Can adderall cause paranoia?

[cactus19]

Well for the last couple of months, I've just noticed that I become really paranoid in public, more specifically, times that I may feel threatened or nervous.  An example of the worst it gets:  I carry a knife everywhere I go, I made it a habit a while ago for cutting boxes at work and because I'd have to walk home after work, but that was over the summer, and I quit because of school.  So there's no need for a knife, but I still feel like I need some form of protection.  I've even kept it in my front coat pocket so I could grab it easily if needed-- the weird thing is that I get that feeling even when I'm just around friends who act a little suspicious.  Or just walking somewhere, or when I'm out somewhere and a group of people are walking by....   At home, if I'm the only person there and it seems like a car is parked outside waiting, or people are standing on the sidewalk infront of the house, ANY suspicious activity, I usually grab a gun and can't concentrate on whatever I'm doing cause I'm too busy listening for a door to open or something....

I wanted to explain that first, so here's all the facts and stuff:


Switched from Ritalin to Adderall about 4 months ago, started on 20mg XR.  I stopped noticing the effects of it, and told my psychiatrist, and she gave me a scrip for 10mg IR to take with the XR.  Then about a month ago I mentioned that I've been getting distracted easily at school, so now I'm on 30mg XR/10mg IR everyday.  For the record, I'm 6'1"/220 lbs, a pretty big guy... I only say that cause I know body weight has alot to do with med dosages.

Other medications:  clonazepam [1mg] (not daily, only as needed for anxiety... usually like 3 or 4 days out of the week) -- Ambien [10mg] for sleep obviously

I exercise almost every day, smoke some pot at night occasionally- sometimes recreationally and sometimes just to get to sleep.  I take vitamins, fish oil when I remember, sometimes take pepcid or whatever is around the house for heartburn...  No medical problems besides sleep and occasional social anxiety, but the anxiety has gone down alot over the last year.  Except for the incidences I'm talking about.  And I only see my psychiatrist for medication refills/check-ins, it's only a 20 minute appointment and I never have anything big to talk about, but I only started seeing a psychiatrist b/c of the anxiety last year, which like I said, has gone down alot.




But these paranoia attack-type things are alot different than anxiety, I get alot of adrenaline when I feel like this...  and I tend to try to get somewhere where I feel safer, which is making very bad changes in my social life.  I feel like telling my psychiatrist next time I have an appt. but I don't want it to be mistaken for depression or anything... I took all types of anti-depressants for anxiety, and none helped, all of them made things worse, until she bumped me up to a benzodiazepine...  So I reallllllllly don't want to be put on antidepressants of any type, eh... I'm not really sure how to describe but whatever.

I mean can the adderall cause these types of side-effects?  And if not, what could be?  I guess I also need to know if this is something to get checked out immediately, I have no clue how serious this is....


Thanks-

[alex093]

Very interesting..my husband was started on seroquel a few months ago after having a psychotic break, extreme paranoia, while on adderall.  He was on a high dose serqouel for a while which competely shut him down to the point where he was sleeping all day. His psychiatrist told him he wanted him to take a leave of absence from graduate school which as been very hard for him. His paranoia stopped within 48hrs after stopping the adderall, but he was left sedated and angry from withdrawling from adderall.  A few weeks later he psychiatrist wanted to label him as bipolar which is so far from who he is given he has adhd and has never had a bout of mania except when he was on adderall.  He was placed on lamicatal, but had an adverse rxn and now placed on depakote. He is completely tired all the time and very upset with his psychiatrist because she will not let him work or go back to school. Naturally, this is very hard for our family. I feel as if the psychiatrist is not taking the paranoia serious that was induced by the adderall and instead is claming he has a mood disorder.

[crazyness08]

also, one more thing. my husband keeps saying that all of his anger issues are because of me and i have caused him so much pain over the last 8 years. i try to talk to him about it and he cant pinpoint anything so it seems as if he is making things up since i cant think of anything at all

[crazyness08]

I saw your entry in the blog aout the adderall and your spouse. i know you didnt really touch on what is going on and thats ok. i am trying to figure out though what the heck is going on in my husbands mind. first the doctors thought he had adhd because he couldnt focus and would get super angry about everything. even normal day to day activities. holidays and family things were the worst. so they put him on adderall IR. well he would feel better for about 45 minutes and feel crappy again so he would keep taking them over and over and over. then he got extremely paranoid and started going through my things. accusing me of doing drugs, cheating on him, hiding things from him, etc, etc. so then the dr said well it seems as if it is bipolar disorder and put him on depakote. yeah that threw him into such sedation he could not lift his arm so he was angry again about everything and not being able to focus let alone wake up. so he tells the dr that this happened and dr said well you are not bipolar then. my husband begged for the adderrall XR and he gave it to him 30mg 1x a day. he wakes up in the morning sad and angry, takes his pill and goes to work, seems higher then a kite during the day and then gets home at night and is very irriable, mean and making up stories and accusations again about me. it seems he is slipping into paranoia again and is taking everything out on me. i guess because i am the one he is closest too. i just wish he would focus on something else to be paranois about. it is affecting me in such ways that i started self medicating with vicodin and percocet. he thought i had a bad drug problem so i stopped doing it. i have had absoultely nothing for over 2 weeks and he swears i am hiding it. i dont need medicine like he does. i am ok when i stop taking drugs. now he wants me to take adderall but i dont want it nor do i need it. he keeps trying to probe me for things that are wrong with me when there is nothing. basically it is like he feels resentment for me because i dont need anything like he does. i am just wondering if you were going through these same kinds of psychotic episodes? It is breaking me down so much that i feel like i am going crazy.

thanks :)

[Johnny262]

Your paranoia comes from the adderall... adderall is a Amphetamine a schdule II drug from the FDA... basically it's speed... hi does will cause paranoiad symptoms. ask your doctor is you can reduse the doesage...

Good luck

[cactus19]

yeah man i feel ya... when im not on it, i feel like i wont be able to do anything unless i take it... school, work, video games, homework, going out, anything really... but im constantly looking around at people, seriously everyone, as if they pose some sort of threat.  i dont understand it.

my blood pressure increased too, but i think thats a common side effect

[CMS333]

I understand where you are coming from.  I take Adderall XR 30mg twice a day, and Adderall 30mg tablets, I usually break the tablet into four, and only take 1/4 as needed.  I am really paranoid all the time, about everything.  I also get really nervous when i am in social situations.  I have bitten my nails to the point where they actually hurt and look awful.  I was thinking about talking to my doctor about being prescribed to Lexapro or another type of drug, but due to work and school, i have not had a chance.  I should probably stop taking the adderall b/c of the problems, and also my blood pressure has increased.  But if i don't take it, all i think about is how i should take it to be productive.