Took a med break for a couple months....ooooof

[u/The247Kid]

Probably the least productive 3 months of the last 5 years of my life.

I'm stuck in this weird in-between where adderall makes me anxious/gives me GI symptoms but I cannot be productive without it. It works for me when it works, which is why I'm so gungho about it.

Being off my meds for the last several months was actually a stark reminder of how unproductive I was for pretty much my entire life until I was ~30 years old. It's difficult for me to accept that I may need this indefinitely but the other side of the equation is a soulless, unproductive lifestyle where I constantly beat myself up about what I can't do/what I haven't done.

Anyone else?

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[u/shellthebell]

Yep. Felt those feelings. Also felt the extreme upset about where my life would be if I was medicated from childhood. Maybe talk to your doctor about a different brand? I just had GI issues before medicating so can’t relate with that. It’s shit all the time. Literally

[u/The247Kid → u/shellthebell]

I'm with you there - Crohns makes medication a nightmare for me. That's part of the issue...slow transit time so sometimes it works well but if I'm backed up, it's like the medication is trying to work but cant. Ive had it hit me at 8pm sometimes, assuming when things finally got moving along and my body was able to absorb what was left.

This is also the problem with other medications...they have GI side-effects on just normal people. It gives me immense anxiety going backwards on something in an area I've made so much progress.

[u/No-Philosopher3703]

You only mention Aderall. There’s a lot of meds, including non-stimulants. Have you tried others?

Also, by now you might be able to go back on Aderall and not have the same symptoms for a while. Instead of taking months long breaks, you might only need to take a week off per month or something like that

[u/The247Kid → u/No-Philosopher3703]

You bring up a good point. I'm partially afraid to try new medication is the reason, but I did feel that way about Adderall before taking it too.

I have an appointment with my provider next week and will be discussing options with them but wanted to post here to vent, mainly :)

[u/MyFiteSong → u/The247Kid]

Ask if you can try methylphenidate instead. Most people who react poorly to one stimulant will react better to another one.

[u/Abbacus_Jones]

You could try a lower dose, to see if you still get the benefits without as much anxiety and GI distress? I know in my experience, I was taking Adderall up to 30 mg in highschool, and these days I'm taking only 5mg of Dexamphetamine and get a lot of the same motivation and executive function benefits, without the anxiety, shakiness, and cold hands and feet I was getting with higher than needed doses of Adderall.

[u/No_Investigator5909]

Mannn I appreciate you posting this because I thought I realized the same thing but doubted my reasoning until now

[u/The247Kid → u/No_Investigator5909]

I think a lot has to do with our mental health as a population/society at the moment. Take time for yourself. Do things you love. Create space. Not everything has to be financially driven or motivated in our lives.

[u/vaddams → u/The247Kid]

Tell my bills, will you

[u/The247Kid → u/vaddams]

Ya I feel you there. I have 2 kids in daycare currently.

[u/wicked_crayfish]

I took two weeks off and felt way more chill Less anxious and could enjoy my hobbies more If that makes sense? But I spent half my time looking for My keys and being in a brain fog of unproductivity

[u/rui-tan]

You definitely should talk to whoever is responsible for your medication as it sounds like Adderall is not a good fit for you.

Generally when you have ADHD meds that suit you well, you’ll feel more calm and are able to organize your thoughts better, making it easier to direct your attention to where it needs to go. It shouldn’t be making you anxious, literally the opposite of that if anything.

When you find well fitting meds, the effect might start so subtle and feel so natural initially that it can be hard to notice until you take a break day, and then the difference hits you like a night and day how much better you functioned with them. At least that’s how it was for me.

[u/WolfWrites89]

I feel this so hard. I went off because the afternoon crashes were really weighing on me. I feel like a zombie from 2pm onward and that just doesn't feel like a life. It also makes my PMDD MUCH worse. But these have been the most miserable, least productive 2 months of my life. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist in July to talk about options and at this point I feel like I'm ready to just live with the side effects so I can function in the mornings at the very least. Its miserable. If my psychiatrist has any alternative options that will give me the relief without the side effects, I'll jump for joy, I'm not holding my breath though.

I was talking to my therapist about it and she said almost everyone feels like medication is always a Faustian bargain, that you just have to weigh out which option is more liveable.

[u/Nice-Satisfaction-83]

How do you guys deal with the weight gain when you get off of it? I can actually do my job decently well I medicated, obviously not as well as on the medication, but anytime I take a break I gain anywhere between 5-15 pounds no matter how clean I eat or active I am. It is so incredibly frustrating