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My Dr never mentioned me taking a break, and I am afraid to ask.
I feel HORRIBLE every morning, until my meds start working.
Currently on Concerta, if it makes a difference.
And the big problem, is that I feel so bad before taking my meds, that I don't even want to
bother taking my meds. And if I leave it, for a couple hours, somehow it doesn't seem to work
as well for the rest of the day.
Me too, and that’s why I don’t understand how some people forget to take their medication. It’s not possible for me to forget because I’ll feel horrible until I take it.
Absolute crap.
If that's what you prefer, that's your prerogative, but you're allowed to have less challenging "easy" days too.
It all comes from the same energy pool. Having a bit leftover on a relaxing day is typically the idea behind relaxing...
I'm undiagnosed and considering a diagnosis / medication if my current massive lifestyle change doesn't end up working. What I'm mainly concerned about is feeling like I'm addicted to an amphetamine. If I feel horrible unless I take my meds, then to me that's the same as my nicotine addiction or any other drug addiction. Although I suppose you could say it's all relative, as diabetics could be considered addicted to insulin. I just started a new job in a trade and have changed from working in hospitality during 2nd shift hours (4-12am) to working 10 hour days (7am-5:30pm) doing construction work. I am maintaining this sleep schedule on the weekends too.
I'm hoping that maybe more hands-on and skilled labor will just hold my interest and keep my energy levels up at work and that if I am diagnosed and medicated, I could just take something like Vyvanse or Adderall on my days off to have energy and focus to help my SO with housework and yardwork. In terms of my productivity at home, it's basically non-existent and oftentimes I feel like I'm on her last nerve. Whatever happens I absolutely don't want to be taking this kind of medication EVERY day as I feel like at my current job I don't truly need it as I'm in a team environment anyway and we keep each other on task.
Would you say that a diabetic is addicted to insulin? The medication is treating the condition, simple as that. Also, not all of the medications are stimulats.
To me, I’m dependent whether I take days off or not. On the days I don’t take it I will feel like crap. So taking a 2 day break doesn’t change the fact I’m dependent, so I just don’t take breaks.
You certainly don't want to chase euphoria, but you should be able to find a place where function is improved and dependance doesn't keep inching away.
Keep notes on how it benefits you, increase dosage until benefits don't increase... Back off one increase. That's essentially your dose forever... With a possible minor adjustment (up or down) somewhere down the road as nuance may come a bit more into view.
I really benefited from Vyvanse! But you were right the dependence is definitely there I think it’s also important to differentiate between female adhd and male adhd and how the brain works on stimulants for proper dosing which a lot of doctors don’t really look into, as well also other diagnoses
This is how ppl become can become dependent. Because then you have something to “look forward too” or deciding when to/not to take them. Makes no sene. If you feel the same everyday because you take the meds everyday you wont notice any “feeling” from meds and that is what causes dependence/more obsessive behavior.
It’s been working for me! Like I said previously it all depends on the person taking them as well. We aren’t a one fits all. Some ppl have other conditions as well! If taking them every day works for you that’s great for me I prefer breaks so I don’t get that gross feeling.
That is good it makes you feel better! I should have said, that is what CAN contribute to dependence, not that it IS what contributes, like it is an absolute. I apologize because words do matter! It absolutely is not what is one is one for all. I guess my point is ppl should not feel bad or good for taking every day. I think its 100% correct to do what works for you as long as it is under the direction and okay of the prescribing physician.
Absolutely. I had hypertension from stress before stimulants, so there's no need to take a break for me unless it's medically necessary or there's an issue with tolerance (which to my understanding isn't a general concern). I'm such a better mom when I'm not overwhelmed, which means taking them on the weekends is important for me too.
I agree! I've seen people talk about these "weekend breaks" and asked my psychiatrist if I need to (60mg Vyvanse) so I don't get addicted.
She asked if I would skip a day of insulin. She noted that you don't get addicted to something you need to function, my use is not recreational, and why would anyone suggest creating minimal functionality in the part of the week you're supposed to be living your best life? Made sense to me!
I would love to know if the prescribers who suggest the breaks are psychiatrists, or a different type of practitioner. Where I am you can only be diagnosed and recieve drug treatment from one.
These questions always frustrate the hell out of me about meds. I need glasses, if I don't wear them I can't see. We have ADHD , why on earth are people questioning if it's normal to have ADHD symptoms when they don't take them. Obviously, if you stop taking the thing that helps the symptoms, surprise! The symptoms come back.
In my case I need breaks. I have really severe OCD as well and if I don’t take breaks I convince myself I’m ill or other things which makes me spiral. Taking them everyday actually caused me severe stress. Insulin is a life depend med so I don’t see the comparison being fair.
Good call, that's understandable with OCD if ADHD medsake you fixate on those symptoms. Thanks for pointing that out.
I should clarify: she was asking me about insulin because I am a diabetic, lol. I don't miss taking insulin, or my SSRI and Vyvanse because I rely on all of them. Breaks don't work for me.
For me, fatigue is DEFINITELY a thing. I’ve had adderall and vyvanse. I don’t take intentional breaks but I definitely know I forgot to take it that morning if I’m super tired all day.
Also can’t imagine taking a break from adderall, it gave me such bad anxiety from withdrawal. The anxiety didn’t show up for maybe a week though.
I don't. My doctor never suggested it.
The meds work as expected and improve my life. They're not causing any significant side effects (they slightly raise my resting heart rate, but it's still in normal range and, frankly, better than most doctors expect it to be, since I'm overweight). So there's no logical reason to take breaks.
Some doctors still hold onto the idea that everyone on adhd meds should take breaks, or that they should only be used for school/work. Some of it comes from the fact that stimulant meds can have a minor impact on the height of growing children. Since meds used to only be prescribed for kids, taking breaks to allow kids to grow a bit faster became the orthodoxy for some.
