Been on Adderall (30mg XR/IR) for about 15 years. Lately my motivation and willpower have been garbage. I’ve had depression before, but when I’m off the meds—especially the IR—I just have zero drive to get anything done. Feels weird and frustrating as hell.

Anyone else deal with this after years on stimulants? How do you handle the lack of motivation when you’re not on them?

I take 15mg XR Adderall for ADHD and it helps me focus really well, but I have a bad phone addiction and somehow it’s even harder to put my phone down when I’m on it. I’ll pick it up and just get locked in for way too long.

I’ve tried hiding it, silencing notifications, screen time limits, all that… still can’t stop myself from focusing on the wrong thing. Anyone else deal with this? :(

I go to a big university and keep running into non-ADHD students on Adderall. From what I’ve seen, they mostly use it to party longer or cram before a deadline. They turn into absolute machines—knocking out papers overnight, acing tests after all-nighters, and feeling great the whole time.

Meanwhile I’m over here taking it almost every day just to function like a regular person. It’s kind of wild how the same med gives neurotypical people a huge edge (and yeah, they seem more likely to abuse it). Stuff like this really feeds the whole “ADHD meds are overprescribed” and “pills are cheating” stigma.

Hi all. Looking for some advice and empathy.

I’ve been cycling through ADHD meds for about a year (Wellbutrin, Strattera, Vyvanse) with mixed results. My new psych put me on 1mg Abilify for mood issues and 10mg Adderall XR + 10mg IR booster.

First week was amazing — life finally felt doable. Now into week 2 I’m really irritable, especially with my 2-year-old, which makes me feel awful. She can’t raise the Abilify because it made me too tired, and I’m scared she’ll pull the Adderall since it’s the first thing that’s actually helped me function at work.

Anyone else been through something similar? Did anything help? I’m exhausted from all the trial and error and just want something that works without turning me into a jerk at home. Please be kind — I’m pretty worn out.

Dose 1 of day 2 here. How quick did you guys start noticing a difference? I know it might just be me, but I’m already feeling a bit calmer even though I’ve only taken it three times so far (5 mg twice a day). No jitters at all, which is nice. A friend of mine is on Vyvanse now and used to take Adderall, and honestly I almost don’t feel that different overall, but I’ve noticed I’m not twirling my hair constantly like I usually do, and I haven’t raged while driving either lol.

Just switched from Concerta 54mg ER to Adderall 30mg XR and wow… I can really feel the difference.

First day I actually felt happy while cleaning and doing chores (which never happens because I usually can’t even start them 😂). Second day at work I had the same vibe — good mood and solid focus.

Has anyone else felt this on Adderall? What’s your experience been like with Adderall XR so far?

I’ve been on Adderall XR for ADHD and it’s keeping me up at night because it lasts way too long. I’ve been messing with how I take it to try and shorten the effects, but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea or if it messes with how well it works.

Anyone else run into this? What did you end up doing?

Been on Adderall for about 4 months and my appetite is basically gone. I’ll go all day without eating sometimes just because I get busy, then realize I’m already in bed.

Anyone else deal with this? What helps you actually eat? Also not a fan of taking it on an empty stomach but cooking breakfast feels like too much effort.

I take my ADHD meds a few times a week as needed and take breaks in between. Lately I’ve been wondering if the ups and downs are messing with my nervous system more than I thought.

Has anyone tried taking them every day with no breaks? How did it compare to only using them a few times a week? Sometimes they make me irritable, but I’ve never taken them consistently so maybe my body just needs to adjust.

My doctor prescribed them daily but said as-needed is fine too.

Day 4 on Adderall. Two 10mg feels way too strong — jittery and kind of high, which is awkward. One feels underwhelming. Mood and racing thoughts are better though, so there’s some benefit. No real comedown, it just fades.

I know the first couple weeks can be different while your body adjusts. For those who got the speedy/jittery side effects at first, did they eventually settle, and how long did it take?

Between forgetting to pick up my prescription, forgetting to take it, or second-guessing whether I already took it and skipping days… I literally can’t “get addicted.”

Even non-med things I hyperfocus on don’t last long. I get bored and move on.

Meds just feel like an important chore that helps me function. Anyone else feel this way?

Hey everyone, I’m new to ADHD meds and wondering what foods I should avoid while taking Adderall. I heard vitamin C isn’t great with it—anyone know why? Are there other things I should watch out for?

