Estimated Read Time: 11-15 Minutes
Why Quitting Your ADHD Medication For Good Will Improve Your Life
ADHD medication addiction, dependence, and even usage across the United States is growing rapidly, with reports on Adderall abuse stemming as early as elementary school in kids diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. Why is it that the societal norm is to sit down, focus, behave and shut up, when for some kids, this simply isn’t the case. Instead of hiring more tolerant teachers however (or even raising awareness about the disorder) we instead push highly addictive drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine, and Desoxyn on our children, in an effort to “Tweak” them into a more concentrated state, and make life easier on the adults rather than the children.
In an effort to raise awareness myself about the growing problem with dependence on stimulants to treat ADHD in America, having EXTENSIVE experience with addiction to them myself (Check out my memoir “Confessions of an AP Student” coming in hardcover 2014), here are some of the negatives of them, which in my mind HIGHLY outweigh the positives.
Adderall– Most common ADHD medication. Highly effective due to its 1/4 levoamphetamine, adding a physical kick in the pants, and being more proactive on norepinephrine.
Ritalin– Another one of the most common ADHD drugs, Ritalin is commonly misused and abused, and memoirs have been written about solely it. Effective, but addictive nonetheless.
Concerta– One of the weaker types of ADHD medication, less abused because of its low level of euphoria (methylphenindate), sometimes used when dextroamphetamine is deemed ineffective from tolerance. Quitting your ADHD medicationDexedrine– One of the strongest types of ADHD medication, due to it being solely dextroamphetamine. Was used in the military as “go pills” to keep pilots awake, as well as a weight loss and party drug in the 60’s and 70’s. Still extremely effective today for use as a medication for treating adhd, obesity, narcolepsy, etc. Extremely addictive, and physical dependency may occur.
Desoxyn– Chemical name Methamphetamine hydrochloride….no you’re not going nuts, you just read that, you can get Methamphetamine for ADHD, narcolepsy, and obesity. The most addictive drug for ADHD, only prescribed for ADHD not ADD, and only prescribed when every single other medication is deemed ineffective for the case of chronic ADHD.
Focalin– DexMethylphenindate, similar to concerta, comes in an XR and IR form. One of the weaker ADHD medications, less potential for abuse, and used in cases when one is tolerant to dextroamphetamine type stimulants. Quitting Your ADHD MedicationDextrostat– Dextroamphetamine, also used as a former weight loss and party drug, similar to Dexedrine in effects.
Straterra– Atomoxetine. An NRI unlike any other ADHD medication, sometimes also given for depression in cases where norepinephrine seems to be the culprit. Less abuse potential and not considered as a controlled substance (Schedule II Drug.)I’m not here to say that these ADHD medications are all bad, and if they’re working for you, by all means, keep on trucking. However, if you’re looking to get off these stimulant drugs for your own personal reasons, check out these supplements for helping brain function during withdrawal. Quitting Your ADHD Medication
* NEVER double (or even increase) the dosage prescribed.
Take Tolerance Breaks
Use Proper Supplementation
Only use when absolutely needed
Getting Off of it for good whether you’ve been on Ritalin for 25 years and are struggling with the withdrawal to get off of it permanently or you’re a heavy user and abuser (see “Confessions of an AP Student” if you need someone to empathize with) that’s finally trying to quit, you CAN get off of it, and you CAN get off of it at home (ie: no expensive rehab’s, or even NA meeting’s for that matter.)
So, with this in mind, let’s give a few different perspectives as well as ideas on how you can properly detox, get off, and stay off the drug in the most comfortable and efficient way possible. I will divide this into two categories, dilligent use, and extreme abuse.
Okay so first, with dilligent use (ie: prescription for ADD/ADHD for years on top of years, with the dosage never having been upped significantly), depending on how long you’ve been going for, your recovery will be less painful, but more drawn out and lingering. Here’s an overview of what you’ll go through and how to deal with each stage in the best way possible.
Considering 2-8 years + of use (any time will do really) here’s an overview of what you’ll go through and what to do.
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Phenylpiracetam Capsules – 90 Caps | 200 mg
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Day 1- Crash, sleep all day and eat like a maniac.
Days 2-21 L-Tyrosine, four 500mg pills with breakfast, 3 with lunch, and three with dinner. Before bed take 1 200mg capsule of 5-htp. These days may be the actual initial withdrawal, the hardest parts of getting off Adderall. Depression, anxiety, hypersomnia, insomnia. It sucks, but believe me, it passes. [I’m not a doctor, and I’m not supposed 2 say this because I’m not a doctor, but for me during this stage, small amounts of codeine or a tiny bit of weed would help when I couldn’t sleep….But DO NOT do that if you think you can’t control yourself and think you’ll go crazy with EITHER of those. Use once in a blue moon and only when you ABSOLUTELY cannot sleep during the withdrawal. Increasing caloric intake will help with sleep, so will exercise:) Good luck.
Days 22-90 As the initial withdrawal has subsided, the PAWS, or Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome sets in. Expect 2 days out of every week to feel saddened, fatigued, depressed, and anxious around social settings. Most PAWS typically pass after 90 days, in longer cases, or in cases of severe abuse with high doses however, they can take as long as 6 months to a year. Don’t fret, it’s perfectly natural, and it is your brain properly repairing it’s receptors back to their normal level. It makes it all worthwhile, and once you finally get over it, you’re that much stronger, and that much more immune to relapse:) Good luck. On days when you feel terrible, and the world seems gloomy, this is when you should reach for a bottle of L-TYROSINE. This will help with the PAWS, but at this stage, should not be megadosed (5,000 milligrams) on a day to day basis any longer. Only on those few days out of the week when you feel absolutely horrible.
The First 90 Days, JUST GET THROUGH IT!
The first ninety days are going to suck, face it, accept it, and allow yourself to feel and look like shit during this time period. Whatever you do, whatever you look like, whatever your grades look like, remember, it’s not you, it’s WITHDRAWALS. No excuses, if you need to work, drink coffee, use nootropics, use supplements, smoke weed, drink some alcohol……:))) bein real here…..whatever you do just stay off of your ADHD medication!!!! 90 days, that’s all it takes before you’re TOTALLY healthy again and TOTALLY yourself again. I thought I would be a failure without Adderall, but what I realized after I got off of it was that to become the perfect version of yourself, you must be off of it. You’re stronger and better without it, trust me. Go on now, Do it! Flush your pills and get going, you’ll be glad you did later.
Supplements for ADHD medication recovery
L-Tyrosine-Megadose when used, 5000 milligrams
5-HTP- Use before bed during initial withdrawal.
Phenylalanine- Take as desired, may not be needed as tyrosine is more effective.
Alpha Brain- For those mornings you just can’t get out of bed. Healthier than loading up on caffeine, and will help your brain get back to the normal rhythm of studying.
Piracetam- Aids in amphetamine withdrawal and stimulant withdrawal in general. Give it a go:)
Well, there you have it. Why and how you can and will get off your ADHD med addiction if it is what you so desire. No rehab, no meetings, just home treatment on a budget. You can thank me later, now go and get healthy;) Check out our nootropics store for better ways to both recover..and enhance, your brain!
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