quitting medications/ADHD

[flashyfingers]

Hi, there! Any pianists here that used to take such prescription drugs?

I recently quit taking adderall type substance which was prescribed to me, after a year of taking the highest dose. Again, it was legally scripted out to me, by my psychiatrist. After a year of being on this medication, I finally quit both the medication and the psychiatrist.

I actually feel better than ever but some days I wake up feeling absolutely beat and brain-dead, completely unfocused and like I won't be doing anything today. Is this a symptom of living with ADHD or is this normal, from time to time? On days like this, even coffee and rest doesn't help.

I don't need a doctor's opinion, just some friendly advice here and there.

what do you do when you just can't get going in the day?

[faa2010]

Hi,

I have been diagnosed with having a little of ADHD, and my brother was diagnosed with 100% of ADHD. So I hope my little advice can help you.

Whatever you decide to do, please, don't auto medicate yourself with drugs. If you feel that you need to take them, then it would be necessary to look for a professional opinion and being diagnosed again.

I also remember that I saw a documentary in which it was told that sometimes people are wrongly diagnosed with ADHD while for real they have a high IQ, and these people, when they make them take drugs for ADHD, they cannot think as they should and looking tired.

If coffee doesn't work, then doing exercise can, exercises like running, swimming, cycling, cardio exercises, etc, exercises which can exhaust you.

[flashyfingers]

Hi,

I have been diagnosed with having a little of ADHD, and my brother was diagnosed with 100% of ADHD. So I hope my little advice can help you.

Whatever you decide to do, please, don't auto medicate yourself with drugs. If you feel that you need to take them, then it would be necessary to look for a professional opinion and being diagnosed again.

I also remember that I saw a documentary in which it was told that sometimes people are wrongly diagnosed with ADHD while for real they have a high IQ, and these people, when they make them take drugs for ADHD, they cannot think as they should and looking tired.

If coffee doesn't work, then doing exercise can, exercises like running, swimming, cycling, cardio exercises, etc, exercises which can exhaust you.

Thank you for your response. I was getting the advice from psychiatrists...yes, I saw multiple. I was always told I have ADHD, but the drugs always exhausted me and made me feel irritable and full of rage. The drugs turned my life upside-down and now I am having to get over a mental addiction and find ways to manage my energy.

I feel like the only reason I was ever prescribed was because it is an expensive drug and it is a consumer drug (addictive, useless, expensive).

My advice to anyone with "ADHD"...don't waste your time on this "medication". BTW, it's an amphetamine. Yeah, did I mention...that it's an amphetamine?!

Best thing I've done for myself is quitting it. I feel a little weird, but much better than how I was doing while I was taking the "medicine".

[Bob]

I don't have it, but I'm wondering....

You quit cold turkey?

[flashyfingers]

I don't have it, but I'm wondering....

You quit cold turkey?

Yes, I quit cold turkey. I feel better and better every day.

[outin]

Practically no medication is without side effects, some harmless and some more severe, so it's always a question of assessing the lesser evil. When dealing with something as complex as the mind, finding a good dose or combination is often just a matter of trial and error, even with competent doctors. Doctors are also often quite unaware about the interaction of different drugs, this is a separate field of study and never quite up to date with people using so many different  drugs at the same time.

I think it's quite obvious that when the mind is changed by chemicals, something is always lost while something else may be gained. If you can handle what you naturally are, I personally would recommend not getting into the drugs. But not if it gets too hard and affects you life too much. Then you must be patient with the doctors and accept the fact that they do not have ready-made solutions just for you.

Good to hear you're feeling better though!

And of course it is normal to have better and worse days, at least if we think what happens to most people is normal. But the cycle is much more pronounced in some people and individual hormonal changes also trigger them, so some of us suffer from them more than others. One alternative to the drugs is to learn to know yourself better to be able to foresee the changes and what might be triggering the worst days.

[gyzzzmo]

Normally, people dont always feel the seem either. Sometimes i feel without energy too and i have to push myself into doing things too.
The feel for energy also sometimes relates to what you eat/drink. Ofcourse there are things like coffee and the sugar-rich drinks that have a huge impact on your energy balance, that should be avoided drinking over one a day (or at all).

@faa2010 ADHD is a huge issue in the psychiatry world at the moment, because it is hugely over-diagnosed, and you definitely dont need a high IQ to get this wrong diagnose.
People are getting talked into problems, and ADHD is an easy sollution because it has vague properties and the medication have some traits always help, but which also make it sort of addicting. But the pharmaceutical companies are ofcourse very happy with this phenomenon, and do everything to encourage the ADHD diagnose.

[flashyfingers]

Practically no medication is without side effects, some harmless and some more severe, so it's always a question of assessing the lesser evil. When dealing with something as complex as the mind, finding a good dose or combination is often just a matter of trial and error, even with competent doctors. Doctors are also often quite unaware about the interaction of different drugs, this is a separate field of study and never quite up to date with people using so many different  drugs at the same time.

