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Avatar universal

Adderall XR

After reading everything written on here I'd figure I'd share my two cents. I'm a 26 year old woman who has been on adderall for almost 6 years (given a month or so every year I wouldn't be on it just bc it was summer). I take 30mg of XR once a day. Of course it had nothing it's minor side affects, but nothing extreme. I'm not a person who gets addicted to drugs, but I started noticing a change in my behavior, my hands shaky, depressed at times, and here's what scared me, I starting taking 2 pills then up to 3 bc my body started to build a tolerance for the medication and the obvious addiction. I was never the type who would curse at my parents when in a disagreement. I don't call them names, I just curse and lash out. I started noticing that the smallest things annoy me. Here's what topped it off and scared the crap out of me, I not only have the issue of forgetting a simple word in a conversation I now have a minor stuttering problem. It's not all the time but it's an issue that bothers me and embarrassing at the same time. Any ideas on why/how I ended up with a slight stuttering problem? I'm very active in sports, gym, musical instruments, etc. My memory isn't like before, it's not that bad I'm noticing a decrease. I'm done with taking adderall, today is my last day. I can't sit here and blame anyone or thing, I just don't like what it's starting to do to me. I don't want to go through life depending on medication, granite I'm depressed at times but I refuse to take depression pills. I control myself, my mind, me. I used to meditate a lot (been doing so since I was 14) and will now make it a constant routine. It breaks my heart when I curse at my parents and can see the hurt in their eyes. I'm just adding frivolous stress to their life as well as my own. Sorry for the rant. I guess my main question is the stuttering. I've noticed after reading all the posts that I obviously don't have a severe ADD problem, if that was case I would've been diagnosed a long time ago. It was a great drug at the time but it slowly started to have adverse affects on me and got me hooked out of the blue. For those who haven't had any major side affects, I'm happy for you. But it's not for me, not anymore. Just keep an I eye on your child's behavior as time goes on, I would suggest natural supplements for young kids, not adderall.
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Avatar universal
You are not alone and you were very brave to share your story with us. I know that often reading about someone's else struggle can help you overcome your own dark side.

Every addiction is a serious problem that should be addressed with caution but information is a huge part of fighting it. Internet is very good place to start, but unfortunately, you have to seek place where you can meet real people that could help you.
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Avatar universal
I do hope your better. Very touching story. Like to hear from you
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Avatar universal
I notice that my speech is effected when I take my daily prescriptions too... I hope that means I'm not over-prescribed/under-prescribed/prescribed the wrong thing!
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Avatar universal
I am sorry you got hit and wondered why you were different. It sounds like you made some kind of peace with it. Not everyone can. I hate the meds out there but if they help people, they should take them. Some of the natural products to treat ADDH are very dangerous but at least they are not addictive. Lest you think I like meds, I fought giving them to my son for 6 yrs. He was on Strattera for 2 yrs and it really did not work after 9 weeks. He was off all meds for 1 1/2 yrs and did not do well enough to stay in a competitive HS. Now, with home schooling, I gave him one does of Adderall. It didn't seem to do anything but it was only 10 mg. Now I am scared to give him more because of addiction...nothing else has worked. He is so inattentive, like he is on drugs already.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
   so you don't have anxiety issues, but you did have a panic attack.  Me thinks you should do a bit of reading up on what anxiety can do to you.  I didn't think I had a problem either, until I began to wonder why I kept wanting to pass out while coaching soccer games.  Turns out that I would hyperventilate (due to anxiety).  There are lots of ways to control anxiety besides meds.  I certainly didn't need the meds to deal with the problem.  But like anything else, you've got to identify the problem to deal with it.  I find that a good 5 or 6 mile run also does wonders for me.  Anyway, do check out the websites I mentioned - I think you will find them very interesting.
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Avatar universal
I forgot to mention two months ago I had a panic attack...most likely from the adderall lack of sleep due to tedious studying. I was able to calm myself down. I think at the time I was stressed out to the max. I do have ADD but not to such an extent of taking meds. The last 6 months my parents didn't know I was on it. They have always wanted me to slowly pull away before I became hooked. I'm stubborn...I forgot to mention that I've gone back to meditating every single day. That also helps me a lot.

