Adderall XR and Irritability: What Users Say

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2020

For ADHD "Adderall is very useful, but recently I was ignorant and thought it would be okay to take a little extra at night to help clean my house. I took a bigger extra dose than I should have, and a few hours later, I felt pretty awful. I am very productive and more positive on the right dose of this med, so I recommend trying it or Desoxyn because it is said to have fewer side effects like anxiety, panic, and irritability post-dose. Like all meds, Adderall is a blessing when dosed right and a curse when dosed incorrectly. I noticed that I paced around a bit when on it, but I didn’t feel that anxious. It isn’t fun and enjoyable to take a big dose, don’t do it. God made everything to be used in moderation, and it is much better for the whole society when we obey the wise instructions of our doctors and leaders. Be careful, obey your doctor, and may God bless you all to succeed in your treatment plans and in your lives. Amen"

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2020

For ADHD "I’ve been on Adderall XR 20 mg since October 6th, 2020. I have to say this medication is life-changing and your psychiatrist, doctor, or whatever will try and find the right dosage for you. I’m 22 years old, male, and I noticed the medication working within an hour. I’m about 220 pounds, 5’8”, and despite that, it still kicked in relatively fast. The side effects I notice the most are as follows: dry mouth, appetite suppression, some irritability, and insomnia on occasion. Adderall XR for me lasts anywhere from 8-12 hours. If it wears off, the medical professional, in most cases, will add Adderall IR to take in the afternoon since upping the dose of XR will not increase duration, only the intensity of the medication itself. ADHD medication is all about finding what’s right for YOU, don’t give up if it doesn’t get manageable or fixed after the first try."

• Kel...
• April 24, 2013

For ADHD "I've been taking Adderall since my sophomore year of high school, and I'm about halfway through college now. When I first started taking it, I went from D's and F's to straight A's. I loved everything. I wanted to learn everything. I also lost about twenty pounds just from the loss of appetite. But now that I've been on it for a few years, when I don't take it, the withdrawals hit so hard. I can't even remember what the real person I was before I started taking it. My appetite skyrockets, and I don't want to do anything but sit around all day. No motivation. I love being on it and being so productive, but sometimes I get so overly focused I get really irritable with people around me."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2014

For ADHD "Having been recently diagnosed with ADD at the age of 31, I would have to say that stimulant therapy has been a godsend! My doctor first prescribed Ritalin-SR, and I felt it was not as effective as it could be, so she changed my prescription to Adderall XR 20 mg and I feel it is working. I feel more focused at work with better concentration. I don't procrastinate as often as I have (my entire life), but one unexpected result of the therapy is I no longer feel irritable and short-tempered! I also don't feel frustrated as much as I used to. My staff and co-workers have noticed the difference and have told me they don't feel the need to 'walk on eggshells' around me! So in summation, Adderall is certainly doing the trick!"

• MLM...
• August 19, 2017

For ADHD "I have struggled with ADD since I was in grade school. Although diagnosed, my mother was not about putting me on medication. That being said, I struggled really bad until I graduated. I am now 22 and have been on almost any ADD/ADHD medication you can think of. To keep it short and sweet, Concerta and Focalin worked for about an hour, then I turned into a horrible person to be around - extreme mood swings, aggression, agitation, really easily annoyed, and hostile. My doctor decided to put me on Adderall XR 10 mg tablets, and let me tell you, it has saved my life! It lasts all day for me, I am more focused, my heart rate doesn't jump to extremes like it did on Focalin. It actually makes me more relaxed and enjoyable to be around. 10/10"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2021

For ADHD "Worked really well for the first week or so, but then really made me more irritable and gave me uncontrollable suicidal urges that ultimately sent me to the hospital. The suicidal urges stopped after dropping the medication. I wouldn't recommend against the medication, I would just proceed with caution as the side effects can vary in intensity from person to person."

• Anonymous
• July 7, 2009

For Narcolepsy "Works wonders for me. I still occasionally have some daytime sleepiness, which I can handle with a quick 5-minute nap, but it has gotten rid of the cataplexy. I really had a problem with symptoms of cataplexy. If I laughed, got mad, or was emotional in any way, I would end up on the floor. I rarely have any of these symptoms now, which is a miracle for me. I do have two side effects: one is that I can become pretty irritable, and the second is that I get a bit more aroused."

• 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."

• NHe...
• May 12, 2009

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD 6 years ago by my family physician. She put me on Effexor, which seemed to help at first, but over the next year, the side effects were not worth the results. Another doctor recently prescribed Adderall, and when that worked well, he gave Adderall XR. I am so much more centered, can concentrate, and my quality of life is so much better. I hate that it is thought of as a 'street drug,' and I hate that the price is so high. The generic did nothing for me except to make me agitated/jittery for a few hours, then crashed and had a headache."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 10, 2017

For ADHD "I take the extended release once a day. I recently got a dose increase for my extreme fatigue. It has been about 3 weeks, and I do not like the symptoms that occur with it. I feel like a zombie, I don't enjoy talking when I am on my medicine. I get extremely bad, frequent headaches, I am even more tired when it wears off, but I am unable to sleep. I get really irritable and moody. With the lower dose, the main problematic symptom I would have was the dry mouth, but that was manageable."

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2011

For ADHD "I've been on Adderall since I was in high school, so about 5 years. It works well for my concentration and allows me to focus for an extended period of time, such as when studying. This medicine has definitely helped me, but it has a lot of side effects. For me, loss of appetite, euphoria, and dry mouth are the most common. Headaches are frequent, but nothing ibuprofen can't fix. I've been on and off antidepressants that affected the Adderall. When I was on Lexapro, taking Adderall would make me irritable, anxious, and paranoid, sometimes to a full-blown panic attack. Now I'm on Prozac, and the Adderall combination is fine. But I still get anxious and mildly irritable when the 'high' of the Adderall decreases."

• 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."

• Dee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2015

For ADHD "I am only giving this a 7 because it definitely made a change in my ability to concentrate for long periods, but it was not a pleasant experience. As soon as I took the medicine, it would make me feel exhausted and tired. I would have to fight the tiredness to get any benefit out of it. By the end of the day, I was drained. It also made me extra agitated. I couldn't focus on more than one thing at a time, so when someone would distract me, I would get very irritated. I also tensed up my muscles and had bad neck/bad pain. I switched to Ritalin, but that was crap too. They put me on Vyvanse, and it feels similar, but less intense than Adderall, so we shall see."

• 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)."

• ash...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 4, 2022

For ADHD "I was on this for ADHD, but it was surprisingly effective for borderline personality disorder symptoms as well. I know an addictive medication is not ideal for some with borderline, but it works for me in some ways. At first, it helped a lot with mood stability, irritability, motivation, and impulsivity. I’m about 8 months in on the same dose (20 mg), and it is still helpful with irritability and impulsivity, but that goes away at night when it wears off. It’s a decent temporary relief. For ADHD, it’s stayed about the same level of effectiveness for me. I can focus pretty okay during the day as long as my Borderline Personality Disorder isn’t causing me to fixate on something. This is pretty solid for me, though, because I haven’t tried another medication that works for my ADHD. I've tried Wellbutrin and SNRIs, and they just made everything worse for me. This one doesn’t make anything worse at least, but it does drop in effectiveness over time."