Hey there,
I know you've been having a tough time lately. I hope it is getting better for you!
Thank you for answering my ? on the ADD board. I was hoping to ask you about your adderall experience (or your son's too). If you don't want to answer or I'm being too nosy, please, don't be shy in telling me. I can handle it! I've only been using adderall for 6 weeks, and I'm finding there are so many people out there who might possibly be sharing "horror" stories in an effort to scare people off. There's a lot of urban legend type misinformatoin that is hard to separate from the good info. I'm having a terrible, terrible time finding good, unbiased informatoin from people who've actually used this drug.
I was wondering:
Was adderall prescribed to you for fibro, or for other things as well?
Do you take the XR or immediate release?
How long have you been using adderall?
How much did you start out on?
How much do you take now?
How many times a day do you take it?
Do you take it every day?
Does adderall increase your heart rate?
If so, is it only while the meds are in your system?
What initial side effects did you experience, and how soon did they subside?
Anyone else who wants to chime in here, PLEASE DO!
I noticed during week 5 of my adderall use, when it was increased from 25 mg to 35 mg (actually, per my doc, 35 - 45 mg, but I'm sticking to 35 mg) that my heart rate has increased by about 15 to 20 beats per minute. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't check. I haven't had palpitations or anything, just know from checking my pulse. I know this is still a safe range, but I am trying to find out if it will go back to normal once my body gets used to it, or if this is my new resting heart rate. Because even when the adderall is out of my system for a day, my heart rate remains higher. It's in the 80s and 90s now (and a few times has briefly risen to about 103, 105). I used to be in the 60s and 70s.
I also have noticed a lot of what's been described to me by other board users as "early heartbeats." I might have always had these, but I wouldn't know because I never checked my pulse till I started taking adderall. I don't know if they are happening because my heart rate has sped up, and I wonder if they are safe. What I've read is that the occassional early heart beat is nothing to worry about, but what does "occassional" mean? Every few days? Once a month? Mine seem to happen every few minutes. I'm pretty sure this is nothing to worry about. I feel fine heartwise, and am pretty sure my heart is one of the only parts of my body that isn't screwed up,
(Anyone with fibro knows what I mean!) Just want to make sure I'm not being too dismissive of this.
