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Fibromyalgia and Adderral

blessed375
0 Recommendations

The extreme fatigue I have and brain fog has gotten out of control. Went as far as to have a sleep study which basically stated I did not stay in R.E.M sleep for as long as most people. I have had a fibro diagnosis for several years. Just recently read that Adderral is sometimes used for the brain fog and fatigue, but also helps with the joint/muscle pain.

Does anyone have this experience with Adderral for treatment of Fibro?

Please feel free to email me directly
blessed375@yahoo.com

Thank you.
Jen

Explore topics in this discussion:

Dizziness Confusion Sleep apnea CPAP Hypotension Pain Memory Provigil Fibromyalgia Depression Dysautonomia Adderall

16 replies

dizzybee

I do take adderall 3x daily (15mg). I have dysautonomia, which is sorta like fibro on steroids :)

I don't know if it really helps or not, b/c I'm afraid to stop and sleep for a few years.....

You have to find a dr. willing to rx it. And they can only give you a script once a month, b/c we are over 18 so we can't have it (kind of strange huh, giving a kid amphetamines is ok)

blessed375

It's intersting that you say dysautomia. I wonder b/c I have FMF I have read dysautomia is often related to it.

I have frequent bouts of shortness of breath and heart palpitations and low body temp. How did you obtain your dx of dysautomia and who prescribes your adderral?

Do you have any unusual side effects from it?

Thank you

Jen

Kathie1

My son has POTS, a type of dysautonomia. He is on year 3 now. HIs biggest problem now is the faitgue. His Dr. and nurse practiotioner have put him on adderal to counteract the fatigue which has been debilitating as of late (sleeps 20 + hours in a day) Dr. Grubb is his specialist. If you go to dynakids.org or Dysautonomia Information network (DINET.org) you can find a listing of POTS symtoms. Hope this helps. Kathie

blessed375

Thank you Kathie -

It is ironic you say this.....I saw a cardiologist last month b/c I blacked out in Walmart. I had to wear a 30 day halter monitor and my heartrate would be 75 or so sitting and jump 40 bpm just from standing.....Every single time. When I mentioned POTS she said POTS is the same thing as Orthostatic Hypotension. I am convinced the Heart rate thing, Fibro symptoms Low temps etc are all connected. How was your son able to get on Adderall since the federal govt. mandates a diagnosis of ADD for its use? I guess those of us who are so fatigued and sleep all day would fit into the ADD catagory.

Interesting info.
Thank you
Jen

Kathie1

It sure sounds to me that you have POTS. There are so many resources that are available to get the information. You will find plenty of correlation between POTS, CFS and fibromyalgia. Based on what you just described it sounds pretty likey to me that you could have POTS. You may want to try to get into see Dr. Grubb and/or his nurse practitioner, Beverly Karabin. You can also email me at Kschwarz@woh.rr.com. As far as the script, I do not think that the only reason adderall is ordered is for ADHD. Adam takes it to counteract the severe fatigue. Does that help you in any way? Hang in there girl! Kathie

blessed375

Thank you much!! I will keep you posted as to what I figure out this week.

dizzybee

POTS and Ortho Hypo are different. POTS is Postural Orthostatic TACHYCARDIA Syndrome. When you stand your bp drops and your heart rate goes fast. Mine is stand up, fall down, bp drops and so does hr.

Dr. Grubb and Vanderbilt and the preminent researchers in dysautonomia. You can check www.dinet.org and www.nord.org both have lists of doctors in your area that treat dysautonomia. The usual gold standard test is a Tilt Table Test (Study) this is done by a cardiologist. It is painless, they hook you to EKG and strap you to a table and sit it up at an angle and monitor your hr and bp this way they can tell exactly which dysautonomia that you have (there are several diff. types). But I urge you to see a specialist to treat it. Most doctors have a. Never heard of it/your're making it up, or b. will prescribe the wrong meds that will do you more harm than good.

dizzybee

you don't need to have ADD to get adderall. You need a good doc who is willing to say that it is medically necessary. Most ins. will cover it (I have BC/BS), but they will send you a letter saying that they will only let you have it for a year. My dysautonomia doc. first rx'd for me, but he is in Pensacola (6 hrs away) and now my primary care does it, so that the pharmacies don't think I'm dr. shopping or selling it. It's good to keep all your eggs in one basket when it comes to meds.

