Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hi everyone, I am asking this question on behalf of a good friend. She was on Adderall for over four years for ADD, and she did not feel hunger for the entire time. She's now been off Adderall for several weeks and has also been making the transition to a paleo diet (still having some cheese and wine occasionally). She has been struggling with food intake lately, as she has to re-learn how to identify "real" hunger as opposed to a desire to snack. She wants to lose about 10-15 pounds (not overweight but in a profession where her appearance matters). She's feeling frustrated lately because she hasn't seen any results, and she's considering going back on Adderall, which would destroy her sense of hunger again.

Has anyone out there gone off Adderall successfully while eating paleo? Any hacks that would help her out? She's already gone several weeks without the drug so I think it would be a shame if she threw in the towel at this point.

More info about her: she is athletic and exercises, in a high-stress profession, eats mostly eggs, bacon, chicken, organic sausages, coconut oil, sweet potatoes, avocados, carrots. (I'm trying to get her over to grass-fed beef and lamb but I started out relying on packaged bacon and sausages too, so I'm not really pushing that issue too hard yet). She likes most vegetables but despises seafood.

flag	asked Apr 23 2012 at 17:33 Violet9 2,294●1●6●19

Oh, and her sleep is okay. She doesn't take any supplements currently. – Violet9 Apr 23 2012 at 17:34

bittykitty · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-23 17:43:42Z UTC

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I've come off Adderall twice.You will have some initial weight gain as your body adjusts,but everything seems to level out after the third month.The mental side affects are far worse than the physical..hope she is seeing a qualified specialist who can help her get through safely.

answered Apr 23 2012 at 17:43

bittykitty
1,668●5●11

This makes sense to me. Thanks for your answer. She hasn't complained of many mental side effects yet but she might just not be sharing those with me. – Violet9 Apr 23 2012 at 18:10

Eric S · Answer 2 · 2012-04-23 18:00:23Z UTC

This is something that I was not able to do successfully. I switched to Vyvanse because I experience fewer side effects with it. Even though my attempts were unsuccessful, my experience may have yielded some information that she'll find helpful.

Readjustment after 4 years won't happen over night. It's important that she understands the importance of being patient.
The blog ADHD Treatments has a lot of useful information regarding supplements for ADD patients. She should give it a look, or you should for her if you have that level of motivation.

http://adhd-treatment-options.blogspot.com/
Adaptogens like rhodiola and holy basil enhance the effects of stimulants (in my experience), and while this was too much for me to handle on days when I took Adderall, I find them helpful (rhodiola in particular) to take on off days. They should also assist with weight loss.
If she doesn't already, she mine as well assist the transition with more benign stimulants like green tea or coffee. There's no reason to go cold turkey.

Hope these suggestions help.

Going off Adderall--what to do?

2 Answers