Have any of you had any success with a natural remedy/supplement or a non controlled substance?
I DO NOT like taking Adderall because I have a huge "crash" at approximately 8pm/9pm, including severe depression. I wake up to the same severe depression in the morning (which is worse than before I started taking Adderall). I don't want to do anything! I dont want to move! I don't want to think! Then, my ADHD kicks into high gear!!
So, I crawl to my Adderall and take it. I am ready to go about my day in approximately 1 hour. It works. But, when it stops working; my mental health is worse! It's scary!!
I would like to start trying some alternatives ASAP. Hopefully, wean off of Adderall, soon.
Thank you!
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JasonADHD
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Did you report the crash to your provider? Providers make adjustments all the time for crashes--they are quite aware that that is a thing.
And double check that you aren't depressed. ADHD meds can act as an (off label) antidepressant for some people ... but unlike approved antidepressants, ADHD meds are short term and in and out of the body ...
If there was some natural supplement I think our community would have discovered it by now .... And supplements have the same effects as med. If a supplement is effective, it's doing the same thing in the body and bloodstream as a "medication." Plus, supplement manufacturers aren't regulated, so when consumer groups randomly test supplements they find that quite often the supplement does not have the level of active ingredient that they advertise on the bottle.
But if you're interested, I think Daniel Amen the ADHD doctor (kinda controversial) has a ton of books and he has some supplement recommendations depending on the type of ADHD you have. He also recommends all the standard ADHD meds.
Have you tried Vyvanse? It's close to Adderall? Or Dexedrine? Then have you tried the Ritallin (methylphenidate)?
But first tell your provider, they can work on timing the med or giving you a really low dose in evening so that you don't crash. That's a fairly easy fix, from what I understand. But you shouldn't be depressed in the morning. You have to tell that to your provider.
I concur with Gettingittogether. You definitely should inform your care provider about the crash that you are experiencing.
Adderall XR was the first ADHD medication that I was prescribed. My initial dose was 10mg, and it helped my ADHD while it was working, but I would become irritable when it wore off. When my dosage was increased to 20mg, it didn't seem to work any better than 10mg, but introduced tachycardia as a side effect.
I wound up on generic Strattera (atomoxetine, a non-stimulant), 40mg, which works better for me than Adderall. It works very differently, and many people experience less benefits and more side effects with Strattera than I do. The plus is that it works 24x7. The minus is that it can take several weeks to build to to a therapeutic level in the body. (Also, it takes as long to stop as it does to start. Whereas stimulant meds process out of the body the same day you take them.)
Maybe a lower dosage or different formulation would help you. Maybe you need a "booster" dose to help you get through your evening. Or maybe changing to a different stimulant, is what you need.
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Your mention of depression when the Adderall stops working makes me think of a different non-stimulant medication, Wellbutrin (bupropion), which acts as both a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and serotonin reuptake inhibitor. While it is classed as an antidepressant, it has been reportedly been used to treat ADHD, often in combination with Intuniv (guanfacine). I do not have any experience with these medications, personally. I just remember reading about them.
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So far, certain vitamins, minerals and supplements have been reported to help with ADHD, but they have much less effect than medications do.
I know that before I started on meds, I was helped by a combination of: a quality multivitamin, extra vitamin D, Omega-3's, ginseng and ginkgo. But all that plus a lot of caffeine still didn't help me 1/10th as much as Adderall did, about 1/20th as much as atomoxetine does.
I take a lot of vitamins and minerals outlined in a book called FINALLY FOCUSED. It changed my life and I am drug free. It takes 6-10 months to take effect and is quite expensive I’m afraid. I’m ASD, ADHD, OCD AND DYSLEXIC.
