ADD/Adderall

[APE]

After a long hiatus on taking any sort of psychoactive drugs (prescription only of course) I've been put on Adderall XR for ADD. It seems to help with classes and long "mundane" soldering jobs became incredibly entertaining. I was wondering if the rest of you have had any experiences with this drug or similiar ones like Ritalin.

[MoBoRoS]

The only thing I know about these drugs is that they should be taken only in serious cases of ADD (ADHD maybe?).. methamphetamins and amphetamins are really strong drugs and some of my friends who are taking them have had some really abrupt reactions in cases where they shouldn't, such as burst in to tears with no aparrent reason etc.

Adverse effects

Stimulant medications, including Adderall and methylphenidate (Ritalin), have a high abuse potential. Adderall carries the same risk of sudden death, stroke, and heart attack in patients with pre-existing heart conditions as methylphenidate and other stimulants used to treat ADHD, as well as the same risk of seizures in patients with a history of seizures.[1][26] Studies of long-term use of Adderall and methylphenidate in children have shown a temporary decrease in growth rate that does not affect final adult height.[27] Stimulant medications also decrease appetite in some people, leading to weight loss, and this effect is more common with Adderall than methylphenidate[27] or Strattera. Changes in vision have been reported with both Adderall and methylphenidate.[1] [26]

[Enigmus]

I took the stuff in 3rd grade, NEVER AGAIN. I barely talked, and it was not good, with all the health risks. In fact, I function better without it.

[graphique]

I was wondering if the rest of you have had any experiences with this drug or similiar ones like Ritalin.

Nope, I obviously don't go to the right parties.

[APE]

Nope, I obviously don't go to the right parties.

Well it's not really a party when you give a shrink $10 to see you and then $5 for a prescription (praise FSM for insurance).

The stuff hardly has an effect on me but I was curious if that was normal for an adult or not. As a kid I was given dexedrine and aside from making a creative, somewhat-overactive kid quiet, calm, and of course "under control" it kept me up all night. Seem to not be having any trouble getting to sleep at all though.

[MoBoRoS]

Lol.... I'm sensing an immunity to drugs XD
how many have you been taking lately? :P
lol

[Arkanoid]

I took it from 5th grade to the beginning of 7th grade. It changed me. On it I would be reclusive and depressed. I am normally a very outgoing person but I was practically anthrophobic. I would spend hours in the elementary school bathroom and lock myself in there for no particular reason. I was therefore made fun of constantly which didn't help matters. So if anybody want's to give this shit to your kids, don't! It will seriously fuck them up.

[Taemos]

I'm currently talking to a psychiatrist to see if I can get a prescription. I have a really hard time studying and paying attention in class. I'll try to listen or read and often I find my thoughts drifting off onto something else. My GPA is pretty crappy and if I don't shape up I'll get kicked out of school.

With my first visit to the psychiatrist he said I have some symptoms of ADD (which, by the way, I think is kind of a bullshit "disorder" - who wants to work on something that bores them?), so we'll see how it goes.

APE, I've heard a few people say that Adderall XR inhibits their ability to sleep, since it's time release and often the second dose will come on way too late. Has anything like this happened with you?

[APE]

Lol.... I'm sensing an immunity to drugs XD
how many have you been taking lately? :P
lol

Just the prescribed dosage. I've been like this since day 1 honestly.

As for the sleep, it can eliminate it or make it 2 hours sleep, 1 hour awake, 2 hours asleep and so on all night. Extremely annoying and disorienting.

[Taemos]

Try cracking open the capsules, crushing the beads, and taking it then. Crushing the beads destroys the time-release coating and essentially makes it "regular" adderall.

[MoBoRoS]

Try cracking open the capsules, crushing the beads, and taking it then. Crushing the beads destroys the time-release coating and essentially makes it "regular" adderall.

Weird stuff you are experimenting with, son..

[Barc0de]

i ve sniffed Ritalin quite a few times and I can say it's really good to have fun,study and have a joint with, but it's not the sort of thing I d make a habit out of. That stuff wears your body out in high dosages.

[Taemos]

Weird stuff you are experimenting with, son..

I talked to my dad awhile ago and I'm pretty sure you're not him.

It's not an experiment; it's called simple chemistry. Stomach acids eat away at the outer coating of the beads, but this takes time, hence extended release. If this coating isn't there, then there's nothing to break down and it goes through your system faster.

I was suggesting it so that APE might get a normal sleeping pattern again. If I get Adderall XR I plan on doing the exact same thing.

Snorting any kind of amphetamine will wear out your heart pretty quickly, so I'd advise against it if anyone had it in mind.

edit: ah snap 3,000 posts

[feder]

I think that I should my personal experience.

