HOW to stop taking adderall without WEIGHT GAIN??

I'm glad to have found this post bc as of RIGHT now, I am about to end this spring semester of my sophomore year and CUT adderall out fo my life. I have ADD, and have been prescribed some sort of Rx meds since 3RD or 4Th GRADE! So I'm going to see what it does. When I don't take my adderall... OMG, I am a slug, I eat and eat and eat and never get full. It is AWFUL.
To get myself off of this I'm going to do a Ion Foot Cleanse Detox, and a Master Cleanse to jump start one HELL of a healthy lifestyle bc I feel vital vitamins, foods (such as superfoods) are essentials as well as working out and will lead your body to prosper.. I just hope my ADD doesn't get in the way...
And YES, I'm glad some people have noticed the color of their skin... Mine is SO white, its creepy looking...ew.

anonymous wrote:

I don't know who to believe in this forum. It just seems odd to me that a bunch of people suggest that you never go off it. I have been on Adderall for a little over a year and my agitation is pretty high. I have always been easily annoyed but in the past year it has been a little worse. I really do see all of the benefits from it regarding my concentration, motivation, and ambition but I have to wonder if this is safe. I have wanted to quit but I don't know if it is the right thing to do at this point in my life. I kind of like being as motivated as I am and I like getting things done.

I have been on Adderall for 5 non-stop years. Every bit of what everyone here is saying is 100% true. You go ahead and stay tuned in and there will be a lot of things that you will find odd. If you take 1 whole week off ever so often, you will keep perspective of this whole thing. This medication has helped me do what i could not do alone. It is truly wonderful. But it is human nature to question how wonderful the wonderful is. After 5 years on, i have taken a 1 week break and i will continue my meds on this Monday. I have added a big boost of B-vitamins to my daily regimen and have been maintaining well!
If you only have a year in this, saddle up partner...It will have its ups and downs, but you will learn a whole lot about yourself and life. I have seen the inside of out and the upside of down, but it's gonna be alright! :)

275mg of Adderall.. Is an extremly high dose.. Are you Pos thats what you were taking?? I find that hard to believe..

I found this site to be so helpful.

PLEASE MESSAGE ME! I am almost 30 as well and our experiences have been very similar. I am about to begin the journey of "recovery from adderall and would like to know how you are doing... You are living proof that it is possible to regain some semblance of normal after being in an adderall Coma for the past 10 years of our life.
Please help. Message me. We can be a good support team to one another throughout this unpleasant journey of reclaiming our life!
Xoxo,
Lmp2294

anonymous wrote:

Wow...I'm in the same situation. I'm about to turn 30 and I've been on various dosages of Adderall for the past 13 years. I'm currently prescribed 30mg (time release) and 20mg (immediate release). I am also on wellbutrin - 450 mg. I'm in the process of stopping my adderall b/c, despite the positive effect it has had on my studying and concentration, I just know it cannot be good for me in the long run. Among other things, I'm worried about the damage it may be causing to my liver. It's an amphetamine...I'm not a doctor, but from personal experience, I know that the effects of this prescribed 'narcotic' is not much different from speed and/or cocaine.

I also relate to the post before mine...I have mood swings. I lash out at the people who care most about me. I shut myself in and shun regular social interaction. .

I lost a 5 year relationship b/c of my overall change in attitude. I was miserable to be around - period.

I'm a bit concerned by the people on this board who suggest that you should not quit this drug. The mere fact that you thought about quitting leads me to believe it would probably be a good decision. If you quit - at least for a while - you'll be able to know firsthand if you need the drug or not.

Like so many of you mentioned, I too dread the thought of weight gain. I suffered eating disorders all throughout high school/college and I still struggle. Adderall managed my food for me - my food intake was low and in turn, I stopped purging, etc. I lost some weight, but I also lost desire to workout. I'm not fat, but as a former athelete, I can assure you I am out of shape!!

I've been off the medication for a little over a week and I feel so much more clear-headed. Instead of worrying about gaining weight, I am focusing my energy on getting back into shape. I hadn't worked out in a year and this past week, I've worked out 5 days (eek I'm sore...but it feels good). The zest for life is coming back - slowly of course...but it's coming back. I am even thinking about taking rock climbing lessons. In short, I am starting to feel more like a human and less like a drone.

Take my experience for what you will...everyone is different. I'm hoping I'll stay away from adderall, but I can't make any promises...it's a very alluring drug.

Do not listen to those insiting you take the drug. The problem is that you know how to get off it effectively such as... **Slowly lowering the dosage** most of all over a long period of time, routine, exercise, sleep etc. The problem is there is no easy fix, these are all easier said than done. Your question is not really "how do i do it" it is "how do i do it easily." The answer is it wont be easy at all, no withdrawal is, and you withdrawal from all drugs. You will most likely feel lazy, hungry, and probably turned on all the time getting off these and you need the self control and determination to pull through. To work out and study when it is physically draining or seems pointless. If you fail, you can always go back on, but you will go back more experienced and the break will mean a lower tolerance to the drugs.

Good luck, don't buckle.

