Side effects - needs to know

[zanyox]

Swim needs to know if adderall makes you lose wieght? Swim heard that it does from lots of his freinds who have used it, but he is not sure. Any comments?

[LSDMAN]

SWIM has done adderall on several occasions and it does decrease appetite, and if used regularly it causes the user to lose weight since they aren't eating as much. This is a common side effect that comes along the use of stimulants like amphetamines, meth, cocaine, ect.

[radplane]

adderall has several side effects, swim experiences absolutely no hunger on addy for as long as swim is under the influence. Also ive heard it speeds up your metaboliasm, not safe as a weigh loss drug tho man, sure theres better alternatives.

[zanyox]

swim agrees that its not used for means of wieght loss. adderall was prescribed to swim becuase of add and he was just wondering what some side effects where and if the wieght loss thing was true. Swim thanks you guys.

[TestPattern]

Actually, an indication for adderall is, technically, weight loss. Amphetamines are used to combat severe obesity though they'd be marketed that way, and wouldn't prescribe "adderall" for that, but a different name that contains the same drug.

Swims personal results with prolonged adderall use (rarely misused or abused) -- down from ~175-180 to ~152-155 in five months. No change in exercise patterns (which didn't exist at that time anyway). They just really make swim not want to eat. He has to ask himself if he wants to spend the money on it or take in the calories, and if it's inconvenient or out of the way at all, he decides against it.

He forces himself to eat a SouthBeach diet bar or something similar in the morning as he's running to class. These give around 400 calories and are pretty substantial. Many times this is all he eats for the day. He does drink a lot of water, so that helps keep the stomach thinking it's content.

Man, this sucks...during the day, all the little adderall toting SWIMMIES rush off to their jobs or classes, and other toils of the day. They handle all of these very well, but by the time they get longged on to DF, they're either well into their speed binge and are wired to hell, or are crashing, possibly with the aid of a mild benzo or opi. And what do this get these swimmies? A very poor representation of their abilities to post in worthwhile manner.

Really! This drug can be very useful if used intelligently or how directed. Back on topic, yeah, SWIM lost (and is keeping off) roughly 25 pounds over the course of five months. SWIM assumes it's healthy as he doesn't feel sickly or weak, and his cardiovacular health is still fine. The trick: when you do get hungry, after a day of popping a healthy amount of amph, and when you're ready to come down, don't pop some benzos or opioids for the come down. Instead, just eat something simple, something healthy, and drink a nice tal glass of water or ten. You'll feel a LOT better the next day with the fresh calories in your system. Make sure they're good calories too...no sugars or candies or stupid things like that.

[Potter]

Adderall is a powerful appetite suppressant and you need to take the utmost precaution with this side effect. The majority of side effects and problems people have while using speed is the result of poor nutrition.

It's really easy to forget a meal or two, then you get a bit hungry and are too busy to eat, the hunger passes, few days later you're all "I forgot to do something this weekend" and you realize you haven't eaten in three days. At this point your stomach has shrunk down and you don't want food, eating makes you sick feeling. This is a viscous cycle.

You NEED to make your self eat REAL FOOD every morning, those "meal drinks" are a decent start, but fresh fruit and other whole foods are better. Hard boiled eggs or sushi are good protein sources, cool foods can be a bit easier to induce your self to eat, cooking can be a chore when you aren't hungry. Keep lots of fresh fruit around. Nobody prefers tortillas over yeast breads (especially if you can't get fancy flavorful breads), when they aren't too hungry.

Avoid empty calories, chips, candy, fast food, and the like may satisfy your cravings, but can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Because speed energizes you, it covers up such problems, by the time they come to light, you're in pretty bad shape.

[fatkidzonmopedz]

for swim adderall causes a loss of appetite, a feeling that if swim eats swim will get sick and throw up. but once swim munches on something its possible to eat with no problem and even make himself hungry while on adderall, thus preventing weight loss.

[SwedishEmma]

Hello,

I have been taking Adderall IR (prescription for ADD) for the past 2 weeks. I take 15 mg mid morning and 10 mg mid afternoon. I have noticed a sick/ crampy feeling in my stomach since then.

