Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I've been weening myself off my ADHD meds for several months now. I love myself when I take them, and coming off them has resulted in sluggishness, depression, OCD and of course, difficulty concentrating. I heard about this program and the claims that it helps with ADHD and depression, so I thought I'd give it a try. I stopped taking the meds entirely on the first day of the program. As a way of getting my energy levels up I forced myself to run 5 miles first thing everyday after waking up. Running also helps to get my brain going. The first 5 days my muscles felt heavy and uncoordinated. I could barely read or get any work done. I'm now on day 6 feel pretty great. I'm starting to believe that I can live without the ADHD meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAudrey Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 This is interesting! Were you already a runner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 Yep, I've been running for about 18 years. I stopped running when I started taking the meds; they take away your appetite and nervous energy so you can just sit and focus on something all day long. Day 7 and my energy is back, I don't feel like I have to run to get my mind fired up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 Day 10 - taking a day off from running. Feeling kind of tired. Not really hungry but I'd really love to eat some cake or something. I'm eating mostly salmon, eggs, asparagus, tomatoes, avocados, and nuts. Mentally I can concentrate pretty well on what I want to at the time, not so well on some of the things I need to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habitualpurpose Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 You're in the "now give me a damn twinkie" stage. http://whole9life.com/2012/06/the-whole30-timeline/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've been reading forums about quitting adderall and seems like it takes months for people to feel 'normal' again. I think this diet and exercise is really helping me accelerate the process. I'm on day 12 and I still sometimes want unhealthy food (and adderall)... but considering that increased appetite and weight gain are a problem with quitting ADHD meds I think I'm doing waay better than most. I definitely haven't gained weight, probably even lost a lb or 2. I sleep really well. I get into those really deep REM cycles and wake up super groggy. So I force myself to exercise in the morning to wake my body and mind. I also drink yerba mate with coconut milk to get me going. The first couple of hours in the day are a struggle to get my energy level up, after that it's pretty steady til I'm ready to go to sleep. I am curious to know what I'll want more by day 30 - adderall? soy latte? mojito? Hopefully by then I'll be too consumed by a photography project to want any of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Day 13 - instead of eggs I thought I'd start my day with a kale and strawberry shake made also with celery, ginger and coconut oil. I guess I feel pretty good about the diet and not really craving bad food anymore. The only hard part now is that I work at a nightclub and it's hard to turn down drinks. When I first started this program I didn't really think I'd go through with it.... that's probably why 30 days started to feel so long the more days I completed; the further along I got, the more serious I became about seeing the whole 30 days through. I began to tell more and more people the further I went along. Now I'm resolved to finish this. I really, REALLY didn't think that I was going to seriously quit adderall either. Secretly my plan was to abstain from it for a while so I could start taking it again at a lower dosage hoping it'd affect me the way it did when I first started taking it. My plan was to go through with this, go through all the motions - 'fake it till you feel it' - and when it all failed I could go back adderall but at a much healthier starting point. When I look back at previous posts I see I was trying hard to be optimistic. I haven't thrown my pills away yet, but I don't look at them longingly anymore. I'm feeling it now way more than I am faking it. My body (digestive system) has finally adjusted to not taking it anymore. That's a huge milestone for me. I can sit and work for an extended period of time. And my memory is better. How awesome is that?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Day 15 - halfway there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I also quit Adderall a while back. Not sure when I quit exactly. I only took it for a year as an attempt to find something that would work to quiet my scattered mind. I didn't feel it was working, and actually felt quite depressed on it, so I stopped taking it. I recently stopped taking antidepressants too. I'm a runner, but not nearly as seasoned as you. I have completed 6 half marathons and a 20k (all in 2011) and plan to start running full time again soon. Another thing I learned while taking Adderall is that it made my running heart rate higher and my breath control was decreased. Glad I'm not taking it anymore and wish you luck with your elimination as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Thanks, glad to hear you're also off the meds! You're definitely more of a runner than I am at this point. I quit running after the first week and started doing weight training as well as cross-fit type workouts. It's not as enjoyable as running but I figured I should try something different to encourage different muscle groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 Day 19 - I'm officially addicted to exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 Day 20 - I've always had a love-hate relationship with food. It's pretty much just love now. I'm actually cooking and enjoying it for the first time in my life. I just eat a couple of times a day and just don't get hungry as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I have discovered a love of cooking. Sometimes it's still a PITA, but I enjoy it for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Oh, and I don't know what kind of a runner I really am... I haven't run since February, at some point. Decided to work on losing weight and getting fit to make running less difficult and to cut back on the injuries I always found myself with. I think I only ran one of those 6 half marathons without an injury or without in recovery phase from an injury... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 I think i'm on day 22? I have some grass-fed beef shank in the oven that I'm about to devour. I was really hungry when I got home, didn't realize it was going to take 2 hours to cook. It's all good though.. I'm way more patient about eating foods I prepare (vs snacking on something convenient). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucket Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I am really glad to read that this has helped with you getting off meds. Part of the reason I started my Whole30 (I am only on Day 5) is that I have been tapering off my meds - dexedrine (similar to adderall) and wellbutrin. I want to feel good, happy, and focused without medication. I have not had a depressive episode in a few years, so I am hopeful that once my body adjusts more to the Whoel30 and I have a more consistent schedule I can fully tape off the meds with little fallout. Your posts are encouraging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 That's great to hear! I'm a total believer in this diet. I would just say make sure you get enough omega 3s for your brain. I take a fish oil supplement. Here's an article explaining how to choose a fish oil that's not rancid: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/oxidized-fish-oil/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Day 26 - I've been a little sick these last couple of days and feeling low on energy. Still, eating well and exercising a little bit. I've been fermenting veggies and just today I started making kombucha. Feels good to be almost done, even though I plan on sticking to paleo anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 Twice today I've experienced this creepy warm sensation under my left foot. I normally have really bad circulation that's intolerable in the wintertime, so this is really quite different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Day 27... getting there. I think the only thing i miss at this point is soy lattes.. or even just having some sugar in my coffee. I think that's the one thing I'm looking forward to come Saturday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Two more days! Woot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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