Long-term effects of Adderall

60 mg is a lot to start off with for a little motivation and even severe fatigue!

I am a 30 year old female.  I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in 4th grade.  I started taking Ritlin when I was 10 years old and all throughout high school.  I switched to Addreall in college and have been taking it ever since.  So basically I have been taking Ritalin or Addreall for 20 years.  In college my dosage increased quite a bit (40-60mg per day).  Over the past 3 years I have decreased my dosage to only 20 mg a day.  I am also very conscious of what I eat and how my moods are effected.

However, over the past year or so I have noticed I am having trouble remembering things (lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence), focusing , speaking (fumble over my words), nervous/anixous....I do not do any recreational drugs and I drink occasionally.  I do notice when I drink more than 3 drinks I tend to forget small details the next morning--it is not really 'blacking out' cause I remember what I was doing--I just forget conversations.

It is probably good to know that I also take Welburtin.

Do you think addreall is having a long term effect on my memory? cognitive abilities?

L

My daughter has been taking Adderall for A.D.&D and Hyperactivity. It seemed to work in the beginning, however her actions proves to me that the Adderall is not helping her anymore. She demonstrates high anxiety,sever depression , crying all the time, and low self esteem, and mood changes. Can Adderall and Aderall XL have prolonged effects. I think the effects are opposite of why she started taking Adderall to begin with.

Hey I was wondering if you had any update on the swelling of the face or the bloating because I get the same issues once I stop for a while and I can't finf an answer. Any info would me much appreciated!

I have been taking adderall for about 3 years since i started taking college courses in january 2010. At first I felt like it helped me a lot and i got this unbelievable rush that helped me feel like i can do anything i set my mind to. I know how everyone feels with the bowel issues and the fooggy mind after a year or so of use. I have been abusing the drug however for about 2 years and i'm an avid athlete/ mixed martial arts student. I felt like it gave me the upper hand on most opponents bigger, stronger, and more skilled than me and i could tap them out fairly easy. Nowadays, howevever i feel like it is slowly causing an early death for me later in the future. I have recently been experienceing chest pain, headaches, irritability, and even pain in my left arm. Not sure if it is due to a previous shoulder injury or unknown bicep muscle tear. I have no current medical issues besides the common asthma. IDK what i'm going to do when my doctor takes me off of it when i complete school. thanks for reading. 

I personally can attest to the negative side effects of Adderall. Having been prescribed it from the age of six to the age of 18. Before Removing myself from the medication the doctor tried two other medications with even worse effects then the adderall. When i was younger my teachers couldn't handle me in the classroom and gave my parents a choice either get me on medication or i would not be allowed to remain at that school. Not wanting to uproot my older sisters my parents decided medicating would be for the best. So i began on a 5mg script. and over the next 11 years my dosage went up to 60mg. Nearing 18 and despising the idea of choking down another pill, i removed myself off the Adderall. By this point i was tired of my joints hurting. This easily caused by the lack of nutrition i put into my body. Loss of appetite was one side effect i expierienced the entire time i was medicated eventually it became the norm. So when i finally quit i actually gained roughly 40 pounds bringing my body weight to just over the healthy mark. When i got a job in a factory At 19 my weight again dropped drastically, A family trait, high matabalism. After Working at this factory for 9 months, i approched my supervisor with the request of being put on a machine, he responded that i was not focused enough to be on a dangerous piece of equipment. Furthur into the conversation i mentioned my ADHD thinking it couldn,t really still be a problem for me. My supervisor then informed me the best way for me to get on a machine was to remedicate. And this i do, of course i want to make more money. It has been three weeks now and already i have no appetite, and i currently weigh 130 pounds standing at 5'11''. And to top it off i find myself only able to get 4 hours of sleep a night, being kept awake tossing and turning. This may have been a good choice for me in the younger stages of my life but my body can't handle it today. I infact have an appointment to get off adderall and to explore the other alternatives to help me focus.

YOUR NOT ALONE.DON'T GIVE UP.I LOVE YOU.PRAY.

