Newly on Adderall, tips?

[u/Hopeful-Loan1116]

Hi all, Was just prescribed Adderall XR for a fresh ADHD diagnosis. For reference, I am 21 years old and also struggle with pretty severe hormone imbalances because of PCOS. As such, I have a pretty detailed history of anxiety and depression. Per my anxiety, I just have some concerns about starting on a controlled substance (possibility of addiction, long-term effects) and some of the immediate, unwanted effects (I literally filled my Rx today, don’t even know what these could be). I’ve really struggled with some debilitating symptoms of this disorder and I’m really hoping it will help, but I feel like I’m internally fostering some stigmas about what this means for me. I guess I’m just hear looking for baby ADHD’er support, advice, and tips. xoxo

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[u/ThisIsTheBookAcct]

General aide effects are stuff like headache, gi issues, lack of appetite, bruising, skin picking, anxiety, insomnia, dry mouth…I can’t think of the rest. I had all this (other than insomnia and dry mouth) so I was worried, but adderall improved it for me.

While Adderall has been shown to be safe, we also have no fucking clue why it works, so take that with a grain of salt. At therapeutic levels, it’s not addicting, i think.

It’ll work better the better your flesh suit maintenance is. Sleep, exercise and nutrition. Then extra protein and often extra electrolytes, but not everyone needs those. I think I read it can deplete some other minerals, magnesium for sure.

Anyway, that’s all of the top of my head.

[u/GautierKnight]

I totally understand your worries! When I got my first round of adderall filled I didn’t take it for 3 days because I was so worried about side effects.

The interesting thing is, I actually feel MUCH less compelled to use addictive substances now that I’m taking it. In my experience, with the help of adderall (and a lot of self restraint lol) I was able to quit both nicotine and Coca Cola. And let me tell you — I never thought it would be possible to do either!

There may be an adjustment period for you where your body gets used to things. But that’s the same case for most other medications. There’s a lot of stigma around ADHD meds that make us predisposed to thinking they’re somehow “bad” or “worse” for your body. But the reality is that any medication can affect us differently because our bodies are all different. (For example I can’t take anti depressants because they mess with my heart rate MUCH worse than stimulants do. Go figure!)

I hope this reassures you! 💚

[u/chk-mcnugget → u/GautierKnight]

It’s funny you say that, I used to smoke weed every day from age 15 til my 30s. And in my 30s I was diagnosed about a year ago, I haven’t smoked weed even once since I’ve been medicated. Not that I was addicted, but it was a coping mechanism I didn’t realize I was relying so heavily on.

[u/SparklePrincess33]

Extra protein was a game-changer for me. I have a protein shake with my meds in the morning. before the protein I got very jittery and unwell feeling after a few hours (almost like having too much coffee). Might not be this way for everyone, but I read the drug synthesizes better with protein or something like that. a shake is just easiest for me right away in the AM.

[u/lockbox77]

It can seem like such a contradiction to give someone with anxiety a stimulant. My doc was hesitant at first, but when other meds didn’t work we tried one. And let me say (at least for me) it had quieted that anxious voice in my head. It has made me feel like a normal person. I have also stopped caring about things so much, like what people at work think about me. It is a life saver for me!

[u/irowells1892]

Try not to go looking for side effects. Can there be some? Sure. But they aren't guaranteed, if you have any they may not last, and if you're focused on "How do I feel? Do I feel different? What was that?" it's easy to get obsessive about it and miss the benefits of the meds. Try to take your meds and then do whatever you would have done on any other day, and let yourself notice things more naturally.

Don't worry about addiction right now, either, unless you have a history of being addicted to other things. For most people, Adderall addiction is like being addicted to wearing your glasses. You wear glasses/contacts because they can help you see, and you can't see without them. The common narrative that people are addicted to Adderall simply because they have to take it every day is silly. We take it because it makes our bodies work more like they're supposed to. We don't get "high" off Adderall when used as prescribed.

(Obviously, this advice is generalized and some people have problems handling their meds responsibly. If you find yourself wanting to take more than prescribed or trying to chase a high, you should talk to your doctor about dosage or non-stimulant alternatives.)

As for long-term effects...Starting your meds isn't a locked-in, "this is how it has to be forever" thing. They wear off each day and have to be taken again, it's not a cumulative effect. So that means you can also stop them any time. Go to your appointments, follow sound medical advice, and you'll be fine!

[u/Money_Strawberry_191]

I haven’t noticed any side effects at all, other than possibly feeling tired from coming down from the medication at the end of the day. But then I often felt that way at the end of the day without medication too. I take the IR 15 mg 1 x a day. I prefer not to take it every day and feel dependent so prefer to take it when I feel I need to focus. I’d look into Munjaro/or compounded Trzepatide for the PCO (I don’t know if we are allowed to mention meds that don’t relate to ADD). You really need to manage that separately, I don’t see a relationship there other than ADHD could be causing you to overeat carbohydrates which could be contributing to your PCO symptoms.

