I feel conflicted about Adderall really. I absolutely love the pill and what it has done for me when I am on it. On the down side, my crash is just terrible. I feel really depressed coming down from it and I hate it. Sometimes when I am on it I keep thinking about how I will feel depressed soon and I keep anticipating it happening. I think about it so much sometimes that I probably cause the depressive crash to happen earlier/worse than it normally would. A week ago I actually didn't take it for 2 days and I ended up sleeping ALL DAY both days. I felt like I was in this sleep coma where I'd get up and eat something, go back to sleep.

I have no complaints whatsoever about the side effects when I am on the pill. No heart racing, acne, nausea, insomnia..nothin. I just wanna know if the depression while coming down from it is common? Is this a sign of another mood disoder or just a side effect of the meds? When I am on it I have no mood problems at all. Damn it if Adderall were a 24 hour pill I'd be set for life. lol. The constant up and down thing is rather annoying (tried XR and it sucked). I hate feeling good, then coming down and feeling awful, then good, then bad. It can almost make me feel like 2 different people or something. Not that I am this whole different person on it but I can go from positive and talkative to irritated and depressed. My outlook on things totally change when I am on this pill to when I am off it. One time I even kind of laughed at myself duing my crash because I was thinking "God this sucks, life sucks, everyting sucks" when just an hour before I was so motivated and calm. I just laughed because I found myself ridiculous with how I went from happy to moping like a baby. lol..I'm weird....

__________________
Too cool 4 school

Who is your manufacture? I find that when I had Corepharm is was worse then Teva/Barr- but then again- I had problems with Teva/Barr just not the depressive crash. Instead I have terrible headaches, irritability, etc.

I have always had the exact same problem. I absolutely have to take extended release tablets because I crash too hard with anything else. I know you said that Adderall XR did not work for you but I was on that for awhile and I did not crash as hard but still crashed. I am now on Vyvanse and crash even less but still crash. Maybe you are like me and no matter what you take you are going to crash. Hopefully you can find a med that doesnt hit you as hard. Good luck!

I'm on Barr Adderall.

__________________
Too cool 4 school

Yeah I honestly think I will crash no matter what I take which is awful. I would rather have any other type of crash but depression. I'd even take anxiety or sleeplessness over bad depression. Someone told me that even on an antidepressant, they still feel the crash when coming down from their medication. So really I don't think there is a whole lot I could do.

__________________
Too cool 4 school

i used to, barr adderall comedown is what sounds like a really impure street amphetamine comedown, ive only tried prescription amphetamines but ive seen people in my area that are known to take street drugs like impure meth/amphetamine and cocaine, but that is what im guessin the word "Dirty" means when adderall is called that. barr adderall for me was the worst anxiogenic med ive ever had. i hate it.

SWITCH BRANDS IF YOU CAN. If not get 5mg Barr Dextroamphetamine, its cheaper than adderall probably, more potent, and very very smooth. GREAT adhd drug, best ive ever tried in my life and i would never ask for anything more.

This is common for any of the ADHD stimulants, in fact it's common for any stimulant.
For me it's slightly different. I tend to suppress depressive emotions, and they all resurface at some stage in the future.
Although I don't get those daily depressive cycles, I know what you're going through. The thought of the impending crash will trigger little depressive spikes throughout the day.... a little taste of what it's like to be BP I guess. I have a renewed respect for those dealing with BP.

I haven't started to explore medication options, (EG SSRIs), and am trying to avoid it - I hate the thought of having to depend on drugs to function, but if I am to stay on my medication, I may have to.


Yes.... a little taste of what it's like to be BP.

__________________

actually thats a good point...SSRI/SNRI's definitely make the comedown much much less, for me i dont get one actually. i just get lethargic, hungry, and quiet/withdrawn. perfect to go to bed ya know

I've read that a lot of people are able to take Wellbutrin with their Adderall to avoid the depression. I've also read that a lot of people get terrible anxiety when taking them together. A sort of dopamine overload.

I had a few depressive episodes when I first started, but not quite what you're talking about. Mine happened on the days I wanted to take a break. I'd start off fine, but by late morning something would happen and I'd feel so hopeless and lost. I had depression as a teenager but the Adderall induced depression was ten times worse!

