newbie: any feedback would be great :0) - ADD / ADHD Message Board

littleles008 · 06-28-2005, 07:15 PM

Hi,

Im a 24 year old female who was just diagnosed with add. I've been prescribed adderall xr 5mg and i start taking it tomorrow. I'm a little scared to start taking it because of all the side effects i could have plus i have panic attacks so that doesnt help. Any words of encouragement or reassurance would be great.

index.html · 06-29-2005, 08:18 AM

Well, it is possible that a stimulant will make your panic attacks worse...

The good news is that they are relatively short-acting, so if you find that you don't like it, you can quit and the drug will be out of your system within 12-24 hours.

Let us know how it goes...

malibubarbie999 · 06-29-2005, 10:44 AM

I've been on Adderall for a year. I've had ADHD my whole life, plus Panic Disorder.

Although Adderall has made a huge difference in my life by boosting my attention span/focus, decreasing my impulsivity & allowing me to sit still for once, it's increased my anxiety at times as well. Before starting Adderall I had maybe one panic attack/month. Recently I've had as many as 3/week. I'm not totally blaming the Adderall for this, but it definitely hasn't helped my anxiety. So my dr has put me on Xanax & wants to keep me on Adderall as well since it's helped me so much. So far so good.

Expect to have side effects with Adderall in the beginning... it's unavoidable. But as your body gets used to the drug, the side effects will subside. The only negative effect Adderall has had on me (that has lasted) is it made me lose a lot of weight. I'm 5'6" & I went from 125 lbs to 103 lbs which is way too thin for my taste. Adderall will kill your appetite. Also the anxiety got worse, but the Xanax has helped work that situation out.

Anyway, good luck. Hope Adderall works for you. Keep us posted.

littleles008 · 06-29-2005, 01:09 PM

Thanks guys. I took it this morning and was fine. At first i felt a little "high" but around 1:00 i guess it started wearing off and i felt so tired and blah. My sinus kill me and my legs ache like im getting a cold or something. Have you guys felt this way???

Miakoda65 · 06-30-2005, 11:37 AM

I've heard that the Adderall xr causes the achy feeling and the crash when it wears off. I am taking the regular Adderall twice a day and haven't had those problems. Just sometimes a little jittery sometimes when it first kicks in... The first few days I took it I felt a little disconnected but my mind seems much clearer than ever now and thus far no crash in the evenings. You may want to check into switching. I also had a lot of problems with anxiety and basically being so tense the doctor said it was like I was in self defense mode all the time. He said that I have a mild case of Bi-Polar disorder and started me on Lamictal. The two together have helped a lot. There will always be ups and downs unfortunately though. Good Luck!