Adderall & ConstipationDawn's* appetite diminishes since she has started on Adderall XR for three weeks. " I should be losing weight but I feel as if I have gained weight due to the extremely uncomfortable bloating caused by constipation," she said. She also drinks a lot of water because her mouth is dry. Dale* found out he had ADD at the age of 43. The lady doctor he was consulting - her daughter happened to have ADD which helped her to notice the similar symptoms that Dale was displaying. Dale had other health issues to consider when Adderall was presented as a possible prescription for him. He had clinical depression, , epilepsy, apnea and survived acute leukemia. He decided to give Adderall a try, and was pleased with the benefits. Of course, he experienced the side effects as well - constipation and cramps for the first few days and high blood pressure. Like Dawn, his appetite also reduced which for him was a desirable side effect as he was trying to slim down. Officially, constipation is regarded as one of the infrequent side effects of Adderall. I would presumed then not many shared the experiences of Dawn and Dale. I guess there are some categories of people we should exclude from the statistics when we talk about how constipating is Adderall. By that, I am referring to : 1.Students who take Adderall to help them 'concentrate' for last minute examination preparations. 2.Professional athletes who take Adderall to 'enhance' their performance in mega-bucks sports activities. 3.People who take it for 'recreation', amazingly, with booze. For the folks in category 1 and 2, I would say when you $ future is at stake, it is already a most constipating situation. For the folks in category 3, thank you for showing me how to concoct an evil cocktail reserved for my nemesis. *names have been changed. Stories of folks being constipated by Adderall to the point of popping hemorrhoids...Hmmm...If their medication were prescribed and monitored by a responsible doctor, would this ever happened? On the other hand, there are folks who claim that Adderall 'fixes' their constipation problem. "My psychiatrist put me on Adderall for the chronic fatigue and memory problems caused by fibromyalgia. One noticeable difference is, I no longer need to run to the toilet right after eating. There are no more bouts of constipation, abdominal discomfort, and searing gas pains!" Another compulsive nail biter has this to say: "When I stopped using adderall in the past I would be plagued with constipation and depression. I went over a week without going to the bathroom but as soon as I took the adderall things were normal again..." According to "Tagteam: The Adolescent Group to Explore ADHD Management" by Heather O'Neill and Michalis Poulakis, consumption of citrus juices and vitamin c could reduce effectiveness of adderall. Does that include the possible constipating effect as well? 1.Delmar's drug reference for health care professionals By Sylvia Tindell Nobles
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