Adult with ADD on Adderall

[trblnfla]

My best friend was diagnosed by her primary care physician as being ADD a few months ago.  She is 46 yrs old.  He put her on a low dosage of Straterra at first but after 2 weeks the side effects required a change in medication.  He put her on a low dosage of Adderall (18mgs per day).  She also takes 450 mgs of Wellbutrin a day for depression and 100 mgs of Topamax for migraines.  Add to that the fact that she drinks a few glasses of wine every night and you have quite a cocktail.  Since being put on Adderall her behavior has really changed.  Yes - she is more focused at work - but she is also quick to take offense and anger now too.  If any of us dares to say that she may be overmedicated - she gets angry and defensive.  She said the Adderall has killed her appetite and her libido but because she likes how it makes her feel and how much she is able to accomplish - she will live with those side effects.  She has lost weight in the 2 months that she has been taking Adderall.  She is 5'3" and has gone from 125 lbs to 119 lbs.  
She has also broken up with her significant other of one year which was a shock to all her friends and family and especially to him, since things had been going very well.  She's behaving like a 20 yr old.  She stays up til all hours during the week and stays out till the wee hours on the weekends.
She swears that the addition of Adderall to her daily regimen has been a godsend....I'm not so sure.  She was a different person 2 months ago.  Is this a common reaction for an adult on Adderall?  She has an appt with her doctor next week to evaluate how she is doing on the Adderall.  She is going to make it sound like it's the best thing that has happened to her.  Are we wrong to be worried?

[nicban]

I know this is an old post but just wondering did your friend at all have bipolar disorder or did it run in her family by chance?
Similar thing happened to me when my husband got on Adderall XR.
Within a year and a half of our 14 year relationship he did a 180. He  became very angry, rage,  irritable, he  would slap himself when he was mad and  threaten to shoot. Scream at the top of his lungs and wasn’t sleeping much.
I was walking on egg shells they were weekly multiple morning rants. Has violent outbursts at work And has threatened violence at his work and via email but family owned company so he doesn’t get fired.

Anyways he really didn’t drink much these past 10 years it was usually once a year.  but then within this year he started drinking a lot this year.
Anyways out of nowhere he got angry and upped and left and  has filed for divorce.
Found out he had bipolar that runs in his family
Mother and grandfafter has it.
I believe he is in a complete manic episode right now.
Also my husband has other addiction issues;
Excessive and daily marijuana dabbing  and over take his Adderall XR 30 mg.
If a person has bipolar stimulants like Adderall from what I read is bad news on top of additional drug use
He said the same exact things that your friend said. he likes how Adderall makes him feel and it has too many pros for him for him to care how it is negatively effecting him.

[nicban]

And my husband lost a tremendous amount of weight in a year and a half on Adderall

[Sandman2]

Ouch, I feel for you and also for the lack of treatment that your husband has gotten.  It is pretty common to have both ADHD and bipolar.   The problem is that if not treated correctly, the person will start to self medicate and that sounds like what is going on.   His Adderall might not be enough for him , or is too much (weight  loss is common but can be compensated for).  It appears he is taking nothing for the bipolar, but self medication.

The problem with adults (many times) is that they dislike getting professional help.  He needs professional help!   This is something you can not give him and it is also something that you should not blame yourself for.  He needed professional help and did not seek it out.

This link give a bit more info on adhd and bipolar.
     https://www.additudemag.com/is-it-adhd-or-bipolar-disorder-2/

[montarene]

ik its an old post but if your ADD/ADHD and you take adderall it slows you down it doesnt speed you up i have ADD im 45 was finally diagnosed not too long ago and now i can kinda stay on track with things but am having some skin burning sensation side affects dont know if its the meds or not tho

[Sandman2]

Nice comments,  but a really, really old post.

