Anyone on Adderall

Hello,

Is anyone else on Adderall? I just taking a low dose and then going up to 30mg. I'm also on lithium, seroquelXD and divalproex.

Just curious what you experience has been.

yes i take 10-20mg, used to take more, but that changed when i got the bp dx.
i now also take lithium, welbutrin small dose, clonopin if needed.

it does help focus, for sure. but decided with pdoc yesterday to not take it when i've not slept and manic, because it caused big anxiety while trying to work. it doesn't work if you are sleep deprived, sick, or very stressed out. (for me and according to pdoc)

After about a 7 month break off of Adderall, I restarted again at 30 mg in the morning and then 30 mg at noon. At first it worked great, I was able to concentrate, focus and get some things accomplished. My doctor prescribed it because I have a tendency to oversleep and not want to get out of bed when my depression is really bad. Now however, I am really beginning to question the effects it has on me. I felt better during those 7 months off then I do right now. I can take two or three at a time and still just want to curl up in a ball and fall asleep. In many ways, I feel worse on it than I did when I was off of it.

Adderall for me has been life changing. I can finish things. Sit down longer then 3 minutes and my husband thinks it has made me a better person. People can stand to be around me now. I dont jump from subject to subject and life just seems a little better

That sounds horrible. Shouldn't you stop taking it then? that's harsh on the liver, you could have sluggish liver which makes it even harder to not wake up, all you want to do is sleep, don't need that on top of what sounds like depression which also sounds like you're going through now.

Yes, your right I probably should stop taking it. I guess I continue to take it because it sometimes gives me that energy lift that I need to make it thru the day.

Well, you have all this other **** going on with hubby and all that and dealing with depression and trying to work. I totally know you need that energy boost. I am skipping adderall today, I ususally skip on weekends. But I am having a rockstar orange mango papaya drink, lol. there was a thread on here about energy drinks, i got curious, so i've been trying them.

I forget where I posted it - probably in add forum - havent been sleeping enough lately and been forgetful. But adderall will not work if you havent slept, you are sick, or you are overly stressed. discussed this with my pdoc on Thurs.

Could you take a break from it for a week or so and then try it again, it might become helpful again?

Yup, fergus. It's in the rx mix along with Lamictal, Wellbutrin and Xanax (PRN). But I've not been taking it for about a month now. Major league stress and overwhelm etc, way too much to go into, but basically, all I could think was, "I don't WANT to be focused!" Ha, "could think was"? We can make that present tense as well.
Interesting. Never heard about this, but got one right intuitively, lol!

Experience-wise... I remember the first time taking it. I hadn't realized just how many stations were broadcasting simultaneously till then. Wow. You mean, that's not normal?? The thing that amazed me after that was realizing I'd stayed on task, actually getting things done. Done done. And didn't feel manic-y at all. (That's key, because it kind of gets on my nerves when people say, "well, yeah, of course you're getting things done..." But it's not like that. And if it is, you're barking up the wrong diagnostic tree. Or no diagnostic tree at all. But I digress...)

I wouldn't take it all the time. I'm pretty conservative with meds that have, ya know, negative potential. Which probably sounds a bit more noble of intent than it actually is.

Experience bad-wise... hmmm, actually probably helped produce the "intuition". Even at lower doses, added to high stress, long days, little sleep, bad eating, coffee = hard lesson on feeling like total crap. 'Nuf said. Like BlueInanna said, it wasn't working. No focus. I stopped taking anything that wasn't strictly necessary (like, wasn't about to cold-turkey lamictal, and have to start all over again, you know?).
OCD was having a field day too, but that's another story, other factors, not sure how to parse out that whole spell of time.

Giabrina,

I'm so glad to find your post. I've had the same problem with tending to stay in bed and just wanting to curl up and stay. I'm seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow and want to talk to talk to him about that. What have you done that has helped? Has the adderall really helped you get up and out?

"Could you take a break from it for a week or so and then try it again, it might become helpful again?"

I think I will try taking a break from it and see how I feel. Right now I am extremely irritable and cranky -- exactly how I remember feeling when I previously took it.

"I'm so glad to find your post. I've had the same problem with tending to stay in bed and just wanting to curl up and stay. I'm seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow and want to talk to talk to him about that. What have you done that has helped? Has the adderall really helped you get up and out? "

Yes, the adderall really helped me to get up and out. I get things done and go places when I'm on Adderall. I just think right now I have built up a tolerance to the medication. I might recommend not talking it on a daily basis, but only taking it on those really bad days when you can't get out of bed yet have somewhere important to go or something to do. I am going to give myself an Adderall break and then try again only using it when absolutely necessary.