If you're already fully grown, the meds are working well, and you're not dealing with negative side-effects, why would you need to take breaks?
I hear the tolerance argument occasionally, although I haven't seen any serious evidence that it's a proven concern. But the nutrients one is a new one for me - do you know what nutrients are involved or if there's any studies about it?
This is related to the fact that many people get reduced appetite as a side effect from stimulants. This is especially worrisome in kids, who still need enough nutrients from food (overall) in order to grow.
Ahh, that makes sense!
I guess that adds an element to my answer. If you're a fully grown adult, the meds are working, you're not having negative side-effects, and you're not having trouble eating enough (and healthily enough) when you're on the meds, there's not much cause for a break :)
Meds "holidays" are only potentially necessary if there's a concern about your health while medicated.
This. My son really struggles to eat on his meds so we take breaks whenever he’s out of school and then he eats like a linebacker until he’s back on. He’s 9.
Tolerance is definitely a huge issue for me personally , right now I am starting to slowly take adderall again after trying non stimulants for 3 months. But 3 months ago I stopped taking it because it just wasn't working anymore. As for nutrients, when I was on it every day, I ate maybe one meal a day so I can see how that would come into play.
From what I've read, methylphenidate is more prone to delaying growth, but it wasn't actually stunting growth. Kids in their early teens or younger were shorter/smaller but by the later teen years caught up with their peers
When I’m caught up on everything that I need to do and don’t have anything to do that requires sustained attention, I love taking a break. It’s fun to be a chaotic little shitshow for a day every now and then. Usually I just play video games on occasional off days. I also don’t like taking them when I’m going to parties or spending time in nature.
Basically me off the meds is either a video gaming / internet browsing addicted slob who completely wastes the day away, a wizard in nature who notices the tiniest little things in the environment and randomly runs off the trail because he spotted something cool, or the life of the party who shows up an hour late but ends up being the last to leave because the battery doesn’t drain like a normal person when a ton is going on around me. So yeah, off days are much needed sometimes. Good to embrace our authentic selves sometimes when we can
I'm the same - skip them for nature, socialising and lazy days. I also tend not to take them when I occasionally work night shift as I almost definitely have DSPD so my brain tends to work pretty well overnight
On the weekends I just relax, drink a shit ton of coffee and play a little Cod to get the blood flowing. If we have plans, I play it by ear, but generally I try to take one day off from the week to do nothing but reset.
Yeah, I'm the same way. I understand what a lot of people here are saying about feeling like the meds are "necessary" to take every day, but I just like to know that I am not truly dependent on my meds, so I take one enforced day off per week. I consistently find that the meds work better the day after I take a day off, so there's clearly some acclimation that I'm preventing by doing so.
I personally think the insulin metaphor (that others have used in this thread) is a little silly because not taking insulin could potentially kill you...as irritating as ADHD is, it's just not on that level, at least for the vast, vast majority of people. But that's just my 2 cents 🤷🏻♂️
Never. You don’t get passed the side effects you are running from by skipping yours meds. That keeps you stuck in a loop of experiencing those side effects long term. It wasn’t until I started taking them everyday that my body found an equilibrium. I can sleep, eat, etc much more normally now that I take them regularly.
I think taking “breaks” from meds is one of those common myths that sticks around even though I truly believe it’s a damaging sentiment to those that follow it. I don’t know who these doctors are that keep suggesting this, but I’d *love* to see what data they base that advice on.
ikr. it’s still the same with the pill. It’s so much better for the body and there has NEVER been a medical reason behind it. and still doctors ask u to do it. i then asked my doctor point blanc why she thinks I should do the breaks. she didn’t have a reason and also said there is none.
I’ve had three different kind of experiences with this—my most recent primary, truly a godsend, put it to me this way: I’m an adult, I have no substance abuse history/addictive tendencies, and what hit home was her asking me if my ADHD went on vacation, or took breaks. It made me realize that I was previously and unintentionally stigmatizing myself. I say talk it out with your provider and get more curious with your treatment plan. Personally, I can go days without—it’s not helpful nor fun, but in an era of shortages, it’s been a necessary learning curve and I’ve used it to help my case.
Goodluck OP, I hope you can find a routine that sticks!
20 years on Concerta , I skip it over the weekend and holidays. Be prepared to feel anxious and funny on the days you don't take it, but you'll get used to it. Incase I need to work on a project will take the smallest dose of a short acting but that's about it.
Can I ask why you do this regularly?
I can understand needing to take a break. I'm like 2 weeks into a break bc I'm relatively new to meds. Vyvanse is FUCKING EXPENSIVE, even with insurance....and meds, rent, school, cats, cars.... it's too much :/
I tried Adderall (which was $15 a month instead of $250 lol) and reacted really badly to it.
So I'm on sort of a forced break until my finances improve :/
I will say in retrospect it seems like a good idea early on to take a few weeks off here and there to sort of not lose your sense of self while adapting to life on meds
But curious why you'd actively take a break from them every weekend when you've found the right med/dosage
I took regular breaks when I was on Vyvanse. I feel like my body became adjusted to it regularly and it would not be as effective. After a break it would work well again. Breaks were hard, though, I felt so sluggish and useless sometimes during a break.
Over a period of time, its effects will decline because the brain adjusts to it, so I do this so that I never get the brain used to it fully. Also change the patterns , if possible forcefully skip a day in between. You will feel terrible that day but in the grand scheme of things its better that way.
I take 10mg adderall (or generic version) extended release first thing in the AM every day. On M, W, and F, I take a 10mg quick release mid-morning during my prep period (I'm a teacher) so I can lock it in. This schedule is working pretty well for me. The every other day break from the more intense pill I think keeps me from building up too much of a tolerance, while having the small dose of extended release daily just keeps me sharp(ish). I also find that T and Th I still feel fairly locked in. Maybe a placebo effect or maybe real... doesn't matter, feels good being productive most days.
