adderall
 

has anyone ever been prescribed adderall to help with concentration? anyone ever actually try it? if so what were your results?

I have no experience in this circumstance but I highly recommend staying away from adderall with an injured brain. It is essentially a legal methamphetamine mixture and will cause further imbalance to your already fragile neurobiology.

There are better options out there if you think a stimulant is what you need. Ritalin (methylphenidate), provigil are some safer options. Just remember your brain is trying to heal and messing with the delicate balance of neurotransmitters could be disastrous. Talk to a psychiatrist, or a doctor who knows your history, but in general stimulants are not to be taken lightly.

I've been taking a small dose of Adderall since December, and I feel like it has given me my life back. Before my TBI, I had already been dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 10 years; the TBI made that condition even worse. It had gotten to the point where I almost couldn't even do part-time work, even though I was spending almost all of my other time resting. I was paralyzed with fatigue (both physical and mental) that robbed me of my life. Now I feel like I have gotten part of that life back, thanks to Adderall. At first I was concerned about anxiety, since I also have OCD and Panic Disorder, but so far, the Adderall has not made my anxiety any worse. The only negative impact it has had on my TBI is that occasionally I will end up pushing myself too hard and end up really feeling it the next day. When that happens, I rest until I am back to baseline. The Adderall has helped tremendously with both my physical and mental energy.

what dosage are you taking?

xr or regular?

have you noticed any dependence: ie when you are not taking it you can only function at a lower level than you could prior to beginning the medication?

injuredbut,

Have you tried some caffeine ? It is much easier on your system without anywhere near the risks.

mark: i haven't tried it (have stayed away from caffeine per your advice). what are the risks of adderall? my docs seemed to think there isn't any. however, i'm skeptical as well on that point.

I'd try caffeine before something as strong as Adderall.

What kind of concentration problems are you having ? How does it impact your daily life ?

i get completely exhausted after doing anything for more than one hour. this means i'm completely unable to do any work which is extraordinarily frustrating. it also means my life is in a complete holding pattern

Adderall vs. Caffeine
 

I've found that adderall can help some with attention and concentration. I was prescribed it however I do not take it regularly. I've had PCS for 2 years and early on in caffeine I actually noticed it made my symptoms worse and I felt more foggy, while on adderall they were made a little better particularly in terms of concentration ability. The comedown however was terrible, greatly exacerbated by my already terrible PCS symptoms. Caffeine made me feel much worse overall however because I saw no benefit. Now though, my symptoms aren't really affected by caffeine and it's a much easier way to have a quick energy boost using it. I avoid adderall because I feel it burns my mind out too much and I feel worse after. I only try to take it whenever absolutely necessary. Caffeine I use more casually. I do not recommend taking adderall every day, while caffeine is ok as long as it doesn't make your symptoms worse.

tbi survivor: thanks for the info. can you give me a bit of detail about your situation?

how long did you have concentration troubles?

what did it feel like?

what did adderall do to make it better (ie what did it feel like on adderall)?

what does the crash from adderall feel like?

are you + coffee now similar to what you were like prior to TBI?