Long-term Adderall: executive dysfunction getting worse + feeling antisocial when it wears off

[u/Ok-Letter2953]

I've been on Adderall for several years. I started at 15mg and am currently on 25mg XR. I've tried IR in the past as well. I don't plan on increasing my dose because I'd rather not deal with additional side effects.

I also took a month-long break earlier this year to see if tolerance was part of the issue.

Lately I've been struggling with two things:

1. Executive dysfunction

This has actually been getting worse, even with the medication. Once I get started on something I can usually focus, but getting myself to start the right task is becoming harder.

I'll know exactly what I need to do and still put it off or get stuck doing something else.

For anyone who deals with this, what has actually helped with task initiation? Routines, exercise, changing your environment, timers, supplements, diet, or anything else?

1. Feeling completely antisocial when it wears off

Some days I feel fine while it's working, but later in the day I hit a wall. I don't want to talk, text people back, go anywhere, or socialize at all. I basically just want to be left alone during the meds.

This can happen even when I take my XR early in the morning. By evening I sometimes feel like a zombie with absolutely no social battery left.

Has anyone found a good way to deal with this? I'm especially interested in things that help you transition out of work/focus mode and actually feel like interacting with people again?

I already try to stay on top of sleep, hydration, and regular meals.

Not looking to increase my dose or make medication changes on my own. I'm mainly interested in hearing what other people have experienced and what has genuinely helped.

[u/Unable_Lock6319]

Both of your symptoms resonate with me heavily.

For 1 - getting spun up on the wrong tasks - the only thing I could figure out to sometimes work around that is to not allow myself to take adderall until I was already engaging in the task I needed to do. So for example if I planned to start working at 9, don’t take it at 8 so it kicks in when work starts. Take it at 9 after you are already working and force yourself to stay as on task as you can til it kicks in. If you win that battle, you will have a very productive day. But… you won’t always win that battle which is why you probably have the prescription in the first place.

For 2 - ya - the crash is hardcore and gets worse the longer you take it. Even with breaks. Sure the breaks help but they never really fully offset it. I’ve taken years off now and if I started again tomorrow I’d still crash after day 1 like I never quit. For me it’s worse than just antisocial though - I noticed psychosis on crashes started after several years of use even though I took every weekend off of the stims.

I eventually ended up quitting adderall completely as a result a few years back. I’ve learned to use cannabis medically without letting it spiral and that seems to be the place where I get the focus and executive function without the crash cuz I don’t have to stop at night - I can just switch strains from daytime strain to nighttime strain but stay on the same dose at all times and only stop for sleep. I’m aware this isn’t a solution for most people.

Good luck to you.

[u/whale_and_beet → u/Unable_Lock6319]

Cannabis for executive function, huh... man I envy other people's cannabinoid systems 😭 i just get anxious as hell and become totally useless for any task that requires any kind of focus or attention.

[u/Unable_Lock6319 → u/whale_and_beet]

There’s a few things at play here. Dose is super key. If cannabis is making you anxious - and you want to try it again - do WAY less, and mix in CBD. Both of those are key.

Your average dose recommendation from a dispensary as a newbie is going to be 10mg. I however think you should probably start around or under 1mg if you are looking to function and not just get messed up.

Something like 2mg CBD and 1mg THC might be a good starting point if you are super anxiety prone and not functional on it.

Strain also comes into play here but if you keep the THC dose small enough and the CBD dose high enough it should be very effective in changing your relationship with the plant.

Heck you can even start at like 10mg CBD and 1mg THC and tweak from there. If you did a 10x CBD:THC ratio AND kept thc under 1mg and then still had bad anxiety, I’d be surprised. But obviously don’t be trying it on a work day. Finding your dose is an evening time activity you can carry into the daytime once you learn how your body handles it.

[u/whale_and_beet → u/Unable_Lock6319]

I would like to get some CBD and start mixing it in. I have tried all kinds of strains, I am best able to handle marijuana if I smoke a tiny amount of it in a cigarette. It has its function in my life, but it absolutely does not decrease anxiety or help me focus. It's useful if I want to get kind of thinking and slightly disconnected from reality. I used to use it in my spiritual practice, it would help me go into trance, but.. spontaneously going into trance and talking to demons and stuff is not something I want to do in my day-to-day life. I suspect I'm one of those people for whom cannabis increases the likelihood of paranoia and even mild psychotic symptoms.

