hi. im still kinda new here, but this seemed like the most appropriate place, as the BDD forum did not seem as comprehensive on topics like this. Here is my problem:
I have legitimate ADHD, and it is a fairly severe case. my doc put me on adderall ir, 15mg in the morning and another 10mg 4 hours later to get through the rest of the requirements of my day. adderall solves the problem of focus, etc, but causes a sever side effect which i need to avoid/negate at the cost of the medication. the side effect that most prominent, and which i need to either avoid/negate, is what i believe to be my level of testosterone. i have been taking the adderall for about 17 days now, as prescribed. over the course of those days, i have noticed a few symptoms of the decrease, and this is the only side effect i have seen which is possible. the symptoms are:
slight decrease in muscle mass, with no change in diet or exercise patterns
feeling more 'down' than before
dramatic decrease in sex drive/libido from strong to quite literally nonexistant (this is defined as total lack of desire for any kind of sexual interaction, including masturbation, as well as the complete lack of fantasizing, etc which was a regular occurrence, usually 7-10 times a day or more, before the medication)
virtually complete impotence (this is defined as literally a complete inability to achieve satisfactory erection through mental and/or physical stimulation)
very cold feeling in hands, feet, and other extremities. the farther from the center of my body, the more pronounced the chill is.
the fact that none of the above symptoms go away when the adderall is no longer active, and there is only a small recovery during a period of 2 days where i stopped taking the medication.
these are not something i or my partner wish to continue. it is also worth mentioning that i am at a fairly young age, and should have much better levels of testosterone, which definitely was the case before i started the adderall. i have a relatively high amount under normal circumstances. however, this medication is virtually a godsend in treating my symptoms of ADHD. what i need is a way to either counter the above side effects effectively without impotence medication, as this does not solve the desire problem, but still find a way to treat my symptoms. i am NOT willing to do hormone replacement therapy, which is the most common 'solution' for this, because of the potential side effects and because i do not need replacement, only a way to stop the dramatic reduction which the adderall is causing.
here are my overall questions:
if i stop the medication for 1-2 weeks, will my hormone levels return to normal?
because adderall is a mixture of 4 amphetamines, primarily d and i amphetamine, will other amphetamine medications (ie vyvanse, dexedrine, etc) likely have the same effect?
will methylphenidate (and related medications) have the same effect on treating my symptoms and/or the same side effects?
are there other options which have feasible potential? (for example, ayurvedic treatment, supplements, etc)
which of the above, if any, is most likely to solve my overall problem?
also worth mentioning: i will be taking the medication for another week to see if i 'adjust' to the side effects, as i have read may happen. during this time, i have started taking a large number of supplements to see if that helps in the remaining week i will take the medication, to see if the side effects go away/improve. the supplements are as follows:
Melatonin, 3mg
5-HTP, 50mg
GABA (gama-aminobutyric acid), 750mg
CoQ10, 30mg
Calcium (partially chelated), 500mg
Magnesium (partially chelated), 250mg
Zinc, 30mg
Copper, 300mcg
Vitamin C, 570mg
L-tyrosine, 100mg
Curcumin, 1g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 800mg EPA, 500mg DHA, 1600mg total ('other' omega 3s are 300mg)
Vitamin B6, 10mg
B-Complex
quite the cocktail, but hopefully it helps. also trying to eat better.
Any and all answers are appreciated, relating to anything i have mentioned, would prefer any input over no input if you arent sure, just say its from what you know, etc. articles would be helpful. i have spent many hours researching this, and have had little success with straight answers, so i thought id ask my own question.
yes i realize some of these are hard to answer, your best guess is good. everyone has different body chemistry and reacts to all drugs differently.
finally, thanks for all the help, and sorry for making you read so much. if anything is not clear, let me know, and i will do my best to clarify.
I have legitimate ADHD, and it is a fairly severe case. my doc put me on adderall ir, 15mg in the morning and another 10mg 4 hours later to get through the rest of the requirements of my day. adderall solves the problem of focus, etc, but causes a sever side effect which i need to avoid/negate at the cost of the medication. the side effect that most prominent, and which i need to either avoid/negate, is what i believe to be my level of testosterone. i have been taking the adderall for about 17 days now, as prescribed. over the course of those days, i have noticed a few symptoms of the decrease, and this is the only side effect i have seen which is possible. the symptoms are:
slight decrease in muscle mass, with no change in diet or exercise patterns
feeling more 'down' than before
dramatic decrease in sex drive/libido from strong to quite literally nonexistant (this is defined as total lack of desire for any kind of sexual interaction, including masturbation, as well as the complete lack of fantasizing, etc which was a regular occurrence, usually 7-10 times a day or more, before the medication)
virtually complete impotence (this is defined as literally a complete inability to achieve satisfactory erection through mental and/or physical stimulation)
very cold feeling in hands, feet, and other extremities. the farther from the center of my body, the more pronounced the chill is.
the fact that none of the above symptoms go away when the adderall is no longer active, and there is only a small recovery during a period of 2 days where i stopped taking the medication.
these are not something i or my partner wish to continue. it is also worth mentioning that i am at a fairly young age, and should have much better levels of testosterone, which definitely was the case before i started the adderall. i have a relatively high amount under normal circumstances. however, this medication is virtually a godsend in treating my symptoms of ADHD. what i need is a way to either counter the above side effects effectively without impotence medication, as this does not solve the desire problem, but still find a way to treat my symptoms. i am NOT willing to do hormone replacement therapy, which is the most common 'solution' for this, because of the potential side effects and because i do not need replacement, only a way to stop the dramatic reduction which the adderall is causing.
here are my overall questions:
if i stop the medication for 1-2 weeks, will my hormone levels return to normal?
because adderall is a mixture of 4 amphetamines, primarily d and i amphetamine, will other amphetamine medications (ie vyvanse, dexedrine, etc) likely have the same effect?
will methylphenidate (and related medications) have the same effect on treating my symptoms and/or the same side effects?
are there other options which have feasible potential? (for example, ayurvedic treatment, supplements, etc)
which of the above, if any, is most likely to solve my overall problem?
also worth mentioning: i will be taking the medication for another week to see if i 'adjust' to the side effects, as i have read may happen. during this time, i have started taking a large number of supplements to see if that helps in the remaining week i will take the medication, to see if the side effects go away/improve. the supplements are as follows:
Melatonin, 3mg
5-HTP, 50mg
GABA (gama-aminobutyric acid), 750mg
CoQ10, 30mg
Calcium (partially chelated), 500mg
Magnesium (partially chelated), 250mg
Zinc, 30mg
Copper, 300mcg
Vitamin C, 570mg
L-tyrosine, 100mg
Curcumin, 1g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 800mg EPA, 500mg DHA, 1600mg total ('other' omega 3s are 300mg)
Vitamin B6, 10mg
B-Complex
quite the cocktail, but hopefully it helps. also trying to eat better.
Any and all answers are appreciated, relating to anything i have mentioned, would prefer any input over no input if you arent sure, just say its from what you know, etc. articles would be helpful. i have spent many hours researching this, and have had little success with straight answers, so i thought id ask my own question.
yes i realize some of these are hard to answer, your best guess is good. everyone has different body chemistry and reacts to all drugs differently.
finally, thanks for all the help, and sorry for making you read so much. if anything is not clear, let me know, and i will do my best to clarify.
