My husband was just recently diagnosed w/ ADHD & put on Adderol...but the pills are making him very hyper..?

Question

and shaky....I thought when someone was ADHD, the medicine was suppose to calm him down? Could he have been misdiagnosed???

Answer 1

Adderol is basically a milder form of Speed, in that it can make the individual jittery and hyper. So why is it used for people with ADHD? Because it should be a "controlled" hyperness. People with ADHD have trouble concentrating, Adderol focuses their hyperness into a controlled form so that they can function in the everyday world.
Don't worry too much. If your husband was just diagnosed and has just started taking the pills, his body is acclimating itself to the pills and within a couple of weeks, the hyperness will calm itself down. However, if it continues, you should get the doctor to down the dosage. Adderol comes in many forms and you can get pills with different amounts of it in them. Good luck!

Answer 2

I take Adderol and when I first began it I got shaky and hyper too but I am diagnosed ADD not ADHD. Maybe he has attention deficit without the hyperactivity and that is why he is acting hyper on the new medication. Thats what happened to me. The add/adhd confusion and misdiagnoses happens a lot more than people think, especially with males. All I can say is that for me personally, after about 2 weeks the symptoms calmed down and a few disappeared all together. Watch out for excessive teeth grinding, that never went away for me so I ended up getting a mouth guard for when I sleep. (good idea at night for YOU and him!) Also I keep my side effects at bay by taking my medication at the same time everyday so maybe that could help him as well as the weeks go on. It takes time to adjust to the medication, but of course i'm also going to say the obligatory "check with the doctor". Oh and if he isn't on the XR-Adderol (extended release) ask the doc about those. That might help him out if he has any "crashing" feelings during the day as the meds wear off. I didn't have XR at first and it really does make you feel like you are at the seventh layer of hell sometimes! I added some reference links for you at the bottom. I hope this helps you both, best wishes!

Answer 3

There are several possibilities, some of which have been mentioned by others:

1. Every medication has side effects that may subside over time. I would give Adderall one or two weeks. Adderall is a stimulant that is supposed to stimulate executive functioning in your brain to control random thoughts and scattered thoughts. Thus, it is supposed to have a paradoxical effect. Not hype you, but make you more controlled. It really helps with hyperactivity more than the Attention Deficit part. So, you can wait and see. If the hyperactivity subsides, than ok. Note also that everyone's tolerance to side effects are different.

2. Adderall may be the wrong medication or the dose may be wrong. If you cannot tolerate the hyperactivity, the doctor could up the dose a little and it may work. You can also change the medication because one medication may not work but another will even in the same class of medications, e.g., stimulants.

3. You can try another class of medications, like anti-depressants, namely, SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) or other anti-depressants which have also proved effective with ADD-ADHD.

4. Don't try any medication at all, and try psychotherapy, namely CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) techniques, which may be used as an adjunct to medication anyway and together may prove more effective.

Good luck!

Answer 4

It's a myth that ADHD drugs don't get people with ADHD high. Right now he's just adjusting to the medication. Everyone who goes on ADHD medication gets high the first few times and later he'll get used to the medication and won't get the buzz. It could also be that his dosage is too low. I don't even have ADHD, but trying a lot of Ritalin (much more than prescribed) I've behaved sedated and calm. Talk to the doctor. It's probably just temporary side effects.

Answer 5

Hi:

When I began taking adderal years ago, I felt the same way and also I felt as if I were in mania. I called the doc and was told i need to give my body time to adjust to this new chemical I am feeding it and if it wasn't better by my next appointment at the office then changes would be made. But if it became worse and intollerable prior to my next appointment to call the office, but the bottom line was that it is time and patience.

I remember all this because it scared the heck out of me and I thought the same...could I have been misdiagnosed? Now, I am a fan of Adderal. And everyone knows when I have missed a dose. :)

Be safe and be well

Answer 6

I, also, have ADHD. The medicine is definitely NOT supposed to be making him hyper. He needs to get back with the doctor and let him know that's what the medicine is doing. There are multitudes of different ADHD meds. It really is an individual thing---meaning he may have to go through several different ones before they come up with the right one!

Answer 7

My mother, who is a nurse said that the reason he is hyper and shaky is because he doesn't need it and he doesn't have ADHD or he is taking too much. Their brain may not need the chemicals. If you are ADHD the medicine calms you down. If you don't it is an "upper."

Answer 8

if adderal is making him hyper, he could indeed have been misdiagnosed, or his degree of adhd isn't bad enough to warrant the dose he is taking. He needs to consult with his doctor.

Answer 9

Contact your doctor and tell him/her how your husband is reacting. The medication may need more time in his system for him to adjust to it. Nevertheless, you should contact the doctor immediately and let him/her decide the best course of action.

Answer 10

Adderall may not be the best drug for him. You may need to switch to another like Ritalin, Concerta, or Focalin.