I only have some OCD symptoms, like washing my hands, I usually washed them 6 times a day, at one point they started bleeding and I could barely move my hands. Thankfully I was strong enough to stop doing that, my family started getting worried about my health, but it wasn't easy, I had an extremely difficult time because I constanly felt unclean and wanted to wash my hands with alcohol or detergent. So if ADD is something purely psychological (like OCD) don't take drugs or anything like that, just be strong and try to change your habits. To make it short, drugs will not help you if you don't change things completely, just be calm and think about it, maybe it'll help you. :thumbsup:

[Taemos]

It's easy to say that until you've experienced it. Studying takes me hours and I retain hardly anything from it because it's so difficult to stay focused. I don't like the idea of taking amphetamines to help me study, but I've been trying to tackle this problem for almost a year and this is pretty much my last resort.

[Borman]

Just curious, have you tried multiple studying habits? Im not hear to knock a drug or not, just more of a trying-to-get-a-bigger-picture thing, and the things you tried prior :P

[Taemos]

I've tried studying at different times, places (going to the library/solarium/study hall/etc), eating before/after, etc. Some things work better than others, but in the end my record for actually getting work done was about a solid two hours worth of studying for a psychology class. Otherwise it's just fragmented sessions of reading a little and wandering off to do something else.

Generally I just go over notes right before a test. This will usually net me a 70-88%, depending on the class.

I almost never studied for anything in grade school and got consistently high grades. I wavered a bit in high school but didn't make anything below a C (with the exception of two classes, one math and one taught by a ephebophile).

I still think ADD is a cop-out, and I just find most of the material boring, but that doesn't mean I want to fail out of college. I hear those college degree things can get you a decent job...

[nanoseq]

Hmm... I was almost addicted to Adderall. The first few times I took it, it was like being in this state of extreme mental clarity and euphoria. Mundane tasks were fun and interesting, and it was effortless to talk and get my feelings out. My girlfriend and sat on the couch to talk and my room mate walked past us to leave for work/school. When he came back 5-6 hours later (I think it was), we were still there talking! hahah.

But after a while that went away and it started becoming a drug. Speed. I mean, it's a mix of amphetamine salts. It would give me this huge body high and it seemed like the more I used it, the more intense it was. That's when I started getting cravings/withdrawals and realized how stupid I was being.

Using it once a month is fine, don't abuse it. And be aware that without a prescription, it's illegal to use. If you're prescribed, it's not addictive or "speed-like", just ADD medication.

[APE]

I've tried studying at different times, places (going to the library/solarium/study hall/etc), eating before/after, etc. Some things work better than others, but in the end my record for actually getting work done was about a solid two hours worth of studying for a psychology class. Otherwise it's just fragmented sessions of reading a little and wandering off to do something else.

Generally I just go over notes right before a test. This will usually net me a 70-88%, depending on the class.

I almost never studied for anything in grade school and got consistently high grades. I wavered a bit in high school but didn't make anything below a C (with the exception of two classes, one math and one taught by a ephebophile).

I still think ADD is a cop-out, and I just find most of the material boring, but that doesn't mean I want to fail out of college. I hear those college degree things can get you a decent job...

Sounds like me in a nutshell. ADD is for the most part a cop out, one of my friends takes Adderall because she uses it to stay up all night studying/doing work. It wears her out quickly and it quite obvious when she has done it the next day as she looks like hell and is downing "energy" drinks.

My sleep patterns have changed in the last few years. I'm only 22 and used to sleep from 10-12 hours a night now its gone down to 5 hours with or without the XR. I was given various sleep aids (stay the FUCK away from ambien for the record unless you want to arrange a date while you think you're asleep) and some work like seroquel.

As for studying it helps but then my natural instincts kick in and instead of studying for a class I'm not terribly interested in (like math) I prefer to spend my time focused on Wikipedia or soldering :nod:.

My body's biopharmacology is unique though. I can go without sleep for 2 days and function just fine. Other times I'll be like living with an angry gorilla. I also burn an obscene number of calories per day doing absolutely nothing which is why I was able to drop 30lbs in a month simply by exercising and dropping my caloric intake by about 1/3rd. I also don't get addicted to anything. I feel withdrawls but my instinct is to ride it out rather than put more of whatever it was I was taking in my system. Probably why I've never become an alcoholic despite genetic tendencies in my family.

[MoBoRoS]

I talked to my dad awhile ago and I'm pretty sure you're not him.

You fail at irony.... :110:
Anyhow.. Even though i am not a doctor i think this stuff is very strong and should not be taken.. If it does not have an effect on you you should not take a greater dosis or so.. It could have a negative impact to your health.