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adderall use and recovery in stimulant addiction

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sam123

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Jun 23, 2010
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43
I am looking for any advice or information from anyone who has ever been through a similar situation. I am addicted to meth and cocaine and used to use both drugs intravenously every day. With the help of my family and an intervention i have quit using and am 124 days clean from all drugs except for marijuana. However, i recently started taking adderall with a prescription usually 40mg a day, a pretty low dose. Many people might say that that is a stupid move based on my addiction but the decision to start taking the prescription was discussed with my primary physician and an addiction specialist who led an intervention on me. They have both said it makes sense and could help. The addiction specialist agreeing with my claim that i felt the adderal metaphorically served a similar role as methadone for a recovering heroin addict.

sicne i have been taking the adderall for about 3 weeks i have not had worse craving nor considered using and i am still making active steps in my recovery. I feel as if the adderall helps significantly in daily life i become able to handle tasks without finding them enormous burdens or hardships. This naturally conforms beliefs that my stimulant addiciton was partially an issue of self medicating. To be honest i find that the adderall provides much aid in allowing me to be a functional individual.

of course i am worried about the link between adderal and stimulants and what problems could possibly arrise but the benefits seem fantastics and cravings have in no way gotten more sever they have in fact become significantly less sever.

Has anyone experienced this situation first hand? i am looking for advice or stories of how the use of adderall or other add/adhd medication has worked in the recovery of other meth/cociane addicts/
 
I have seen several threads about this topic, search through some of the older threads and I'm sure you'll find plenty. If the thought of abusing the adderall becomes a concern, consider switching to vyvanse, it's designed to lower the risk of abuse.
 
Personally I'd prefer to abuse vyvanse over adderall. Lasts 10x longer and doesn't make you feel like ass afterward. with that said I'd say if what you are doing now ain't broke why try to fix it?
 
I'm using dextro-amphetamines (generic) to help me quit meth and avoid the worst of the withdrawals. Unfortunately every doctor I've seen has refused to prescribe them to me, so I'm having to source them elsewhere. But they seem to be working well... I don't abuse them or try to get high from them. I just take the minimum dose needed to get by. I'm pretty sure I have major dopamine depletion from my meth addiction, so having dex-amphetamines in my system is a big help.
 
I would be worried about trading out one addiction for another since Adderall has similar effects to meth but that's just me. Your doctors obviously know more than I do since they're reviewed your case so I would trust their word. Maybe get a second opinion though just to be extra positive? It's better to be safe than sorry though, that's for sure.

Also, I too would recommend Vyvanse over Adderall as it isn't quite as "stimulant-like," it lasts much longer, it's more effective in my opinion, and there is absolutely no come-down like there is with Adderall. Definitely mention it to your doctor and give this a shot; its' so much better.
 
DCats said:
Personally I'd prefer to abuse vyvanse over adderall. Lasts 10x longer and doesn't make you feel like ass afterward. with that said I'd say if what you are doing now ain't broke why try to fix it?
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Do you mean if it was not a pro drug, or increasing your dose?
 
User Name Here said:
I would be worried about trading out one addiction for another since Adderall has similar effects to meth but that's just me. Your doctors obviously know more than I do since they're reviewed your case so I would trust their word. Maybe get a second opinion though just to be extra positive? It's better to be safe than sorry though, that's for sure.

Also, I too would recommend Vyvanse over Adderall as it isn't quite as "stimulant-like," it lasts much longer, it's more effective in my opinion, and there is absolutely no come-down like there is with Adderall. Definitely mention it to your doctor and give this a shot; its' so much better.
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Your recovery seems to have been going very well UserNameHere. It's been two years if I read it correctly in another thread. I'm curious how vyvanse has improved the quality of life for you, my Dr is considering this med for me.
 
depends on the individual, if you can use adderall or vyvanse as prescribed I think it would work great in theory, I've never abused meth or injected coke but I sure did abuse the hell out of dexedrine. I don't have a script to it anymore but I can moderate it fairly easily these days when I get some, if you can get a script and moderate your use it could be a wonderful tool on the path back to a more structured/healthy life. I think you should at least be able to try.
 
In Australia there is a programme where meth addicts are given Dexamphetamine-picked up daily AKA methadone-heroin addiction.

In New Zealand a psych has started a Methylphenidate replacement scheme for mth addicts. I guess its 12 hour acting Concerta and picked up daily.
 
unless you taper really slow (which also would probably lead to things seeming more of a burden than than really are, just not to the same extent as CT w/d) dopamine depletion will always be a problem once you come off the adderall since it's doing the same thing in the brain as meth and downregulating dopamine (not to the same extent)

if you're fine being on it for life, cool and good luck. if not, it'd still probably be useful to use this as a stepping stone down from meth

my dopamine isn't depleted from stims but it's the same deal with opies/benzos, muscles just want to lay in bed all day and small tasks are huge chores. i think dealing with this first takes some re-upregulation and then takes forcing "motivated behavior" a little at a time, small amount each day at first
 
Well, in theory this is a good practice, but all forms of amphetamine produce a euphoria when taken in recreational doses. However, I was an IV meth addict and that lifestyle is incredibly dangerous. If you are smoking or shooting meth, I would reccomend replacement therapy with Vyvanse. Vyvanse clinics could be enormously helpful to the addict, keeping them out of withdrawal, allowing a continued stimulation of reward pathways, while breaking the destructive and compulsive cycle of smoking/shooting/snorting. Plus, Vyvanse is a prodrug and can not be administered anyway but orally. It would work exactly as methadone or Suboxone works for opiate addicts. Dexedrine or Adderall are just to easily tampered with and abused.
 
mannn stay away from that, it might not trigger you now...but it might cause a trigger sooner or later.

if your trying to help the withdrawls from stimulates, look into gabatron/gabapentin..infact i think anything GABA, i dont know much about it but it works in the brains nervouse system or something...i just know for a fact it helps because my mom had it prescribed to her for her cocain addiction. ive tooken them to and its like an upper and a downer...you get that muscle/skeletal relaxation from them downers and your mind is still very focused. you still feel that "i can do this no problemb" feeling.
 
davids said:
In New Zealand a psych has started a Methylphenidate replacement scheme for mth addicts. I guess its 12 hour acting Concerta and picked up daily.
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Are you a kiwi? I was given a pamphlet about that methylphenidate replacement trial at the Auckland methadone clinic. Send me a PM if you like. :)
 
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