[Amy3boys]

I hope this is the right place to post this. I deal with severe fatigue as a result of my depression and after 5 years of trying different treatments for it that didn't work, my doctor started prescribing Adderall. Now I've taken it for 5 years and it has really lost its effectiveness...yet I feel terrible if I don' take it. Lately, I'm crashing at the end of the day, which is very unpleasant. I've bulit up a tolerance to it, I guess. Has anyone here successfully weaned off of Adderall or similar stimulant and how long did it take to feel better without it? I'd really appreciate any tips! Oh, I take 30 mg in the am and 15 mg at lunch time (started at just 15 in the beginning). Thank you!

[Holdingbacktyrs]

Hi—I take 60 mg a day, split dose. I’ve taken Adderall for years. I went off of it cold turkey once at the advice of a psych nurse. Talk about practicing medicine without a license! It was HORRIBLE!!! I had to call her to try to get a hold of my completely inept pdoc that I just started with and fired her over this issue. This is unlike me, but I was very belligerent and thought I permanently damaged my vocal chords from screaming at the nurse. She was as dumb as a rock anyway. Lesson learned, don’t go cold turkey or you might end up hurting yourself or others! I’m serious. I was an out of control bipolar woman. I cannot recall how tired I was at first, but I think I was pretty lethargic like I am if I miss my second dose. Bottom line, you need to wean off slowly. It is an addiction. I would call your doc and work with him or her. If you google this, you will see some of the withdrawal symptoms you might face.

[Desoxyn]

I take 50mg Vyvanse as prescribed in the morning. I don't think it's an addiction but close (Mental dependence due to dopamine and norepinephrine tolerance in the brain and physical dependence due to the adrenaline that is produced less by the adrenal glands). There's also dependence due to the fact that I have chronic fatigue syndrome and hypersomnia.

I stopped using stimulants many times. It takes maybe 3-6 months to a year to start feeling better but I never feel as awake and focused when the effects of dextroamphetamine is in the blood when I'm taking it every day.

I don't think I've built much tolerance and I've taken tolerance breaks. Maybe in the future (10 years), taking Vyvanse will be like how I am when I'm not taking it. Although I plan to stop taking stimulants in about 3-5 years.

I started using THC and trying to find a good strain for ADD (Focus) and fatigue because some sativa gives me an adrenaline rush.

[sarahsweets]

@Amy3boys

I have taken adderall for nearly 17y years. The daily max recommended for adhd is 40mg. The daily recommended max for fatigue and narcolepsy is 60.mg. I have specific medical absorption issues so I take 20mg of XR 4 times a day. People get freaked out when they see "daily recommended dose" maximums because its made to seem like a higher dose is dangerous. If you have a good doctor they will work with you on tweaking it. I havent had to go higher and higher. I took dexedrine spansules for 7 years and then switched to adderall xr at 20mg 3x a day. After I had gastric bypass along with other stuff my dose increased to 20mg 4x a day. I have been on this dose for 3 years and previously I had been on the 60mg for 5 years. It makes sense that you would have some sort of tolerance but is that really the reason to stop it? Would you consider raising your dose or how many times you take it during the day? Are you on xr or ir? Have you looked into dexedrine? Sorry to pepper you with questions I am just passionate about safe and effective responsible use of adderall. Because its a CII substance and asshole college kids abuse it, it gives us all a bad look.

Adderall, a stimulant medication made of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine salts, is used to treat the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fatigue and the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Generic names for this drug are dextroamphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine sulfate and amphetamine aspartate. The maximum recommended daily dose of Adderall is 40 mg for ADHD and 60 mg for narcolepsy and fatigue according to the Physicians Desk Reference 2011.

What Is the Largest Daily Dose of Adderall? | Livestrong.com

[splitimage]

I would strongly recommend not going off it cold Turkey. Withdrawal effects can be quite unpleasant from some meds. I'd talk to your prescriber about tapering off.

splitimage

[Amy3boys]

Thanks for your reply! I take the IR b/c XR got so expensive with my insurance but looking into the cost of the XR again, raising my dose or trying Dexedrine are good ideas!

[Amy3boys]

Have you taken Adderall before? I'm just wondering if you have and if you prefer Vyvanse? I've never tried Vyvanse but might ask about it. Thanks!

[Desoxyn]

Originally Posted by Amy3boys

Have you taken Adderall before? I'm just wondering if you have and if you prefer Vyvanse? I've never tried Vyvanse but might ask about it. Thanks!

I tried 40mg Adderall XR and I still would always sleep a few hours after I took it.

sarahsweets doesn't like Vyvanse tho

[bpcyclist]

Hey, @Amy3boys--

Just saw your posts. I suffer from what I refer to as central fatigue, which I believe is directly related to my bipolar 1. Was on Adderall for years but had to stop it. My pdoc recommended giving modafinil/Provigil a try. And it has really, really worked. A little bit of dry mouth, but other than that, I have no anxiety on it and it is not euphoric. If taken in the AM early, sleep is a non-issue for me (other than my usual bipolar sleep issues, that is). It totally keeps me awake, but not in a spun-out sort of way like the Adderall sometimes did for me. All in all, it seems to work great. The only potential issue is insurance. There is no way most of us could afford even the generic (about $700/mo here) without good insurance coverage. Might be worth checking out. It could work.

[Amy3boys]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Hey, @Amy3boys--

Just saw your posts. I suffer from what I refer to as central fatigue, which I believe is directly related to my bipolar 1. Was on Adderall for years but had to stop it. My pdoc recommended giving modafinil/Provigil a try. And it has really, really worked. A little bit of dry mouth, but other than that, I have no anxiety on it and it is not euphoric. If taken in the AM early, sleep is a non-issue for me (other than my usual bipolar sleep issues, that is). It totally keeps me awake, but not in a spun-out sort of way like the Adderall sometimes did for me. All in all, it seems to work great. The only potential issue is insurance. There is no way most of us could afford even the generic (about $700/mo here) without good insurance coverage. Might be worth checking out. It could work.

Hi,
I just saw your reply. I will ask my doctor about Provigil when I see her in a few weeks. I'm glad it's working for you! Thanks!

[Rachel9]

I am brand new to this forum and came here because of my problem with being stuck on Adderral while trying to get sober. I made a post Addiction section about it. I can't stay sober on the Adderral. I have tried going to AA, working the program for months but can't stay sober because of the Adderrall.

Because of my extremely unique and complicated situation I can't stop the Adderral unless Vyvanse is the answer. It won't give me the euphoric effect. I am going to ask my psychiatrist for it at my appointment next week. I am terrified.

[bizi]

let us know how your appointment goes.
bizi