adderall and bloody stools.

I don't have an account here, but I thought I would go ahead and chime in on this topic. There is a lot of good info in this thread, but also a lot of incorrect info. I have a nursing degree and am currently finishing up my law degree... so yes, I also take Adderall lol. My job is pharmaceutical law, so hopefully I can help out a little bit.

I started taking Adderall about 2 1/2 years ago, when I started law school. Taking Adderall constantly and at the recommended dose will create a love/hate relationship with the drug. What it can do for you mentally is unbelievable, but there are many physical side effects (dry mouth, bad breath, tonsil stones, back pain, and bloody stools to name a few). Over the summers, I rarely take Adderall so that my body can recover. I am in my last year of law school, I wanted to end on a high note and so I started the semester off taking every dose of my Adderall. About a month ago, I also started having blood in my stools and on the toilet paper. I've cut back to taking my Adderall four days a week, and I typically don't have blood in my stools the second and third day of not taking it. 

As as been stated above, hemorrhoids are the most likely cause for most of the reports of bloody stools. I disagree however as to the cause of the hemorrhoids. Adderall is much more likely to cause diarrhea than constipation. (Yes dehydration can cause constipation, but the amphetamine is likely to still clear you out). But while taking Adderall, even after emptying nearly your entire bowel, it usually still feels like you have to go. It's like your body wants to get every bit out. And if it's making you go multiple times a day, it is likely that you also want to try and get every bit out. This is what is causing our problem. We are pushing as hard as we can, for a sustained period of time, to get a very small amount of feces out. This causes a hemorrhoid, typically an internal one. This is the same reason that constipation can also cause a hemorrhoid, because you are pushing/baring down too hard. IF IT DOESN'T COME OUT EASY, GIVE UP. 

To help prevent this / not make it worse, drink at least one glass of water/gatorade ect upon waking. Take your Adderall and wait 5-10 min and try to have a bowel movement on the come up. Try to limit the number of bowel movements you take while on Adderall throughout the day, i know it's hard. If it feels like your going to sh*t yourself though, get to the bathroom, but don't stay on the toilet more than a minute or two. It if doesn't flow right out, don't force it. While on Adderall, the blood vessels around your anus are different. In the evening, after you've come down, it's fine to go if you still have the urge. If not, wait till the next morning, rinse and repeat. Also, stay away from other things that make you have to poop, like coffee. We have amphetamines in our system, we really don't need caffeine. 

Echoing what was said before:

Bright red blood in your stool or on toilet paper is likely from a hemorrhoid. Small amounts of bright red blood in the stool is typically not a medical emergency, but it would be wise to see your doctor. Creams and other agents can be used to decrease the burning and itching, while helping it heal. 

Dark colored stools- Black or tar type stools indicates an upper GI bleed. Adderall is unlikely to be the cause. This is a medical emergency, and you should notify your doctor immediately. 

 

Finally, I think it's best to take time off the medication. Even if it's just one day a week, though multi days in a row would be better. Talk to your prescribing physician about this. Most would allow it with Adderall, because it is not like most psych medications that require you to take them non-stop to achieve the benefits. While Adderall stimulates certain parts of your nervous system, it inhibits other parts. The inhibited parts are responsible for your bodies upkeep. I'll try to check back in from time to time if anyone has other questions. 

Not to be rude, but there are too many problems with our healthcare system as a whole to trust any one opinion. I've taken adderall for many years up to 60 mg/day and started having mucus after about a year. I tried everything to fix it and nothing worked. I then found out I had tapeworm and pinworms. It's estimated that 80% of American share this plight. I fixed this issue by changing my diet and balancing other aspects of my life. Now I still take adderall feel great and poop normally.

I overdose on adderall yesterday and just felt with it myself thinking I would be fine now my stool isnt bright red like yours but its solid black an tarry looking and it smells aboslutly horrible. Not like s*** bad but like kinda a rancid smell it's horrible.

I have too experienced this. The first time I had blood on my stool it was after I took Adderall. It was a lot of blood and I freaked. I went straight to the Emergency room. I didn't think anything of the Adderall being the problem until I took it again and the same thing happened. I only have blood in my stool when I take Adderall. So with that being said.. Wednesday I am getting a colonoscopy to check and make sure everything is good. So I will update here if I find anything out.

It usually occurs at high doses of Adderall. I have had multiple colon doctors look at me down there and a couple colonoscopies as a result of this. It's my opinion that it is most definitely due to poor diet, lack of hydration, and prolonged sitting. If you're eating pizza or fast food the stools are much larger and drier. That food is like glue when it gets into our disgestive system, it all just sticks together. Our digestive system wasn't designed for such a diet. Also you might notice a lot of mucus in the tiolet or in your stools.

