Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1107332

Shown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

I am a sixty year old woman who has had OCD and Social Anxiety since a teenager. After menopause I became quite depressed and haven't been able to 'kick' it since (past 8 years). Quite out of the blue I discovered that amphetamines really help my depression and my social anxiety. (I took Advil for cold and sinus daytime) and felt like my old self again. So my questions are: Does this make sense that something like Adderall or whatever may help with my depression/social anxiety? If I start taking a stimulant at my age, will it be harmful? (I've never heard of anyone my age starting a stimulant.) I know this forum highly recommends MAO Inhibitors for social anxiety, depression, etc. The thing is ... insomnia is my enemy. It is the trigger for my OCD and I've struggled with it for these past eight years. The stimulants (IR) seem to wear off quickly and not interfere with my sleep. Thanks I look forward to hearing your opinion.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by Christ_empowered on December 19, 2019, at 19:18:28

In reply to Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

Yes. I dont have data on how common it isbut....amphetamines are an option, if your doctor will accommodate it.just they to keep the dosage reasonably low. My best guess is that uppers help some with anxiety by boosting confidence and elevating mood. Just a guess, though.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball

Posted by Phillipa on December 19, 2019, at 19:25:52

In reply to Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

Does the caffeine in coffee or other caffeine containing substances boost your mood or cause anxiety?

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Christ_empowered

Posted by undopaminergic on December 20, 2019, at 7:28:37

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Christ_empowered on December 19, 2019, at 19:18:28

> My best guess is that uppers help some with anxiety by boosting confidence and elevating mood. Just a guess, though.
>

I'm kind of a stimulant connoisseur (or fiend, haha), and I agree completely with your idea that stimulants help anxiety through boosting confidence. Surely elevated mood can help too, because it makes you more positive to things and are more willing to try them (eg. a social situation you would normally avoid).

Some say that stimulants worsen anxiety, but I believe it is nervousness, aka. the jitters. I think maybe caffeine is the worst in this respect.

-undopaminergic

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball

Posted by undopaminergic on December 20, 2019, at 7:59:05

In reply to Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

> So my questions are: Does this make sense that something like Adderall or whatever may help with my depression/social anxiety?
>

Yes, it does to me.

> If I start taking a stimulant at my age, will it be harmful? (I've never heard of anyone my age starting a stimulant.)
>

Age in itself is not a problem, but watch your blood pressure, because stimulants usually raise it, dose dependently.

As for diabetes and high cholesterol (more common in older people), stimulants are more likely to help than harm.

> I know this forum highly recommends MAO Inhibitors for social anxiety, depression, etc. The thing is ... insomnia is my enemy. It is the trigger for my OCD and I've struggled with it for these past eight years.
>

Are you sure MAOIs give you insomnia?

> The stimulants (IR) seem to wear off quickly and not interfere with my sleep.
>

Yes. Indeed, I find that the wearing off of a dose of stimulants makes me more tired (withdrawal symptom) and that of course helps sleep.

Be aware though, that the mood lift may be short lived. Many people get tolerant to it.

-undopaminergic

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by Helen Ball on December 20, 2019, at 9:38:44

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball, posted by Phillipa on December 19, 2019, at 19:25:52

> Does the caffeine in coffee or other caffeine containing substances boost your mood or cause anxiety?

I drink many cups of tea a day!! Caffeine doesn't seem to boost my mood and rarely causes anxiety. Thanks Philippa for your response. I see you responding often to others with words of encouragement. God bless.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by Helen Ball on December 20, 2019, at 9:40:38

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Christ_empowered on December 19, 2019, at 19:18:28

> Yes. I dont have data on how common it isbut....amphetamines are an option, if your doctor will accommodate it.just they to keep the dosage reasonably low. My best guess is that uppers help some with anxiety by boosting confidence and elevating mood. Just a guess, though.

