Adderall....

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saracatherine89
saracatherine89 Posts: 291 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone else who is trying to/has lost weight been put on Adderall lately?

I've had ADD since I was about 5 years old but my parents are of the sort that think it is a made up disease...I went to the doctor a few months ago and he thought it would help me out. It has done wonders, but I am wondering if it has any effect on peoples diet/exercise regimen/etc. Is there anything I should be concerned with or has it helped people drop the lbs?
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  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
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    From what I can remember, it drastically decreases your apetite. You'll have to make sure to get all your meals in even if you are not hungry.
  • anunknownmouse
    anunknownmouse Posts: 118
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    From what I can remember, it drastically decreases your apetite. You'll have to make sure to get all your meals in even if you are not hungry.

    This. When I was on ADHD meds I had absolutely no appetite or desire to eat whatsoever. That being said, I was dosed extremely high. In general I feel much better off the meds than I felt when I was on them, but that's just me. If you think they help, then use them, just remember to eat healthy.
  • courtcourtfnp
    courtcourtfnp Posts: 134 Member
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    Adderall will drastically decrease or diminish your appetite. Weight loss is a major concern when kids/adults are put on this medicine. Even though you are trying to lose weight you don't want to do it that way. It is important for you to still try to eat your calories in a day...like make sure you eat breakfast before you take it n the morning & if you take a second dose at night be sure to eat before you take it then, since the medicine is kind of wearing off right before a dose is due you will be more likely to have an appetite. I'm not speaking from experience, but from my training as a nurse practitioner.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    if it has a very speedy effect on you, it may not be the right drug for you. People with ADD have a paradoxical effect with medications like these: in people without ADD, the drug is very speedy, but in patients with ADD, the drug has a calming, stabilizing effect.

    If you feel like you've had too much coffee when you take it, maybe it's not the one for you?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    It may make you lose your appetite. So you need to pay special attention to your calorie target and make sure to hit it. In a sense calorie counters have an advantage when they take a medication with appetite suppression effects, because they are aware of their intake, and may be less susceptible to undereating.
  • healthybodyhealthymind
    healthybodyhealthymind Posts: 92
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    It did that for me as well when I was on it. I had to force myself to eat. :/
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    ADD is a real disorder. Amphetamines will have an effect on appetite as it suppresses it. Be aware of this and schedule doses around the times you eat. I wouldn't recommend taking it at night.

    ETA: Adderall may result in aggressive weight loss. It is a drug that's very easy to abuse due to the way it affects dopamine. Do not take more than prescribed.
  • Hellcatinheels
    Hellcatinheels Posts: 14
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    Another ADDer here. Like everyone else has said, you will have little to no appetite. Same goes for ritalin. I also found that I can't take my meds too close after eating~ it makes me feel really sick. I have to wait at least a couple of hours after eating to take my meds.
  • lynette111
    lynette111 Posts: 77 Member
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    My 17 year old son takes Adderall and it has never diminished his appetite! Although it could be his autistic nature coming through (loves a schedule-does everything the same everyday) that keeps him eating and not necessarily because he is hungry.
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
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    Thank you so much for this...I am just diagnosed in the 97% of affected folks with ADD and so I am highly affected and ready for some relief. I was wondering about this as well. As I talk to the naturalpath it is an idea the ADD can impede on weight loss as well so just watch your body closely. I start adderall next week.
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
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    My 17 year old son takes Adderall and it has never diminished his appetite! Although it could be his autistic nature coming through (loves a schedule-does everything the same everyday) that keeps him eating and not necessarily because he is hungry.

    Lynette,
    I am a mother of 2 sons with Autism too and Im glad you said this because my son is this way too. I have been anti-meds for him so far (not completely ruled out but trying other options first) and his Dr. wants to try this (not for ADD but for impulse control over food) and I am not really with it. I think I may wait a little longer to see if some other things work first.
  • saracatherine89
    saracatherine89 Posts: 291 Member
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    I've been on it for almost 9 months now. I started on 15mgXR and now I am on 30mgXR. It does kill my appetite for about 6-8 hours but I usually get pretty hungry around dinner time. So far I've lost about 22lbs since starting it. I was mainly concerned if anyone has had issues with their heart and exercising while taking it, although usually by the time I work out I am about 12hrs since taking it.
  • Foodie711711
    Foodie711711 Posts: 137 Member
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    You will have a decrease in appetite and should actually lose a little weight while on it. It is a narcotic though and you have to be careful. It has addictive qualities. It also has some negative side effects so be careful. If on it long enough it can eat the lining of your stomach and give you acid reflux.
  • Fairy_Farts
    Fairy_Farts Posts: 166 Member
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    It doesn't kill my appetite. It has helped me concentrate at school (yeah, I'm a student).
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
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    My son is on this for ADHD. He's 7. He has very little appetite while it's in effect for the day. After it wears off each evening he eats everything, apples, oatmeal, strawberries, leftover pork chops, etc. But he's 7 and needs the calories. He's athletic too so if he's hungry I let him eat as long as it's not junk.

    My son has a med check today and so far it hasn't effected his heart rate/pulse.


    Good luck.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    I had to get off of it years ago. I gained 40lbs while taking it (due to hypothyroidism) and after that I actually found it more difficult to control what I ate because I had no control over my appetite and what I wanted to eat. It's pretty tough when junk food seems appealing but veggies and meat do not.
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
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    I take Concerta, and my heart rate can get really high when I exercise. Concerta is essentially time-released Ritalin. I've had EKG's/stress tests done, and the doctors say it's fine. Just be aware that after a prolonged, intense workout, you might feel a lot dizzier than you normally would.
  • sarahkatara
    sarahkatara Posts: 826 Member
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    When I was on Adderall I would literally FORGET to eat. I had no appetite and ALL the energy. I started a lot but completed nothing. And lost weight fast. Tell your doctor your side effects so they are aware of them. Even though it's common, it's important that they know how it is affecting you. It's not a safe or sustainable "diet" tool!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    You will have a decrease in appetite and should actually lose a little weight while on it. It is a narcotic though and you have to be careful. It has addictive qualities. It also has some negative side effects so be careful. If on it long enough it can eat the lining of your stomach and give you acid reflux.

    It's not a narcotic. It's a stimulant. However, it is a controlled substance.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I take adderall as well. I have to be really careful and make sure I'm eating enough, because it really reduces my appetite. That's one reason MFP has been SO helpful for me because before I would go a long time without eating, and then suddenly be ravenously hungry (once the medication wears off) and eat everything I see---hence the reason I've still got over 20 lbs to lose. I also had a really hard time sleeping when I started taking it (duh, it's a stimulant).

    I find that planning out my meals and just making sure I'm eating on a schedule helps out, and I have to drink a TON of water. I get so freaking thirsty with it, I'm drinking water non-stop. My doctor has also advised (in the last 6 months or so) that I add in 6 days a week of really vigorous exercise, which I didn't always follow, but I've found that since I have been doing this, I've HEALTHILY lost 20 lbs (2 prior to MFP) and I'm able to sleep well at night. Making sure I eat on a schedule, drink tons of water, and get in a lot of exercise has been so great in helping the adderall not only do it's job, but lessen the negative side effects.

    A friend of mine started taking it and dropped like 50lbs really fast just because she didn't eat. She began to look skeletal almost and could never sleep. She's still that way really, and because (her words, not mine) she's "really skinny now", she won't listen to my advice. But that's another thread for another day lol

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