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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
I started taking adderall last week, 5 mg/3 times a day. I'm up to 7.5 mg/3 times a day and now I've been feeling more scattered, depressed, and hopeless than before.There are other factors to consider: I went off birth control last month (and therefore was psming until yesterday), I've been weaning off Elavil (down to 5 mg. for the past week), I had a migraine all weekend (which makes me depressed and tired), and yesterday I realized that the loss of two jobs early this year has finally caught up with me and I'm barely going to be able to pay my rent this month.
I'm also on Wellbutrin and Lamictal. I've had my down days on them but have mostly been ok and even occasionally motivated.
Sorry for the length but there are just so many things at play. I can't go to my psychiatrist yet because of the money situation and don't know what to do -- do I stay on the adderall until I reach the recommended dosage (it was a script from a neurologist, btw, for fatigue)? Or do I quit right away because it's the most likely cause of my sudden crash?
Thanks everyone...
Posted by lymom3 on July 27, 2006, at 14:04:23
In reply to adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
I can't speak to you particular situation but I know that when I took Focalin, a few hours after I took it, I would feel so hopeless and depressed. That passed as the medication wore off, but it was an every day thing. I haven't had those same symptoms since I stopped taking Focalin. It's hard to tell with everything going on with you, but just something for you to look at. It is constantly worse or only in waves?
Posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 14:57:36
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by lymom3 on July 27, 2006, at 14:04:23
It's been hard to tell, so I'm going to see how things are from today on. I went up to 12.5 mg this morning (afternoon). I've felt a little down -- especially now that it's 4:00 and I haven't done anything but read the paper! -- but right now I have a little more drive to work on some things that have been neglected.
Posted by Maxime on July 27, 2006, at 22:41:15
In reply to adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
Adderall and other stimulants helped me during the day but I would crash at night. Adderall was the best one though ... I came down slowly. Anyhow, if you are a danger to yourself ... stop the Adderall and at least leave a message for your doctor.
Ritalin and Dexedrine made cut in the evening ... that's how badly I crashed.
Take care of you.
Maxime
> I started taking adderall last week, 5 mg/3 times a day. I'm up to 7.5 mg/3 times a day and now I've been feeling more scattered, depressed, and hopeless than before.
>
> There are other factors to consider: I went off birth control last month (and therefore was psming until yesterday), I've been weaning off Elavil (down to 5 mg. for the past week), I had a migraine all weekend (which makes me depressed and tired), and yesterday I realized that the loss of two jobs early this year has finally caught up with me and I'm barely going to be able to pay my rent this month.
>
> I'm also on Wellbutrin and Lamictal. I've had my down days on them but have mostly been ok and even occasionally motivated.
>
> Sorry for the length but there are just so many things at play. I can't go to my psychiatrist yet because of the money situation and don't know what to do -- do I stay on the adderall until I reach the recommended dosage (it was a script from a neurologist, btw, for fatigue)? Or do I quit right away because it's the most likely cause of my sudden crash?
>
> Thanks everyone...
Posted by Myrk on July 28, 2006, at 0:37:21
In reply to adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
Hey, just started myself on the XR about 2 weeks ago. No personal experience with the immediate release, but it really sounds like there is a lot going on there in terms of medications.
I wasn't personally farmiliar with Elavil, Wellbutrin, or Lamictal so I pulled them up and started reading a bit about them. Noticed a side-effect that shows up in either "Common Side Effects" or "Somewhat Rare Side Effects" - Anxiety. Mix that in with real life problems, such as not being able to pay the rent, constant headaches from getting off and sustaining drug levels, and Adderall is gonna throw you mind into hyper-"OHSH*T"-mode. I've found that after I take my Adderall, I am much more effective as a person, however I worry about stuff a lot more (which is better for me, because I was told that impulsivity is messing me up - Side note, I shaved my head last night *tear* I miss my hair!).
I'm really not sure why you were proscribed Adderall for fatigue when something like Provigal can do the job (Provigal kept me up and going, but didn't mess with my mind too bad - I wasn't constantly thinking of my "next chore" and stuff), but then again, I'm not doctor nor do I pretend to be one. If anything, next trip to the doc explain the situation and how you're feeling. It might not feel like high-tension, but depression is commonly a way for people to block out that feeling of axiety.
As for right now... Are you effective in your daily living without the adderall? If so, I'd kinda be adverse to adding another pill to the cocktail if you're generally feeling scattered and depressed. Adderall, for me, has been a pill that acts pretty quickly (1-3 hours). If stopping it was a bad idea, you can take one.
---On your second post, there's actually a very wholistic approach to your motivation problem =)
Make a list. I can't stress this enough. There would be days at the beggining of my Adderall that I'd be like "Wow, I got a buncha stuff done today! Awesome!" and others that I'd just cause myself to mull in my head over descions, conflicts, etc that I really couldn't do anything about (currently). If you make that list, you'll at least have a plan of action, some way to attack a problem. Use paper. Get one of those sticky whiteboards for your fridge. Hell, write directly ON your fridge. It's awesome to look at a list of things you did today and go "Hah. Suck it, deppression."
