catw66

I raelized over the last few days, that all my decreases to nothing are catching up with me at times. Dizziness, irritablity, inability to think straight, low energy. It comes and goes. I know from experience, that this is going to take a while before I feel evened out again.

Yes!! I consider this part of the dopamine/attention span regulation problem we are now trying to heal. I have left my keys and my purse places. Have a hard time tracking conversations, finding the right things to say at times - zoning out and such. I find that when my brain feels fogged and a little anxious at the same time, it is hard to be present and follow conversaions, so that by the time I respond, my brain has already done too much work. I feel like sometimes I say something and it comes off strange to me - as if I didn't just say it.

The only thing I can say about that is that my bipolar disorder has been a bit out of control lately and I've had a lot of anxiety, so somehow I had the energy anyway. I moved somewhere where there is very strong sunlight at high altitude and being that my brain is very light sensitive, this is part of that. Now it is cloudy for the third day in a row and I feel a lot calmer, but I could not take too cloudy, as I get totally depressed and can't function, so that is why I ended up back on Adderall when I lived in Western NC. Kind of waiting for my brain to level out on a few levels!

Still staying off the stuff. Sometimes I think it has not been so bad, but then I realize I just don't really feel right in the head in one way or another. Having horrendous anxiety at times Still havig hard time sleeping. Feel wound up at times and other times spaced out. One of the biggest symptoms by now is feeling a bit disoriented, which I read can be common. I am becoming very forgetful. But when I think back, this is how I was for a at least a month after I quit before. I realize this is going to take some more time probably because of the fact that I went back and spent about 7-8 months on prescribed Adderall. But I am proud of myself because somehow I managed to drive four hours to Denver, attend a party that lasted all night, and then drove home - without Adderall. It was amazing.

I am trying to be upbeat and positive as possible when I am having a bad day - at least on the outside. Some days I can't really get myself going unless I have to for work stuff. Otherwise, I feel overwhelmed and alone a lot. Either anxious or down. But, I love the idea of just doing tiny things. I have some debt I need to tackle before it gets more expensive and I'm just finding practical matters sort of elusive lately. But I do what I can and do a little very day past what I think I can stand and I see things slowly shaping up around me. All we can do.... Hang in there!

Weaned slowly down to 2.5 and quit last weekend I think. Symptoms through all this and somewhat magnified lately: Insomnia anxiety loss of appetite not being able to concentrate on much can't get started sometimes depressed and tired - staring and not wanting to get up from sitting position. other days feel like I am bouncing off the walls. Irritability Obsessive worry type thoughts.

Hi - I finally moved back to southern Colorado where I can get more sun. But I am still having some ups and downs and not sleeping well and feeling anxious. My plan for depression is more getting more regular with my yoga, supplements, continuing various forms inner work, and of course, I have a light box if I need it. My mistake was moving somewhere a lot cloudier that I thought I could handle but could not, hence the Adderall relapse. I am planning on keeping my life relaively low stress for the next few months. My brain now has to heal completely not only form the Adderall, but also the Wellbutrin and Lamictal that I quit as well months ago. And I am still recovering from a months-long episode of depression and a lot of stress - moving, narcissistic mother bullying that I finally stood up to and am experiencing the fall-out, having a guy 20 years younger than me interested in me and just not wanting to deal with that, etc. It's been a weird time quitting adderall and having all these situations to deal with, but that's life. But things will get better. Thanks! Glad you are ok!!

I realize the time before this that I gave up Adderall, I did it a lot faster so experienced more intense discomfort, but it was till difficult to do a slow taper in terms of depression and fatigue, just not as all at once dramatic.

I already feel better not having that 2.5 in my system either. Depression and clarity of mind is already more on the upswing. F Adderall!

Day two yesterday of nothing at all and it has not been so bad. I moved to a place where I have a lot of energy that gets activitated every time I am here it seems - which has been twice. There is a lot of mountain energy and strong sunlight here so this is helping with my withdrawal. I was actually having anxiety and I notice my ADD symptoms have gotten progressively worse as I have cut down, but that's okay. I am noticing some real mood swings, though, and have been through my tapering process. I will feel kind of anxious and revved up even and hours later just really down and emotional. Some of this is my bipolar II stuff and old emotional stuff I am working to integrate through a book called The Presence Process, but I am sure a lot of it brain related. Just going with it.

