Adderall and Klonipin: history of substance abuse

hello all, I am new here to this site however, i have some questions regarding different medications. I have bipolar disorder NOS with a history of Rx substance abuse from self medicating my bipolar. I self medicated for approximately 2 years before getting clean this past september and getting some real help for this disease from a therapist, psychiatrist, and family practice doctor.

I'm currently taking Invega 9mg everyday and have been off of suboxone since december but the dr. wants me to start up on it again for some cravings of which I'd rather just deal with on my own cause the suboxone was so hard to taper off of in the first place. So far, i've done well with my sobriety and have stayed clean, although not that much time in the long run. I have talked with my doctor about possibly using these drugs to help medicate my disorder pretty much with laughter from the doctor.

Sometimes, I have really bad anxious attacks that usually don't last for more than 2-3 hours. I thought since klonipin had the least risk of addiction from other benzodiazepine's that it would be a legitimate option to take, considering i also have someone to control my meds for me everyday. however, the doctor disagrees that this would be clean time suicide for me.

the other problem I MORE FREQUENTLY have is that I cannot concentrate AT ALL during the day. The Invega pretty much puts a hole straight through my brain to the point that I can barely function and almost am drooling on myself. This has become a major hindrance to me since school has started this semester. My searches has come up that adderall or whatever is a good choice for problems like this.

I don't want to switch off the Invega right now becuase it has helped me out so much as far as the mood swings, shifts from high to low, racing thoughts etc. that are SOOOO MUCH BETTER on this medication but right now I am having an incredibly hard time coping with some of these side effects.

Please discuss, any and all info would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe they could lower your Invega dose a little. I am on 6mg and its helping me a lot. Today I didn't even have an anxiety attack when we were driving on icy roads which is usually a sure triger for me. Oh---and Ambien works for sleep for me and it is non addicting. Oh--and on my med chart--ignore the Cymbalta, my pdoc wants to start getting me off of it once we are sure the Invega keeps working for me.

Hi There,

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on your clean time!! That is certainly something to celebrate. I am a person in long-term recovery (17 years) and I want to encourage you in your recovery. Wooohoooo!!!

Benzodiazepines are generally not a good idea for those of us with histories of addiction. The MAIN reason for this is that they have such a high tolerance factor. Any benzo will need to be increased over time in order to retain its effectiveness because our brains so easily become accustomed to a particular dose. The need for more and more and more over time can very easily trigger cravings and old behaviors in people with addictions.

Yes, there are benzos that are less addictive than others because they are longer or shorter acting, giving less of an initial "hit" to the person taking it. However, ALL benzos build up tolerance over time (a process called neuroadaptation). So, for this point, I agree with your doc.

Now... for all of the other stuff... if the side effect load of a particular medication is intolerable to you, your doc SHOULD listen to you. Period!! There are so many medications available for bipolar disorder these days that keeping you on a medication that is terribly uncomfortable to you is simply asking for trouble, and it is disrespectful. People become non-compliant with meds that they do not tolerate.

There are also bipolar meds that do not cause such marked cognitive side effects. You SHOULD be able to think straight on your meds. Especially if you are just on ONE med. I am only telling you these things as a reality check. You may not have access to people who have been through the "lab rat" process yet. But, many of us feel that way while we're finding the right med or combination of meds.

If you are having marked anxiety symptoms, your doc should listen to you about that. Anxiety is a key symptom of bipolar disorder. If your mood is stable, but your anxiety is running wild, your bipolar is not being fully treated. It is only being partially treated.

You have the right, as a patient with a medical condition, to have your disorder fully addressed. You do not have to settle for feeling "better." You have the right to feel WELL. If you are not seeing a physician who believes that, then you have the right to see a physician who does. If, however, you ARE seeing a physician who believes that but you are not communicating with him/her clearly, then that is what needs to change.

Sometimes addicts are so grateful just to be clean, that they forget there's more to life. I encourage you to strive for being well... not just for being better. If that means a change on your part, then go for it! If that means a new doc, then start asking around for a referral!

Okay... pep talk officially over. LOL I wish you the very, very best! You have come SO far... and you have an amazing future ahead of you.

