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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Dexedrine withdrawal - is this normal?

RobotRipping

RobotRipping

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
4,002
Location
NS, Canada
Been taking dexedrine for 3 months or so, few weeks of methylphenidate before that and i decided to try quitting because the negatives are outweighing the positives and i end up binging too much. Doses were 40-60mg/day for 3 months, with the occasional binge going 80-100mg/day.

I did a binge 3 days ago (probably 120-140mg over a day and a half) then stopped completely and since then i have absolutely 0 energy, can't stop eating and feel like shooting myself constantly. I know most people don't think there are significant physical withdrawals from amphetamines but i can't fucking stay awake more than 6-8 hours a day, and those hours are spent so drowsy and miserable i may as well be dead.

It's nothing like an opiate/benzo withdrawal but i find it equally as soul destroying because i feel like i am nothing without stimulants. I have ADD and am scripted stims so i'll try to go back to methylphenidate to see if it'll work better for me but as of now, i do not want to take dexedrine anymore as it really fucks with my emotions/mental state.

TL;DR: How much misery do i have left, few days, weeks? anyone else get such terrible hopeless depression after quitting amphetamines? I really wasn't expecting the fatigue to be so bad, honestly sleeping 18 hours a day and i've lost all interest in absolutely everything, i just want to sleep and never wake up. I've never had such bad depression either. I don't know if i can handle another day of this shit and will just end up going back to dexedrine but if i'm almost over the terrible fatigue/depression i can stick it out. Thanks for any advice.
 
That's almost exactly what I go through with dex WDs after bingeing as well. At least for the immediate term. I've never used stims for more than maybe 6-7 days in a row and take 3-6 weeks off before hitting them again. I usually spend the first two days off asleep. And when I eventually wake up, I feast. Physical tiredness, depression, lack of motivation all are noticeable for anywhere between 1-2 weeks off before starting to feel close to normal again.

I can't speak to the severity or duration of your WDs since my experience has only been with using them for only a few days in a row. I hate to say it but you're probably looking at a longer, more severe stint than what I've described because of daily use over a longer period of time :(

FWIW, here are some things that help ease my WDs (you probably already know all these):

  • Amino acid DA precursor supplements (L-tyrosine, phenylalanine)
  • Vitamins - especially B6, B12, C
  • Sleep
  • Caffeine (if you need to fight off the fatigue to actually do something)
  • 5-HTP (serotonin precursor for easing depression)

I have yet find anything to address the anhedonia and complete absence of motivation unfortunately. For me, that's what sucks the most.

If it's absolutely horrible and/or you don't feel like it's getting any better and it's fucking with life in a big way, you might want to talk to your doctor about going on an anti-depressant for a little while (if you're not already on one). Since going on Wellbutrin, my comedowns and WDs are much less severe. If not already on an AD, I would recommend Wellbutrin since A) it's a mild stimulant/DA & NE reruptake inhibitor so it is to dex what methadone is to heroin (that's probably a crappy analogy, but you get it); and, 2) therapeutic benefits can be felt sometimes after only a few days, instead of weeks for SSRIs.

I hope find some relief soon :(

Please take care & keep in touch if you can!
 
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RobotRipping said:
TL;DR: How much misery do i have left, few days, weeks? anyone else get such terrible hopeless depression after quitting amphetamines? I really wasn't expecting the fatigue to be so bad, honestly sleeping 18 hours a day and i've lost all interest in absolutely everything, i just want to sleep and never wake up. I've never had such bad depression either. I don't know if i can handle another day of this shit and will just end up going back to dexedrine but if i'm almost over the terrible fatigue/depression i can stick it out. Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

Yea it's going to be uncomfortable.

If you have your health (which I assume you do because you've been taking amphetamines), force yourself to exercise a couple times a day.

Don't stress about feeling depressed, that is natural when coming off of amps.

How are you managing 18 hours a day to sleep? Even if you don't have daily responsibilities, you are going to have to force yourself to get up (alarm clock) and try to schedule no more than 8-9 hours a night for sleep.

If this was a script that ran out early following a binge, you may want to consider your options regarding whether or not you want to continue use.

After a week or so of hard work you should be feeling significantly better.
 
i actually have a ton left but have felt that things are getting out of control lately and won't see my psych for at least a few more weeks. I am scripted 80mg/day (usually only take 40-60 so have lots left over) which is enough to have me spun for life but it puts me on an emotional roller coaster and actually makes me pretty tired in the first place. Usually i get super sleepy when it kicks in and wears off, i never crash from it though. Not like a real stim crash anyway, i just get tired and go to sleep.

i have few responsibilities ATM, basically i feed my cats, do some housework, visit family and sleep the rest of the time. Today is an improvement over yesterday where i was asleep a full 18 hours. Hopefully this doesn't last much longer, the lack of motivation and ability to function is severely irritating and i've been through my fair share of benzo/opiate withdrawals. Usually i sleep 8-9 hours a day and function normally, it's just been the last 3 days that have been completely messed up.

