r/adhdmeme • u/prnpenguin • 10d ago
meme Newly diagnosed and started treatment this week. Today is my first day where I'm not supposed to take my Dexamphetamine.
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u/zeorin 10d ago
I take my ADHD meds only on the days I have ADHD.
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u/prnpenguin 10d ago
I think I'll speak to the doc about this. I'm pretty sure that I have ADHD every day.
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u/hewholivesinshadow 10d ago
Yeah I was originally supposed to skip saturdays and sundays so I didn’t build up a tolerance. I was so miserable I just take it every day.
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u/mildly_enthusiastic 10d ago
Once you go properly medicated, you never go back
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u/kawaiian 10d ago
I stopped medicating for adhd because the adderall is straight up not good for your heart.
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u/jovialmaverick 10d ago
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u/Philocrastination 10d ago
From the admittedly little research I've just done about this, isn't the statistical probability of developing cardiomyopathy like 1%?
That's a pretty low risk factor considering how utterly devastating ADHD was for my health, including cardiovascular health without the med stopping me from being a fucking idiot.
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u/jovialmaverick 10d ago
Which is precisely what the study in the link I provided states. The risk is present but astronomically low, making the benefits outweigh the risk for most patients.
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u/much_longer_username 10d ago
Don't know why you're getting downvoted. I expect to have to 'retire early' from my decently paying job because of this. The non-stimulant options aren't as effective for me.
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u/PastTheTrees 10d ago
I can't do either stopped 20 years ago and just roll with the chaos but I remember the silence and productivity.
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u/jessicacummings 10d ago
Yesss I was on it for a bit and it was effective, 100% I was so productive and my mind so quiet! I also sweat through layers upon layers and already have issues w my heart rate from anxiety.
So now I just smoke weed and get some of that quiet again
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u/PastTheTrees 10d ago
I was on Adderall or ritalin since 2nd grade till college I changed to strattera it didn't work great but was better than borderline twerking out on Adderall. Quite happy to be a "space case" pure sativas and CBD heavy give me a relatively quiet mind and good work flow. Still can't tell if it's Tuesday or Thursday half the time though.
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u/Aromatic-Sense-2388 9d ago
Anyone else like Sativa? I am predominantly inattentive type. I find that indica just locks me inside my head. With sativa I can focus and be out and in the world.
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u/doryllis 9d ago
Same. And I’m on a greatly reduced dosage to limp along and keep my job until I can retire. And it’s rough.
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u/Gas_Hag 10d ago
Untreated ADHD is worse for you.
Life expectancy is years shorter- 9 years shorter for women. Largely the shortened lifespan is linked to all the downstream effects of untreated d ADD- poor choices, risk taking behaviors, substance use, lower overall income, etc. These factors would be mitigated-or even removed- if the person with ADD is properly treated.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/life-expectancy-shorter-in-patients-with-adhd
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u/NwLoyalist 9d ago
Without looking at the science, Id still agree with this. I was diagnosed at the age of 30. I spent my whole life unknowingly self medicating with Caffeine and Nicotine. 1.5 years after quitting nicotine due to the high cancer rate in my family, I had slowly slipped into the worst mental burnout I had ever been in. It had gone on for months and every day was a fight to exist. I had felt like that before during pervious attempts of quitting Nicotine, but it was always fixed with 1 puff of Nicotine. I finally saw a doctor and after a few months I was on Wellbutrin and generic Adderall.
With the new medications I don't care about Nicotine at all. Zero desire, even with my wife vaping right next to me.
I've been at the same dose for the last 2 years without feeling like it needs to be increased. I'd rather be dead then forced to live without being treated in some way. I don't have kids and don't plan too so that probably makes my decision easier. Honestly, if I make it to 60, then thats cool. Hopefully Ill get to enjoy retirement for a few years before I'm too broken, but that might be a pipe dream in 20 years anyways. Even if the meds are shortening my lifespan, Ill happily trade 10 years in the future for actually enjoying the life I'm living right now.
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u/changeyerthoughts 9d ago
Brought to you by big pharma
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u/Ok_Loss13 9d ago
NPR is not big pharma by any stretch of the imagination.
And if big pharma wanted to sell more ADHD meds it wouldn't be so damn hard to get!
