I've fallen in love with a drug.

The oddest thing about this statement is that it is a drug that is classified as such atypically to the notions of this board.
After reading a few threads concerning ADD (Atention Deficit Disorder), and knowing I suffer from this neurophysiological condition, I decided to do some research on treatments and ways of dealing with it. A few days later I paid a visit to a doctor and specifically asked him to prescribe me Adderal, I even went so far as to recomend a dosage to prescribe. After receiving my prescription I headed to the pharmacy to fill it with mixed emotions because of the side-effects I've read in my research, and the sociological dogma associated with taking such medication. Well I can say I have no more such stipulations. I absolutely love it!!! The difference is more than anything that can be communicated with words. I had absolutely no Idea this is how the rest of the world sees and interpretes things, this is absolutely amazing. Some of the most prominent and amusing differences are:
1. The music in my head is gone!! (you may find this odd, but I had music playing in my head 24 x 7. Whether it be techno, classical, blues, etc. it all depended on my mood) I'm not sure if I miss it yet or not, but I guess I assumed that everyone had music playing constantly.
2. I am absolutely fascinated by everything!! I was always unable to do anything that bored me. Homework for example, if I wasn't intrigued by what I was studying there was absolutely no hope for understanding it. Things would just not make sense if I wasn't interested. Now I cannot put books down, I can concentrate and devote my attention towards anything I desire and be interested in it!!
3. I can hold a conversation!! I used to have so many different thoughts floating through my head (mostly physics, neurophysiology, neurophilosophy, etc.) that it was hard for people to understand what I was trying to say because it was such a concatination of different ideas. Now I can only think of one thing at a time, but all my attention is devoted to that specific subject (and I can change it at will).
5. I can remember things!! I don't have examples for this, just noticed the most immense difference in cognition and memory.
The list of differences is intoxicating, I cannot even begin to describe the differences. I feel like I'm finally seeing the world around me as others have always seen it. It's both exhilarating and scary at the same time, I just can't believe this is how people comprehend everything!
The thing that is most profound is that I can't understand how everyone can not either read or talk constantly. I have always loved learning more than anything else, but often found myself bored with conversations with people or board with a topic of research. If you people can direct your attention towards anything you want, then how in the world can you not absorb anything and everything possible?? I've gone through 4 books in a day and a half, and been enthralled in each one.
I just had to share this. If you guys have always had control over what gets your attention, and have always been able to devote time and effort towards something you didn't want to do, then I am immensly jealous of your lives. This is one of the best things that ever happened to me!
vigorously studying,
Doug

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"life is merely an illusion, albeit a persistant one" - Albert Einstein

Hey Pyrgon, could you give me a head's up on ADD? I know roughly what it is, but could you tell me details about it? is it something that is there 24-7, or does it come and go? If so, is it situational? Dependent on diet or whatever? I'm curious, 'cause I've wondered often if I have it myself...

it made all the difference in the world for me too. i was on a ritalin for a while but all it did was give me a headache. adderall is seriously like a wonder drug. im glad it helped you too!

what happened to step #4?
plur
rapture

WOW!
Thanks for the report... now I have some studying/soulsearching to do.
I was diagnosed with ADD an Hyperactivity as a child... now ther just call it ADHD caus it happens often together apparently. I was on ritilan from 6-7 and it was a horrible experience. I became a lifless moron and had scary anxiety and hallucinations.. not fun for a 6 year old. Had night terrors too... it was bad stuff. Had problems in school with my inability to focus or even keep organized. Wonce I got to college I had managed to gain somewhat better control over my symptoms.. except my orginization and some memory/cognition (but that may be attributable to fairly frequent marijuana usage).
Over the past couple years, I have gotten slightly worse again and have begun to change my perception of I can do this myself, as it seems I can't. If Adderal is all you purport it to be it may be worth a shot, I would love those kind of differences in my life.
Now I must do my studying to see how all of its aspects. Like side affects, drug interactions (mainly E and weed, I don't want to lose the ability to party un-sober ever once in a while).
Can yo point me to some of the places you did research? I thank you for such a detailed 'trip report'. If this is all it makes out to be it coule be a major benefit to me.
Thanks..
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With a small change in spacing,
Being One = Being On E

Haha... "I can remember things!" Except benefit #4.
Serious, I'm glad the prescription is helping ya.
~*~ Ashke ~*~