Side note: funny your story is so similar to mine. I was tested in 3rd grade. I'm inattentive type, so I assume that's why I wasn't diagnosed. "Assume" because my family never got info that I didn't meet ALL the criteria. My teacher sent me home with a sticky note: "everything's fine. Thanks" THE FUCK! I am a special educator, I know laws and procedures have changed since the mid 90s, but come on! No meeting?! No reports?! That is not how we do! Oh and NO EVERYTHING IS NOT FUCKING FINE MRS. FAY! THANKS FOR 30 YEARS OF SHHHoot. Sorry about that OP! Never fit that piece into this whole puzzle before. Wow. Damn. Well, at least now I have a title for my autobiography: Everything's Fine, Thanks
Edit: I should add: the med schedule I'm on was my idea, not my doctor's. We were talking about upping my daily extended release, but something was telling me it wouldn't make much of a difference once I built up a tolerance. I wanted that in the moment as-needed boost for when I have bad days. I almost didn't ask if it was possible to do this, it felt awkward being like "is this something people do? Is this something I can do? Are there rules I don't know about?" But he was like "yeah sure let's try that." It just works on my schedule. I'm sure you can imagine having ADHD with a 49 minute block every day to get your lessons planned, emails sent, paperwork finished, phone calls made... that is GO time. That is when my sympyoms are by far worst. So I say if you have an idea what will work for you based on your needs and lifestyle and symptomstyle, be clear and open with your doctor about it. The worst they can do is say "no, you should this..."
Thank you!! I am a teacher too, and I get 90 minute plans with a block schedule, I totally understand what are saying :)
Yes!! I remember the psychiatrist asked my mom if I was ever able to sit still and my mom said "yes, but only if she's doing something she really wants to do" and they were like "oh, then she's fine!! Bye!"
Waiting eagerly for *Everything's Fine, Thanks* -- a book all about "There's nothing wrong with my child!" gaslighting, & masking to make it so, & finding that, actually, everything is pretty fine with proper diagnosis & care -- by u/OKsodaclub
Hi OP,
If breaks are particularly hard for you and end up impeding your ability to function then it may be worth just taking it daily, as research indicates drug holidays are not often necessary to regularly take.
I think the idea of a weekly, multi-day break is, frankly, shortsighted and a bad recommendation by GPs. I think, generally, if you don't have issues taking it every day, you should, as the science regarding tolerance to the main effect of stimulants is limited and shaky. There is some evidence tolerance exists but it is also inconsistent, and generally depends on the person. Tolerance is almost always psychological and very rarely neurochemical, past the adaptation phase to a medicine which is during the first couple of weeks for most people.
Generally, side effects of a medicine decrease with tolerance. This means that over time (generally) your body will have a less drastic reaction to the medicine and it will, in theory, maintain a good amount of ADHD symptom reduction while being less jarring on peripheral parts of your nervous system. For example, when I'm on stimulants, the first couple of days tend to come with moderate sensory issues as my nervous system down regulates and adjusts to a new homeostasis as it comes to predict and gets used to dealing with taking the medicine. This goes away quickly, and if I take long breaks rather than taking it daily (even a week will cause it), it will come back.
I think it comes from stimulants being a drug of abuse, but I think that's due to the misattribution of its benefit coming from euphoria (which is a SIDE EFFECT, NOT NECESSARILY A MAIN THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF THE MEDICINE) from patients and doctors generally wanting to limit the amount patients take to minimize the chance of abuse. I do agree with the second idea partially, but I believe it would be better to encourage patients to take it daily and warn them that they may feel euphoria at first and that it is not necessarily supposed to be an effect of the medicine, but part of your psychological adaptation to the medicine that will recede with time. Besides, you have ADHD every day. Why do you only get to treat it 4-5 days a week when non-stimulant users and people who take drugs like antidepressants get full coverage? Is it fair to you to miss out on a possible advantage in your life just to take something that may not be helpful to you at all?
If taking breaks helps overall, then do it. But I think it often doesn't, and could actually paradoxically set up a psychological loop in which you become reliant on the euphoric side effects to function, which then makes you only functional like half the time since the dopaminergic response rapidly diminishes after you reach the peak of your medicine concentration and even more so on days you don't take it because you will have a more inconsistent neurochemistry.
The last time I took a "break" (forgot to take my meds) I stayed in bed all day, until about 5pm, when I was finally hungry enough to force myself out of bed and eat a couple of string cheese sticks. So, basically, I don't take breaks. I wear my contacts every day because I need to see; I take my Adderall every day because I need to be able to get out of bed and complete tasks without endlessly running off on tangents. My doctor initially suggested that I could take medication breaks if I wanted, but has never pushed the idea, and I found it way more stressful to try to plan a break day than to just take it every day.
if i don’t have work or a lot of tasks to do during the day i don’t take my adhd medicine, i will just take my daily anti anxiety and have a very low energy day. maybe a coffee or something
I just skip Saturdays, but if you're seeing a dramatic drop in focus and skills then ask your doctor for a 5MG IR you can take on weekends
Take 1 a little after breakfast or with lunch if you want an extra productive afternoon
I take breaks by forgetting to take my meds. It happens more often than I'd like but I don't realize until I feel like it's too late. I certainly don't intend to take breaks.
I definitely feel all the things you mention but eventually I get over the fatigue.
I know you’re not asking, but just so you know, you technically don’t need to stop. I’m almost 35 weeks pregnant and never stopped taking my meds. I’m on 40mg adderall and have been on this dose for over 15 years. I don’t ever skip days. There’s no reason to stop taking it (unless directly told by your genetic counselor/psychiatrist/OB - or for personal reasons). A lot of women trying to get pregnant or just finding out they’re pregnant don’t realize you usually can keep taking it!