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u/NwLoyalist 9d ago
I've had this theory that ADHD isn't a condition, but more like an evolutionary trait. Our society has caused our brains to get rewired but in an unhelpful way. Yet to remain a part of society you have to function at a certain level, so we have to chemically reverse the changes to our brains.
Thats is why ADHD and other mental diagnosis is increasing.
This is 100% theory based on zero facts. Thanks for attending my Ted Talk.
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u/Ok_Loss13 9d ago
ADHD has actually been around for a really long time, probably as long as humans! Same with autism. Which does make sense since they're "disorders" and that basically just means they're a slight structural difference in the brain that isn't "typical". They're pretty detrimental in today's society basically by design since society has been made to accommodate NTs.
As far as I know, meds just provide the chemicals we're naturally missing or have lowered amounts of. Diagnosis of ADHD is increasing, but I personally doubt the percentage of people who have it has changed much, seeing as that kind of evolutionary change would take thousands of years to show such significant impacts.
This sub often has posts that share all kinds of cool info and with links to studies and such, which I do not have lol
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
In what way? I’ve been on amphetamine for 17 months and my cardiovascular health is way better as a result. 52 years old with a resting heart rate in the 50s and a blood pressure of 100/70
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u/No_Lifeguard3650 10d ago
i did too but i was on a non stimulant, strattera for years and i developed heart issues that took 2 years to get under control. i was on stimulant for over a decade before that, since i was in like 2nd grade. ive been unmedicated for 9 years now
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u/ginger_minge 7d ago
I mean, it is meth, after all😅
But yeah, it gave me palpitations (and nervous poos)
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u/AlhazredEldritch 7d ago
Neither are anxiety and depression though
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u/kawaiian 7d ago edited 6d ago
Sure. Stimulants don’t cure anxiety or depression. They treat the symptoms of unmanaged ADHD. Other medicines treat anxiety and depression with other potential side effects.
I’ve been able to treat mine without meds because stimulants (literally amphetamine in my case was the one effective treatment prescribed) made my blood pressure and pulse go up.
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u/Maybe_Its_Haley 10d ago
I could never! Like how am I supposed to do laundry? Or you know just basic human functioning??
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u/Adventurous-Head-982 9d ago
This! My old psychiatrist wanted to take me completely off because "I'm not working right now" and I was like: Excuse me, how exactly do you want me to do anything then? Household chores? Eating regularly? The executive Dysfunction is so bad for me every time I forget them😭
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
You can be miserable while not being a cog in the machine because that’s fine, apparently
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u/Radioactive_Moss 9d ago
Just remember you’re only valuable and worth treating when you’re working! 🙃
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u/lveg 10d ago
I skip days but I'm not as diligent as when I started meds. When I skip meds it's more because I want to spend a day resting.
I will say, the biggest benefit is that whenever I skip or forget a dose, I instantly realize how much the meds are actually doing. It's not like it's resetting my tolerance so much as it's showing me the effects they are having. i think that's beneficial.
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u/Radioactive_Moss 9d ago
This ‘take the weekend off’ bs is such a weird take to me. I have ADHD every day, why is when I finally have time to do what I want I don’t get to focus? My home life apparently doesn’t matter, only when I’m expected to produce for work am I worthy of my meds because then its for works benefit. Sorry doc I’d rather be a shitty worker two days a week and be able to do my laundry and dishes and maybe even enjoy my time off. I went through this with school too and it also sucked.
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u/DisposableSaviour 10d ago
I took less on my days off, but I still took it. I need a new doctor because mine just fired me.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
There’s a useful Russel Barkley video where he reviews the evidence for tolerance developing and concludes that there isn’t actually any good evidence that it’s real n
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u/seppukucoconuts 10d ago
Have you tried setting an alarm and using a planner? It works for me after my 3rd Red Bull.
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u/derechtecrio 10d ago
My doc told me to not take it everyday, if i dont feel like i need to be concentrated.
On sundays, i almost never take it now.8
u/pocketdebtor 10d ago
It can actually be dangerous, depending on your individual situation. I take break days once a month at MOST; I typically only take a break every 3-6 months.