[Theresa1979]

It sounds like your friend has been dealing with a normal reaction of depression to her ADD symptoms she has always had. It's possible she even experienced low-self esteem because of the ADD -- it's difficult to accomplish goals and get work done and feel good about oneself, which in turn brings down self-confidence. I know you are worried about your friend but maybe the medication is actually working for her. It sounds like she's doing better at work, feeling good about herself, and having fun n' enjoying some life! Sounds like a good change compared to the depression and difficulties she was facing before the change.  Her weight is still in the healthy range and maybe she wanted to get out of that relationship for a while but didn't because of low esteem. Maybe.
From experience (personal and of others), it is common for people to react defensively and get angry when they aren't feeling that the other person is being understanding and supportive. When my doctor diagnosed me with chronic fatigue syndrome/ADD and only a stimulant prevented me from sleeping all day, my friend was all judgmental and I felt she wanted her 'lazy old friend back' who was miserable because of the fatigue. Her constant talking crap, looking down on me, false concern, and judgement caused me to suffer anxiety, depression, and I became harsh on myself. I ended up speaking to my doctor about it and asked if taking the stimulant for my symptoms was wrong -- he pointed out that I tried vitamins/alternative medicine/homeopathy, exercise, and tried different lifestyle diets and nothing helped. So I can live with the symptoms or feel better with medicine -- I stopped taking to my friend this past year and I have not experience anxiety, sadness, judgement not even ONCE. I'm finally happy, experiencing life the way I use to dream about it, and so my quality of life has greatly improved.

Sometimes its the people around us who think they are helping by pointing the finger are the ones who actually make things worse. As long as your friend isn't abusing her medicine and follows her doctor's orders and remains active and healthy, then let her just be happy and do what she wants to do. She's almost 50 and menopausal - one life to live!! I learned that after losing loved ones to cancer and they would all say the things they wish they did differently or wished they were more bold to actually do it. Her appetite I'm sure increased after a while of taking it.
I hope all is well!    

[allmymarbles]

Wow. I didn't realize how old this post was. What was the outcome?

[allmymarbles]

I haven't read the other posts so maybe what I have to say has been said before. Honey, your friend is trippin' on speed ("Adderall" in doctorspeak) and has all the symptoms to prove it. I wouldn't be surprised if she upped the dosage.

By the way, $10 bucks says she doesn't have ADD.

[BeeKeen]

What I failed to say in my long-winded reply, was that if trblnfla still checks in, DBT would be excellent therapy for her friend. If she's taking the wrong medicines or abusing them, you learn very quickly about yourself in DBT.

[BeeKeen]

Hello Candibahr and anyone else suffering from or knowing someone with ADD, depression, anxiety and anything else you can think that plagues your mind... Just read your (Candibahr’s) post and thought you might find info on your hubby's behavior by looking up Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The title was coined in the 1930s and hasn’t been changed to really reflect the dynamic nature of the disorder. Since there’s an 800 character limit to leaving a note, you’ll be getting a few from me ;-)

I am a 35yr. old female, diagnosed with ADD at 20 and had mood craziness before the diagnosis and Adderall use (20 mg 2 to 3x/day for past 2 years- seriously tried everything else but this is all that worked).

Recently, I was diagnosed with BPD, started Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) which is seeing a counselor and going to group once a week, doing homework and participating to make my life better. People in good DBT programs have to want to get better for the program to work. I know that goes w/o saying, but I think many people (myself included), end up going to talk therapy which helps for a while but doesn’t give you the tools to actually solve your maladaptive behaviors and crappy communication with others!

I was on Wellbutrin for ages and it stopped working. Went on Cymbalta for depression/anxiety (which through DBT I know realize was the root of my anger and crazy mood swings) and my life has changed completely. My husband says I'm a different (good:-) person. Maybe this will help your husband.

Books you can read: Stop Walking on Eggshells or even better, I Hate You, Don't Leave Me. Don't know authors off hand. My husband read these and it helped him deal with my mood swings. If your hubby has a history or a time he was abused (mainly during childhood-teens) physically, mentally and/or sexually as well as being a hyper-emotional/sensitive person, he may have BPD.

