please help-- adderall amphetamine addiction withdraw

intime · 03-06-2004, 05:04 PM

Hi,

I am needed advice from anyone who has experience with adderall amphetamine addiction withdraw.

I was physically sick for years 7 or 8 maybe more I had lyme disease.

It affected my nervous system and body and mind.

I was sooooo tired all the time and felt as if I could not think, concentrate could not get motivated to do anything.

I was put on adderall 20mg x3 a day. It was a soooo wonderful at first, but as time past it did not do much but seemed to make me a wreck, I could not sleep at times headachs, soo jumpy in everyway, extreme anger crying spells and could not stop once i started, depressed mood swings so extreme, and then about 2 years into being on it i started to see windows of being paranoid mostly against my husband, i have three children 14, 16 and 20 and am home. I started asking constantly questions of my husband and thought someone was moving furniture and not putting it back molding, felt like i was being tricked by my husband.

It got so bad that it was a war zone in my home and effected everyone in my family, about a year and half ago I thought people in cars were following me I would look at anything in my home and think I saw little writing on wood, I thought my husband was hiding altering my clothing it was such a hell, the stress was beyond what anyone could handle.

I ended up seeing a shrink and he upped my adderall and put me on respidal and serequoul which worked sooo minimally.

this past sept oct my blood pressure was skyrocketing 188 over 110 my heart would jump and race alot I thought I was going crazy and going to die.

In oct I met a doctor that said you are not paranoid schizophrenic but I was acting that way because of the adderall that I was addicted to it and it was destroying me.

He put me into intensive care for a couple of days and then reg. hospital room, I can remember waking up i slept soooo much while there.

I am struggling soooo much with feeling depressed and hopeless. my doctor is great he is a very caring doctor. he is not big on medicine to say the least he is a reg doct internist and do and a addiction specialist he has me on 10 mg. of lexapro and blood pressure meds which my blood pressure is still crazy at times and recently buspar 2 weeks 15 mg morning and 15 in the afternoon.

I feel like I am drowning all I feel like doing is sitting and doing basically nothing no modivation. my family has been through so much I am soo frustrated I want so much to be normal it is weird sometimes I feel guilty because I miss adderall but I know it is not the answer it is just I feel so tired all the time I could go to sleep at 10;30 at night and set my alarm for 7 i do not hear it it just rings and if no one wakes me up I could sleep until 1 or 2.

My doctor says it will take 12 to 24 months for my body to adjust and I have to be patient sorry for venting

I just feel like there is no one who understands I know it is not there fault but it is such a lonley existence.

please help.... laurie

Banker · 03-06-2004, 05:17 PM

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. How long have you been on your antidepressant? There are times when you have to try several different kinds until you find the right one. You are going to have to FORCE yourself to get out and work out! Start off walking for 30 minutes, as many times a day as you can. Your body has natural chemicals that respond to physical activity and you have to get your brain working the way it is supposed to again. It will if you start being active. If you force yourself to do it for a little while, then you will naturally start to have more and more energy. Also, I'm on lexepro also and it makes me EXTREMELY tired. I have to take it in the a.m. and by around 9:00 p.m., I'm out like a light. Cannot stay awake. I know when you hear me say get out and walk, you are thinking that I'm crazy but it will work. Start off doing it once a day and then see if you can do it twice a day... pretty soon, you will have energy. Seriously, you will. Also, your doctor sounds like he knows what he's talking about. I know that Wellbutrin seems to be an 'energy booster' sometimes for people. In fact, I've tried it and it made me have so much energy, I was having major anxiety. Anyway, let me know how long you have been on the lexepro and answer the other questions i've asked. I'll be praying for you.

upatnite58 · 03-06-2004, 05:49 PM

intime...banker is right with the exercise, but on top of that, i must say that adderall dependancy is very wicked. for lyme disease?? OK i won't say what i think of that DR., but no matter, you are off. good for you. and yes for a very long time you will suffer the long term effects. sorry, but a VERY long time. up to 3 yrs. unfortunately..AD's may give you some relief (certain AD's), but ultimately it is time which will stabalize you. these types of drugs are hell to come off of after long term use. a mood stabilizer would probably be the best option for you now. lithium, depakote..etc..may offer you the best relief from your symptoms. stimulants induce bi-polar effects ultimately. to neutralize that, a mood stabilizer rather than an AD is the best option..

Banker · 03-06-2004, 06:16 PM

Upatnite- what is the difference between a 'mood stabilizer' and an AD? I would think that an AD would be a stabilizer but ???

upatnite58 · 03-06-2004, 07:11 PM

hey banker.. well, no..an AD and a mood stabilizer are two very distinct things...have i read that you think you are ADD? a mood stabilizer will send a bi-polar person into an immediate manic phase. iresponsible behavior, hallucinations, no sleep..etc...a mood stabilizer will cut the moods. i cannot say what you are suffering from...only a doc can do that...that said, there are now 2 phases to bi-bilor..bi-polar 1 and bi-polar 2. 1. has symptoms too clear to mistake. BP2. however, is up for grabs. indistinct symptoms of impulsivness, depression, aggressivness, anger, moodiness...etc... certainly not diagnosing you however, EVERYONE at one time or another has these symptoms...