adderall anger | ADHD Information

amyt, good luck, let us know how it turns out.hello,

Today is Wednesday and it's the first day back on the adderall. I took the
first dose at 10am and noticed a little improvement in my mood/focus,
etc. But I REALLY noticed an improvement when I took the Magnesium
supplements and the L-Tyrosine supplements.

I am not angry, irritated, or unmotivated at all right now. I feel like the
adderall is working more like it should.

I did a little research and I think that amphetamine use depletes
magnesium stores in the body and supplements really help to boost them
and make Adderall/Dexedrine work better (the way they're supposed to).

the other supplements are helping, too. See my above post for a
complete listing of the supplements.

joshThanks for your replies, I'm taking him to the Dr. this week in hopes of trying another medicine.  He has been off of the Adderall for several days now, but really can't function without it.  He doesn't want to do anything but sleep we he doesn't take it.  The pharmicist recommended Concerta or Straterra.  Hopefully a change will help.Hi, my name is Josh and I'm new here.

I've been taking Adderall or Dexedrine for almost 9 months and Lexapro
(10mg) for about 2 months.

I've experienced the anger, irritability, social withdrawal that I think is
from the Adderall. I've taken Adderall XR and the tablets (quick release)
in all doses possible.

I don't know the answer to the anger problem, but I do know that taking
some time off can help. It's been a long time since I took time off, but
after this horrible weekend of work (i felt like everyone was watching me,
judging me--I was irritated, couldn't focus) I decided I NEEDED some time
off.

So here I am, the second day without adderall (still continuing Lexapro),
hoping that I when I go back on it I will feel less angry.

I am loading up on multivitamins, sleep, food, and nutritional
supplements while on the time off. I'm taking L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine,
DL-Phenylalanine, DMAE, B-complex, MEgaman Multivitamin, Magnesium,
L-Theanine (thought to reduce adderall tolerance), and a few others I
can't recall.      

So, that's it....I guess I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm
experiencing the same thing and hope that I can tell you the time off
worked for me.

thanks

Josh

Amyt

Last summer when I was at my wits end with my 11 year old and the anger/temper when the Adderall wore off each day, the doctor suggested we change to Strattera.  The plan was to "ramp up" on Strattera, then "ramp down" on the Adderall XR.  Well, when we were completely ramped-up on the Strattera, we saw the doctor and I said this was the best I'd ever seen her, why do we need to ramp-down on Adderall when things were going so well.  The doctor grinned and said that in the clinical trials for Strattera in which she was actively involved, they indeed had found that the Strattera/Adderall combination was significantly better than either by itself. 

My daughter has been on 60mg Strattera AND 25mg Adderall XR for the last 14 months.  The combination has worked beautifully.  We still see some episodes of anger and temper, but nothing that wouldn't normally be expected of a pre-adolescent girl!  The addition of Strattera also helped with her appetite which was a big bonus too.

Hope that helps.

JayneLizzie

Thanks for the info, that gives me something to suggest to the Dr.  I feel like I'm between & rock and a hard place............  he can't function without adderall, but is always angry on it.  It seems he is worse in the evenings after it wears off, I really hope that we can find an answer.  He is not keen on seeing the Dr. again, as most 17 year old boys probably aren't, but he knows we have to get the medicine straightened out.  Thanks for the support, I'm  going to mention the combination of medicines to his doctor & also the possibility of nutritional supplements.  On the few days he's been off of adderall, he has been eating much more.  Unlike when he's on it, he rarely wants to eat anything, so I'm sure his nutrition is suffering.  When he is off the adderall, his personlaity improves but all he wants to do is sleep and he says he feels like he can't do anything and also feels depressed.  He was diagnosed as ADD, has anyone else had a problem with only wanting to sleep when not on medication? Thanks

absolutely--I often feel like doing nothing or sleeping all day and can't
imagine ever being able to be productive.

Also, I sometimes get real "dopey" the first few days off the meds,
where I laugh at everything and can't be serious, coupled with minor
depressionI can sorta relate. I am an adult taking the same combo.  I had a few days of agressiveness but I think was attributed to not eating and caffiene. I would ask his Dr. about adjusting his dose of Lexapro I think that might help.My son is so very angry, short tempered and impulsive since going on adderall XR.  He is 17 and was diagnosed with ADD at the beggining of the year after having much difficulty with school & continuous sleeping.  Even though he knows the adderall is causing his anger, he does not feel that he can function without taking it.  Can strattera or any other medicine help like adderall does, but not cause the anger problem? His physician put him on an anti-depressent Lexapro to try to help with the anger, but I can't see any difference.  He used to be such a caring child, his whole personality has changed. Any comments are appreciated.

Is he angry all the time, or is it a rebound effect (when the meds wear off)?