I'm what they call high functioning so I was able to "hide" my mood swings (mainly anger), depression etc. from almost everyone I know, except those closest to me- my husband became the battering-ram for all my emotional trauma. I know what it's like to be on both sides (one parent was physically/emotionally abusive and is BPD the other parent was an alcoholic).

Through DBT, I've learned to understand my emotions and control them better. DBT is great for anyone suffering, you don't have to have BPD. Oh, and my straight-forward opinion: you should go to counseling to learn how to deal with your husband. It “takes two to tango” and in this case, you may have fallen into a pattern (w/o knowing it) which keeps the situation from getting better or even making it worse. That's not putting the blame on you, it's just saying that if your husband isn't changing and you want change, don't want to leave him and want to make your life better, counseling for you would be a great start. It won't hurt anything.

I hope this helps you and anyone else who’s been diagnosed (or knows someone diagnosed) with 2 or more “mental disorders” but none of them seem to fit perfectly or help. DBT isn’t the quick fix or only fix, but it has helped me so much, I think they should teach it in grade schools. The stuff I’ve learned is like taking a class that was never taught, discussed or offered in or out of school!

Well, I better go! Ishould be working. Yup, ADD and Active Passivity (something I'm working on in DBT) strikes again! http://priory.com/dbt.htm - to get you started if you want to learn more about DBT and BPD. Gotta love those acronyms:-)

Before you can love and help others, you have to love and help yourself (DBT teaches how this can be done w/o guilt/shame or feeling selfish). Have a relaxing evening and remember to take care of yourselves, you deserve it!

[benjimom]

She almost sounds manic like what you would see in a bipolar individual.

[allmymarbles]

It should be noted, however, that there is plenty of evidence that the disability is being over-diagnosed. I don't care what tests they are using. If the results of testing come up with a high percentage of children troubled in this manner, then something is wrong with the tests, or the people interpreting them.

[benjimom]

It doesn't sound like good effects and it sounds like she is very impulsive right now and a little out of control.  

[specialmom]

Absolutely not compnet.  Add/adhd is still diagnosed by physicians and treated by them.  People make reference to teachers diagnosing it but that is not the case.  No teacher can make a diagnosis and write a script for medication.  They can tell you they think this is what is going on and encourage you to act in some way to help your child.  That is all. They do school level evaluations which involve observation and testing and is required for an IEP but this has nothing to do with a medical diagnosis and medication. Parents must take their child to a physician to be diagnosed and treated.  

[compnet]

Have you tried to get him to talk to a councellor or psychiatrist?  He sounds very unstable and it sounds like it could lead to a need for a brief stay in the psych ward or rehab.

[compnet]

I went through all the psychological testing with psychologists and psychiatrists as a child to get my diagnosis.  Is this pretty uncommon nowadays -- getting diagnosed without lots of testing?

[allmymarbles]

I sounds to me like your friend just likes drugs. And since when is a family doctor competent to make the diagnosis of ADD? In any case she doesn't have it, judging by her reaction to Adderall. She is on speed (Adderall) for its own sake. She will probably be able to con her doctor, since she already has.

[candibahr]

My spouse is on Adderral and our marriage has been in turmoil for three years.  He filed for divorce in August.  During our marriage, he would work all hours of the night and not sleep for 2-3 days and then crash on the weekend.  He became increasingly angry and avoidant at the slightest of triggers.  He would leave for several hours and that eventually became nights and then weekends.  I was extremely lonely and walking on eggshells around him.  I started to have anxiety because I just didn't know what to expect when I would spend time with him. He nearly lost his business too.  His partner at could not tolerate his frequent absenteeism.  He would even say he was going to work and his partner would tell me he only worked one day out of 5.  I would spend hours looking for him, expected and assumed he was having an affair.  He would hide out in hotel rooms constantly to avoid any activities that we would plan as a family.  He would get engrossed in a book and stay up all night.  Or engrossed in his work to the avoidance of all other things.

