Ask HN: Have you used Adderall or any other similar drug? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Have you used Adderall or any other similar drug?

13 pointsDarmody26 comments

Have you used Adderall or any other similar drug?

If so, how did it go?

I had problems focusing my whole life but I think now it's getting worse and it might impact even my productivity at work which has never happened to me before.

I always thought about asking my doctor about it but I was always kind of scared about taking amphetamines in any form. I don't even know if that's something my GP can prescribe it and the idea of being dependent of something like that is not really appealing.

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I took (prescription) stimulants for about ~3 years. Outwardly, I was more "productive" during those years than at any other point in my life. Inwardly, I became a shell of myself. I was miserable. I was completely addicted and had no sense of control. The combination of impulsive decisions and near infinite synthetic endurance simply thrust me into situations where I little choice but to continue taking the medications or risk completely falling behind. I lost those years of my life. I still feel a profound sense of sadness about the time that I threw away. I'm free now. I quit last year. It took almost a year from my first attempt to quit until I finally stopped. I picked up a nasty cigarette habit as a crutch. My anxiety levels were through the roof trying to wean off of the meds and maintain a position at a very small startup. But when I finally managed to quit I felt a genuine sense of happiness I hadn't felt in a long time. I was finally free.

This is anecdotal, of course. It's just a datapoint. But I feel a sense of responsibility to share my experience. I would not wish it on anyone.

Please do significant research before starting to take stimulants. ADHD meds are not a joke. They will rewire your brain in ways you can't understand unless you've taken them before. If you do choose to begin taking stimulants, find a good therapist and make a plan to see them very regularly (at least once a month). Be honest with them (and with yourself) about the effects of the medication. Listen to your brain and your body, and reach out for help if you need it. Be well.

I haven't taken anything. I have noticed it getting harder to concentrate at work.

I think this change for me isn't so much my lack of ability to concentrate, but a lack of desire to concentrate. Many things seem less important as I get older. I am increasingly disillusioned by the systems in place (like meritocracy). I've done everything right in my life (stay out of trouble, good grades, masters degree, worked hard, etc), yet my career is basically dead and life goals are seem a long way off if even possible.

Yes, I've used it before, briefly. It did not work well for me, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't work for you.

It was one of several drugs that my doctor and I tried when we were working out how to manage my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I needed help staying awake and focusing my attention. Adderall did increase my focus, but not in a helpful way. Basically, it made me feel stupid, but obsessed.

It also didn't help me stay awake. All my life I had been exquisitely sensitive to stimulants--even a can of coke after 8 PM would keep me awake half the night. Not after I developed CFS. I could take amphetamines and go right to sleep and sleep like a baby all night.

That doesn't mean Adderall won't work for you. Different people react to the same drug differently.

(For the curious, the drugs that actually helped me were modafinil and armodafinil. They kept me awake and helped me focus and improved my short-term memory without unpleasant side effects).

I sympathize with your fears about dependence, and it's a real concern, of course, but using a drug therapeutically (in consultation with your doctor, of course), doesn't necessarily mean you will end up dependent. I used modafinil and armodafinil for several years as part of learning how to manage my CFS, but I don't need them or use them anymore. If you're careful and work closely with your doctor, you might be able to find a similarly helpful outcome.

As I understand it, that type of medication is not something you can ask for anyway. Google the term "drug seeking behavior" to see why physicians are wary of such requests.

You'll have to see mental health professionals, describe your symptoms, go through tests and other treatments, and then maybe eventually they'll try what you're asking for.

Your understanding does not reflect the reality of the pharmacutical industry in its current form nor the Doctors that enable it.

When I had my prescription it really helped me feel "normal" for once in my life. Completely fixed my brain fog as long as I was taking care of myself and my schedules.

Unfortunately my GP is very hesitant to get me a proper test for ADHD so I'll have to see if $8000 for an eval with a Psych for a chance at a diagnosis is worth it.

$8k seems high.. why so expensive? Even without insurance that sounds unrealistic.

> Have you used Adderall or any other similar drug?

Yes. Addreall, Ritalin, and Dextroamphetamine.

> If so, how did it go?

I went to my GP and asked for a psychiatrist referral. I didn't (and still don't) consider myself ADHD, but I wanted to see if it really was that easy to get a diagnosis and prescription for prescription stimulants (I was in uni and thought it would help).

The psychiatrist asked me a collection of questions related to motivation, sticktoitiveness (this was years ago and I still remember that awful word), and general life engagement. I answered them all honestly.

After 30 mins of chatting, he gave me a choice of three stimulants and recommended I try them all to find the best one for me personally. I started with Ritalin. In the end, I settled on Adderall as the "best" for me.

My main comments to anyone considering this path:

- They work. I don't think anyone disputes the effectiveness of stimulants for focusing. You will be more focused and able to work for a good 8-12 hours on whatever you can thing of (I forget to eat/drink).

- You do form a dependance. After two months of daily (mon-fri) use, I would get the urge to take a morning dose on Saturday/Sunday. Whenever that happened, I would freak out and stop taking anything for a few months (in retrospect, thank god!).

- There is a comedown the next day/when it wears off. If you take extended release (like most versions of Adderall), you'll get a "stream" of release all day. Other varieties (like the normal Ritalin version) require redosing every 4ish hours otherwise you crash. You can avoid the next day foggyness by redosing (obviously a terrible long-term idea).

- After 30 days of use, you might become aggressive/depressed. This was my case. It was before hitting the weekend craving, but my brain chemistry was doing all kinds of goofy things and I'd start lashing out at friends for minor reasons. I know friends that took Adderall and didn't have this effect, but keep it in mind.