thx for the advice red_bandit: i've been on all sorts of ADs including welbutrin, compared to d-amp though, it wouldn't have any effect on me. I'm not actually clinically depressed, i was thrown on welbutrin for anxiety at one point and it just didn't really do anything. AD withdrawals and dependence are just as bad IMO as opiate/benzo dependence. I seriously almost killed myself coming off SSRIs/SNRIs (which were scripted for anxiety in the first place by fucked up drs). 5-htp also causes me issues of all sorts as well. In general my serotonin levels don't like to be played with for whatever reason.

caffeine helps a bit but it makes me tired as well, so does ephedrine. Dexedrine also makes me tired. MPH seems to work well for my ADD and doesn't tire me out, other than that i can go on adderall instead. It's going to be impossible to completely quit stims when i have a Dr throwing them at me and notice significant improvements while on them, dexedrine just isn't for me though.

I was browsing all over BL and the interweb and couldn't find much info about stimulant withdrawal other than people wanting to shoot themselves due to the depression and fatigue; it's a much different beast than opiate and benzo withdrawal where i know exactly what is happening and why. I'll likely be put on another stim anyway but just did not expect this kind of nasty crash from a smooth stimulant but i guess i know better now. Things seem to be getting better, though the old cravings are starting to hit as well. My moods are all over the place too but i'll just hold out and see if things stabilize, worst comes to worst, ill just go back to 40mg/day of dexedrine until i can get put on something else.
 
I don't use my methylphenidate everyday so I always run out like five days after I have it filled....I am on a very low dose too. And I don't do it to get smash. Rather my mind can calibrate on something.....I lived with this guy who was scripted dex and we would go thru it in like a week. I never really felt withdrawals after the 3rd day I was good again. Those where my pot smoking days to I could get by. Other then that man, You were doing this for three months so yes I believe you have your feet to the fire. If you can try not to abuse. No matter what stim you have.....I know that sounds twisted because I myself do it. I'm just saying this for your benefit. Thats all. It's almost like we do fine on our meds until we google to see if it is possible to abuse, and if it is then we become addicted to it if ya know what I mean.
 
I hate to say this, but I think some of it might be in your head. I have quit amphetamines (a much larger habit than yours) multiple times and it didn't seem to be THAT bad. The brain is a very powerful tool and if you tell yourself positive things and relax it might not be as bad.

However, all of the information given so far is spot on, congratulations on kicking the habit you have made tremendous progress so far. Good luck my friend.
 
well it may very well be in my head but since my head is connected to my body that is the main issue :)

i know most people don't find it to be that bad, i don't get why it hit me like a train. Anyway, i seriously could not take another day of this shit, so i went back to taking 40mg/day and like magic, i was cured as soon as the first 20mg hit me for the day. Fuck. Overall it wasn't as bad as a benzo withdrawal or opiate withdrawal, but still i can quit opies/benzos, i just could not quit dex, at least not right now. I was also under a lot of stress lately, can't find a job, out of school for the summer, my dad having financial issues and relationship issues, so looking back it was probably a combination of factors.

It's weird because i am no stranger to stimulants, i have binged and binged on them in the past without any withdrawal or issues (other than sleep dep). But now that i take them for ADD, i absolutely cannot function without them, i feel like a blob and can't think properly at all, thoughts get all scattered, can't play guitar well, can't clean, can't focus/concentrate, can't do shit really.

I have to just stop chasing the high and stay at the same dose, though i'm scripted 80mg, 40mg is enough for me. 80mg just gets me too spun and i end up staying up all night. Of course I'm not going to tell my Dr that. I feel like a bitch for giving in and going back to d-amp, i've had insane will power to cold turkey opiates/benzos numerous times but d-amp has me in a choke hold because of how much it actually improves my life, even if i am deluded about its efficacy, i still feel better as a whole.

thx for your thoughts everyone, i feel like i should have just stuck it out but then again i also feel way better on 40mg/day than on nothing at all, so if it's between 40mg and no binging/abuse and nothing, i'll take the 40mg.
 
Shit will stabilize, man. Give it a few weeks, and you will be in a much more comfortable place. I've been through it, I know how it is. I was on for years though, and it took me a few months. We're all different, so tacking on time frames is difficult, but take solace in the fact that if you can see a difference from one day to the next, the end is not far off.
 
its funny, speed has the advantage of not being physically addicting, but at times i prefer to go thru physical withdrawl then the horrible mental WD and symptoms that feel physical
 
I had to abuse to the point where even 100mg wouldnt do anything but make me really anxious and tweaked then I knew I had to throw in the towel. Roughest 3 months of my life.

The withdrawal will pass, just hold on :)
 
I'd say give it a week. Alternatively, you could try selegiline. Its an MAOI, which will counteract the dexedrine withdrawal symptoms.

opiatekrzy said:
yep. it gets to the point where all you experience is a crash and no euphoria, yet us addicts still tend to push the envelope...
Click to expand...
Have you tried taking a long break then coming back to it? I've been on dexedrine for 3 years, and if I take 40mg, I get the same effects that I've always gotten from it.
 
