swtangel
Member
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 137
Loc: Delaware
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I know that I can find information about Adderal on the web but what I need is personal experience and advice. And the reason why I love this board is because of the love and the support of its members.
My husband's little sister, she is 19 is addicted to Adderal. She is taking over 100mgs a day. I don't know if that is lot or not, I just know that she is addicted to it and has been for almost a year. (You can think this about me, but if you check my posts I have never hid the fact that I am a recovering drug addict and that my drug of choice was benzos-not stimulants). I really am writing this because I want to reach out and help her before she makes the mistakes I made in my life. Two weeks ago she ran out of her medication and had to detox at her mom's house, but then she got her rx refilled and "promised" to take 1 a day like she is supposed to. Well I found out that she is not, and she is using again.
When I stopped taking Ativan cold turkey I had a w/d seizure because I did not know that would happen if I stopped taking the pills. I don't understand the make up of Adderal or other stimulants and what will happen if she keeps detoxing on her on becuase she is going through her RX to fast and then starting back on them at too high of a dose.
I'm not sure if I am making sense as to what I am trying to ask here. What are the dangers of Adderal abuse? Can she detox on her own, or should we be trying to get her into a clinic? Anyway, thank you for listening and I appreciate any advice you can offer. If you prefer to keep it off the boards please PM me. Thank you so much.
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Even God doesn't have a plan to judge man till the end of his days, why should I? -author unknown
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CARLITOS_WAY
Enthusiast
Reged: 06/27/04
Posts: 204
Loc: WASHINGTON, USA
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Adderal is an amphetamine ..a stimulant that can make you feel good with a rush of energy and well being...just as your tranks give you a a feeling of well being from relaxation and well being. From what you said..she will not be in physical harm if she quit taking them. It's not a drug you slowly cut down on, You just QUIT...and take it one day at a time. Just try to get through one day..don't think about never taking the drug again..just not taking it today. I have used both the drugs contained in adderall and I still take benzo's ..but as prescribed, because I have taken them for over 30 years, and I can't get a high from them no matter how many I take..Just the regular dose so I don't get unable to function...benzo's are very difficult to get off if you have taken them for years.. People I know that use to use heroin told me that Valium was harder to quit than, even tho they loved herion better. If you kicked the benzo habit ..congratulations. You can get a seizure from cold turkey of high doses of benzo's..Adderal will not put you in seizures...it will put you in deep depression..you can become suicidal...but you don't ween off of them..u do cold turkey..but a controlled enviroment may be needed..or may be a must. She must be confined to a place where she has no access to drugs. Good Luck. God be with her and you.
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CARLITOS_WAY
Enthusiast
Reged: 06/27/04
Posts: 204
Loc: WASHINGTON, USA
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email me if you need support, use my comcast email for faster reply.
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Well if you're an addict, you already know she won't quit unless she wants to- not for a parent, not for a boyfriend, but for her- that's the only way to lasting sobriety. And I'm sure you already know you can't control something you have no control over- that's the whole 1 a day thing, despite how many promises, and despite the best intentions.
The long-term dangers aren't from withdrawal, they're from abusing the drug itself. At 19 and only at 100 mg, I don't think it's a big issue just yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Sit down with her and tell her your story if she doesn't already know it. While she may not need a medically supervised detox, it certainly would make it more comfortable. But that's not the battle- the battle is staying clean- and it seems like that's something she has not been able to do. That's why I think rehab- at least outpatient rehab- is a better idea. But only if she's ready.
-yawkaw
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swtangel
Member
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 137
Loc: Delaware
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Quote:
Well if you're an addict, you already know she won't quit unless she wants to- not for a parent, not for a boyfriend, but for her- that's the only way to lasting sobriety.
Yes I do know that all too well. Thank you both for responding. I am going to talk to her and rely on my experiance as a drug addict. She saw first hand what I went through 3 years ago and what it took for me to climb out of that and I am going to remind her of anything she may have forgotten. What I was looking for and thank you so much for providing me was information about the drug itself. I am hoping to talk her into giving me the pills and detoxing once and for all, I just wanted to make sure that was safe for her. The seizure I had from the benzo w/d almost killed me. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Thank you again so much!
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Even God doesn't have a plan to judge man till the end of his days, why should I? -author unknown
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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I think, swtangel, you may want to do an intervention. She may not have bottomed out in any sense of the word, but an intervention can still work.
What you don't want to happen is for you to tell her to give you the pills, and she just gives you a few of them, acts like she's detoxing, and then just kinda shrugs off the attention.
I can't stress enough how important it is for her to be ready. The long-term risks of amphetamine abuse include heart problems and brain damage- and like I said before, 100 mg isn't *that* much, but tolerance is only going to go up and up. So ask her if she knows about that when you do confront her, however you do it.
If you need help with the intervention, any local rehab can give you advice and send an interventionist. If you don't know of one by you, try http://www.samhsa.gov for a list of treatment centers.
