[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)

[sasquatch69]

Originally Posted by RTHill1982

At 19 my parents pressured me into getting on adderall for my grades.

I just noticed this post, and...

I am absolutely shocked at this statement. Your parents pressured you into taking adderall to raise your grades? Do they even know what Adderall is?

And what about your doctor? If you don't have ADD, then why did he prescribe Adderall? Doctors arent supposed to prescribe amphetamines so kids can raise their grades. If what you said is true, your Dr should have his license pulled. Adderall is a schedule II substance, and as you have now found out, not to be taken lightly.
I'm also shocked that your Dr. started you out on such a high dose at 60mg/day! What was his justification for tripling the normal starting dose?

You were 19 when you started it, and been taking it for 6 years? So now you are 25? And during this 6 year period has your doctor mentioned any medical reason why he is keeping you on this high dose of Adderall?
You know, it's funny that your Dr is reluctant to put you on Cymbalta because it's "habit forming"... and you've been on Adderall for 6 years...

My advice to you is simple:
#1. Don't let your parents (or anyone) pressure you with medication for a non-medical reason. It's your own damn body.
#2. Find another doctor.

[derailed001]

I'm sure you have already tried this option but you could slowly lower your dose as to wean yourself off so your withdrawal will not be as severe. Also, I'm pretty sure that stopping Adderall "cold turkey" is never a good idea (unless no other methods have worked) since your body is used to having such a high dose you are essentially hitting a brick wall when you immediately stop medication.

A gradual decrease in medication will present you with speed bumps rather than walls which should allow you to quit much easier. If you do decide to gradually decrease your medication and want to take smaller steps than your pills allow (since you are NOT on XR) you can always acquire a pill cutter(sold at most drug stores) and create a smaller dose by cutting them into pieces.

*********************************
NOTE:
NEVER USE A PILL CUTTER ON ANY XR OR CR MEDICATION!!!
*********************************

If you lower your dose by 10 mg daily, depending on how much your body reacts to this adjustment in dose, you could stay at that dose for a week or so until you don't feel like you are experiencing withdrawal ( AKA "leveling off") and then you would repeat the process until you are drug free. The step size may vary depending on the person but will usually get smaller as the dose decreases.

Example: when you near 20-40 mg daily, a 10 mg step size would be cutting a MUCH higher percent than a 10 mg step size at 100 mg daily.

Hope this helps...
It would also be a good idea , in conjunction with gradually lowering your medication, to follow some of c3d4r's recommendations, especially getting the correct amount of sleep (this means having a somewhat regular bedtime which will help regulate your circadian rhythm) and also to work out regularly (try for everyday, but at least 5 days a week) alternating the parts of your body that you exercise so you don't overwork yourself. I've found that, if you prefer not to body build, daily cardio workout is still a great way to keep you feeling physically and mentally fit. On my "drug holidays" from 50 mg daily (not much but it still has a somewhat nasty withdrawal effect on extended "drug holidays") the best thing that I have found to do is cardio workout and actually eating a balanced diet,which I normally don't do since I am a student. Green Tea is a good drink of choice because it gives you energy and should aid in the detox process.

Inserted Quote from Dr. Tony Zimbardi, PsyD, LMFT

"...not taking care of your body through long term substance use/misuse can lead to mental disorders (e.g., Methamphetamine abuse can cause permanent damage to neurotransmitters like Serotonin), depletion of Serotonin can leave one left with clinical depression. Likewise, taking care of one’s body (e.g., regular cardio-vascular activity through exercise) raises endorphins, which gives a natural sense of euphoria and leaves you feeling good about yourself. The condition your body is in, absolutely has an effect on your mental state. Take care of your body and your mind will feel better too."

Good Luck!

[pbc123]

I googled adderall because I take some med combos (adderall/xanax and lamictal) I can't seem to get away from and found this thread. I was wondering if you still read here and if you ever found a way to get off adderall.

[Synth93]

My prescribing practitioner just recently let me know via V.M. that he can no longer prescribe. With dosages of Adderall at least double the dose in addition to Vyvanse, it has lead me to the path of withdrawal. I saw another doctor recently who let me know the dosages I was taking were way beyond the recommended dosages and within 3 days severe depression starts...tics...anxiety. I am determined though to stay away from this terrible drug and am posting in hopes that I save someone else from taking incorrect dosages. Please make certain to research the recommended dosages for the addictive drugs you are being prescribed. Otherwise, you will feel the pain of withdrawal to its fullest....

My thoughts are with you if you are also suffering.