Personality change caused from Adderall?

[bamcgee]

I am a junior in college and was diagnosed with ADD last November and as a result my doctor prescribed me two adderall prescriptions. One of them is a 20mg XR and the other is just a regular 5mg. The first 2 months i was taking adderall everything was great, i was doing better in school and I actually started to enjoy studying and learning new material for a change. But for the last month or so, i've noticed a change in my behavior. I feel almost disconnected from reality if that makes since. It's kind of like this semester hasn't really set in yet, even though im over a month into the semester. I've also felt like i've had trouble communicating with people, even people I know really well. I'm having trouble coming up with words to say and i feel like im always either saying the wrong word or taking a while to think of the right word, or i just don't say anything at all. About two weeks ago i started having problems either falling asleep or staying asleep. So i called my doctor and he prescribed me 50mg of trazadone to take at night. The trazadone helps, but i dont want to become dependent on a sleep medication. I know adderall can cause insomnia, but i didn't really notice a difference in my sleeping on days that i took it or didnt take it. Can adderall cause any of these symptoms?

I've had a history of depression, and the first 4 months of 2009 were without a doubt the the most difficult times of my life. I started taking lexipro and budeprion(sp?) for my depression, but i didnt really notice any changes until i started meeting with a psychiatrist. I stopped taking my depression medication in May of 2009, and also stopped meeting with my psychiatrist. After going through depression, I kind of re-prioritized my life and I can honestly say that the last 9 months have been the happiest times of my life. I'm not sure if these symptoms could be related to my depression or not.

Thanks in advance

[JoeyLynn]

RE: Emma746

Uhmmm so your suggestion is for her to replace her drugs to fix her Neurological problem (ADD) and replace it with, what, Joy? Are you from the school of thought that "if I can't see the disability, then it doesn't exist." by any chance?....I am profoundly deaf, use sign-language, but lip-read and socialize with those who can hear. It is a blessing and a curse, and it IS a disability in many ways. But my ADD has caused more problems in my life than my deafness ever did. I suppose I should have just walked outside a little more...that would have solved it. Silly me!

[JESSICASUJSE]

I KNOW THIS IS A YEAR AFTER THE POST BUT EXACTLY EVVVVERYTHING YOU SAID HAPPENED TO ME AS WELL ON ADDERALL, ESPECIALLY DIFFICULTLY  FINDING WORDS, THAT IS THE ADDERALL NOTTTT DEPRESSION. IT HAS TAKEN ME A YEAR TO FULLY HEAL FROM THE PERSONALITY CHANGE ADDERALL DID TO ME. I HOPE U ARE OFF IT AND REALIZE IT IS ADDICTIVE AND VERY HARMFUL TO YOUR BRAIN I LOST EVERYONE AROUND ME BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO ADMIT IT WAS THE ADDERALL, NOW THAT IVE BEEN OFF A YEAR MY AGGRESSION HAS GOTTEN WAYYYY BETTER AND I CAN TALK AGAIN!!!! EVERYONE THOUGHT I WAS STUPID AND I AM VERY HIGH FUNCTIONING

[emma746]

You should know that drugs do not always fix everything. If you return to your doctor after each time you have trouble sleeping or speaking, he will only give you another pill to take every morning. Your best bet may be to stop taking the adderall and sleeping pills and try living naturally. If you find yourself feeling depressed, take a walk outside, the fresh air will do you good. As for difficulty sleeping, after you discontinue your use of adderall, these difficulties should subside. I myself took adderall for some time and after a while I began to feel severely depressed, and have since stopped taking it. I know that you have been taking the adderall for some time now, and that your withdrawl may be an extremely difficult time, but trust me, it will benefit you in the long run. I feel much better now that I have stopped taking it; I am no longer tied down by anything and I feel liberated and happy again. Please do not feel as though drugs are your only source of help. They are a temporary (and often harmful) solution to a serious, longstanding problem. Find the joy in your life to replace them.

[emma746]

You should know that drugs do not always fix everything. If you return to your doctor after each time you have trouble sleeping or speaking, he will only give you another pill to take every morning. Your best bet may be to stop taking the adderall and sleeping pills and try living naturally. If you find yourself feeling depressed, take a walk outside, the fresh air will do you good. As for difficulty sleeping, after you discontinue your use of adderall, these difficulties should subside. I know that you have been taking the adderall for some time now, and that your withdrawl may be an extremely difficult time, but trust me, it will benefit you in the long run. Please do not feel as though drugs are your only source of help. They are a temporary (and often harmful) solution to a serious, longstanding problem. Find the joy in your life to replace them.

[HoneyNut]

I take regular Adderall, so I'm not sure how long the XR last, but I can only assume it's probably 10-12 hours.  Did your doctor recommend that you take both pills at the same time, or your regular 5 mg later in the day?

I take 20-30 mg (in 10 mg pills) of Adderall, but I have been diagnosed with insomnia (due to another disorder).  So I know I shouldn't take my Adderall after 5 PM, since it has a life of 3-5 hours, if I want my sleeping pill to work.  So if you are taking your 5 mg pill later in the day, I would just make sure it's not being taken too late.

If you are having trouble communicating with people, thinking of what to say, and sleeping... these also sounds like symptoms of depression, does it not?  You said you have a history of depression, perhaps you should also look into getting your depression medications changed or tweaked a little now that you are on Adderall.

Adderall is an upper, and can affect sleep, cause agitation and create other side effects; however, it should be helping create a clearer mind, train of thought, etc., not causing them.

Best of luck,

HoᴖeyNᴗt

[dollyn]

Sorry just ready your post.

Adderall can cause a lot of side effects. And one of them is Seizures and it can also cause depression .

Adderall was one of the drugs my son was on until we found out he was having Seizure's. The Adderall changed my son he would be very sleepy during the day and couldn't get him school done and at night he couldn't sleep well. So when his teacher said she thou it was not doing anything for him we changed to Concerta with didn't make things any better, he changed school the next year and the school nurse said she thou he looked like he was having Seizures. I didn't believe it but still told my son doctor, and  because I had been telling him about what his old teacher had said , thou she is the one who pushed for the drugs. he sent him for a EEG and then said he was sorry and that it came back that my son was having Seizures ,I did learn from a Hospital say when we fist found out that the drugs my son had been on could cause Seizure's. I have also learned that ADD and ADHD  can be  mistaken for what is really Seizures. Not all Seizures can be seen witch makes it very hard.

I now give my son Vitamin B6 and Omega 3-6-9 Vitamins to help him . along with all his Seizure medicine.And even on medicine for his Seizures he still has Seizures every day.

There have been cases where people have had stroke's and heart problems along with sudden death ,with have been on Adderall.

If you stop taken any of the drugs they give you need to ask your Doctors how to stop taken them.

And one last thing Adderall is just like Speed , people take it on the street to get a high.