Long-Term Adderall Abuse: Are My Kidneys Damaged?

[coolk87]

BACKGROUND

I'm in my mid-twenties. I don't use any scheduled drugs other than Adderall, a low dose of Klonopin a couple times a week, & around 200mg of Tramadol twice a week.

I've been abusing Adderall every day for the past 2 years. The first year was great, the second not as great. During the first year, I potentiated the Adderall with copious amounts of caffeine & hardly drank any water. The first 3 months of using were the most fun: I popped them like candy & easily stayed up for 3 days at a time. The next 9 months were also fun: I still popped them like candy, but wouldn't stay up for more than 2 days at a time.

The last 12 months have been filled with negative side effects, including dry mouth (teeth look like they are beginning to rot), freezing toes (which I believe is from vasoconstriction), & increased blood pressure & heart rate (for obvious reasons).

The side effect concerning me most is that when I feel the need to urinate, it becomes urgent very quickly. I've had to pull over & pee in a cup a couple times because I couldn't hold it for the 3 minutes it would've taken to get home & use the bathroom.
This also might sound really weird, but what happens frequently is that, when I'm done, it feels like I'm not completely done, but I can't force any more out.
My urine is often foamy, bright yellow, & smells awful.

Based on the research I've done, these urinary symptoms sound like kidney damage. I haven't come across anything that ties Adderall abuse to kidney damage, which is so frustrating. Maybe it's due to dehydration? I've read from several sources how baking soda can work wonders for your kidneys, so I've started taking 1/2 teaspoon once a day for a week now.

Thanks to this website, I already know a lot regarding Adderall abuse. Pretty much every day for the past 18 months, I've taken Memantine 10mg twice a day + chelated magnesium 500-1,000mg to reduce/delay amphetamine tolerance. I'm also schooled on benzodiazepine & opioid addiction (based on research, not experience).

For the past few months, I've been drinking water like crazy (3-4 liters a day) & limiting caffeine.
The Adderall dose that I've been taking for the past 6 months has been between 30-60mg.

QUESTIONS

1) Does this sound like my kidneys are damaged? If so, how can I repair them?
2) How can I alleviate the urinary side effects? (without abstaining from Adderall...I know, I know)
3) What are some vasodilating nonprescription medications/supplements?

Thank you for any/all responses.

 

[Relapz]

There's a common misconception that adderall is non addictive or dangerous. It is. With that being said:

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Can have no symptoms, but people may experience:[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Whole body: fatigue, high blood pressure, loss of appetite, malaise, or water-electrolyte imbalance[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Also common: kidney damage, abnormal heart rhythm, failure to thrive, fluid in the lungs, insufficient urine production, itching, kidney failure, severe unintentional weight loss, or swelling

I wouldn't worry about kidney damage really because adderall's side effects are almost identical to the symptoms.

If you stop taking it I'm sure most of your problems will clear up in a period of time.

Good luck[/COLOR]

 

[hotgirls.jpg.exe]

BACKGROUND
The side effect concerning me most is that when I feel the need to urinate, it becomes urgent very quickly. I've had to pull over & pee in a cup a couple times because I couldn't hold it for the 3 minutes it would've taken to get home & use the bathroom.
This also might sound really weird, but what happens frequently is that, when I'm done, it feels like I'm not completely done, but I can't force any more out.
My urine is often foamy, bright yellow, & smells awful.

Urinary urgency/urge incontinence is not necessarily an indicator of kidney damage. Incomplete emptying is usually related to a structural problem with the bladder (often prostate enlargement) or neurological issues. In addition to the foul smelling urine these could all be signs of longstanding UTI/cystitis which amphetamine abuse could definitely play a role in as it fucks with how the urinary tract works. Foamy urine is quite often a sign of protein being present - which it shouldn't be because the tubules in the kidneys are supposed to be too small to allow proteins to pass through. So that could be a sign of kidney damage.

Ultimately nobody can diagnose you over the internet, sight unseen. Kidney damage is serious and if you're that worried you need to a) cut down/out on the Adderall and b) see a doctor and be HONEST about your situation. If you're not willing to do either of those things then you need to accept not knowing. You can do things like cut out all beverages besides water and modify your diet for less urinary tract irritation, take supplements/herbs for vasodilation (all stuff you can google) but if Adderall has caused kidney damage then trying to find shortcuts around having to cut down is inadvisable

 

[Speeedmagic]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. You're overthinking bro. I still drink too much caffeine on 40mg + addy a day.. I love it, addicted to speed.. it's a want and a need.. I havnt even began fucking with baking soda / Magnesium.. I just try to take the weekends off. Or a few days here and there to get my tollernce down some. I still can't ever get that really overwhelming speed I used to, with the radiant euphoria, but I still love it

 

[T. Calderone]

Ultimately nobody can diagnose you over the internet, sight unseen. Kidney damage is serious and if you're that worried you need to a) cut down/out on the Adderall and b) see a doctor and be HONEST about your situation. If you're not willing to do either of those things then you need to accept not knowing. You can do things like cut out all beverages besides water and modify your diet for less urinary tract irritation, take supplements/herbs for vasodilation (all stuff you can google) but if Adderall has caused kidney damage then trying to find shortcuts around having to cut down is inadvisable

^ This is good advice. Since you're drinking lots of water and still having these symptoms, you should speak with your doctor. They might want to run some tests to get some answers as to why this is happening.