Yes, four months really is not a lot of time. I really don't remember how long it took for me to feel better after Adderall. I was prescribed it for depression and after three years on it, I was ready for ECT many times. Finally a doctor told me to get off all my medication and see how I felt. I felt better getting off Adderall and then I started to conquer Cymbalta. Then I moved to a place that didnt have enough sunlight and I suffer from terrible SAD (seasonal affective disorder) Since I cannot take most antidepressants at any therapeutic dose due to Bipolar disorder, I got desperate and got a script for Adderall and a small dose Wellbutrin again (which became intolerable after a while), which helped for a while, but it turned on me and I had a hard time letting it go. It helped me get through part of the winter, otherwise I would have ended up in the hospital. Now I have worked on getting off my small dose of Wellbturin and Lamictal and the Adderall is the last to go. I've gone slowly at it. Today is my day to let it go completely from 2.5 mgs. I remember I quit Adderall in late June two summers ago, then Cymbalta and I really started feeling pretty good by February. So yes, it takes a while. But I definitely felt better without Adderall - at least better than I was while on it and fairly quickly after the sucky part got done with. I went kind of fast with it last time and it was traumatic on some level. But we can definitely deal with Protracted withdrawal syndromes and those just take a while. Be patient and kind to yourself.

Have you tried L-Tyrosine. I believe that is a help. I remember when I didn't take it, I felt worse. I feel a bit better if i take it. It helps your dopamine production. I also take Rhodiola which I think helps and B-vitamins.

Yep, this is what I am feeling in danger of. I start telling myself, "Why not just take 5 mg if you feel that bad today?" I don't give in, but the thought is there.

I am extremely sensitive to small decreases and was following the tapering guide on this site. I think I remember last time I did this, I was counting down beads from the capsule form. And when they ran out, I really felt it even though it was from a very small amount. I think this week I am ready to just quit now. Might as well get it over with. Some days I feel okay and then other days I just feel really down like I am still on a high dose of the stuff when it turned on me. I suppose this might intensify for a while and then get better. How long did it take you to feel better once you quit completely? I am taking L-Tyrosine, B-Vitamins, Rhodiola, and Niacin (the flushing kind) a lot more this past week. I think energy drinks might be my friend for a while. Coffee doesn't do that much for me, but yeah, maybe not the time to cut down on that either as I was trying to do as well. But eventually, I want to give my body a complete break from all stimulants and see how I feel. Thanks for the advice!

I generally really respect my brain and the changes and adjustments it has to go through when taking away a strong substance such as Adderall. I started taping a few months ago, I think. I was at around 20-30 mg and now down to 2.5. Even small decreases hit me and I believe we may be reacting to prior decreases a few steps back, which is why I take it slow. this site has a good article on Tapering. I sort of follow that. I take L-Tyrosine and use an Alpha-Stim machine. I had forgotten to use it, was having a terrible time with brain fog and depression yesterday, used it, and felt much better. I plan to stay at 2.5 for two weeks and then cut that even in half and then go to nothing.

I think it is better to be alone while quitting. Last time I quit two years ago, I was around my mother who knew damn well what I was going through but kept bothering me to do things I had no energy to do. No one gets it who has not been there. Easier to be alone and take care of yourself, I think. Not only that, as I was tapering this time from prescribed Adderall for depression and fatigue (again it made both things worse over time), my mother thought to tell me maybe it's not the Adderall....Like she never heard a thing I went through before. I got back on it due to moving to a place with low light levels in winter and I got desperate and the help turned into long term suffering and fear of getting off of it again. Good luck! Take it easy...

I got through my move across country after tapering down from 30mg to 5 mg over about 2-3 months. Last week I decided to go down to 2.5 mg and the depression is terrible along with the fatigue. Wondering if anyone else still had a hard time with decreasing even small amounts. I was first hit with nausea and then a week later noticed the depression and fatigue caught up with me. Having some anxiety while at the same time dealing with severe depression, brain fog, and fatigue. I remember last time I did this two years ago, I had a very rough time for a few weeks. Just trying to not be hard on myself for not getting a lot done during this. I am wiped out!

I've been feeling pretty stressed out. Down to 10 mg on my taper and am thinking of taking it down to 7.5 or 5 sooner than advised since my bdoy adjusted going from 12.5 to 10 mg. I have been feeling pretty much like I am going to go over the edge some days due to the mood swings. I went to get a haircut today and I just looked awful outside of the nice, more flattering lights that are in my bathroom. I looked like someone who's a meth addict or a smoker. Granted, I have also not been sleeping well due to I have been battling fleas in my house. I guess I didn't expect to look this pale and haggard since I've tapered by more than a half. But I have to tell myself that I remember noticing how much healthier I looked last time I got off of it. I compared two photos of myself. In the first one (on Adderall), I just looked pale with dark circles under my eyes. About four months later, I looked completely refreshed and healthy, like my face had filled out, though I didn't gain a bunch of weight or anything. But today was just a shocker. I realize that Adderall is dehydrating and that it also constricts blood flow, so this makes sense. And my hair is thinning and coming out in clumps in the shower....

