Adderall is causing insane loss. Worried.

uglydeuce
uglydeuce Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys.

So I began taking Adderall (amphetamine salts) on a very low dosage about 5 days ago to help with my ADHD to hopefully elevate some anxiety and depression I have going on (it makes sense, just don't feel like explaining the whole story). Anyways, since I began taking my medication I've already lost ~7lbs and I find myself having a really difficult time remembering to eat or even forcing myself to eat when I do remember. My doctor told me that I MUST make myself eat before sending me off.

Now my intention is to work out beginning on the first (tomorrow... or rather in a few hours depending on where you are) but I'm concerned about not being able to get myself to choke down some food before going off to exercise on a stimulant crazed frenzy (obvious exaggeration is obvious). I was wondering if anyone else has or is taking Adderall or some off brand amphetamine salts and have seen such drastic weight loss? Should I be concerned? Any advice to combat this? And any advice on how to handle testing out my new medication? I'm just a bit worried and kinda need some community support on this matter.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • armypsychdoc
    armypsychdoc Posts: 8 Member
    Typically the anorexia (not to be confused with anorexia nervosa the eating disorder) tapers off after 1-2 weeks on the medication. It may still lower your appetite but you won't necessarily be force feeding yourself.
  • julialou1979
    julialou1979 Posts: 54 Member
    I have no advice specific to adderall. But I had oral surgery three weeks ago which killed ANY desire to eat. I made really calorie dense smoothies (protein powder, peanut butter, spinach for greenness, banana, dates) to keep myself fed. Good luck and I hope your appetite gets better soon!
  • MissCourtney11
    MissCourtney11 Posts: 23 Member
    I don't actually take it, but my boyfriend does for his severe ADHD. Whenever he takes it, he never has an appetite. However, he forces himself to eat high protein foods throughout the day (in small quantities) to keep his energy and mood up. Some of his favorites are nut butters (paired with toast, celery, bagels, etc.), a small sandwich with chicken and turkey deli meats, and protein bars.

    Also, his appetite seems to come back a bit more after he's been on it for a few consecutive weeks.
  • uglydeuce
    uglydeuce Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks guys! I'll keep chugging along then until I get past the two week mark and in the mean time up my protein consumption a bit. Hopefully increasing my dosage won't extend the length of time for the anorexia to pass.
  • doneatfour
    doneatfour Posts: 120 Member
    Typically the anorexia (not to be confused with anorexia nervosa the eating disorder) tapers off after 1-2 weeks on the medication. It may still lower your appetite but you won't necessarily be force feeding yourself.

    Yes. My appetite returned to normal within a couple of weeks. I've been on it for two years now and see no difference in appetite when I do take it as opposed to when I don't. My daughter is a little different (teenager). She doesn't have to force herself to eat, but she doesn't feel hunger the way she does when she's not on it. She says that she doesn't feel like eating soon after she takes it and has to wait a bit. She still needs to learn to understand her body's cues and the difference between hunger and craving/appetite though. The girl can put away a ton of sour patch kids but "isn't hungry" when it comes to real food. If it doesn't get better and you're really concerned, there is an appetite stimulant we were considering for my daughter in the beginning. She couldn't afford to lose weight. But like I said, it corrected itself quickly.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    I want to add to what everyone else said by mentioning that it can act as a diuretic so part of the weight loss is probably a good bit of water.

    I usually only have the appetite effects for the first week or so I re-start taking it. (If it even takes that long)
  • Kkaybee1
    Kkaybee1 Posts: 1
    My daughter was experiencing the same thing. I started taking adderall recently and she advised me to eat a good healthy meal, then take it on a full stomach. I did it both ways and it really helped me focus to eat first, When I didn't eat first, I really worked hard and got a lot done and didn't think about eating most of the day. I finally ate after getting to the point of feeling weak and dizzy. Hope this helps a little..
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
    adderall is all bad........
  • debbylee_maxine
    debbylee_maxine Posts: 24 Member
    I take adderall 20 XR and have been for quite a while. I've only had minor weight loss, about average one pound to one pound and a half a week. About what you would lose if you were trying to lose at a healthy rate. But at the same time I've been moving a lot more than normal since I've been taking it... So I really can't say. I can tell you that my experience gained while working in a pharmacy, a lot of our patients experience weight loss the first two weeks to the first month, and then it tapers off as they adjust to the medicine. I've yet to meet a patient that just lost so much weight on adderall or any similar medication that it became dangerous. Give it some time, if you still have worries about the speed at which you are losing weight, you may want to talk to your doctor about trying a non-stimulant adhd drug, like Strattera. Weight loss is a side effect, but it's rare and at the bottom of the side effect list. If I recall correctly, 2% of the non-placebo control group experienced weight loss, compared to 1% of the placebo group.
  • Shelby1582
    Shelby1582 Posts: 191 Member
    I was prescribed adderall in college and am still on it. At first I did lose some weight because your heart rate speeds up and your appetite goes away. However those side effects do stop because it has not effect on my appetite and I gained everything back and then some just because my body got used to it.
    The most important thing is to eat and then take it. You can't skip eating and if you take it after you eat then problem solved. If you're not a breakfast person you may have to adjust that, taking it on an empty stomach only made me grouchy and gave me headaches.
  • airen123
    airen123 Posts: 149
    I know girls that would buy these from people with prescriptions to lose weight. One lost 30 lbs for her wedding. :noway:
    It's a scary drug.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    adderall is all bad........