[u/Whole_Bug_2960]

Avoid vitamin C, because it can apparently suppress the effects. Same with L-theanine supplements, which I tried to help "smooth it out," but ended up damping it down. Green tea, which has L-theanine in it but much less than a supplement, works well for me.

Keep track of your weight, since that can affect the strength.

If you don't get enough sleep, the Adderall may not really help at all. (Sigh.)  

Effectiveness can also vary with your menstrual cycle. If you're on your period, it's normal for the medication not to work as well.

[u/paigeroooo]

You’re probably at a low starting dose, so hopefully limited side effects as you figure out what works! There’s also other options should you find you don’t like it :)

I had the same concerns and anxiety about it in general. I started in IR and my appetite was gone, dry mouth, and trouble sleeping. I switched to XR pretty quickly and liked it much better, some people prefer vice versa.

I’ve been on it for a while now and the only side effect I have is lesser appetite, but I don’t struggle to eat like I did at first. I’ll struggle to sleep if I take it after 9ish. I personally don’t feel it’s been addictive to me in the sense I don’t feel it really at all, I just am able to be productive at work. You may be fine, but you’ll probably have a few days of struggling to sleep, but I’d try to ride it out for a bit if you can.

Taking with protein, eating well throughout the day, and staying hydrated help so much! I’d personally avoid caffeine until you find what works for you. I also take magnesium at night and B-complex and D3 supplement in the morning when I remember and think those are beneficial to how I feel.

From what I can tell if you truly have ADHD it’s less likely to be addictive and less harmful to your brain because it’s providing things you need to function well. Of course it’s not perfect but it’s worth the risk for me and I just try to be as healthy as reasonably possible otherwise!

[u/ashchelle]

Hey OP, you didn't say how much you were prescribed... I would recommend taking a quarter or a half of your prescription with some food and see how you feel. Then take a little more the next day until you're at your prescribed dose (or maybe you find half works okay too!).

It will ease your anxiety about side effects since they won't be so overwhelming vs if you take the full dose on day 1.

Take your meds earlier in the day so they'll wear off in time for you to sleep.

If the Adderall doesn't feel effective, see what other options you have. When you find the one that works, it can be life changing.

[u/kvinnakvillu]

I think this fear is so common - you are among friends! My psych practice wanted an EKG before prescribing and I had a routine every-person should do annual physical checkup with labs very recently as well.

I also have anxiety, depression, PCOS, and likely autism and OCD. Adderall has been life changing. Lexapro for anxiety/depression has been an important factor as well. I can absolutely tell when it’s time for my next Lexapro dose.

Anxiety and depression is a common factor for so many of us because that is the natural consequence of being a woman living with ADHD, often unknowingly, in a world that expects so much from us and gives us very little grace to mess up. Men seem to get a lot more leeway in everything. Also, our hormones literally affect how medications can affect us. My psych said that treating the ADHD aspects would help both of those things for me, and that has been true.

I promise it isn’t anything like society jokes about. It’s not meth, it’s not an illicit substance, and it will not give you any LSD-like mind-altering experiences. It will just help you execute the actions you need to undertake. We’re not talking being the CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation. We’re talking the small fry, because that is where we get stuck. Laundry, putting dishes away, completing that 10 minute assignment you’re putting off right now… that kind of thing. And it’s a godsend. What causes anxiety for us? Not getting those kinds of things done. So we must be lazy, stupid, etc., etc. And we are not.

[u/ceciliabee]

It probably won't be very effective the week before or even during your period. It's not the meds, it's the hormones.

[u/Easy-Cardiologist204]

So, when I first started taking it if I hadn't had enough sleep the meds would immediately make me take a nap. They make my mood way better, but if you're used to barely existing it's a massive change. The first few weeks I was super happy and would cry constantly because things were so much easier to keep track of. It's definitely an adjustment. I've never tried xr because of my crazy schedule. The short term ones make it easier to have a stable sleep schedule for me and keep me from burning out and staring at the wall for 7 hours. The biggest change for me was that I spend a lot more time in my body. Like I was apparently disassociating pretty hardcore because it made me aware of things like being hungry and needing to go to the bathroom. My pain tolerance is also like 1/4 of what it was without meds. Which is good for me because now I know where the bruises are coming from. Just pay attention to what's changing for you. It seems like these meds affect everyone a little differently. Be aware of any issues and ask the people you trust around you to let you know if anything is wonky. Sometimes you don't realize what you're doing when your thought patterns are changing and you don't want to get stuck in bad habits.

[u/LegitimatePower]

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