Adderall and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• Lyn...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 3, 2023

For ADHD "Been getting Teva generic from different Walgreens locations for years. I’ve been complaining about the dose not lasting longer than a couple of hours, but this last refill doesn’t even work at all. I doubled my dose, and all I got was a headache and brain fog. I’m extremely hungry all day too. The pills don’t even have that nasty taste to them either. Teva was caught back in 2012 giving out ineffective antidepressants, so it seems they’re back to their old tricks. Going to report this to the FDA, and I hope others do too."

• Spa...
• January 29, 2020

For ADHD "I have found the generic brand for Adderall is not as effective as the brand name. The Epic brand caused me to have severe depression, blurred vision, headaches, feeling very tired, and no focus at all. I’m trying to find a brand that is more similar to the name brand. Looking for suggestions if anyone can share, please. Thanks."

• rho...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 21, 2024

For ADHD "I have been taking Adderall for a long time. ADHD doesn't just go away. The only issue I've been experiencing is not knowing when or if I'll be able to pick up my prescription when it's due. I haven't seen a Teva or Sandoz in two years or more. My prescription is filled with something different every month. My system seems confused, I don't respond very well to some of the replacements I've been dispensed. I'm grateful my pharmacist goes the extra mile to find my medication. Unfortunately, different manufacturers produce different results. Without this medication, I can't focus or read. The simple things in life become impossible. I would like to see an end to this shortage, for me, receiving the same manufacturer of Adderall month to month is very important. It may be hard for some to understand, but it's a reality for me. Let's fix this problem of Adderall not being available. For anyone who doesn't have ADHD or narcolepsy, it's not possible for them to understand."

• Spa...
• October 23, 2019

For ADHD "I’m 48-year-old woman that was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school. When I began (on holiday) taking it, I’m extremely fatigued/zombie the first 3 days. I am not nearly as engaged with anyone/anything around me (I talk 97% less when I’m on Adderall) and it makes me feel less cognitive. I feel like it dumbs me down. After the 3rd day, I start to feel better and those 'tranquilizer effects' go away. Adderall is an emotional regulator for me. It works wonders for my impulsivity, racing thoughts, fidgeting, feeling overwhelmed, anger, anxiety, zoning out, and my mouth. Yes, my mouth has always been my biggest challenge and has caused me tremendous social/professional problems. While in a perfect world I’d be on no medication, I have to recommend Adderall for anyone who's suffering from ADHD, because it has changed my overall quality of life for the best. Sparkle on, beautiful people!"

• Spa...
• June 26, 2022

For Narcolepsy "Been on Adderall IR for over 10 years. Noticed the effects of Teva and Sandoz are not the same. The new formulas remind me of a caffeine pill. Little energy, dizziness, eye blurriness, and brain fog. Also, pills look different. I believe all of the Adderall companies are using the same formula to wean people off. Why?"

• Jea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2023

For ADHD "I have been on Adderall XR for 21 years. Three months ago, my script was filled with Lannett 'generic' XR. I have taken Teva generic and had no issues, so wasn't concerned. At about the same time, I started having issues with depression, body aches, and brain fog. About two months later, I started an anti-depressant because I thought I was just depressed. I ended up being allergic to the anti-depressant, so had to get off of it. Following that, the symptoms just got worse, at one point, I didn't get out of bed for a week. By chance, I didn't take the Lannett XR, and I noticed a significant change in how I felt. I switched to a different manufacturer because only Lannett XR was available (due to the Teva outage). Within two days of being on that, my symptoms significantly improved. The next month, I decided to pay out of pocket for brand XR, and all the symptoms went away. Lannett is awful, I'm not sure what the FDA approved here as a 'generic,' but for me, it was horrible and led to major depressive disorder."

• Sam...
• May 6, 2017

For ADHD "I have been diagnosed with ADD. I have always pushed myself to get good grades and to take as many AP and honors classes as I can handle. I enjoy learning about new things; however, my lack of focus got in the way of my learning. It bothers me when people say ADD/ADHD is made up. I know that people who don't have this disorder can't truly understand what it's like. Without Adderall, my mind is foggy, and I can't take the fog away to learn about the things that I love. All my friends know that I have a strong passion for physics and astronomy, but it's very hard for me to pick up a book without forgetting most of what I read after I finished it. On Adderall, I feel like the fog fades away and my mind is like a clear sunny day. Oh, how I wish that I didn't have to take this every day and just naturally be as focused. I am just an 18-year-old who is trying to pursue her dreams, but without this medication, I'm not sure how I can get through college to learn what I love. I can now look through my telescope at the stars without the clouds getting in the way."

• Cap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2021

For ADHD "I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and got my first prescription for Adderall, hoping it would help, but I felt nothing. Started at 20 mg, then tried 40 mg, and finally 60 mg today and only noticed a slight quieting for my racing thoughts (but it could've been some brain fog since they still were pretty bad), still felt restless, etc. Came on here to see others' experiences and saw that Lannett was a really bad generic manufacturer, and so I went to check my prescription and BOOM, Lannett. Knowing that this mfr has been garbage across the board with people has at least been comforting and gives me hope for the next medication attempt (which I will be making sure my psychiatrist puts the name of an authorized generic and that it must be from that mfr)."