- Both Ritalin and instant-release Dexamp are insane drugs. I get a serious buzz/peak from them. I get a tingling sensation and actually feel high. I used Ritalin 4-5 times to study. It worked, but I stopped touching it out of addiction fear. After taking Ritalin throughout the day, I had the urge to redose in the evening (Adderall didn't cause that for me).

I wouldn't touch them as an adult for general productivity. The risk/reward spread is bad IMO.

I’ve been prescribed some form of stimulant for the majority of my life at this point — initially Ritalin, then Concerta and most recently Vyvanse.

Can I function without it? Absolutely —- I have purposefully gone without it for periods of several weeks and months in the past.

My opinion is obviously biased, but I really don’t think that I ever would have found a way to be successful in school or professionally without being medicated. Yes, there are many strategies that can be effective at managing ADHD outside of prescription drugs, but ultimately they never really fundamentally solved the things I was struggling with the way medication did.

It’s hard for me to put into words exactly how stimulants change the way my brain works, but I think it basically boils down to giving me some semblance of control over where I direct my energy and focus throughout the day. My ADHD is still there, but more often than not I’m able to channel my focus (and periods of hyper focus) into meaningful work, wether that’s something for my job or a personal project.

If you think you have ADHD, I encourage you to get tested and work with your doctor to try out several medications. Trying different medications is a really critical step that I think many people (and even many doctors) overlook. Everyone is different, but Adderall in particular never really worked well for me and tended to give me pretty severe anxiety issues.

No. But I have experienced very noticeable increased difficulty in focusing over the last years. and I am treating it in another way.

Right now what I'm doing is: taking less coffee, sleeping more and cutting down on news, social media and "doomscrolling". Now that I'm already on a different routine I see that my smartphone was the biggest cause of the problems I was having. I thought all that information (especially on Reddit) was adding something to my life, but it took me a long time to realize it was taking away much more than it was adding. I should cut more on Hacker News, I already have the "noprocrast" mode on.

Replacing those old habits with stuff like mindless gaming (games that you enjoy but don't require a lot of your brains) really helped me.

Also, B12 vitamins.

Have you tried any of these?

This is what is wrong with the industry. Like as an older person if I start using these drugs while they will work I'll be dead within a year of use. I had to go vegan cause I was no longer able to digest food right anymore. So employers expect me to literally injure or kill myself for their short term benefit? Its better to never work again than to seriously injure or kill yourself for a job. In your 20s it may seem like this stuff is having no real ill effect but by the end of your 30s you're likely to drop dead from cardiac issues. I have seen this again and again, its absolutely wicked.

Got any refs you can point me to on these links?

I have problems focusing long term. It's not just boring stuff - I even have problems trying to play a game for more than half an hour. If there is an external force compelling me to do so it helps - whether it be a project deadline, or a multiplayer game where just quitting would leave teammates screwed, etc.

I've heard wonders about ADHD drugs, but I'm hesitant to pop a pill for something that is more of a big annoyance than critical.

On a weird note, I've heard people swearing that taking an ADHD pill before a coding interview works wonders. Not that I am advocating this lightly. I know back in college there was a black market for ADHD pills where students use them while cramming for exams, etc.

You are getting some mixed advice here. Talk to your doctor and explain your problem. You are seeking medical advice on Hacker News, which is probably only a half step removed from seeking medical advice on Reddit or Facebook. Your physician can monitor you and follow the latest research. They can give you much better advice. And if they do prescribe you a drug and it doesn’t work, then you can stop or modify the regimen with the consultation of your physician.

A very significant portion of Doctors do not follow the latest research, but rather consume marketing materials produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers and advertising agencies which cherry pick the latest research to the maximum extent permissible by current regulatory frameworks and enforcement standards.

It's a good thing that OP is doing their own research beforehand.

Then find a doctor who does? It is good to do your own research but there is no way your Google Fu matches years of medical school. It’s the DK effect all over: just because you can look it up on WebMD or ask a bunch of people who are experts in an entirely unrelated field does not mean you suddenly know the subject matter. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Sounds like you're fetishizing credentials. WebMD is a terrible resource, and nobody here is suggesting otherwise.

Doctors complete their CME eduction credits on sites like Medscape, which are 1) owned by WebMD 2) Are supported by dark pattern Pharma Marketing on sites. 3) Are frequently visited (and bribed) by Pharma reps.

Doing ones own research, and becoming informed are necessary first steps before engaging with Doctors.

I expected mixed advice. That's why I wanted to hear more from people.

I should have been a bit more clear. By mixed I meant mixed quality. Would you ask your doctor how to set up k8s? If not, why would you ask k8s experts how medication works? :)

I asked about experiences, not medical advice, which is different.

Its not the same. K8s are not about your own body. Medicine shouldn't be outsourced completely - anyone stands to profit from learning about it and doing some experimentation with safe substances.

I have been taking it for 10 years, you will get addicted to it

It depends. On some people, it's medically advisable. On others, it's just a crutch for when they're failing to address fundamental stuff like having a healthy diet, exercise routine, healthy environment, healthy relationships, and an organized approach in their short-term and long-term goals.

It really really varies.

I don't recommend. Too easy for it to spiral out of control. One day your popping pills.. the next day your having sex with questionable women for 8 hours at a time and doing far more questionable things. Your productivity will suffer, perhaps years to get back on track.

Curious to hear more about the sex with questionable women for 8 hours...

What do you want to know?

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