I am reading in a lot of posts about people having a reduced or even non-existent appetite, which then leads to weight loss. My prescription is for ADD and improving concentration and focus for my business, but really I wouldn't mind losing some weight, as well.

I usually eat a small plate of organic mixed fresh Berries for breakfast, Seafood and vegetables for Lunch and Chicken or so for Dinner. Problem: I also am eating crazy amounts of chocolate all through out the day, every day, for many years.

I feel I have a slightly suppressed appetite with the Adderall IR, but not like other people have been describing. I certainly don't have to "force myself" to eat. I don't eat huge portions by any means, but I have NO suppression of appetite for sweets!

My questions:

Is it true that eating sugar is not good for appetite suppression while on AD and also, that drinking lots of water throughout the day (which I do) is not supposed to be conductive to appetite suppression?

What other factors influence the appetite suppression while on AD?

Is it true that Adderall will put the body into the state of lipolysis faster and deeper (when going on a carbohydrate restricted diet) while on AD?

Is there a noticeable difference in appetite suppression between Adderall IR, taken twice a day- and the XR version, taken once in the morning? Which one works better and has a stronger effect?

Which Adderall -brand name or generic- works best for appetite suppression,
and what dosage is used to notice marked appetite suppression?

Also: Does the sick/ crampy feeling in the stomach go away after a while on the prescription- or is there a certain food that would make it feel better?

I am active throughout every day of my life and go for fast walks and runs several times a week.


Many thanks!

[Potter]

First off, welcome to DF! Second, the "self-incrimination" rules apply to legally prescribed drugs too, they apply the rule across the board, nobody here does any sort of mind altering substances under nay conditions. One of the many friendly moderators will help you fix that, you can find their names on the left side of the main forum page.

Adderall is an elusive substance, powerful yet almost fickle in it's effects. It won't MAKE you stop eating, it just makes it easy to forget to eat. If you've got piles of candy around the house, it's not going to help. You need to change your habit.

You eat Hershey's? Why not try refining your taste, limit your self to one bar of fancy chocolate, preferably something dark (less sugar), eat it slowly, savor it, try different types, learn to appreciate quality chocolate*. The higher cost will help put your habit in perspective.

Generic vs. brandname - No difference in effects, none at all. The generic are easier to crush, that's it.

Sick crampy feeling probably should go away, considering your diet (which is damn ideal 'cept for the sugar), can't imagine there's much to change Maybe adding some rice would help. It's a good filler and probably a bit healthier then wheat. Smoking some ganja may help relax the stomach, but that does have it's own set of issues. Keep an eye on that feeling, if after 4 weeks from start, it's time to talk to your doctor

As for IR vs. XR, nobody gets sick off of the XR, so they don't have a lot to go on here. If you've got the IR, it may be advisable to break it up and take it at 20-30 minute intervals. So if your morning dose is 20mg, take 5mg every half hour or so, or 10 mg then two 5mg doses, this seems to relieve initial discomfort and smooth out the curve and help prevent crashing.

As you're new on the drug, take this in mind. Take a day off a week, weekend off a month, week off every 2 months, at minimum. If you've got a lazy day in the park planned, skip the drug. Skip it pretty much when ever you can. Doing this will help keep tolerance down. Adderall does not need to build up in your system. This will also help you keep track of your baseline. If you've got a massive project going and do binge, make sure to take a break of a few days as soon as possible. If you're working late into the night, it can be advisable to try snorting small amounts, effectively titrate your dose, with the hopes of getting some sleep. Snorting like this does take some practice, and it is easier to walk to path of addiction in this manner, but once understood, is a useful skill to have on those rare occasions.


Love.
Potter.


*Chocolate is the cheapest of luxury items, the BEST chocolate in the world can be had for less then the cost of a movie, compare that to fine wine, cheese, and caviar. Everyone should take the occasion to drop the cash for a fancy bar of chocolate once and a while, you won't regret it.

[RX420]

most def. swim has no desire to eat while on his prescription. Off label use is a diet pill....

[SwedishEmma]

Sincere apologies for using the incorrect form. A kind Thank you to Potter for pointing it out, for the valuable advice and the Love.