My son only experienced the shortness of temper when it was wearing off, & my husband experienced it for the 1st two weeks, & has been fine ever since.

What does his Dr. suggest.  Perhaps a different stim med like concerta would work better for him.

Howdy.. im a 19 year old guy from australia, where we dont have adderall, but i believe it is a combination of ritalin and dexamphetamines?

i have been diagnosed with passive ADD (non-hyperactive).I've been on dex for a few months now, and my dr. has upped my dose to 30mg a day. i can relate to the mood swings, since i've had a few myself. its strange. sometimes i'll just get p***ed off over tiny things, like the other day when people were walking infront of the thing i was looking at. i know it sounds stupid, but it happens and its scary. but then again, i've ignored things that would have normally annoyed me earlier. you cant predict whats going to happen when youre on the pills.

i can also relate to your son feeling like he cant function without it. i'm doing engineering at uni, and i have found it impossible to actually sit and study at all without them, yet i've studied up to 6 hours a day (on my lower dose of 15mg). speaking from experience, all i can say is stick with it, understand that the anger is part of the treatment, and it will work out in the end.

Jimbo,

Thanks for your input.  Unfortunately my son is now refusing to take the Adderall and won't go to his appointment with the Doctor to try anything else.  He's tired of being on prescription medications and has taken himself off of adderall & the anit-depressant.  He says that the adderall is making him crazy & the antidepressant is making him more depressed and won't give any other medicine a chance.  He's 17, and will be 18 soon so its kind of out of my control.  The upside is that his original personality is back, very little anger and actually much more stable.  The downside is that he has no energy, can't do schoolwork, etc.....  actually, he has quit school.  He only had 6 more classes to graduate.  I think that ADD is much more serious than most people understand.  His nutrition while on the adderall was horrible, hardly ever ate.  Now he is eating much better.  So, I am researching more natural ways to deal with ADD, including vitamins, nutrients, etc.... Hopefully, I will find something that will help.  Good luck with Engineering school, my other son is a Senior in Mechanical Engineering at our University here so I know it's a challenge.

 

 

         My son has been taking lexapro for over nine months- it hasn't really helped with his anger. He takes strattera also for adhd because concerta and adderall caused him stomache pain and other side effects. I was recently told by his counselor that she thought his Dr. had diagnosed him wrong years ago and that he is bipolar instead of adhd. He had been treated for adhd and minor depression for years. She said alot of children are diagnosed wrong and showed me the symptoms for bipolar and adhd are similiar. I was very surprised. You have concentration problems with bipolar , etc. His Dr agreed to put him on a bipolar med and he's responded to it....Also, when my son was on concerta he did seem to have more rage at times....I hope this helps in some way.

Maria

Someone who knows him did mention the possibility of bipolar, its a thought. Right now he won't even discuss going to another Doctor so I'm going to have to sit back & see what happens for awhile.  Meanwhile, he is agreeable to take vitamins & eat better.  I'll have to say that I don't miss the short temper he was experiencing on the Adderall, he & I always had a good relationship & he was very easy going before going on it.  It really changed his personality. However, it is hard seeing him not able to function & do everyday activities that other people his age are doing.  The Adderall did allow him the ability to perform the tasks he needed to, he was just mad all the time.

Hello!

I have been diagnosed with adult ADD and the only medication I have ever taken is Aderall XR.  It has made an extreme positive change in my life and I am very happy with my decision to seek help and medication.  I take 60 mg every morning, which may eventually increase.  For now, I have not noticed a lesser affect as I take it more.  Since being on the medication,  I am much happier, in a better mood, more motivated, focused, and able to accomplish everyday tasks without feeling overwhelmed or stressed.  I have not experienced too many negative side affects from the medication.  I would think that those who experience those negative affects may have been misdiagnosed, or may have other issues other then ADD.  This is why many doctors will combine medications.  The person taking the medication just has to find what combination is best for them.  I can definately see how Aderall could make one more aggressive because of the amount of energy increase.  Negative aggression though is most likely caused by other problems and then triggered by the Aderall.  That is my opinion anyways because I personally have never had negative aggression from the medication.  

 

That being said, my doctor also put me on Abilify at the same time as the Aderrall to help me relax, eat a normal diet, sleep well at night etc.  I think it works very well because I have never experienced any bad affects from either medication.  Abilify, although classified as an anti-psychotic, when taken in low dosages is simply more of a relaxative.  I take one 10 mg tablet every evening and each dose stays in your system for 6 days.  When combined with Aderall you are able to feel that extra energy, feel good about yourself, stay focused and motivated etc. (Aderall benefits), but at the same time stay relaxed and not overly energetic or aggressive.  Abilify also helps with falling asleep, and there are no after affects if you do not get a full nights rest like there is in sleeping pills.  I personally would recommend anyone who is looking to combat that negative aggression side of the Aderall drug to talk to their doctor about Abilify. 

