Question posted by adhd_mom on 20 July 2012
Last updated on 20 December 2022 by just-another-human
I have been taking Adderall for almost 4 years for ADD - currently prescribed 30mg bid. In the past few months I have been experiencing awful muscle pain in both my upper arms. The muscles feel so cramped and tender that I can't raise either arm. It can last up to 4 or 5 days at a time. Anyone else have this happen to them using Adderall? Any suggestions on relieving pain besides more meds? (OTC pain relievers - tried them all with little to no relief!)
Thanks!!
CRAMP BARK - a natural supplement that has helped alleviate my symptoms of moderate muscle stiffness and pain caused by adderall (30-60mg/day). I started using cramp bark years ago for occasional menstrual cramping (500mg 1-2 times/day) but I recently discovered that it also helps to relax muscles throughout my body as well!
!!! IMPORTANT PLEASE READ !!!
The 4 factors listed below take PRIORITY above all else, especially when taking adderall. The proper BALANCE IS UNIQUE for everyone and is dependent on your LIFESTYLE AND GENETICS.
HYDRATION (water, electrolytes)
NUTRITION (vitamins, minerals)
… * check your magnesium levels *
MOVEMENT (stretching, walking)
SLEEP (quality, quantity, healing, recovery,
… energy, performance)
… * 6-8hrs/day - naps do count!! *
Pain is your body’s way of alerting you that it is in need of attention and better care. Medication, more often than not, is only a temporary solution to a problem that is solved when physical and mental wellness is prioritized. The benefits of proper nutrition, exercise and self-care are astonishing! And YES, in todays world it is easier said than done for many of us (including myself
Has your question ever been answered on here? I’m looking for a similar answer I’ve been taking 20 mg of instant release for years the last three months I have started extended release and I have shoulder blade pain like I’ve never had before in my life and it’s consistent and I’m wondering if it could be related
I just started taking Adderall 20mg xr. Day 1 I had a bad tension headache and neck pain. This is a common thing for me already because of a bulging disc. I also started having back and hip pain day 2 and it has continued throughout this entire week. It has greatly helped me with my inattentive ADHD issues so I am really reluctant to change meds already. After researching extensively I found so many people have this issue with Adderall. I saw numerous suggestions that our bodies magnesium, B-12, and potassium levels were being depleted much faster. Chelated magnesium, B-12 and potassium supplements were recommended. I also saw many drink a Gatorade daily before taking their meds. Water intake is important but can also flush these essential vitamins and minerals from our bodies even faster. I didn’t have chelated magnesium on hand, but I did have a different form of Mag. I took my magnesium supplement and ate a banana and almost immediately the muscle pain stopped.
I do plan to talk to my Dr about this at my next appointment, but for now I will continue supplementing with these things. I was already deficient before starting the meds so it makes total sense these symptoms would happen so quickly for me. Most of us are deficient in Mag and b-12 and many with potassium. Those who it takes more time to develop these side effects likely had better stores of these minerals in their bodies.
Yes I get it in one arm or the other it almost feel like one of my gains is pulling and super tender I also get blisters on a single hand as well from the Adderall.
It's a central nervous stimulant. I am a licensed massage therapist and Mental Health Counselor (Unlicensed) and my best educated guess would be the pains everyone seems to be experiencing are a part of some preexisting condition that has been aggravated or heightened by stimulant use. The positive uses are for our thoughts/brain; negative results of use is its effects on our physical bodies.
Yes! My lower back throbs and the only thing for relief was to stretch it out and lie in fetal position. Right now I ended back on Adderall because my insurance will not pay for a medication that honestly has been a life changer. No known negative side effects for myself from taking Desoxyn. I am fighting to get back on it with insurance paying for it. I paid cash and it was 112$ for one week supply to try it and it was well worth it. The withdrawal from it was harsh but it worked.
I have fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain, before I had these conditions Adderall wouldn’t affect me that way... now I can’t take adderall because the moment I take it Both my myofascial pain and fibromyalgia flare up. It kind of makes you wonder if there’s a connection doesn’t it.
Hi there,
I also get these kind of pains from taking Adderall ( and i only take 10 mg 3 times a day) except I get them in the palms of my hands my thighs calves and feet at the most inopportune times. They wake me from a sound sleep or it could be while I’m walking through a parking lot I’ll get a severe muscle spasm in my thigh that can bring me to my knees. I found the only thing that helps me iis these three things: I drink a lot of water, I lowered my dose, And I go off of Adderall for a couple of days to give my body a break and then resume it but I wouldn’t suggest doing that unless you talk to your doctor first because it’s not for everyone. It would depend on your dosage and why you’re taking the Adderall some people require it to be in their system at all times I don’t take it for that reason and therefore my doctor has okayed this. When i resume it I find this muscle cramping returns within a few days so it is very inconvenient.