SWIM's described chocolate habit unfortunately contains no Hershey or similar, but vast quantities of La Maison Du Chocolat, Godiva and Lindt. SWIM started this around age 2 and has a scary tolerance at this point, routinely having a Box or more of it during the night hours (sharpens concentration for creative work, calming effect), then being able to sleep 5 min later without trouble. Zero stimulating effect on SWIM.
Friends have used the term "home down payment" in describing the cost of it over the years, which so far has failed to work as a deterrent.

SWIM is fully aware this is a habit which needs changing. That's why SWIM has no "piles of sweets" around the house, ever.

SWIM's otherwise "near damn perfect" diet includes an extensive twice-daily Vitamin & Mineral supplement program. Question: Is it possible that THIS is offsetting the full appetite suppressing effects of the Adderall, since for example Multi vitamin tablets would contain acidic components such as Vitamin C?

Also, what about the option of eliminating all Vitamins entirely, since the well-researched high quality regime includes several minerals with supposedly anti-sugar-craving characteristics, which SWIM is pointing out have done ***t.

SWIM is asking about Caffeine, Tums and Baking soda to potentiate and prolong Adderall's "powerful yet almost fickle" cherished effects. Which one truly works -and in which amounts- or is it a question of trial and error?

Caffeine- best taken in tablet form? Or in coffee? But does coffee not react acidic inside the body (and would therefore offset the appetite suppressing effect)?

RX420- what is the EXACT DOSAGE and WHICH Adderall version does SWIY take daily- to get to SWIY's described result?

[RX420]

my friends dosage is 10mg 3-4x a day. they are probably going to be upped to 20 mg 3x a day though. they take the IR. she switched from 20mg XR twice a day to that. She is still trying to find the right dosage. She has long days and nights. so she needs them to not wear off and make her crash during a project, and what do swiyou mean by the desired result? my friend takes it for adhd and concentration problems.

although my friend thinks the dyes in the generic makes her itchy more so than the namebrand. but its cheaper for my friend to get the generic with her insurance. she is wondering if the 20 mg generic will be any diff in reaction.

RX420 added 2 Minutes and 53 Seconds later...

she takes vit c 3x a day also but she hears it can cause interactions....she is not sure what they are though??? more or less of the medication gettin into the system?? or what? there seems to be a lot of interactions with adderall. shes assuming swiyou should take supplements hours before they take the addies.

[SwedishEmma]

([quote=RX420;555617] although my friend thinks the dyes in the generic makes her itchy more so than the namebrand. but its cheaper for my friend to get the generic with her insurance. she is wondering if the 20 mg generic will be any diff in reaction.)

Maybe everyone's body is so different that it requires testing oneself by trial and error with the different manufacturers, to see which one works best. Kind of a tedious process.

SWIM hasn't noticed increased itchiness with any of them.

SWIM has read that orange juice and other acids in drinks and foods cancel out the Adderall, or at least make it work less effectively. Which is why SWIM is wondering if the Vitamin C in SWIM's Multi Vitamin will be reducing the potency of the Adderall. SWIM cannot imagine SWIY taking Vitamin C 3x a day- wouldn't that lessen the effectiveness all day long then? Very good for health, yes. On the other hand, Anti-acids like Tums are supposed to prolong the effect by reducing acid content of the stomach, when taken 1/2 hour beforehand. SWIM has tried this but is not sure about it. And really, SWIM can't imagine feeling like taking Anti-acids all the time.

SWIM has noticed that eating fruit in the morning (a few hours before taking the medication) seems to weaken the effect of the pill- which annoys SWIM, since SWIM is a Berry lover.
SWIM is not sure about any Vitamins now- if taken with lunch for example- would they not interfere with the afternoon dosage of the Adderall, since they're still in the system?

SWIM has also read that caffeine gives a boost to Adderall's potency- which SWIM has tried but only succeeded in getting more jittery and nervous, which is bad news because SWIM appreciates the increase in concentration, focus and appetite suppression when taking Adderall. SWIM pacing around the house all nervous is ridiculous and defeating the purpose of taking the medication in the first place.