Hee, I basically did the same thing when I started taking Adderall. Was all 'DAMN, this is what I've been MISSING all this time???'
And then I promptly outgrew my dosage and haven't gone back for a month to get it refilled.
But that's beside the point.
Anyhow, I... hate to say it but modern medicine scored one bigtime there. I used to joke about ADD all the time and whatever, but then I'm diagnosed with it and prescribed this drug and suddenly, out of nowhere, I can do HOMEWORK. I was baffled. Cuz I totally noticed what you said about everything being interesting finally. I seriously could NOT comprehend how people could sit and read for hours and hours on end (no matter how much I loved reading, I hated doing it - if that makes any sense). And now? Whew.
Now I just need to get my prescription refilled. Starting to forget stuff left and right again. Bleah.
Loupy

Is this medicine something you're dependent on, or will you be able taper off the dosage?

i second the request for more info! i too believe that i suffer from add/adhd. i have never went for a formal diagnosis, but i seem to have all the classic symptoms. my mother (who works with young children with moderate to severe disabilities) has even pointed out that she believes i have this problem.
over the last few years it has gotten progressively worse to the point that i feel like i'm living in a constant fog - my mind is always racing, but i'm getting nowhere. any help/reccomendations/etc. would be wonderful. i think that i really need to do something about this soon, but i'm not sure where to start. did you just go to a regular doctor, or a specialist? thanks in advance for your help.
*love and hugs*
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~our imagination flies; we are its shadow on the earth~
*vladimir nabokov*

Wow....this is going to be a lengthy reply. I am going to warn you about my passion for nuerophisiology, neurophilosophy, and cognative sciences. I am planning on achieving my doctarate in one of these fields and although my studies haven't quite given me the insight to this particlular situation (ADD, the inhibatory neurotransmitter dopamine, and neurophisiological conditions associated with ADD) I am afraid the explainations might come out a bit confusing. I don't like coming across as "professing my own intelligence" but I'm afraid some of the conditions cannot be described articulately with layman's terms.
That being said.
ADD is a neurophysiological condition characterized by certain behaviors. There are many types of ADD that deal with different aspects of concentration, the most common deal with attention and social skills, My condition is strictly attention. ADD is a constant state (I don't think there is an explanation of the cause, yet) that cannot be controled. It is known that dopamine levels, which is commonly associated with the control of motor skills and the degenerative Parkinsons disease, is a factor which contribute to ADD. Adderal is a type of amphetamine used to treat symptoms of ADD (while I wish I knew more information specific to Adderal, I can associate what I know about the brain to explain things a bit). Adderal is a regulatory drug much like paxil regulates the level of seretonin for depressed people. What it does is bind itself to some of the dendrites in the brain so that some of the neuroreceptors are used up so there becomes an increased and more constant resevoir of dopamine. Now as I have stated earlier, dopamine is an inhibatory nuerotransmitter meaning that instead of activating a certain response it suppresses one that is automatic and not conciously controlled. That is why people suffering from parkinsons disease shake uncontrolably, they have no way of inhibiting their muscles from involuntary movement. You may be wondering how this is relative to ADD, well....I'm speculating that it does basically the same thing. It inhibits the amount of neuropathways allowed to be fired at one given moment. When the levels of dopamine specific to mental thought have been regulated, that person then experiences less confusion and annoyance in the world around them that have been caused by their specific inability to filter out and focus their attention on one stimuli accordingly.
The information above is purely my speculation of why ADD occurs and why Adderal works. I came to this conclusion by relating things I know about neurotransmitters and how the brain works. I am by no means implying that this is fact, it just seems logical to me. If someone would like to correct this or shed more light on the subject I would be very grateful for the knowledge imparted!!!
As far as ways of telling you have ADD. One of the biggest things I've noticed is the almost absolute inability to accomplish a task you have no desire to do, even if it's something you would verymuch like to get done. Also merely the thought of doing these tedious tasks creates drowsiness in the subject. This is most likely caused by the increased production of melatonin (the chemical that causes drowsiness) in the body as a result of depression or feelings of being overwhelmed. Without proper amounts of dopamine in the brain there is no way for the axons to control the amount they give off, and there is no way for the dendrites to block the reception of this chemical. Other characteristics of ADD in regards to attention are, LACK OF ABILITY TO FOCUS, being bored constantly, unintrest in social engagements, hard to carry-on a conversation, wandering thoughts, hard time coping with authority, unexplained and unitentional outburst of behavior, etc etc. While the other types of ADD have subtely different characteristics they all share an inability to gain control. Chances are if you think you have ADD you probably do, and although it is harder to diagnose in adults (as they have learned to cope with it or mask it to an extent) your doctor can readily test you for it.
Lastly the reason I had not been put on medication as a child is because I was unable to accept the risks the side-effects of these drugs have. Most of these side-effects deal with development, they range from the inhibited development of the brain to the suppression of growth hormones (which by the way is not so much a means of the endocrine system to control muscular development. It is more akin to the fictional youth serum and regulates the production of new cellular growth****this was for deep**** ). So while I chose not to be administered this medication in youth I find now that I feel I have reached both physical and mental maturity the severity of the side-effects are much smaller and thus I am much more inclined to deal with them in exchange for the immeasurable good this drug can do me. I don't know all the facts on ritalin so I cannot ascertain that it's harmful, but of what I know of this drug I would not allow my self to be administered it.
Well that's pretty much it, If you want further information about it I would recomend studying a bit of neurophilosophy. If you have any specific answers I would be more than happy to attempt to answer them, also deep seems to be quite knowledgable about the processes of the Central nervous System and I'm sure he would be able to answer the questions that I cannot.
PS I was originally going to change the numbering error of my original post but I enjoy the fabulous reality that I have unknowningly created

