Adderall

[sparksc1]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and was wondering how many of you tried adderall before and how well it worked for you. I am going to the doctor soon and was thinking about asking him to try it. Thanks.

Chris

[sparksc1]

bump

[Kitsakatsa]

First of all, I don't think they will prescribe it for you for grades falling off. You have to think about what you suffer from POTS and how Adderall will help relieve that symptom. Until a few months ago, I worked in medical and had a high enough position to be privy to daily med alerts, trends, issues with doctors etc. There is a HUGE crack down that is starting on "college drugs". There have been alot of doctors prescribing this purely for grades alone and it has caused a major problem because it is likely to be stolen, shared and is a sched I drug. A sched I drug is the most addictive drug there is. So that is just a taste of why you received that reaction. Records are being scrutinized by many state credentialing agencies.

So, I am taking Adderall and the symptom that I could point to was "cognitive clouding". I simply have a hard time thinking. I tried ritalin, but it made me secretly angry at everyone. I went off that and then read an article on Adderall. I have enjoyed much success with it and it made all the difference before I went into disability ( I have progressive POTS). So it is entirely possible that you are experiencing the same clouding.

So, in summary. I think it would help your doctor if you pointed to a POTS symptom that could be relieved by Adderall. As far as what type of doc would be most likely to address this with you- I would assume Neurology or Internal Medicine (what mine is).

Hope this helps.

Kits

[houswoea]

I take a stimulant drug for narcolepsy, it's different, but I feel it has the same affect. I've had AD/HD since I was a kid.

So my suggestion is try a sleep doctor. Lots of pots people have sleep problems, and they may prescribe something for that.

As a special education major, I have to throw in the disclaimer... don't take it if you can't live without it. Since it kills your appetite it may make things worse in the end... and if you need to sleep but can't because of stimulant medication it just ***** all around. That's the biggest problem I've had. Needing to rest to help with the tachycardia but not being able to do so.

Well, that and it actually can cause tachycardia, so sometimes it's like a lose-lose battle.

Ps, caffeine is a stimulant too... I learned in school that it can act on the brain in a similar enough way to be sufficient for some, although it is addictive too

Oh yeah, and if you want to get tested for an attention disorder, that could speed up the process if you think it's plausible. Why did you take it before?

[dsdmom]

Kits,

Glad to see your post on this. I just tried Ritalin this week and really don't like it. Feel awful coming off it especialy - even at a super low dose. My pcp said she had better luck w/ ritalin than adderal (with her patients) but my psychiatrist told me the opposite. I suppose it is very individual but I will ask my pcp to try adderal next. What dose do you take?

[sparksc1]

I take a stimulant drug for narcolepsy, it's different, but I feel it has the same affect. I've had AD/HD since I was a kid.

So my suggestion is try a sleep doctor. Lots of pots people have sleep problems, and they may prescribe something for that.

As a special education major, I have to throw in the disclaimer... don't take it if you can't live without it. Since it kills your appetite it may make things worse in the end... and if you need to sleep but can't because of stimulant medication it just ***** all around. That's the biggest problem I've had. Needing to rest to help with the tachycardia but not being able to do so.

Well, that and it actually can cause tachycardia, so sometimes it's like a lose-lose battle.

Ps, caffeine is a stimulant too... I learned in school that it can act on the brain in a similar enough way to be sufficient for some, although it is addictive too

Oh yeah, and if you want to get tested for an attention disorder, that could speed up the process if you think it's plausible. Why did you take it before?

I took it to help with low energy and brain fog, but twoards the end it started to really only last 4 hours when i would have classes all day. so i think a second or even third daily dose would do some good.

thanks for both your feedbacks thoug

[sparksc1]

im sure if i showed him both of these articles he would allow me to try it right??

http://www.cfsnova.com/OI_and_Treatment.pdf

http://www.dynakids.org/Documents/newsletter5.pdf

[Noreen]

[quote name='dsdmom' date='Aug 13 2010, 10:18 AM' post='144373

I take 10 mg of Adderal in pill rather than the time release. I took up to forty when I was working.

[Stace915]

I take 10mg oft the adderall XR and then once I feel like that is starting to wear off (which is usually around 1pm..depending on how early I take it), I switch and take 10 mg of midrodrine every 3 hours. The adderall makes a huge difference for me, the only thing, which I have never noticed is my bf always knows that I have just taken my meds because he says I talk a mile a minute for a little while right after I have taken the adderall, but it doesn't make me feel jittery or anything. Mornings are by far the worst for me and the adderall seems to make enough of a difference for me that most days I can get up and take a shower (sitting down of course), but I still have days like today that I am bed bound.