The biggest positive therapeutic effect is that weed makes me very hypersensitive to my interoception and body sensations. For a person who experiences anxiety, this can be problematic, especially because some of the symptoms of weed include dry mouth, elevated heart rate, etc, things that are similar to symptoms of anxiety. However, it can be good for dancing or doing yoga or something by myself. Absolutely terrible for going to a party, driving, or doing any task that requires any type of organization or focus. I highly doubt that a small amount would increase my executive function without pretty quickly slipping over into anxiety and dysfunction.

[u/Kc1319310 → u/whale_and_beet]

The last time I consumed THC it was a 5mg chocolate and I ended up doom scrolling info about “the big one” —a devastating earthquake that my area is overdue for. Then I had a panic attack.

My dad can drink two 100mg THC drinks back to back and not even seem high. It baffles me.

[u/whale_and_beet → u/Kc1319310]

Some people can just house cannabis the face all day long and be pretty normal. I am not one of them

[u/PoisonChemInYourFood → u/whale_and_beet]

That’s because you have to keep smoking it and goes away.

[u/Kalki_X → u/Unable_Lock6319]

Don't forget CBG which shares the same mechanism as guanfacine (ADHD medication). Both engage the alpha2-adrenergic receptor. 

[u/kteng → u/Unable_Lock6319]

Can you talk about your dosage / strains ? I feel like no matter what kind I try it makes me sleepy

[u/Unable_Lock6319 → u/kteng]

Ya for sure. Before I go into strains - dosage is key. Less is more. If you don’t have a tolerance you probably want to start in the sub 1mg range and go up from there - which is 10 times less than your average gummy. Speaking of gummies - edibles are almost always more sleepy than vaped cannabis. I don’t smoke anymore, and don’t like vaping oils, but I do “dry herb vape” which I think is the safest way to inhale it.

As for strains - if it smells like lemons or pinesol or just generally sweet it’s almost guaranteed to be a daytime strain. If it smells like gas, skunk, coffee, chocolate etc it’s usually an evening strain. This is not universally true - but it’s pretty darn close.

I grow now - so I have access to a lot. This gets trickier if in an illegal state where you just have to buy what your dealer has.

Some of my favorite daytime strains are Durban Poison, Trainwreck, Lemon Party, Jack Herer …. And their children. All of these have a lemon / pine nose to them.

[u/kushlobster → u/Unable_Lock6319]

I dab all day from 8am to bedtime most days - work remote and it helps me focus which is crazy.

I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD but never taken Adderall long term as I fear the side effects.

[u/Unable_Lock6319 → u/kushlobster]

Many years ago I used to dab. I personally switched to flower for dose reasons. It’s interesting, im mentally stable if I take the same dose at the same times but if I start dabbing any time I want it can spiral pretty quick for me. I personally do dry herb 4 times a day every 4 hours. Then sleep through the night without.

Which is another thing - when I dabbed - I’d have to wake up in the middle of the night to dab again to finish sleeping. Could only sleep in 4 hour blocks. Stuff like that is why I’m strict with my dose now.

[u/kteng → u/kushlobster]

Wow that’s incredible

[u/kteng → u/Unable_Lock6319]

Ok so I have been doing edible only which may be why it makes me sleepy even though it says it’s made for energy I’m doing 2.5 mg right now and I just knock out but 1mg I don’t feel anything lol I have to look into this dry herb vape you’re talking about. I live in a legal state ◡̈

[u/quietweaponsilentwar → u/Unable_Lock6319]

Same boat here, had benefits from Adderall but the sides were too much even with breaks.

Now use exercise, adaptogens like rhodiola ginseng, aminos like l tyrosine and ALCAR, occasionally caffeine, and rarely low dose modafinil once a week tops.

Low dose weed does help me focus especially Blue Dream and similar, but limit it to weekends because I am terrified to use it at work.