How many times a week can you use adderall responsibly?

[g_dan1]

Hello,
Background about me: Over the past year I somehow developed ADD-like symptoms which are interfering with my work and college. I am thinking it might be due to being overwhelmed with work and not getting enough sleep. Or maybe I actually do have ADD and it only showed up now. The symptoms I get a lot of times is inability to concentrate on task/work/lecture/homework, getting very frustrated because of that, unorganized thought and feeling like you can't put ur mind to work, lack of motivation, feeling frustrated in class to the point where its hard to sit still. Right now I'm just waiting for summer vacation and hoping that next year i can improve my concentration somehow.

For the last week I've been taking small doses of adderall and ritalin from a friend. I usually snort about 5mg adderall and 10 mg ritalin. Sometimes I take it orally or sublingually in slightly higher doses. I found those meds to be VERY helpful for me. It clears my head of the usual frustration I get and makes me feel better. It makes me feel very focused and sometimes almost euphoric from getting work done.

However, I do realize that I can't keep getting the same effects from it if I keep taking it regularly and soon it will stop working and make it EVEN harder to concentrate without it. I also don't want to live on that and be dependent.

The questions I have for you guys are:

1) How often can I take adderall or ritalin for studying without becoming dependent on it or getting a tolerance?
2) How fast will the tolerance develop? It would really suck if i will have to keep increasing my dose
3) Is there a way to prevent the development of tolerance? Maybe taking it once or twice or week, will that do it? I am also taking magnesium supplements cuz I heard they help with tolerance as well.
Thank you!

 

[Kittycat5]

You should first try to get adequate sleep and see if that helps. If not, see a doctor. But if you must, I do not think 5mg Adderall or 10mg Ritalin a couple times a week will build much tolerance as long as you arent chasing a high. Neither really cause physical dependence like opioids, but some get psychologically dependent. Keep your doses as is, try just swallowing them and see how you do. I doubt magnesium will hurt you, but think you could leave out.

 

[g_dan1]

Yep i can totally see how someone can become psychologically dependant on adderall to do any kind of work. Im not really chasing a high, but it does feel really good to have your brain work like a machine and get work done

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

I can assure you that the mental clarity will fade fast if you keep taking it regularly, at least at increasing doses. If you aren't getting it yet you will soon start to feel burned out and dull after the effects wear off, the longer I tried to stave off the burned out feeling with more amp the more melancholic I was the next few days. I've since got off amp completely and even though I have over 40 pills left I don't have any desire to take them recreationally, I only use them sparingly as a tool.

Also taking care of your body while it's working double time is absolutely critical for maintaining your health, sanity, and mental acuity. Keep hydrated and electrolytes up, be sure not to skip meals even if you have no desire to eat and are in the middle of some grand project. SLEEP!

I haven't tried preventing tolerance but Ive heard chelated magnesium can be a great supplement to take with amp to not only help with PNS & CNS related side effects but also to prevent deficiency of said mineral in your body.

 

[g_dan1]

Will the mental clarity go away even if i take it once a week or less?

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

Will the mental clarity go away even if i take it once a week or less?

eventually if you used it for a long period of time it probably would but that's all based on your body chemistry, health, extent of abuse, dose, etc. I would say once a week is still too much if you want to use it for a long time without diminishing returns.

Keep in mind it likely won't be a drop off in effects, as in one day you'll be working like a maniac on it then the next time it does absolutely nothing. It will be a gradual change so you might be able to use it frequently for six months still working just as hard but not notice the slight drop in effects. Just try to use as sparingly as possible until you get your focus back, good luck with what you are pursuing.