[Noreen]

I take 10mg oft the adderall XR and then once I feel like that is starting to wear off (which is usually around 1pm..depending on how early I take it), I switch and take 10 mg of midrodrine every 3 hours. The adderall makes a huge difference for me, the only thing, which I have never noticed is my bf always knows that I have just taken my meds because he says I talk a mile a minute for a little while right after I have taken the adderall, but it doesn't make me feel jittery or anything. Mornings are by far the worst for me and the adderall seems to make enough of a difference for me that most days I can get up and take a shower (sitting down of course), but I still have days like today that I am bed bound.

My experience too Stace except I take the short acting version but the time frames are the same.

[Stace915]

Reen- that makes me wonder, if all of this midridone info is true and it goes buh-bye, I wonder if adderall is a suitable replacement for it. The way that Dr.Grubb has explained it to me is that adderall and midrodrine are made out of the same compound but adderall has an added stimulant in it. I am going to leave a message at his office now and see if I can get anyone on the phone.

[Noreen]

Stace-

The only problem is for those of us who have sleep issues. Insomnia can be a bear and I try to be careful about things that interfere with sleep. My migraines have been wicked and, strangely, fiorinal keeps me up. More so than can be explained by caffeine content.

Do they have to pick on us - no alternatives and sensitive to everything!

[Stace915]

Good point, I don't sleep well either.. and if I have any sort of caffiene at 2pm then I do not go to sleep at all... ugh.

[sparksc1]

I went to the dr. and she said she would have to do some "research" before she perscribed this. anything i can show her to sway her opinion? i even printed out some of the posts on here and showed her how much it helped everyone. im at a loss now.

[scarfgirl]

I went to the dr. and she said she would have to do some "research" before she perscribed this. anything i can show her to sway her opinion? i even printed out some of the posts on here and showed her how much it helped everyone. im at a loss now.

Because of all the scrutiny given to ADD meds lately, GP's are scared to write scripts for them. If you want to try Ritalin I suggest seeing a psychiatrist or other specialist.

I'm just now starting on Ritalin. So far so good. Took Adderall in the past, but it made me want to die after a while. Hoping the same won't happen with the Ritalin, especially since Midodrine may be going away soon.

[kayjay]

Doc at mayo would not prescribe but I am hyper pots. he said these drugs raise blood pressure and might be hard on the liver... wish I could take it for my fatigue. Do any of you have high blood pressure from hyper POTS and take this?

[Fawnvet]

P

[Fawnvet]

I have been to the Mayo Clinic and have EDS dysautonomia and MCAS. The brain fog is completely debilitating and I can’t work most days. I am exhausted all the time. My friend gave me two 15 mg Adderall to try at my request. I wanted to try it before asking my dr for it in case it didn’t work. I’m already on 6 meds. It was a tremendous improvement. I only took 1/2 tablet on four different days when I would be doing completely different things to test its efficacy   It worked in every case. I could stand and be active longer. The brain fog was considerably helped. Even my mood was great but perhaps that’s bc I wasn’t in bed all day. Haha.  My heart was ok with it which surprised me but I am on 50 mg of metoprolol.  Going to ask my GP for it but I am afraid he will not believe me. I have tried so many things over the past 20 Year’s. 

[Pistol]

@Fawnvet - here is the link to an article written about the use of Ritalin for treatment pf POTS: 

https://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/files/files/stars/For Clinicians/Methylphenidate POTS.pdf#:~:text=Methylphenidate has been shown to be an effective,postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS) has not been reported.

Maybe your doc will order it for you once he reads it. 

[Sushi]

My autonomic specialist prescribed adderall for me at low doses (about 5 mg as I remember). It was indeed helpful. At low doses it didn't seem to have many side-effects though "coming down" from it did not feel great. In the end I used it only when I had to do a task that required extra energy or concentration, as I have heard of people becoming tolerant to it and needing to raise the dose. One downside is that it is hard to get a doctor to prescribe it and if they do, they have to write a paper script each month rather than prescribing it electronically. He also had me try ritalin but, for me, Adderall was more comfortable as it combines four types of amphetamine salts, each with a different half life.