I have urged him to try different medications but he says they do not help his ADHD.  He likes how the adderral makes him feel.  We are trying to mend our relationship now and he is acting like a college kid all over again.  He bought a convertible and totaled it the next day.  He has had 5-6 car accidents in the last year.  He started drinking a lot and is now addicted to singing kareoke and obsessed with his friend the DJ.  He says he is buying a motorcycle next.  He is on this big exercise kick too.  He runs 3 miles a day!  He acts like he has Bipolar fluctuating madly between manic/depression.  

I even called the drug company to report my concerns about the medication.  Shire denies any problems with the medication and says its the abuse of it that is the problem.  I have a feeling that my husband is taking more than he should and running out of it before he can get a script.  He crashes and sleeps and is so vulgar and rude when he doesnt have it; which is now once a month!!!

[choo_choo]

Hi,

I have epilepsy and I take quite a few medications...antipsychotics, antidepressant, stimulant and broncodilators...that lower my seizure threshold and I'm hanging in there.  I see an epilepsy specialist who is very good at keeping things at bay.  I go to my appointments, get routine EEGs and tell him about new medications or changes in my medication doses.  Just because I have epilepsy doesn't mean I can't take Vyvanse or whatever, it just means I have to be careful, keep an eye out for changes and keep in contact with my doctor.  I assume the same holds true for other people.      

[dollyn]

Hi  I would tell your friend  that adderall is just like speed. And it has very bad side effects ,one of the side effects is Seizures and she is also on wellbutrin and that has a warning all of it that it can cause Seizures also. So she shouldn't be on Adderall .

Have they ever done a EEG on your friend .is see she is on topomax  and that is used for seizures also.  she should get an EEG done on her. It may be that she is having Seizures  and not ADD because  ADD can look like Seizures.

[HoneyNut]

Hi trblnfla,

I know that this is an old post, but I would just like to see how your friend is doing now.

You friend should have a set routine of when she takes her Adderall, and should avoid taking it closer at night.  It could also be that your friend may be on too high of a dosage (she should have been started out at 5 or 10 mg).  I take Adderall, and it works wonders, but it will work differently for everyone.  I already suffer from insomnia, and I know that unless I want to stay up all night I need stop taking it no later than 5 PM in order for my sleeping pill to work.

Adderall does list that it can create a feel of false well-being, so you do have a right to be concerned.  It also seems to be more common than uncommon that weight loss does occur with people on Adderall.  Since your friend is only 5'3", her weighing 119 pounds is still within a healthy range, and losing 6 pounds in 8 weeks, is also at a healthy rate.  But it is something that does need to be watched... because it is easy to abuse.

Best of luck.

ʚ- HoᴖeyNᴗt

[adamIScool]

Adderall should relax people with ADD. It relaxes me. She's basically using (abusing?) speed and dumped her boyfriend for no reason, possibly because her endorphines were flowing like crazy and she thought she didn't need him. She might have a tough time getting off it and crash hard. Plus when she gets offensve about her meds, that's a possible indication of drug abuse.

Does her doctor know she also drinks every day? This is not a good recipe.
She's taking an unhealthy mix of stimulants and depressants and the crash could be really hard. I'm wondering what she is or isn't telling her doctor that may be causing him to write this cocktail. Is she getting everything from one doctor?

[Centxbear]

Hello again, I looked up the interaction I talked about and as I said, I am no doctor. I was wrong about the Topamax. I know that it is used in Migraine relief and sezuires, but the one I was thinking of that can be fatal is Imatrex. It is a bad combination. I apologize for the bad information. Also there is a better interaction guide at www.drugs.com.


I do not think that it is wrong for you to be worried about your friend at all. It is because you care about her that you do worry. Alos be careful not to worry so much that you put yourself into a situation where you might need to see a doctor. I know that sounds crazy, but I worried so much about my mother when she was sick with Cancer and passed away in 2005 that I ended up hooked on Xanax. Taking it everyday like candy and larger doses every few weeks. I finally got of of it on a daily basis and just use it for serious panic attacks. Fortunatly I never was a drug user as far as street drugs and I find that I have more control over taking my medicine than others.

