• TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | Eligiu | deficiT

Mental Health Adderall as a great band aid for OCD?

RichardMooner

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
351
I am diagnosed with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Insomnia, GAD, Panic Disorder, Depression, and ADD. Currently, the only medication I take is Adderall for ADD. I have not been able to tolerate any of the anti anxiety medications I have tried (Six in the past year). I've had adverse, or allergic reactions to almost all of them, and others just haven't worked or were not "appropriate". While I still have a disruptive insomnia problem, anxiety, and panic attacks, I have managed to use Adderall as a very effective anti obsessive compulsive medication. And almost all of the anxiety produced by the OCD is gone, which is great because I was pretty well on the verge of psychosis about six months ago- before I started the Adderall. I was experiencing chronic DR and episodic DP for about three months. Since the Adderall, I have not had a single episode, and the DR is completely gone. Even when the Adderall wears off, I'm fine. Although the Obsessive thoughts become somewhat present again, they have decreased significantly in intensity and even frequency. Adderall just pulls me out of my head. Instead of focusing on the usual terrifying thoughts I have, I'm focused on the external world and no longer locked up in my head. It's the most significant improvement I have seen in the years I've been dealing with anxiety. It also helps with social anxiety significantly, and really helps me relax and chill out. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? As I know that stimulants usually exacerbate the symptoms of OCD and anxiety disorders in general, but it seems to be quite the opposite with me.
 
How long have you been on it? Usually the side effects begin to become more prominent after a few months of daily usage. That said, I have known people who use it to their benefit for ADHD, but I don't think it would help for OCD. It would be, if anything, a band-aid, as you stated in the title. It doesn't really fix anything; it just covers things up.
 
How long have you been on it? Usually the side effects begin to become more prominent after a few months of daily usage. That said, I have known people who use it to their benefit for ADHD, but I don't think it would help for OCD. It would be, if anything, a band-aid, as you stated in the title. It doesn't really fix anything; it just covers things up.

I've been on it for about five months now, and it's still working for OCD. I started taking it for ADD and that is still the reason I am taking it, but it has helped with the OCD a lot as well. It is just a band aid, as most medications are. I haven't really had any problems with side effects other than being foggy when I don't take it, but that usually subsides after a couple of days. I don't take it on the weekends, and during the summer, I don't take it every week day, just when I have things I need to do.
 
That's probably a healthy way to use it. And never take above the maximum dosage per day, but I'm sure you know that. Adderall, Vyvamse, Ritalin, and stimulants which are prescribed can be a real help, and are, to thousands and millions of people. But once you start taking more than you're allowed, you run in to a lot of trouble. There are countless reports on bluelight of people staying up for days on stimulant binges; it really drains the body and mind like nothing else. People end up picking their face, becoming extremely paranoid, getting violent, etc. They also come down really hard and aren't functional for possibly weeks after.

It sounds like you're a pretty responsible user. I know when I had it prescribed, I didn't take more than a day off per week, and even doing that was hard. So kudos to you for being able to withstand any urge you might have not to take time off.

What's your dosage? Does it make your other conditions worse, though?

I never had a problem with it. The only thing that got me was getting off my other meds. That landed me in the hospital. I need to stay on them for the foreseeable future. Funny thing was, they never even asked me if I had stopped taking my other meds before locking me up. That goes to show how bureaucratic the system can be.
 
20mg XR during the school year, and 10mg IR during the summer. It doesn't seem to make any of my other conditions worse, quite the contrary in fact. It helps mildly with almost everything but insomnia, and significantly for the OCD. I use it like I do because I know that if I abuse it, I'll no longer be able to use it therapeutically and that would suck. It helps so much, and I don't want it to stop working due to tolerance, or have to stop taking it because of addiction. I also wouldn't have enough to last me the time in which I need it, and then I would be sacrificing the help it provides with day to day function just to get high; which is something I can do with other drugs if I want to.

What other medications did you stop taking? They actually just asked you about the Adderall and that was it? I'm so tired of pharmaceutical companies pumping out drugs that can be absolutely horrible, but are not made illicit because they don't get people "high". And then dumbass MD's giving out those prescriptions like candy at a parade because they're paid by pharmaceutical companies to do so. It makes me want to stop taking medications all together, but I'm pretty sure I would go bat shit if I did, so I don't.
 
