Posted by Cressida on November 4, 2001, at 19:52:25
In reply to Re: Adderall help » Peter, posted by JohnX2 on November 3, 2001, at 15:53:23
Hey Peter, I was diagnosed with ADD at a very young age. I'm 24 and currently in college. I've tried all of the available stimulants: Ritalin/Concerta, Dexedrine and Adderall. I've been taking 20mg Adderall twice a day since mid-summer; over a year ago I tried 10mg Adderall, but it made me drowsy and spacey. I still frequently feel that way, but to a lesser degree.
I can relate to your "crashy" feeling. The initial stimulation is often accompanied by feelings of anhedonia. Adderall is an amphetamine mixture, so it is a powerful CNS stimulant. Something to remember is that it's supposedly "smoother" in action and lasts longer (4-6 hours) than regular methylphenidate.
The following is an excerpt from manufacturer's official prescribing information on Adderall:
"ADVERSE REACTIONS:
Cardiovascular: Palpitations, tachycardia, elevation of blood pressure. There have been isolated reports of cardiomyopathy
associated with chronic amphetamine use.Central Nervous System: Psychotic episodes at recommended doses (rare), overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, dyskinesia, dysphoria, tremor, headache, exacerbation of motor and phonic tics and Tourette’s syndrome.
Gastrointestinal: Dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances.
Anorexia and weight loss may occur as undesirable effects when amphetamines are used for other than the anorectic effect.Allergic: Urticaria.
Endocrine: Impotence, changes in libido.
DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE: Dextroamphetamine sulfate is a Schedule II controlled substance.
Amphetamines have been extensively abused. Tolerance, extreme psychological dependence, and severe social disability have occurred. There are reports of patients who have increased the dosage to many times that recommended.
Abrupt cessation following prolonged high dosage administration results in extreme fatigue and mental depression; changes are also noted on the sleep EEG. Manifestations of chronic intoxication with amphetamines include severe dermatoses, marked insomnia, irritability, hyperactivity, and personality changes. The most severe manifestation of chronic intoxication is psychosis, often clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia. This is rare with oral amphetamines.OVERDOSAGE: Individual patient response to amphetamines varies widely. While toxic symptoms occasionally occur as an idiosyncrasy at doses as low as 2 mg, they are rare with doses of less than 15 mg; 30 mg can produce severe reactions, yet doses of 400 to 500 mg are not necessarily fatal.
Symptoms: Manifestations of acute overdosage with amphetamines include restlessness, tremor, hyperreflexia, rapid respiration, confusion, assaultiveness, hallucinations, panic states, hyperpyrexia and rhabdomyolysis.
Fatigue and depression usually follow the central stimulation.
Cardiovascular effects include arrhythmias, hypertension or hypotension and circulatory collapse.
Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Fatal poisoning is usually preceded
by convulsions and coma."So, the side-effects you're experiencing are common. If you're afraid of abusing Adderall or want something with less ups and downs, try Adderall XR or Concerta or Metadate CD. They're all once-a-day 12-hour extended-release forms of Adderall amd Ritalin; search for them on the web to get specific information. Adderall XR was approved by the FDA just last month.
I know someone in my major who was misdiagnosed with ADHD before he was properly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. According to him, if I remember correctly, stimulant medication didn't help much. If I were you, I'd give myself more time for my body to adjust to the drug, such as 1-3 weeks of taking it exactly as directed. If it works, it obviously works as it does for me. If it doesn't, then at least you gave it a shot, and hopefully learned something.
poster:Cressida
thread:83085
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011104/msgs/83208.html