I think it's quite obvious that when the mind is changed by chemicals, something is always lost while something else may be gained. If you can handle what you naturally are, I personally would recommend not getting into the drugs. But not if it gets too hard and affects you life too much. Then you must be patient with the doctors and accept the fact that they do not have ready-made solutions just for you.

Good to hear you're feeling better though!

And of course it is normal to have better and worse days, at least if we think what happens to most people is normal. But the cycle is much more pronounced in some people and individual hormonal changes also trigger them, so some of us suffer from them more than others. One alternative to the drugs is to learn to know yourself better to be able to foresee the changes and what might be triggering the worst days.

I see! Yes, I know lack of sleep and diet can greatly affect how I will feel in a day or even a week. So I try to avoid my party-going friends and their shots of tequila o_O

But on days that I get good sleep, especially after a bad day, I wake up and I notice that I move much faster, in general. It's a good sign!

Also, carbohydrates really make me feel terrible, at this stage of my recovery. So I avoid those with my life. :O

[flashyfingers]

Normally, people dont always feel the seem either. Sometimes i feel without energy too and i have to push myself into doing things too.
The feel for energy also sometimes relates to what you eat/drink. Ofcourse there are things like coffee and the sugar-rich drinks that have a huge impact on your energy balance, that should be avoided drinking over one a day (or at all).

@faa2010 ADHD is a huge issue in the psychiatry world at the moment, because it is hugely over-diagnosed, and you definitely dont need a high IQ to get this wrong diagnose.
People are getting talked into problems, and ADHD is an easy sollution because it has vague properties and the medication have some traits always help, but which also make it sort of addicting. But the pharmaceutical companies are ofcourse very happy with this phenomenon, and do everything to encourage the ADHD diagnose.

I got into an argument with the people at the doctor's office because they insisted that I was wrong and this drug is not addictive. (Both physically and mentally, yes, amphetamine is.) Why would they lie to me? lol

Also, many people that took it, even ones with ADHD, found that sometimes the drug would help for a long time, then suddenly you have a tolerance (Which means it obviously is addictive.) Then when you have the tolerance, you keep taking the same dose, not abusing it, just taking your regular dose...you notice mid day you are fatigued, angry, can't move much because your body is collapsing, feeling like crying...

[outin]

I got into an argument with the people at the doctor's office because they insisted that I was wrong and this drug is not addictive. (Both physically and mentally, yes, amphetamine is.) Why would they lie to me? lol

I think their definition of addictive is a little different than yours. Drugs are usually considered addictive if they create a persistent, compulsive physiological need and cause physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Many drugs can be habit forming in short term and cause changes in you both when you start and when you stop taking them, they are just not considered addictive. It's fine line often and a matter of defition.

[flashyfingers]

I think their definition of addictive is a little different than yours. Drugs are usually considered addictive if they create a persistent, compulsive physiological need and cause physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Many drugs can be habit forming in short term and cause changes in you both when you start and when you stop taking them, they are just not considered addictive. It's fine line often and a matter of defition.

It is very confusing to someone who is psychologically "fragile". You know, sensitive musicians.
I understand that many people may actually need the drugs and maybe I was just wrongly diagnosed, so it is hard for me to see how the drugs actually work.

[faa2010]

Normally, people dont always feel the seem either. Sometimes i feel without energy too and i have to push myself into doing things too.
The feel for energy also sometimes relates to what you eat/drink. Ofcourse there are things like coffee and the sugar-rich drinks that have a huge impact on your energy balance, that should be avoided drinking over one a day (or at all).

@faa2010 ADHD is a huge issue in the psychiatry world at the moment, because it is hugely over-diagnosed, and you definitely dont need a high IQ to get this wrong diagnose.
People are getting talked into problems, and ADHD is an easy sollution because it has vague properties and the medication have some traits always help, but which also make it sort of addicting. But the pharmaceutical companies are ofcourse very happy with this phenomenon, and do everything to encourage the ADHD diagnose.

I understand that ADHD is very widespread and high IQ shouldn't be confused with ADHD, but this is what I saw in a documentary about child prodigies. There was a part where they mentioned that it is difficult to give a real diagnose about who is a child prodigy or not, and that in one case they give a wrong diagnose to a boy who had to live with taking drugs for ADHD for the next 5 years, until they discovered that he didn't have ADHD, he was only having a high IQ, so you can imagine how he was before and after stopping his "treatment".

And of course you are right about how people is giving the wrong diagnose of ADHD because it is the "easiest" way to solve behaviour problems which can be either just part of human nature or it is difficult to give a quick diagnose in a short period of time.

