What does it mean if stimulants make you sleepy?
Sleepiness is an uncommon side effect of Adderall, but it does happen. It's usually related to an Adderall crash after stopping use of the medication abruptly. It may also just be that Adderall has more of a calming effect on you. If sleepiness from Adderall is interfering with your daily life, talk to your doctor.
Adderall is a stimulant so that when it wears off, a person can feel the opposite effects to those it creates. This is because there is an imbalance of chemicals left in their brain. This can make a person feel tired and sluggish, which is known as an Adderall crash.
This results in an increase of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. But as the stimulant wears off and neurotransmitters return to their previous levels, you might be left with even worse fatigue (not to mention irritability).
Adderall is a stimulant so that when it wears off, a person can feel the opposite effects to those it creates. This is because there is an imbalance of chemicals left in their brain. This can make a person feel tired and sluggish, which is known as an Adderall crash.
Many users experience a loss of appetite, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure and body temperature, interrupted sleep patterns, panic, hallucinations, and irritability. Taking high dosages of stimulants can result in convulsions, seizures, and possibly even death.
When the dosage is too high, stimulants can cause children or even adults to seem “spacey” or “zombie-like,” or to be uncharacteristically tearful or irritable (a condition known as emotional lability). In general, the best way to rein in these side effects is simply to lower the dosage.
Category: ADHD. Burnout is a feeling of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion. Burnout additionally involves negative feelings or anxious thoughts about the quality of our performance in areas such as work or school. It can be caused by dealing with untreated ADHD symptoms.
It is unlikely that all symptoms will disappear completely, but most ADHD medications can help to make physical and mental symptoms more manageable. Medication may be working if a person is: feeling less anxious. consciously controlling impulsive behaviors.
Practitioner points: Fatigue is a common clinical feature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood. Evidence-based interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome could be adapted to address fatigue in ADHD in adults.
They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic. Stimulants include caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine. Large doses can cause over-stimulation, resulting in anxiety, panic, seizures, headaches, stomach cramps, aggression and paranoia.
How can I stop my ADHD fatigue?
- Medication. One of the most effective ways to treat ADHD symptoms is with either stimulant or non-stimulant medications. ...
- Therapy. Counseling for ADHD is helpful. ...
- Accommodations or 504 Plan. ...
- Sleep routine. ...
- Meditation.
Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.

Amphetamines are a stimulant and they send what's known as the sympathetic nervous system, or “fight or flight” hormone adrenaline into overdrive. Previous research has linked these drugs to premature aging of the skin, and the current study suggests amphetamines might also prematurely age the heart.
At high doses, prescription stimulants can lead to a dangerously high body temperature, an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and seizures. What are the other health effects of prescription stimulants? Repeated misuse of prescription stimulants, even within a short period, can cause psychosis, anger, or paranoia.
Taking too much (misuse) of an amphetamine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. You may have chills, nausea, and vomiting. You may become shaky and restless. You may see or hear things that are not there, or believe things that are not true.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
- being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings.
- constantly fidgeting.
- being unable to concentrate on tasks.
- excessive physical movement.
- excessive talking.
- being unable to wait their turn.
- acting without thinking.
- interrupting conversations.
Stimulant medications such as Concerta, Vyvanse, and Adderall are often prescribed for adult ADHD patients. As of the date of this article, the max prescribed dose for Adderall XR is 60 mg, the max prescribed dose for Vyvanse is 70 mg, and the max prescribed dose for Concerta ER is 72 mg.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD are related in several ways. ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
What does ADHD overwhelm look like?
Becoming easily overwhelmed and distracted can sometimes be hallmark symptoms of ADHD. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, people with ADHD might experience symptoms like: restlessness. difficulty focusing.
If your medication is working, you'll notice less impulsivity — both physical and verbal. You will interrupt people or jump out of your seat less often. You'll notice that your thoughts are less impulsive, too.
A good response to stimulant medication typically results in: – Improved attention span – being able to read longer while staying focused; being able to listen longer while staying focused. – Reduced distractability – being able to remain focused when some distractions occur around you.
In people who don't have ADHD, because Adderall produces an excess amount of dopamine, users may experience feelings of euphoria and increased energy levels, as well as possible dangerous physical and emotional side effects.
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Fast-paced jobs that may be a good fit if you have ADHD:
- emergency responder (firefighter, EMT)
- retail worker.
- service employee.
- journalist.
- teacher.
- athlete.
If a person with ADHD does not receive help, they may have difficulty staying focused and maintaining relationships with other people. They may also experience frustration, low self-esteem, and certain other mental health conditions.
Because Vyvanse is a stimulant, a person may feel depressed or fatigued when it begins to wear off. This is known as a Vyvanse crash. A person who takes Vyvanse in the morning may experience a midday crash as the drug begins to leave their system. The crash may make a person's symptoms challenging to manage.
Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy—uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy.
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Physical symptoms:
- Changes (usually decreases) in appetite.
- Twitches or jitteriness.
- Rapid heartbeat.
- Elevated blood pressure.
- Weight loss.
- Hair loss.
- Sweating.
- Skin problems.
Stimulants raise the level of dopamine in the brain to where they'd be for someone without ADHD. ADHD meds shouldn't change your child's personality. If your child is grumpy and tearful or seems like a zombie, that's a sign their dose is too high.
Do stimulants help with ADHD boredom?
The researchers also found that after three months of treatment with stimulant medication, both ADHD symptoms and boredom proneness decreased. But when medication was withdrawn, ADHD symptoms and boredom proneness increased once again in a lock-step fashion.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and boosts dopamine production — both of which help the body with movement, attention, and focus. In the context of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), treatments often include stimulant medication, which has a similar effect.
Yes. Whether you view attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as neurological — affecting how the brain concentrates or thinks — or consider ADHD as a disability that impacts working, there is no question that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers individuals with ADHD.
Students without ADHD who find themselves tempted to use medications for which they do not have prescriptions need to know: Doing so is illegal. They could be arrested for possession of a controlled substance. There are health risks related to taking a medication not prescribed for you.
It is unlikely that all symptoms will disappear completely, but most ADHD medications can help to make physical and mental symptoms more manageable. Medication may be working if a person is: feeling less anxious. consciously controlling impulsive behaviors.
According to scientific research, consuming caffeine can double the levels of both epinephrine and cortisol. This can happen to even regular coffee drinkers, causing spikes in stress. Putting your body in that high-alert state can tire you out and make you feel sleepy.
Because Vyvanse is a stimulant, a person may feel depressed or fatigued when it begins to wear off. This is known as a Vyvanse crash. A person who takes Vyvanse in the morning may experience a midday crash as the drug begins to leave their system. The crash may make a person's symptoms challenging to manage.
If you take Adderall to help manage your ADHD, you may have noticed a surprising side effect. You might feel really calm or sleepy. Or you may have low energy, also known as fatigue. It's rare, but it happens.
Taking too much (misuse) of an amphetamine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. You may have chills, nausea, and vomiting. You may become shaky and restless. You may see or hear things that are not there, or believe things that are not true.
They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic. Stimulants include caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine. Large doses can cause over-stimulation, resulting in anxiety, panic, seizures, headaches, stomach cramps, aggression and paranoia.
What is a major side effect of stimulant medication?
Common side effects of ADHD medications
Common side effects of stimulants include decreased appetite, problems sleeping, upset stomach, or headache, according to the National Institute of Mental Health . Your doctor may need to adjust your child's dosage to relieve some of these side effects.
Some adults with ADHD find that caffeine doesn't wake them up or make them sleepy. This group of people can drink coffee all day and still be able to fall asleep at night. They don't feel jittery or anxious, but neither do they feel 'switched on' after a caffeine beverage.
Caffeine interacts with a molecule in the body called adenosine , which assists with communication between brain cells and acts as a nervous system depressant. Adenosine levels increase throughout the day and help promote feelings of drowsiness.
This discrepancy is often due to a heightened state of sleep inertia, a circadian process that modulates memory, mood, reaction time and alertness upon waking, according to a 2015 study. Some people experience impaired performance and grogginess in this period after first turning off the alarm.
- 1) Tremors. ...
- 2) Insomnia. ...
- 3) Nausea and Vomiting. ...
- 4) Increased Blood Pressure. ...
- 5) Irregular or Fast Heartbeat. ...
- 6) Hallucinations or Confusion. ...
- 7) Panic Attacks. ...
- Severe Headache.
Vyvanse and Substance Abuse
Stimulants like Vyvanse have a high potential for abuse and addiction, especially among people who do not have ADHD. It is a “Schedule II Stimulant,” a designation that the Drug Enforcement Agency uses for drugs with a high potential for abuse.
Within five days up to several weeks after taking the last dose of Vyvanse, withdrawal symptoms can include abrupt mood swings, aches, and pains, irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and depression. For most people, the majority of the Vyvanse withdrawal symptoms will end within two weeks.
In people who don't have ADHD, because Adderall produces an excess amount of dopamine, users may experience feelings of euphoria and increased energy levels, as well as possible dangerous physical and emotional side effects.
- Changing the dose of your ADHD medication.
- Adjusting the timing of when you take your ADHD medication.
- Switching you to a different stimulant medication in the treatment of your Adult ADHD.
- Adding a “booster” dose of ADHD medication to lower the crash effect.
The immediate-release Adderall version will last around 4–6 hours per dose, while Adderall XR, the extended-release version, only needs to be taken once each morning. Adderall is one of the most widely prescribed ADHD treatment medications.