It is possible that other ADD medications work just as well and won't cause the aggression, however I have never taken other medication so I can't say.  I have also been told Aderall is the most affective, especially for adults.  I personally would not recommend giving this medication to a child, unless it was in very low milligrams.  

Basically, the only thing I can say against Aderall XR is that it does seem to be habit forming, as you feel extremely tired, worn down achy etc when it starts to wear off.  My doctor told me if I were to come off the drug those feelings would go away in a couple of days as the drug leaves your system.  All I can do is trust her expertise and her opinion.   Good luck to you !

 

Shannon

Also, I've heard from many that Lexapro is a BAD antidepressant.  If you read about it, it's a fact  that it can make you feel even more depressed and there have even been cases of suicide.  If he decides to stick with it in the end, Paxil may be a good one.  I have a friend who suffers from depression and it really helps her.  It took a few weeks to get in her system and start working, but now she is doing much better.  It's also more natural then prozac and said to be non habit forming.  However, if he is truly alright off the meds then it may make sense to be off of them.  Judging by what you are saying though I'm not so sure.  He may want to see a councelor rather then a psychologist, as many psychologists look at their job as medicating, not actually listening, talking and solving the problems.  It's unfortunate but true.  There are also other medications for ADD that he might try.  Just tell him not to give up until he finds a way to make a positive change, whether it be medication or other life changing methods.   

 

Shannon

Hello,

I wanted to make a comment about the Lexapro, as I stated earlier in this
thread that I was taking it along with the Adderall. My doctor took me off
of 10mg Lexapro because it eventually started to bring out "manic"
behaviors in me.

After three months on 10mg Lexapro, I began to have an unhealthy "no
fear" attitude that was NOT present AT ALL before---at any time in my
life. I've always been cautious or worried about things, coupled with
complete avoidance behaviors.

With the Lexapro, I started to feel more relaxed during the first month or
so (actually the first week was the most positive). As the Lex built up in
my system, I began to have more and more trouble sleeping. Finally, it
just seemed to me like ANYTHING was possible and no danger was truly
real.

The two major incidents (climbing down a ridiculously steep cliff with
TOTAL disregard for my life) and a careless bike accident were both when
I had not taken my Adderall but was still taking Lexapro.

You might think that I'm one of those "crazy" ADD types who is really
active, can't sit still, etc..., but I actually tend towards depression and
spaciness.   So, I never would have attempted either of these things
without an SSRI. My doctor agreed.

I have a family history of Bipolar disorder; Lexapro and other SSRI's are
thought to "bring out" manic behaviors in those with bipolar tendencies.

At this point, I have stopped all medication, except for taking L-Tyrosine
(an amino acid that is the chemical pre-cursor to Dopamine), which is the
only thing that seems to help. Caffeine seems to increase the feeling of
mania, with a little benefit of concentration.

However, I'm struggling with the Adderall, as I built up a huge tolerance
to it and anytime I go start or stop it seems my tolerance builds up to a
great extent. And then that leads me to abuse the medication further,
which is a mess.

Hope this is helpful.

Josh

 

     It has helped me to hear that my son isn't the only one who has an unhealthy "no fear" attitude. He is on lexapro,strattera and clonodine. I have heard that lexapro can increase these behaviors. He was also on abilify at one time and then respidal but had to discontinue because of side effects. He took those for early onset bipolar. The dr had wanted to stop some of the other meds if my son was able to take an anti psychotic for pediatric bi polar. But he hasn't been able to continue on either of those  two meds. I'm at  a loss as to what med he can take for that.  Thanks

 

I have been searching the forum for this!!!  I am a twenty- nine year old female and I have been on Adderall 10 mg twice a day for about nine months now.  I also take 10 mg Lexapro as well. 

I only take the Adderall during the work/school week and give my body a break on the weekends.  However, I have noticed that when I don't take it all I want to do is sleep and I have absolutely no energy.    I could literally sleep all weekend long and getting up Monday morning is hell!!! 

I am considering taking it on the weekends too, but feel I need the break from it occasionally.  I don't want my body to build up a huge tolerance to it.   

I guess I just wanted to know there was more people like me. 

Hello!

 

10mg isn't that much for an adult dosage, and as far as I know you are not supposed to be off it because of those affects.  If they are prescribed to you and they work for you I believe they are supposed to be taken everyday without discontinuing use.  This is what my doctor tells me anyways.  If you decide to get off it all together those after affects should only last a few days.  I do know what you mean because I take Aderral XR once daily dose, and when my prescription ran out I slept for two days.  I hope this helps and good luck!

 

Shannon