-yawkaw
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rockystuart
Enthusiast
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 206
Loc: San Fran Bay Area, Calif
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And for my 2 cents - Adderal is dexamp succinate + HCL it is about 66% of pure dextroamphetimine or a relative dose of 66mg/day. That is still within the theraputic range.
I have been taking either 100mg ritilan or 50mg dexamp for 10 years for narcolepsy and am just STARTING to develop real tolerance )i.e. the theraputic value/benifit is decreasing.
But if you take amphetimines for the side effects they disappear quickly - so abusers increase the dose to stay wired.
After 1 year at 66mg their is probibly no wired or spacy side effects left - an abuser will go from 66mg to 200-300 mg/ a daY QUICKLY TO STAY WIRED.
In my opinion (based on 10 years of medical accellarant use) your friend does NOT have a problem.
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rockystuart
Enthusiast
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 206
Loc: San Fran Bay Area, Calif
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And yet more -
Ampetimine addiction and abuse are very real; Addicts quickly go from 30-60mg there\aputic dosed to as high as 1000-1500 mg a day to maintain a wired feeling.
Dangers are heart palpitations , sweating, nerviousness, treamors, irregular heart rhythyms leading up to and including heart attack. Other secondary dangers include sudden sleeping (after a few days awake) while doing dangerous tasks (like driving)
Fortunately, amphetimine withdrawl will not cause seizures or death (unlike barbituates or benzos - WHICH MAY CAUSE DEATH).
I am kind of prevented from abusing accellarants because if I take too many one day then I don't have enough pills for the period and have to spend the day in bed REALLY I went blind from a narcoleptic attack while walking across the room.
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Quote:
In my opinion (based on 10 years of medical accellarant use) your friend does NOT have a problem.
Gotta respectfully disagree- that's something only her daughter would know, and she seems to have admitted it to some extent. If her rx is for one a day and she cannot stick to that (especially out of non-medical need), that to me indicates a problem, if not the beginngs She's a 19-year-old girl, and most likely to Adderall is making her not want to eat, so that could be an issue, too.
-yawkaw
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rockystuart
Enthusiast
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 206
Loc: San Fran Bay Area, Calif
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Im not a Dr. But I DO know someone that takes 100mg DEX and 100MG Ritilan for ADHD. BArring narcolepsy, adderal is primarily used for adhd. at 100mg Adderalthats 66mg dextroampetimine sulfate equivilant - high but within AMA guidelines.
ME I can't use ANY of teh time rel BS - as the repercussions are to severe - try changing dose schedules based on what you eat?
But you ARE RIGHT is it says one a day and you take more thats at a minimum abuse. If she were crushing and injecting that is a GOOD sign of addiction.
But if it is ADHD they're treating - it wouldn't hurt for her to take a few weeks off - if she cannot - she's addicted.
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WickedNoah
Member
Reged: 10/02/04
Posts: 122
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Quote:
And yet more -
Ampetimine addiction and abuse are very real; Addicts quickly go from 30-60mg there\aputic dosed to as high as 1000-1500 mg a day to maintain a wired feeling.
Dangers are heart palpitations , sweating, nerviousness, treamors, irregular heart rhythyms leading up to and including heart attack. Other secondary dangers include sudden sleeping (after a few days awake) while doing dangerous tasks (like driving)
Fortunately, amphetimine withdrawl will not cause seizures or death (unlike barbituates or benzos - WHICH MAY CAUSE DEATH).
I am kind of prevented from abusing accellarants because if I take too many one day then I don't have enough pills for the period and have to spend the day in bed REALLY I went blind from a narcoleptic attack while walking across the room.
I have to chime in here to agree with Rocky. The first day you start with 5mg, maybe shoot it. Then by the end of the night you're doing either 20mg at once or 10mg twice as fast. Then you start running through your supply at what can only be described as an almost vertical slope. So she's not shooting it. If she's crunching it and likes the high, it's not unlike a lot of people on this board who have admitted to using hydros about 6 times a day to stay a little buzzed. But I would disagree with anyone who says it's not a problem. It can only get worse. I know that nobody ever telling me about them being a recovering addict made a bit of difference in my own decision-making, but nobody in my family so much as uses Tylenol, so I really shouldn't try to compare experiences. If she likes it and she's young, I don't know how she's going to be convinced to quit unless something health-related happens to her or she finds another, better drug. Sorry, but 19 is a bad age to be using drugs, probably one of the worst. You have access to the most you'll ever have, if you want to, you can find "friends" who do whatever you want to do, and you're young and can stay up all night. The only thing that would have made me stop at that age would have been if a family member found out. Since in her case her sister found out, maybe she's in good hands and feels enough guilt to beat the cravings. I guess that WOULD have been the only thing that would have worked for me; looking back, I kind of wished someone had...
Noah
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