It's a 'crap shoot' trying to work out what and how medications work on the individual. Hopefully research will help us with more answers in the next decade. Thanks for your response.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by Helen Ball on December 20, 2019, at 9:51:35

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Christ_empowered, posted by undopaminergic on December 20, 2019, at 7:28:37

> > My best guess is that uppers help some with anxiety by boosting confidence and elevating mood. Just a guess, though.
> >
>
> I'm kind of a stimulant connoisseur (or fiend, haha), and I agree completely with your idea that stimulants help anxiety through boosting confidence. Surely elevated mood can help too, because it makes you more positive to things and are more willing to try them (eg. a social situation you would normally avoid).
>
> Some say that stimulants worsen anxiety, but I believe it is nervousness, aka. the jitters. I think maybe caffeine is the worst in this respect.
>
> -undopaminergic

Hi thanks for responding 'stimulant fiend'. Seeing as you are a fiend, would you mind telling me a little more about your journey and how stimulants have helped you? What are you currently taking? Has it helped with depression, social anxiety? Are you concerned about potential addiction/dependence? Another question (if you don't mind). Why do you sign yourself undopamergenic? I am interested in the connection of dopamine in my 'issues'. I have a son with schizophrenia (doing well) which they theorize (I believe) is caused by too much dopamine?? I'm wondering if perhaps there is a genetic/biological issue with dopamine (too much/too little (more probable) which is the main culprit causing my depression, social anxiety and OCD. I have always taken SSRI's which do not seem to working any longer. Have tried SNRI's with a little better effect but not much. Anyway, sorry I'm rambling. I'll give you the chance to answer my numerous questions. Thanks again.

P.S. Tried Wellbutrin which TOTALLY wired me. Will never try again. Only class of AD's not tried is MAOI's.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball

Posted by Phillipa on December 20, 2019, at 10:39:27

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 20, 2019, at 9:38:44

I'm now 73 year old and have had anxiety the whole time. But there was a period of time in my life in late 40's when could drink a pot of coffee and it just made me feel good. So that is why I asked.

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball

Posted by undopaminergic on December 21, 2019, at 9:00:10

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 20, 2019, at 9:51:35

>
> Hi thanks for responding 'stimulant fiend'. Seeing as you are a fiend, would you mind telling me a little more about your journey and how stimulants have helped you?
>

I can't believe I've really written all this (what follows). But it *is* a long story.

Well, I started with caffeine, in college, to fight fatigue. I can't say it worked, and it was, unbeknownst to me, an attempt to self-medicate for ADD and a slowly onsetting depression. I suffered burnout (a type of depression in my view) at the end of 1999, apparently due to too much work and too little sleep. Some nights, when I finally was willing to *allow* myself to sleep, I suffered insomnia, and got little or no sleep at all. Of course, it had to come to a dead end unless I changed my life and habits, which I did not.

My burnout has transformed into other forms of depression. I had an episode where I struggled with feelings of worthlessness, and cried recurrently.

Then at some point I took reboxetine (Edronax) and I lost most of my feelings, as I became depersonalised/derealised. At the time, it was a relief to become emotionally imperturbable. Later, and to this day, I've come to miss my emotions and want them back.

I tried methylphenidate (Concerta in my case, otherwise known as Ritalin) some time after reboxetine, but at that period in life, it gave me little subjective benefit. I felt physically more endurant, and when it wore off, I slept easier. I quit it mostly due to the high price.

I went through a kind of transition phase, where I took phenylethylamine (PEA) for maybe a couple of years. The first few doses were amazing; they calmed my ADD-led mind, quenching the silent noise, the "buzz", in my mind, and I could concentrate! Then it lost the calming effect, and took on the opposite -- stimulating, speeding my mind and filling it with thoughts. I started binging on it and was staying up for days on end. In retrospect, I characterise this period as a complete waste of time, and worse than that, it got worse. PEA is still the most potent stimulant I've taken, and the most destructive.