• tim...
• April 2, 2008

For ADHD "Against the advice of my teachers, my mom decided not to medicate me as a kid since my grades were fine. As I got older, I got worse, concentrating was impossible for me, and my grades dropped... my mind never stopped! I have been on Adderall for almost 9 years now. This drug saved me, it worked great! The downside... after this long, I have built a tolerance, get very irritable, and feel kinda foggy or dazed by the end of the day. I'm going to try something new for a while and see what happens."

• tim...
• April 2, 2008

For ADHD "Against the advice of my teachers, my mom decided not to medicate me as a kid since my grades were fine. As I got older, I got worse, concentrating was impossible for me, and my grades dropped... my mind never stopped! I have been on Adderall for almost 9 years now. This drug saved me, it worked great! The downside... after this long, I have built a tolerance, get very irritable, and feel kinda foggy or dazed by the end of the day. I'm going to try something new for a while and see what happens."

• Van...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 17, 2015

For ADHD "For me, Adderall is a dream and a nightmare all wrapped in one pill. When I wake up, I need the Adderall just to be productive in my day, it works like a charm and makes me more creative and motivated. But I find that I need more and more to keep going. Eventually, when the day is over and it's too late to take any more pills, I feel zoned out and unable to sleep. If Adderall came with a powerful sleep medicine, it would be a perfect drug. Although I don't like the anti-social aspect that comes with it. You get so concentrated that you become socially awkward and don't want to talk with anybody. Also, when I drink on Adderall, I can become crazy aggressive at times. But other than that, I love Adderall, I've done some of my best work on it."

• Mic...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 30, 2021

For ADHD "There is so much misinformation and fear-mongering about Adderall, so I am going to share my personal experience as someone with ADHD who has taken Adderall for years. When I was 18 and in college, I sought treatment for ADHD and was initially put on Concerta, which is time-released Ritalin (methylphenidate). I didn't like the way the Concerta made me feel. I felt like a zombie. I could just stare at the wall for hours without blinking or talking to anyone. It was a horrible experience. I went back to see my doctor, and he prescribed Adderall, which is an amphetamine-based drug. The difference between the two drugs was like night and day. It was like putting on glasses for the first time in my life. The Adderall didn’t make me a zombie, and I was able to focus without distracting thoughts. Work became easier to manage. Studying wasn’t a battle for me anymore. My quality of life improved significantly. I have taken Adderall for a long time, and I’m not turning to meth."

• Sha...
• September 16, 2021

For ADHD "I have been placed on 30 mg tablets to be taken twice a day. Everything was running fine until I noticed that the new-looking generic Adderall was doing absolutely zip for me. I literally can take a dose and go right back to sleep. I am not able to complete anything I am doing from lack of focus and clarity. I feel like I’ve regressed back to before I ever began taking them."

• Anonymous
• March 15, 2012

For ADHD "I have taken Adderall for over 6 years now. At first, it was the best! All my problems were solved. Higher concentration, longer attention span, lower appetite, more sociable. It was awesome. But over the years, the side effects have caught up to me. Increased sweating, higher pulse rate, higher blood pressure, lower quality of sleep, dazed. My shoulder muscles are so tense all the time it's almost painful. I'm prescribed 60 mg a day, and that used to be great, but now if I take more than 30 mg, my sleep quality suffers to the point where I'm a zombie the next day. Then I have to take more to feel normal, then I can't sleep again the next night. But if I don't take it, I'm completely useless for about 4 days. Therefore, I can't stop taking it."

• DPR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2013

For ADHD "I too have gone through my whole life with undiagnosed ADHD, and I have to say that I have lost so many years of my life both academically and personally. I've been recently diagnosed with ADHD and started Ritalin. I could not tolerate Ritalin. It made me feel like a zombie along with bad headaches. My MD switched me to Adderall, and it has changed my life. I wish I would have sought help years ago, but I was too embarrassed to seek mental health help. I've been on 30 mg per day of Adderall for 1.5 months now, and it's worked great except that I think this dose is too low, as I have to split the 30 mg into two doses per day. 20 mg works great for me, but the other 10 mg I have to take doesn't do much for me."

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2012

For ADHD "I am on the IR version, and I agree with the person who commented that you forget to eat. I have lost 12 pounds over the last six months, and I have to remember to eat. As they stated, I do get foggy-headed and kind of high-feeling at times, but when I eat something and remember to take my vitamins, since I don't eat as much, I am fine. I am older, and I did it so I could study for the CPA exam because I could not keep my mind focused on the study materials. My work performance has improved phenomenally as well. My boss noticed at my next review and even commented that I seemed different. My attention to detail had improved, and I was staying focused on my tasks so much better. Makes me wish I had done something like this long ago."

• cra...
• May 26, 2011

For ADHD "As a child, I always had problems with being very hyper, and I couldn't pay attention like other children in my class. My teacher noticed it and told my mother about things that could help me. My mother had me tested and put on Adderall. Within a week, I can honestly remember a change. At first, it made me feel very funny and zombie-like, but after it got in my system, my family said I was a totally different person. I also suffer from dyslexia, but this medication helped me with that too. I was put on it when I was 7 years old. When I was 20, I stopped taking it since I was out of school. I couldn't hold down a job, and things just got really bad for me. Then I had my baby boy and decided I had to be put back on it. The best thing that happened to me."