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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Is it time to quit adderall? Or perhaps maybe just a break

Codystoke

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
63
I was diagnosed with ADHD in the 3rd grade because I was a very hyper and happy child and my teacher thought it was her area to suggest a strong stimulant for treatment. So I was put on straterra, and after a few months taken off because it turned me into a complete zombie. Soon after I was put on adderall and have been taking it once daily for almost 10 years now, I'm 18 years old and a senior in highschool. I didn't take it the summer after freshman year for 3 months and then last summer for about 2 months. I'm back on it and have been noticing anxiety/paranoia and symptoms of stimulant psychosis. I have done cocaine 3 times and rolled on Molly 6 times. However te last 2 times I rolled I took 4 capsules each an the last time I made a mistake and took my adderall on accident 4 hours after rolling. I also smoke cannabis daily and have for about 2 years. After my last roll I have noticed pressure in my head that is only really present when I take my adderall. I was curious if it is possible adderall has caused some kind of problem in my brain, maybe a chemical imbalance and if it is reccomended I stop taking adderall. I was also curious if these side affects are reversible. Another bit of information that may help is the other night when I was going to sleep an my eyes were closed but I wasn't completely asleep yet I heard a noise but I'm pretty sure it was in my head, it wasn't a voice, just a noise. Is this a result of the adderall? Also sometimes at night I see floaters and Shadows when I blink, but am not sure if it is from my poor eye sight or adderall. Please give me some feedback. Thanks!
 
Well... you know how the saying goes: "If you have to ask..."

I'd be royally pissed at my parents if I was on amphetamines or amphet derivatives since 3rd grade. Like, thanks for the irreparable brain damage guys! Pure class w/ the parenting!

(I dealt w/ this, but luckily my father refused to poison me with that filth.)
 
I'd be royally pissed at my parents if I was on amphetamines or amphet derivatives since 3rd grade. Like, thanks for the irreparable brain damage guys! Pure class w/ the parenting!

I agree. It's sad. I don't disagree with stimulant use by adults. (18+)
 
Yeah, unfortunately young kids are frequently put on heavy-duty stims, often amphetamines, to take every day because of "ADHD". I am a bit of a skeptic about the disorder itself, but I don't doubt that many children and adults experience symptoms of inattention, inability to concentrate, hyperactivity etc. I just think the whole ADHD diagnosis causes enormous stigma and goes hand in hand with amphetamines or other stims as a daily diet. I wouldn't be surprised if this type of medication of children really fucks with the brain more than we know. Or maybe doctors do know, but work hand in glove with pharmaceutical companies. I wonder why the non-generic Concerta is so popular these days? 8) Is it to lessen abuse potential, or are there other reasons? Same with Vyvanse.

All this being said, I am not against using amphetamines or the like, at all, even with children, HOWEVER, it should be done only as needed, and not like every other day as needed, more like every 1 to 2 weeks as needed for a test or something. When I say that I am refering to their use for legit. medical purposes. Obviously, an adult can choose to use amps as much as he or she wants, not that too much use is healthy, but whatever. To the OP, I advise you take a big step back looking at your situation. If you are a student in college or still high school, it might benefit you to continue using for a little while longer. Not really harm reduction, but you don't want your grades to drop, and everything coming falling in. I think the best case for your scenario, though, is to switch to a stronger, "headier" amphetamine, not Adderal. Try Dexedrine or Desoxyn, even Vyvanse, but try to only use it as needed, and try to learn how to do well without taking amps on a daily basis. Has your brain chemistry been fucked? Unfortunately, I'd guess the answer is yes. Amphetamines are neurotoxic, despite what doctors may say about "clinical doses". A dose rx'd for treatment of ADHD is right along the lines of a recreational dose most of the time.
 
Yeah, trust me I'm definitley going to hold that against them for the rest of my life. And the fact that they get mad at me for questioning my doctor about my prescription also grinds my gears "don't question the professional" pft.. So is this damage irreversible?
 
And I was on vyvanse for a long time and have been back on adderall for a few months. Vyvanse was definitley a lot better and never made me feel crazy like adderall does. I think I need to switch back to vyvanse if anything
 
Let's say my brain chemistry is "fucked"...how fucked exactly? Is there anything I can do nutrition or vitamin wise?
 
It likely can be helped to a degree, yes, but it may take a while. There are supplements and what not, but I am not very educated when it comes to them. But yeah, if you are going to be on an amphetamine for some time longer, or take one as needed I recommend something smoother than Adderall like Vyvanse, Dexedrine, or Desoxyn.
 
A lot of what you had stated sounded like pure paranoia and anxiety. Floaters etc are normal, hearing voices or noises while in the early stages of sleep is normal as well. By the definition of insanity, you cannot be aware that you are insane. That may not sound comforting, but it is.
 
I have recently switched to 60 mg vyvanse and like it alot more

Well I'm glad something's working out for you. What do you like about it better? Being a pro-drug for a cleaner drug helps I imagine (well, it's the 75% of adderall that's good, the other 25% is apparently responsible for a lot of side effects).
 
I feel for you man, I can't imagine how it must feel being on meds from such a young age. I know my words probably won't mean a lot to you, but believe me. If you feel like there was something you needed to "fix", and that's why they had to treat you, don't feel like you're a problem that needs a solution. ADHD meds are overprescribed deliberately for profit, and there are so many kids running around acting like they children they are and they're put on these meds so they slow down. I don't know whether or not you have adhd, or if you really did need it, but if you're going to let yourself recover from 10 years of medication you can't really fuck around with daily usage anymore. It'll make it harder in the long run.

