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Is Abrupt Stopping Of Adderall Intake Safe?

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Posted on Fri, 28 Feb 2014
Question: My psychiatrist has not been returning my calls. I left him a message stating I am stopping my Adderall cold XXXXXXX I have abused it in the past, and he is aware. I was on 120mg daily down to 90mg, and I have decided this drug is no good. I take Prozac 60mg, klonopin 3mg, Seroquel 50mg, testosterone gel 40mg, genotropin .3mg, and arimidex 1mg. Is it safe to stop cold turkey?
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Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: Not recommended to stop cold XXXXXXX .. Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query. I understand that you want to stop Adderall and would like to know if it safe to do so abruptly ('cold turkey'). As you may be aware, Adderall is a stimulant medication belonging to the class of amphetamines. This class of medication does have a potential for dependence / abuse, which you say you have experienced in the past. Also, if this medication is stopped suddenly after taking it for a long period of time, then there is a chance of developing what is called a "discontinuation syndrome". This is something similar to a withdrawal syndrome seen with amphetamine dependence but it is relatively milder. In my clinical experience, I have seen many of my patients develop unpleasant symptoms after sudden discontinuation of Adderall. The commonly experienced symptoms are sleep disturbance, low mood, anxiety, irritability, tiredness, fatigue, etc. In some people who have co-existing depression (as in your case), there can be a temporary worsening of depressive symptoms also. So, considering these possible problems, I would not recommend stopping the Adderall cold XXXXXXX If you want to stop the medication, then the best option would be to gradually taper down the dose and then stop. You can discuss this with your psychiatrist and ask him to give you a tapering schedule of the medication. Wish you all the best. Regards, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar Consultant Psychiatrist
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 2190 Questions

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Is Abrupt Stopping Of Adderall Intake Safe?

Brief Answer: Not recommended to stop cold XXXXXXX .. Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query. I understand that you want to stop Adderall and would like to know if it safe to do so abruptly ('cold turkey'). As you may be aware, Adderall is a stimulant medication belonging to the class of amphetamines. This class of medication does have a potential for dependence / abuse, which you say you have experienced in the past. Also, if this medication is stopped suddenly after taking it for a long period of time, then there is a chance of developing what is called a "discontinuation syndrome". This is something similar to a withdrawal syndrome seen with amphetamine dependence but it is relatively milder. In my clinical experience, I have seen many of my patients develop unpleasant symptoms after sudden discontinuation of Adderall. The commonly experienced symptoms are sleep disturbance, low mood, anxiety, irritability, tiredness, fatigue, etc. In some people who have co-existing depression (as in your case), there can be a temporary worsening of depressive symptoms also. So, considering these possible problems, I would not recommend stopping the Adderall cold XXXXXXX If you want to stop the medication, then the best option would be to gradually taper down the dose and then stop. You can discuss this with your psychiatrist and ask him to give you a tapering schedule of the medication. Wish you all the best. Regards, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar Consultant Psychiatrist