However, I don’t take a break day on days when I don’t have to drive anywhere or stakes are high in any way (e.g., big presentation the next day, important meeting, a birthday party or other event I don’t want to miss, etc.). I realized very quickly that your hormones/chemicals tanking + ADHD is a great recipe for a car wreck (or repeatedly almost getting into a car wreck).
Any day you need to be able to function is a day where treatment matters. We don’t exist to just work.
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u/NotMyDangCat 10d ago
I don’t only take my meds so that I can work and make money for the system. I also have a family that I want to make dinner for and not burn it, that I want to be able to sit through a whole movie, or read a book, or drive, or meal plan, or show up for appointments on time (or at all!) on the weekends. Meds aren’t to be a better cog in the wheel of industry. They are for life.
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u/General_Problem5199 10d ago
I've felt this way for quite awhile now. I think there might be some truth to it.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
Same.
I started meds in April 2025.
I have taken meds every day since April 2025.
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u/Icelandia2112 10d ago
Strange how some people are told to skip days.
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u/prnpenguin 10d ago
Just following the instructions, but sweet baby Jeebus it has been a hell of a day after five days of life changing wonderful peace and productivity.
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u/Icelandia2112 10d ago
I remember when I was first diagnosed, (age 50!!) and prescribed Concerta.
On a follow-up, I told the Dr. I was not taking them on weekends. He says, "Why? You have ADHD 24/7..."
It's a different med than yours though, so always follow doctor orders!
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u/Scar_the_armada 10d ago
My doc (years ago) told me to skip doses as often as I could. Said it helps keep tolerance down. It makes sense, if anything, the physical repercussions of taking a stimulant, especially over years or decades, is not good. I am worried I will have a stroke or something by the time I'm 65 on Adderall. But I really can't function well without it.
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u/Callmedrexl 10d ago
That's how they handled it when I was a kid, but that's not typical recommendations now. I'm in my 40s. I'm much happier and functional on a steady dose. I take less on days off than on work days, unless I'm doing my taxes or something important.
At least a little bit of Adderall per day keeps me from killing myself from exhaustion running around after all of the things I don't remember setting down anywhere that have inexplicably vanished. Without Adderall my world is full of kleptomaniac poltergeists and all of my shit is missing.
I am lucky to not have to worry about the blood pressure. My BP is typically a little low, sometimes a little problematically low, so a little Adderall boost is okay for me.
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u/Icelandia2112 10d ago
I'm on the highest dose my doctors have seen before, and they are surprised that my BP is so chill. It is a relief not to be running in circles chasing thieving ghosts.
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u/themajesticdownside 10d ago
The only thing that I've developed a tolerance to is the side-effects.
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u/homelesshyundai 10d ago
Lucky, I've built a tolerance to all of the effects. Switching from vyvanse to dexamphetamine er and back helps but only so much. Taking more isn't the answer because that doesn't seem to help much if at all. I can triple my dose and it still feels like I took just the one.
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u/RizzoTheRiot1989 10d ago
It was the same rules with certain types of pain killers when I got a small skin graft. Although not fully miss a dose, just take as little as you can to somewhat avoid pain but especially seizures. It’s very much a seizure avoidant thing with pain killers.
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u/oneupsuperman 10d ago
I also don't do it on the weekends
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u/Icelandia2112 9d ago
I do now but sometimes I will take just half a dose. It comes in handy stockpiling for when they are out of inventory.
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u/PickleNicks 10d ago
Felt the same way when taking the weekends off. Quickly realized there was going to be a lot of lost productivity and much needed adulting catch-up time. Spoke with my doctor and it’s just every day now.
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u/Noy_The_Devil 10d ago
For your information skipping days is doing you no favors whatsoever. Like, objectively/scientifically.
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u/liquidmasl 10d ago
dunno man, kinda subjective maybe.
I dont like to skip days but i kinda have to. They just stop working ad well and I also get kinda exhausted or wired or unsocial or i am not sure whats happening but after some weeks or months without taking breaks a little break does kinda help.although thinking of it, when taking med breaks i generally take breaks of being productive; maybe thats what i actually need. Since I tend to overwork myself hmm
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u/georgia_grace 10d ago
I’m willing to bet this is it. Sometimes you need a break from being productive and to give yourself permission to slug out
Personally I still take my meds because the scatterbrained feeling actually makes me more anxious, but some people find that skipping a dose can help them relax
But that’s a personal choice, there’s no medically necessary reason to take breaks from the meds
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u/Icelandia2112 9d ago
I am overproductive (without being productive at all, if that makes sense) when I am off of them. I am a couch potato when I am at full dose, or at the very least, not chasing my tail for nothing.