Last edited:
I got off saphris. I should have stayed on it. That and zoloft. They helped me a lot. The stimulant helped me, but only when I was on other medications too.

They didn't even ask me about my medications before throwing me in the clink. I had gotten off the saphris a week beforehand. For the stimulant I had to go through a wide variety of tests, and try tens of medications beforehand, which I think was wise.

I think that also a lot of drugs, like SSRIs, are better than benzos shown in clinical trials. Maybe not in terms of side effects or even efficacy, but for ultimately creating the brain activity which fixes the disease, that it doesn't just cover it up.

Stims used therapeutically maybe don't fix things long-term, but I found it easy to reduce my dose by 2/3 for a day without experiencing rebound effects. In fact I found it rather euphoric. But of course my concentration was off for a while afterwards.
 
Do you mind referring me to the studies? I read about one published by The Wall Street Journal that suggested that several SSRI's, including Zoloft, were no more effective than the placebo, in patients with anything other than severe depression.

I took Zoloft for a couple of weeks, but just like Lexapro, which I had taken beforehand, it induced the chronic DR and episodic DP that persisted for weeks even after quitting it. In what sense do you feel that it helps in terms of a long term solution to the problem? Because of my experience with both Zoloft and Lexapro, and reading about many others that were very similar, I've decided to just stay away from SSRI's. Not that I don't think they work for anyone, but they just don't seem to fit well with some people and I happen to be one of them. I'm also skeptical because of the lack of information we have about them, just in terms of long term side effects.

Glad that Zoloft works for you though. I'm still waiting to find the "right" medication. I think I am just sensitive to psychotropic drugs in general.

I agree that Benzos are not in anyway an effective long term solution to anxiety. I have read too many horror stories about WDs to allow me to take them on a regular basis for anxiety. Occasionally I'll take a Klonopin if I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack, but not often.
 
I honestly don't have the time, but most I've read state that SSRIs actually fix the brain as opposed to just covering up the problem. You see so many studies stating that SSRIs are no more effective than placebo, but there are more which conclude that they work, and from friends' experience, they do work. Of course every individual reacts differently.

Many people are. But there is usually a combination out there that works for people. Just do your best to stay patient and don't abuse your meds. I accidentally took an uber dose of ativan yesterday thinking it was melatonin, so I fucked up, but other than that fluke I'm staying true to not abusing my meds.

I take klonopin daily, though, along with an SSRI. I think the combination is great, but klonopin can possibly exacerbate anxiety in the long-term, and it's great that you take it only when needed.
 
As a practicing hypocrite (also take stimulants) I can see how adderal may work really well for OCD in the short term.
In the medium to long term though, it's extremely likely that it will make your current OCD seem like a walk in the park
 
As a practicing hypocrite (also take stimulants) I can see how adderal may work really well for OCD in the short term.
In the medium to long term though, it's extremely likely that it will make your current OCD seem like a walk in the park

Way to rain on my parade.

On a more serious note, thank you for the reply. I figure that it won't be effective in the long term, and will probably create some unwanted side effects in the future, as it seems to do with most people. I'm hoping that by then, I'll have found the right medications to help, so that the Adderall is no longer needed for OCD. It's too bad that we can't manage to come up with a stimulant that doesn't eventually send everyone who uses it to hell. As of now, Adderall is the best therapeutic medication I have ever taken, although the crash sucks after I stop for a couple of days and take it again.
 
SSRIs are rarely the answer.

Have you checked out things like GABA (that has REALLY helped my daily anxiety... so GAD... heck even a bit of social anxiety). Also melatonin for sleeping. All of these help a little. They aren't magical but they help slightly. I still get anxious, I still can't sleep sometimes, but they are better than being on things like benzos daily.

Amphetamines help get rid of my anxiety but, if anything, it increases my OCD. But everyone is different.
 
GABA doesn't cross the BBB. It's placebo. You're better off taking valerian capsules for any kind of effect.

Melatonin can help people get to sleep and is supposed to be neuroprotective.
 
Melatonin is weak as water, although it does help with falling asleep. Even then, it only helps a smidgen. Valerian smells like dirt. lol
 
Top