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Misc Anyone prescribed Adderall/Ritalin for depression/anxiety?

suessmayr

suessmayr

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Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
1,067
Location
Sydney, Australia
I'm just curious about this as an off-label use of these medicines. I have intense lethargy from my depression and have really bad anxiety and panic. And I have OCD.

I've read a few reports from people who have used uppers for any or all of these symptoms. Given that I've used so many anti-depressants with zero effect it seemed logical to find out whether my symptoms could be helped by something else.

(Oh and I should have affixed to that post a further question whether anyone here is prescribed uppers for weight loss; I don't think I'm obese but may be overweight, I'm about 6ft and weigh 90kg. It's impossible for me to lose weight because the Avanza which I take makes me hungry as shit. And I've gained like 20kg in the last few years.)
 
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Adderall helps me great for depression or lethargy, also for maintaining focus and being more active in conversation. I don't have a prescription, and if you consider using adderall just stick with a convenient dose that isn't too high and stay there. I experiment and go a certain number of days on and off and switch it around, but I also eat healthy and keep a schedule of when I use it, mainly for work, exercise and proper diet will help with some of the negative effects if you use a moderate dose. If you start taking large doses then you'll just end up more depressed than you were before and the next time you take adderall, even if it is an equal or greater dose, it won't have the same effect.. I've only taken ritalin a few times and honestly I didn't really notice much.

I don't recommend using adderall strictly for weight loss but it could help lose weight, just eat regularly, and healthy, I've noticed I have a tendency to skip meals while on adderall but recently I make sure to eat at certain times of the day if I feel hungry or not, try not to skip out on meals when you're on stim medication. You can eat more smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and still lose weight.exercise as well, preferably in the morning before you take the medication.
 
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Yeah...only I don't really have a source for anything like this; I would have to get a prescription. And I think in Australia that only psychiatrists can prescribe ADHD meds like Adderall and Ritalin. My psychiatrist has never even mentioned these meds to me in the past, maybe because I've abused benzos and opiates.

Does anyone know whether it is even legitimate to use uppers for depression/OCD/weight loss? Like, how common is it?
 
I was just discussing this a few minutes before I saw this OP.

I originally presented to my physician with severe anxiety. My anxiety was tremendously inhibiting my sleep and food habits. I tried several SSRIs but these brought upon more negative side effects than positive.

We considered to try Vyvanse with a coupled, low-dose benzodiazepine. I have stepped down to Adderall with Clonazepam to help curb some negative effects of the amphetamines.
 
Stimulants, except meth, seem to reduce my anxiety, especially Adderall, but no doctor would likely prescribe you that. I have a paradoxical reaction to just about every medication, so it's hard for doctors to prescribe meds to me.
 
depends on your anxiety
my anxiety is solely based on my heart rate, due to events which occurred a year ago from a meth binge
if my heart rate is high, i panic. so these drugs would fuck my shit right up

however if you got social anxiety, i reckon stims could possibly help, but then again totally depends on the person. you might as well try but keep some benzos at hand in case shit goes down.

before that meth binge i used e and dxm when i was depressed, they both helped me a lot but i didn't have anxiety/panic at the time so can't say if they would help that.

i hope my post is somewhat helpful? im pretty strung right now :e
 
If you're having "lethargy" you might want to get checked for narcolepsy. (That doesn't always mean that you randomly fall asleep.)

I have a very strong case of narcolepsy and drowsiness. I sleep for 14 hours every day, but I only need 8. I NEED a stimulant to be productive.
 
redsweater - if your anxiety relates mainly to heart rate, you should really try a beta-blocker like propranolol or pindolol. They didn't work for me because my anxiety relates more to sweat but they brought my heart rate down by at least 40 b.p.m.

Thanks everyone else for the replies. I can't, as someone suggested, 'fake' ADD to my shrink, because I've been seeing him for some time and he knows what my symptoms are. On the other hand, it may be that I am effectively the same as someone with ADD or narcolepsy - I sleep for way too long and am tired no matter how much sleep I get, I can't concentrate on anything (even things I should enjoy) and am constantly scattered and distractible.