It sounds like a lot of the symptoms you're feeling now might be resultant from the adderall use. That pressure behind the eyes is something I'm familiar with, I believe its hypertension. I'm certain your body is begging for a long break.


First off, time is going to be the key factor in recovery. Best case scenario, any damage is reversible and your receptors will upregulate given months or years. If you want to use adderall again in the future, for recreation or whatever, you need to let yourself recover first. Regardless if you want to use later in life, take a look at this thread ( http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/...Prevention-II?highlight=amphetamine+tolerance ), you might not understand the terms and mechanisms behind it, but its a massive information source for you.

I stress that you need to take a break if you don't quit, it'll either be nothing, or hell depending on how you function normally. Just keep positive, and try to motivate yourself without it.

If you don't want to read that massive thread mentioned above, here's a quick breakdown of the supplements I take:
Magnesium 500 mg - 250 mg at breakfast/dinner
B-100 Complex - 1 cap at breakfast
1.6 Grams Omega-3 Fish oils - .8g at breakfast/.8g dinner
Vitamin D - 25 mcg at breakfast
Melatonin - 2.5 mg one hour before sleep
Piracetam - 1 gram upon waking/before sleep

Omega-3's help out with blood pressure issues, and along with piracetam improve overall cognitive sharpness. Piracetam usually brings me out of a stupor after an adderall binge night. Magnesium supplements replenish your store of magnesium, iirc amphetamines deplete your magnesium. Bananas are great sources as well. Another important function of magnesium is acting as a weak NMDA antagonist, slowing tolerance buildup and lowering tolerance during periods of non use. I don't oftenly use it, but taking 30 mg of Dextromethorphan (Cough syrup) is said to lower tolerance as well. The B vitamins are essential, as they help your body produce neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Another supplement said to help out MAJORLY is l-tyrosine. L-Tyrosine essentially helps form more dopamine for your body, which helps to replenish your expended dopamine after using adderall. I'm sure there so many other useful supplements that could help, but these are what i've used and know to help out.

I wish you the best of luck man, hang in there
 
I think that you should discontinue your use of this medication, and perhaps you should only use it sparingly in the future.

You are at the age where most people with anxiety and/or other mental disorders begin to exhibit symptoms of it. Everyday of your life has been planned out for you up until this point, which for most people means stability and low amounts of anxiety. With high school coming to an end now, there is a certain amount of uncertainty in your future that is likely bringing about these new symptoms.

I am a strong advocate for limiting or discontinuing stimulant use when you are not mentally stable. Using during these times often results in your mind getting locked onto a negative thought, idea, or mindset, which then results in paranoia, anxiety, or panic attacks. The drug is no longer beneficial to you when your mental stability is less than it once was. All medications say that they are prescribed to you because the benefits outweigh the negative effects of it, and that is no longer the case. You can't be doing better in school or work if you are paranoid or overly anxious from the medication.

I suggest speaking to your doctor about this. I also suggest holding off on taking any medications that threat your symptoms of anxiety and paranoia until you are off of your current medication for at least a month. That is the only way to ensure that you get a proper diagnosis without the possibility of the mind altering substance you have been taking being the cause of the symptoms. You don't want to add another medication to the mix only so that it will treat the negative effects of your current medication.
 
I've taken too much MDMA on several occasions, some of it possibly cut with methamphetamine one time and once with nothing but pure MDMA. I got a strange pressure in my head and felt as if everything seemed smaller. I was definitely perceiving things differently, felt a strong pressure in my head causing me to feel really scared. The first time this happened my girlfriend took me to the hospital as I was sure I was OD'ing. However the symptoms went away after about a day and I was stuck with a 3 grand hospital bill for simply laying in a bed and being given a sedative. It sucks not having insurance. This could very well be a sustained side effect from the amphetamines, since MDMA is also an amphetamine. I'd definitely take some time off and probably take some omega -3's and vitamin B like the guy above me said. If you're also experiencing any sort of depression and you intend to roll again you may want to consider taking 5htp regularly to help facilitate better seratonin metabolization.

I had a roommate, a piece of shit fuck who ran out on the rent leaving my girl and me stuck paying his share for a couple of months who was a regular D amphetamine or adderall user. He tried X for the first time and ended up taking 12 in one night. I had originally cut him off at 8 but the fiend bastard walked into my room while I was sleeping naked next to my girlfriend. He apologized and told me his aunt in Michigan had gotten in a car crash and he needed to leave early in the morning and just needed something to keep him up so I sold him another 2. Then when my girlfriend left for work the next morning he asked her for 2 more and she obliged not knowing I had cut him. Of course it turned out that that had all been some fiend lie and he never left to Michigan, but he described the same symptoms you are for a long period of time. They went away after about a week or 2 so I'm pretty sure it's not permanent. Hope that makes you feel better!
 
i been RXed Adderall, Dexedrine, Ritalin since i was 14yrs old. That was 12yrs ago and im still getting scripts, its quite obvious im abusing it. plenty of times i question myself if i should just quit, most of the times when i have these thoughts, im crashing, or going on days without sleep and distrupting my sleep cycle, food intake, my moods are erratic.etc..the answer is to take a break from it, and 1 week doesnt count ;-) its hard to not take any a few days after as you suffer from depression, being tired..and addys will fix that, but you wont achieve that high and magic amphetamines provide unless u take a long break...i pretty much stop my addy intake until my bottle of dried out from benders staying up, redosing, sharind with my girl, selling them etc...yep a 3 month supply gone within days...so then i have no choice but to wait 3 months to take addys again, and when i do after 90 days, i get the wonderful effects again, but still suffer the bullshit during them days when the 1st i initial dose wears off..amphetamines are very addictive...you should really use them sparingly (3x a month) to get the best effect from it. my two cents
 
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