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yea, i took 7 year break, i used to be able to handle doses of 120mg of addys at once, along with being RXed Dexedrine 15mg spansules..i can say i still enjoy amphetamines years later, but now i get off at much lower doses. 60-90mg is my max first dose . however after so much abuse years ago, im only high for 3-5 hours, verse 12+ hours of intense euphoria when i first started it..even 30mg gets me good for a few hours..i been taking breaks now that i started up after 7 years later, usually 2 times a month..i treat it like MDMA
 
Dexedrine is so damn 'moreish' for people like myself that 'chase the living daylights out of the dragon' as soon as we get our scripts filled, it feels like there isn't a single ADD drug that actually works that cant be plugged, railed, intravaneously, etc. It's retarded that I'm on probley the best abusable ADD med and I both love/hate the shit. Anyways, I've been taking high doses, never more than 100mg a day, everyday. I'm prescribed 30mg ER in the morning and 30MG at noon but I'm afraid to workout and run so I tried going down to 15MG and 15MG and that lasted 1 day. The next day (today) I was plugging, railing, whatever. Still outrunning the crash. Should I just cold turkey off this stuff and be free of it? What other non-abusable options (non-amphetamine) are there for someone whose both a serious addict trying to get sober but has gnarly ADD and abuses any drug in their posession if it can be done? Should I attempt a taper? Give them to someone I trust to dish them out? Having no-willpower, essentially being powerless over drugs fucking blows....
 
i used to work with a personal trainer who was big into stims. and he always said dex was by far the best. he was taking a really heavy course load at the time for his doctorate and since i was at the gym either working out or working all the time pretty much wed talk a lot and he would tell me how bad stim wd was, he was like the only person there who knew i was an ex smack heed plus his brother happened to buy dope from one of my guys (they dont call it smalltimore for nuthin hon!)

but before that i never knew how bad stim wd could be till he explained what it made you feel like physically, i had always thought it would be like bad mentally and not have much in the way of physical effect. but he said no energy, extreme depression and basically locking yourself away from other ppl was common. turned out a fair number of ppl at the gym were on stims. mainly adderal. go figure.
 
dexedrine IMO and IME is the best for us heavy RX speed freaks, crash is less intense, and its not a hyper speedy high like adderall. when i first tried it and switched to it, 15mg spansule 2x a day, i was dissapointed, i had no body energy, hardly any tingles, just a mild head speed high, over a day or 2 i learned to love it, lol...RX amphetamines are only good if used ORALLY, or PLUGGED, unless u have a dextroamphetamine IR, and perhaps in HCL form maybe that will give a rush if IVed, i think the salts used is less abuse proof, i can be totally wrong, but it seems to be like this for me...but then again i have IVed Ritalin IR (Methylphenidate HCL) and still got no rush, who knows..even tho stims arent physically addictive, i find the mental withdrawl WORSE then physical WD from opiates for example, the mental WD causes physical like WD feeling symptoms, mind is very powerful, its best to just stop cold turkey, expect to be depressed for atleast 2 weeks, and have no energy or drive to do shit,and be sleeping all the time, or taper if u can..back in the day i used to be able to take 120+mg of adderall at once, and re-dose with even higher doses, now, 15yrs later, i get a high from 60mg of addy, with a 3-5hr high, which sucks, i used to get a 15+hour POSITIVE euphoria, but i burned the magic, but 90mg is my max and i get loaded now..and WD sucks, i tried the whole tapering down, it just prolongues the pain, and eventually ur brain has to replenish on its own anyway
 
RobotRipping said:
How much misery do i have left, few days, weeks? [/B]
Click to expand...

I've found the answer to that question to be "How much longer do you plan to live without taking amphetamines?".

I had a 2 year break: day 730 was exactly as difficult and soul sapping as days 1-10. they all were. It never got easier, I just got more tolerant to the pain. Then I relapsed 10x harder, started injecting, did that for a year or so (every day. literally, like, there were 4 days in 11 months I didn't do meth) but that house of cards came crashing down; so I quit cold turkey for 3 weeks, decided I was either gonna relapse or kill myself out of apathy; so I prempted the relapse and battled with minimal amounts every 4-5 days for a couple months. It wasn't working.
I just had a month break, then had half a gram over the weekend. It was the exact right amount. It's all gone, I'm coming down; and....

I'm 10% wanting to shoot my phentermine; 20% wanting to go spend my last money for the fortnight on more gear, unknown amount trying to abstain; and the rest apathy and boredom.
It's not easy; but it's definitely manageable. Does this mean I beat my addiction? I'd consider a 2-3 day binge once a month to be a chipper. If it was smack, that'd be a chipper. So am I a chipper? Are chippers and addicts mutually exclusive?
 
I've been taking dexedrine IR AND ER for the past 6 days...for the last 3days I've been taking 75mg daily! I'm now out...and have to stop cold turkey... I need to know what to expect and if I'm going to be okay?? I'm really nervous and worried that I will not be okay. Has anyone ever stopped cold turkey, and at 75mg dose?? And is it safe and ok? And what to expect?? Someone please help...thanks
 
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