It is hard to talk to someone who is taking psycotropic meds and have the discussion go without some defensive response from the friend in need of help. When I first started the Adderall for the second time in my life, last year, I lost about 25 pounds and stayed up for two days at a time and was moody. That has now subsided and the weight loss will stop at a certian point unless she just flat out quits eating. I took Adderall in 1996 till 2000 and it helped me keep a job and get my act straight. If abused though, it can be a problem.

Best of wishes to you and good luck with your friend. It sounds as though you really care about her. As bad as I think they are, an intervention with you and other friends or family may be an idea. I had one and it made me very defensive and I felt like a cornered rat. I felt betrayed and also as though they had no idea of what I was and still am dealing with. It turned ugly and tense and there are still some of my friends that know have a different view and relationship with me.I finally just took my partner to a session with my Psychiatrist and he began to see why I was on all of this stuff. Now if I do not take my meds for a day or two he thinks something is wrong with me.  Centxbear

[Centxbear]

Hi there, I am no Doctor, but I am sure you are not to take Adderall with Topamax. They are a very dangerous combination. I on the other hand have had better results with the Adderall regular tablets. The Dexidrene made me crash like a lead balloon and it actually made me want to take more. The Adderall just kind of wears off and that is it,no crash. But hey, everyone is different and meds react different for different people. I am pretty sure though, that Adderall and Topamax is a No-No. You can check the interactions at webMD.com. No matter how you look at it they are all stimulants, They are all basically amphetamines or some form of an Amphetamine. The only two meds I know of that are not a form of amphetamines and are sometimes used for ADD are Stratera and Provigil. They are all bad for you and they are all a trade off for different people. They do work if you get the right combination. Again, like the others have mentioned, this is just my opinion.

[phil52]

Adderall IS officially classed as an amphetamine. Ritalin (methlphenidate) is NOT classed as an amphetamine.  While people with more severe cases of ADD/ADHD need something stonger, at least, in most adults when ADD/ADHD is reduced from childhood, Adderall may be too strong.  It can cause manic behavior.  Contrary to popular belief, if one does have ADD/ADHD, especially in adults, ritalin ( brands such as Concerta - time released ritalin, may be a better drug.  I know.  I have tried both, and Adderall made me feel like I was buzzing on cocaine or methadrine.  Just my opinion.  Ritalin is a much safer drug for those who suffer from ADD ADHD, especially in adulthood...again, my opinion.

[Mom0F2nTX]

I know from experience that dealing with severe ADD and then not being diagnosed with it until after I  was out of school was hard. But, when I was finally medicated for it, it was a huge relief. I was able to start and finish something in a timely manor. But, when I finally had to get off of the ADDERALL due to pregnancy I didnt realize how dependent I bacame of the drug. I see young children put on it and its sad but sometimes its the only thing that works. I suffered while on the ADDERALL XR with severe mood swings, irritability, appetite change, to where even if i didnt take it i wasnt eating for like 2 or 3 days after I took my last dose. I lost 110 lbs in a little under a year on ADDERALL the doc had me on 55mgs of ADDERALL XR daily.... ADDERALL to me is a leagalized form of meth-amphetamines, or "ice" But like someone said before every drug works differently for each person Adderall in my case is the only one that works for me. But, drinking on the medications she is taking daily isnt the smartest considering that the alcohol makes the drugs do the opposite they are supposed to. the dose your friend is on is a very minimal dose to begin with if she was taking her meds as told then shouldnt have that kind of major personality change. But, once again every drug is different for one person to the next. when i started the adderall I felt like i could do anything cause of me never being tired but, when i would crash i crashed so hard it was painful to get up. its rough adderall is very strong and very affective if taken correctly and not abused. I have talk to my sons friends parents and they talk about taking there kids meds so they can get stuff done . so it is a very addictive drug. I just wanted to give a lil insight. hope i helped a lil but, if not sorry!