Honestly I have a lot of the same symptoms as you. You should get tested for bipolar I'm finally starting to feel better. My life is a lot more manageable now. My ADHD and bipolar aren't controlling my life anymore

I have been on Ritalin then Adderall straight through the last 20 years and 1 month and 1 day. I am sick from it and likely dying. I have seizures all the time, I have extremely high blood pressure, a heart condition, no sorry 2 heart conditions, I talk so fast btw it's absurd and I am an overflow of unneeded info, I itch like a crackhead I generally don't freak out about the sleep deprived halucinations but know they are 'not real' thats sick huh?, i have a tumor on my brain and I no longer sleep but every 3rd or 4th night. I get thrush every month so painful right when i fill the script. 90mg per diem. I have no health insurance and I have lost my family as they don't understand, only see my kids once a week. I think my parents feel guilty having prescribed me. I feel guilty, I didn't wanna take it and cheeked and spit it out then heard about it making you not hungry and I was hooked, I am still thin and beautiful but I am dying. Soon. I will likely have a heart attack. I ignore this and still in my head imagine a future when truth is there is not one for me. It would take me all too much more space to go on but know this, any parent who has the stones to buck that system is a smart one. Don't ever think there is a single good reason to take this med. Nothing should allow for a reason to take speed, I am mad as hell at the Drs and big pharma. Now I dont make dopamine and sleep all the time, I am about a week and a half in the world and 3 asleep. I wanna die but I failed, and realized how much I had to lose and likewise, now I will die and even as I type I feel it may not be too late, I have to know, if anyone has answers If anyone wants to write a legit article and especially if medical science can use me to help stop this for other people please email

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I only take orally but I do over do it. When I run out I stay in bed and sleep like, it appears, the rest. I tried to get off it for my kids so they would know me longer, they are 13 and 8, I did not take it during pregnancy any Dr who authorizes that should be losing their license for violating their oath to 'DO NO HARM' I tried to quit but after 33 days I couldn't do it anymore I was useless I was fidgety and couldn't sit still at all, its worse than when I take adderall and its likely worse than when I was prescribed 120 mg's Ritalin in 1993 at age 13. The doctor who discovered the tumor was downright mean about "you have to stop taking it right now" I was a heavy hitter and had not abused it yet. I took the dose daily and never ran out almost all these 20 years. The brain tumor was found he said that and get this: a month later I was overtaking it. I think I will do some research and see what the change was. I am almost certain I was switched to adderall. I remember now vaguely switching the meds every fill so I could have them covered, suddenly I was full blown addict. Now I am a dying one.

Hi all,

I took adderall from age 7 to 18. I am now 26. I WANT TO HEAR FROM OTHERS WHO TOOK IT THROUGH PUBERTY. I strongly believe it stunted my development, however I cannot prove it because I don't know enough people to discuss it with. 

Here are my concerns about adderall use during puberty(please note this is not fun for me to talk about!):

- Adderall is a vasocontricor. This means it constricts blood vessels(especially in the extremities of the body- hands, feet, genitals) in order to supply more blood to the heart. I often feel like I have the developed hands, feet, and genitals of a 14 year old. Man, am I glad I was put on Adderall! I believe chronic vasoconstriction had something to do with it. They may have done studies on its affects on height, but they have not done studies on its affects on the extremities of the body. If others who took it through puberty notice the same physical signs, please be bold enough to voice it. 

-Adderall is an appetite suppressant. Anyone familiar with adderall knows it suppresses one's appetite. I remember eating a small breakfast, taking adderall and going to school from elementary school to high school. I usually had trouble eating lunch. I would get home and at about 7pm...I would be STARVING. I would gorge myself with anything and everything for a couple of hours. This cannot be beneficial to growth. Growth Hormone is released while we sleep. If insulin levels spike while we sleep(eat large amounts within 2 hrs of bedtime), less hgh is produced. Hgh is responsible for growth during puberty. Hence, if adderall is taken during developmental stages of one's life, my theory is that it can hinder release of growth hormone based on dose schedule. Moreover, Adderall suppresses the body's need for food which probably isn't good for development as well. 