I take Adderall 30mg bid and at times experience severe muscle pain in hips and thighs... It feels like I just ran a couple miles or so... After much trial and error I discovered that taking Magnesium (400mg) will pretty much eliminate this pain. Results are fast as well. Most muscle pain is gone within 30 minutes of taking the Magnesium. Adderall also tends to throw my electrolytes out of balance so I also drink about 8-16oz. Gatorade daily. I am NOT a medical professional but this works for me. I hope it helps you!
I was told by one doctor that Adderall is dehydrated that if you hydrate you and that you have to drink a lot of water like more than normal and you have to stay hydrated and I don't know how true this is I mean like I told me this so I'm assuming that is very true but if anyone else knows anything about this I would like to hear that a response is on it
I am a very sensitive person and therefore take only 10 mg of adderall up to 4 times a day only on the days I am in nursing school and i cant tell you enough how true that has been for me! On the days i dont take adderall i will drink an average of 3-4 12 water bottles but on th days i have to take adderall i end up drinking 10-12 water bottles. My saliva becomes thick and white and my throat literally stics together if i am not constantly drink8ng water, so its a definite side effect for me too. Also the reason i go off and on ( my health care professional approved this for me personally at this dose ) Is because after a couple of days of taking Adderall in a row I get severe calf, foot, and hand cramps all throughout the night that wake me out of my sleep and when I was on it constantly for a couple of weeks I would get such severe thigh pain that I couldn’t even walk but it would usually only last like two or three minutes like a Charlie horse or twisted muscle but extremely extremely painful... just isnt worth it to stay on it non-stop.
I’ve been off and on Adderall in the last year I experience severe feet and hand cramps when taking it I take potassium magnolias and a good comprehensive vitamine doesn’t help. Prior to 2018 I was on same dose for 14 years no side affects confused and looking for solutions. Thanks
I have been taking Adderall tablets 30 mg for 2 years now and I have the worst pain in my neck and my back and shoulders and it's like my muscles they tense up and they not in at the end of the day my whole back upper back is in complete knots and it's so painful
I started Adderall XR about 5 1/2 years ago and in the last two years i have had constant foot pain that goes into my calves somtimes too. I can't be on my feet at all or they start aching. Is Adderall probably the cause???
I started on adderall XR 6 years ago and a couple years after, I had foot pain and then I started to get hand pain when I went from once a day 20 mg xr to twice a day. It is excruciating pain and worse with lack of sleep. I take it to give me energy because I get tired all day. I think adderall is the cause after reading all this. I need to find a different drug. Anyone else have severe pain in fingers, hands and feet? If you do, what is your solution? I use magnesium lotion and it helps lessen the pain.
im 44 years old & was on generic adderall for about 4 years for add & was told it was causing my high blood pressure. drs wanted to put me on blood pressure meds so i decided to quit adderall instead. that was a year & a half ago & now ive had muscle pain in my arms, mainly forearms & wrist & elbows. used to be shoulders but comes & goes but pretty much gone. this has been going on for a year & dont know if adderall is the cause. hurts mainly when i wake up so i sleep with braces to stop the curling of my wrist.seems to help a little but none of this happened when i was on adderall. any one else experience this???
I was recently prescribed Adderall for narcolepsy and about 2 months after I started taking it daily I started to feel a very painful feeling in my hands, wrists, and forearm area. I tried to ignore the pain thinking it would eventually just go away and the crippling pain feeling slowly spread from there all the way up my entire arms and all the way down my back and down into my legs, and then last my calves and feet. When I noticed it spreading I went to my doctor and was then soon later diagnosed with fibromyalgia naropathy which is a very painful nerve damage disease. I definitely think Adderall being a stimulant damaged my nerves slowly and attacked my central nervous system altogether. Adderall (stimulants of any kind) gave me naropathy!
This is the same thing that I am going through!!! I have the worst muscle pain! I also take 60mg Adderall per day (for narcolepsy). I am really beginning to get worried about this side effect effecting my life! I have two young children and am a stay at home mom... if I don't take it i cannot stay awake but if I do take it I feel like I'm 98 years old and I'm only 30! Also I have a numb throat!!! Very bizarre... I know I didn't help with your question! I just was so astounded someone else is experiencing this!! Thank you for asking this. Now to read the other responses! :)
adderall, narcolepsy, pain, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), muscle pain, muscle
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