[Dreadpool]

Originally Posted by n'sfishbowl

syntheticsue-

I have had the same problem with the picking but with hairs instead. I actually have always gotten a little obsessive with picking out certain hairs but could stop and have gone long periods of time without doing it. Now since I have started the adderall though. Its gotten out of hand.
Im 22, just started the adderall a couple weeks ago. I started upping the dosage though and this week i have spent hours a day picking at hairs, (this is gross I'm sorry) and when I cant get to the hair I just keep picking and rip up my skin so I have a bunch of sores. Not all over my body but in a few places that are easy to hide. Its so hard to stop though, and while im doing it its almost impossible to actually think clearly about the fact that this is not something I should be doing. Once I do get distracted by something and stop though I'm so repulsed and afraid.
I think Im going to just really lower the dosage. Maybe I raised it too quickly? If it continues though I'm gonna try something else.
I talked to someone else about this and her daughter had the same problem, she said other stimulants didnt cause this to happen to her so, maybe that is the answer.

Beware, because this response is novel sized, but it's packed with all the juicy goodness that only a veteran of this drug can provide. I'm a 32 year old who has been taking this drug for approximately 8 years. I STILL struggle with exactly the same behavior you describe (in fact i'm dealing with it as I write this), and the years of experience I've had make me confident to say that NO, it's not a dosage adjustment that causes you to have these spells. IMHO, it just goes with the territory of taking powerful stimulant drugs. I've taken normal dexedrine spansules, methylphenidate (ritalin), concerta, and sadly, methamphetamine. I've been on the same (30mg AM, 30mg noon, 20mg PM) dosage of D-Amphetamine mixed salts (Adderall) for nearly 4 years now. I was at a higher dosage for about 4 years before being stepped down. I hate to tell you this, but the urge to pick at hairs and sores is still something that I have to struggle with daily. The best defense I've come across for these self-destructive fits is to do ANYTHING IN YOUR POWER to not let a spell start. You know what they say about 'idle hands', and I've found that true while taking this medication. As soon as I'm home and nobody is around, I gotta keep BOTH my hands busy, or I will start to do exactly what you described. So I play a LOT of World Of Warcraft, console games, gutar, etc... I also make sure that I'm wearing a tight fitting long sleeve shirt and jeans while at home. This is a deterrent to the times when I will absent-mindedly run a hand down my leg or arm, and feel something that 'needs picked'. Like I said previously, It's all about doing EVERYTHING you can to prevent a picking session from getting started in the first place. At the point when the medication has worn off to a degree where I cant keep attention on complicated tasks such as gaming, I'm really in danger of starting to pick sores and pluck hairs, because it's not really something that requires a lot of attention, but the meds haven't worn completely off, so I've still got enough energy to tear at myself for hour after hour, so I take 150-300mg of trazodone (Vistareal is the name brand I believe). It's a well tolerated mild anti-depressant with some very potent sedative properties. It isn't a sleeping aid, so dependence isn't an issue, and it won't interfere with things such as seratonin (sp?) reuptake... in other words it wont inspire you to get armed to the teeth and shoot up your place of work. It doesn't really knock me out that well, I've spent a lot of nights in a half asleep, half awake state. It does what I need it to do though, and that is shut me down enough that I don't feel like making any new scar tissue. And to anyone that thinks that having a few drinks once you get home will have the same net result: Adderall and alchohol DO NOT MIX, at least not repeated alcohol use (i.e. 2-4 alcoholic beverages on a daily or every other day basis). Continued use of alcohol while taking Adderall can cause psychosis, and I can verify that with personal experience. Honestly, after 8 years of this blessing/curse that is adderall, my skin from the neck down is NOWHERE close to resembling anything that might somehow be considered attractive. It didn't happen overnight. It's just cumulative scarring from years of instances when I wasn't mindful and let my guard down, although most of the damage was done during the initial years of taking the medication, as I hadn't had the time to fully understand how I responded to the drug. Best advice: Be proactive and come up with methods that will prevent picking in the first place, because this behavior doesn't seem to have an emergency stop. Once you start digging at your skin, it can be next-to-impossible to pull yourself away from the impulse, even though the rational part of your mind is screaming at you to cease the insane behavior immediately. You might also consider switching to Strattera also. It's a noreppinepherine re-uptake inhibitor, and doesn't work on the other neurotransmitters that stimulants do such as dopamine. The picking behavior seems to be inexorably linked to powerful stimulants exclusively, so if you switch to Strattera, the impulse will in all likelihood, simply vanish. It just depends on how bad your case of ADHD is, I've tried Straterra, and it didn't help... not even a little, which is not to say that Strattera is innefective, I just have an abnormally severe case of ADHD, and can only get my life manageable when given a ridiculously high dose of adderall. Unfortunately, my ADHD is so severe that I don't really have the luxury of choosing between degrees of manageability in my life and taking stimulants. My only option is to continue taking Adderall for the forseeable future and take the good with the bad. And that's what it will come down to in your decision making process ultimately. Deciding if it's best to stay on stimulants and run the risk of being scarred for life (take the current rate that you are wrecking yourself and project it 10 years into the future) or sacrificing some or all your ability to function as a normal disorder-free member of society.

