Adderall for weight loss and depression

Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
Adderall is good for both

Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

Replies

  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Adderall should only be used if prescribed for ADHD, not sure about depression. Kids in college take it to stay awake to study and for weight loss because it suppressed appetite......you'd have to be nuts to use it for that reason.
  • itsuki
    itsuki Posts: 520 Member
    Taking Adderall (or any other drugs) for any reason other than the one the doctor prescribed it for is stupid.

    Asking people on the internet for advice about prescription medications is also stupid. We are not doctors, and if any of us are actually doctors they are smart enough to know that giving medical advice to a stranger is a bad idea.

    Talk to your doctor.
  • faupster
    faupster Posts: 86 Member
    There are pre-workouts that have adderall extracts in them. Gives you the energy and the focus for the day.

    GNC or other big name places will not have it, smaller local supplements shops will.
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!



    .....no, just no. Adderall should never be taken to make you lose weight. If you're struggling go to a nutritionist.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    I have had many bad experiences trying to obtain Adderall. I suppose if I were 6 years old and jumped up and down in the doctor's office, I could get it with no problem. Every doctor I have been to wants to give me Prozac or Abilify. GRR! :explode:
  • It's a slippery slope when you take Adderall and other stimulants of that kind for weight loss. Meds like those are not meant for weight loss or depression. There may be a handful of docs that prescribe it off label, but it would be hard to find one. If you are depressed, wellbutrin might be the med you are looking for. It's got low risk of weight gain and may actually help you lose weight.

    ETA: You wanted the good and bad experiences of Adderall. Mine was all bad. When I was younger I used it and ritalin to lose an insane amount of weight. I ended up in a treatment center for both an ED and addiction. It makes you feel wired and I was ready to fight anyone that crossed me (shore tempered and hateful). My emotions were all over the place and no one wanted to be near me.
  • Adderall should honestly not be taken unless you have ADHD. It basically has the same mechanism as a tri-cyclic antidepressant so thats why it potentially could be used as a psycho-stimulant and depress appetite. Its not recommended at all for anyone trying to lose weight as their initial goal because a tolerance and addiction can build. Its better to see a nutritionist and get onto a diet plan rather than take an amphetamine to help you lose weight.

    @faupster - your right there are extracts of amphetamines circulating out there, but I wouldn't even recommend taking those. If you need to focus stick with caffeine instead of Adderall and eat a well balanced diet.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Adderal is a stimulant prescribed for ADHD. You should NOT take this for weight loss. SMH
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It's interesting to see the responses that Adderall is not intended for weight loss. When amphetamines were originally marketed in the U.S. weight loss was the main reason for prescribing them. When I was a kid, many obese people were given amphetamines. Now, they prescribe Phentermine which is much more dangerous.
  • There are pre-workouts that have adderall extracts in them. Gives you the energy and the focus for the day.

    GNC or other big name places will not have it, smaller local supplements shops will.

    >adderall extracts
    I lol'd
  • Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    Adderall works for depression the same way that cocaine works for depression, by getting you high!
  • LaDonnaF
    LaDonnaF Posts: 53 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    I don't know if anyone else stated this..... but if your doctor put you on something for depression and you've read that some depressives are prescribed adderal.... why don't you ask your doctor if they will/why they didn't put you on it?

    Any questions/concerns about your medication/issues you're having because of them should be put to your doctor - not the internet. Hope this doesn't come off as mean or anything but no one on here is going to know anything about your medical history and how this could effect you.

    If you do manage to get adderall and it helps you lose weight... what are you going to do when you cannot get it anymore? You need to discover the combination of nutrition/exercise that gets you losing weight and make that a lifestyle otherwise you will cycle back to gaining weight and no doubt that will impede any progress you make in getting rid of your depression.

    Best of luck
  • It's interesting to see the responses that Adderall is not intended for weight loss. When amphetamines were originally marketed in the U.S. weight loss was the main reason for prescribing them. When I was a kid, many obese people were given amphetamines. Now, they prescribe Phentermine which is much more dangerous.

    Adderall was used for weight loss but are not the first line of treatment or even close anymore. Especially when they realized that the mechanism of action is the same as Cocaine and Tri-cyclic anti-depressants. It was the same thing as when Sildenafil (viagra) was used to treat blood pressure and by chance it helped treat ED. It is used a lot in elderly patients but is not a first line treatment for blood pressure.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Um . . . Adderall is for ADHD, and is a controlled substance in the US. Chances are if you're using it for weight loss, that you may run up against some legal issues. You might want to rethink that.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It's interesting to see the responses that Adderall is not intended for weight loss. When amphetamines were originally marketed in the U.S. weight loss was the main reason for prescribing them. When I was a kid, many obese people were given amphetamines. Now, they prescribe Phentermine which is much more dangerous.

    Adderall was used for weight loss but are not the first line of treatment or even close anymore. Especially when they realized that the mechanism of action is the same as Cocaine and Tri-cyclic anti-depressants. It was the same thing as when Sildenafil (viagra) was used to treat blood pressure and by chance it helped treat ED. It is used a lot in elderly patients but is not a first line treatment for blood pressure.


    Amphetamines do act similarly as cocaine. However, they do not act the same as anti-depressants. They are similar, yes, and trycyclic antidepressants are definitely more successful for depression than amphetamines. I completely agree with that. In fact, for someone with depression, amphetamines can be contraindicated, in part because of the potential for addiction. Antidepressants are not helpful with weight loss though, except in those cases when over-eating is a result of depression.

