adderall for both ADHD and eating disorders

I am 19 and was just put on adderall by my doctor. First dose was today. Both him and my psychiatrist suggested either this or stratera. I have had both anorexia and from summer-present, bulimia nervosa. Also suffering from post traumatic stress (rape) from last year. Anxiety and slight depression are somewhat of a factor, but ADHD has been the main problem. I am wondering if anybody is in the same boat? Can the Adderall help control the eating impulsivity? Also, is anybody on combinations (anti-dep and ADHD meds)? Any suggestions of info would be much appreciated.

I am currently on adderall XR and my situation is very similar to the one you described. I have suffered from an eating disorder for 8yrs (mostly bulimia) and have suffered from depression for about the same time. I had been placed on many anti-depressant drugs and the doctors always said that once they could get my depression under control the eating disorder would go away also. After many different drugs, nothing worked and after disscussing with my doctor symptoms I had of adult add/adhd she placed me on adderall. It has been the best thing that ever happened to me! It allows me to focus on other things besides binge/purge and because it does curb your appetite it allowed me to think of other things than food for the first time in a long while! I do think the best cure for eating disorders/depression is figuring out why and where it came from (talking to a pshycologist/psychiatrist), but while working out those issues adderall saved my life!

I've heard [and read in the pamphlet] that anyone with an eating disorder should not take Adderall. other than probably COE. Most likely because it does suppress appetite and eating disordered people might be more likely to abuse it. I've had anorexia for about 4 years and I just don't mention it to my psychiatrist.
I'm not on anti-depressants but I am on Lamictal [for bipolar] and both medications are working fine...

I've been able to lose a significant amount of weight since I have been taking Adderall for ADD. It isn't just that it reduces your appetite. I find it has made me feel so much better about myself that I no longer eat to feel good, and I'm less stressed out, so goodbye stress-eating, and I find so many activities enjoyable now that I can focus on them that food-as-entertainment has kind of taken a back seat to these other pursuits. But the most surprising thing is that I feel that I can choose not to eat even when I do feel hungry, for example, if I know I'll be eating a big meal later, or I just want to continue losing weight. Maybe it's because I don't feel so emotionally dependent on food or maybe it's because I feel more in control of myself.

If you have ADD/ADHD then you already know how we beat ourselves up and punish ourselves, and this leads to depression and low self-esteem. Once you start to experience what it's like to have a brain that actually works the way it's supposed to, all that changes and you start to feel really empowered and able to make choices you never felt were possible before.

Hey, I suffered from a severe case of bulimia for 15 years. It totally controlled my life. My esophagus constantly hurt and my teeth were in horrible shape. I was so depressed. I saw shrinks on a weekly basis. I took Paxil and it helped a bit. I was diagnosed with ADD (I had it all my life) and prescribed Adderall. I have a life now!!! I have totally quit binging & purging. The thought of it is disgusting to me. I truly believe that the bulimia would have killed me. I am very productive at work. I can focus and work quickly instead of being in a constant fog trying to plan my next binge & purge session. I have been taking Adderall for about 8 years. I guess in all I have lost 3 pounds or so. I no longer fear my esophagus is going to rupture and when I go to the dentist I don't have tons of cavities! There are so many people that have a negative attitude towards Adderall. I am sure they have not been in such situations as I described earlier.

First of all, I was put on adderall and it actually is what CAUSED me to have an eating disorder. It changed my life, and not for the better like all you thiink it has. I did think it was better at the time of course, i had lost a lot of weight, it was easy to not eat, the more i took the more i lost. Now that I'm better I see how much it messed up my life and i'm still working at trying to accept my body. It hard. But you people who think adderall is good because you finally dont have to throw up anymore to get thin because now, with adderall, you can actually CONTROL yourselves when eating, YOUR CRAZY! I reccomend you get serious help because anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder! Get off adderall, get help, and recover.

I have also suffered from both anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and one thing I can say is that being on Adderall XR has helped me so much to focus on other things than just food. I can focus in school, at home, and especially with my 22 month old daughter, who is my world. However I have also lost weight in a short amount of time, which is a common side effect of the Adderall XR. Being as both my mother and doctor know my circumstances, I now have to come in once a month to the doctor's office to be weighed. This DOESN'T help in my recovery, because then I feel like I'm doing something wrong, that I don't deserve to be on the Adderall XR because of as side effect that, if under different circumstances than my own, wouldn't be such a problem. I thought I was more than just a number, that everyone could see that the Adderall XR does in fact help my concentration 100%. It shows in my school work, at home, at work...yet everyone only sees it as my way of not eating.