Dealing with adderall side effects?

<p>hmm... what drugs would be prescribed for a processing disorder? i have problems with speaking also. i'm not very fluent when i talk. i don't stammer or have any speech difficulties like a lisp or an impediment. It's just that the correct words don't pop up in myhead when i try to express myself. My doctor tested me on my iq and he said that it was 75 which is way below average. He told me not to expect to get a professional job like in law or anything that pays more than 3 figures bi-weekly. I told him how much i wanted to be succesful and get out of this hellhole i call my town. The psychiatrist said it was best for me not to get my hopes up. when he prescribed me adderall, it had an instantaneous dramatic effect. I was able to comprehend everything and be more consistent with routines. When i told him about my sleeping problems and i wanted to refrain from taking the medicine, he bluntly gave me a very tough ultimatum; either live life not to your full potential as a borderline mentally challenged person or take the medicine and miss out on sleep. He honestly did tell me that i don't have a chance at all to succeed in ANYTHING in life, unless i took the medicine. Right now, i'm 18 years old and community college because my grades were horrendous in high school. I barely passed by the skin of my teeth. I took adderall my first semester and did really well. Got a perfect GPA in fact, but at the expense of my sleep. This spring, i'm started inauspiciously. I'm decided not to take the adderall. I'm actually considering dropping out of my courses and just taking a full time job because everything is horrible right now. It's not worth it anymore.
Personally, i just think it's my psychiatrist who's f<strong><em>ing up. He diagnosed me with many things. He thought i had aspergers or some kind of mild case of autism because of my speech problems. I told him i'm a very sociable talker and that wasn't the case. He then thought i was mildly retarded because i was unable to effectively answer his questions. He then thought i had bipolar disorder because i got irritable with him. He was just not understanding me. Plus, i was pretty mad that he was insulting me. I don't know what to do. I stopped seeing him because money was scarce and because of an episode i had with him that consisted of an ugly confrontation. Besides, i need to start working so i can get benefits. I was destined to work a job that doesn't require critical thinking or any kind of intellectual skill. To be honest with you, i don't know what i am. ADD or just f</em></strong>ed up. I don't really care.
I actually did start it back up two days ago. I had a lot of pills that were remaining from my last prescription. This is my last hope. But as you may have read from my aforementioned post, i have trouble sleeping. I discontinued it as of tonight. I threw the rest of the pills out. If i don't do well the rest of next week, i'm just going to drop out or go on some kind of hiatus.</p>

<p>Gista, I'm not sure there are meds for processing disorder--but if you are labeled as that you can qualify for accommodations that will allow you extra time on tests, maybe a note taker in class, etc. </p>

<p>Is there some way you could see a different therapist/Dr.? You have the right to your records with the first guy--take those results with you and seek another opinion. Maybe there are support services through your community college? Great job with that first semester--shows yourself and others that you can do it!</p>

<p>It was the medicine that did it, not me. The medicine did well, not me. It doesn't matter anymore. I've already resolved not to do continue school until i get my financial situation secured and my problem fixed. Besides, those classes were extremely rudimentary. Like biology, calculus, english, and history. i also had to take remedial courses. also the fact that it's a community college make the courseload lighter and not as rigorous as you would see in competitive schools or anything higher than CC. </p>

<p>I don't want accomadations. That will just validate the fact that i'm retarded to everybody. It's bad enough already that i know i have cognitive deficits, i don't want my peers also to know.
I can't see any other therapist, i don't have the money.</p>

<p>From reading your post, sounds like your IQ is much higher than you stated.</p>

<p>I agree, a change of doctors is in order. Some psych docs are better at fine tuning medications than others.</p>

<p>mkm56, you sound so nice and helpful, even to others. I wouldn't ever want to take away that once-a-weekend home sleep your son gets, which I am sure has many emotional benefits all around. Calming for him and you can touch base with each other.
But I was struck by his having to sleep the other six nights in a too-small bed. Heavens, we pay so much for a dorm room. Now, I don't share this problem (my boys' stats are 5'5", 5'7" tall and my lovely D is just "Five Feet Nothing" as she says). Yet, if I had the honor of having son 6'3" coping with sleep issues, I'd be RIGHT onto that phone with Dean of Students, asking them to store his bed for the semester. Buy him a different one. I think you can't NOT afford this easy fix. I feel so sorry for him. It sounds like torture 6 nights a week to sleep in a crimped bed.
Anyway, my compliments to you on all your solutions and caring concern. I'm learnign a lot by reading this thread. Thanks to all.</p>

<p>Thanks for your kind words paying3. As I type son is headed off to bed here at home!</p>

<p>Two things: I have non-hyperactive type of ADD. I tried Strattera. It seemed to have some efficacy, but it made my testicles hurt and I didn't have any spring in my step to use a euphemism. This made me go right off of it. I don't know if your son is sexually active, but if he is or wants to be and it has the same effect on him, he'll last about 5 minutes on it.</p>

<p>Has he tried to augment with Tyrosine at all, the amino acid? I don't need to take medication now when I use Tyrosine and exercise aerobically every day in the morning. I use 500mg per day. Note: I have to take it a half hour before I eat anything else in the morning. Apparently Tyrosine gets outcompeted by other proteins and other substances in terms of absorption and so needs to be absorbed alone. Tyrosine is the precursor for some brain neurotransmitters, and this is whence it derives its usefulness.</p>