[outin]

It is very confusing to someone who is psychologically "fragile". You know, sensitive musicians.
I understand that many people may actually need the drugs and maybe I was just wrongly diagnosed, so it is hard for me to see how the drugs actually work.

I understand and personally avoid using any chemicals if possible. My mind is messed up enough even from pain medication and antihistamins... But I am in a minority, most people these days want to believe in quick fixes for everything and without having to do any work to learn to cope with themselves. They are willing to take more  medication for the side effects of medication and the doctors seem to be happy to prescribe more. It's all become a huge drug experiment where no-one actually knows what the results will be. It depresses me to see the figures on how many people in my country are on prescription drugs for mental reasons. And they often don't even get better but end up with disability pension...Either we are genetically really bad or people have lost their ability to cope with reality...How on earth did we survive for so many centuries? 

[flashyfingers]

Like you said though, outin. In some cases, people really do need and would use the drugs. It is just a matter of deciding if there are side effects that are unbearable for you, or if you are happy with the prognosis.

I would not say I am a prodigy, but even if I do not have ADHD, I can safely say I am better off without those drugs. Mainly because this scenario keeps playing out in my head: World war Z, zombies, no more drugs being produced and I am laying on the floor after being awake for 5 days straight, no piano and all zombie killing nightmare. I would rather never have to worry about the drug routine and just live or die normally. LOL

o_O

[Bob]

I did hear that's what would actually kill most people in the event of a zombie apocalypse -- lack of medical resources.  The zombies knock out the pharmacies and hospitals... All those people can get medication or medical treatment.  Whither and die.  10% killed by zombies. A very large percentage killed by lack of medical treatment.

[outin]

I did hear that's what would actually kill most people in the event of a zombie apocalypse -- lack of medical resources.  The zombies knock out the pharmacies and hospitals... All those people can get medication or medical treatment.  Whither and die.  10% killed by zombies. A very large percentage killed by lack of medical treatment.

Evolutionary it might be good, those who have a strong immune system could survive without antibiotics. Assuming there's enough food available, bacterial infections would be one of the major killers before the reproductive age, so lack of antibiotics would have a huge effect on the survival of humans.

I can't really recall any incident when I have actually depended on medication or doctors for SURVIVAL...except if one of the cat bites that I took antibiotics for precaution had caused septicimia and killed me eventually...but maybe I would have just lost a limb...and that could be used as a zombie bait

[flashyfingers]

)

[xxhottie88xx]

Psychiatrist prescribed me this sh*t, don't take it. Do abstinence and meditation.

[flashyfingers]

Psychiatrist prescribed me this sh*t, don't take it. Do abstinence and meditation.

Agreed!!!

[pianoplunker]

Hi, there! Any pianists here that used to take such prescription drugs?

I recently quit taking adderall type substance which was prescribed to me, after a year of taking the highest dose. Again, it was legally scripted out to me, by my psychiatrist. After a year of being on this medication, I finally quit both the medication and the psychiatrist.

I actually feel better than ever but some days I wake up feeling absolutely beat and brain-dead, completely unfocused and like I won't be doing anything today. Is this a symptom of living with ADHD or is this normal, from time to time? On days like this, even coffee and rest doesn't help.

I don't need a doctor's opinion, just some friendly advice here and there.

what do you do when you just can't get going in the day?

Well, coffee and rest dont actually go together so I wouldnt expect any help there. As far as waking up feeling beat and  brain-dead , it does happen to the best of us - medication not required for that.
You can still love your life and yourself even though poo-poo happens time to time. What I do when I cant get going is to just say fuggit, call my work so they know I just said fuggit, and then watch Dr. Phil re-runs on TV

[gvans]

Good nutrition, good sleep, good exercise = health.
Nutrition, sleep, exercise.
Nutrition, sleep, exercise.

Of the three, sleep is the most ignored. How to get good sleep?
Practice good sleep hygiene. Get yourself a good bedroom and bed. Don't spend time there, if possible, except to sleep (or have sex). Avoid caffeine, heavy exercise, big meals, and electronics before you go to bed (caffeine has a half-life of 16 hours, BTW, see Goodman and Gilman).

Avoid excessive drugs (esp. stimulants, i.e., ADHD drugs) and alcohol. Play a lot of piano. It's tiring!
Good sleep does so many important things to the brain and body, one cannot list them all. But memory, the immune system, learning, physical health, and staying thin all evolve from solid, good nightly sleep.

Sweet dreams,
Glenn (an M.D., but not a shrink)
 

[flashyfingers]

thank you!!

I actually have been feeling great these days. I drink coffee in the morning and very early. I usually do not have caffeine past 8 and 9 am. I run with my doggies and eat a balanced diet. It feels dang good, to be off prescription medications. (Although, it is a challenge to maintain this lifestyle sometimes.)

