![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BMS on August 29, 2003, at 16:21:16
I took adderall XR for almost a year (was also taking paxil during the time) my primary problem was severe depression. A doctor gave me adderall because of symptoms of ADD (non-hyperactive). Once I added the Adderall I felt great, better than I had in my entire life (no depression). I took about 30 mg of adderall daily for nearly a year- it would lose its effectiveness from time to time, but I would go off of it for a few days (which was painful) but when I went back on I would feel great again. My biggest problem began when I got a non XR prescription. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but it didn’t work as long and the crash was bad when it would wear off. So I made sure I get back to the XR for the next refill. But I was horrified when the XR was only marginally effective, even when I went off of it for a week. I decided to try to go off of the adderall altogether. (Maybe eventually I would be back to my normal depressed self I was before the drugs.) After 4 months of summer I still felt horrible and as worse as ever. Its like I cant feel good, like the neurons on my brain wont release dopamine or something. I’m now back at college and just started taking the adderall again because I was feeling more terrible with no desire to live. I feel so-so with the adderall now, but still not real good, even after not taking it for 4 months. I just don’t know what to do. I’m in bad shape. Does my story make any sense? Any advice would be appreciated.
Posted by Zenclearer on August 29, 2003, at 19:53:52
In reply to Help- Adderall withdrawal and longterm depression, posted by BMS on August 29, 2003, at 16:21:16
Yes, your story makes a lot of sense.
For many, (if not all adults over time) this happens.
For some people, supplementing a VERY low dose of Wellbutrin (say, 50 or 100 mg/day) may help. The WB provides a more stable body/brain chemistry, normalizing the fatigue and depression that follows amphetamine use.
Keep in mind that it may time to become comfortable with the WB effects, as they can seem overstimulating or fatiguing at first. You may need to lower your amphetamine dose, as well.
Posted by btnd on August 30, 2003, at 3:59:42
In reply to Help- Adderall withdrawal and longterm depression, posted by BMS on August 29, 2003, at 16:21:16
Maybe you've developed tolerance to amphetamine - you might need to use NDMA antagonist. Do a search on pbabble on "amphetamine AND NDMA".
Hope it helps.
Posted by Viridis on August 30, 2003, at 18:21:20
In reply to Help- Adderall withdrawal and longterm depression, posted by BMS on August 29, 2003, at 16:21:16
You might also consider adding Strattera to the Adderall. The two go well together for many, and Strattera can help with both ADD and depression. I find that this combo is quite helpful, and pdocs seem quite eager to hand out sample packs of Strattera. Just go slowly with the dosing at first if you try it -- Strattera can cause some initial side effects (nausea etc.) that seem to disappear pretty quickly.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.