Quit Adderal after 5 years...shocked by how I feel...

[yellowlovesgray]

I'd been on a high dose of Adderall for ADD and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I stopped it in December, and last week I started to feel normal. The last 3 days, I feel better than I've felt in YEARS. I also gained about 70 lbs., oddly, on Adderall and had so much stomach bloat I thought I had Cushing's -- my body turned into that shape and I got moon face..

I cannot believe, even with short med vacations, how terrible I felt. I got used to it. I had fatigue beyond fatigue, I felt drained. My muscles were constantly test. I was all kinds of more depressed, panicky, etc. espeiclaly if I didn't have it. I couldn't function without it.

I DO have ADD, and it's hard for me to find the drive to do actual work, but I feel normal again and like living and having fun. I can't believe it took close to 6 months though. So strange. Non-stim ADD meds don't really work for me, so not sure what I'll do next since I tried Ritalin too. But oh well, I'm happy to not feel like death. I literally wouldn't leave the house for a month at a time and definitely not bed more than a few times a day, everything hurt. I watched a TON of tv and Youtube because it was the most I could do most days.

Anyone else have this happen? 

[bizygal]

I can't function without Adderall, just as you stated, I am afraid to stop.  However, my arthritis and muscle pain/weakness is worse than ever, so much pain, I cannot do my job anymore.  I am supposed to take two, 10mg tabs/day but often just take one, and with this I get about 4 hours of a normal feeling, somewhat less pain, where I am motivated enough to connect with people, research ideas, do household chores and smile.

It would be great to hear about your first 6 months without Adderall.  Don't know what I would do without it.

[Michelle1]

I got off adderall after being on it for 15 years!!!  I was tired but I started to feel better after about 1 month.  I was on 20 mg a day XR.  After 5 1/2 mos, i went back on it.  I needed to work and make some money.  I hate it.  But it is helping me get work done.  I'm going off again in springtime.  I am going into a roommate situation and try doing something else for a living so I can stay off of it!!!  

[Blahblah]

2 hours ago, Michelle1 said:

I got off adderall after being on it for 15 years!!!  I was tired but I started to feel better after about 1 month.  I was on 20 mg a day XR.  After 5 1/2 mos, i went back on it.  I needed to work and make some money.  I hate it.  But it is helping me get work done.  I'm going off again in springtime.  I am going into a roommate situation and try doing something else for a living so I can stay off of it!!!  

Feeling better after only 1 month? Lucky. I've had a 1 month break from Ritalin (after 3 years) and I've been unable to leave my bed... never been so lethargic, apathetic, disinterested in all my life. Needless (and sadly) to say, I'll be re-instating and will probably need to keep increasing the dose (like a drug fiend) in order to function. Just great. 😖

Edited January 17 by Blahblah

[saintalto]

I quit concerta after having been on it for over 10 years and I felt a wider range of feeling and had more energy without it. It felt like it had flattened me a lot and made my range of emotion limited. I do not want to go back on meds for my ADD because I’ve found ways to deal with it that are behavior based and they work just as well for me for the most part as meds did.

[notloki]

On 6/2/2018 at 6:21 AM, yellowlovesgray said:

I'd been on a high dose of Adderall for ADD and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I stopped it in December, and last week I started to feel normal. The last 3 days, I feel better than I've felt in YEARS. I also gained about 70 lbs., oddly, on Adderall and had so much stomach bloat I thought I had Cushing's -- my body turned into that shape and I got moon face..

I cannot believe, even with short med vacations, how terrible I felt. I got used to it. I had fatigue beyond fatigue, I felt drained. My muscles were constantly test. I was all kinds of more depressed, panicky, etc. espeiclaly if I didn't have it. I couldn't function without it.

I DO have ADD, and it's hard for me to find the drive to do actual work, but I feel normal again and like living and having fun. I can't believe it took close to 6 months though. So strange. Non-stim ADD meds don't really work for me, so not sure what I'll do next since I tried Ritalin too. But oh well, I'm happy to not feel like death. I literally wouldn't leave the house for a month at a time and definitely not bed more than a few times a day, everything hurt. I watched a TON of tv and Youtube because it was the most I could do most days.

Anyone else have this happen? 

40 mg is not that high, 60 is the max, 60 would be a high dose although some go higher to like 90 mg.

[Sephiroth999]

I hope the "Eddie Morra" feeling doesn't go away. It REALLY DOES work that way for me. 

 

Edited February 14 by Sephiroth999