Adderall XR and Depression: What Users Say

• Was...
• August 4, 2019

For Narcolepsy "I had severe fatigue for my 20s, 30s, and most of my 40s, and OCD, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. I started Adderall XR 20 mg and it was beautiful. I asked my doctor to crank up the dose to 50 then 60 mg and ran into problems: fatigue, blurry vision, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. This is a wonderful but strong med. Just take enough to do the trick and vacation once a week. I'm back on 30 XR Adderall and better than ever."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 16, 2023

For ADHD "Adderall XR is the only thing that has helped me be normal. The very first day on this medication, my anxiety was gone, the crushing pressure on my chest and racing thoughts were gone. I focused the majority of the day at work, was able to comprehend what people were saying to me, I did well on all my testing for nursing school. This medication has changed every aspect of my life. Now, after being on it for months, my insurance has taken it off the covered list. The generic version of the medication is not good. I am now paying out of pocket after 2 med trials because it made me feel hopeless, and the Adderall brand XR is the only thing thus far that’s worked for me for my ADHD."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 15, 2018

For ADHD "25-year-old female with ADHD and MDD and am currently taking 30 mg of Adderall XR twice daily along with Celexa 20 mg. My new psychiatrist switched me to XR after my GP had me on IR, which caused raised BP and anxiety. Adderall XR has given me back control over my life. I am no longer struggling to complete tasks, have endless patience, have become more naturally social, and less avoidant of people. I no longer get overwhelmed at the thought of having to do something. I am much less impulsive, especially financially, as I got into $17k of debt and am finally organizing my life to pay it off. The only negative is that it is addictive. Before adding Celexa, I had a difficult time weaning off and taking tolerance breaks. I would go through severe withdrawals and depression. Celexa has helped me lower my dose and allows me to take breaks without feeling like I am going to die. Overall, a good medication when responsibly monitored and taken. Really changed my life."

• Kno...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2021

For ADHD "I have suffered with ADHD since I was a young kid. I got diagnosed at the youngest age possible, and I never got any help for it from my old doctor. With my new doctor, he gave me Adderall XR to start out with 10 and then upped it to 20 within a week if not effective. I am on 20 mg now, and it has changed my life. I failed school and life because I couldn't pay attention, and now not only can I pay attention, but this has also helped as my ADHD had caused depression, anxiety, and also OCD."

• Nic...
• January 7, 2016

For ADHD "Ughh, I'm so depressed reading the positive reviews (I'm a bit envious, I guess), but I take the Adderall XR for ADHD, and it would work for me for only an hour, and that's it. After that, I would be a zombie. So tired, no motivation. Bedridden, to be honest. I'm devastated it works for so many people. I had such high hopes. Back to the scratch board again. I didn't want to believe it was the medicine because of all the positivity, but it definitely is. Quite depressed."

• Nic...
• January 7, 2016

For ADHD "Ughh, I'm so depressed reading the positive reviews (I'm a bit envious, I guess), but I take the Adderall XR for ADHD, and it would work for me for only an hour, and that's it. After that, I would be a zombie. So tired, no motivation. Bedridden, to be honest. I'm devastated it works for so many people. I had such high hopes. Back to the scratch board again. I didn't want to believe it was the medicine because of all the positivity, but it definitely is. Quite depressed."

• Jak...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 26, 2018

For ADHD "I am 18 years old, and I'm here to share my experience. Like many people say, this medication works miracles at first. I was now doing everything ADHD/mild depression and social anxiety stopped me from doing. Once I progressed towards the sixth month, problems slowly started coming up, and day by day, you fall back into where you started. If you keep going, you'll get even worse. The feelings of depression, anger, and anxiety are almost unreal, and it causes me to take the medication and do nothing but lay in bed instead of being energized, although it could be the 6 hours of sleep every night adding up. Tips for beginners: take weekends off, eat, drink, and sleep."

• Lee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2018

For ADHD "I have both ADD and ADHD and also narcolepsy. This medicine does control moods and also helps with depression I have noticed. I'm going to a psychiatrist for further notice, but I can say it helps me a lot. But when the pill gets out of the system, you feel somewhat down and frustrated. But once it kicks in, you're on your feet, not depressed and doing things around the house, etc. But the downside is the foods you intake. I feel like any vitamin C kills the drug. And it's bad that your body needs vitamin C, like apples, etc., but in the long run of 10/10, this is a great drug for people with ADHD and ADD also sleeping a lot."

• Anonymous
• October 14, 2011

For ADHD "I have always known I was intelligent and a doer, but I could never finish a project or classwork without starting another (2-3 really!) projects. Therefore, I would always get depressed and feel worthless. I couldn't handle small talk and had extreme anxiety when I had to go to church because I couldn't sit still for more than 20-30 minutes without wanting to burst. My mom always found ways to teach me to calm myself down in different situations, but she didn't understand how bad it was. She also didn't believe in medicating her children. I wish I could describe what my first five employers said about me when I left their companies. I will just say this: Adderall XR 20 mg once in the morning has seriously made the difference in my life."