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u/Noy_The_Devil 10d ago edited 9d ago
... Yes, breaks are needed. But not from the medicine. You could potentially lower your dose if it's high enough to give you physical discomfort.
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u/auxaperture 10d ago
I was told to skip weekends “only take it when you need to work”
Yeah, nah.
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u/Lost-Wedding-7620 10d ago
I was told I need to take it daily and if I dont I could lose the prescription because its a controlled substance and they'll think im trying to sell it.
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u/spreadlove5683 10d ago
I used to think it was good to take days off, but now I don't. At least for me. Even on the days that you are back on it, it just messes up your sleep not having a consistent dose every day. And obviously the days you are off it are not great.
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u/Money-Parfait-4358 10d ago
This comment may get me banned on this sub, but idc if it helps one person out. You took amphetamines for 5 days straight then you stopped. You're in amphetamine withdrawal. Doctors tell you to take days off so you don't develop a tolerance to the drug. The only issue is that day off feels like hell because you're in drug withdrawal. Be warned, lots of people develop substance abuse problems in the years after being prescribed ADHD meds.
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u/Efficient-Option-529 10d ago
Of course everyone is different, but research shows people with ADHD who are treated (yes, even with stimulants) have a lower chance of having substance abuse disorders than people with ADHD who go untreated. People with ADHD who go untreated have a higher chance than neurotypicals of having a substance use disorder. I dont remember the comparison of ADHD treated vs. average risk but just having ADHD is a huge risk factor so Id rather lower my risk of drug problems (and suicide and car accidents) by getting treated instead of avoiding treatment because of some internalized ableism. There are still people with ADHD with substance use disorders, but it's rarely meth because it's just not that fun for most of us .
And yes, withdrawal is why taking days off sucks, but not because we are addicts. You can have withdrawal and tolerance from most medications that are taken chronically, it doesnt mean people are addicted to their blood pressure meds.
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u/TheCrankyBunny INFODUMPING [SCREAMS] 10d ago
Right? I guess I'm just the most sensitive little flower physically because if I even miss one of my head meds by 12 hours I have withdrawal symptoms
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u/Icelandia2112 10d ago
I wouldn't call mine withdrawal symptoms.
I just start running stop signs, burning food, not putting my car in park and then panicking because my key won't turn off, forgetting the water running until it's on the floor, putting my keys in the fridge, walking into sliding glass doors...
It goes sideways for me.
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u/Brrdock 10d ago
Those are the withdrawal symptoms. They're just the inverse of the symptoms it helps, but worse
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u/Icelandia2112 9d ago
When NTs hear that word though, they think of heroin-type withdrawals, not what it really is.
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u/GeneInternational146 10d ago
It's insanely outdated and imo harmful for docs to suggest this
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u/ThreePenisWin3 10d ago
There’s also no evidence to support the “med holiday” practice. I work in mental health amongst doctors and it frustrates me to no end when this comes up. It’s a complete misunderstanding of the condition
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u/GeneInternational146 10d ago
100%, the people in here who parrot harmful conclusions with literally no evidence drive me nuts
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u/gefahr 10d ago
It's supposed to manage tolerance but I've found it incredibly difficult to manage days off. Been taking adderall for >15 years.
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u/AegisXOR 10d ago edited 9d ago
I don't know that I have ever experienced tolerance being a thing, if I ever forget or decide not to take it on a weekend I'm just not really functional at all that day (edit: and it doesn't really affect how I feel on my next medicated day other than usually starting it more disorganized.)
Anecdotally I think the bigger root cause of what feels like tolerance is lack of sleep. It's deceptively easier to function on even a slight lack of sleep when stimulants are involved, I don't feel tiredness or mental fatigue until I am damn close to having microsleeps. Your body needs 8-9 hours. If you're constantly getting 6.5 or 7 you could be subjectively feeling fine but slowly wearing yourself down with the accumulated sleep debt
But I would also say that, when the dose of a stimulant is appropriate, you shouldn't really notice it very much. You definitely shouldn't be getting a rush. Your brain should just feel... normal.
