Hi

I would give this drug a chance but only if you got the proper diagnosis. Who diagnosed you?
A Family Practitioner a Mental Health Professional ? If you just got diagnosed at 19 after all these yeas of knowing so much now about ADHD the I would ask my self these questions. Why didn't you have problems as a child. Why wasn't this questioned before, or did your parents not believe in this kind of treatment, which some still don't . Sad but true, some will talk you out of medication,
will suggest a diet change ( sometimes that does help but you have to be extremely on top of the diet for it to work and at your age in college it seems unlikely)...Taking the RIGHT medication for ADHD is key. You will experiment with some side affects which you do and they sound pretty much normal when on Adderall...well, for the first couple of month sometimes it can take up to 3 month for them to subside. Didn't our Doctor go thru these symptoms with you ?? If not, time to change your Doctor
Just remember, ADHD hardly goes diagnosed alone, you usually will be also diagnosed with either depression ,anxiety or other mental health problems. Over the years, a specialty being already 19, going thru life without proper treatment of ADHD will develop insecurities which will lead to depression, anxiety and even worse . I really don't think Adderall brought on depression, believe more that you were already suffering from it due to lack of treatment and proper support.It is now more felt due to a clearer and more organized thought process. You can actually organize your thoughts and understand them due to the Adderall. Make sure you also deal with the other mental problems you are now discovering. Makes no cents to treat one and ignore the other. Don't give up, give it a chance. This medication can change you life if
taken properly and with the right support. Do you have support around you ?? If not, talk to a special person in your life and explain that, that's what you need and trust me, if they are special in your life, you are special to them also and will be there for you, even if it's someone who can't be there physically ( you being in college )...just a phone call away is good enough for now.
My daughter went from f's and d's last year to a high honor roll student this year after being on Adderall. Is now signed up in all advanced classes for every subject for next school year. Am so glad I got rid of my ignorance and saw the whole picture. I never believed in ADHD ,thought it was an excuse for lazy kids and adults.Now I also understand what was going on with me as a child and now, but my depression, anxiety and mood swings are so BAD by now I won't even leave the house to get help, the main reason I am here , to look for support
Like I said, don't give up....if this is for sure what you are suffering from , then be patient. Might take some time to figure out the right dose, maybe even a medication change and then make sure you get proper diagnoses with a Mental Specialist to treat anything else you need treated. When you finally have the right dose or drug, it might even get rid of all the other problems, just from having high self esteem again **wink**

Good Luck, Hun

Also to be more clear on things.
I was tested and told i had adhd by a mental health specialist, im afraid to say however i have had to see 3 different physiatrists. I see them through my college and they have been no help at all. They each changed my dose and prescription every time i came in frantic about the side affects i was having.

About not being tested, im not really sure why. I have always struggled in school. I think i made it all through my years prior to college by hw's projects, and essays. College is all about tests, and my first semester i got on academic warning even spending countless nights in the library.

During my mental health tests along with adhd i was diagnosed with depression as well. However, no one discussed treatments and i had not thought twice about it at the time because i didnt feel sad.

I got my XR prescription filled today and i took it at 10: 40. Honestly i dont feel like its working. Its 10 mg, but on the bright side i was able to eat.

Again i appreciate the advice from everyone i feel a bit calmer already from just one post.

Very calming to know you where diagnosed thru a specialist
But would be a bit worried to have three different Doctors treating you. No wonder Your side affects didn't get better.
You should really educate your self on this matter so you can understand the treatment process better and when going to the Dr you have a bit more control and input to the direction of treatment you will go under.
Here is a link to a great web site , with awesome Articles, covering ADHD/ADD and Adult ADHD/ ADD...this link will take you to the Medication Management for Adults.... which I found very interesting. Make sure to take a Adderall before reading..*lol*
So many good articles

http://www.addresources.org/article_adhd_m edication_chadd.php


Hope all turns out good for you Hun

I know this article is old but I needed to add a thing or two.I was also priscribed addrell. I feel it has done more bad then good.If you got thru 19yrs please attempt to get thru the rest of your life without. The withdrawls are unbearable and it consequences are not NOT worth it. I know it may help at the time but in the long adrrell is not helpful just a convenient addiction.I have only been on addrell for less than a year so imagine what it will do in more years!

The information you seek is already available. People who never took adderall definitely have the advantage. Adderall withdrawls aren't even the word for what you have to go through. Any ingestion of the drug is definitely abuse to your system, which is why it made you feel terrible and lose weight. Fluctuations in weight suck, but they're nothing compared to the psychological damage you can do. Speed makes people fear everything. That's hard to get over after you stop taking the "medication". No offense, jp73, but you don't know anything. The medication will make your daughter feel like crap. I guarantee you'll regret it. Especially after being rewarded for good grades, it might not even be up to you anymore.

The word ADD really only describes what you feel after you've been prescribed adderall. I was okay before, but after taking adderall, I definitely have ADD (for now). I haven't taken any of it in a long time, and I still think about it. Adderall is just amphetamine. It makes people sad and crazy.

It's not that hard to listen to your body. My weight fluctuated quickly after being hungry, but you crave what you need. If you eat the right foods, you won't gain weight, but food is exactly what you'll crave to get the energy that you'll be lacking from the amphetamine withdrawal. To help with this, take vitamins and exercise.

Adderall will cause sudden depression, no doubt. Good luck, everybody.

It's taking a while, but I am starting to do better. Motivation is hard. I think I am going to make a website with a list of Adderall's real side effects (where people can either post them or write in), since the only thing that seems to be on the net for side effects is straight out of the pharmaceutical company's mouths: e.g. loss of appetite (how bad does that sound?) and sleep loss. Then, they'll list a series of "less serious side effects." The truth is, everyone takes this, and then feels horrible after.

This is my first time @ this site. I started Adderall just a little over a month ago. After reading all the comments/stories, I've got to say I'm truly impressed!! Now, I'd like to share - I'm so very grateful to God that my doctor started me on Adderall. After working in medicine for 17 years, including performing literally countless procedures, I was diagnosed with HIV. I quickly changed professions and started treatment. After seven years of being HIV-positive, I developed polymyositis and nerve/muscle damage from the virus. Add to that the loss of concentration and the fatigue that makes it, literally, a battle to get out of a chair or climb a flight of stairs, and you'll have an idea of my days for the past 18 months. When I'd wake in the morning, I felt fine; between 1/2 hour to an hour later, I'd be dragging. Taking a shower, I'd have to sit down for a bit to be able to finish getting clean. After starting me on 10mg of Adderall twice a day, then pushing it to 15mg 2-3 times a day, I feel like I'm "back in the game". My co-workers, who aren't aware of my history, have remarked on how I'm "more like myself". Thankfully, my appetite has stayed the same since starting the med, and I've not had one night of difficulty falling asleep, much less insomnia. I've been tested several times by the same number of psychiatrists and have been told I don't have depression - major, situational, or seasonal.

I wanted to post this because, unfortunately, some meds won't work for everyone. Some folks want a particular med to work, 'cuz it works for a close friend/relative. And some folks, mostly 'cuz they're tired and frustrated, they're hoping the next drug they try will work. Finally, there are the people who believe there's a cure for everything... And there just isn't. But I also don't want the people who might truly be helped by the appropriate medication scared away by a group of (and I hope you'll forgive me) closed-minded, ignorant rumor-mongers who condemn something because it didn't work for them. Now, before anyone gets their drawer in a knot, I didn't say "Stupid" or "Unintelligent"; I said "Ignorant", implying that, to pass such a broad judgement based on just (your) own individual experience, is simply irresponsible.

I do, though, wish you all the best in your individual futures.