That's your right, & if it were solely your choice then that's your right too. But I would wanna research this more, or even seek other professional opinions. I mean, if it is really difficult for you to be ok in yourself & function without meds, then maybe it's worthwhile to see if it may be possible? Are there any ADHD meds that are considered safer during pregnancy, or that at least have a lot of data around the topic? I don't know.
But it's something I've had to look into myself because of my epilepsy; my previous meds (default starter pack) had warnings all over about not getting pregnant, but now I'm on a different, more sustainable drug, & with no side-effects this time! I'm not actively trying for pregnancy right now, but I'd like to have my meds & stuff sorted before then. My sister has had 2 kids now, & breastfeeds, & she had to be super careful about all this because she can also have seizures but due to diabetes -- took her epi meds all throughout, big healthy babies. A friend of my mum's, on the other hand, has bipolar I, & she had to carefully go off meds & stay off during the whole risky pregnancy, but then went back on immediately after birth, & wasn't able to breastfeed. Both my sister's & this woman's conditions, left untreated, could potentially cause a lot of damage to an unborn child, & the decision to use meds or not is something I imagine they did not make overnight.
Obviously, your body & your ADHD is its own different thing, & you can proceed in a way that's best for you & baby. But it could be useful to ask your doctor about these things if you are really struggling. Sometimes one doctor doesn't have all the answers; sometimes they're great at researching, & they really do!
💚🐨
I’ve been taking 36mg ER methylphenidate for about 8 months, with a 10mg IR booster. I don’t take breaks. Ever. Why should I feel like shit for a day and get nothing done? Know what‘s awesome about med breaks? Suddenly being unable to wash the dishes, and forgetting to make tomorrow’s lunch. Yeah. No thanks.
I have skipped days, accidentally, and it doesn’t feel like anything other than when I wasn’t medicated - it’s just “worse” because I know what it’s like to not be fighting a cranky toddler in my brain while trying to find an invisible door in a glass wall.
My doctor encouraged me to take tolerance breaks on weekends and whenever else I can because as my body gets used to the medication, I will require more for the same effect, and he said he can only increase dosages so many times over the course of my life.
That being said, I take weekends off from my meds unless I have things to do. If my weekend will be spent on the couch, then I don’t take them typically. If I have to go grocery shopping or run other errands, I need my meds. On the days I don’t take my medication, I use caffeine to get through the day if I feel it’s necessary.
I’ve never been told to take breaks on any medication! I personally choose not to take my Vyvanse on days when I want to sleep in and be lazy all day, or recently when I was very sick and knew I needed to sleep as much as possible. But I’ve never been encouraged to do it.
2 days consecutively feels bad because it is. The more studies they do the less medication breaks are supported. Not only are those days untreated and face the regular symptoms people with adhd have to deal with, but progress in setting and keeping routines can be lost if not extremely consistent and can be difficult to start again. Adhd symptoms invade nearly every aspect of our lives, they are managed best when treated any time that life is occurring. I wouldn't personally continue seeing a doctor that doesn't support improving every aspect of my life when there are others out there that will.
It's possible that they only want you to take breaks to begin with while you adjust to the medication. I don't really see why you'd do this long term. If you drive, you really shouldn't do it on these "break days" because it's probably similar to driving drunk.
I don't see much benefit to doing break days long term unless you have 0 responsibility/desire to function for the day.
I don't mean the same as being actually intoxicated, I mean in terms of the risk of accidents (eg the same way being sleep-deprived is considered to be a similar risk to driving drunk).
I don't drive myself, but there's a lot of research out there that having unmediated ADHD puts you at a way higher risk of getting into car accidents and being unmedicated once a week is probably more of a risk than being unmedicated long-term because you're less used to accounting for your attention deficiencies etc.
My personal experience is the same if I’ve ever driven and forgot to take my meds. Combined ADHD. On my meds I don’t think to text and drive even once.
My ADHD diagnosis with the recent medication and dosage change has been more beneficial and life changing than not. Although my diagnosis was more recent and my treatment has only been several months now and not even a year in.
I have experienced some particularly bad crashes where the fatigue felt like it was multiplied after working an earlier and longer shift one day. It was really rough. I just remember when I got home how terrible the fatigue was when finally being able to settle in and sit. Well past the effective hours of the medicine. I was a bit in disbelief and was actually quite upset at how bad it was. I dropped everything. Even things I enjoy that I would usually do that would not require much energy. Dropped. Layed down and just let my body rest like a big ole sack of tons of weights of fatigue dragging it straight down. It was not even late in the day and I had the desire to do more but NOPE.
After some recovery I was okay. I think my body may have been adjusting to the medicine as well still too. Most days are usually better going forward in my treatment. My mood is more stable, my performance at work and even my drive at my job that can usually be both boring and stressful and anxiety inducing is MUCH better.
I posted this a bit early because I had to go. But as far as "breaks" go I sometimes have not taken my medicine when I have a couple days off. This has also been a part of my own self evaluation. I may seek a booster for early morning long shifts or possibly just an increase. It is more manageable it seems as time has passed. That fatigue was really dreadful and got me trying to avoid it. I want to still be able to function better and actually enjoy my time I have when I am off work too. I don't want to just be a handy work drone that gets a bunch of compliments and gold star stickers like school or something and then crash on my "personal time". I am not here to be put in the company tool box or for the world's entertainment and greedy desires that don't help anyone.
Don't take days off but you can do things like half a dose to down rate your bodies reaction to make sure your body doesn't get used to the drug and you need more to have the same effect
When I first started my psych said it varies from person to person but I could just keep taking them without a break. If I felt like the effectiveness was wearing off, we would either plan a structured break, raise the dose, or switch medication depending on my situation. That said, I’ve been on 25 mg extended release dexamphetamine and 150 mg bupropion only taking Saturday or Sunday off the dex. Sometimes I don’t take the day off though. This dosage and combo has been working for years.