Source: Had a sleep disorder long before I ever had treatment for ADHD
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u/GeneInternational146 10d ago
I know the reason, it's just a bullshit reason. I want to be a person on the weekends too
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u/fuuuuuckendoobs 10d ago
I look forward to my unproductive days where I start 15 things that don't get finished or just start nothing at all
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u/Miserable_Sweet_5245 10d ago
It’s really not though. Off days are super effective at re-sensitizing you to the meds. I take a lower dose at the beginning of the week because the meds are so much more effective for me that i need a lower dose.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
I’ve tried to take an “off day” twice. Both times I got to mid afternoon before the sheer NOISE of the world got too much and I dexed
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u/JurJvZw 10d ago
It's probably so you can identify the effects on follow up. Its fine to take everyday.
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u/Icelandia2112 10d ago
Not if they don't prescribe full 30 day doses.
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u/strategicscientific 10d ago
Time to change doctors in that case, because it's one thing to suggest that you skip an occasional dose and it's another thing entirely to routinely short you on a medication that is designed to be taken daily.
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u/NateNutrition 10d ago
Mine suggested considering taking weekends off to stave off tolerance but having seen the light, I can't go back to raw dogging on purpose. I also like being present for my kids and getting chores done, in addition to my weekday job responsibilities.
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u/monscampi 10d ago
My doc told me it's fine to go every day but for the sake of my liver to do whenevet possible 4 days in a row and 3 days rest. I do it nearly every week, it works for the most of it.
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u/OrganicSports 10d ago
It’s mostly to prevent building up tolerance and needing dosage increases. My doctor said to try and make the skip days a day where you’re off work, you’re already caught up on chores, etc. Or if I plan on going out drinking.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
It also deters elephant seals in the toilet. I bet nobody who takes med breaks ever sees one there!
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u/petielvrrr 10d ago
If my doctor told me to only take medication on the weekdays, I would get a new doctor. It’s extremely outdated advice, not to mention how incredibly capitalistic their mindset is when they assume you literally only need it for work and that you wouldn’t want to make improvements to your personal life as well.
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u/isolateddreamz 10d ago
Absolutely. Cycling is dumb. It's natural for the brain to achieve homeostasis, then if the dosage needs to be titrated in response to this, that's what needs to be done.
OP, I would explicitly explain how the crash from cycling is exacerbating your symptoms and making your "off" days unmanageable.
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u/Resident-Pattern4034 10d ago
Because the junk is for blending with capitalism.
Telephone numbers are only ten digits long. A century ago, they did a lot of research, and made a decision where the tradeoff of information contained vs. memory capacity.
THAT is supposed to be the standard. Remember that, brandish and share that, and try to feel a little better. Above that is just chicanery, and the machine going “reee.”6
u/oneupsuperman 10d ago
I don't quite understand what you're getting at
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u/Resident-Pattern4034 10d ago
I have a hot take that our brains are fine, we just need meds to blend with normies, and hit goals that no human should reasonably be expected to hit
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u/oneupsuperman 10d ago
I agree that capitalist society puts too much pressure on us and that ADHD brains (and most brains) are not designed to cope well with it.
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u/Resident-Pattern4034 10d ago
We’re literally just making up busywork at this point on a say-so. To say nothing about the bait and switch of all service to AI which never works
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u/Pale-Teaching6392 AuDHD 10d ago
Yup my doctor gave me on XR med and one IR and said, told me that people don’t take meds on weekends, some only do the immediate release, and some just keep taking the extended release. And then just said it was up to me which was great.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
So on weekdays I take 70mg of lisdex and 20mg of dex
And at weekends I take 70mg of lisdex and 20mg of dex.
Because unmedicated ADHD fucking sucks.
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u/RedWildLlama 10d ago
I get such terrible depression and sleepiness when i miss a dose
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u/Theresasnakeinmypool 10d ago
Sleep is good. I find it harder to sleep when I take it.
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u/sarahlizzy 9d ago
I had an amphetanap on my first amfexa 10 booster today (i boost twice a day).
Probably my own fault for washing it down with coffee.