    Um, no. Not if it's prescribed appropriately.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    My advice is to drink nutrient-dense drinks, like juices and protein shakes. Those will help with both hydration and nutrition. Second, don't worry too much about the 7 pounds. Most of it is water weight. Stay hydrated, even if you don't feel thirsty. Amphetamines will dehydrate you before you realize it.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • sarahkalt88
    sarahkalt88 Posts: 51 Member
    I don't know much about Adderall specifically since its not available in Canada, but I do know its in the same drug class as crystal meth, which scares the crap out of me! I'd be really careful with it, its equally as addictive.
  • debbylee_maxine
    debbylee_maxine Posts: 24 Member
    I don't know much about Adderall specifically since its not available in Canada, but I do know its in the same drug class as crystal meth, which scares the crap out of me! I'd be really careful with it, its equally as addictive.

    Yeah.... it's really not. Adderall is a schedule II drug and can be addictive to some individuals, nothing compares to meth. The things meth does, chemically and biologically, in a person's brain is terrifying. Amphetimine... not so much.
    Amphetamine is the real substance that is in adderall, methamphetamine is in desoxyn.

    Methamphetamine is amphetamine with a 'Methyl'(Meth) group added to the end of it. The two are extraordinarily similar in molecular structure, although they have distinguishable effects. There isn't a pharmacist or doctor I know who would compare adderall and meth and equals in the addictive-ness category.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I don't know much about Adderall specifically since its not available in Canada, but I do know its in the same drug class as crystal meth, which scares the crap out of me! I'd be really careful with it, its equally as addictive.

    Yeah.... it's really not. Adderall is a schedule II drug and can be addictive to some individuals, nothing compares to meth. The things meth does, chemically and biologically, in a person's brain is terrifying. Amphetimine... not so much.
    Amphetamine is the real substance that is in adderall, methamphetamine is in desoxyn.

    Methamphetamine is amphetamine with a 'Methyl'(Meth) group added to the end of it. The two are extraordinarily similar in molecular structure, although they have distinguishable effects. There isn't a pharmacist or doctor I know who would compare adderall and meth and equals in the addictive-ness category.


    They are virtually the same. The key difference is purity. (lab grade/street additives) The idea that meth is more addictive than any other amphetamine is absurd. The potential for addiction *does* exist, which is why many doctors refuse to prescribe it at all, in spite of a person's medical history.
  • jessilou3363
    jessilou3363 Posts: 1
    I take 30mg of adderall and when I know I'm hungry, I usually get really nauseous. But that also is a side effect for me if I eat too much... At first i wouldn't eat at all because i felt like i would get sick, but thats totally not the case. Sometimes instead of eating, I drink a lot of things with protein in them because instead of being hungry, I am ALWAYS thirsty...I sometimes go through extreme weight losses in a day, like for instance I usually lose like 5 or 10 lbs in just a day without exercising. Or I'll gain a bunch of weight really fast like that... It's crazy but its my life. And it's kinda crazy to see that people live it with me lol... Hope the while eating thing helped you
  • ragdolltiff
    ragdolltiff Posts: 25
    How did you loose 5 to 10 pounds a day?
  • Claud334
    Claud334 Posts: 1
    I used to take it when I was in college and it also destroyed my appetite. On days when I took it (about 2-3 times per week when I had a lot of work to do), I learned I had to wake up and eat a big filling breakfast BEFORE taking it. Then I would try to eat a snack for lunch and then I could usually eat a regular meal again by late dinner.
  • ragdolltiff
    ragdolltiff Posts: 25
    How did you loose 5 to 10 pounds a day?
  • ragdolltiff
    ragdolltiff Posts: 25
    on 40mg adderall how much weight will i loose in a month
  • LioshaM
    LioshaM Posts: 129 Member
    My son takes Ritalin and when he first started he lost a lot of weight. The medication does suppress your appetite. My son used to come home and would not have touched his lunch. The doctor stated to feed him a big breakfast with lots of protein and a very big dinner and if he wants seconds let him have at it. He did gain the weight he lost (10lbs) about 6 months later. He actually takes his meds before school starts and then right after lunch.