SWIM would like some instructions on the exact dosage and how exactly to take Adderall to get the most appetite suppression from it. SWIM cannot figure it out and it is most annoying. It seems to work for everyone else so well. SWIM would love to know WHICH FOODS are the people that report extreme appetite suppression eating? And at what time of the day? Do they skip breakfast? Do they skip Lunch or Dinner? SWIM is taking 15 mg IR mid morning and 10 mg mid afternoon- maybe SWIM needs to increase the dosage?

[cra$h]

adderall surpresses appitite, resulting in weight loss. it also drains the body, creating a negitive weight loss. and by negitive it's like loss of things like muscle. so even if you're dieting, make sure you still eat a good meal! The key is to still get some nurishment, but at lower porportions. you don't need 10 cheeseburgers, and the aderall will help you cut it down to two, or porportions that are necisary, not just what you're used to, which is probably double what you need.

[RX420]

do they make 15 mg IR addies????

[SwedishEmma]

Sure, the IR come in 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg= those are blue. Then they also come in 12.5mg, 15mg, 20mg and 30mg= those are orange.

Reputation Comments on this post:

thank you for the information on dosages..

[RX420]

ok thank you, my friend goes to the doc for med adjustment next week. thinking maybe she should just go with the 20 mg but if the doc is hesitant , shell take the 15 mg 3 - 4 times a days. although the doc seems very med happy ha.

[SwedishEmma]

Questions to RX420:

SWIM is wondering how long for did your friend take the 10mg 3-4 x a day dosage, until she felt that 15 or 20mg 3 x a day may be a better idea?

Also: SWIM is taking 15mg mid morning and 10mg mid afternoon and feels appetite suppression should be more- so which would be a better idea: to up the dosage twice a day, or to up the frequency of taking the current dosage?

[riaahacker]

Amphetamine is a great appetite supressant but the reason it is not effective for this reason is because the tolerance to the appetite supression usually comes within a few weeks. So it is effective in the short term but not long term. Most people also find they gain the weight back after stopping amphetamines so they can be used as a tool but do not use them as the only way to keep weight down.

[RX420]

Originally Posted by SwedishEmma

Questions to RX420:

SWIM is wondering how long for did your friend take the 10mg 3-4 x a day dosage, until she felt that 15 or 20mg 3 x a day may be a better idea?

Also: SWIM is taking 15mg mid morning and 10mg mid afternoon and feels appetite suppression should be more- so which would be a better idea: to up the dosage twice a day, or to up the frequency of taking the current dosage?

my friend started off with 20 mg XR 2x a day, so swim guesses for her it was like taking 10mg 4x a day, for a month and than for a month she went to 10mg 3-4x IR a day, but she noticed the IR more effective and more controlable for "just as needed use"... so only about 2 months of use and my friend seemed to notice it less effective.but she noticed quickly, the doc just wanted to start low and work up, although her doc says everyones differant so what works for somone, the same amount might not work for someone else. she talked to her doctor and he said unless going back to XR all IR will last about the same amount, of course more medication will be in the sytem, if upping dossage, but only about maybe an hour or so unless taken much more than scripted at once. my friend usually goes a few days without using to lower tolerance and save them for when really needed (i.e. long days at work, school, projects....etc...) plus she likes to stop a few days becuase she is skinnny enough and has zero appetite on them and will stay up for nights... She plans on getting a good protiein intake routine going. so if she has no appetite she can atleast drink a protien shake or bar through out the day to keep the weight on. thats a good idea for everyone that is on them though. since the appetite is lost, atleast swiyou will be getting some protein to keep muscle and mass. but since she also uses it for major depression it makes it a bit hard to go a few days without, wo depression setting in. not just crash depression either. so she usually uses some herbs like kanna or kratom for those days to rid depression.


is swiSE trying to use them spefically for losing weight??? in the long run swim could see problems with that. addiction one, tolerance two..and malnutrition can tear apart swiyour health fast. but just to answer swiyour q , swim would think taking another pill though out the day would work better than taking less and in higher amounts. just more side effects and maybe just an extra hour or 2 of benefits.. sounds like to swim that swiy should check out XR and take that 3 times a day. IR only really lasts about 4-5 hours top my friends doc says , so if swiyou is only taking it in the morning and afternoon swim would assume by evening swiyoud have your appetite back, depending on how early swiy considers afternoon, like by noon,,,??