[Dimplez626]

I really need your help. I am 32 years old and I also have Bi-Polar as well as ADHD. I was just recently put on Adderall 20mg for about 2 weeks. It did nothing for me. So my doctor increased it to Adderall 30mg. I have been on this dose for about 2 weeks now and still nothing. No side effects or anything. I also take Depakote as well as Neurontin, Seroquel, Zyprexa & Trazadone. My Bi-Polar is pretty much under control. Now I need to figure out when the Adderall is going to start working. I have read quite a bit of stories here and it seems like Adderall really works. I really hope it starts working soon.

I was wondering what dosage worked for you? Are you taking Adderall or Adderall XR?

Any information and/or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[DrugDoctorRx]

Originally Posted by Dimplez626

I really need your help. I am 32 years old and I also have Bi-Polar as well as ADHD. I was just recently put on Adderall 20mg for about 2 weeks. It did nothing for me. So my doctor increased it to Adderall 30mg. I have been on this dose for about 2 weeks now and still nothing. No side effects or anything. I also take Depakote as well as Neurontin, Seroquel, Zyprexa & Trazadone. My Bi-Polar is pretty much under control. Now I need to figure out when the Adderall is going to start working. I have read quite a bit of stories here and it seems like Adderall really works. I really hope it starts working soon.

I was wondering what dosage worked for you? Are you taking Adderall or Adderall XR?

Any information and/or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I believe your problem is not a result of the Adderall dose, but the other medications you are taking with Adderall.

First of all, Adderall is a Norepinephrine & Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (NDRI). NDRIs increase the levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine & dopamine stimulating the nerve cells and the frequency at which do so. Neuron stimulation occurs when a chemical binds to neuron receptors and stimulation of the nerve cells by dopamine and norepinephrine results in Adderall's CNS stimulant effect.

Zyprexa & Seroquel are dopamine antagonists (as well as an antagonist of other chemicals but dopamine is the one interacting the most with Adderall). A dopamine antagonist blocks dopamine from binding to receptors and stimulating the brain's nerve cells, blocking the CNS stimulant effect that dopamine stimulation causes.

It is thought that Adderall is an effective treatment for ADHD as a result of the increase in dopamine binding and stimulation of the neurons that causes the CNS stimulant effect. Seroquel & Zyprexa blocks dopamine receptors and if dopamine can not bind to neuron receptors, dopamine can not stimulate the CNS and produce the effects of Adderall that make it useful in the treatment of ADHD.

Therefore an interaction may be occuring between Adderall, Zyprexa, & Seroquel that is blocking Adderall's effects.