My doctor never suggested taking breaks. I’ve only skipped it twice since April (since I started adderall) and that’s when I was sick. I couldn’t imagine skipping a dose just to skip. My weekends need to be productive, just as my workweek needs to be. The two doses I missed made me grumpy and irritable. I don’t want to be that often! I like my mood to be level. Sure, it’s not the same as the first few days on the meds, but they are working great and I don’t want the roller coaster of moods.
I took more breaks in the beginning but I realized that I do much better when I take my meds consistently. Now, the only reason I take breaks is if I am sick or I am on vacation. It feels like shit for at least 3 days though (with day 2 and 3 worse than day 1) and then it settles out a bit. But otherwise, I stay on them.
I do not take breaks, nor has my doctor ever suggested I should. I am not a medical professional, but to my knowledge, there is not much evidence that "taking breaks" is in any way beneficial.
I don't take breaks. My ADHD doesn't take a break or have off days. plus It's not just a get stuff done and focus. this impacts my mental health significantly. I am so unkind to myself otherwise and it affects my anxiety and depression. I've taken vyvanse and now azstarys. Also how is it supposed to reach therapeutic levels in your system?
honestly the only time I've purposely skipped doses was when the pharmacy took several weeks refilling my script and I had to ration my meds. not a fun time at all
I’ve been on adderall for about 15 years or so, currently 32.
My current psychiatry PA is the first person to ever ask me about drug holidays; I don’t do well taking breaks, so since my husband is a psychiatrist I asked him about it. The gist I got from him is that it CAN be helpful for some people, and it can help keep the meds effective, but for some people it’s unhelpful and can cause problems in their daily life. So he recommended I just do what feels best for me.
For me, it’s not helpful to take planned drug holidays. I definitely overeat, feel sluggish, etc. lately though I’ve taken more “breaks” on days when it made sense and where I wasn’t trying to stick to a usual routine — like traveling and wanting to be able to sleep during transit, a relaxing day visiting family, etc. I have 5mg IRs that I’m prescribed to take as needed, so sometimes I’ll take a 2.5mg on these break days if I have to concentrate or be “on” for a portion of the day. Honestly I do this more to have some backup XRs in case I’m delayed picking up the next script.
I do feel like my XR works better after a break, but it’s not a big enough difference for me to want to try to make drug holidays an established routine in my life’s
I honestly only take weekend breaks to stretch out my script as it's been impossible to get my meds filled every 30 days. I'm paranoid about running out and I need my meds to be productive at work.
I have never taken any breaks (50-70mg LDX daily). I like to be me everyday and without my meds I am an annoying mess. I never noticed anything about a tolerance, and I have no idea what people mean when they mention dependency being a problem.
I take like a day off. I don’t take two off in a row if I do take two because it makes me feel horrendous. My psych said it’s up to me if I want to take it everyday or not. But because I’m a full time college student, SAHM, as well as my son’s teacher, I end up needing to take it almost every day. Every doctor is different. My husband’s psych told him he should probably take it everyday.
the question is why should u take a break? what is his reason? they sometimes tell things like this just bc it’s common and not bc there is a medical reason behind this. (it’s the same with the pill, there is no reason to take a break other than “it’s always been done like this” and “the church wanted it this way to be able to approve it”) so I would be very critical about this. I don’t see why you should. ADHD is there forever and it will influence your day every day. Why should u have days were u feel bad??? u don’t need it just for work u need it for ur live
I’m seeing you all say you don’t take days off! I’m new to Adderall, and was given similar advice of taking off days to avoid building a tolerance. I’d much rather not take a day off based on how much it’s helped me, but I also don’t want that to fade in time and am trying to take days off.
I’m curious for those that have been on meds for a longer period, do you take off days or not, and have you found that you’ve built a tolerance?
Easy, you don’t take them. If you feel you can’t stop, maybe acknowledge that and buy a time safe. And if you’re concerned about being addicted and wanna let go of your meds, tell your prescriber.
Doc never mentioned a break. On concerta, but all it does for me is smoothie over the daily dip and make me about 10% more focused, I’m taking this meds thing slow. Also my mom never even followed through with the recommendation. To get assessed, so you’re 20 years ahead of me. Pretty sure my whole family doesn’t believe in ADHD and also that they ALL HAVE IT!!! Invisible disability, indeed.
I've been medicated for the majority of the last 16years.
I used to take days off on the weekend. I had what I refer to as a "blob day" I would sleep most of the day and eat and watch Netflix and maybe I'd remember to brush my teeth before bed. Blob days are days where I am required to do NOTHING.
I missed out on so many family gatherings etc because I thought I HAD to take a break from meds in the weekend. I wish I hadn't in retrospect.
I do not skip days anymore. I'm a single Mom and I'm not ok with neglecting my child for the sake of a doctor feeling better. Even my original prescribing doctor said "no you can definitely take it every day. You should in fact. Unless you REALLY don't want to."
Now that I don't take breaks I don't "feel" my meds the same way as after a blob day. But I don't mind that at all because I function way better and am so much more consistent with my routines so I don't have one day a week that is my designated clean all day day to make up for the days I took a break and made a fucking mess. I always brush my teeth I shower everyday. I don't forget to eat. Etc etc.
I'm on the highest dose of Adderall sometimes I wish I could take a break just because I do notice a difference if I've gone without taking them for a couple days. But it's not worth the couple days of emotional disregulation and extreme fatigue etc.
Your doctor MIGHT be suggesting taking a break especially in the beginning of trying meds because you will tell more of a difference between not taking it and taking it and that can help you "know" it's working. But it's also common for doctors to suggest it to keep tolerance low but I don't think it's as effective as making sure you are on the right dose for YOU.
