Depression and Adderall? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

loufrank · 09-16-2007, 03:25 PM

I have soft bipolar and take Lamictal and provigil. I have never been diagnosed with ADD but have always lacked focus. Also, my mind races and I have a hard time focusing. The lamictal calms me down a little and provigil helps with the fatigue. I feel like I may need my meds tweaked. I do not want to take a AD. I am sensitive to meds and have tried a few with horrible side effects. I was thinking of asking my pdoc about Adderall. Does anybody have experience with it? Does it help depression at all? Also, I am unsure b/c I was never diagnosed with ADD, but have some signs. I appreciate any suggestions.

goody2shuz · 09-16-2007, 05:18 PM

My 18 year old daughter was just diagnosed ADD/Mood Disorder NOS since she hasn't exhibited any true manic episode but definitely exhibits the irritability and running engine type of behaviors that could be part of a soft BP as well as ADD. They started her on Lamictal since she does show mood swings and once she is on a therapeutic dose they may try an ADD med called Daytrana in the form of a patch.

My suggestion is to talk this over with your pdoc and see what he thinks....many people with ADD have BP visa versa and if they do put you on a stimulant you should make sure that you are carefully monitored since it could throw you off.

I hope that you and your pdoc can come up with a way to make you feel better. Do you think that the focusing problems are a sde effect of the meds or is something that you had been experiencing before the meds???

~ Goody

kwj001 · 09-18-2007, 03:04 PM

I too am BP2 and just recently my pdoc wanted to try Adderal as she felt it would help with the focus part. The only med for BP I was taking was 200mg lamictal and 1mg Klonopin in the late afternoons, which worked good, but then I started cycling down - rather than up. Depression has always been the problem for me - I never cycle hyper into an out of control mood. I was hesitant about the adderal also - afraid of heart racing, etc. I'm anxious enough without adding more physical symptoms to it. She put me on the lowest children's dosage. I tolerated it fine - good thing was, I lost my appetite. After a month of that, she recommended I stop the adderal and switch to a new one called Vyvanse (30mg) which was equal to the adderal low dose. I felt wonderful for about 2 weeks and then crashed. She said the Vyvanse not only helps us focus, but it has something that causes the receptors in our brain to hold onto the chemicals better. Anyway, saw her last Friday and she moved me to 70mg Vyvanse. I was in the depths of depression and within 4 hours of taking my first dose, I felt human again and it's amazing. A week later - all is well. I'm to go back and see her in 2 weeks to make sure I don't crash again. If I crash again on this one, I may see if she is willing to go back to the Adderal at an adult's dosage since I tolerated the children's well.

The only thing different between your story and mine is that I wasn't given adderal or vyvanse for fatigue. Strictly focus and then with Vyvanse focus and the ability it has to affect our brain receptors. Sorry I don't know all the technical terms. The most important thing is that we have to remember that it takes awhile to get the right meds mix, and then it can change in a heartbeat.

I don't know if you have low thyroid, but I do. I worked with my regular doc and we increased my dosage up 3 levels and my bloodwork still fell within the approved levels. So, what I found from that is that just because you're on a dose of Synthroid - it may be that you can be on a higher dose just as well and it certainly made a difference in my fatigue. She has me having it tested every 3 months now to make sure it doesn't bump it up too much.

loufrank · 09-18-2007, 04:10 PM

Thanks so much! I do have a low thyroid. In fact, I tend to cycle down as well. Your situation sounds similiar. I am going to see my pdoc this week and will ask him about the adderall. I had my thyriod checked a few months ago. I am on 125mg of synthroid. My levels were okay last time, but maybe I will get them checked again soon. I just want to find something to make me feel normal again.

kwj001 · 09-19-2007, 01:09 PM

It's amazing how some of our stories are similar.

With regards to the Synthroid, I had been on .88 for years. It was just by chance that while waiting in the exam room that there was a chart on the door that showed the different Synthroid dosages. I asked her how my bloodwork was on the last check - if it was still in the low dose of normal, could my dosage be increased to help fatigue. She said, yes - we'll try it and retested in 4 weeks - still ok, so she bumped me up again - and again a 3rd time to .112 now. So, I'm still one dose short of you - but that doesn't mean you can't go up as well.

On the other hand, the dr just reduced my mom's dose of synthroid because her dose had become too high and was causing fatigue - rather than hyper-energy like we would assume it could do. So either way, it's worth having it checked!

Good luck.