Chest Pain When On Adderall

[crozz]

Hey guys, I'm sure this isn't a huge deal but Swim has taken adderall on multiple occasions, probably a total of 15 different occasions. Swim takes it to study but also like the recreational rush of it, so sometimes insuffilates the pills and whatnot, but Swim has never taken a dose over 30mg at a time. Swim isn't prescribed adderall but gets it from friends.

ANYWAYS swim has notice chest pain pretty much everytime he takes adderall. It's not necessarily intense, definitely not bad enough to make swim stop taking it, but it is there and is pretty unpleasant. Swim is not totally sure but would place the pain more in the sternum than in the heart. Swim had assumed this was a semi-common side effect so usually ignored it and forgot about it, but swim is currently on adderall and is feeling the pains again so he researched it on WebMD, and it stated there that chest pain is a serious problem and swim should seek immediate attention.

Swim is definitely not one to worry about something like this and still feels its no problem, but swim was just curious if you guys know anyone who has complained of similar pains and if they know what if its serious or not.

Thanks in advance.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good question... it's been asked before but still.

[Samadhi]

err... adderall is an amphetamine, amphetamines are well known for increasing heart rate and blood pressure along with muscle tension.

don't go calling the doc-in-the-box just yet, it's a common thing to have a little aches and chesties (or it has been in swims very breif experience with the substance)

besides, you search cough on webMD and you'll end up with results from "the common cold" to "avian bird flu---seek immediate medical attention."

just remember with amphetamines, moderation is the key.

peace

[crozz]

Originally Posted by samadhi123

err... adderall is an amphetamine, amphetamines are well known for increasing heart rate and blood pressure along with muscle tension.

don't go calling the doc-in-the-box just yet, it's a common thing to have a little aches and chesties (or it has been in swims very breif experience with the substance)

besides, you search cough on webMD and you'll end up with results from "the common cold" to "avian bird flu---seek immediate medical attention."

just remember with amphetamines, moderation is the key.

peace

Yes of course swim was not too worried, swim just thought it would be a good idea to check how common this is and see if anyone here knew how "serious" this actually was. Swim was aware it increased blood pressure but was not aware if actual pain was common. No one swim asked had experienced the chest pain and he just wanted to double check there wasn't some serious problem associated with chest pain. So really you just confirmed the thoughts swim was having and I appreciate it.

[JudgeJudy]

SWIM's chest pains and heart palpitations always come after the Adderall is leaving the body. It sucks real bad. SWIM rarely has chest pain while the medication is in full swing.

[lexi21]

i take 30 mg adderall xr and about 4 or 5 hours in when the first half is wearing off I start to get chest pains and anxiety but it goes away as I get hit my the second half of the adderall disolving. I think that as long as you keep it with low doses you shouldn't have to worry about anything. I think if the pain became extreme and unbearable then probably seek medical attention.

[cra$h]

don't worry, it's only a whole being blown out of your heart. JK, but when used recklessly, could be a possibility. It's just part of the amphetamines. that's what they do. You'll go forever but with a price. If your chest hurts a couple days later, or even 24hrs later, then it might be time to stop.

[100mg Methylphenidate]

It could be two things.

Anxiety or something's wrong with swiy's heart.

Does swiy have abnormally high blood pressure(on and off) adderall?

Anxiety can cause this, it's called angina pectoris, and it's due to a lack of oxygen to the heart. Which could be from the heart beating overly fast and not as efficient, resulting in less oxygen, and chest pain. If this is the case, it is relatively harmless. If swiy sits there and thinks about his chest and notices it more, than if he just forgets about it and relaxes, that could be the case. Swim has only delt with this once after a massive ritalin binge and overdose, and felt like that the next day.

He later was told it was probably anxiety by one of his coworkers, looked it up, and it sounded like a possibility. Since then, he's also had dye in his blood vessels for a CAT scan, so he's assuming he doens't have any obvious bulging arteries or heart problems(not to mention, his blood pressure isn't considered high yet, so he's probably okay). Since then, he's done adderall a million times and never experienced chest pain.