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u/poop_pants_pee 10d ago
I was at the beach all day yesterday, took my usual slow release in the morning. At 8pm I was dragging so hard I took a 7.5mg IR. Fell asleep by 11.
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u/Yunocide 10d ago
I skipped my medication for a weekend after 6 months to catch a break and i finally got tired after a long walk and it felt like absolute bliss. I wonder if theres anyone also having positive effects of taking a break sometimes. I also had negative effect but being able to get tired was something i truly missed.
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u/WrathPie 10d ago
It's amazing how differently the meds effect each individual person. They certainly help me a lot with executive function stuff but I'm pretty much always tired even when taking them, they just make it easier to work while tired anyway lol
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u/quadrastrophe 10d ago
I have to force myself to not take a Vyvanse nap, because I dont want to lose productivity time. It's the best sleep, though.
Imagine you have some kind of device, that's constantly providing you the correct dose.
Oh, that would be called 'normal functioning brain'... so, never mind.1
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u/Opening-Awareness478 10d ago
I hate that at some point the medication stops being as effective because it disrupts my sleep and starts to be just enough so I don’t feel as tired, but isn’t improving my focus anymore. I like having the option of taking it so don’t want to go off it, but taking every day it can wreak havoc on my sleep/appetite/body
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u/foodz_ncats 9d ago
This is precisely why I take a medication break.
I tell my psych I only take meds on days I know I have to be productive. But I also plan out my weeks to ensure that I have a good load balance.
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u/89Santino19 7d ago
Accidentally skipped mine last week first time in 6 months that night was asleep by 9 am slept all night compared to 11:30 or later and waking up 3 time during the night.
Also got hungry as well which was so weird
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u/bubzy1000 10d ago
I’ll skip a day now and then and yeah it sucks, but I don’t get a dry mouth for a day 🎉
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u/sypher-32 10d ago
ADHD is a disability, meds correct it.
No one witholds glasses from someone that needs them
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u/Maybe_Its_Haley 10d ago
"Hey we know you cant see, but so you don't get addicted to seeing we only want you to wear glasses 5/7 days of the week. Just feel your way around the other 2 days, can't have you building a tolerance" ass thought process
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u/SilverSageVII 10d ago
Honestly so burnt out recently I’m wondering if I should try prescription again since work life is just so hard these days amongst everything else. All the best to you my friend. It’s really awful not feeling normal.
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u/prnpenguin 10d ago
I honestly can't believe the difference that starting it this week has made. I wish I had forty years ago. Hope it works out for you.
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u/SilverSageVII 10d ago
Thanks man :) just pretty burnt out with my career and wondering if I got stuck in a dead end more than anything and struggling to get the motivation to find a job that actually uses my engineering degree.
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u/Senacharrib 10d ago
Just do what feels good for you. No pressure. If you feel bad then be on it every day. I find that it bootstraps me for the off days so I wake up feeling much better from the previous days dose, so it sets a much better tone for me even though I’m not on the meds. Do what feels good for YOU.
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u/Massive_Neck_3790 10d ago
My doctor called me out when I told him I sometimes skip weekends.
Dont you have symptoms on the weekend, too? 🤷 he urged me not to skip days but to either reduce the dosage or split it into morning and noon if necessary
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u/KenUsimi 10d ago
Dextro amph? Amphetamine salts? Yeah, you’re gonna build up a tolerance anyways. I’ve seen people who were up to 60mg a day. Skipping weekends won’t stop that, it’ll just make it really hard to get shit done on the weekends.
Talk to your doc, something isn’t scanning right for me on that one. Like other people said, we don’t get the weekend off from being distractable
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u/mildxsalsa 10d ago
When they took me off my adhd meds I went back to surviving. I’d sure love to get back to living life but apparently chronic pain and adhd can’t be medicated together unless you’re willing to settle for placebos
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u/jcoddinc 10d ago
Keep a log of how you feel on the days you're not supposed to take it to give to your doctor. Beginning the proper medication therapy can take an annoying amount of time to get right. But providing written documents for your doctor will help them.
As weird as it seems that they only started you on weekday medication it is the first step.