By the way, tschock, the ruler huh? That's rough, glad that rule changed, my parents told me back in the day they did that. Side note, from the time I can remember I never liked girls. They didn't like me because I always hung out with the boys. I don't dress like a tom boy but to to this day almost all of my friends are men, a few women. They're just filled with drama, lack of logic, etc. That random rant right there is the ADD, in no way does this littls side nots relate to ADD. Haha.
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Avatar universal
Thank you all for sharing your opinions. I don't get offended easily so no worries. I've been off Adderall XR 30 for a little over two weeks. I still have sleep problems. The other night I fell asleep at 5am and woke up at 7. I wasn't even tired, I felt as if I took an Adderall and am wide awake. Don't know if I was having a flashback and felt as if I was on the meds or if I'm going through withdrawals since I stopped cold turkey. I started my first day of my second year of law school and I noticed not only is Starbucks my new best friend but I started shaking my leg while seated. Besides that I did pretty good. I've noticed the minor stuttering is still there (I'm guessing because the last 3 months I was taking 90 mgs, horrible, I agree) and the kind of shaky hands. I don't have anxiety issues and if I did I refuse to poison my body with drugs, Mother's Market here I come haha. I've always been a curious person, I love expanding my knowledge, adderall couldn't stop me from looking to see where a noise came from or while reading branching off to learn more about a subject I read whole going off topic. Not feeling down anymore which is great! Took a week and a nice 4 days cruise to help. It's mainly the random damn slight stutter that hit me from nowhere.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
    I really hope that going off the meds help you.  Lots of adults have found that they can go on an "as needed" basis.  If something important is coming up, they take a short acting med.  And many adults have an occupation that has allowed them to go completely med free because they have learned good compensating techniques.  
   If for any reason, you are still having these problems once you go off the meds, and they will be out of your system fairly quickly - do look into anxiety.
    And if you have not done so, do check out totallyadd.com and http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors.  You will find a lot of good techniques for adults.  Plus enough posts from others, that you realize that you are not alone on this planet.  Thank you for sharing and please drop by time to time and tell us how you are doing.  Best wishes.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
     I have a great deal of respect for you and for the advice that you have given over these forums.  I completely agree with you that there is too much of an "automatic" dispersal of meds.   Unfortunately, many parents  (heck many doctors) won't take the time to learn the ways to help a child combat ADHD.  What I do find surprising is that you said, "we were given the strap, made to stand in corners, etc. "   and "Unless your child is totally failing at school, getting beaten up every single day, climbing the walls, and refuses to sleep."  Why would you wish that on any child?  I've taught those kids.  I watched them suffer in the hallways and in other teachers classes.  That's the main reason I keep posting to this forum.  The kids pay the price.  
   Heck yes, there is a lot that can be done without meds, but the sad thing is that most parents won'/can't take the time to figure it out.  And if the child is under about age 9 or 10, it gets even harder as they can't understand what is happening to them.  I know personally of two kids who I had in class who committed suicide after high school.  They were really neat kids.  I always wonder if somehow they had gotten more help, if things would have been different.
    And no, you don't offend me. I have too much respect for you.  I do think though that you are much tougher then you believe.  And I honestly hope that a lot of children can be helped without meds, but frankly I just don't see the current parent population as being able to do so.   Sorry, for my rant - I guess I knew too many kids like you.  Listened to too many dads say, "I survived it, so can my kid" , that I gotta advocate for the kid.  
     Ok, I try to stay kind of neutral and dispense info.  I hear you and do understand, hopefully, you give me the same kind of leeway.
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209987 tn?1451935465
Thank you for sharing that onelove24.

Meds don't work on me either...they do the exact opposite of what they are meant to do.
It breaks my heart every time I see a parent jump at the chance to give adderall ( or any drug for that matter ) to their kids.  I have seen my fair share of these happenings at the pediatrician's office.
Some kids really do need meds...but some would do just as well without them.  If people were to take their time with some of these children, they could teach them ways to cope with their inattentivness, etc...children CAN learn.
When I was a child we didn't have these "wonder drugs"...we didn't even have ADD/ADHD...what we had was a wild/vivid imagination, disruptiveness, no sticktoitivness, and we were given the strap, made to stand in corners, etc.
You should see my old report cards and the comments written on them...I think my teachers were the ones with great imaginations...some of those made up words to describe me and my behaviour are hilarious.

I have spent more than 3/4's of my life (until the time of the dx at the age of 35 ) trying to figure out why I was different...why I was constantly getting the strap in school...why the other kids weren't looking around when there were loud noises in the hall,and why the other girls wouldn't play with me, only beat me up.
I had to force myself to try and stay with it when the other kids were reading aloud...got the yardstick a few times for being on the wrong page and not knowing where I was supposed to start reading from when it was my turn.
I had to deal with being who I was all by myself...and I'm still alive!  I own my own business. I've raised kids ( still working on this 4th one ), been married, etc...all without pills.
I had subjects in school that I was great at, and those that I failed at...but I still graduated...even though I was 20 when I finally did it...but I did it.

I'm not a strong person...I consider myself weak...but I survived.
I guess THAT is why it bothers me when all these children nowadays are automatically given pills.
Unless your child is totally failing at school, getting beaten up every single day, climbing the walls, and refuses to sleep...I would strongly urge parents to find alternative methods. As onelove24 has pointed out there are alternatives...diets, vitamins, behavioural therapy, etc.
As long as parents are willing to explain to their children what is "wrong" with them, and spend a bit of time trying to teach them in a way that they can relate, I'm willing that a lot of children can be helped without the meds.
Again, I'm not saying that ALL children don't need meds, I'm just saying that there are a lot that could be taught to deal with it without the meds, and to only medicate those that are beyond our reach.
I'm sure the older ADD/ADHD "survivors" out there would agree with me to some degree.

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone with my views. I have only offered possibilities stemming from my own personal experiences.

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