Wow. Reading this has made me realize that maybe some of the symptoms I've had the last few months or so may have been largely due to or exacerbated by Adderall. Muscle cramps aching joints worse menstrual periods and PMS headaches feeling adrenal rushes and then depletion started losing appetite and weight again chest pains on occasion, especially when I upped my dose to get through a work gig that lasted a week. severe depression anxiety and chronic worry sleep issues I have also developed left kidney pain and it will be interesting to see if it goes away when I am done with my taper. I also have felt at times like I was on the verge of a complete psychotic break and I wonder if this has had to do with Adderall and depression. I think so.

I am in the middle of a taper off of Adderall which is already having its own withdrawal effects. I have been so depressed and tired. Yesterday, I forced myself out to a July 4th party at a friend's house. I did pretty well talking to just about anyone. The most interesting conversation I had was with another woman who is also an introvert and had me pegged after a while. We had a good laugh about both her and I not wanting to go on with everyone else to see fireworks. I also found myself having a hard time sitting still and relaxing, even though I was feeling pretty beat up physically. I remember going through withdrawal during a taper last time I quit and being barely able to talk to anyone at times. I am trying to be gentle with myself. I am really quite disappointed because I have less than two months where I am and I wanted to be more social while I was here. But I recounted in my mind how I ended up back on Adderall and why and I just decided to cut myself some slack and learn from this experience. I will never move to a place again or spend significant time in a place that doesn't have powerful amounts of sunlight. I will never use Adderall here and there for energy when I have to push through something, for this led to me realizing it helped with seasonal affetive disorder, getting an Rx for it, and ending up even more depressed and lethargic by the time summer hit. But back to isolation. I am just accepting that this is where I am. I am an introvert as is and I don't need tons of social interaction like other people, but being so depressed has me feeling tired of all my alone time. So I am making a point to go be around people every other day in some fashion or another - even if I just go to a coffee shop and sit where other people are. Talking on the phone with old friends helps a little as well. It's good to know, though, that I am not alone in this and that this is a valid reason why I've been isolating more - Adderall!

Found this on another web site that lists symptoms, even from a tapering, so I am just going to cut myself some slack. Can barely get to a friend's 4th of July party today, but I'm going. I think I have become worried that I am just going to be permenantly depressed, especially after a dark winter and not feeling much better as I had hoped, when it got sunnier. But I reminded myself today that this is the Adderall and once I am done, my normal sense of motivation will come back and I will feel like I give a hang about life again. "Once you abruptly stopped using Adderall or significantly reduce your daily dosage, the body will experience a period of withdrawal. Withdrawal happens because the brain is trying to compensate for the stimulant effect Adderall has on the central nervous system. Because Adderall increases activity in the body, once you stop taking Adderall, the brain rebounds sometimes resulting in extremes symptoms of fatigue, and waves of intense craving. Craving and long period of sleep make it harder to stop a dependence on Adderall. The more common symptoms of Adderall withdrawal can include: apathy anxiety abnormally long sleep cycles dysphoria (generalized dissatisfaction with life) extreme fatigue irritability depression disorientation"

I think what it is, is that I forgot that I am not exactly supposed to be feeling better even when I am tapering. I remember feeling quite worse when I finished my last little bit. I have done research on psych med withdrawal and often they say even though you were down to just a very very small amount, that final jumping off point can still affect the brain, as if it was hanging on and making the most of the crumbs for a while.

Actually, no, it's not good for me to go cold turkey all at once. Not at all. Everyone is different. I tapered and it worked out last time. I am not worried about stepping back up as I want to be off this stuff. I am not someone either who had fun on this drug abusing it. I was using it for depression and fatigue and of course, it has backfired on me. Not worried about wanting to continue to use it at all. If there was any addiction, it was to wanting to get some energy I just don't have anymore. Going slowly worked before, but i forgot how slowly I went. I have a lot of issues with depression and severe fatigue and have been through withdrawals off of all kinds of psych meds. What I learned over the years, is that it's really hard on the brain to just jerk something away that it is really depending on and changing the way it works. Maybe it's good for some people who are younger and don't have the history I have, but I would never suggest to anyone a cold turkey with a major psych-type of drug. As this web site even says, there are two methods - taper or cold turkey, of course. Other web sites recommend a taper when possible. I personally think it's a horrible idea to put one's brain through a lot like that all at once. I had to do that with cannabis as I was abusing it, however. I don't think the withdrawal from that was quite as serious, however.

I think it has been almost two weeks since I tapered from about 20-25 mg IR down to 15 mg. I have not noticed that much of a difference except I am still very depressed and fatigued. Is this normal to get a bit more depressed and tired as you wind off the stuff? I can't remember how I felt last time I did this. But I am ready to take it down to 10mg, now that my menstrual cycle is over with, which has been really aggravated by the Adderall use - much more severe depression and anxiety. I would go faster at this taper than I am, other than I am a bit worried, because I have to do another cross country move at the end of August and I'm already really stressed out about it and worried due to lack of energy and depression. So much to do by then.

If anyone is sincerely going through quitting and lives near AVL, I'd be happy to meet for coffee.