Long-term effects of Adderall

Hi everyone,

I have to say I am really touched by everyones honesty and support to one another. I came on here trying to find an answer like I do so often, and this really made me feel a glimpse of hope. Lauren, I relate to you so much its kind of freaky! I am also 19 and I also feel like adderall is the main factor in every and anything that I do.
Like so many of you said it started off so fun about 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD and as soon as i got put on adderall I could focus, I could get things done, but mostly I felt happy for the first time in a long long time. Like Michelle said it was easier not to let my mind wander when I took the pills, and that obliviousness felt incredible.
I grew up bouncing from home and a lot of different foster homes due to some abuse going on, and the adderall was my escape every time i would miss my family, or feel like a loner, or remember the trauma that I try so hard to forget. Even now that I am 19 and out of the system and an "adult" adderall has become my crutch. Well, more than a crutch. I am no longer prescribed to it and am always spending all my money buying it from friends or just anyone who has it. I can no longer focus without it, and worse when i dont take it I feel depressed and moody and just awful.
Im terrified every time my bottle gets down to the last few pills, and I have literally driven hours away just to meet someone who could sell me some.
Being on adderall has become my norm. I feel like myself with it and a stranger without it, which is clearly screwed up. There are some days where I run out or i only have a few left so i wont take it and those days i usually hide from the world. It truly is a destructive cycle.If anyone finds a way to beat these pills, and still be okay and functioning, let me know!
I guess the reason I am writing this is so if anyone else researches this like I did or like you all did, maybe there is some hope to be found in the fact that you are NOT alone. I mean I know its corny, but we are kind of in this together.
Michelle and a lot of the other guests on here are proof that life is possible without these artificial beads.
I don't think I am ready to give my addies up yet, but this has definitely given me some hope and I pray others feel the same.
Take care everyone
Rachel

I have been taking Adderall for 16 years, I am 23. I know where you are coming from. I take 60 mg a day too. It's like every day I just feel stuck, seriously I would be ok with sitting in a corner all day long, just as long as I was comfortable. I have to take my Adderall just to do ANYTHING. I have tried a few medicines for depression but Nothing seems to work. So I turned to God. I started reading the bible from the very beginning not skipping around. I must say studying his word to us is a much different experience then just trying to pray. Think of it this way, in order to accomplish a great friendship. or a good relationship with your parents or to fall in love with someone, don't you get to know them? hear all their stories from their past? and with these things you grow to love them more and more, without all this, you would not know them and possibly would not consider them apart of your life. By reading God's word and studying it, you get to know him, and by this things become more clear about who he is and what he is all about. God did not create you to put you through this! Throughout the Bible, people went through so many bad things and those that believed in God and asked for his help, God helped them! Yes sometimes God would do miracles, but sometimes it requires YOU getting up and trying to make an effort while asking God for help and he will always help you through what ever you are going through. Sometimes reading the Bible is a little much for some people, so I recommend reading "The Shack" by William P. Young. It is a novel, and it is absolutely Amazing. It is about a father who takes his kids camping and his five year old was kidnapped and murdered. Read up on it, and then read the book. You'll definitely get a better understanding of God.

God tells us that no unwholesome word should come from our mouths. (Ephesians 4:29) That this should not be coming from one who calls himself a child of God. He also says you will know them by their fruit. Your last word in quotes would not be a word that Christ would use. Their are more appropriate words one can use. Sounds like your holding on to bitterness. God tells use to forgive those who hurt use. If we won't forgive others their trespasses, God will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:15)

I have PVCs whenever my own heart works hard (especially after I run a few miles or sometimes with too much Adderall). Taking taurine directly after exercising and with my Adderall has almost eliminated these, though it also reduces the effectiveness of the Adderall. If you're having arrhythmias that often during the day, though, you may want to see if your doctor can give you anti-arrhythmics. PVCs and related arrhythmias are usually benign in us young folk but can lead to cardiac arrest without warning.

