Stimulants Unsettling feeling in bowels on Adderall XR

[IronMantis]

Hello; I'm new here. A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a mild form of depression; over the previous months, I had been losing a lot of focus at work, motivation for my own personal endeavors, I had becoming increasingly withdrawn from my friends, family, girlfriend, people at work, etc. I went to my doctor and she tested my testosterone and TSH levels, which she said were slightly below normal for my age but not low enough to warrant TRT. I was kinda hoping for a testosterone prescription, but I didn't want to seem like I was fishing for steroids so I didn't press for it.

She said it was most likely psychological and referred me to a psychiatrist. The psych diagnosed me with mild depression and asked if I was open to medication. I said yes, but I was dead-set against using anti-depressants; I was really worried that they would just dull my personality, make me complacent and accept things the way things are. I hold her I was looking for something that would boost my focus, drive and give me the motivation and determination to improve myself and my quality of life.

She prescribed me Adderall XR 20mg. I've taken it 4 out of the past 7 days and the results have been amazing; my confidence, motivation and determination have gone through the roof in all of my endeavors; I have razor-sharp focus at work, the gym and my personal hobbies, and I'm a lot more sociable than I was before; I'm quicker to jump into conversations between groups of people, crack jokes, start conversations and shoot-the-shit with friends and acquaintances and so forth.

There's one problem; about an hour after the Adderall kicks in, I get this unsettling feeling in my bowels. It's not that urgent feeling to rush to the bathroom. It's more of that dull, nagging ache you get in your colon several minutes before a bout of diarrhea; the kind that tells your brain "Careful dude; you should stick close to the bathroom for the next few minutes."

And yet, diarrhea never comes; all my bowel movements have been regular, my stool is firm with minimal clean-up. And yet I can't shake this nagging ache in my bowels while I'm on Adderall! I find myself instinctively clenching my butt trying to hold back diarrhea that isn't there! The feeling goes away after maybe 3-4 hours, but it's becoming an annoying nuisance. I also haven't gotten this feeling on days I haven't used Adderall.

What's going on? Has anyone experienced this? I know that Adderall is a stimulant; is it stimulating the nerve or the part of my brain that says "Watchout! Diarrhea's coming!"? Is the Adderall damaging my intestinal lining? Does this feeling go away after a while using it? Or do you just get used to it and learn to ignore it?

Any input is appreciated; thanks!

 

[Felonious Monk]

Adderall stimulates your bowels, it's an amphetamine.

Just in case nobody warned you, taking Adderall daily like you're doing is dangerous; amphetamines are addictive and can very negatively affect your brain chemistry in ways that is difficult to reverse.

You should consider anti-depressants. Amphetamines are NOT a replacement and your condition WILL get worse if you continue to mask it with uppers. (remember the mom in Requiem for a Dream?)

 

[IronMantis]

The prescription I have says once daily; I've actually been taking less than directed.

 

[Felonious Monk]

Just because a doctor prescribed it doesn't mean it's safe (or a good idea).

 

[IronMantis]

I see. Do you have any experience with anti-depressants? Are there any that don't make you into a zombie or make you complacent and such?

And if not, do you think testosterone is still an option? My doctor says the average for my age was in the middle 600s and mine was in the high 400s; still in the healthy range but below average. She said it usually needs to be drastically lower to warrant testosterone, but I've heard of testosterone being prescribed to treat depression in men; I hadn't yet been formally diagnosed with depression when she tested my hormones. Do you think I can safely suggest testosterone? I just don't want my doctor to think I'm fishing for steroids (no offense to anyone who uses steroids responsibly) and then cut off that option permanently for me.

Thanks!