I would have to agree with you on all the points you mention about the negative effects adderall can have on the body. I don't agree with the idea that you are now stuck for life with this thing that you beleive was brought on by a drug. Have you completely eliminated the adderall? Have you replaced the adderall with a different stimulant? This is where I'm struggling. Finding a replacement that will help my mind without hurting my body. Anyway, I believe that there's probably something that you're sensitive to that keeps the inflammation going. Look into the things you take everyday and see if make you feel better or worse.
My situation is a bit different, as I was already diagnosed with IBD when I started taking the adderall to help me with my straying mind that had been a problem since I was a kid. I am glad that I didn't get medicated in school, but I know it would have helped me tremendously. I can say from 1st hand experience, and really tuning into how I feel when I haven't taken adderall vs when I have, that there's definitely an increase in pain & inflammation when I take it. I've been off adderall for about 9-10 days straight before and if I was inflamed during that time, my intestines do start to show signs of healing and less bleeding and pain. One pill of the adderall after a significant amount of time had past being off of it, gave me this crampy sensation in my gut that I only have associated with the drug. That was the true sign for me that told me that the stimulant was irritating my intestines.
My opinion about diseases is that they can and do change, aren't "life time plagues" (the doctor that tells the patient that and can be reversed and be eliminated by taking the right efforts that are beneficial to our body. Doing this isn't easy because everything in our environement is toxic, but making whatever changes that are possible and healthy will make a difference. Our body is an amazing machine designed to survive and heal from all the toxins we throw at it IF it has the tools (proper nutrient/mineral levels). If we are toxic & deficient, we are pretty much on our way to the grave, slowly dying. We can't be toxic and have nutrient deficiencies and expect our body to repair and function properly. We need to figure out the things that we lack and the know what the toxins are (there's A LOT of labs that can determine this stuff if you go to the right practitioner.. most PCP,MD's NP's are worthless in regards to knowing which type of labs to order btw. They need to have been schooled in a medicine that actually teaches about the importance of nutrition and deficiencies to know anything about them) It's a process of change that any sick person will come to realize when they keep hitting walls trying to get better. There is no easy solutions to these complex problems. Yes, there are pills that might make you feel like you're healthy, but they aren't doing anything for the underlying root issue and while they are silencing your current condition, that drug is probably throwing things off even more in vulnerable areas or even perfectly healthy areas (messing up hormone levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, bone density, ect).
It sucks just surviving and never thriving. I'm fed up and am finally using real helpful solutions that will get me better in time. I believe you can reverse the damage too.

Honestly, it is hemorrhoids. If you don't see a lump, it is probably an internal hemorrhoid that you can't see. Adderall causes diarrhea and/or constipation so it is important to remain hydrated and take fiber. Bright red blood is a sign of hemorrhoids, internal bleeding would be dark red. Adderall is a stimulant much like caffeine is but to a stronger degree and caffeine dehydrates as well as causes you to use the bathroom, both 1 and 2. Diarrhea can cause hemorrhoids too as adderall makes you go! But what does reoccurring diarrhea cause? Dehydration. See a theme?

I took Adderall for almost four years, bled from anus and didn't see doctor. I suffered from excruciating pain months later, found out I had intestinal tear. Not too sure if from Adderall, but now I'm off of it and no more problems with G.I.

If the blood is on the stool only it could be as minor as an intestinal tear which sounds worse then it actually is. Intestinal tears will heal over time. If your husband begins having abdominal pains I would suggest having him stop or slow down on how much he is taking of the adderall and speak with a health care provider. If your husband begins having an excess of blood coming from his rectum (dripping out and not stopping for 15-20 minutes) that is most likely and intestinal ulcer that has torn and symptoms like that need to be brought up to a doctor immediately to prevent further damage. In all, if its just a little bit theres not much to worry about. The drug is an amphetamine base drug which can have those symptoms at times.

Well now that I read these stories I'm realizing it is the adderral does wonders for adhd/add. But I've been suffering from an anal fissure for almost 5 years
which is a tear in the anus:( plus hemroid .. I have been getting adjustments which help plus fiber intake and sits baths.Oh and botox injections straight to the sphincter muscle didn't work and OMG pain..... Still suffer in pain definitely going to talk to the doctor about the adderal . I won't get the surgery for repairs. Which include a colonoscopy bag or them sewing up you're sphincter and attaching it to some other tissue in you're rectum Don't want any other complications....Miserable

"I then found out I had tapeworm and pinworms. It's estimated that 80% of American share this plight. I fixed this issue by changing my diet" is misinforming a statement. Parasites can not be treated by diet changes.

24yo male in good shape. I've been on adderall for over two years and for months now have been experiencing similar issues. Hard, dark, difficult to pass balls of stool that I didn't suspect to be digested blood until my nose started bleeding randomly the other day, and I have symptoms of anemia every few days. I also have large of amounts of oil in every bowl movement, this happens after eating any amount of fat from every source(coconut oil, olive oil, butter) I've tried. I have also developed an allergy to nuts, legumes, and eggs in the past couple months, foods I have eaten all my life.

I'm sure I have hemorrhoids(have the "ball" around anus, and a feeling of stool being blocked before reaching anus), but what I do not understand is the oil in stool. I don't think it's my gallbladder as I don't(usually) have pain in that area and bile salts do not help.

In the interest of keeping this post relatively short I won't continue with my other symptoms, basically my entire GI tract is screwed in one way or another and who knows how treatable it is at this point. I did manage to quit adderall for 3 months but the symptoms did not go away(thinking back I may not have had the oil problem when I quit). I echo the hypothesis from another poster that while adderall may not have "caused" these issues, I'm sure they wouldn't have developed without me taking it daily as prescribed, these symptoms really have ruined my life.

Read everything you can about vaccinations, there's plenty on both sides of your argument. I'm just glad you didn't say vaccinations lead to autism, which is completely bogus and has been scientifically disproved over and over...

I don't believe it's the adderall. If it helps you, i was diagnosed with UC when I was 15 years old and now I'm 25. I was prescribed adderall after diagnosed with UC because of my inability to focus which was almost a year after. So my UC came first before anything. So I don't think adderall was the cause but merely a coincidence. just my personal experience and opinion.

Have uc and it happens