At that point came the worst form of depression so far in my life, in that it is extremely chronic and treatment-resistant, not to say boring and tiresome. It was in no small part the PEA abuse that had left me in that state, essentially the same as the chronic withdrawal syndrome suffered by meth-abusers, and largely attributable to neurotoxicity. Its main feature is apathy, and anhedonia. I am still in this phase.

It was during this period that I started on Concerta again, and I described it in words like no day being a complete failure (as long as I took Concerta). That is how much more I needed it now than I did the first time -- a crystal clear worsening to say the least. If I wasn't taking the Concerta, I had trouble getting out of bed and staying out of it, and a lot of such time in bed was spent on suicidal thinking. Concerta was possibly literally a life-saver.

It's so long ago that I have trouble getting the sequence of events in order.

In the end of 2007 and start of 2008, I discovered that I was bipolar. I had thought I was unipolar until then, but the bipolarity had only been latent. I was off Concerta for a period, naturally feeling worse, but then I entered an intense (hypo)manic episode, and I was at my best since the start of my depression. It was fantastic and I even got my emotions back!

The mania petered out, and I went back on Concerta. At some time in this period, in 2008, I started buprenorphine, a mild opiate, and, still taking Concerta, I felt I was in the process of getting back on my feet and getting my life in order again.

Then they stopped prescribing me any and all helpful medications, and I went back into the apathy with suicidal ideation. My days were extremely short and I spent more than most of my time in bed.

I was able to get my hands on ephedrine, a mild stimulant (as far as mental rather than cardiovascular effects are concerned). It may have saved my life.

The ephedrine gave me the energy and clarity needed to eventually get my hands on desoxypipradrol (2-DPMP for diphenylmethylpiperidine), which is a stimulant about as potent as methylphenidate (Concerta), although much stronger in terms of milligrams. I needed 108 mg per dose of Concerta. With 2-DPMP I needed less than 5 mg, and it lasted much longer, about 20-24 hours.

Some time later, still taking 2-DPMP, someone broke into my computer, and this prompted me to start looking for computer viruses and trojans. I became more and more paranoid, and in this respect, the stimulants definitely weren't helping. I reached a point where I had racing throughts and insomnia. I realised that I was in a psychotic state. It was particularly obvious when I opened my computer monitor looking for hidden cameras! I quit the stimulant and gave the rest of my supply to my mother. The racing thoughts persisted and kept me awake. I experimented with taking antipsychotics. I tried some flupenthixol (Fluanxol) I had left after an antidepressant experiment. I went to a psychiatrist and got quetiapine (generic Seroquel). My use of these drugs was erratic, and in any case, I still could not sleep, and eventually I started hearing voices (auditory hallucinations), or rather horrible screams, which prompted me to go a hospital. This was in the end of 2009.

I've been in and out of hospitals recurrently since that point. It looks like it's easy go to back once you've been in for the first time!

I've also been on and off stimulants, and in and out of mania. The manic episodes always (except the first time, which I mentioned above) ended in the hospital. The problem with mania is the impulsiveness, always sooner or later doing something stupid and ending up in the hospital. Also, thinking itself is impulsive, leading to delusions.

In December 2013, I tried ethylphenidate for the first time. This is a stimulant almost identical to methylphenidate (Concerta). It just has an ethyl-group in place of methylphenidate's methyl-group. It is also formed naturally when combining methylphenidate with alcohol.

Ethylphenidate is probably the stimulant I've enjoyed most. I don't know why, but it's like it's more "fun" than desoxypipradrol (2-DPMP). By the time I started it, I had become immune to paranoia and hallucinations. I had also learned how to stay up however long I wanted to. Often this meant at least a few days at a time.

Sometimes, I got OCD-like symptoms from binging on the ethylphenidate or 2-DPMP. If I was typing, at times I would keep typing, typing, rambling, rambling for page after page. After some time, at least several minutes, perhaps half an hour or more, I would break out of this state, and go for a walk and a smoke (cigarillos). This would always clear my mind.