    So my advice is before you take your meds eat a really good meal... complete with lots of protein, fruits and vegetables.
  • scarrletti_girl
    scarrletti_girl Posts: 479 Member
    when i was younger i took the same drug for adhd. when i took it i was very rarely hungry and it was really hard for me to gain weight because the adderall maintained my weight and then i started only taking it for the school week monday through friday and i started to gain a healthy amount because i was under weight. so it is normal because everyone else that i know that went on it also didn't eat very much and would lose weight or just not gain and some people take it because of it's weight effects. i hated that drug because it caused me to have depression, food problems, and so many other things. but i took it for a lot longer from 1st grade until sophomore year of high school.
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    My daughter takes Focalin for ADHD and has for about 4 years, we have never seen an increase in her desire to eat not after 2 weeks, not after 4 years. We do a few things since she's 14 and only 75 lbs (of course she's also only 4'10").

    - she eats breakfast before taking her meds this way she has a good amount of food in her to start the day
    - during the school year at lunch she is always allowed to buy ice cream, which she does about 3 days a week
    - she HAS to eat a protein bar before track/XC practice HAS to no if/ands/buts about it
    - she drinks whole milk
    - I cook with extra fat in her food, olive oil, butter etc
    - she has protein with almost every meal
    - we eat later at night when her meds wear off, usually about 7 at night which is easy since we usually have soccer and track/xc practices to go to

    She is so active we really need to keep on top of what she eats. I tracked her calories about two years or so ago and she was netting in the negative numbers. Also she doesn't take her meds much when school is out or on the weekends.

    Set an alarm to eat even if you have a tablespoon of peanut butter or a handful of nuts.
  • scarrletti_girl
    scarrletti_girl Posts: 479 Member
    I don't know much about Adderall specifically since its not available in Canada, but I do know its in the same drug class as crystal meth, which scares the crap out of me! I'd be really careful with it, its equally as addictive.

    Yeah.... it's really not. Adderall is a schedule II drug and can be addictive to some individuals, nothing compares to meth. The things meth does, chemically and biologically, in a person's brain is terrifying. Amphetimine... not so much.
    Amphetamine is the real substance that is in adderall, methamphetamine is in desoxyn.

    Methamphetamine is amphetamine with a 'Methyl'(Meth) group added to the end of it. The two are extraordinarily similar in molecular structure, although they have distinguishable effects. There isn't a pharmacist or doctor I know who would compare adderall and meth and equals in the addictive-ness category.


    They are virtually the same. The key difference is purity. (lab grade/street additives) The idea that meth is more addictive than any other amphetamine is absurd. The potential for addiction *does* exist, which is why many doctors refuse to prescribe it at all, in spite of a person's medical history.


    when you don't have to take it, it can be addictive but when you are prescribed to it as a child it really isn't addictive I actually stopped taking it sophomore year of high school because I hated it and was not even close to being addicted to it. but it just depends on the people and the situation. that's why it is only a prescribed drug now and not for everyone to buy anymore, like it used to be.
  • ragdolltiff
    ragdolltiff Posts: 25
    How did you loose 5 to 10 pounds a day?
  • attackhamster
    attackhamster Posts: 58 Member
    How did you loose 5 to 10 pounds a day?

    Cut off one of your arms.
  • Autk79
    Autk79 Posts: 286 Member
    I think it effects everyone different. I know two people that werent ADD and started taking it. They both lost WAY too much weight , got anxiety and heart problems and high blood pressure and never had a appitite. And now when they dont take it they seem like they have ADD. I took Ridilin for prob 10 years and never had side effects but because of experience Ive seen with friends I will never take Adderall. Im not saying it happens to everyone. I have another friend that lost a lot of weight and then cut her prescription in half and now has stopped losing weight. But like I said, its diff for everyone but in my eyes as a outsider I think its a horrible drug, especially for children.
  • Act2130
    Act2130 Posts: 18 Member
    I don't know much about Adderall specifically since its not available in Canada, but I do know its in the same drug class as crystal meth, which scares the crap out of me! I'd be really careful with it, its equally as addictive.

    Adderal is an amphetamine but that doesn't make it bad. Vicodin is an opiate- doesn't make it nearly as bad as heroin. Psudaphedrine (I.e. Cold medicine) is the main ingredient in meth-- but most people have taken it at some point in their life.

    As far as adderal making you lose weight--- it is also a diuretic-- make sure you are drinking lots of water. And I agree with everyone else-- your diet should stabilize within a few weeks.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    My son was 6 when he started on it for ADHD. He lost 10lbs in a month! A 6 year old cannot afford to lose that much weight (especially when he was skinny to start with!). His school lunches came home uneaten every day. Made me sick to see how it affected a small child. He was off those meds quick. We found another that was better and he gained the weight back. He's almost 19 now and hasn't taken the meds for at least 5 years.

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