you are not alone. You are still you. Your mind is dark and shaded by the turmoil this world can posses at times...Psychological illness can be evil and your mind is exhausted. But, that doesn't mean that it can't be cured. It doesn't mean you can't reclaim your mind, because you can. The most important tool and honestly the only tool that saved me, who has seen what you are seeing for more than the majority of my lifetime. But, I can honeslty tell you today, I have won, not because I am a perfect person who has nothing to worry about, it is because I have (honestly, idk how! just lots of cognitive practice and strength training, gotta get that mind muscle strong!) learned how to nurture myself, to change the direction of negative thoughts by simply "objectifying" them as something seperate from myself, and practice letting them come and then saying those are just thoughts, not reality, with no judgments to the thoughts or yourself. Put self affframations around yourself, tell yourself you can be successful in beating this, and continue to reach out for help. Friends and loved ones are so easy to cut off but damn, this world can be a lonely place sometimes and it sure is special to have anyone who will listen. Take care of yourself, and I will be praying for you.

I will be 58 y/o in November....I have been taking Adderall for the past 12 years. I was diagnosed later in life with ADHD. Along with that diagnosis, I was also diagnosed with bipolar, depression, and PTSD all at the same time. This occurred related to a suicide attempt where I was in a coma for 2 days but I survived. I was petitioned to a psych hospital and this is where my life changed dramatically. Prior to this I was on no medication and had no medical diagnosis attached to my persona although I should have been given something. I grew up in a very violent and disciplined home. I have enjoyed the fruits of 2 professional careers and had obtain 2 college degrees, (one in each field). Sleep deprivation was my most severe medical problem as I grew and matured towards middle age. In insomnia started pr-teen and grew worst as I aged. I took multiple over the counter sleep aids with minimal success. I also took energy products to fight through my foggy thoughts and feelings over the years and to counter act the sleep aids that would leave me in a deeper fog and depleted energy and clouded thoughts.

After I left the hospital and had 1-2 counseling sessions I was now on 5 psych medications.Adderall, Zoloft, Seroquel, Lamictal,with Ativan as a chaser.  My life would forever change.  My adderall prescription went from 30mg daily to 120mg daily in less than a year. The effects of these medications was profound, helpful, wonderful, and at the end very destructive.

The answer to your question, will adderall have a negative affect on your body over the years the answer is without a question yes! The degree of effect is different with each individual. However without the medication what will be the effect of that disease process on your life. In many cases the disease is worst than the medication. In many cases a healthy lifestyle, healthy supplements can reduce the use of many medications but not eradicate all medication. Unfortunately adderall is difficult to replace in your health regimen. It is that good in assisting folks like us who have extreme difficulties with our attention and concentration. In my case I would have been dead at the age of 44 of suicide without taking any medications. Also my quality of life was not that great prior to being medicated. The problem with the medication was I was given more than I needed and I did not utilize counseling and it turned out that I was not bipolar as was thought. Sleep deprivation mimics some of the same characteristics you see in someone with bipolar.

Have a great life my friend and God bless.       

ive been on addy since 93.  i was part of the trials. my script has been (3) 30mg day since 2000. its  become so bad i actually forgot why i am typing at a computer. first 2 weeks i literally dont sleep. when addy gone i lie in bed. im 40. moved back in with my mom developed crippling anxiety, extreme bloating, i pick at my face so much i hve to shave 4 or 5 times a day. my girl kicked me out, then internet porn addiction. i scored 750 on math sats in 92, i freaken cant even add two fractions (handyman when i work). i hear voiices, even songs.  its am miracle i havent accidently hurt someone while driving b/c im doing a million things ie:pandora, time? temp? was that a cop? why is my truck nosy?. my only pleasure from life is when the stars align enough to get to the track for some motorcycle road racing. oh yeah, i am alwasys sweating, exhausted, bloated swollen belly, legs ankles, my eyes hurt, im severly dehydrated from lack of sleep(10 day binder). the only reason i havent tried to off myself is the fear of failure. i dont like guns. my anxiety is so bad, i am constgantlyh feeling like somebody is watching me, they know my situation and they are going to tell the doc!  im waiting for the meth type sh*t to happen, bad teeth etc. i am a 40 yr old man, and ive becom e an emotional freaken wreck. i cry for every thing else but when i think of me, no emotion  other than purgotory. some one pl,ease show me to door b/c i give up. To the inventor of adderall: i would hope when u realized what u created that you had a Edward Teller moment and realized u created a mass weapon. will someone please long-press my power button? and please do not hit the restart button..

