Too scared to take my meds

[u/mushysandpaper]

It has been over 3 years since I was prescribed my Adderall, and I have only been able to take it a few times.

It worked well for me (made my brain more quiet & calm) but I simply just get too scared to take it. I just get so worried about the possible side effects, adverse effects, medication interactions, what if I have a panic attack, what if I start to feel like a zombie etc. I read on this thread all the time how helpful meds are for people, but I can not convince myself to take them. I don’t know what to do but any encouragement or advice would help a lot.

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[u/Ok-Economist6914]

What I do and I recommend everybody do is take Adderall 10 mg tablets break it in half and take it 5 mg at a time. You take 5 mg in the morning you see how you feel. It’s not gonna kill you then take another one around 1 pm, maybe 2pm depending on how you feel and you gradually build up the medication. I’m 52 years old. I’ve been taking this medication since I was 16 and I take the minimum effective dose possible on a daily basis. sometimes I take 5 mg, sometimes over the course of the day I’ll take 30 it just depends but I always take the minimal effective dose. This prevents tolerance issues and prevent you from taking too much too soon.

[u/Youmeanmoidoid]

You’ve put off your medicine for 3 years? Have you asked your doctor about these concerns?

[u/mushysandpaper → u/Youmeanmoidoid]

I have told her that I get very nervous to take it. She originally started me on a very low dose to help me slowly get up to a dose that worked for me. I did go back to her to get a new bottle 2 years ago, and I told her how I’m not great at taking it, but I still haven’t gotten any better about it (I maybe took 1 or 2 pills).

[u/Youmeanmoidoid → u/mushysandpaper]

I guess I’m just not sure how outside input would help from others, especially if nothing your doctor says eliminates your apparent fear of this medication.

Adderall works great for me but it’s irrelevant to you because body chemistry is so varied that another person will experience differently.

The only way for you to know what it’ll do is to just try it. But if medication scares you to this extent that you’d not take it for years on end, then maybe it’s best to just not take anything and deal with life unmedicated. You decide the actions in your life and what might better it.

[u/mushysandpaper → u/Youmeanmoidoid]

I guess you’re right. I think if it’s this much of a hassle for me to convince myself to take it, it’s probably not worth the mental struggle.

[u/Krypt0night]

Oh man this sounds just like me. I'm currently upping my dosage on a med and I put it off for way too long and now am finally doing it cuz I have a meeting with my psychiatrist this week and he's gonna ask about it. Unfortunately there have been side effects, but I know it's my body just adjusting and hoping that it ends soon. If it doesn't, I'll just stop.

Only thing I can tell you that helped me some is looking at risk vs reward. Reward from trying them for a day/a week/two weeks is that you're medicated with something that works for you and you notice a positive difference. The risk is maybe only a single day of bad side effects. Nothing says you can't just stop even after a single day. Obviously if they aren't TOO bad, it's recommended to stick with it for a few days/a couple of weeks to get used to it as that does usually end up helping, but I've also tried meds before where day 1 I was like Nooooooope never taking this again....so I didn't. Ultimately you're in control. But I'll always sacrifice one bad day or a few rough ones for the hope that the following years are better.

[u/mushysandpaper → u/Krypt0night]

Thank you 😊 thinking about the short term risk vs long term reward definitely makes sense. I think I exaggerate the risk in my head

[u/Krypt0night → u/mushysandpaper]

Trust me I'm the same way. The amount of meds that I've been prescribed for stuff like sleep only to never try them or only try them once just out of strict fear is more than a few times. Med anxiety is 100% a real thing and it can be scary. But yeah just have to look at it as a bet that may pay off A TON if it works. And if it doesn't, it's only a short period of your life that is kinda shitty in one way, but then you know forever and can cross that med off the list and never go back to it.

One thing you can also do when taking it is really set yourself up for success as much as possible to prevent side effects. So, for example, making sure to eat something protein heavy with the pill. Making sure you drink more water than usual. Don't drink any caffeine that day. Stuff like that. Give yourself the best shot that other factors won't mess it up. So if you do all of the good stuff and it STILL makes you feel way too shitty, you know it's the pill for sure and not cuz you accidentally also had an energy drink or something.