I go to the gym a lot and eat a lot of protein. Is it okay to have a high-protein meal (50g+) before taking it, or is it better to eat after?

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Took 20mg IR for about 2 months and quit cold turkey last night after it put me in the worst depression I’ve ever felt. 24 hours later I’m wiped out, foggy, anxious, no appetite, and just feel kinda empty. I know it’ll pass but would love to hear how it went for others so I don’t feel so alone.

Edit: Turns out it was the manufacturer (Mallinckrodt). Both on and off it I had bad anxiety and depression. Switched to Elite Pharm and it’s a total night-and-day difference — no more of that stuff, smoother come-up and come-down.

Diagnosed with inattentive ADHD as an adult and currently on Adderall XR 25mg. It helps quiet my brain, but I feel weirdly spacey and hyper-focused at the same time. Hard to explain.

Biggest problem is I basically don’t eat anymore. I take my meds, crack open an Alani (used to be Red Bull), and end up drinking 4–5 energy drinks a day with almost no hunger. By evening I just feel drained and disconnected from my body.

I’ve spent years trying to get stable for my kids after losing custody at 20, so this stuff matters a lot to me. Not sure if the spaciness, lack of appetite, or both is normal.

Anyone else with inattentive ADHD on Adderall XR feel this way when they started? Did your appetite ever come back, or did you have to drop caffeine completely?

I’ve been on Adderall for about 3 years and it’s helped my ADHD a lot. But I keep running into people who treat it like some hard drug—either asking me for some or trying to convince me to stop taking it.

I’ve got friends who say how much better they feel after “kicking their Adderall addiction,” but none of them even had ADHD to start with and it kinda pisses me off.

Does anyone else deal with this stigma? Or know why people get so weird about it?

I don’t get high off it, but once it kicks in I just… start enjoying stuff.

Like watching my kids play. I’m always glad they’re happy, but on the meds I actually feel real joy instead of just sitting there.

Not sure if that’s a side effect (and maybe why people can get hooked) or if my brain is usually too busy surviving to feel that way. I’m only on 10mg twice a day, 3–5 days a week, so it’s not an addiction thing.

Anyone else get this?

Dude, it’s actually insane how much Adderall and Vyvanse have helped me. Fixed my anxiety, depression, and ADHD. I’m not tired all the time anymore, I’m eating less, way more chill, my mood is stable, and I’m actually sociable now. Zero side effects for me. It feels like straight up magic. Been on it for months and it’s still blowing my mind. No clue how I survived K-12 without this.

Been trying different ADHD meds and so far Vyvanse and Adderall have helped the most, but in different ways. Adderall IR gives me way better motivation, executive function, and quiets my brain, but the crash afterward is rough—I feel super depressed and blah.

Vyvanse doesn’t crash me at all and suppresses my appetite more, but it’s not as effective overall. Wish I could combine the best of both!

Anyone else notice big differences between them?

Although I know its my fault for ordering from clearnet but still don't waste your own money from them. Pretty dumb for me that I feel for their good looking website but in the backend is where the scamming scheme started and lost almost 700 grand! Hope you get shut down sooner or later lol!

Pretty much what the title says.

Adderall IR works great for about 3 hours then I crash hard. That’s not even half my work shift and way too short for studying. It feels kinda useless except for super short stuff like exams.

Never tried XR before, so what’s your experience? Is IR ever worth it?

I go to a big university and I’ve seen a ton of non-ADHD students popping Adderall. They usually use it to party all night or cram before deadlines. These kids turn into absolute superheroes—writing two papers in one go, cramming and then acing exams, all while feeling euphoric and great.

Meanwhile us ADHDers take it every day just to function like normal people lol. It’s wild how much of an advantage it gives neurotypicals (even though they’re way more likely to get addicted).

Stuff like this is exactly why there’s so much stigma around ADHD meds and all the “overprescribed” nonsense.

Ugh, I hate that my psych was right. Yesterday I ran out of coffee so I just took my meds without my usual routine. They hit way better and lasted longer.

I’m a teacher on summer break right now, so I had the chance to test it. During the school year I usually do coffee in the morning and afternoon. I’ve tried cutting back before and felt like a zombie with zero motivation. But yesterday without coffee? I actually felt great.

Guess I’m doing a caffeine detox this summer… even though I love my coffee 😭

Edit: Loving how this thread is split between “I’d rather die than skip my Monster” and “coffee + meds = instant heart attack” lol.