ADHD and Dieting

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  • tides57
    tides57 Posts: 27 Member
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    Whoops. Did not mean to post that twice. My comment got cut off. Went looking for the other part. Shouldn't have done that, I guess.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    Generic adderall has been available for a long time....
  • gaeliceyes
    gaeliceyes Posts: 1 Member
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    shinycrazy wrote: »
    I have been off my meds (vyvanse most recently adderall before that ) since being pregnant with my son in 9/2011. It's been a tough road. I no longer have a psychiatrist. I have poor impluse control and inattention for the most part, a bit of hyperfocus. I think it led to me gain a large amount of weight after the pregnancy. Not having the impulse control or appetite suppression. I wouldn't mind being treated again, I lost a job over it last year.

    I'm also off my meds since before my pregnancy because we had to do IVF. It's been almost three years now and I keep trying to wean my son so I can get back on them again.
  • Redoise
    Redoise Posts: 4 Member
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    BeYouTiful94 wrote: »
    mkakids wrote: »
    Ita a stimulant....I definitely get a rush of energy and a boost in my mood.

    I'm ADD inattentive and on Adderall (XR and regular) and I've never felt this rush that people talk about. Makes me wonder if I'm weird or something. I literally feel like it makes me feel almost ... Tired. Like ... Too calm, to the point I feel tired

    I don't think you're weird. I don't feel tired, but it took me a while to get used to feeling calm. I lived so long wound up and wired to chaos that I thought I was tired when I was just calm for the first time ever.

    My doctor and therapist both say that if you DON'T feel anything but calmer from the medication, then it's a validation of the diagnosis. If you feel high, or a rush, and crash, then the source of your issues are not likely organic physiological ADD. I'm not a doctor, but we weren't sure that Adderall would help me, so we did a blind placebo trial for a week. It worked wonders because I literally felt (and feel) zero effect from the Adderall, so I had no idea which day I was taking it and which day I was taking the placebo. My providers were really happy that I reported "no feeling of being high, or a rush" at all everyday; they told me to keep taking the drug because that's a great indicator that it's the right drug for me.

    While I didn't know during the trial what I was taking, it was very apparent, however, in my life; I keep the logs to look back on--the remarkable and immediate change in my abilities and how calm it made me are good to go back and read to remind me of how bad living with unchecked ADD was.
  • Redoise
    Redoise Posts: 4 Member
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    I actually looked this thread up for a very specific reason: I am scared to work out. I haven't worked out since I started Adderall--while the drug is incredibly helpful, I am intimidated by it. My whole life is better, and I'm not overeating. But I was really active until I started Adderall. I used to work out 3-5 times a week with some HIIT training and had just started training my puppy to run with me. Honestly, my parents got me active when I was young to reign me in, and it became a good life habit. But the whole heart rate and blood pressure warnings on the label freak me out--especially when I even think about HIIT training again.

    I worked out today for the first time in a long time and used my heart rate monitor on my fitbit and my HR was going WAY up--but recovered super fast. This also may be due to 1. the fact that I haven't worked out in 5 months and 2. the fact that I'm scared.

    How do you manage this? Does it concern anyone else? What steps do you take to feel safe running, or working out?

    Sorry so long--just looking for some insights for others on Adderall. I don't have any other health conditions.
  • mandamoxie
    mandamoxie Posts: 27 Member
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    I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and just started taking Ritalin today. I've heard so many people say ADHD meds suppress their appetite, but normally in reference specifically to Adderall. My doctor sounded like he intends to put me on Adderall eventually, but right now I don't have health insurance, so he prescribed me Ritalin because it's a little cheaper. Has anyone here taken Ritalin? If so, has it affected your weight loss or appetite at all?
  • mweckler
    mweckler Posts: 623 Member
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    @Redoise Do not be afraid to work out while on your medication. I talked to my doctor (I take Vyvanse), and a personal trainer friend of mine, and have done a lot of research and everything I have come across says it is safe to work out while taking a stimulant medication. Of course that is if your heart is healthy to begin with. Some people load up on caffeine and per workouts then go hit the gym to raise their heart rate to get a better workout. I am not sure about mixing the stimulant medication, and a pre workout, or caffeine supplement and going to workout. Just follow how you feel, do your workouts, start out slowly to ease yourself back into them, if you are still leary stay away from the HIIT classes, or take the medication early in the morning and go to a HIIT class in the evening when the meds are wearing down. I hope this was mildly helpful.
  • Redoise
    Redoise Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks, @mweckler! That's reassuring. Everything I'm finding on the web is the latter of your post: people TRYING to use Adderall for their workouts. I'm not in that bunch of folks. I just want to exercise in a healthy way. Your response is helpful--reassuring.
  • mweckler
    mweckler Posts: 623 Member
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    I recently started a group for people living with ADHD, if any of you are interested I have posted the link to the group.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/113865-living-with-adhd

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