Adderall side-effects

Organichu

Well, despite my initial thread about Adderall (where some homps basically called me a druggie), it turns out after meeting with a PCP, psychologist, and psychiatrist, I actually do have ADHD. I've been prescribed 20mg XR and then 10mg IR to segment and dose how I like. My psychiatrist asked me to mix it up, try just the XR, try the XR with one IR in the morning, XR with half an IR in the morning, half an IR in the late afternoon, etc.

So today's my first day and I decided to try just an XR in the morning. It's working amazingly well, but I'm having a few side-effects. I don't think any of them are a big deal, but I'm jut trying to get some feedback from other users.

1) dry mouth
2) mild electrical tingling in my fingers
3) a sense of decongestion; I don't have stuffy sinuses right now, anyway, but I feel like, if I did, they'd be relieved by this

Anyone got something to toss in? How quickly ought these fade (if at all), and should I expect them to get more intense if supplementing with IR?

Djeet

1 and 3 are normal side effects. I'd ask the doc\nurse if the mild tingling is something you should be worried about. I'd think the side effects would be a bit more noticeable with the IR. They should attenuate a bit as you adapt to the drug, but I always got a bit of dry mouth.

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud

If that tingling moves to your tongue or mouth, stop taking it right away, otherwise it may just be a normal side effect. To counteract the dry mouth, you can take your meds with cereal and milk in the morning. That usually helps me.

ceres

The first and third sound harmless, and I've had the tingling but usually upon withdrawal from medication. I've never taken Adderall, so I've not done the reading about the side effects, but if you're really concerned there's no harm in calling your doctor.

bowen

#2 is normal from inhibitor class medicines afaik. The resident med students here may be able to clarify or tell me to get bent.

The other two are also normal, again for inhibitors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine_reuptake_inhibitor#Effects

Chanus

IANAD, as you well know, but didn't you mention in [chat] recently that you had kinda high blood pressure at your last reading?

Could be the tingling is a circulation thing, since Adderall is an amphetamine and all..

Just hazarding a guess. I would call your doc an mention it.

Organichu

Yeah, my BP is scary high (138/108 last time I was at the doctor, though I did tell my doctor I'd jogged about 4 miles before going there). My psychiatrist noted it and said 'you'll get a temporary spike but there is very little increase in aggregate BP", and urged me to work on lifestyle factors.

bowen

Are you overweight chu? Or eat a lot of salty/fatty foods? Exercise, yoga, diet, all those things can help get your bp down if you haven't tried them.

The Crowing One

Woah. I've never had any of these. It's been awhile, now, since my last stint on these guys but that all sounds psychosomatic. Apparently they're all normal, but I was surprised not to see a "BP through the roof! Can't sleep!" which were my two main issues when I was on this stuff.

Organichu

bowen wrote:

Are you overweight chu? Or eat a lot of salty/fatty foods? Exercise, yoga, diet, all those things can help get your bp down if you haven't tried them.

I'm 210 @ 6'1". However, I was 270 in March. It's possible, I guess, that there are still mechanistic corrections that have yet to take hold.

Kagera

If you still have high blood pressure they have medication for that of course. I have had the decongestion thing and dry mouth but the latter can be counteracted by swishing water through your mouth before swallowing or even I think a mouth guard. Ask your dentist for more.

The big issue to worry about is building up a tolerance to it so that you would lose the effect. That I don't know how to counteract. Also paranoia.

Essee

Presuming the dry mouth stuff is just something you'll have to deal with, you could also try just switching to Biotene's toothpaste and mouthwash. My mom's dentist recommended it to her for her dry mouth issues, and it seems to have worked really well for her. I don't have dry mouth issues, but it also seems to be a generally good toothpaste/mouthwash (although it doesn't give as much of that 'fresh' feeling as you get from all the random minty toothpastes out there because it's less flavorful). It's a bit pricier than normal toothpaste and mouthwash, but if it passively takes care of the dry mouth bit for you, hey.

Pure Din

bowen wrote:

#2 is normal from inhibitor class medicines afaik. The resident med students here may be able to clarify or tell me to get bent.

No no no, he needs to talk to his psychiatrist. I'm not a med student, but my brother and I have both been on Adderall for the past 8 years, and most of our cousins and a few people I'm friends with take it as well.

It's not really a side effect, but Adderall lowers the threshold for tics, so some people who never had Tourettes or tics before, will suddenly get them once they start taking Adderall. People who have tics often don't notice the actual tics, but do notice the itchy or "tingly" feeling that precedes it.

Having tics while on Adderall doesn't necessarily mean that one has to stop taking Adderall (a common solution is to take Clonidine with the Adderall, which might also help lower the blood pressure). But this absolutely is something that needs to be brought up with the doctor.

bowen

I have never not told someone to not go see a doctor, I was just confirming his suspicion that it is caused by the medicine. Of course he should follow up with a doctor for his specific concerns.

Raif Severance

First off, do you take any other medication (herbal, OTC, elicit)?

Adderall increases Norepi and Dopamine levels in the CNS. Chances are it's the dopamine that's causing your "tingling". The side effects may diminish with time but your quality of life should be your main concern. Don't feel like you have to live with them. If it gets too bothersome there are some alternatives, namely Strattera (atomoxetine) which only targets norepinephrine. Keep an open conversation with your doctor and make sure your concerns are expressed.

Organichu

I'm not taking any other prescriptions. This is actually the first 'real' medication I think I've ever taken. Other than the occasional OTC Sudafed (and I guess antibiotics for strep throat) this is the first time I've really taken medication- which I guess accounts for my general skittishness about side-effects.

To be clear: the positive effects I've felt so far (dispersal of mental fogginess, smooth confidence in ability, focus, and directed energy) are incredible and life changing. While the side-effects so far have made me a little nervous, this is, in the aggregate, a QoL increase- a gigantic one.

acidlacedpenguin

ADD victim here, doctor gave my Concerta instead of Adderall because of it's long lasting effect. Not saying it's definitely right for you but maybe you could ask your doctor about other alternatives. Hell even just the generic forms of Adderall differ enough to not have the same side effects at all, so they may be worth a shot (and cheaper too)

acidlacedpenguin

whoops, oh god is there really no delete button?

JustinSane07

Side effect of Adderall from someone that was on it in college:

When people find out you have it, especially students, they want to buy it off you. I can't tell you the number of times I got propositioned for my adderall. Sometimes from strangers who heard from some kid that I have it.

Also, I found it to be pretty non-addicting. I was on it for 5 years. Some days I would take it as I needed it, other days I wouldn't and I wouldn't feel any withdrawal symptons or anything. I never felt compelled to take the pill either.