I have the same story 1/2 size nipple it's fever hard for me to look at myself in the mirror and I wouldn't dare go swimming with my shirt I

Hey, I just read this (sorry it was so late) and decided to make an account because I've been having similar issues. I have been scared to stop taking it for the adverse effects in school and was getting horrible anxiety/paranoia that has destroyed my social life (I literally have no friends because I became such an elitist and so involved in learning in bettering myself to make positive changes in the world that I wound up neglecting quite a few good people and realized it was actually OCD that was driving me mad and losing my friends.)

But there is hope! The great world of neuroscience is showing us that neuroplasticity (the wiring and shape of you're brain in which habits form stronger connections) also alters genetics. So even if there was something way down the road like cancer, you have the possibility to literally out learn it. When you take the pill it rewires your brain to all of the memories/thought patterns you have had predominately over you're experience taking adderall. This is the same with all drugs and alcohol, and why addiction is such a problem, the brain craves its habits and feels that something is off when it is not in its normal flow and gives feelings of anxiety/loss/depression because its just habit, like biting you're nails or overthinking (I think we are both guilty of that :P). With that being said there is a ton of hope for anyone, but please do realize that if you accept the changes (change is very difficult, motivation it comes and goes, some days you literally will have 0 faith in yourself or life, but at the end of the day you will realize even with no faith or belief, you still made it through the day, which means you can do it again and again and grow stronger and smarter to overcome this.) They can become permanent as belief/faith/acceptance causes neural changes just as substances do. But the exact opposite can be true, if you can truly believe and truly tell yourself (honestly tell yourself, it takes time to get the faith behind the words and to really say it and mean it and believe it, if you do it right you may even catch a cheesy grin after you say it from the pride of knowing you are bettering yourself.) you are better than you were on adderall and believe it, that too will happen! Its not the end, although it feels like it, (my daughter is 3 years old now, she lives in AK and im in NE, my ex fiance introduced me to adderall, it messed with my moods, we split and she took my daughter, I am 25 now and my ex is 37. I luckily have embedded into myself so hard that no matter what happens never kill yourself and my daughter is great motivation as well, but sadly that can also work against me and makes me feel like a deadbeat failure, when I literally did everything I could and couldn't afford to move to Alaska with no job nor degree, still devastating but knowing I'm honestly doing what I can holds me over and knowing there is a future with my daughter drives me down the right path.)

There also is an unspoken beauty to this (not encouraging or condoning drug abuse, and I highly encourage you to stop adderall if you are feeling this serious about its effects on your life.) you are young and you are learning possibly the hardest lesson in life (I was a drunk prior to my daughter from 16-18, drank 1-2 750ml of vodka daily at minimum and got really depressed and really hit rock bottom and was ready to kill myself but had an intervention by some people I never would have expected... I still need to thank them for that.) but with it being at this time, you can get it out of the way and have the rest of your life free of problems because you are learning a huge lesson that all others face eventually, be glad its now and not 30+yrs down the road! You still can outlearn this entirely and be physically/genetically/emotionally OK!

I learned this and it gave me great comfort when I really believed all was done for the happiness/good quality of my life:

1. Genesis (that 1 chapter specifically) is the only thing in human history to stand the test of time, even if you don't read the whole bible nor have any religious affiliation (I myself am Agnostic, not Jewish nor Christian nor any theological grouping). But really think for a moment, everything that has ever happened has came and gone (or is now new, and one day will be gone.) except that 1 chapter of the bible and its connection to the Sumerian Records. I think thats absolutely amazing, then the story actually is more accurate than most think, Pangea separates and a huge flood comes etc... Adam ate the apple (humans gained consciousness to realize they're surroundings and judge good or evil, not that there really is good or evil the world is unbiased) but our perception on a large scale makes all of that up, society and everything is based on thoughts from our early history, there is no right or wrong, there is only learning and understanding.