Be well,
Jules

Thank you very much for your adivce as I followed it today when I scheduled a semi-emergency appointment with my doctor when I got absolutely no relief through the day today, in fact, the anxiety worsened.

After explaining what was going on with me and making sure my psychiatrist listened and didn't hustle me out the door we came to a very clear understanding and he was very willing to listen as he had no idea how miserable i was due to me not voicing my complete opinion the last time I was at his office last week.

I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. he said my symptoms fit perfectly with a classic case of it. I didn't want to believe it and told him I did not want to be put on anything that I could get addicted to like xanax like I was on in the past before I made known my addiction problem. he prescribed me strattera and i can't believe that a stimulant could actually make my anxiety go away. I felt so much better just an hour after taking it. it was unreal.

So thank you for helping me get the courage to tell my doctor how I was feeling as it was a marked step in my recovery as the anxiety was making it very hard to stay clean. After being completely honest with my doctor, he was able to help me. I also signed up for some therapy to help with some cognitive issues I'm having as well and do some behavior and cognitive conditioning that way. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. You have no idea how much that has helped me.

God Bless!

WOW!! Look at what you did! What a marvelous step you took for yourself. And, for what little I did in giving you an encouraging word or two, you are very welcome. It is certainly my pleasure to lend a helping hand. But, The rest is ALLLL YOU and your Higher Power!

If you don't keep a journal, I would certainly encourage you to start. The kinds of things like you did today should be recorded for you to look back on. You may need to remind yourself some time that you CAN speak up for yourself and get your needs met. And... you took the extra step of employing a therapist.

Personally, I have both a pdoc and a therapist. They are both very important in my life and in my recovery. Both of them know about my substance abuse history and if they hear me say anything that makes them perk their ears, they bring it to my attention. It is good to have those kinds of safety nets around. Even with 17 years, I can't get sloppy.

Keep on, keepin' on! Figure out some small way to celebrate your victory today. Buy yourself something nice, send yourself a congratulations card, take your sponsor out to dinner, coffee or tea, put a little note on the fridge, take a long, hot bath, or do an anonymous "pay it forward" nice thing for someone else that you know is your own private celebration. There are lots of ways to mark special accomplishments in your life. This is one to mark!

Many blessing to you, as well! Let us know how you do with the anxiety and the focus!!

Be well,
Jules

Hi, I like your topic in this forum....
Thanks for this .
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Lucky

http://www.substanceabusesuppo... Substance Abuse Treatment

Just an update. I am doing much better now, but am still not stabilized on my current medicine. I have another appointment tomorrow with pdoc to discuss some anxiety and concentration issues. I ended up being allergic to strattera after taking it for about a week. Now I'm on Wellbutrin XL 150mg for the ADHD which I think helped at first but is now causing more anxiety and depression issues than it's worth. I'll let the doc decide though. Hoping to try something new anyways since what I have now is not working out for me. The Invega is causing some severe muscle and joint pain, so bad that I'm pretty much worthless for doing physical things.

Back on topic, I'm glad this helped you out because when I wrote this, I wasn't doing so hot. I'm at least better now and am much more aware of my condition than I was back when this was written. I believe people in my condition should not be given medications that can lead to abuse simply because we will probably abuse them. Not to mention stimulants can lead to or cause manic behavior. Anyways, just thought I would update.

What a great post. You've been through a lot. For the ADD, I find Vyvanse is much better and has less addiction potential. I don't feel as thought I've taken a stimulant, they can start you out low and it does last pretty much all day.

I take a higher dose as you'll see with my med combo and I never feel the need to increase it on my own. I used cocaine 20 years ago for about ten months here and there. Adderall seemed like cocaine to me and I had to get off of it.

Vyvanse is just Vyvanse and I have none of those cravings. It is very expensive though, very.

I couldn't agree more about the Vyvanse as that is what I am currently on now. My prescriber however, doesn't allow her patients to go past 70mg per day so I'm curious how you get that extra dose. Abilify works amazing now too. I'm quite fortunate to have a med combo that really works for me. I haven't felt this good in years.