At one time, I was out of ethylphenidate, and, being rather desperately apathetic, I made the mistake of taking a sizeable dose of methoxetamine (not a stimulant!). After a walk, failing to open the door to my apartment due to stupidity from the drug, I kind of "gave up" right there and right then, and passed out. I think some alter personality (maybe a baby) took over and crawled on my porch, because I later noticed scratches on my wrists. Anyway, I woke up and noticed I was in the ambulance, and I was taken to a (non-mental) hospital. They had found me hypothermic and unconscious on my porch. At the hospital, I made the mistake of telling the doctor about my suspected alter personalities, so I was transferred to the psych hospital again. I should have said something like "I don't know, maybe my blood pressure dropped".

After that, I've had more periods on and off stimulants, but no manias for some time now.

> What are you currently taking?

I'm in hospital, so I can't use stimulants, except for nicotine (I take a mouth-spray currently; I quit smoking) and caffeine (from tea).

I'm on lamotrigine (anti-convulsant; mood stabiliser), trimipramine (tricyclic antidepressant), clozapine, cariprazine (both antipsychotics), and bisoprolol (a beta-blocker).

> Has it helped with depression, social anxiety?

Yes. The suicidal ideation and apathy go away within maybe a quarter of an hour of taking a dose of a cocaine-like stimulant. Well... that *used* to be the case, but now it seems I need both a cocaine-like stimulant *and* about 1000 mg of caffeine -- then the apathy is relieved totally, at the expense of notable tremor. The coke-like stims on their own do little for me nowadays, so the caffeine is essential.

> Are you concerned about potential addiction/dependence?
>

No. I am kind of dependent, in the way a diabetic may be dependent on insulin.

I don't like the fact that I *have* to take stimulants to feel acceptably good. I am trying to pursue psychological treatments, because they are the only methods that last beyond a dose.

> Another question (if you don't mind). Why do you sign yourself undopamergenic?
>

It's just the nickname I'm known by on this forum.

I chose it because I thought most, if not all, my symptoms were due to low dopamine, meaning I was "undopaminergic".

That was before I became spiritual and psychodynamically oriented. I still think dopamine is at the centre of my disorder as far as neurology is concerned. I just now think there is a spiritual/psychological dimension, and this is my main focus at this point. I'm still experimenting with drugs in parallel. Currently the trimipramine (Surmontil) is the most exciting thing.

> I am interested in the connection of dopamine in my 'issues'. I have a son with schizophrenia (doing well) which they theorize (I believe) is caused by too much dopamine??
>

That is a very simplistic idea. As I see it, in schizophrenia there is too much and too little dopamine, but in different parts of the brain.

The negative symptoms (of schizophrenia) include anhedonia and apathy, which is exactly the same as the main mental symptoms of Parkinson's disease, pointing to a dopamine deficit.

Dopamine antagonists, called neuroleptics or antipsychotics, work well for positive symptoms (especially the hallucinations). This is the main reason why the dopamine-hypothesis of schizophrenia was intuitive. It has since been superseded by the glutamate-hypothesis.

> I'm wondering if perhaps there is a genetic/biological issue with dopamine (too much/too little (more probable) which is the main culprit causing my depression, social anxiety and OCD.
>

Yes, I think the genes at least play a passive "permissive" role that "allows" the disorder to set in, for environmental reasons (eg. psychological factors, stress, sleep deprivation, substance abuse).

From what you wrote about your depression setting in after menopause, there would seem to be a hormonal component to it. Have you tried hormone replacement therapy?

> I have always taken SSRI's which do not seem to working any longer.
>

Well that's better than for me -- they never seemed to work all!

> Have tried SNRI's with a little better effect but not much. Anyway, sorry I'm rambling. I'll give you the chance to answer my numerous questions. Thanks again.
>

Yeah, well, I enjoyed it. And I didn't really have anything much better to do.

