Am I an addict? Adderal and Xanax

My Dr tells me to take 80 mg of Adderall (adderrall) and 4 mg of xanax every day. I rarely take the whole amount, usually 40 or 60 mg of adderal and 1 or 2 mg of xanax. I am afraid to take the whole amount and on my days off I try to take less so that my tolarance will go down. Whats this going to do to my health in the long term? I am sure this Dr is a psycho, he gives my husband who has been in and out of hospitals for psychosis, who tell him he hears voices every day 90 mg a day!! Who knows how much he gives my Dad, who tells me about vivid visual hallucinations he's had, who tells me how it was god talking to him, etc.

I used to cope with my problems with caffine, ephedra, and sometimes meth for the ADD and alot of weed for the anxiety, (wich surley made it worse). Now I just take my meds, but I wonder if I have just traded one addiction for another.

Advice?

[worried878]

Seems as those 2 drugs would counteract each other...and both are extremely habit forming.......meth?   You mean like methadone or crystal meth?    

[sterling_silver]

It is hard to advise you without knowing your medical condition. Not everyone who takes medication that their doctor prescribes them is an addict. Get another opinion from a different doctor.

[lostmarbles]

it seems that you are aware of the consequences of taking xanax... im glad you are not taking the whole amount... I keep posting this but ill tell you that no proper doctor would ever prescribe their patient more that 1mg of xanax a day and also it is a short term medication - 4 weeks max if taken every day.... some have the same packet for ages and are able to take a pill here and there but not regularly...like I did... I tapered off it slowly with a milder benzo until I was ok to come off it completely as going c/d can cause seizures... I think you should definately get another doctor who is educated in respect to you and your familys problems and who better understands what medication should be given to you and your family... your doctor at the moment seems like a nut job.. sorry.. but it makes me so mad when I hear that doctors are handing them out like sweets and more than the dose that someone is supposed to take 'safely' they are highly addictive and once addicted, really dangerous to come off them safely unless medically supervised... keep posting and let us know how you go.. i wish you lots of luck

[cauchy]

I had done crystal meth, it helped tremendously with the ADD. Of course, with meth, the good effects are soon overwhelmed by the negative.

It may seem like the two would counter act eachother, but they both work on different chemicals, xanax stabilizing gabba and Adderall (adderrall) increasing noreprinephrine and dopamine.

[Avalancheblanche]

Have you considered anti depressant meds instead?  It may be helpful to talk to someone professional who can help you learn to cope with the anxiety also.  

[cauchy]

yes, I should find another opinion, Its hard to find some one willing to treat adult ADD, especially in the little hick town I'm from. One question plauging me nearly my whole life was "Is ADD real? or am I just not self disiplined enough?" Do I need the drugs, or am I an addict?

I have yet to find the answere.

[worried878]

Makes sense...lots of factors to consider...Is your ADD so disabling to be worth risking addiction to these drugs?  perhaps a second opinion would be good....Also...if you feel like you are addicted....keep posting

[Avalancheblanche]

I think ADD  is very real.  If it is indead ADD  it is not something you can control.  Not a way you choose to be.  
I am from a hick town too.  Maybe you can do some research online and find someone not too far away in a nearby city?
I wish you luck!

[cauchy]

Me, my mom and my sister all have manic reactions to antidepressents like Seritonin reuptake inhibitors like prozac, celexa, fluvox, zoloft etc. I never had a hallucination in my life before I took an antidepressant, and I stayed awake for days. My mom heard voices and had delusions.

[Avalancheblanche]

That is so scary.  I wish I could help more.  There are a lot of natural remedies for depression and anxiety.  GoingToMakeIt knows a lot about that stuff.  avisg may also have some information.
I really wish I had could help more.  

[cauchy]

Surley there must be another way to deal with these things, like maybe nutrition, excersice, Meditations, I don't know, maybe Tai - Chi or something. Anything must be better than all this poison I keep putting into my body. GoingToMakeIt, got anything, a websight maybe? I know if I had a kid with ADD and anxiety, I woldn't want to give them amphetamines and benzos.

[spacecadette]

I have to chime in that the risks of adderall (adderrall) to meth are safer by a land slide...doctors are sometimes not as cautious about prescribing adderall (adderrall) as they should be.  When you take the adderall (adderrall) you shouldn't feel wired...you should feel NORMAL.  Adderall (adderrall) often times causes anxiety when people who do not have serious ADD take it.  My fiance takes it sometimes to help him through med school...like right now..sigh.i hate it when he does...but he has 6 exams this week and says it helps him focus...but then when he comes home he's all fidgety and nervous..can't relax...i ask him what's wrong and of course he says "I have TERRIBLE anxiety."  otherwise he never has anxiety...even during exams if he's not on adderall (adderrall) he's fine...so in theory, have you ever thought of maybe going without the adderall (adderrall)?  I don't know and i'm not a doctor....just thought maybe it would be worth a try...good luck

[avisg]

rispardal worked wonders on my sons add he has not had to use anything for two years ,he had tried most of the normal choices nothing had worked .The doctor tried that ,he did great in school he slept finally............ he did not sleep threw the night until this point .....