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<br>
"life is merely an illusion, albeit a persistant one" - Albert Einstein

Sorry....but this is a reply for the questions I neglected to answer.
Undocumented: The interactions of Adderal specific to weed and E can be surmised as follows. Weed is a mild halucinagen (sp?) and the active chemicals in THC trigger firing of neurons in and around the visual cortex. It impairs proper transmition among neural pathways and can thus distort reality. I see no reason as to why these two drugs should interact because Weed in no way affects the regulation of the neuro transmitter dopamine. Also it plays no role (that I'm aware of) in the chemical receptors of the dendrites, therefore these two drugs deal with totally different aspects of the brain and its functioning. The only noticable difference would be addition of amphetamines to your bud smoking (ie you would probably have a bit more energy)
E and Adderal on the other hand are quite similiar in their constructed duties. They both regulate the availability and supply of neurotransmitters, however they deal with different types of neurotransmitters. Think of it this way, you know those boxes that children play with that have holes cut out in specific patterns on one side (a star, moon, square, circle) and the child learns that only certain blocks of corresponding shape can fit through those holes. This is much like the dendrites in the brain, they have a large number of recepticles on them, but only certain neurotransmitters can chemically bind to these receptors. That is why I am quite sure these two drugs should not interact hostily. Adderal and E simply fill most of the receptors (for a period of time) so that not as much of the neurotransmitter can be recieved, thus creating a chemical damn and increasing the level of these wonderful chemicals in your brain.
So to answer your question, no, they should not interact.
Cool_Beans This drug is not physiologically addictive, but could be psychologically addictive. It is possible for you to like the effects of it so much that you irrationally crave usage (much like E) but if you were to stop usage you would suffer no physical withdrawl symptoms.
Eternalsunrise once I determined I wished to be prescribed this drug I simply picked out a doctor, went to see him, explained my situation (I was diagnosed as a child) and since my research is usually quite extensive I was able to suggest a specific drug and dosage for myself (which he readily agreed to). If you do not know for sure that you are ADD and have not researched this thoroughly I don't recommend this approach. Instead just visit your doctor, state your concerns and your symptoms and ask for an opinion, tell him you have heard good things about adderal and you think it might be right for you. But also listen to what he has to say and especially listen to anything he cautions. Confidence is a charismatic quality, but there is a fine line between confidence in your decision and arrogance.
I apologize for my lengthy replies, but the ability to elaborate the thoughts in my head are quite new to me, thus I have not had enough experience in making them concise and articulate. Please bear with me on this accord
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"life is merely an illusion, albeit a persistant one" - Albert Einstein
[This message has been edited by pyrgon (edited 24 March 2000).]

Pyrgon,
I am wondering if you have ever come across evidence to suggest a corollary between E usage and ADD in adults ?

no correlation between E usage and ADD.
Psychostimulants have a paradoxical effects in those afflicted with ADHD and lead to among other things right hemispheric inhibition. Right hemisphere overactivity relative to the left is thought to be one hallmark of negative depressed states, and the inability to be attentive can be characteristic to both clinical depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. So if the damage incurred by E creates the onset of clinical depression - still unknown at this point - then it could generate ADHD like symptoms.