my friends biggest complaint is the weight lost....she eats like a pig on her addie breaks though, thats why she thinks itll be a good idea to add a good daily protein routine with her addie intake. its weird cuz when she was on antidpressants she just got fat, and with these (used both for major depression and adhd) she loses weight, which isnt surprising considering what it is. but she would rather lose some weight than become a zombie on all those diff ads.

and my friend usually will take the vit c hours before or after her adderal dosage, just to avoid interactions or less effectiveness. but with not eating all that great and stuff she likes something to boost her immune sytem, she also takes flaxseed oil,,,not sure what interactions with that, but like swim said she takes it hours before or after. And she has tried caffeine a long with them and it seems to just speed things up and she noticed tums just added the jitters and weird heart palpitations.


ok sorry this is so long. swims just relaying down some info ha.

[100mg Methylphenidate]

Swim can go days with hardly any food at all. We're talking a few pieces of bread or a couple bananas(he tries to stay low sodium, high potassium to keep his blood pressure good on big doses) that will take swim hours to finish eating because he gets so zoned out in other crap and he has hardly any appetite. He needs to eat on adderall, but like, 500 calories a day. When he probably burns 3000 a day while doing shit on adderall all night long. At the end of a few day binge, he can see his ribs and abs so much better. Swim absolutely loves it. Much better than getting the munchies.

[*ChemBabe*]

adderall surpresses appitite, resulting in weight loss. it also drains the body, creating a negitive weight loss. and by negitive it's like loss of things like muscle....
__________________

If this is the case, do any SWIYs recommend protein powders and such to aid in avoiding this muscle loss if one is an athlete or works out?

[100mg Methylphenidate]

Muscle loss can also be caused by hyperthermia or over exercising the muscles. Which both would be pretty easy to achieve on adderall. Swiy can do what he wants as far as the protein supplements go. If swiy is working out he should be taking enough protein anyway. Any more than 1g of protein per pound of lean tissue is a waste though. Swiy can figure that out by figuring out their body fat percentage.

[josiebella]

SWIM has been prescribed adderall for adult ADD for over 6 months now (started on 20mg a day, soon changed to 40mg a day).
SWIM is a bad girl and soon started abusing the adderall, for "recreational purposes". she would take 10/20 mg in the day and when SWIM was out on the weekends she would basically take however much would keep that infamous "buzz" going.
in the process, SWIM has lost at least 35 lbs. and has lost all her appetite. SWIM used to enjoy large helpings of any kind of food, but since adderall, the thought of eating makes her want to throw up and she never feels hungry.
SWIM has gone 2 or 3 days with the only calorie intake being a few cereal bars... and then there are the inevitable days of catching up, when SWIM forces herself to eat bizarre amounts...
so, yes - adderall is a total appetite supressor.....

[TestPattern]

Originally Posted by Dutch_in_NY

SWIM has been prescribed adderall for adult ADD for over 6 months now (started on 20mg a day, soon changed to 40mg a day).
SWIM is a bad girl and soon started abusing the adderall, for "recreational purposes". she would take 10/20 mg in the day and when SWIM was out on the weekends she would basically take however much would keep that infamous "buzz" going.
in the process, SWIM has lost at least 35 lbs. and has lost all her appetite. SWIM used to enjoy large helpings of any kind of food, but since adderall, the thought of eating makes her want to throw up and she never feels hungry.
SWIM has gone 2 or 3 days with the only calorie intake being a few cereal bars... and then there are the inevitable days of catching up, when SWIM forces herself to eat bizarre amounts...
so, yes - adderall is a total appetite supressor.....

Wow, SWIY's experience with adderall seems to be an almost mirror image of SWIM's, down to the timeframe and everything...though SWIM has only lost 25 pounds since beginning use of the drug. He doesn't abuse it as thoroughly as it sounds SWIY does, but he does from time to time, and he too finds himself subsiding on cereal/protein bars for a few days at a time. SWIM isn't sure this is a sustainable lifestyle, but he isn't looking to lose any more (well, much more) weight than he has at this point...in fact he hopes to go from just being skinnier to being more trim, so if he's going to work out he needs to be sure to eat right so his body has what it needs to build muscle.