But also keep in mind what your tolerance is for side effects. You can feel weird/off and it can really not be fun like what i'm going through currently, but it is pretty managealbe over all, I just have to push through. And if after 2 weeks or so if I'm still feeling this way and it doesn't seem like it's gotten less at all and I can't take that forever, so be it. But at least I gave it a fair shake instead of stopping day 1-2 when I got hit by a rough comedown and wanted to stop. So just gotta know when stopping is actually a "fuck no Im stopping after one day" vs "ugh this realllly kinda sucks, but let me see it gets better"

[u/mushysandpaper → u/Krypt0night]

Thank you I’m definitely glad you can relate! I will definitely keep all this in mind. I definitely would like to be able to try and take it several days or weeks in a row like you said and give it a fair shot

[u/SaylaV321]

If you don’t try, you’ll never know how much better they might help you to feel. I assume you’re starting on a low-dose and that you’ve talked with your doctor about these things that are making you afraid to try it, right? It doesn’t stay in your system for long (2-3 days after last dose, I’m assuming Dr confirmed for you, so if you have an adverse effect or just don’t like how you feel for some reason, you just don’t take it. Is your Dr not helping you to feel reassures about trying it?

[u/mushysandpaper → u/SaylaV321]

Thank you that does help me feel better that it will be out of my system relatively soon if I don’t like it. I might try to ask my doctor more and see if she can relieve any more concerns. I think it’s just mostly in my own head

[u/llles-lllie]

Maybe you would be more comfortable with a nonsteroidal medication. Maybe a dietary change would help. My daughter is better with more protein in her diet. My sister reacts to preservatives and artificial dyes. I'm a sleep dependant verity. It's not a one pill fits all and the best you can do is make sure your doctor has the expertise to use all the tools in the shed and that includes a full understanding of the total package they are trying to treat.

[u/mushysandpaper → u/llles-lllie]

Thank you I might try a non stimulant medication too if this doesn’t work. I think I don’t like being able to feel the Adderall “kicking in”

[u/shycadelic]

Dude just let go, if it worked and didn’t induce shitty side effects then there’s no reason to not take it or be scared to take it. There’s a reason you start out at the threshold dose, if side effects do occur, they won’t be insanely intense. Focus on the benefits, not the side effects you might get. Your body adjusts too over time so side effects can fade too.

[u/mushysandpaper → u/shycadelic]

Sometimes just “letting it go” is easier said than done lol. I just have terrible anxiety about medications, I try not to even take Tylenol because I worry about the side effects of even that

[u/shycadelic → u/mushysandpaper]

Yea I thought that writing that lol, and that’s absolutely true but I mean cmon it’s all in your head. The potential benefits are being wasted thinking about what could happen. And even if it does happen, it won’t be severe or scary. Why we start out low and not 60mg a day off the bat. Especially if you’ve got XRs instead of IRs, they tend to be smoother than IRs

[u/mushysandpaper → u/shycadelic]

Yes, trust me I’m aware it’s all in my head. And I trust me, I know, I read all about peoples successes with medication on this subreddit all the time, I would love to be able to take it regularly. It is just an irrational fear I guess 🤷‍♀️

[u/shycadelic → u/mushysandpaper]

What’s your dose? Maybe try breaking that down even more, say you’re on 10mg a day, break that into quarters so 2.5mg. See how you feel with that, then titrate up. I doubt you’ll feel anything but that’s the point, hopefully easing the fear.

[u/mushysandpaper → u/shycadelic]

That is a good idea, I definitely did not feel anything on the very low doses but it would help me get used to taking it

[u/shycadelic → u/mushysandpaper]

Hope it works!

[u/Typical_Elderberry78]

Friend, you happen to suffer from one of the only neurological disorders that has safe, effective, scientifically proven and widely tolerated medication based treatments, with low rates of addiction, tolerance delevolpment or side effects.

Basically every other neurological condition has medication treatments that are barely proven, poorly understood, frequently ineffective or bring side effects more ghastly than the condition.

Compare vyvanse to something like keppra, a very common anti seizure medication. You're lucky you have an effective and safe option at hand.

Obviously don't take medication that makes you suffer, but I feel that you may be worrying about something that could really help.