-Myrk
Posted by Racer on July 28, 2006, at 1:39:51
In reply to adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
It is a known side effect that some people get from it. Dexedrine didn't do it for me, nor did Ritalin. Only Adderall.
You might talk to your doctor about trying a different stimulant?
Posted by tmalicia on July 28, 2006, at 3:27:03
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by Myrk on July 28, 2006, at 0:37:21
> Hey, just started myself on the XR about 2 weeks ago. No personal experience with the immediate release, but it really sounds like there is a lot going on there in terms of medications.
>
> I wasn't personally farmiliar with Elavil, Wellbutrin, or Lamictal so I pulled them up and started reading a bit about them. Noticed a side-effect that shows up in either "Common Side Effects" or "Somewhat Rare Side Effects" - Anxiety. Mix that in with real life problems, such as not being able to pay the rent, constant headaches from getting off and sustaining drug levels, and Adderall is gonna throw you mind into hyper-"OHSH*T"-mode. I've found that after I take my Adderall, I am much more effective as a person, however I worry about stuff a lot more (which is better for me, because I was told that impulsivity is messing me up - Side note, I shaved my head last night *tear* I miss my hair!).
>
> I'm really not sure why you were proscribed Adderall for fatigue when something like Provigal can do the job (Provigal kept me up and going, but didn't mess with my mind too bad - I wasn't constantly thinking of my "next chore" and stuff), but then again, I'm not doctor nor do I pretend to be one. If anything, next trip to the doc explain the situation and how you're feeling. It might not feel like high-tension, but depression is commonly a way for people to block out that feeling of axiety.
>
> As for right now... Are you effective in your daily living without the adderall? If so, I'd kinda be adverse to adding another pill to the cocktail if you're generally feeling scattered and depressed. Adderall, for me, has been a pill that acts pretty quickly (1-3 hours). If stopping it was a bad idea, you can take one.
> ---
>
> On your second post, there's actually a very wholistic approach to your motivation problem =)
>
> Make a list. I can't stress this enough. There would be days at the beggining of my Adderall that I'd be like "Wow, I got a buncha stuff done today! Awesome!" and others that I'd just cause myself to mull in my head over descions, conflicts, etc that I really couldn't do anything about (currently). If you make that list, you'll at least have a plan of action, some way to attack a problem. Use paper. Get one of those sticky whiteboards for your fridge. Hell, write directly ON your fridge. It's awesome to look at a list of things you did today and go "Hah. Suck it, deppression."
>
> -Myrk
Oh, I'm all about lists. I'll even write something down that I'm just about to do just to cross it off! And now I have a pile of jumbled lists with everything but the harder stuff crossed off on them, so I can go through them and make sure everything gets done.I found one interaction that would have made a significant difference, rather than just the migraine and pms or adderall itself -- adderall increases the dosage of elavil, and every time I've stepped up or down on elavil I'd be nuts for a day or two.
My neuro prescribed it for me because he thought I might have a mild case of narcolepsy...I'm *always* dragging during the day, no matter how many hours of sleep I get. And I'm guessing that since my concentration is blown when I get a migraine, he figured that would help me, too. I was really looking forward to this, because I need to get serious about looking for more work, but obviously that's hard when you're tired and scattered and unmotivated.
I saw on his instruction sheet that I could call if I had any weird side effects, so that was a relief. But today ended up being a lot better for me, and I realized that being careful about the dose/time is important.
So hopefully it will work out, because for general mood, energy, and motivation (this has all been clinical for the past year -- the money thing is only a recent setback) the antidepressants alone weren't making a huge difference. Even though I could usually function when I had to (I'm a freelance writer...and usually missed a lot of deadlines because of insomnia/migraines) but on my days off I wouldn't do anything -- not cleaning, laundry, going out, or even talking to my friends.
I hated feeling like I was wasting my life away, and every single night for I don't know how long I've been going to bed resolved to jump up the minute I woke up the next day (because otherwise I'd be back asleep before I knew it) and I'd exercise and be productive. But every day I'd fail, and it's been soooo frustrating that I can't do something as simple as get out of bed a little earlier than usual no matter how resolved I am.
Geez, sorry about the long post. The whole point is that I'm very happy that I felt better today, and I hope the adderall does work out because now it's crucial for me to get my butt in gear.
Thanks for everyone's responses, I'd welcome any more input as well!
Posted by psychobot5000 on July 28, 2006, at 11:45:18
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 28, 2006, at 3:27:03
Hi,
Sorry if I repeat too much of what others said.
Stimulants like Adderall are generally good for mood, but there is definitely a small set of people for whom they cause depression.
My thought would be to go off the adderall, for a week or three, until you've got the rest of your drug-regimen changes stabilized. Then you could add it again, and you would have a better idea of what it was doing for you, without being muddled by the rest.
Anyway, sounds like you're doing a bit better--hopefully that keeps up. Good luck!
Posted by chiron on July 28, 2006, at 22:20:50
In reply to adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 27, 2006, at 11:56:35
my heart goes out to you...