-John

I wish I knew a better answer than the obvious, keep working out and fight the urge to sleep and eat everything under the sun. I didnt do this when I went off of it for three months. I went from 130 to 170!!!! I hate myself right now. I lost my job to top it off so that might have added to the urge to stuff my face with cookies and icecream and sleep until noon.....  today is my second day of my diet. I have to lose this as quickly as I put it on.

BE STRONG @ Take care!

 

 

Have you discussed with your doctor slowly stopping the drug? If you stop all at once it will most likely cause you withdrawl symptoms and misery. If you slowly reduce the amount it might be easier than cold turkey.

I hope that everyone goes of it. That means more for me! I think all of these posts were written before the Adderall shortage. I called more than 20 drug stores today. It's MIA.

I have great news for everyone who wants to stop taking adderall. As you know There has been a shortage, I have taken it 15 years and was in panic mode when I could not get it. I am now On FOCALIN and it's the best of of both worlds. You feel like you are your self but are reaching your full potential. Yes, I have gained weight but you have to understand, We have been taking amphetamines, you system will need to adjust. I feel so much better, I have more patience, never moody, never feel heart racing, zero panic attacks. I am having smart lipo done next week for the weight I gained which was only A few pounds. Happy New Year!!!!

I've only been taking Adderall a few days, but I'm loving it! I have increased concentration and haven't done this well in school in years! I haven't really noticed decreased appetite because I don't eat much to begin with, maybe 1200 calories a day. I don't have dry mouth or any other nasty side affects and while you guys are saying you lost relationships because you made everyone around you upset, people have told me I'm more fun to be around. My boyfriend knows what time I've taken my pills just by my increased mood. Maybe it's because I was actually pretty anti-social BEFORE I took the medicine, I don't know. But I'm absolutely loving Adderall, it's improved my life more than I ever thought possible.

I'm 31 years old -- I've been using Adderall (and other ADHD meds) for most of my life --  in the last few years my job responsibilities and stress have increased bigger then I ever experienced. As much as Meds helped me get to where I am, I slowly learned it is poisoning me, to the point I can not sleep unmedicated, I'd have flash temper episodes all the time when it would transition in and out, and I'm constantly asking myself what else I need to take to balance it...

I understand that the same medicine can affect people differently, but I was shocked to see several posters indicate that Adderall made them anti-social, apprehensive about public speaking, or both. Adderall has the opposite effect on me. I become a bold chatterbox, and I love being around my friends and talking to strangers. I take generic adderall 20 mg 2x a day. Once I take it, I immediately notice an improved mood and an appreciation/love for my friends and family. I feel compelled to (and do) speak my mind, and I often think out loud. It also gives me a great amount of confidence which translates into speaking to more women. However, for every positive effect, I can name a negative one: impotence, insomnia, shrinkage, high blood pressure, compulsive behavior, etc. These are all major drawbacks to this drug. But without it, I lose the unprecedented surge of motivation that the drug provides. I am troubled that I need this drug inspite of its glaring negative side effects. I wish that something natural (like a plant) existed that could produce the desired effects of adderall without the negative side effects. But until such a blessing exists, I must continue my medication, or return to being a scatter-brained layabout. For those of you debating the continued use of the drug, a balance test should be employed, whereby you weigh the good against the bad. For me, being productive and social outweighs shrinkage and impotence. But when I know that I am going to take a run at the new girl, I don't take my medicine because of the negative side effects. This makes the courtship harder, but also my [understood]. Botttom line, the answer regarding quitting is not black or white; the decision should be made after examining the PROs and CONs. [Here I go speaking my mind, thinking out loud, and talking to strangers...again :) ]

This is A PERFECT reply as far as I am concerned. I agree with you. I have been off 7 days after taking some sort of adderall, etc, since the age of 8 with a year or two off in my 20's. I am now 33 with two kids. This week has been really hard, but I have had A LOT of support and honestly ,God, and support are the only things keeping me going (slow) but going... No step down, cold turkey due to rx wasn't all the way filled. 40 mg a day now, years ago 20 xr 2ce a day along with a 10 2ce a day. So, if someone wants to know what will happen, do it responsibly, under a Physicians care, and let those who will be your best supporters know so they can get their encouraging all fired up. If you are in the middle of getting your masters, it does seem rash to try and stop now. However, set a personal date for yourself to start when things slow down some...(a vacation week).

I have been very emotional, high and low, but am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. AND DEFINITELY FEEL HUMAN AGAIN, not like I'm stuck in my own body of intensity. Ill gain weight, but Ill lose it...It's just a matter of changing perspective about the outcome. Every minute is a new minute.

Thanks for everyones posts. They have been very helpful! God Bless you all.

You're not really ADD or ADHD if you have these symptoms. Adderall is a peed. It helps those that are already hyper and it calms them down. If it revs you up and causes hyperactivity, then that is an obvious indicator that you have been falsely diagnosed. People like you are the reason for the terrible shortage of the medication tha people like me, TRULY ADHD, require in order to function in the box type "world" we're forced to be molded to. I see more patients that calim to be ADD just to be put on drugs, legally. Pathetic!