Thank you for contacting CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD. I would recommend reaching out to the doctor who is prescribing the medication. You could be having a side effect from it and would benefit from another medication. Here's two links on ADHD medication that would be helpful. chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-ne...
not sure that taking another medication to offset the side effects of another medication is a logical choice. sounds like admin’s suggestion is typical Western big pharma nightmare!
i agree with what the others said about messing around with dose, long acting vs short acting, possible non stimulant, etc. when taking any pharmaceutical, its a very rare occurrence that the first med or first prescribed dose will be helpful. thats a unicorn situation! lol
dr Amen is very controversial but if natural supplements really appeals to ya then dr amen is likely a good reference. obvi his stuff is gonna be controversial bc its opposite mindset/ world view than ideal of taking a pharmaceutical. as someone pointed out tho- very expensive!
depression as a label and idea of low serotonin causes it is super controversial too. it was a hot topic then vanished like so many other important issues that are suspect
barbara o’ neil is a naturopath n very knowledgable about how to heal the body. she is whole heartedly anti pharmaceutical AND her methods are simple, n inexpensive. i have never heard one of her lessons on adhd specifically, but she definitely talks about depression.
sounds like u r going thru tough times with adhd right now so im sending ya good vibes! there is not one way to do much of anything. its frustrating trying to just feel okayish n have to sort thru all the BS trying to figure it out. u got this❤️
I hadn't heard of Barbara O'Neill before, so I looked up information about her out of curiosity. She and her health advice are very controversial. From what I read, I wouldn't recommend her. According to health organizations in her native country of Australia, some of her health advice is actually dangerous to follow.
Dr. Daniel Amen is a little controversial, mainly because of his claims about using SPECT scans to diagnose ADHD, because of business selling his own branded vitamins and supplements, and because of other claims the he has made. Yet, he is still a member of the American Psychiatric Association in good standing.
For the record, I'm not opposed to naturopathy, I support the use of vitamins and supplements (though from my own experience I have found them to only partially treat ADHD), and I'm intrigued by SPECT scanning and other forms of brain scanning technology (but the jury is still out about whether ADHD can be diagnosed with a brain scan).
lol, i could debate this for 1000 yrs n it would not enhance my own well being even if you or anyone else agreed with me or not. ☀️ this is adhd support forum not social media controversy page❤️
we all have our own preferences, values, trusts/ distrusts, beliefs, n level of critical thought we put into things, as well as culture n lived experiences. like everyone else in this forum, i was just posting my thoughts to contribute to Jason’s post. we all get to approach our lives n issues in the way that works for us save space for those of us who do not value what any gov funded research publishes. its ok too- we are all just on here sharing our perspectives. we grow like that❤️
regarding dr amen. i learned of him back in 2001 when i was in post grad getting certified in addiction counseling. i was super intrigued, and messed around with supplements n also introduced my clients to this particular school of thought. i wasnt diagnosed adhd at the time but “ knew i was functioning on a diff planet n somehow faking life okay” 😂. but anyway, his philosophy n healing/ stabilizing/ leveraging strategies were not helpful to me at all. but i bet they might be very helpful for some people. dr amen is still a name in the game, just like dr sues, dr faucci, dr sebi, n even Barbara O’ neil ❤️
Thank you. Ha, yes definitely frustrating just trying to get to feeling okayish! I definitely prefer natural!! I believe our mind and body can be healed naturally. But, after you put pharmaceuticals in your body for 20+ years; I don't know??? I will check out both Dr. Amen and Barbara O'Neil.
wtfadhd STEM_Dad I think all of it including personal experience , opinions, pros/cons is good information to share. It's certainly no worse than trying 30+ medications in the past 7 years. As I mentioned (IMHO), I believe after we've put these foreign chemicals in our body for such a long time; some of the natural remedies take a much longer time to be effective and/or they can't fix the side effects🤷🏻♂️
For me, Vyvanse has had much milder side effects. Vyvanse in the morning (with protein) combined with a saffron supplement in the afternoon has been life changing. 🙌 I sleep fine at night as long as I stick to my routine. Good luck figuring out what regimen is going to work best for you!
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save space for those of us who do not value what any gov funded research publishes. its ok too- we are all just on here sharing our perspectives. we grow like that❤️
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