- FINAL NOTE: I firmly believe aderrall has hindered my life by affecting my development. What is the dollar amount on masculinity? In my opinion, it's a lot. In retrospect I would never have taken aderall but how much does an elementary school kid/a middle school kid/a high school kid know? I wish we, the guinea pigs, could gather enough data and employ a few great medical minds to sue the pharmaceutical companies and doctors that pushed this on our parents and us as a "cure without side effects." 

Your reference to major anger problems makes me wonder if you have been misdiagnosed. Some of the symptoms of ADHD are similar to those of bipolar disorder. I would think it would be worth getting a second opinion; especially since what you're working with now doesn't seem to be working. Hang in there. It can only get better.

A lot of the damage about adderall is that it suppresses hunger, which you don't feel hungry, but, your brain needs the sugar... Hypoglycemic episodes damages brain cells..

Adderall is a dangerous drug. After being prescribed it for 2 years I am left with an abnormal heart rate, palpitations, and constant panic attacks. I was perfectly healthy before going on the drug and a few days after I went off of it I started having these crazy symptoms. If you think it is hard to concentrate without being on adderall try to do it when your ticker isn't working correctly. These are the options you have to weigh if you decide to take this drug.

I hope you have found some sort of solution. I have been on Adderall and/or Dexidrine for 10+ years. First diagnosed with ADD the 5 years later was diagnosed with Narcolepsy. Seems the ADD was simply a symptom of Narcolepsy for me. I have done lots of general reviews of the research on Dex and Addrall, especially where muscle tension and over stimulation have been issues. From what I understand...( I am an educated individual but not a health are provider)...antagonist, or stimulant drugs displace the magnesium ions at the cellular level. So if you look up the symptoms of magnesium defficiency you will see muscle cramping and also heart palpitations. I have many time experienced what you are talking about. These drugs also dehydrate the hell out of you. I have been maintaining a daily Magnesium/Potassium/Calcium supplement. I also take an iron supplement. Which as a woman in her early 30's should do. Also, hydrate continuously, with water. And stay away from any other stimulants. Also, try reduce that 3:45 dosage. 4-5 I swear is the worst time of day for me. K this sounds dumb but instead of the 4 pm dosage I would find somewhere I could do 25 jumping jacks and then drink 500 ml of water. That helps me get over the 4 pm hump. Doing that I haven't had to take a 4 pm dosage in 2 years. Best of luck. I remember the feeling of learning that it wasn't normal to feel that tired, but living as a slave to these drugs are awful.

I was prescribed Adderall for 5 years.  My dose began at 30mg daily and ended being 60mg daily.  The first couple years were the best of my life.  I was promoted at work along with a $5/hr raise, I lost 15 lbs and thought I had discovered what I had been missing my entire life.  I tried to not take it most every weekend, and was doing well with that. Then the first symptom-palpitations began, I went on thinking "this miracle drug could not be doing this". Next, my skin became horrific. I broke out in zits like I never even had as a teenager, and because of the constricted blood vessels it caused, it took weeks for one bump to even look semi healed, plus a few left scars. Then I started to gain weight, even though I had no appetite. Over the next 3 years I managed to become super paranoid, gained 60lbs, lost my job, became depressed and anxiety ridden and my hair stopped growing.  Towards the end I wound up in kidney failure and was finally pulled off the medication. Though, I never abused the medication & I took it exactly as directed, I was full blown addicted to it-physically and psychologically.  Even with all these health problems going on, I was devastated to have it taken away, and was convinced it wasn't the medication causing it.  Now, having been off of it a year and a half, I cannot even begin to understand what was going through my head while I was on that drug.  I have finally lost most of the weight I gained, my skin has cleared and my hair is growing again.  But, I am left with heart palpitations, severe asthma, and lingering anxiety attacks.  I don't feel this is a good medication for anyone to take long term.  It basically ruined 3 years of my life and I cannot get those back. All I can do it move on and hope that if anyone else is in the situation I wound up in, let them know they are not alone and it does get better.