> P.S. Tried Wellbutrin which TOTALLY wired me. Will never try again. Only class of AD's not tried is MAOI's.
>

No effect for me. At all. Even tried "megadoses".

-undopaminergic

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?

Posted by rjlockhart37 on December 21, 2019, at 21:18:27

In reply to Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

yes adderall won't hurt, the only thing yes it's stimulant, amphetamine, there was poster here in his 60s or later, they were on 60mg of d-amphetamine, it defeintly can act as an antidepressant and improve energy levels and cognitive, but my only i think a stim too much stimulation on nervous system with being 60s could rattle it up. Adderall or amphe ampos up your nervous system, ans stimulation begins but if it's too much or continued high dosees, it caan damage or shortly impair cognitive function. But that's mainly if abuse it, and take high doses all time. Just be careful and don't maximize nervous system stimulation, it should work fine

ritalin or methylphenidate, or focalin d-methylphenidate would be better, because it has less major stim on nervous system. Adderall is good medication but it bumps nervous system firing up, ritalin or focalin is less harsh

but if your already prescribed adderall, just take it, i don't think anything would go wrong, only thing i hated about adderall is when it wore, tired and irritable. Talk to your doctor about dosing timing to prevent this

 

uppers for not adhd

Posted by Christ_empowered on December 21, 2019, at 22:43:54

In reply to Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball, posted by undopaminergic on December 21, 2019, at 9:00:10

fun fact: uppers, mostly amphetamines, were once the closest thing psychiatry had to a panacea. family doctors liked them, too...

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?)...

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.

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...'

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.

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.

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...

some depressed people swear by Adderall, don't get enough out of dexedrine.

I don't know where you live, but here in the US, Biphetamine (1/2 l-amphetamine, 1/2 d-amphetamine) is now back...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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...).

ok. hope this helps. :-)

 

Re: uppers for not adhd » Christ_empowered

Posted by undopaminergic on December 22, 2019, at 7:58:03

In reply to uppers for not adhd, posted by Christ_empowered on December 21, 2019, at 22:43:54

Thanks for the history lesson CE!

> 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...'
>

The amphetamines are more powerful dopamine enhancers. But also more toxic in higher doses.

> 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.
>

The dose-response curve of methylphenidate (Ritalin, etc.) flattens. It's not meaningful to take more than about 108 mg/dose of Concerta because higher doses provide little (if any) more effect. I forgot... can someone convert the dose of Concerta to Ritalin IR?

> I don't know where you live, but here in the US, Biphetamine (1/2 l-amphetamine, 1/2 d-amphetamine) is now back...
>
> as Evekeo.

Interesting! It's also called racemic amphetamine, to distinguish it from pure d-amphetamine. It was once sold as Benzedrine.

> rarely, there's methamphetamine, Desoxyn.

Once marketed as Methedrine.

-undopaminergic

 

Re: uppers for not adhd

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...
>
> 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?)...


>
> 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.
>
> 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...'
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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...
>
> some depressed people swear by Adderall, don't get enough out of dexedrine.
>
> I don't know where you live, but here in the US, Biphetamine (1/2 l-amphetamine, 1/2 d-amphetamine) is now back...
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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...
>
> 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...
>
> 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.
>
> 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...).
>
> 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

 

Re: Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul? » Helen Ball

Posted by phidippus on December 29, 2019, at 21:04:22

In reply to Can 60 Year Old Woman Start Adderall/other Stimul?, posted by Helen Ball on December 19, 2019, at 18:25:25

It is quite alright for you to take stimulants at your age. The only thing I would caution is stimulants effects on the heart, but these problems don't manifest for everyone. In studies it has been shown that dextroamphetamine can reduce OCD symptoms. By reducing your OCD symptoms I imagine your depression is lessened. As for your insomnia I strongly recommend Xyrem, which can really help regulate your sleep.


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