have your mind and thought processes, make the decision to WAKE UP on YOUR OWN and LIVE AGAIN FULLY.
Let the doctors and pharmaceutical companies make their money somewhere else. No more gambling on the lives and souls of us today and the generations to come.
Society today wants everything fast and already complete. Good things take time! We are not robots and should not be expected to perform at the drop of a hat. We need to stop the hype of medicating ourselves and children in order to meet standards. The more we follow down the medication trail, the harder we make it for normal, non-medicating children and peers to perform in day-to-day tasks. At this rate, soon, the entire world will be self-medicating.
When it comes to studies on the LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS OF ADDERALL, there are NONE. Studies have not shown the possibilities of what lies behind you after 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years down the road. Of course, the dosage, diet, and lifestyle fluctuates from person to person but we should still have an idea of POSSIBLE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS OF ADDERALL. I’d like to begin this documentation here, please assist me in adding to it. Thank you.
POSSIBLE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS OF ADDERALL:
-memory loss (short-term)
-memory loss (long-term)
-stomach ulcers
-becoming depressed or sad when skipping dose(s) or stopping medication
-feeling slightly more tired when skipping dose(s) or stopping medication
-weight fluctuation
Yes i too was diagnosed with adhd and my doctor prescribed my adderall, but lately I’m getting worried about my health, im 30yrs old im a heroin addict although aober for four yrs, and have abused my body for a good 17yrs, adderall has been helping me quite a bit because i have no drive to do anything. Im a single parent of a beautiful baby girl who almosy three, and im very scared for my health. I need to be around to take care of baby girl. Some days i find myself abusing the hell outta this drug as ive always have abused evrything because im an addict. Thank you for educating me, im now aware it may be zinc and iron deficiency im suffering from hence the low drive low energy. I. Currently going to start a nutritional regime and stop taking the addies and hopefully feel better. Thanks again
Every month I’d refill both 30mg XR and 15mg IR. And EVERY month I’d refill them again knowing exactly what would happen. I’d take WAY more than prescribed, and put my self through a VERY VERY terrible adderall crash for 5 – 6 days. I thank you for this article, and will be looking back at it this time during my adderall crash. I asked my doctor to stop filling the prescription starting next month, cause otherwise I’ll go right back to it. Again, thank you and I hope I can deal with this damn adderall crash for like the 7th time now that gets so bad I randomly cry for nothing.
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I am having a really tough time withdrawing adderall has made my anxiety and moods swing to epic proportion it has gotten so bad to the point i can’t sleep without a pill or wake up without a substance. I don’t want to be enslaved to this speed. I have a 4.0 gpa and a scholarship and am in a very high pressure grad program, in which I have to read about 1000-3000 pages per month and write 45 page papers per month. I know without aderral I likely will lose my 4.0 and scholarship and may not have enough energy for such a hard degree. At the end of the day, a piece of paper (degree) is not worth a heart attack stroke, or psyche issues. The big problem is the crash. My ADD is pretty bad and I am scared what life will be like without the help of the aderrall but I also know it will be a brighter future than living in this hell.
Also: You let this happen to you because you wanted to be better. That’s not a bad motivation. Keep that drive around. Just re-calibrate it. Seen Mike in the comments say that^
I’ve been taking adderall for 8 years now, and I’m perfectly fine. I came across this article doing my yearly research to double check and make sure Adderall doesn’t cause cancer or parkinsons or something. This article is so biased, in it there’s no difference between adderall abuse and prescribed use. And then in the comments everyone is bashing the drug, while at the same time saying they take more than prescribed, don’t eat, shoot it into their eyeballs, take downers every night, typical user error type shit. Half the people on here are on the wrong site, they need to google “self control” and click on those sites.
Fantastic post with great info thank you kind stranger. Makes me hopeful that there is life after addy
Hi. adderall for 13 years. 30mg a day. I’m starting the process to quit! Any tips are highly appreciated! My history is a long story sooooooooo I feel dependent. Shit!
First of all, I applaud Lilah, however, she seems to be one of those rare individuals who handled the withdrawl fairly smoothly.
Yes, take a lot of L-tyrosine, at night preferably while on it and definitely after you get off of it. Amphetamines suck the dopamine right out of your neurotransmitters which will also affect your personality/mental state.
Second of all, even the Nike, “Just Do It”, thought is great, but doesn’t work when you are severely lacking any energy. I took a ton of supplements including Magnesium, Saffron, and got on prescription Buspar, to help me relax and regroup after the Adderall. I still miss it, even though I work out and eat healthy I feel more stupid and less practical/logical.
I am now getting Noopept, which helps with serotonin and dopamine, is a legal supplement, and crossing my fingers.
As far as the weight gain, not much has helped. I have heard that weight lifting might help more than aerobic activity to get that metabolism kicking again, but I did resort to Slimquik for energy and stimulation.
Do what you need to do, don’t be too hard on yourself. If you go back on the Adderall, realize there are more efficient ways to take it, and be realistic.
Best to everyone.
Also, I never abused the Adderall, I am highly sensitive to meds and never took more than 15mg a day.
I ate lots of protein and still had crashes and mood swings at night.
Everyone reacts differently, so no, you don’t have to be an addict to have negative symptoms. (to the judgmental posters)
I forgot to add that I have added Lithium Orotate to help with the mood swings from the dopamine. (I also suffer from a low-grade disthymia)
Adderall helped in so many ways, and I actually felt less negative and more easy-going until the crashes would set in.
I have spent 100s of hours researching other methods. Forums help but aren’t always the answer. Again, crossing my fingers that Noopept or another Nootropic might help. Good luck to everyone.
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