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Longterm effects of quitting cold turkey? Pls share your experiences


Leila

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Hello everyone. I'm kinda new here. I've posted a little bit. Tried to taper down....gave loved ones control of my meds but ended up biting their heads off till they gave it back, lol.

My Psychiatrist told me not to stop cold turkey because there's a danger of rebound depression/anxiety down the road. Problem is I've moved so he can't really help me taper down.

I've talked to 5 health care professionals in the past month to see if someone could help me taper off my adderall... I'm either told to just stop on my own it's no big deal or that I need a specialist's help. *sigh*

So I'm stopping cold turkey. I have about a week & a half supply left.

For those who quit cold turkey, did you notice depression and anxiety? Did it start as soon as you quit and persist for months or did it start a few months down the road?

I'm very worried about this because in the past I stopped taking Adderall, Klonopin and Lexapro all at once and had horrible depression and anxiety. I have problems with it anyway but this was bad. And I'm kinda scared.

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Cold turkey is the way to go for you. Just curious though, if you can't taper on your own or with others holding the bottle, how's a psychiatrist going to help you? It's not like a methadone clinic where you go there every morning and the nurse gives you your daily dose of methadone. There is no adderall clinic. There's only your own willpower. Hence, the blow off by the 5 healthcare professionals.

I'd recommend quitting adderall first. You can quit your other meds later. You should minimize the shock to your system. As far as depression, I was pretty depressed and anhedonic for the first year off adderall. On an off though - not every day was horrible. It comes in waves. Read about PAWS. Realistically, you should expect it to take at least a year to feel normal again, and just prepare yourself for a really crappy year. It won't last forever, you're not going to die, it's just what you have to go through to defeat the addiction and become a person who no longer needs or desires speed to function in the world. Yes, it's scary, especially in the beginning, but it's what you have to endure if you want to quit for good. Welcome to the site, good luck, and post often :)

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Hey Leila I like your profile pic its pretty awesome.

I am about 3 months clean and I can say that I do find myself depressed and wishing that I could take adderall however this is typically when I am not keeping myself busy with something or with someone.

It is also typically when I have not exercised for a while.

In my opinion cold turkey is the way to go. I would personally rather get through the crappy shit quickly than dragging it out. If you are still taking the other medications then I, like Cassie would not recommend quitting them all at the same time... It might sound contradictory compared to my hardline approach on quitting cold turkey but in a sense, the other stuff is a crutch...

One at a time..

Thats what I'm doing and I can't say I am cured but I'm clean and looking forward from it..

Set yourself up for success and you will go far. Don't plan anything when you need to quit. Make sure get good food, exercise, support from close friends/family if you need it.

Countdown that week and a half like it is the amount of days until you can be unshackled from addiction. If it is at all possible, try and look forward to it.

Btw nice profile pic.

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Agree with Cassie and Rick, don't quit all the meds at once. Put quitting adderall first. I tried to quit adderall and ambien at the same time and it was crushingly difficult. Went back on ambien after two weeks and then felt soo much more rested, stronger and better equipped to deal with quitting adderall. Doing great now!

Cold turkey is the way to go. It's hard, but you're not risking serious physical harm. And in the long run, you get through the hard part faster rather than dragging it out.

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Hi Leila - I have to agree with the suggestion not to quit everything all at once cold turkey -- especially the klonopin, which ideally should be medically supervised. Also, the klonopin will likely take the edge off any rebound anxiety you might have, as long as you're not abusing it :)

I tried many times to taper and I couldn't do it. I was taking anywhere from 80-150mg ritalin IR a day at the time I quit cold turkey and I had no physiological withdrawal other than sleeping a lot. The first week or so I was so happy to have quit I wasn't even depressed but eventually the depression hit. I have been on wellbutrin & prozac for years so I think I definitely would have been a lot more depressed without meds. I also think there's nothing wrong with taking lexapro -- especially while quitting adderall.

My two cents -- have a ceremonial flushing of your remaining pills and make a solid commitment to living adderall-free. Read the articles on this site, read the books on ADD and procrastination, do whatever it takes. You know what it's like to be addicted. Quitting is certainly not always going to be smooth sailing but sometimes it's not that hard either. It's all kinds of things, both good and bad, but I'd take any and all of it over the daily fear of being found dead of a drug overdose ... you can do this if you really want to and you sound determined so DO IT !!!

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I agree with everyone above, and I wanted to chime in because I take Lexapro and klonopin. I was taking klonopin with adderall also, and started the Lexapro a few months later. I definitely would not stop klonopin cold turkey. It's physically dangerous, and I can tell you klonopin and Lexapro have helped me immensely in my quit with adderall. I was extremely depressed when I quit, started the Lexapro, and it helped. Whether it was time or being on an antidepressant or a combination of both, I don't know, but if you're prone to anxiety and depression, quitting adderall cold turkey is the best choice you can make for yourself in the long run, because it only exacerbates it once your body is used to it, in my opinion. I wish you the best and keep us updated.