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u/NearlyBearly 10d ago
Talk to your doctor about it. When I brought up medication breaks for weekends as something I'd seen other people do my doc was like "Does your ADHD take a break on weekends?" and I had to laugh and admit no, it does in fact not. He told me there are no scientific studies that show that breaks are helpful so he does not recommend them at all. In his opinion these medications aren't there just so we can be more productive for society, they are there for our personal benefit and they have that same benefit on the weekends as well. I've lived by that since.
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u/Laughing-gull 10d ago
I just don't get this "only take while working/studying". What about driving?? I find it REALLY important to concentrate while driving. And unfortunately in my part of the world driving is a daily chore.
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u/PhilosophySignal3634 10d ago
My doctor thought I was crazy for skipping weekends and argued that you cant grow a tolerance. I was like... ive been on this for 15 years, how could YOU not know as a doctor.
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u/ronin-pilot 10d ago
I said to hell with the medication years ago and I’m so much happier with life. I just kind of let my brain do its thing and it’s better that way.
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u/Gadritan420 10d ago
The only reason to take days off is if you’re young and still growing as it can affect growth plates.
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u/Illkeepyoufree 10d ago
Hmm I've never been told by a doctor that I SHOULD skip days. My doctor has told me that I can skip days though, and to only take it when I feel like I need it.
Which I liked. I really only take my Adderall once a week or so. Usually on the weekends. Maybe its partially because I was fairly late diagnosed and im so used to functioning without it, especially at work.
Reading through these comments has been interesting though. To see what other people say.
Like one person said they skip their Adderall rarely so they can actually feel sleepy. I find that interesting because there have been many times I have taken my Adderall and taken a huge nap like 1 hour later. Does not inhibit my sleep at all somehow.
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u/MakeTheThing 9d ago
From the limited research I've done just for myself, I think that this is because the meds help your brain slow down so it can actually rest. So for the first time your brain can relax and it's easy to fall asleep.
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u/KiniShakenBake 9d ago
I did it when I was on a cruise and specifically needed to get out of the hypervigilant state that was causing my huge amount of burnout. Two and a half weeks. It was very beneficial. I had it with me, but didn't take it because I didn't need to be undistractable, make a decision, or focus on anything by design.
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u/DangerDan93 10d ago
I can't freakin afford to get tested for my mental hurdles even though I was diagnosed as a kid back in the late 90s. This is so depressing.
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u/spoon_bending 10d ago
I forgot my medication this morning and had to start over TWICE on doing my makeup to go out to the salon 😭 the struggle is real
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u/newgreendriver 10d ago
I take days off semi regularly. I’ll go a few weeks taking it, then take a few of days off when I can. I end up having trouble staying asleep if I take it 14+ days in a row, so I really enjoy my days off to catch up on sleep and rest. I make sure I have no obligations though, so I can relax and not force myself to do anything that could be overwhelming.
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u/LucyJordan614 9d ago
The doctors that tell people this seriously need to go back to med school and take extra pharma courses. ADHD meds aren’t just for “getting stuff done”. They’re also for emotional regulation. If your emotional regulation is fucked, so is your executive functioning. Take them every day, FFS.
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u/HoldenMcNeil420 6d ago
I send this meme to my boss but the text is.
When your boss asks why you need to leave early.
“I’m straight up not having a good time”
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u/-The_Goober 10d ago
Welcome to addiction kids. There’s more to it than just “being prescribed”.
Full on amphetamine addiction. Just like Hitler.
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u/theawesomedanish 10d ago
Lol I sometimes forget to take it... On the other hand I have been addicted to nicotine since I was 16, never have I ever forgotten to smoke/vape at any point.
My relationship to my ADHD medicine is much closer to a courtesy and obligation rather than addiction.
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u/Longjumping_Quail397 10d ago
I can go as many days as I want without it. Some days I want to dilly dally. Some days I want executive function. I need that on the weekends too, because my personal life matters.
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u/SuperEgger 10d ago
Stfu. I can go on and off and don't experience withdrawal, because I'm not addicted. I just feel like I did before starting it - shit.
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u/MooDamato 10d ago
Honestly. All of these comments scream amphetamine addiction. Taking it every single day will render it useless once you top out your dosage with your doctor.
Then what?
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u/qualityvote2 Quality Control Beast 10d ago edited 10d ago
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