If it is something serious, which it COULD be, I would suggest swiy checks it out. Heart problems don't generally give much of a warning. An anuerysm could kill you well before the paramedics get there. Not to mention, most of them have pretty poor prognosises in the future(plus most people with anuerysms in one place, have them in other spots as well). Or some sort of ahrthymias or heart problem could be happening. Who knows? Sudden death doesn't sound worth the risk to me.

Then again, chances are, it's probably just anxiety or angina by itself...but does swiy really want to take that risk?

[Laudaphun]

SWIM noticed something in regards to this. For a few months SWIM used smokeless tobacco (actually had quit for a couple years and relapsed on nicotine), so anyways these few months of the nicotine relapse SWIM would take an adderall, and then put a chew in... or put a chew in long after the adderall had taken effect. Either way, once the adderall took effect SWIM would experience chest pain, or if already on adderall, when enough nicotine absobed into the system chest pain would occur.

This happened to the point where it was predictable... and very easy to solve. Spit out the chew and the chest pain would go away. It was very mild, not bad but uncomfortable. SWIM has since quit using nicotine and does not experience chest pain anymore.

[soma]

100mg.. Pretty close, but I'll break it down a bit further.

Angina pectoris could be delayed in layman's terms as "heart-attack cardio chest pain", this is not usually triggered by anxiety, unless said person has a history of MI (myocardial infarction aka heart attack) or similar heart ailment.

There is a branch of cardiocentric chest pain that does NOT involve clots or dying heart muscle, and this is by far the most common. The process works something like this:
1. Adderall constricts blood vessels
2. Constricted vessels = higher BP
3. Heart will try to compensate for higher BP by beating slower, but heavier
4. Heavy-beating heart will then apply small amounts of pressure to Vagus nerve
5. Add in an overstimulated CNS, and tense muscles, and you are set for a minor freak out over a very common problem.

The remedies: Beta Blockers, Benzos, & Gabapentin are what has worked best for SWIM. Some people swear l-arganine helps, but who knows.

[TruLadyRed]

Originally Posted by soma

100mg.. Pretty close, but I'll break it down a bit further.

Angina pectoris could be delayed in layman's terms as "heart-attack cardio chest pain", this is not usually triggered by anxiety, unless said person has a history of MI (myocardial infarction aka heart attack) or similar heart ailment.

There is a branch of cardiocentric chest pain that does NOT involve clots or dying heart muscle, and this is by far the most common. The process works something like this:
1. Adderall constricts blood vessels
2. Constricted vessels = higher BP
3. Heart will try to compensate for higher BP by beating slower, but heavier
4. Heavy-beating heart will then apply small amounts of pressure to Vagus nerve
5. Add in an overstimulated CNS, and tense muscles, and you are set for a minor freak out over a very common problem.

The remedies: Beta Blockers, Benzos, & Gabapentin are what has worked best for SWIM. Some people swear l-arganine helps, but who knows.

How does Gabapentin help? It's a seizure medication...right?

[Laudaphun]

SWIM finds amphetamine use too harsh on her body to use for extended periods of time so she usually asks for methylphenidate most of the time and then will ask for an amphetamine script for a month, and they work really well, better than methylphenidate at first, but after a month she is ready to go back to methylphenidate. Typically she has both around but uses amphetamines only 1/4 months. A bottle of adderall (racemic mixxed amphetamine salts) typically sits in the medicine cabinet far longer than does a bottle of methylphenidate. SWIM has only ever had any side-effects when the prescribed dose was exceeded. However, whether this is smart advice or not, SWIM does not know, however on occasion when she feels like she may have overdone it and taken too much either amphetamine or methylphenidate, she takes a couple "baby aspirin" 81mg acetasalisylic acid which they recommend to older people when they feel as if they are having a stroke or heart attack. (Paranoia is likely present in these situations as well, but a little caution never hurt anyone, so long as they are not misinformed) As such, I do not know if this is necessarily a good idea or not when chest pain arises due to amphetamine use.