It sucks to think about adding in yet another medication, but the Wellbutrin might help a lot. Just a small dose might do the trick. I'd talk my doctor about it if I were you.

__________________
IF I DON'T SPEAK UP FOR MYSELF, WHO WILL?
***WE MUST SELF-ADVOCATE!***
I'm my own biggest distraction

I'm with Yellow on this one. Since starting my SSRI (Lexapro 10 mg daily), I have no real crash to speak of. Before the Lexapro the crash was horrible. Try supplementing with a fish oil supplement--keep in mind you may take weeks to see an improvment, but it could help. Try adding exercise to your routine--this is a natural mood-booster. Also, my pdoc said it was fine to take 5htp with adderall. 5htp is an amino acid that affects seratonin levels. I would take 50 mg about an hour before the crash and then another 50 mg one hour later and the result was amazing.

Now that I'm on an SSRI, I can't do the 5htp because they both affect seratonin. The good news is, I don't need it now anyway. I also take fish oil and a multi-vitamin at night, and I try to work out 2-3 times a week.

I take AdderallXR 30mg, I love it! I am focused and motivated, but at 3pm.... look out I turn into the wicked witch of the west. I am mad, depressed and fatigued. My Doctor suggested I try a "Boost" which is just plan adderal 10mg. He said I was expirencing the adderall crash, and the Boost pill will keep me level. It has worked great! He also said I can take another pill and 4pm If needed. I found I have trouble sleeping when I take the 4:00 dose. I hoped this helped

So far I've had mild crashes, usually I just want to go to sleep after it wears off.

__________________
ADHD-I (Inattentive ADD), MDD, GAD, PD

You can try something milder like Dexedrine. The wearoff from Adderall is pretty intense and also can be emotional for some.

This was my main problem with the "crash" until very recently. I would take my adderall (I take 30-40 mg xr per day, usually in 2 doses) and about 3-4 hours into my last dose I would feel myself gradually coming down and I would get terribly anxious about how I would feel later. Most of the time, I experienced an hour or two of anxiety/mild discomfort and then felt fine... and wondered what I was worried about to begin with since it didn't turn out so bad. But then there were days that I would worry and obsess so much that I ended up making the end of the day so much worse than it had to be.

Up until a couple weeks ago, I was drinking a 6 pack of beer almost every night on the days I took my adderall... it was my way of dealing with the crash, though I found that the worst crashes I ever had were on nights where I went overboard with the drinking or drank quickly with the sole intention of "keeping a buzz going." I wasn't eating well at all either... I'd barely eat all day but once the adderall was worn off I'd pig out and just keep eating, mostly junk food, all night on top of all the beer I was consuming. I felt very anxious, confused and pretty much "trapped" most of the time, it was pretty rough for awhile.

I can't even tell you how many times I've looked around online for advice on how to deal with the crash that comes with adderall... I was hoping there would be some magical solution but instead I found a lot of people talking about how a healthy diet and regular exercise significantly improves your lifestyle/mood while taking adderall. I used to think "yeah right" until I recently decided to go on a diet when my boyfriend pointed out that I was snacking way too much and that I could look so much better if I lost a little weight. Instead of getting angry I took his advice and have been on a healthy diet and getting regular exercise for a little over a week now.

...And ironically, the past week and a half has been the best period of my life for quite awhile! I feel very little anxiety though I still take about the same amount of adderall and I am learning to deal with the end of the day without feeling like I need to start chugging beers as soon as I walk through the door...I have drastically cut back on how much I drink. I am truly feeling confident and healthy and on top of everything me and my boyfriend have been getting along better than ever! To wrap it up, (I rambled a bit which I apologize for) a healthy diet and exercise really is the best solution for avoiding bad crashes and/or the anxiety that comes with it... Trust me, I have been searching for the answer for quite awhile and can honestly say I finally feel like myself again!

When do you exercise? When the crash starts, or the beginning of the day?

I know, I've been searching for answers too. I've mostly been told to take an antidepressant with it, but I cannot afford that. Hopefully exercise will help.

__________________
Too cool 4 school