[RTHill1982]

I am so thankful I found this forum with lots of caring people who know what it is like to suffer from medication withdrawal unlike the doctors prescribing the medications. At 19 my parents pressured me into getting on adderall for my grades. Before this I had been on numerous other ADD meds to no effect and from the beginning I was against being on any drugs mostly for the fact that I was never diagnosed with ADD. Prior to adderall I was a happy person regardless of what my grades were. I had no addictive tendencies. I drank relatively little. I had never had a single cigarette. Somehow the doctor ended up giving me an adderall script and started me at 60mg a day. That is right. Someone who does not even technically have ADD was prescribed over the average starting dose of 20mg, therefore I built up a tolerance to the drug and in less than a year was being prescribed 80mg. The drug worked good for a year and then the advantages wore off. Luckily I have managed to never take more than 100mg of the drug in any one day so while I definitely know I am addicted to it I am lucky in that I haven't taken as high as dosages as some people I hear taking. I can't believe how many mg's some patients are prescribed but regardless I have horrible side effects that have gotten the worst in the sixth year I have been on this medication. I have learned that tourettes/tic like symptoms are a possible side effect of this med and im embarassed to say that every day in this last year I have struggled with making involuntary noises in my throat. Keeping friends and family from hearing these weird sounds is hard enough but what really sucks is when I wear out my throat so much that eventually it becomes sore. Eventually I am forced into popping my ears constantly and I want nothing more than to be off this damn medication I never wanted on in the first place. It is so very frustrating and while I know it seems ridiculous I promise you it is the truth. I have tried getting off the med and have noticed that the tics/tourettes go away. Unfortunately in the six years I have been on the med, a week, is the longest I have made it in the withdrawal period. I desperately want off this drug more than anything and am appreciative to seek any help anyone might offer to help me. I have tried several times cold turkey after being unable to taper. However I have not been on other meds in the past to help me. My doctor is now reccomending cymbalta and provigil but says cymbalta is habit forming and I also need something that wont make me sleepy. I have heard after the two weeks it gets much better and often you are back to normal. People frustrate me when they tell me they dont understand why I cant make it two weeks. They don't know what it is like getting off this med but I know there has got to be something. My friend was struggling with adderall addiction and finally came out of it after going on a two week family vacation to europe. His family had planned it to where he was moving daily and constantly involved in some museum tour or excursion to where he was forced into being out of the hotel room each morning. He was also on a very expensive vacation that was on the other side of a damn ocean, forcing him to go two full weeks without the meds. Thanks to being with his family these two weeks in beautiful locales he says there were few moments when he really noticed being off it and when getting home he got on a small dose of an antidepressant but it has been two years and the adderall is history with him. WELL unfortunately my family is not loaded and even if I could get away for two weeks I sure as hell can't get to a foreign country. Therefore this option is out until I win the lottery lol. But I know there are more ways to kick an adderall habit and I am going to listen to any advice you may have on treatment. Anyone who has been in this situation who is doing well now please let me know what it was that helped you. I will appreciate anything you have for me!!!

[RTHill1982]

i am considering provigil but was curious as to why it is so damn costly, frustrating. Is cymbalta easy to get off of if I use it to help with the adderall withdrawal? Also Im reading that it makes you sleepy but I thought it is supposed to give you energy. Thanks for any suggestions you have!

[RTHill1982]

If anyone is reading this post and has any info. PLEASE share. I am now on my twelfth day of being sober. In 6 years 12 days is the longest I have ever gone without adderall and I desperately want off this EVIL pill. I have my energy back but am wondering when i will get the excitement back from doing things like watching tv and reading. I still am suffering from boredom.

[RTHill1982]

ok i guess no one is ever going to reply, kinda frustrating.

[c3d4r]

Sorry to see nobody has helped you yet, hopefully you see this.
This is what I would recommend in terms of supplements for at LEAST two weeks:
-Multivitamin
-B Complex
-Bee Pollen
-Velvet Beans (LDopa)
-L-Tyrosine
-L-Glutamine
-Gingko
-Ginger
-Charcoal
-A general herbal cleanse product (black cohosh, saw palmetto, etc.)

These can all be picked up at your local Whole Foods, or a well-stocked Walgreens (except, I think, Velvet Beans at Walgreens).

Get your sleep, obviously, the first few days. After two or three days, force yourself to work out for at least a half hour per day- it is sometimes very satisfying to do this on the rare occassion that you feel hungry (as I am expecting you will have little appetite). Obviously, don't push too hard if you are not well-nourished, but the 30 minute workout will increase your appetite even more and you will net a nice nap after the meal. Off time: video games or friends, whatever your thing is.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[c3d4r]

Forgot more useful things that you'll want on-hand:
-Green Tea (revitalizing)
-Ibuprofen (muscle aches)
-Excedrin (headaches)
-Benadryl (headaches, sleep aid, takes the "edge off")
-Epsom Salt or frizzy, girly boutique bath bombs if you can find them. obvious.
-MILK (or your friendly milk substitute) (it's easier to drink your calories than eat them, also calms the stomach)
-Pepto Bismol

IF YOU TRUST YOURSELF (not recommended, but if desperation strikes):
-Mild Benzodiazepine (i.e. .5mg clonazepam, you don't want any problems with this stuff, nor to be taking it daily)
-Marijuana (if you really, really, really, really have no appetite and can keep your priorities in order)