I'm seeing my shrink in a few hours and will ask him whether he thinks I could benefit from a stimulant-type med. I'm worried he'll just laugh and think that I'm trying to score drugs but it seems like a reasonable question to me.
 
suessmayr said:
I sleep for way too long and am tired no matter how much sleep I get, I can't concentrate on anything (even things I should enjoy) and am constantly scattered and distractible.

I'm seeing my shrink in a few hours and will ask him whether he thinks I could benefit from a stimulant-type med. I'm worried he'll just laugh and think that I'm trying to score drugs but it seems like a reasonable question to me.
Click to expand...

You're at a disadvantage for sure. Although Narcolepsy induced ADD is undeniable.
 
Adderall has been a miraculous treatment for many of the comorbid symptoms associated with my Asperger's syndrome.
 
I dunno bout Adderall but, stimulant meds in general seem to have some anxiety inducing effects on some people, quite alot actually I think. Ritalin for one definetly makes me more anxious. Though adderall is also an anti depressant and a huge dopamine releaser so, it could make you relax too I presume. If you ask your doc for stimulants as an anti anxiety med he'll laugh at you for sure. If you really want to try it out. Just ask if you can get an ADD/ ADHD test because you have x and x symptoms. I think I have ADD could I try some stims, will NOT work. If you have an history of abuse, I bet it would be hard to get stims even if you have an ADD diagnosis. They would probably put you on strattera instead (which didn't do shit for me) (and even induces anxiety in some people). Anyhows for anxiety, stims would probably only be used as a last resort. You said anti depressants didn't really help, have you tried Wellbutrin? although it induces anxiety in some people, it relieves anxiety for a lot. I guess this would be much easier to get then stimulants. + Point is that it even improves mood in non depressed people. Altough it might induce insomnia, o well I guess you'll only know if you try it.

Good luck and I hoped it helped.
 
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Stimulant meds can cause more anxiety. If you kept doses low enough though it might not effect it much. I've never heard of ritalin or adderall being perscribed for depression so it's unlikely you'd get it for that ,however, for narcolepsy is a possibility but I rarely hear of people getting stims for that.

Adderall can help with lethargy and depression but i wouldn't rely on it for the rest of your life. It wouldn't hurt to bring it up to your psych though. Hope everything works out :)

edit: Renz, I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning because of tiredness. I usually wake up like around 8 am then fall back asleep, wake up, fall back asleep, ect until noon or so. Even if i get like 10 hours of sleep i feel exhausted for hours after I wake up. Could these be symptoms of narcolepsy?
 
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Thizz_Machine_138 said:
Desoxyn is prescribed to those who are extremely obese but 90kg isn't obese
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desoxyn CAN be but is damn near never RX'd for that, my doctor called a pharm when i asked for it and he was told pharmacies often cant get it or have trouble getting it...
 
LSDMDMA&9920661 said:
desoxyn CAN be but is damn near never RX'd for that, my doctor called a pharm when i asked for it and he was told pharmacies often cant get it or have trouble getting it...
Click to expand...

My pharmaceutical tech friend said it's VERY rare. I wish preludin was still around.
 
mrflowers00 said:
no respectable doctor will prescribe you amphetamines for depression and anxiety
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I agree but would probably change 'respectable doctor' to 'doctor who wishes to maintain his or her license' ;)

LSDMDMA&9920661 said:
desoxyn CAN be but is damn near never RX'd for that, my doctor called a pharm when i asked for it and he was told pharmacies often cant get it or have trouble getting it...
Click to expand...

As far as I know, if a drug is approved by the FDA for sale and is on the market, a pharmacy can order it so the tech could have been full of shit or intentionally trying to dissuade someone from trying to acquire it.
 
Dexedrine has helped me with energy and motivation and focus and all that. I doubt that it deals with the root of the issue but it can help with symptoms. But it can make anxiety more likely if that is something you are prone to.

It can't hurt to ask, although the response may or may not be based on any actual useful knowledge. I don't have much experience with adderall but I suspect that pure dextroamphetamine may be less likely to create anxiety. But it's still all amphetamines.
 
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