Thanks for your post pyrgon. Kinda a combination of the discussion I had with my doctor, my own thoughts on the matter, and your thoughts based on information I didn't know. Which all came together to be quite enlightening. And considering I couldn't read the entire message in one sitting (combined with the fact that I had a near breakdown last night), I really think it's time to re-up on my prescription.
I dunno, Adderall's done me a world of good, and I don't know why I didn't get a refill before. But now's actually a time when I really need it and I went and ran out. Bleah. Probably my subconscious resistance to 'medicating' myself daily. Y'know, cuz it implies that I have something wrong with me. Heh. Which I do. Stupid hangups.
Like I said, it's done me a world of good. Which is why (besides a certain other person) I say I'll never do any speed/glass/crystal/whatever. I don't ever want to be put in a position where I might be abusing the one thing that's helping me. That confuses some people at first when they find out my cheap prescription speed isn't going up my nose. Or at least helping me study at night.
But blah, I ramble. (Heh, inability to stay on topic in a conversation - classic symptom.)
Loupy

pyrgon, I am freeking out here! You desription of someone with ADD is exactly me. I never knew what ADD was, i never thought I even had a problem.
I want to go to a doctor ASAP. What kind of doctor do I go to? Ive never been diagnosed with anything. I have health insurance from my company so thats no problem. Where do I start?
thanx alot... im so excited!
jay

Just when you think you know it all ..
Iv'e just wanted to say Thanks !! no i don't suffer from it - and never ran into someone who came - I just like poeple who take thing seriously and do the research i wish i could do that all the time
Going on bluelight you read a lot of posts - some of them you will just remmember cause you learned something new - and thats what it's all about - i promise to try and research the subject on the weekend .. i know a few med people too and if there is anything i can add i will be happy to post
P.L.U.R.R
"And they say drugs are bad for the brain .., well i think they haven't met BL'rs yet "

I'm on medication myself, but for a different condition: "depression." I use quotation marks because I'm not sure that what I have is really depression or just regular angst.
We've become a society that's quick to prescribe a hundred chemicals simply for pacing too much, or being outspoken, or whatever. That's not to belittle your condition or deny it's existence at all--these problems do exist.
Still, ever since I read an article about doping the American populace into submission, I can't help but think that the drug I'm on somehow limits my potential. I'd get off it, were I sure that I wouldn't go off the deep end. Prescription drugs help a lot of people, but to some they can be a trap.
Once again, no offense meant by any of this.

Just been investigating this a bit and found a very good UK website:
http://www.adders.org/
Every sympton they listed for the Adults applies to me. It explains so much about my schooling, my career & the trouble I have with relating to people.
I think I'm going to have to take a trip to the Doctors.
Jase.

I fell in love with Adderol 2 years ago January. But I fell in love with it through the eyes of my youngest son. For years, he battled with bizarre symptoms that I simply couldn't understand. Once diagnosed with ADHD by pediatrician, neurologist, and therapist, Adderal was suggested. I cried at the thought of him spending a lifetime on any type of drug. He was only 4.
One day, I watched him run in circles in the middle of the livingroom beating himself in the head with his fists, screaming - for no reason. I know now that he simply couldn't shut out the sound and thoughts that were bombarding him all at once. He was/is extremely bright, but with a total lack of desire and concentration. He was overwhelmed and burnt at 4. I finally agreed to the meds.
The change has been remarkable. He can actually sit through a 2 hour movie. He can hug and love without hurting and being rough. He can create and not detroy. He has discovered that he loves music AND loves to be able to turn it OFF. He treasures quiet time and rowdy time. He is my buddy and I can finally see the real him. He is my light and my life, can you tell?
There are some side effects. When his meds are adjusted, his sleep patterns are negatively affected. He may only need 4-5 hours. Also, his appetite is very small. Because of this, he will never be very big in size....He's a peanut. In a sense, I traded his size for our sanity. I wouldn't change a thing.
I once cried because I didn't want him on meds.....Today, I can honestly say that I would go without food for myself if it meant that he would have meds. God bless the people that make those blue pills.
FYI, there ARE links to heredity. My son's dad has ADD and I have PTSD. Per the neurologist - Bad combo... Also, while it is more prevalent in males, girls can have it too. Sometimes children "outgrow" some symptoms. My son will probably battle his whole life. He has a severe case. But without Adderal he wouldn't be able to attend a regular school or even function. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Just a mom sharing...
Caress

Thnks for the great info... I will soon be seing my doctor and finding out if this is for me. The next may be for my step-son... he exhibits symptoms just like Caress' son and like I was when I was little, and I don't want him to have as hard a time with it as I did.
Expect more reports from me in the coming weeks.
Pyrgon... how long does this drug take to take effect.. I know SSRI's like prozac take 1-3 weeks to build up to 'noticable' levels in inhibiting the Seretonin reuptake... let me know what happens as time progresses.
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With a small change in spacing,
Being One = Being On E