[soma]

Originally Posted by TruLadyRed

How does Gabapentin help? It's a seizure medication...right?

Good Question! Gabapentin, is (more or less) synthetic GABA (the main chemical increased by Benzodiazepines, etc). It (in higher doses) produces a mild depressant effect, similar to Diazepam (but without the hassle of a diazepam script).

[stratry]

Strangely enough, Adderall IS SWIM's calm-me-down medication, whereas Gabapentin, Benzodiazepines, and Beta-Blockers have literally never produced a noticeable positive effect let alone anxiety relief. Of course, these are good suggestions that should work for most people. Just be careful that they're not masking a serious health problem. SWIM's anxiety has manifested itself physically in some awful ways over the years, but he's never had chest related problems while taking Adderall. Again though, anxiety is a good suggestion because stimulants can wreak havoc on those with anxiety disorders.

[TruLadyRed]

Originally Posted by soma

Good Question! Gabapentin, is (more or less) synthetic GABA (the main chemical increased by Benzodiazepines, etc). It (in higher doses) produces a mild depressant effect, similar to Diazepam (but without the hassle of a diazepam script).

Thank you for explaining. SWIM appreciates it! But at what dose is a "higher dose"...

[stratry]

Originally Posted by TruLadyRed

Thank you for explaining. SWIM appreciates it! But at what dose is a "higher dose"...

Varies widely from person to person. Seen reports ranging from a couple hundred milligrams daily to beyond three grams daily. Tolerance can apparently build very quickly.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by stratry

Varies widely from person to person. Seen reports ranging from a couple hundred milligrams daily to beyond three grams daily. Tolerance can apparently build very quickly.

My zebra tells me that people can have vastly different natural tolerances to stimulant drugs, and that the development of tolerance to these drugs can also vary. Some people start out needing 20-30mg to feel a decent level of effects. The zebra has seen some of these people go on to take extremely high doses that frighten him just thinking about it. Others feel an increase in focus and energy with just 5-10mg.

The zebra himself used to be able to take a 20mg XR and work for eight or more hours straight with minimal breaks. These days he notices a reduced efficacy of the drug, but he will just spread out doses to maximize overall duration of the peaks rather than take a higher dose. He refuses to take more than 40mg at a single time as he feels too many negative effects beyond that point to be comfortable with it, and definitely doesn't perceive any noticeable benefits that would justify these uncomfortable sensations.

The zebra has found - though this is entirely his anecdotal perspective - that persons taking higher doses of adderall from the outset, or even those who start out low but then proceed to take relatively high doses for recreational purposes, develop a sort of permanent tolerance to the drug. Once you take such high doses it seems to affect your ability to respond to the drug and lower doses just don't do as much any more. There are obviously many more variable to consider however - such as frequency of use, length of use, whether drug was used alone or with other substances, general polysubstance use, etc. - so one can't draw substantive conclusions from these observations. However, the zebra still highly recommends not taking larger doses for recreational purposes if one hopes to continue to use the drug for more productive reasons.



As for chest pain on adderall, the zebra has had very limited problems with this. The vast majority of times he experiences it the zebra has also ingested cannabis. He thinks the heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli paired with heightened anxiety (he never ever notices it with a calm and relaxing high) is the source, and indeed the only times the chest pain has felt like an actual threat have been the one or two occasions when the zebra ingested entirely too much cannabis and had a panic attack result from paranoia over tightness in his chest and what sounded and felt like a heart beating out of control (obviously amplified by his subconscious). The zebra has found that in the rare occasion that he does feel chest tightness - or even more rarely, discomfort, though never really pain - a light kava brew or low dose of benzodiazepines will take care of it right away.

[soma]

Originally Posted by stratry

Varies widely from person to person. Seen reports ranging from a couple hundred milligrams daily to beyond three grams daily. Tolerance can apparently build very quickly.