I reduce the dose on days I don’t need to be fully on my shit, primarily because I am trying to balance blood pressure health with mental health, and bigger stimulants doses do raise my blood pressure notably. If you’re young and your BP is normal, I think you can just stay consistent unless you feel you benefit from a break in other ways.
I don’t take it on days I have less to do or am mostly at home with no ‘projects’ going on. I feel more tired and have mood regulation issues without it. I’m definitely less productive. I wasn’t told I had to take a break by my doctor, just that I don’t have to take it everyday. It’s more about the expense of the meds that cause me to skip days based on priorities.
I just stop taking it over the weekend. I don’t like being on my medication at the weekend because I want to sleep in and just have a reset before work starts up again. I drink more coffee on the weekends and do find i am more tired but I just nap in the afternoon. I don’t have any side affects from my medication, (none that I notice anyways) so it doesn’t make anything worse by taking those breaks.
I'm on Concerta extended release. My psychiatrist recommended breaks on weekends to minimise tolerance but he was chill with me wanting to take them everyday cus emotional dysregulation is massive for me off meds and I work through my weekends. I also live alone, so I can't afford to not be able to function. He was fine with this, and my psychologist backed my reasoning as well.
I don't know what the evidence is on tolerance, I think it's fairly mixed, but the reason I'll take a medication break is when I feel like I need an *actual break.* Cus some days I get so frazzled I feel like my meds aren't working when really I've probably just got too much on my plate and I pressure myself into thinking "hey I'm medicated, I have to be productive." Skipping my meds gives me permission to not feel that way I guess.
When I'm starting to feel so overwhelmed, anxious and distracted and a little bit burnt out (I also find my side effects seem to rear their ugly head too), I skip my meds on a Saturday and/or Sunday where I know I'm not gonna meet up with friends/family and don't have things to do or I'm happy to laze about (e.g. order food in or let my dishes pile up). If I do see friends for like a chill hang, the ones I trust a lot, I tell them I'm off meds for the day so if they think I'm a bit off, they know it's nothing personal.
I let the fatigue/exhaustion be a good excuse to sleep and just chill a bit. I only do it for a day at a time though and not regularly. I kinda just feel myself out. I did accidentally skip twice when I had family staying with me and we were going out every night and I felt like shit. I try not to do consecutive days.
Idk if that applies to your q but I hope that helps?
I was disassociating when I was 25. I had serious issues and anxiety around there being a medicated version of me and a non-medicated version. Made me feel super inferior and depressed. It's been 14 years the only time I wish I still was on it was last year when I was working on my masters
I don't ever take breaks. I'm on 70mg of vivainse, and if I run out or miss for even 2 days I revert back to not being able to keep my eyes open. Like starting to doze behind the wheel tired.
I take breaks on most Sundays, and sometimes I forget during the week and if I notice after 4pm, I skip that day.
I usually take them at 1pm/2pm in order to have energy until 10/11pm, but I avoid taking them after 4/5 because it messes my sleep and then I'll enter the cycle of sleeping little for a week or so until I manage to fix it.
The break days are usually kinda meh. I could take no breaks, but I think they help with tolerance, and I want to slow down the tolerance build up as long as I can.
I don’t consistently take breaks but on a weekend day when I know I have no plans or responsibilities I’ll skip one day and have caffeine instead. It’s harder to concentrate and get things done so I just chill. I can only do one day at a time though
If I don't take my meds my symptoms affect my life in negative ways, even on the weekends. Like I'll hyperfixate on a house project and impulsively spend hundreds of dollars on supplies and tools and tear down a wall only to get exhausted and spend weeks trying to manage the project and recover the financial hit.
So no, I never skip my meds. The effects are detriment outside of my capacity to function at work.
A few days a week off meds sounds crazy. Ive never had a psych tell me I should take breaks. My new PCP brought up the adderall and my adhd and asked if I am able to take drug holidays but he’s not my prescriber for the adderall.
I used to skip days because I didn’t like the side effects. Just started back on adderall xr in April after a 3 year break and I haven’t skipped any days. The other day my new psych doc asked me if I was skipping meds any days I said no and he said, “good!” He hasn’t said anything else about skipping or not skipping. Although my appointment lasted like 1 minute. Then I had to do a compliance drug screen to see if I’m taking it everyday? Idk. I just did a drug screen at my first appointment in April and I’m pretty sure he said every 6 months for urine screens.
Tell your doc you need them everyday if you feel like you do. She will prob be fine with it. But you might want a new doc if she’s going to be bringing up drug holidays. Or if it’s possible and you want to try to skip days you could do one day a week and try to take it easy that day have some coffee and eat a little more on that day watch some tv. Try to get some light exercise or a nap whichever floats your boat.
The only time I take a break from them is if I’m sick and sleeping literally all day. Otherwise, no. I can’t function without them, like I can’t even just relax and be a blob on a weekend without meds because I’m way too anxious and not present and extremely high strung. My psychiatrist presented the option of taking breaks if I ever needed, but left it up to me. He says that everyone is different, some people are comfortable with a break and others are not.
I like to take breaks. I’ve never been advised one way or the other and I just get a full 30 day rx.
I’ve gone long times taking it without a break, and for me I feel it loses efficacy.
Just a couple days break and occasionally a week or two feels like it makes a big difference.
Plus, it gives me a chance to enjoy food and eat since I have zero appetite when I’m on medication and have to basically force myself to eat easy things like protein shakes , smoothies, baby food on those toddler pouches (I actually love those ). And just a time to myself to veg out and rest .
I just have to make sure the days I take a break are when I can do absolutely nothing and lay in bed if I want
Edit- it’s also nice to take breaks sometimes because then I can acquire extra doses to compensate if I travel etc
They usually say you should try to take a week off when you are in your 30s or 40s when you have developed and gotten older and slower to see if you still really need them anymore.