<p>I noticed that there are some noted doctors that recommend taking Tyrosine as PART of a regime for ADD/ADHD. I can't vouch that it would be sufficient for everybody, but it is helping me out. Also, high protein diets are supposed to help -- and this is what I do. And I take significant amounts of Fish Oil and Omega 3.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I'll have to do some reading on the Tyrosine, that has never been mentioned. I bought Fish Oil for him and was going to give the bottle to him when he comes home next. He is eating a very high protein diet, but also lots of complex carbs--don't know how that interacts with the high protein intake. He eats no refined sugars and very few (I guess what is called) simple carbs--white bread, etc. Thanks for the suggestions.</p>

<p>Patsiemae said: "From reading your post, sounds like your IQ is much higher than you stated.</p>

<p>I agree, a change of doctors is in order. Some psych docs are better at fine turning medications than others."</p>

<p>Trust me. My IQ is around 75. I've been tested many times by psychiatrists, and they say it's a miracle that i made this far in my life without any learning support. I believe i have a processing problem. </p>

<p>I'm done with psychiatrists, they have caused me nothing but grief.</p>

<p>Can someone tell me why Adderall and all other stimulants stunt growth in children? Is it because the actual drug messes with hormones?</p>

<p>gista</p>

<p>Your vocabulary (impressive) and your writing ability demonstrate an IQ far above that of 75. Additionally that you care as much as you do about learning demonstrates the natural hunger of an individual with a far higher leaning ability. Your posts belie your claims. You should not give up so easily. Please seek out another MD.</p>

<p>collegemom16,</p>

<p>i think it's great that all you moms care so much about your children. I wish my mom was more instrumental in my academic affairs. You're right in that i want to learn, but i am unable to to because of my "handicap." My iq is pretty low and even though my posts seem to written from a well-spoken person, they are not. My psych. did say they i'm too hard on myself and i need to think more highly of my capabilities, or lack thereof, but i don't listen to him. He's caused me enough grief in my life with all this flip-flopping of medicines. I'm not blaming him solely for the wacked-up position i'm in now. I blame my crummy genetics and horrible upbringing. I'm just going to forgo the medication now and see how everything turns out at the end of this semester. Thanks for everybody's response. Could someone answer my latests posts about stimulants stunting growth in children?</p>

<p>Gista, I'm sorry that I'm not much help on the growth suppression question. I can't find any studies that actually document "why" growth may be slowed. Many of the articles I looked at questioned that it may be more a fact that the children have suppressed appetites and thus don't eat enough to fuel their growth spurts. It seems that (in a couple internet sites) it is mentioned that overall, growth seems to even out--but be delayed. Bottom line--not sure anybody knows for sure.</p>

<p>hmm....
Thank you for taking your time to help me. I theorized that since stimualnts are well known to induce sleeplessness and suppress appetite, like you mentioned, that may prevent the child from optimizing his growth potential during adolescense. It makes sense, only in theory, but that is not a definite answer to my question and i can't evidence the theory with articles on the internet since none of them go into elaborate detail about it. So, that leaves me with the possiblity that adderall, in fact, may screw around with hormones.</p>

<p>I was wondering if someone could clue me in on how to get official testing for ADD. I'm not sure that's what i have. I believe it is a processing disorder i might have, but i don't know if that's a characteristic of ADD.</p>

<p>Gista do you have a college located anywhere nearby? If there is one with a psychology department oftentimes you can be tested there for little or no cost. What state do you live in?</p>

<p>I live in CA. No, i don't believe my school even has a psychology department on account of being a community college.</p>

<p>I think all i have to do is improve my lifestyle. You know, get 8 hours of sleep, exercise and even a balanced diet with lots of fish. Do you think there is a such thing as eating too much fish? Because my house is packed with frozen fish.</p>

<p>Take 500mgs. of tyrosine first thing in the morning and see if it helps. gista excellent that you live in CA. Find the nearest CSU campus to where you live that has a psychology department and CALL THEM! Find out how soon you can set up a thorough evaluation for LD's. Even if you need to purchase a bus pass and stay in a local motel it will be 100% worth it to have the evaluation done. They will administer a full battery of tests that will give you definitive knowledge of what your disability (you may have more than one) is. I too suspect a processing disorder. This would explain why it takes you longer to do things. I suspect you in fact have a very high IQ but need accommodations in school to succeed. Let me know when you have made that call.</p>

<p>Thank you and i will let you know when i make the call.</p>

<p>Hello all i am new to the forum and i had a question. I am 24 and just graduated and have been on generic adderall for about 4 years. I've grown quite dependent on it and wanted to try to get off it but as im reading several posts from several forums it seems it leaves a permanent impression on your lifestyle. The insomnia, fatigue, etc. i have these signs as well. </p>

<p>I was told by my doctor that it generally takes 3 months for a full withdrawal and since i am not working yet i can take the 3 months but i have read in forums that these symptoms stay and have found no response from anybody stating they stopped adderall much less returning to the state they were in. I have stopped for the past two weeks with no change, i.e having great difficulty getting up, focusing, motivation and i guess the question is if anybody here has stopped adderall and found that it is possible to how you were before you started? </p>

<p>Also to the last post, fish is indeed very valuable to a diet (plenty omega 3 fatty acids for the brain/'good cholesterol"). The only thing you should make sure of is to check that the fish is fresh and edible otherwise it can lead to food poisoning. Also beware the pysch tests i am not sure how CSU is with there testing but i went to Rutgers (NJ) and it was a joke, anyone who wanted adderall could get it, it was a poor exam that could make anybody believe they had add. I truly feel for you as the reason i started adderall was to help in school because i wanted to pursue a life in medicine and found myself failing out of science classes. With the (proper) medication i am passing my classes and graduated. Its a difficult decision but i believe that a life wouldnt be worth living if i really didnt live it to my full potential.</p>