2. Photons (they are the smallest measurable unit of light.) So when you see a sun ray its a billion billion trillion of these little tiny photons. They are the only universal constant that we know of (The speed of light). But July 2nd 2014 neuroscience found out that our cells DNA communicate using light! Also electricity is purely photon bundles (groupings of flashes of light, carrying information/charge) So your brainwave (being electricity) is also light! Then our environment is only perceivable because the environment releases light and our senses absorb the information the light contains! And this year they found out that light collision can make matter. (If you are into science thats like the end all be all, matter cannot be made nor destroyed.... yeah thats not true :P) <-- that has literally been a belief from the smartest individuals in the world for hundreds of years, they were proven wrong.... Take that perspective to your life and know that no matter how impossible it seems YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, NOTHING. Literally everything in life is because of light, God made the heavens of light, then the earth (in my interpretation from another form of light.)

3. Philosophically speaking, there is a thing called a holometer that the government just spent millions on. IT IS TESTING TO SEE IF THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM! THE SMARTEST PHYSICISTS IN THE WORLD SAID THE UNIVERSE IS PROBABLY A 2D HOLOGRAM! They don't think we even really exist, nor that the universe is real, so don't take life too seriously and stay laxed with you're beliefs/changes! How insane is that though? The world may not be real, all of this could very well be a dream, that gives me comfort in letting my anxiety/critical nature go.

4. Neuroplasticity not only changes your brain (which changes your thoughts, which change your feelings then body language then overall being.) but thinking can possibly cure any disease, thinking/faith or belief not only changes how you feel, but actually encodes your body a different way. I honestly believe even with cancer or deadly illnesses and lack of energy, belief/faith can change that through neuroplasticity, there are even crazy theories of self-regeneration and some of the effects from the mind interacting with the environment that are absolutely insane! Meditation causing changes in a bowl of water, and our whole body is made of water 60-80% so imagine what our minds do to our bodies/organs!!!! More like how beneficial our thinking could be for our health! Its seriously like superhero stuff that they are discovering, a few guys can actually light things on fire out of thin air and there is a lady who even is accepted by the U.S. Legal system in cases who can "remote view/astral project" and she has successfully located missing people and has testified in court for murder cases!

Hang in there and believe and it all will get settled, have faith in yourself and your surroundings and maybe even look into spirituality or philosophy if you haven't (HEADS UP THOUGH, SOME PHILOSOPHY IS HEAVY ON THE MIND AND NOT ALWAYS PLEASANT!)

Hey check my post at the bottom! There is always hope never forget it, neuroplasticity and self working can eliminate the symptoms/effects from use, not easily at all, its extremely difficult, I'm on year 2 of meditation and its hard for me to keep up on, but I swear when I do it consistently and just totally think about 1 goal (feeling better/being healthier) within 1 week you will seriously feel completely different, but just like adderall if you stop meditating you'll start to feel crappy. Thats just not being in control of you're mind or concentration, you feel like you aren't driving the car and are just on a ride. Everyone has some % of control/ego and when you have to let it all go, you start to see that you're faith in things around you aren't as great as you would like, but it reveals a lot about yourself. It can be overcome if you truly want it to be, you literally have to sit down, write your goals, then write steps to the goals, then re-write the steps to goals and break them down further to make it a day at a time kind of deal. Then staying in the pattern of one day at a time for roughly 2-3 weeks will start to really change you're thinking back to a more natural flow and if not you can IN A RELAXED MANNER! Monitor you're thoughts and slowly start playing with thoughts to see what makes you feel good, then work with those thoughts to add new. Again it really is hard, I will not lie to you, but how easy is life? And is life not worth the difficulty? So getting better is worth the work, only a month or so of solid work and you will feel worlds different and eventually forget about adderall all together. Please feel free to send me any messages or questions, I am in this alone right now (no actual support from any friends or people, but thank God for the internet.) so I'm more than glad to help you or anyone out with changing you're thinking, I have done it multiple times sense I was a child, I was really popular through elementary school and had tons of friends, then as everyone changed my mentality stayed the same so I became the loner and at 14 I guided myself through a social "Be cool" exercise and actually gained all my popularity back. Then I had to change my thinking again in the military then again getting out of the military and being on adderall, then again leaving adderall. I swear its possible, but it can suck somewhat figuring out how to get the faith behind good things and to truly believe it all is going to be alright. Its like Peter-Pan belief makes everything possible, but believing can be pretty damn tough at first, especially in our modern skeptical society (which is leaving people like you and me in ruins with BS standards that aren't true.) I watched a western medicine oncologist tell a patient they had an inoperable tumor and they were going to die, the patient went to China and practiced Reike and meditation/belief then had "healers" come into a room while the ultrasound was on the tumor and literally remove the tumor in moments.... The skeptical asses here said nope impossible because of capital, what money is made with no pharmaceuticals? You know, like how they made money off of our suffering, quick fix doesn't always do the job. Slow dedication will, and it can undo any BS that was done prior.