    Yes, it's true that it was not the "first line of treatment" and was only used with the morbidly obese. The use of medication should never be used as a first line of treatment for most conditions, in my opinion. Medicine should only been used when other methods fail. My point is that as politics change, DEA policies change, causing treatments to change. (And people who weren't around during the old policies are generally unaware of them) It is definitely safer than Phentermine and more effective as well. When the drug war was first declared in the 70s, amphetamines were not considered a problem and in fact, they were still being given to soldiers and considered to be relatively safe. It wasn't until the 90s that suddenly amphetamines were considered unsafe for adults, yet still considered safe for children.

    Amphetamines are nothing to mess around with, to be sure, but in low doses and under the care of a doctor, they can be safely administered. Adderall and Ritalin are most definitely safer than the junk in the streets passing as amphetamines. And they are definitely safer than Phentermine, which is the go-to weight loss prescription these days.
  • GatorGirl0890
    GatorGirl0890 Posts: 41 Member
    I wouldn't use Adderall for either, unless for some reason a doctor perscribes it. In my experience, it does initially suppress your appetite and give you a sense of euphoria, but that euphoria fades to happiness, to general contentment, and then flat lines your emotions, trapping you in this low, droning state of indifference and hyper awareness. It's awful. Also, any weight you lose from having your appetite suppressed like that will probably come back because you're not learning any weight management techniques--at least that's what happened for me.
  • Bethie_B
    Bethie_B Posts: 292 Member
    I used Adderall to improve my Bejeweled Blitz score.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    Adderall is NOT for depression. As others have said it is for ADHD or a cheap meth High.

    If you want to....

    - Not sleep at night
    - Hallucinate
    - Become a nervous wreck/crazy person
    - Spend hours upon hours picking specks of dirt out of your carptet
    - Become addicted to the drug
    - Die if you ever run out

    Then yes, by all means take the drug for which you do not have a medical condition that calls for the drug.

    If you want to lose weight

    - work harder, eat healthier, and be happy.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
    I used Adderall to improve my Bejeweled Blitz score.

    LOL I CAN PLAY FOR HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :laugh:
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Um . . . Adderall is for ADHD, and is a controlled substance in the US. Chances are if you're using it for weight loss, that you may run up against some legal issues. You might want to rethink that.

    Yep!
    My son is taking Concerta. I need a controlled substance prescription when he needs his refills. Not something to play around with.
    Ritalin made him ANGRY! I don't know why anyone would abuse prescription drugs that have such harsh side effects. I'd rather be fat than very mad, aggressive, explosive...
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Just wanted to say sorry for what you've been going through. Hope it gets better. :flowerforyou:
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    I dont know anyone on adderall for depression. The people I know who take it are on it for adhd. Some have lost weight, some didnt. One person I know abuses it and she got very thin but could not even walk a block.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    Adderall is NOT for depression. As others have said it is for ADHD or a cheap meth High.

    If you want to....

    - Not sleep at night
    - Hallucinate
    - Become a nervous wreck/crazy person
    - Spend hours upon hours picking specks of dirt out of your carptet
    - Become addicted to the drug
    - Die if you ever run out

    Then yes, by all means take the drug for which you do not have a medical condition that calls for the drug.

    If you want to lose weight

    - work harder, eat healthier, and be happy.

    I suspect that you have seen people that abuse Adderall rather than people who legitimately used it under supervision of a doctor. I have a friend who is on Adderall for ADHD. I used to take Ritalin for ADD. I have seen tweakers act like you described, but I never seen anyone with an appropriately administered, legitimate prescription who acted like that.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    Adderall is NOT for depression. As others have said it is for ADHD or a cheap meth High.

    If you want to....

    - Not sleep at night
    - Hallucinate
    - Become a nervous wreck/crazy person
    - Spend hours upon hours picking specks of dirt out of your carptet
    - Become addicted to the drug
    - Die if you ever run out

    Then yes, by all means take the drug for which you do not have a medical condition that calls for the drug.

    If you want to lose weight

    - work harder, eat healthier, and be happy.

    I suspect that you have seen people that abuse Adderall rather than people who legitimately used it under supervision of a doctor. I have a friend who is on Adderall for ADHD. I used to take Ritalin for ADD. I have seen tweakers act like you described, but I never seen anyone with an appropriately administered, legitimate prescription who acted like that.

    She did say, "Then yes, by all means take the drug for which you do not have a medical condition that calls for the drug." which does indeed lead me to believe she is speaking of those who use the drug for other than its intended purpose, which is exactly what the OP is wanting to do. These drugs have a very different effect on those who truly need it.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
    Hi haven't been on for a while have been very depressed hosp admission they did
    put me on a drug which causes weight gain , before hosp have lost 3 stone due to hard work
    and healthy eating , and now putting it on again due to meds have been reading that
    Adderall is good for both

    Has anybody got any experiences of this drug good or bad thanks !!

    Adderall is NOT for depression. As others have said it is for ADHD or a cheap meth High.

    If you want to....

    - Not sleep at night
    - Hallucinate
    - Become a nervous wreck/crazy person
    - Spend hours upon hours picking specks of dirt out of your carptet
    - Become addicted to the drug
    - Die if you ever run out

    Then yes, by all means take the drug for which you do not have a medical condition that calls for the drug.

    If you want to lose weight

    - work harder, eat healthier, and be happy.

    I suspect that you have seen people that abuse Adderall rather than people who legitimately used it under supervision of a doctor. I have a friend who is on Adderall for ADHD. I used to take Ritalin for ADD. I have seen tweakers act like you described, but I never seen anyone with an appropriately administered, legitimate prescription who acted like that.

    I have ADHD, and my two younger brothers do as well, WAY worse then I ever did. I was perscribed 90 miligrams a day. Now they have time release pills which my brothers take. And trust me, they NEED it ha.

    I know what the drug does for those who truely need it.

    And I have seen what it does to those who take it for other reasons. Not good.