Posted by Helen Ball on December 24, 2019, at 16:54:52
In reply to uppers for not adhd, posted by Christ_empowered on December 21, 2019, at 22:43:54
> fun fact: uppers, mostly amphetamines, were once the closest thing psychiatry had to a panacea. family doctors liked them, too...
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> so, for a while there, they were used for depression, weight loss..combo pills with barbiturates, combo pills with miltown, combo pills with low dose antipsychotics...some pills even threw in vitamins (I'm thinking those were for dieting?)...
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> adderall was originally Obetrol. Obetrol once contained a lil bit of Rx methamphetmine in the mix, to help it work its magic. Andy Warhol was a huge Obetrol fan.
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> Ritalin, focalin...probably a safer, better place to start, but...in the US, now amphetamines dominate the Rx stimulant market. Big Pharma? consumer preferences? they work better? I have no idea. 'it is what it is...'
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> another fun fact: uppers were once pushed primarily towards adults, especially adult women. Back then, the ads were just for the doctors, but they'd often involve a pretty, overworked, overwhelmed woman who needed (upper, upper+downer, blah blah blah). the idea that uppers were mostly for the kiddies came later, much later.
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> my -personal advice- would be to ask about ritalin or focalin 1st, see how that goes. ritalin was originally marketed as the kinder, gentler upper...and (oddly enough) to help counteract sedation from other drugs, including the crazy high doses of antipsychotics routinely given to 'schizophrenics,' both in hospitals and on an outpatient basis. true story.
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> if the ritalin or focalin doesn't get the job done after pushing the dosage to a reasonable point, then I'd personally think it might be time to ask about an amphetamine. I'd also personally want to ask about Vyvanse (fancy, laboratory-modified all day Dexedrine) or some other flavor Dexedrine -before- Adderall. remember: adderall was once Obetrol, and Obetrol was mostly for weight loss. the dexedrine can provide a lift without as much in the way of ill effects on cardio measures, etc., provided the dosage is kept in check. personal opinion, of course...
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> some depressed people swear by Adderall, don't get enough out of dexedrine.
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> I don't know where you live, but here in the US, Biphetamine (1/2 l-amphetamine, 1/2 d-amphetamine) is now back...
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> as Evekeo. I think it came in with approval for weight loss because that was one of Biphetamine's original indications, before the whole 'speed kills' campaigns of the late 60s into the 70s deflated the Rx upper market.
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> rarely, there's methamphetamine, Desoxyn. I wouldn't want to take it, personally, but...some people with some forms of depression did better on Desoxyn than on Dexedrine, Biphetamine, etc. it helps to review the old literature (and the old drug ads...they're hilarious, to modern eyes) when trying to figure this out.
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> oh, and the downer component. i had an acquaintance who did well on adderall xr AM and then Seroquel xr PM, which is kinda like the modern day Eskatrol (antipsychotic+amphetamine diet pill from way back) or ThoraDex (no, really...Thorazine and dexedrine in one pill...once somewhat popular...), but 2 separate prescriptions, 2 dosages to calibrate, etc. it is what it is...
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> but since you're a female past the age of 40ish, the tardive dyskinesia risk from -any- major tranquilizer/antipsychotic is higher, no matter how 'atypical,' so...if needed, maybe gabapentin, lyrica, some people are still given benzodiazepines with uppers by Rx...
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> just do please be careful, work with a doctor, and also...try to remember that psych drugs don't really 'fix' an imbalance or anything; its all about tweaking brain chemistry so hopefully, you can do life better, to some extent.
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> my personal, wild guess would be that you might want to see about keeping the upper to a 1x daily, all day capsule in the AM, if at all possible. that helps keep the dosage in check, which...can be an issue (slack docs 'round these parts have been known to provide 60, 90mgs of amphetamine per day to those with good insurance...that's far above common practice back in the olden days of biphetamine and obetrol...).
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> ok. hope this helps. :-)
Thanks CE. That was very helpful. What an interesting history. FYI I was prescribed Ritalin not Adderall and have been taking for a week. It works pretty well for me - certainly increases my energy. Have been whipping around the house doing my housework in preparation for Christmas tomorrow. It really is wonderful for housework!! (I usually 'despise' housework.) My mood is improved, I am definitely more sociable. Somehow though, I'm feeling very guilty taking it. I feel that it is 'bad' for my physical health. My blood pressure has increased significantly, and I've had to increase my b/p med (which was previously the smallest of doses)for minimally HBP. The feeling of fatigue after the med wears off makes me believe that the med is significantly increasing my metabolism. Like I've run a race ... but haven't. I think I'll probably give it a toss, but thanks so much for the time spent in response. Very helpful
poster:Helen Ball
thread:1107332
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20191019/msgs/1107421.html