Try reading the bible & getting to know Jesus Christ on a personal level. Ask God to help you seek His truth & also, learn about repentance of sin. Sin is the biggest factor of all the worlds problems & this includes mental health. I was depressed & suicidal & have now found full hope in Christ Himself. But you have to seek Him & ask Him to help you through His word, the bible. English Standard Version is a favorite of mine. Also refnet.fm & gotquestions.org are 2 amazing sites to help with this. Please take this into consideration as I care about your well being & soul. Please.

Your post is fantastic. AMKR, I'm taking notes on it and will begin studying. I /also/ have GERD! And overall I had some questions for you wondering if you could help me regulate my chemistry given how much professional knowledge you have. It seems that you are not strictly traditional either and that you utilize all forms of nourishment for the body. I'd like to learn from you... heh. I guess when I read your post my eyes went big and I was like "Superhero of Chem." I know you are not a doctor YET but it'd be great to see your opinion about adderall use, GERD, and other interactions and how to overall better myself and my health, because right now it's... well lets just say there is no balance to speak of. I sent a friend request so I can contact you privately, though I guess it's anonymous enough here that I can make my problems heard to all the world... I don't think people would be interested in a 'case study' though heh.

The effects of Adderall have been rough for me, I think. I don't really feel anything anymore. My emotions are there, I know when I'm a certain emotion, but I don't feel them. I don't think enough dopamine is released for me to feel any kind of reward for anything I do. I'm 18 and have been taking Adderall since I was 6.

At 59 yrs...and 4+ yrs. of speed and cocaine abuse..I no longer bounce back after a week, or so period of abstinence..I have been unbearably fatigued for 3-4 months...cannot earn money..in bed for 16 hrs. day...when I am up...no motivation..Low mood and just washed out..How long can this go on?..I am scared that I may have done something that i irreversible...

Hey Guests who just recently posted. So.... the problem is - Brian Chemistry. I'm not a big time adderall abuser, but after binging for 2 days or excessive use, it usually takes a whole week for brain to recover (That's after just ONE binge). As you can imagine, LONG-TERM effects of adderall suck. So... how do you balance your brain chemistry? First of all - taper off. Do not ever increase the dose, ever again. Do this gradually, lowering the amount by 5 mg every week if you can. 2.5 also works if you want to cut your pills. Next. Exercise. Make yourself work out. Do CARDIO; cardio is what makes it get out of your system faster. If you can, on top of that, do stretching, and lift some weights. Next: Food. No more junk; no more processed foods. Next: When you wake up take 1000 mg L Tyrosine. Before bed, take 300 Mg 5HTP. Between meals and before bed, on EMPTY stomach (Never eat 2-3 hours before bed). take PHENYLANINE. To fight fatigue: Take Rhodiola, but you MUST get a cardio workout within an hour of taking it. Take it at breakfast or lunch. My advice as someone who used and abused it for a few years: yeah I learned how to make it work for me in moments of stress; but I hate it. I hate what it does to my body and my brain, I hate the roller coaster mood loops, and after this new year I'm only using it rarely for intense moments, like airports, or emergencies. If you really really really wanna clean yourself up: Stop eating all grains and processed foods, cut out all sugar, caffeine, and dairy. This is gonna be a MONTH worht of torture, but people who've been using for years and can't quit - well, that's gona clean it out of your system. ALSO: This will add to fatigue, however, take GABA supplements to calm your mind. 500 mg or more. Have a great recovery and be mindful!