[JISENHEART]

Hey Had Panic Attacks And Depression For Years Could Never Kick It Until I Moved And Got A Knew Doctor This Doctor Gave Me Adderall Xr And Effexor Xr My Panic Attacks Went Away I Was Able To Drink Coffee And Cross Bridges Etc Good Luck With It

[Jennifire79]

I was prescribed adderall to HELP with hair pulling... why would they give me that when it only makes it WORSE? No one has found anything else that works??

Also, has anyone else experienced very low mood swings (anger, irritibility, frustration) after several hours? I've JUST been prescribed Depakote and am starting the mix today. I'm really apprehensive...

[charlid1]

I am 19, currently a freshman in college. I do not have ADD or ADHD, and I am not prescribed any medicine of any kind. However, I have started taking Adderall XR which I buy from a friend. The pills come in 20mg capsules, and I generally take 60mg at a time. I do this when I need to study or pull an all-nighter. I have been taking about 60mg in one go about once or twice a week for about 4 weeks.

At first, I experienced no side effects other than the desired increased motivation and concentration, as well as an ability to stay awake for up to 48 hours. However, just the other night I thought I was overdosing: My heart was pounding furiously, not necessarily super fast, but rather very hard. This lasted about 48 hours after taking 60mg in one dose.

I weigh 145 lbs and stand about 5'6" tall. I am a smoker (average about 10 a day), but only for the last two months or so. In high school I was very athletic and ran track, played soccer, etc., so I am in pretty good physical condition. I went to the doctor's about a week before I started taking the Adderall, and they informed me that I have very good blood pressure and a healthy heart.

I have done some research and it looks like people with my same build are taking upwards of 100-200mg of Adderall XR daily, so I am curious if anyone can explain this side-effect to me. Am I in serious danger of dying if I continue to take 60-100mg in one dose about one or two times a week?

[sasquatch69]

Originally Posted by charlid1

I have done some research and it looks like people with my same build are taking upwards of 100-200mg of Adderall XR daily, so I am curious if anyone can explain this side-effect to me. Am I in serious danger of dying if I continue to take 60-100mg in one dose about one or two times a week?

Yes, 60mg is an overdose. Any dose higher than what a doctor prescribes is an overdose. But just because you hear of people taking 100mg/day, doesnt mean you can. Everyone's tolerance is different. Some folks can take 100mg with no problem at all, while some others may take 60mg at a time and end up in the hospital. They are simply not meant to be taken in that quantity at a time, so what happens to you is really anyone's guess. But you're playing with a loaded gun when you OD on adderall, as overdose symptoms can mimmick those of a cocaine overdose, and can cause a lot of problems for you.

If you MUST take adderall for the off-lable purpose of helping you study, then reduce your dose. Cut your dose in half (30mg) and see what happens, it seems like you are pretty sensitive to it. There is absolutely no reason to take up to 100mg of the stuff, unless you want to end up in the hospital with a blown heart valve.

[ccastenskiold]

Originally Posted by mrstevo

hey i just joined this site... ive been taking adderall (45mg, 3 15mg pills per day) for about 5 months now. i had some difficulty sleeping for a while and because of my lack of sleep, i would be in a constantly grumpy, negative mood. i started to excersize more often, and as a result i can get to sleep much easier. ive found that with more sleep, adderall works much more effectively and the bad mood goes away... just incase anyone was experiencing a similar problem.

Yes any exercise, like walking 2-3 miles a day - helped my medicines work better,
but most importantly I discovered that it reduced my depression , like by 80%.
I take Adderall - 60 mg daily + and a antidepressant ( 50mg daily), while these drugs
have helped me a lot, there is a limit to what they can do. If you don't exercise,
eat right, get enough sleep, then the benefits are not as pronounced. It seems that
we need to put effort into having the benefits of a healthy neurochemistry, like getting
feel good endorphins .Doing 1/2 hours moderate exercise 3-4 times weekly made a big
difference. It is a small price to pay, for the improvement that can be felt within a week.