[timothy42b]

I recommend reading the other side of the story, too.  Judith Warner in "We've Got Issues" makes a well argued case that children are under medicated rather than over medicated.  Sounds counterintuitive but she is persuasive. 

https://www.amazon.com/Weve-Got-Issues-Children-Medication/dp/159448497X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411740985&sr=8-1&keywords=we%27ve+got+issues

According to NIMH, only 14% of youth with mental illness get medication.

[iansinclair]

A few thoughts one all this...

First off, outin's comments are just about spot on.  They make very good sense.

Second, there is no one size fits all -- especially when it comes to psychoactive chemicals (and that includes everything from over the counter sleep medicines to prescription drugs to magic mushrooms, including tranqs, uppers, downers, hash, booze, nicotine, etc. etc.  Although some broad generalizations can be made, individuals vary over an incredibly wide spectrum on their reactions to and potential need for any of these compounds.

Thus no one responsible -- no one -- should say to someone else that something worked or didn't work for me, therefore it will or won't work for you.

Third, if one has been prescribed a psychoactive medication for some mental condition, one should not change it (or, particularly, drop it) without equally competent advice to do so, and under some competent supervision (which does not include your room mate, significant other, or the guru down the street).  Why?  Because many of the conditions for which these medications are prescribed can and do vary with time, and while one may feel just fine dropping the stuff, one may be letting one's self in for a serious relapse.

On balance, I think that western people are, perhaps, over-medicated -- but possibly not by that much -- with regard to psychoactive medications.  A good deal of that over-medication is patient mediated, however; it is remarkably difficult for a doctor to say no to a patient who is screaming that such and such a compound is just the thing (perhaps even more of a problem when it is the parent of the patient).  (by the way -- this is even more true about such things as antibiotics, but we aren't talking about that here).

And just as a bit of cred here, as a minister (of music, but a minister none the less) I have been involved in quite a number of interventions or rescues involving more different psychoactive compounds than I can possibly remember.  Some tragic.

Be careful...

[timothy42b]

Second, there is no one size fits all -- especially when it comes to psychoactive chemicals (and that includes everything from over the counter sleep medicines to prescription drugs to magic mushrooms, including tranqs, uppers, downers, hash, booze, nicotine, etc. etc.  Although some broad generalizations can be made, individuals vary over an incredibly wide spectrum on their reactions to and potential need for any of these compounds.

I have over 8 years of experience working with mental illness in hospitals.  Of course, that's the extreme end of the spectrum, people who don't survive without medication.  Or do survive, but at such a low level of functioning it is sad.

Your no one size fits all comment is apt.  But there's a corollary some people unconsciously add that is false, that there is a size for everybody.  There is not.  There are some things that go wrong that can't as yet be fixed.  Sometimes meds improve them slightly, sometimes not at all. 

[iansinclair]

I have over 8 years of experience working with mental illness in hospitals.  Of course, that's the extreme end of the spectrum, people who don't survive without medication.  Or do survive, but at such a low level of functioning it is sad.

Your no one size fits all comment is apt.  But there's a corollary some people unconsciously add that is false, that there is a size for everybody.  There is not.  There are some things that go wrong that can't as yet be fixed.  Sometimes meds improve them slightly, sometimes not at all. 

And I might add to that that for some people, and some chemicals, there is no safe dose, either.  Even a very small dose can be catastrophic in some cases, and be very difficult (if possible at all) to recover from.

[timothy42b]

And I might add to that that for some people, and some chemicals, there is no safe dose, either.  Even a very small dose can be catastrophic in some cases, and be very difficult (if possible at all) to recover from.

Good point.  Another book I'd recommend is Awakenings by Oliver Sacks.  Actually any book by Sacks is highly recommended, but Awakenings deals with encephalitis patients who were revived with l-dopa, only to have side effects and relapse. 

The time I got really surprised by a mental patient was when the doctor had changed a medication unbeknownst to us staff, and he reverted to his former extremely violent history.

[flashyfingers]

I am starting to gain weight

[outin]

I am starting to gain weight

If you want to avoid that, just take a look at what you are eating and research the energy values of things that you eat and drink. Unless one has a medical condition, the best way to lose/maintain weight is to eat and drink things with lower energy content instead of trying to eat very little. Exercise helps, but when you realize how long one has to exercise to lose one chocolate bar, you'll see it's not a solution...

[timothy42b]

If you want to avoid that, just take a look at what you are eating and research the energy values of things that you eat and drink.

If you are gaining weight now and you did not before, something has changed.

As outin suggests, look at what you eat.  Are you eating more, out of a need for comfort foods?  Are you eating more junk because you don't have the energy to cook?

Also check your physical activity.  Are you lying around the house watching TV, because you don't have the energy to go do things?  Feeling depressed?