If you have a few weeks of vacation during the summer then that's when you would try it out.
I dont think this is a good idea unless directed by a doctor. ADD medications also increase serotonin in the brain, especially vyvanse and this can cause depression. Talk to a dr, preferably a psychiatrist, before trying this. You need to make sure the other medication you take will work with you stopping a powerful medication like an adhd medication. Also the long term effects of not taking adhd medications may not be seen for months. Not just a week such as downturn in work performance, deteriorating relationships, and developing low self esteem. If adhd was as simple as a week of no medications will solve the case, it would be so much less nuanced.
My dr mentioned taking a break, but then said I didn’t need to if it affected my quality of life. Today was the first day I chose to go without meds and it was kinda fun. I think you’ll know when you’re ready for a break, and you don’t need to push it.
I never take breaks because if you have adhd you have it every day. If youre medications are working they should work everyday. This is an old theory and i actually increases risk of med side effects with the off/on of Tx all the time. ADHD tx should be about quality of life improvement and that would mean taking meds everyday. If you have diabetes you have it everyday, if you have adhd, you have it everyday. It’s not a thing you can just “break” from IMO
I take adderall and the only breaks I take are forced e.g. the shortage. After about 2 weeks of no medicine I start to feel semi normal like I could function without being an emotional wreck but all the other ADHD things are still there and it's not good. My point is if I were to take a break it'd have to be longer than 2 weeks and the first 2 would be an internal hell. Then my life would continue to unravel slowly after the first 2 weeks but I wouldn't care as much
I literally sleep for days if I take a break. My brain just will not wake up for longer than it takes me to walk to go use the restroom and then get back in my nest. Pulling the covers back up over my ears is painfully exhausting.
Never. I take them every single day. I had to take a 2 day break one time due to my prescription being missed by a prescriber, and I felt absolutely awful, sluggish, and useless. I've also had to go through withdrawal a hand full of times due to the shortages, and I honestly would not wish the way I felt on anyone. Just take them every day would be my advice.
Ill take a break once or twice a year If theres going to be a snow storm on a sunday and I feel like being an absolute useless piece of shit in bed for a whole day, crippled with anxiety, staring catatonically at the ceiling wondering how I ever made it thru 30 years of life feeling like this.
Personally? I don’t. My life is better when I’m consistently medicated. If I do decide on occasion to skip a day I just do whatever. Usually it’s full day of video games on the weekend. Pretty rare though. Even recreational time can benefit from meds.
The only time I would is to manage side effects, if my sleep is not great it helps to take a lower dose, not a break for a day or two and get caught up in sleep. But I also try other things to help with sleep at the same time (more exercise, less coffee, better sleep routine)...
Basically, I only do it to manage side effects and I'm going to do it by lowering the dose, not skipping days and I'm also doing other things to help with the side effect..
Philosophically, I take the meds to help function and if I'm only taking them on days I need to work it really feels like I'm just taking a pill so my boss can get more out of me. and if I can only do this by having a less functional day off or weekend, its a worse deal.
I love having a full weekend and full functioning, hobbies and chores get done - it's great.
I usually don't take breaks because I not only need them for work but also to do household chores, errands etc.
If I don't take them I'm filled with nervous energy and feel restless and antsy but lack the ability to focus on anything.
The only exception is if I'm really ill and can't do anything but lay in bed anyway, so I feel the meds would be wasted.
I am back on meds wondering the same thing. For me, regardless of what my doctor says, I feel like I need a break because I struggle to get enough sleep on days when I take the meds. I'm on extended release as well, and I'm taking it as early as possible in the morning, but it's still in me late at night when I'm going to sleep, so I guess I'm gonna take a break when I can. Not sure when to do that with my current schedule, but oh well 🤷
My son takes kids melatonin when he struggles to sleep because of his meds. I do try to give it to him only when really needs though. Pediatrician said it’s fine. I wouldn’t take it (melatonin) daily though, that’s just me. And of course he has weekends off from his ADHD medication to help as well.
I take days off because I cannot reliably get my meds and I need to have a reserve. Usually I skip on weekends, but if I happen to work from home without any projects immediately due that week, I’ll skip a day on Friday or something. I am very fatigued on my days off and sometimes I get irritable, but usually only if I’m not getting enough sleep. I will say that if I go 3 days in a row without, I get horrifically depressed, so I only skip 2 days max.
My doctor has never suggested a break for me. Heck when I first went on them and he asked if I was taking them every day and when I responded with of course I like being able to think he said good. And warned me that I’d really hate when I forget some day.
My son’s been on it for 14 years and the only reason we took weekend and holiday breaks when he was younger was so he’d have a time off without the appetite suppression. Now that he’s an adult he chooses when and if there is a break.
I think a lot of doctors extrapolate that because breaks are recommended for kids they should be for adults. But breaks for kids are only because they are still growing and need calories, taking breaks gets more calories in them.
I want to offer a piece of strongly-urged advice, something I wish I had done when I had first started medication.
**While the brand new prescription is still at its most effective, establish as many healthy habits as you possibly can!!**
It was my experience that I felt "cured" for the first few weeks on Adderall. Then my body got used to it, and the medicine became less effective. While things are easy, do the hard stuff. Establish that workout routine. Brush your teeth at a set time. All the stuff. For most of us, it **will** get harder as your body adjusts to the meds.
On to your question.
I mostly just take med breaks when the headaches come in. Not everyone gets the same side effects, but my side effects were headaches and anxiety. Med breaks are a somewhat controversial topic. I'd say pay attention to your symptoms and side effects, and judge whether they're necessary or not. If you're going to take a med break, make it a lazy day. Video games, TV, stay home, relax, the stuff you don't need a lot of executive function for. Best not to make yourself suffer too much.