I have been on many medications for most of my life- most of which were ssri's. This year I tried abilify & adderall for the first time. One of which (or both?) pushed me into a deep biochemical agitated depression that I had never known. I ended up in the hospital, crying even when they would take my pulse- because I didn't want to have a pulse.
Adderall originally gave me some euphoric days, but it was not consistent or long-lasting. It's hard to say whether or not it was what set me "off," but I don't dare try it again.
A wonderful psychiatrist has had me on Cymbalta since then. I have greatly improved, although I still have miles to go.
I have the opposite reaction to birth control - I will never take them again. They give me pms x 10. But my guess is that for you they may help. It might be a good idea to go back on them & then access the adderall.
Hang in there, it will get better!
Posted by tmalicia on July 29, 2006, at 0:31:44
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by chiron on July 28, 2006, at 22:20:50
Unfortunately, the reason I had to go off birth control -- which I loved -- was because I was having chronic migraines for the better part of the past few years. The neurologist made me stop, and after a couple of weeks, the headaches were mostly gone, too. But antidepressants can worsen migraines and migraines bring on depression. It's a fun cycle.Today was pretty bad for me again, so I don't think I'm going to take the adderall tomorrow. I'll try it again after I quit the elavil for good. Plus (I don't know if I mentioned this) I have a high heart rate, and I went out for a walk today and stupidly took my second adderall dose right when I got back -- and immediately started feeling weird, and my blood pressure was significantly raised. I had an aspirin and a phone at my side because I've been paranoid about having a heart attack, and I'm not sure I want to live with that fear.
I actually have some Cymbalta samples from my primary doc from a while ago, but when the Wellbutrin seemed to have an effect I went with that because brand names are really really expensive for me. My migraine pills are anywhere from $80 - $120 for nine doses. It's all such a nightmare...thanks for your story. I've thought about the hospital a couple of times this week, too, but have just tried to knock myself out instead.
> my heart goes out to you...
> I have been on many medications for most of my life- most of which were ssri's. This year I tried abilify & adderall for the first time. One of which (or both?) pushed me into a deep biochemical agitated depression that I had never known. I ended up in the hospital, crying even when they would take my pulse- because I didn't want to have a pulse.
> Adderall originally gave me some euphoric days, but it was not consistent or long-lasting. It's hard to say whether or not it was what set me "off," but I don't dare try it again.
> A wonderful psychiatrist has had me on Cymbalta since then. I have greatly improved, although I still have miles to go.
> I have the opposite reaction to birth control - I will never take them again. They give me pms x 10. But my guess is that for you they may help. It might be a good idea to go back on them & then access the adderall.
> Hang in there, it will get better!
Posted by jealibeanz on July 29, 2006, at 10:39:58
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 29, 2006, at 0:31:44
Adderall definitely caused depression for me. Within days of starting the XR is was going through crying spells and fell into a dark depression. It was so quick and sudden, as if a switch had been flipped. I had to go on Effexor because I could not stop crying and had lost all hope in life.
Posted by chiron on July 29, 2006, at 18:37:12
In reply to Re: adderall/suicide...please help, posted by tmalicia on July 29, 2006, at 0:31:44
Ya, I would go off of the Adderall then. I've had mildly positive experiences with Wellbutrin. It sounds like a good switch. Also, adding a SSRI might be effective for your PMS if it continues to be a problem.
Hang in there.> Unfortunately, the reason I had to go off birth control -- which I loved -- was because I was having chronic migraines for the better part of the past few years. The neurologist made me stop, and after a couple of weeks, the headaches were mostly gone, too. But antidepressants can worsen migraines and migraines bring on depression. It's a fun cycle.
>
> Today was pretty bad for me again, so I don't think I'm going to take the adderall tomorrow. I'll try it again after I quit the elavil for good. Plus (I don't know if I mentioned this) I have a high heart rate, and I went out for a walk today and stupidly took my second adderall dose right when I got back -- and immediately started feeling weird, and my blood pressure was significantly raised. I had an aspirin and a phone at my side because I've been paranoid about having a heart attack, and I'm not sure I want to live with that fear.
>
> I actually have some Cymbalta samples from my primary doc from a while ago, but when the Wellbutrin seemed to have an effect I went with that because brand names are really really expensive for me. My migraine pills are anywhere from $80 - $120 for nine doses. It's all such a nightmare...thanks for your story. I've thought about the hospital a couple of times this week, too, but have just tried to knock myself out instead.
>
>
> > my heart goes out to you...
> > I have been on many medications for most of my life- most of which were ssri's. This year I tried abilify & adderall for the first time. One of which (or both?) pushed me into a deep biochemical agitated depression that I had never known. I ended up in the hospital, crying even when they would take my pulse- because I didn't want to have a pulse.
> > Adderall originally gave me some euphoric days, but it was not consistent or long-lasting. It's hard to say whether or not it was what set me "off," but I don't dare try it again.
> > A wonderful psychiatrist has had me on Cymbalta since then. I have greatly improved, although I still have miles to go.
> > I have the opposite reaction to birth control - I will never take them again. They give me pms x 10. But my guess is that for you they may help. It might be a good idea to go back on them & then access the adderall.
> > Hang in there, it will get better!
>
>
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