• Chr...
• October 29, 2014

For ADHD "My 10 y/o daughter used this medication for several months. Was not as effective as a previous medication (Vyvanse). Did not last that long (effect wore off mid-day) and caused her to have an increased heart rate daily. In addition, her entire mood changed. She became uninterested in even her favorite things, almost like a depression, and she also became extremely moody. Very irritable and easily agitated and upset."

• ggg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 11, 2015

For ADHD "Worked perfectly for the first week (10 mg), my mind was completely clear, and I felt almost no anxiety whatsoever. Second week (20 mg), started feeling suicidal, worst I've ever felt in my entire life. Parents thought it was out of character, I couldn't stop crying-worst emotional pain I've ever felt (I've never felt like that before). Was convinced it wasn't the medication, but felt better as soon as I stopped taking it. If you're feeling this way while being on it, it's probably the medication... I was convinced that it wasn't until I started seeing that a couple of other people had similar reactions. 19/female"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 1, 2015

For ADHD "Overall, I'd say that Adderall XR is better than Adderall IR. Sometimes I feel faint on Adderall XR. I can't take it every day because I get too tired. I have weird side effects with medications. I usually get all of the side effects when I take medications. I also have depression too. Hopefully, Dexedrine will work."

• Pic...
• March 24, 2017

For ADHD "I take one a day. It helps me concentrate and also helps me feel ambitious and less depressed. But when it wears off in the evening, I start feeling sad and easily agitated. I can take up to 2 a day, but I usually only take one because I don't want it to cause any heart problems."

• Aug...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2022

For ADHD "I've been prescribed Adderall IR since I was 14 years old. I always found that it worked well enough for me - better than Vyvanse, which made me agitated; Strattera, which simply never worked and gave me Raynaud's; and Focalin, which made me feel manic (I used to jokingly call it 'Cocalin', since it felt similar to the high from cocaine). However, I only found the IR effective for a few hours, so I switched to XR right before I started my first full-time job. While my attention has been fine for most (but not all) of the workday, the side effects have been awful. The most significantly different side effect for the XR dose has been a complete loss of my sex drive, which has been awful and has impacted my relationship. My tolerance has also increased to the point where I am at the maximum dose and feel like it's barely working anymore. If I don't take it, I feel depressed and can't get out of bed. It's no longer worth taking as it now runs my life and only provides marginal efficacy."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2015

For ADHD "This medicine is great for ADHD, but does not work for everyone. In fact, it made me feel angry, increased anxiety I've been dealing with, and can kind of depress you. I recommend Adderall XR (even though I stopped it) because ADHD is challenging, and this medication made me very focused, like robot focused. It was great! But I had to switch to Prozac cause it gave me worse anxiety. If you have a problem with anxiety, I don't recommend it, there are plenty your doctor can prescribe that don't have as much side effects. But all in all, this medicine is great for treating ADHD. Good luck!"

• Alp...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 11, 2018

For ADHD "I was off and on Adderall for a year. I had a psychotic episode a few times with this medication. I went back on it in October of 2017, and I was on 15 mg. When I went on 15 mg, my anxiety was more severe than before, I was really depressed too, and I sometimes lost feeling in my legs. I also lost feeling in my lips if I licked it a few times. I won’t recommend this medication if you have bad anxiety or depression because it can make it like x2."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2010

For ADHD "I'm 18 and have been taking Adderall XR 30 mg for 10 years now. When I take it, I can focus on schoolwork and my job and actually succeed. I like being able to do well in school and work, but lately, the side effects have seemed to intensify like crazy. I'd always experienced the loss of appetite, but now the sweating, anxiety, and depression are all starting to wreak havoc on my life. I'm not sociable at all when I'm on this medication. I feel like I'm more of a robot. And if I get distracted for a second and start something else, I will focus on that instead of getting my work done. I've tried other medications in the past, but none do the job like Adderall."

• alo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 21, 2017

For ADHD "This drug provides great concentration for a couple of hours. However, after a couple of hours, I predictably experience extreme anxiety, depression, and irritability. It can easily cause you to get into an argument with someone you love because you are so easily irritated and frustrated by anything. The anxiety is the worst. Being a previous smoker, Adderall increases my craving to smoke by tenfold (a habit I have quit and hardly have cravings for anymore). I also find that the drug clouds my ability to think when doing brain-intensive work such as programming, math, or even typing. I think that might be related to the dosage, though. I don't recommend this medication to anyone (other than those with severe ADHD)."

• Lec...
• October 29, 2008

For ADHD "I used to take a high dosage time-release tablet of another drug. If I took it when I woke up, say 8 o'clock, I would inevitably go through an anxious and depressing period every day around 5 p.m. My psychiatrist prescribed me Adderall XR and Adderall to see if I wouldn't go through this down period. I am so much happier now. Adderall permits me to be focused, less impulsive, and organized while lessening the side effects, which I got with the other drug. I have an appetite, but am not an impulsive eater."

• Anonymous
• May 12, 2009

For ADHD "It helps keep me calm and focused at work. I do suffer insomnia if I don't take my daily dose consistently. I tried to stop taking it, and my metabolism took a severe nosedive even though I never had weight problems before. I did lose about ten pounds when I started taking it, but it leveled off, and I was able to maintain a healthy weight. I would have liked to try a more natural approach to managing my ADD, but the weight gain has added depression, and therefore I'm back on it."