AlwaysAwesome

True words. The brain is amazing! Give it some time and you will see that you are so much more than you ever were on the pills.

I hope that by my 2 year anniversary of my quit I will be down to my goal weight. It is doable...and I am doing it!

Be sure to drink a ton of water. Carbs will cause belly fat gain, too. As hard as it is, try to steer clear of the sugary junk and breads. It will help a little. However...I craved carbs like a crazy person after I quit. So, I am not going to judge your choice in foods right now. I am not going to lie...the weight gain was brutal for me. I kept thinking that it wasn't physically possible for me to gain that much weight, that fast. But, it was and it has hung on. I am 10 pounds from my quit weight, but 25 pounds from my ideal. Yes, I had started to gain on the Adderall. If you don't up your dose, it stops being effective. Another thing that I noticed is that your metabolism doesn't immediately go back to where it was before the Adderall. You were normal at one point, then you take Adderall and have a hummingbird metabolism for however long. You decide to quit and then you have the metabolism of a sloth! Yes. It happened to me, too. You have to build it up to where it was before and it takes eating right and exercising.

3 months was a hard time for me. I was gaining weight like crazy and didn't want to do anything except sit on my a$$ and eat carbs. It gets better, but you have to stay the course until it does.

You are not dealing with a rational person. Adderall causes you to be a crazy, raving, maniac at the drop of a hat. Volatile. You need to protect yourself and your children. She doesn't sound like she is close to wanting to quit.

I gained 40 pounds in 4 months after I quit. I have 10 pounds left to lose at this point. It was hard to resist not going back to Adderall, because of the weight gain. BUT, I always thought about the fact that I had to quit at some point and this weight gain was going to happen now or then. It is easier to lose weight when you are younger, so I quit now instead of being 40 something trying to shake 50 extra pounds... does that make any sense? In other words, you are going to gain when you quit. You can't stay on Adderall forever. So, quit now, recover, then lose the weight in a safe, sustainable way. Welcome to the forum!

L-Tyrosine gave me headaches, too.

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I think if I were in your situation, then I would let the doctors know that she has a problem. Just me, but she is a mess and needs a push. Get her off of the drugs and support her through a cold turkey quit. I don't know how it would go, but it can't get much worse at this point until she kills herself with all those pills. Most of all, you have to protect your kids. I don't know that I would admit that I was the one who told the doc... She has to quit for herself, and she has to want to succeed. Maybe talk to her when she isn't jacked up on pills. I think a little video of the kids telling her how much they miss her, or how much they want her back, might get through. All you need is for her to see how bad it is. She won't see it while she is taking all those pills. My kids are so much happier now. They notice that I am not a mean, grumpy mommy anymore. I still fuss at them when necessary, but I am not a volatile screamer like I was on Adderall. Sad memories never go away, but we can lessen the impact by changing bad behaviors and moving forward in a positive way. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Is it feasible to take a 2 week "vacation" to do a cold turkey quit? I would not recommend stepping down, especially if you need to be able to function at work. It drags it on too long. Cold turkey is painful, but it has a definite physical withdrawal phase and when it is over, then you are left with the emotional part. Because the mind is harder to convince that the body that Adderall is bad for you, you can't have any pills lying around for you to find. I always recommend cutting off all sources and telling everyone in your life. I even told my coworkers and posted my quit story on facebook. I was all in and, this time, my quit was successful! Good luck and welcome to our little world!

I can't say it any better than Grumpycat did. But, I want you to know that no one here will judge you for caving. How many times did I do the same thing? Soooooo many times... Just stop and cut off all chances to relapse. If you are hanging on to some pills for the future, then you have to get rid of them. If you haven't cut off your supply, then you HAVE to do that right NOW! Tell the people around you. It helps to have some external accountability. Get a support group. Just know that we understand and will never judge you. We are all addicts and always will be. Now, get back to work and quit this crap.

How great! LILTEX, you are such an inspiration on the forum. How great for a newbie to have local support like you. Welcome, Lauren. You are among friends here. Stay strong and know that you can do this.

Send me the video if you want. I would love to see it! I auditioned for a role in a theater play on Sunday. I am still hoping that I get the role. Fingers crossed.

YAY!!! So amazing! Now, to the 6 month mark...it will come and go without you even noticing, I bet.

Oh sweetie, I am so sorry you are going through this. It is normal, albeit terrible, Adderall use behavior. He needs to stop using, but he has to be the one to do it. You can't make him. Although, you can try to persuade him. My stepfather says it isn't true that you can't make a horse drink after you lead him to water. He says, if you hold his head under long enough, then he will drink or drown... see my point here? There are things you can do and say to lead him in the direction of quitting, and you need to do those things. He is damaging your family and your relationship. He can't see it. He probably thinks he is awesome and providing for the family. He can't see it when he is on the Adderall, and he won't see it when he is off because he is just thinking of how it will be better when he gets his new prescription. He may think he is hiding the addiction well. Tell him what you see. My best advice for dealing with most men is to state facts, leave emotion out of it, and don't cry. Facts. Cold and hard. Throw an ultimatum in there if you feel so inclined. But, he has to know that you know and it is damaging the family. Welcome to the site and be strong. You can do this!

I remember the 3 month mark was a rough one for me. It gets so much better, I promise. Hang in there, y'all! You are doing so great. Just stay the course.

Grump, can we get a "26 days, check" from you, please?! You are doing great!

Bluemoon, that is great! It took me a long time to clean without it being a serious struggle. You are all doing so great!!

Lighter

That is a crap ton of caffeine! I took one with 160 mg of caffeine and I started having headaches. Be mindful of your body and quit taking it if you have adverse reactions.

Best plan of action. Now, get ready and do it!

I would finish the semester. While still on the adderall, clean the house, make a plan, buy a ton of snacks, and quit cold turkey after the semester ends. Tell the doctor that you can't be on it without abusing it. The prescription has to be gone...no longer an option. No chance to go back. You can do this!

I feel the same way about "what could have been". I fell off the wagon when my husband was in the hospital. I gained all that I had lost back. I am finally back to the weight I was on November 2. It sure is easier to gain weight...

I really do! I am exercising every day and losing weight steadily. I am 10 pounds from where I was when I quit Adderall. AND, I have done it without any drugs at all!! NO WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS, NO ADDERALL!!!

Some people crave adrenaline and jump off mountains or out of perfectly sound airplanes. I think it has a lot to do with your genetic makeup and personality. That is my personal opinion.

Congratulations! Great job, and thanks for the update.