For SWIM, the sweet spot is 2400mg.

[Laudaphun]

Originally Posted by Bajeda

My zebra tells me that people can have vastly different natural tolerances to stimulant drugs, and that the development of tolerance to these drugs can also vary. Some people start out needing 20-30mg to feel a decent level of effects. The zebra has seen some of these people go on to take extremely high doses that frighten him just thinking about it. Others feel an increase in focus and energy with just 5-10mg.

The zebra himself used to be able to take a 20mg XR and work for eight or more hours straight with minimal breaks. These days he notices a reduced efficacy of the drug, but he will just spread out doses to maximize overall duration of the peaks rather than take a higher dose. He refuses to take more than 40mg at a single time as he feels too many negative effects beyond that point to be comfortable with it, and definitely doesn't perceive any noticeable benefits that would justify these uncomfortable sensations.

The zebra has found - though this is entirely his anecdotal perspective - that persons taking higher doses of adderall from the outset, or even those who start out low but then proceed to take relatively high doses for recreational purposes, develop a sort of permanent tolerance to the drug. Once you take such high doses it seems to affect your ability to respond to the drug and lower doses just don't do as much any more. There are obviously many more variable to consider however - such as frequency of use, length of use, whether drug was used alone or with other substances, general polysubstance use, etc. - so one can't draw substantive conclusions from these observations. However, the zebra still highly recommends not taking larger doses for recreational purposes if one hopes to continue to use the drug for more productive reasons.



As for chest pain on adderall, the zebra has had very limited problems with this. The vast majority of times he experiences it the zebra has also ingested cannabis. He thinks the heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli paired with heightened anxiety (he never ever notices it with a calm and relaxing high) is the source, and indeed the only times the chest pain has felt like an actual threat have been the one or two occasions when the zebra ingested entirely too much cannabis and had a panic attack result from paranoia over tightness in his chest and what sounded and felt like a heart beating out of control (obviously amplified by his subconscious). The zebra has found that in the rare occasion that he does feel chest tightness - or even more rarely, discomfort, though never really pain - a light kava brew or low dose of benzodiazepines will take care of it right away.

SWIM's doc won't go any higher than 40mg either and SWIM agrees that at that dosage it's borderline harsh to the body... SWIM usually switches to amphetamine (adderall) for about a month and at first it works really well and side effects seem non-existent but after about 30 days it's evident that it's kind of hard on the body. SWIM thinks that perhaps 20-30mg is just about right, but the problem is the morning dose always seems to need to be 20, and it's tough to make another 10mg last the entire day sometimes. SWIM will actually be switching back to it next appointment. Methylphenidate is used more commonly in SWIM's case as it seems like it has a ceiling where as amphetamine doesn't... that's just swim. More amphetamine increases effects in the positive spectrum (during short term use of course) but more methylphenidate gets to a point where it just makes her feel like crap. These are much different than she'd ever realized and still the way they effect her and the differences are quite interesting. Adderall (amphetamine) works 100 times better for her add but she just has a hard time taking it for longer than a month's time. 40mg doesn't seem so strong, just SWIM supposes since it's so subtle. This probably is due to her comparing it to mph and it's more acute and noticable effects... Chest pain would make SWIM a little worried.

Took the words out of SWIM's mouth, cannabis has often caused chest pains for SWIM when young due to panic attacks which she didn't understand what they were for a long time and was convinced many times she was destined to die from a heart attack due to a weak heart. She really stopped smoking cannabis though after learning to identify panic attacks for what they were. SWIM once felt a strange sensation that was not painful but was more like a twich in the heart but not the heart as the heart would beat and the muscles nearby would spasm or somethng. Benzos and some aspirin were consumed along with plenty of water for hydration just because SWIM worried about having over done it.

[stratry]

Originally Posted by Bajeda

My zebra tells me that people can have vastly different natural tolerances to stimulant drugs..

Not sure which end the confusion is on, but SWIM was referring to Gabapentin, not Adderall, in the text quoted by SWIY.