Help, I think I am addicted to my ADHD medication?
Written on November 6, 2009 – 5:37 am | by Drug Abuse Help
Firstly, I want to make it clear that I recieve my medicine through prescription, and I am positive I have ADHD which would require meds. However, my concern is that I am abusing it…
I was told to take two tablets of Adderrall in the morning, one and a half in the evening, and one half pill at night when I do homework. Because I crave the euphoria, I have been taking two tabs in the morning and two at night- which obviously goes against my medical nurse’s orders.
When I can’t have my pills, I feel depressed and anxious. I feel like I *need* them, like I can’t live without them. If I run out of pills before my prescription is renewed, I buy and consume several caffeinated drinks per night to get a somewhat similar effect until I can get my refill.
However, I think I am also physically addicted to them. If I go without them for a single day, I get splitting headaches, dizziness, and shakiness. It’s terrible…
Tomorrow is my next medical appointment, and at the clinic, I completely intend on confessing my wrongdoing to my nurse and requesting some kind of help and change in my medications. I don’t want to go without ADHD chemical treatment, because it is so necessary for my success in college, but I would rather not continue to abuse such a potent drug.
Am I making the right decision by coming clean, and if I do, what might the repercussions be?
Thanks.
BeeBeeNurse said:
Nov 06, 09 at 9:48 amyour on the right track, meet with a healthcare professional and explain your addiction. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! (i am a nurse i should know) we can help you with your addiction, different meds, counselling, so you gotta tell them
Mad_Mac said:
Nov 06, 09 at 3:07 pmYou are making the right decision in "coming clean" as you very likely are addicted. Psychiatry is a profession of mostly speculative philosophers rather than scientific doctors and they are often pawns of "Big Pharm". See http://www.psychconflicts.org for the truth about psychiatry.
ADHD, in my and many others opinion, is an invented disorder. There are no lab tests for it and it is primarily a behavioral problem rather than an organic disease. It not being organic, how can a chemical pill cure it? See http://www.Cchrint.org/2009/09/15/no-more-adhd/ for a video by Dr. Mary Ann Block, a medical doctor who specializes in treating people misdiagnosed as ADHD.
Good luck in finding out the truth about your so called disorder.
jerry said:
Nov 06, 09 at 8:12 pmI don’t recommend any of the powerful, and addictive central nervous system stimulants, for exactly that reason. An increased incidence of abuse of cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, and other amphetamines has been reported among users of Ritalin, and other amphetamine related medications, such as Adderall, which may well predispose them to later abuse street drugs, with all the undesirable consequences involved. The only ADHD medication not in the stimulant family is Strattera, which is structurally related to the antidepressants, and carries risks, and side effects of its own.
Take at least 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or its FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it.
Eat more in accordance with your "nutritional type":- ( 20 question quiz http://www.naturalhealthcoach.com/tools ) or a book is at http://www.mercola.com/ and also enter "krill oil", & "ADHD" in their searchbar. Eliminate, or minimise sugar use, replacing with xylitol, or stevia (health food stores). Avoid artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, & MSG. Minimise highly processed grains, & alcohol use. Read: "The A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. Diet! A Comprehensive Look at Contributing Factors and Natural Treatments for Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity" by Rachel Bell, and "Ritalin Is Not The Answer: A Drug-Free, Practical Program for Children Diagnosed with ADD or ADHD" by David B. Stein. You could try your bookstore, http://www.amazon.com , (also enter in their searchbar: "ADHD; natural treatments").
For "HOW TO BEAT HYPERACTIVITY WITHOUT DRUGS Reversing ADD and ADHD in 20 days" Michael Sichel & Greta Sichel. 2001. Bookbound Publishing. ISBN 1 74011 010 2 go directly to: http://www.bookbound.com.au
Most people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either professional hypnotherapy, or more alternative along those lines SOME NATURAL PRODUCTS: View http://www.asktheinternettherapist.com/shop3/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=31 & http://www.add-care.com./
See http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/j.html for the webpage on the subject; this only contains a few short extracts. I suggest that you wean off, in accordance with http://theroadback.org/workbook.htm on Adderall (which is basically amphetamine). Consider using one of the natural products recommended, once below 50% of weaning dosage.
PRINTS said:
Nov 06, 09 at 9:17 pmEveryone responds to medications, differently. It would seem that if the medications were doing what they should, you would not be having problems with them - but, then I don’t know that much about the medications. Why, though, are you getting "euphoria" with the medications? Aren’t they supposed to make you able to concentrate, better? Keep on task, better? Etc. The euphoria sounds a little more like an effect from the med with people using it who don’t have ADHD? Do you think you need to be on a different medication or be re-evaluated? Do, talk to the doctor and be totally honest. Try looking up a nutritional approach, too. I hope you and your doctor find the right answer for what you are experiencing. Look up some books, at the bookstore, that discuss natural remedies for ADHD (careful with the stuff online). See what you can come up with.
The headaches, dizziness, etc. sound a little like what people experience from caffiene withdrawel - maybe the medications are doing the same thing.
Jef_Gazley__LMFT said:
Nov 06, 09 at 11:49 pmYou are certainly making the right decision to talk with your nurse practitioner. Stimulant medication is very tricky. For it to work well it has to be the right brand of stimulant for you, the right dose, and the exact time that it should be taken.
I am very confused though with your prescription. It is standard practice not to give a stimulant dose after 4PM due to sleep disturbance issues. It is general given twice a day 4-6 hours apart for long-acting and 3-4 times for short-acting, but never after 4PM. There is a longer-acting one called Vyvanse that often lasts until 4-6PM.
However, most stimulant medications wear off before 7PM and that is a problem for homework. It is very rare, but possible for ADD sufferers to become addicted to their stimulant. This is because if works in a paradoxical fashion- the stimulant acts as a calming agent. It might be that a stimulant is not for you, but remember that addiction is needinquantityantitiy and withdrawal signs when the drug is stopped. I am not sure if that is what is happening or whether you are having one day of being tired and drained and then the ADD symptoms return.
Be sure to discuss this thoroughly witpractitionerctioner and clarify the evening dose. There is one other effective alternative to stimulant medication. ADD-care is an all natural supplement that went head to head with adderall, a stimulant, at the Amen Clinic with SPECT brain imaging and the Conner’s ADD impulsivity test and met or beat its performance. It has no appetite or sleep disturbance and does not speed you up or get you high. You can check it and the research out at http://www.add-care.com.