Adderall and Sensory Overload?!

[jazzmetalguitar]

To start off, SWIM will note that he is fairly familiar with amphetamine, has binged on more than twenty occasions, is very knowledgeable of the drug, and has also experienced amphetamine psychosis twice, although both were luckily only about "half-there" before SWIM caught some rest. However, until these recent events, SWIM had not done Adderall, dextroampetamine, or any other amphetamine-class stimulants for about five months, and then he decided to go for another binge.

Details of the binge will follow, but not much is special except the one strange and previously unknown effect, which happened TWICE in consecutive binges, both at about 25-30 hours (i've done almost 100 before, and 70's many times) into the binge: Sensory Overload.

As previously stated, SWIM has experienced amphetamine psychosis before and is well aware of the symptoms. And actually the first thing he felt this time was the same sort of alienness of the world. Well, with amphetamine psychosis that turned into hallucinations, paranoia, deluded thought process, and utter fear. But not this time? No, the alienness just remained alien, perhaps a bit dissociative, and then i'm overwhelmed. Not fearful a bit. Not paranoid. Just overwhelmed, because, mind SWIY, SWIM is driving to work, but instead of the "normal" ride, he is aware of every car, every house, every blade of grass in his field of vision. And then he passes a car for the first time on this trip, and the car seems as close as a bug buzzing by his ear and is horribly loud! Nonetheless, this continues through the drive, at work, on the way home, but once he sat down on the computer and started reading articles and such as he does he was fine. A few days later, on his next binge, the same was repeated.

The Binges (BOTH): 20mg XR. every 10 hours. three dosings. both were 30-36 hour binges.

SWIMs starting binge: 30mg XR. every 12 hours. three dosings. ~36 hours.

SWIMs average binge prior to these two: 30 mg XR. every 7-10 hours. 5-6 dosings. binges between 2-3 days.

Both of SWIMs psychosis binges (he repeated the variables of the first binge to test consistency to understand dopamine a bit more): 30 mg XR. every 10 hours. between 8 and 9 dosings. binges just over 4 days.

Any SWIYs have any thoughts? Note that SWIMs first ever dose is actually higher than these two recent ones. SWIM seemed to have a bit of a natural tolerence to amps when compared to his friends, he assumes likely due to a dopamine deficiency related motion disorder he has.

SWIMs sort of just in awe of this new, strange, unforeseen effect...

[coldkate]

SWIM has the sensory overload on her normal dose, lol. she gets paranoid that something is wrong with her car, it seems unusually loud, so loud she's scared her tire is going to fall off or something. she notices every little noise and movement when driving. this didn't happen to her before, it's just recently. she brought the car to have it fixed, and afterwards, still is convinced there is something wrong with it because it just seems so loud and she can feel every little bump in the road.

so she takes another member of her family's car, a new car, next time she goes out. then she's convinced that this OTHER car is about to fall apart as well. and other people drive both cars and don't notice a thing. she knows she's not going crazy but, obviously it's in her head.

SWIM doesn't know if this is relating to you at all, but she SERIOUSLY believes this is the adderall, causing paranoia, you know... over-exaggerating everything for her on a normal basis. she notices the over-exaggeration often, not just with noises. this is her regular dose too, this is 30mg xr/day. she does get ridiculously paranoid. and she's been on this dose for a couple years she just thought it was a normal side effect and she just deals with it. ...yeah.

[jazzmetalguitar]

makes sense. odd that SWIM didn't get scared a bit like SWIY did. SWIM found an article on latent inhibition which seems intriguing and possibly noteworthy, as it is the brain's way of filtering unimportant information and preventing it from being noticed and put into memory. almost a weak form of psychosis....in fact, latent inhibition completely gone is psychosis, in theory. odd SWIM has never just sat upon this plateau before, and even stranger that it is at a low dose for him.

[JudgeJudy]

SWIM can totally relate to SWIY about being paranoid on a normal dose of 20mg. However she has PTSD and is paranoid by nature. SWIM is on 40mg daily now and is paranoid mostly when the medication leaves the body.

SWIM had a psychosis reaction when mixing SSRI's with Adderall. Can't understand what is going on and sever paranoia. Also, has a rush of adrenaline running through the body. This feels like SWIM is dying literally. So not sure if adrenaline should be running through ones body if one is not dying, and this makes SWIM think she is dying.

Can SWIY explain this adrenaline running through the body?

Thanks

[jazzmetalguitar]

SWIM actually understands the paranoia aspect and has hit it before as well, but this particular experience seemed to be just below what would be psychosis, involving no paranoia or fear whatsoever. Intolerance to dopamine boosts would lead to this for some at very low doses.
As far as an adrenaline rush goes, that is some of the basis for dextroamphetamine's therapeutic value. No question, that this too could go TOO far. Strangely, SWIM also once experienced what seemed to be an abrupt drop in adrenaline serum levels, resulting in a hypoxic attack, which SWIM has another thread about.
While amphetamine tends to hold dopamine in the synapse, perphaps it lacks that particular ability with adrenaline (even though it causes adrenaline boosts), and the adrenaline would leave the brain and have non-CNS activity.

[Shagmelon]

Swiy should tell the doctor about the paranoia, in swim's case he just upped his xanax, which seems to work out but maybe for other's they might get something else or maybe begin a wean off the Adderall.

[jazzmetalguitar]

Again, please read. SWIM mentioned no paranoia whatsoever....it was a state of too much awareness of his surroundings.

[Shagmelon]

Yeah sorry, after going over the original post again I realized swim had an almost identical reaction to Strattera, they kicked in when he was driving and noticed way too much all at once, all the cars on the road, where they were aiming ect. The worst part that sticks out in swim's mind was being in this one store, and looking at people's faces, all the lines and wrinkles ect. were extremely noticeable, so much more detailed than usual made them seem other than human, there's this smile a lady gave swim that was just terrifying and he'll probably not forgot it. I don't know if it's the same sensation and sorry I'm not great at explaining it. But yeah the point is a shitty non-stimulant med did the same thing to swis at it did to swiy.

[JudgeJudy]

SWIM has this when it is real bright or sunny outside. Maybe not to the extreme SWIY had it but very close. Next time this happens see if it is real bright outside because SWIM can't drive when the boost is at it's peak if it is too sunny.

Sorry to lead this thread astray