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I like the idea of just getting off the adderall for now. Slowly stepping down from Lexapro is a must or you will be a mess. I know from personal experience. I quit lexapro several times cold turkey and it was HORRIBLE.

I still have to battle my anxiety and depression. I'm not going to lie. It is hard work and some days are better than others. I have found Smart Recovery to be extremely helpful with these issues as I learned many cognitive behavioral techniques that help to reverse negative thinking patterns and irrational thoughts. You CAN do this. It is a process and it will take time, but it is totally WORTH IT. Always try to remember the long term benefits vs. the short term difficulties in the beginning. And keep posting! It's so great that we can all help each other along this path of recovery!

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I think that quitting the Adderall is the most important one to start with. I take Xanax and Lexapro and I agree, they help with the anxiety and depression that comes with it. To quit Adderall, I had to do it cold turkey. I would try and taper and would be back up to 160+mg per day before I knew it. I would not quit the others at the same time, but for me quitting the Adderall was the most important one. The others will come in time, but I can act like "myself" on them. Adderall made me a whole different dark person.

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Thank you for all the replies everyone. It helps so much to hear from others who've quit...

I'm definitely only quitting addy now. Then work on lowering the frequency of klonopin. Then onto Lexapro.

I just counted and realized I have 3 weeks of addy left, but I'm still quitting this weekend. That way I can crash and sleep with a bit less responsibilities.

I'm spending this week wrapping up some things so hopefully I'll be less of a burden the first week quitting.

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Hi Leila - I have to agree with the suggestion not to quit everything all at once cold turkey -- especially the klonopin, which ideally should be medically supervised. Also, the klonopin will likely take the edge off any rebound anxiety you might have, as l

I'm not one to give you medical advice, but I'd watch it with the klonopin. You are going to be depressed and the klonopin might be an anti anxiety medication but it may also worsen the depression in the long run. Do your research on this. I have been taking .25 xanax on and off for a while since quitting adderall and I always feel lethargic and useless (hungover, almost), the day after I take it.

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Hello everyone. I'm kinda new here. I've posted a little bit. Tried to taper down....gave loved ones control of my meds but ended up biting their heads off till they gave it back, lol.

My Psychiatrist told me not to stop cold turkey because there's a danger of rebound depression/anxiety down the road. Problem is I've moved so he can't really help me taper down.

I've talked to 5 health care professionals in the past month to see if someone could help me taper off my adderall... I'm either told to just stop on my own it's no big deal or that I need a specialist's help. *sigh*

So I'm stopping cold turkey. I have about a week & a half supply left.

For those who quit cold turkey, did you notice depression and anxiety? Did it start as soon as you quit and persist for months or did it start a few months down the road?

I'm very worried about this because in the past I stopped taking Adderall, Klonopin and Lexapro all at once and had horrible depression and anxiety. I have problems with it anyway but this was bad. And I'm kinda scared.

Hi there. I quit cold turkey over a month ago. I definitely felt anxiety upon quitting. I always had anxiety though, since i was a little kid. Bad anxiety, but never took meds for it. When i started abusing adderall a lot fo my anxiety faded away, but after abusing for a few months i noticed the anxiety got worse. Anyway, it is completely normal to experience depression and anxiety when quitting adderal--or any drug for that matter. It comes and goes. I felt the worst of it the second week off adderall. Just like sickening, stomach ache inducing anxiety. But, it passes. You just need to ride it out. As far as the depression goes, i felt more depressed on adderall than i do now that i am off of it.

Sure, you will feel sad. Why wouldn't you? You are starting a new way of life and letting go of the old one. You can't escape the depression. You just can fight through it. It wont last. But if it's a big deal for you, talk to your doc about an antidepressant. I was considering it, but decided to wait a few months and see how i am doing without any medication. So far so good.

Keep your head up.

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Sure, you will feel sad. Why wouldn't you? You are starting a new way of life and letting go of the old one. You can't escape the depression. You just can fight through it. It wont last.

This is one of the most awesome down to earth quotes about the quitting process ever. Totally agree.

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I quit cold turkey 3 weeks ago..... Sight moments of anxiety....nothing unbearable and mostly about feeling bloated. I have a weeks supply sitting on my kitchen counter to help me exercise my willpower....or because I'm a sick freak that likes to be face to face with what I have overcome ..... Good luck !

"Shit or get off the pot"

- my grandma

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How is the quit going? Cold turkey is the best way to do it. You don't need adderall to function , you just think you do. It's a psychological thing that you will get over as soon as you begin earning your clean time. You fell into a trap, like all of us did. But thankfully there is a way out. Be strong and don't ever go back there.

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