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Bitterbrew , 10 Nov 2010

Picking and ADD

I havn't been on here in awhile due to the fact that I haven't been picking myself to the point where I am desperate like I was before. I have had ADD my whole life, but started taking Adderall 2 years ago for this. I stopped about 4-6 months after because I was picking so bad I would be in the bathroom for hours. Now I was already picking regularly before I started but I believe Adderall made it worse. So I am not desperate because I really struggle with my ADD, but since I haven't been picking like I used to (even prior to Adderall) I wanted to take something again to help with my ADD. My Doctor told me about Vyvanse. So I just started that today. She also gave me a perscription for Adderall as well if I don't like the Vyvanse. I was kind of afraid to take Adderall again but willing to try if I have to. Through my research Vyvanse doesn't seem to give people the anxiety that Adderall tends to do. So I was wondering if anyone has any experience with anything like this,. I would love some input.
5 Answers
j david
November 10, 2010
i am 25 yo white male who has struggled with add his whole life. i have been picking about 12 years now. i also once took adderall for awhile. it was AWESOME in treating my add and my depression. i felt like i was living to my full potential on adderall. however my tolerance went way up and people were saying i was way too thin. from time to time it did cause some pretty bad anxiety(usually when it was wearing off and i was just left feeling wired sometimes) which may or may not induce picking in me. it depends if im isolating from people and around a mirror or not. if i am off guard the mirror can hypnotize me for hours picking. anyway another reason i do not take it any longer is i am an addict with 15mos. clean and sober. i work 12 steps in a.a. and am constantly talking about how i am doing emotionally with my a.a. sponsor. so i still do pick but it has become increasingly less and less. my add is still a major issue with me though. i attend the university of neworleans and had to drop my algebra class this past monday because of my inability to concentrate and do strings of calculations. i am doing reasonably well with my other 3 classes in the ''b'' range. hope this helps. i havent erased adderall completely out of the equation for myself either. let me know how vyvanse works. read and reply on one of my posts j david or jdstrain@uno.edu. if you want to no pressure. all the best david
Dontleavemealone
November 10, 2010

In reply to by j david

You shouldnt feel wired your dosage must be too high. Atleast thats how my Dr explained to me. That I would feel more focused and if I got moody in the afternoon my dosage needed adjusting...it went up....and I crash when its time for bed. The best sleep in my life has been since I started adderall. And if your feeing wired from it then its not ADD or ADHD according to my Dr. There has bee alot of people misdiagnosed for these disorders..just an FYI
Dontleavemealone
November 10, 2010
Absolutely! I pick as well. Have ADHD as well. Take Adderall as well. I love the fact that my attention is back and all but my face is full of sores...I take Xanax to help with anxiety have for years and years....this helps me not pick.. problem is I forget to take the xanax...my husband has to ask me "did you take your meds?" then I have to count them just to know if I had or not...Its ridiculous! However I believe in this adderall for ADD. Its remarkable. The only time i am obsessed with picking is when I am anxious. Perhaps you need to ask your Dr. if this will help you.
Bitterbrew
November 11, 2010

In reply to by Dontleavemealone

So far I have gotten through the first day of Vyvanse. And I have no complaints. As far as picking goes. I haven't done anything of the sort all day. I am a stay at home mom, so it can be easy to find myself alone at times. But nope. I have kept busy all day, and that's exactly what i hoped for. Now I know it's only the first day, but so far so good. Thanks for telling me you also take xanex. I often wondered about people who pick, if they would do well on something like xanex. I believe that everyone who has these picking issues, all have some type of anxiety. It makes sense that kind of sedating yourself would keep people from picking. I know I never picked when I was smoking pot. I was relaxed. i brought this topic up months ago. I had a bad cold, and thanks to the nyquil that I was taking every night i was pick free for the duration of my sickness. But I wasn't encouraging anyone to do drugs or smoke pot, I was simply stating the fact or theory that the mild sedation effect of these helps with anxiety, thus helping one to leave thier skin alone. I don't remember who, but someone replied to this and didn't like my idea, or theory. But if I was desperate like I have been in the past, I would definatly consider medication that might help with picking.
luckyteapot
January 07, 2011
I have ADD, but don't get any treatment for that (need to find a new psychiatrist too because this one didn't even get the diagnosis right), and I'm OC - also without treatment. I've been taking meds for my depression for about 5 years now. On the one hand, I'd love to get something for my ADD since it's ruining my life, but on the other hand if I really took meds for all my disorders, I'd have to take a fistful of pills every day and my liver would say "no thanks" to life ;).

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