ryanis3434

I have had brain fog and fatigue for about 9 months. Before having these symptoms I was already diagnosed with sleep apnea about 3 months before. It was also due to the lack of REM sleep i am getting. I also have Periodic Leg Movement or something like that. I got a cpap and i didnt see a major difference.
I dont think i have fibro. I wasnt seeing any difference in the brain fog or fatigue. I have been to an endocronologist, a neurologist, a sleep doctor, a pediatritian ( I am 17), a nurtritionist, a hellensitic type doctor, an allergist, and an adhd doctor. I have gotten over 10 blood test, urine tests, CT scan, MRI, and an allergy test. I also got my tonsels removed, which was supposed to improve my sleep apnea. The hellenistic doctor suggested taking thyroid medication because mine were a little low on a newer scale, but he gives thyroid medication for everyone that goes in there. I took that for about a month, but my endocronologist told me to get off of it. I also had a very bad sinus infection around the time this all happend, but got medication but did not take it daily, but then i went back to get a CT scan and took the medication again and got rid of the sinus infection. Then I went to the allergist and I wasnt allergic to anything. Then I went to the neurologist, but The CT and MRI came up fine. Then I went to the nurtritionist, who put me on a sugar free protein and carbs only type diet (he thought i had reactive hypoglycemia which he had, but his symptoms were much different and i dont think that is it) , i have seen a little bit of improvement since i started it and i have been on it for about 6 months. The doctor that told me I have a 104 testosterone level, which is low, told me that could be causing my fatigue and brain fog. I have an appointment coming up with another endocronoligist that is supposed to tell me whether or not i can take replacment testosterone. The physciatrist that perscribed me adhd medication said that could be causing it as well. I have only taken adhd medication 2 days. The first day I took 40mg of conserta. I saw a little difference. Then today I took 30 mg of adderall but I didnt know adderal is double conserta or something so that was 60 mg or something like that and I felt very dizzy and hyperactive. I think brain fog is very hard to describe, and for a while I just thought I was making this up and i was a hypocondriac, but i read many of the same things i am feeling. The symptoms I have in the best way i can describe them are lack of clarity, I will think one thing and say another, I cant think of the right words to say, fatigue (idk if that is a different problem or if it is causing the brain fog), and short term memory problems. This brain fog is not all of the time and I have good and bad days and hours. I know that this is very long, but this brain fog and fatigue is ruining my life and has caused some depression. I need advice.

ryanis3434

This also all started after a 4-5 inch growth spurt and i still have not stopped growing

sao49

I have been taking adderall for a month now. I also have been diagnosed with FM,restless leg and sleep apnea. Did sleep study and used cpap for a year and saw no difference in my sleep. Still sleepy and have brain fog. I also am cold a lot and have blacked out and have shortness of breath.Was taking provigil to try to stay awake during the day so I could sleep at night. Went to dr again because Iof weight gain after I lost my job because of my illness.Dr. put me on adderall and took away my provigil. Seems to help me get through the day better and has knocked down the urge to eat. Feel like I have a little more energy, but still have to watch how much I do. If I overdue it I feel terribl for a couple of days!

KathyRN

I asked my Pain Management doc about the possibility of going on Adderall XR about 18 months ago and she agreed to try it. It was the best thing to happen to me in a very long time! I finally felt like DOING things again. It wasn't so much that I was fatigued, it was more like I was apathetic, and the Adderall XR put the spark back into my life. Unfortunately, that doctor has left town and her partner doesn't "believe" in giving patients Adderall, so the spark has been extinguished. I am now looking for a new doctor - one with an open mind!!

sao49

Still on adderall and do not seem to be able to stay awake in the afternoon. Take mirapex for restless leg,1 per day,but it seems like I need a second one because my legs move all over earlier and earlier all the time. Can you take 2 a day,does anyone know? My fibro can some days be very debilitating,especially if I try to do too much. Feet and legs hurt all the time and have weird pain shooting up my legs. Now my feet and legs swell up if I sit very long without putting my feet up. Gets very depressing at times!!

swimam

I have had CFS/Me for 10 years and a lot of what you are saying sounds the same. At first symptoms were extreme fatigue, dizziness and racing heart when standing. I have changed things and am much better after a couple of years of strict pacing. Although when I am unwell the racing heart when standing returns and dizziness. getting a good nights sleep helps also to get better.

Kathie1

Have you been to DINET.org, dynakids.org, POTSplace or any of the other resources out there? Adam takes 40 mg of adderall in the morning and another 20 in the afternoon on top of a host of other meds to help raise his blood pressure. He also has a lot of pain and almost like the restless leg syndrome as well. He becomes shakey at times, almost like he is hypoglycemic. The brain fog, the forgetfullness, the confusion is also a huge issue even on all the meds that he has. There is also a video on you tube that has news casts of dysautonomia and POTS, perhaps you would find that info helpful as well. Blessings to you dear one. Kathie

tmichaelroche

I am in the same situation. As always, consult with your doctor, my experience is just that, my experience. I can tell you that it was determined that I do have ADHD and I do have Fibromyalgia. The Adderall does work for your "brain" fog, however, I have found that it also triggers the nerves throughout the body (on occasion) and can make your fibromyalgia worse than ever. Not always, however it does happen. Just like anything else you have to weigh the advantages to the disadvantages.
I know, I know you don't want to hear all of this, but it can work for some people. Good Luck

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