Inflammation and digestion relief?

[Andyd2]

Hello all! I just hit one year off Adderall, I was on it for 11 years at 20mg XR daily use. I’m 31 years old. I don’t know if it was all the anxiety/panic symptoms from Adderall or just metabolic issues Adderall caused but my gut/digestion is seriously messed up regardless of clean diet (I basically have been on and off Whole30 diet for 6 months). I’m so sensitive to carbs, sugar, and dairy (way more than ever before). Instant bloating, gas (even when eating healthy). If I eat anything bad my movements get loose and my stomach hurts. I feel like I’m barely getting any nutrients from my food anymore. Like my stomach thinks everything is a foreign invader. Has anyone else noticed issues like? If so, do you know how long it took to feel better? Is there anything you did or took that helped you repair? Thank you!

[EricP]

I had similar issues especially the first year. Some got better by 2yrs and others are still lingering. I went to plenty of docs and in the end they told me to avoid the foods that caused these problems... Hard to say if it’s all Adderall related or just coincidence 

[quit-once]

It took about two years after quitting to get my stomach back to normal.  I never have gone back to drinking milk or eating sweets before bedtime.  I had to almost completely quit eating the high carb foods, especially before bed time.  Even now, if I eat or drink wrong late at night I get GERD bad enough to interfere with my sleep and it keeps me from sleeping on my right side.  Not sure if that was caused by none years of Adderall or just middle age.  I don't take any heartburn tablets like Tums and manage it through diet modifications or nixing the foods that cause problems. 

Welcome to the forums and congratulations for being Adderall-free for one year!

[Andyd2]

40 minutes ago, quit-once said:

It took about two years after quitting to get my stomach back to normal.  I never have gone back to drinking milk or eating sweets before bedtime.  I had to almost completely quit eating the high carb foods, especially before bed time.  Even now, if I eat or drink wrong late at night I get GERD bad enough to interfere with my sleep and it keeps me from sleeping on my right side.  Not sure if that was caused by none years of Adderall or just middle age.  I don't take any heartburn tablets like Tums and manage it through diet modifications or nixing the foods that cause problems. 

Welcome to the forums and congratulations for being Adderall-free for one year!

@quit-once Oh wow that's so interesting! What did you do to help your stomach get better during those 2 years besides diet? What were your symptoms during those first 2 years? Do you feel like your stomach is more resilient now when you do eat something carby/sugary during the day?

Thank you - so so grateful for this forum and everyone here!

[quit-once]

Besides changing my diet, I avoided sleeping on my right side.  One bout of severe gastric reflux can do some lasting damage to your esophagus.  I also tried to drink plenty of water and not too much beer.  I have gradually cut out diet coke  and taking supplements as well.  My stomach symptoms were bouts of heartburn and gastric reflux after eating processed carbs - especially white bread and tortillas and pasta.  After milk, My stomach felt unsettled so I only drink almond milk now.  Some foods gave me excessive gas and bloating, foods which I can easily eat now.  Actually, I can eat just about whatever I like now, but I don't like things that are overly sweet or starchy.  Oh, and I can't (don't like to?) drink alcohol after dinner anymore, either.  

Honestly, it was about five years after quitting that my stomach returned to "normal" and I was really relieved that it did.  I had always thought I had a "cast iron stomach" and could eat or drink just about anything with no ill effects.  I do remember that Adderall was fucking with my stomach while I was still using - like I could not tolerate an empty stomach for very long.  Normally, I don't eat anything until noon but I couldn't  do that while using Adderall.  I was worried that Adderall had fucked up my nerves and digestive system...and other organs and systems.  Nine years after quitting and things are pretty good.   Recovery takes a long time!

 

By the way, if you use this site's search feature with critical key words - like "bloating" - you will find some interesting topics and posts related to health.

[Andyd2]

Thank you @quit-once! What supplements did you find that helped your digestion? Do you feel like you’re more tolerant of foods and sugars now? You mention your stomach got better after 2 years then you said 5, did it get steadily better? If you wouldn’t mind sharing, I’m curious about the timeline of your digestive improvement, it’s always nice to have a reference. Sorry for all the questions

[quit-once]

@Andyd2 I didn't find any supplements that helped my stomach, rather the lack to regularly taking any pills (supplements) seemed to do me some good.  Sometimes I go for a month or so at a time without taking anything.    I usually feel better and sleep better when I don't take any supplements.  And when I do take them, I only take fish oil, vitamins C, D, and B.  Come to think of it, once I took a multivitamin with minerals that messed with my stomach.  

Digestive recovery is like the rest of recovery, with gradual improvement and periodic setbacks.  Even now, I will get reflux if I eat or drink the wrong foods too late at night, but only sometimes.  During the day, my normal diet agrees with my digestive system almost all the time.  Most of the big improvements in my recovery were noted during the first two years.