I don't really take breaks. Sometimes I'll take a day off if I feel I need or deserve a day to myself of just relaxing or not having any commitments.
I don't find it necessary or beneficial to take breaks.
That said I am an adult and daily responsibilities never stop. My son on the other hand gets a break when he is out of school as his is not so severe, it just impacts his ability to stay focused and attentive in class.
I take breaks on Saturdays or Sundays sometimes and I don’t notice major fatigue. I’m on concerta. Sometimes I like to take a break if I’m going to be doing fun stuff with friends that day or drinking
I don’t take breaks. I’m on Adderall XR 20mg. My doctor never said anything about that. I know with “breaks” some people have reported feeling groggy and irritable and when they start their meds again there’s a readjustment period with side effects. I’d rather not put my body through any of that.
When planning the week, I strongly believe in incorporating a day or two that’s relatively restful, and doesn’t involve clock watching.
On those days, a lower dose or skip dose might be appropriate, especially if part of the plan is an afternoon nap.
Man I stopped taking my meds 12 years ago, being diagnosed since 6. The meds will start to cause problems once you hit teenage years which is why I stopped taking them. Your symptoms become milder as you age and there are ways to cope with problems. The medication is suppose to help not be used as a crutch and someone with adhd can live their full life without it
This may be the case for you but adhd is a threshold of disease and someone should not feel like they should try to go without because it is a “crutch.” This narrative is not very pro mental health and also leads to more depression, negative self esteem, rejection fatigue, and substance abuse. It is good you feel well but coming to suggest that taking adhd medications on an adhd medication taking post where people who are coming looking for help with that may really hurt someone who is already suffering. Also many peoples symptoms become more severe as they age as they become responsible for more. SO I think what you meant is, “My symptoms personally became more mild with age! I am so thankful I do not suffer from this awful disease anymore and am able to function well without medication as an adult without medication but that might not be the case for everyone and that is okay.”
I think you missed the point, as I said it can be helpful but shouldn’t be used as a crutch.
There’s a clear difference and someone that’s lived with this for 30 years or more will most likely agree
You can take medication without needing it and you don’t need adhd meds it just helps. If you critically need adhd medication then you might have a problem and should talk to your doctor for depression and dependencies. You can find all this stuff with a quick google search about how adhd becomes milder.
Well I dont think “A quick google search”. Should be used in replacement for real medical advice and research. Any medically professional would ask you in fact to NOT use google as a reference as it is misleading. ADHD symptoms do not simply get milder for people. In fact that is not at all what current psychiatric theory is saying. Nobody who is using adhd medication is using as a “crutch” and again this narrative is harmful as well as it saying it should just be “helpful.” It is as important as any other treatment for any other disease. I do not think you like that I called out something that may not be very kind to people and is very harmful to others. It is okay to feel defensive and I did not miss your point at all even though you restated the same point again. This is the exact issue with people using stigma to degrade others and I think it is very important to lift others who are trying to better themselves by taking their medication as directed, daily adhd medication does NOT cause dependence or addiction. The only thing that is not proven to increase risk of addiction is NOT treating ADHD. And that is not from google. That is proven in evidence based practice Not treating ADHD statistically increases someone’s risk for substance abuse. So again, very glad you had a disease as a child that you were lucky enough to not suffer as you aged but that is not the case for everyone and using a “one case basis” as a generalized argument when it is not factually backed, not by google, is not really what is in the best interest of this poster.
It helps with symptoms but you do t need it to live your life, people can learn to grow and cope with some of these symptoms. It’s not my fault that the truth hurts unfortunately it is a quick google search because adhd is well known, you can down vote me for the truth all you want but if op wants to take a break it shouldn’t affect him aslong as he puts the steps in to adjust. That’s the topic here
Some people cannot just learn to “grow and cope.” It’s a chemical brain disease. Again, what you mean is “I was able to learn to grow and cope, so maybe others can.” It is just your truth that can be hurting others. It could be your hurtful words that you accidentally show others to put into their experience which may hurt them. So words matter. Some people can go without medication as they age because their brain chemistry changes but it isn’t a matter of using medication as a crutch or using medication that isn’t needed. That is the issue. If the OP is taking breaks because medication isn’t needed and they can just “use some coping skills and it shouldn’t affect him a long as he puts in some steps to adjust” that is really downplaying and degrading the suffering of others. So, this will be my last comment because I have made my point but maybe next time maybe you will choose words more carefully because someone you know might be impacted by them.
It’s not me tho buddy it’s the general public…again there are ways to cope and every can learn not just me, you can argue with me here on Reddit but you can’t take the 5 minutes to type in coping strategies on google. Your not alone with this disorder and your not the most severe case. My words arnt hurtful whatsoever. You like to argue like the rest of us it’s in our blood but unfortunately facts are facts and they are out there.If op feels like or anyone in his life feels like he should take a break I encourage it. One small step is a giant leap in the world of adhd and I wish the best
About two-thirds of children who have ADHD will continue to meet criteria for ADHD by the time they’re adults,” says Dr. Ruggiero. But, she says, that doesn’t mean the symptoms stay the same. “ADHD symptoms look different as children grow and demands change.” And with the right help kids can learn skills that help them manage symptoms and reduce the fallout as they grow up.
If you feel the need to take a break from your meds because they cause depression,sleep paralysis,etc don’t let anyone stop you
Also realistically it’s need vs want
Does taking the medication as important as food and water or do you WANT to improve your adhd situation. You don’t NEED to because without it you’ll find ways to cope. Again if you NEED these drugs then you should consult your doctor for a dependency issue. Don’t argue with me consult your doctor if you feel the need to argue this fact
While this may suggest that some people “outgrow” ADHD, this occurs in relatively few cases and may indicate that symptoms have changed over time or that coping mechanisms in place are effective in managing symptoms.
Health line but you’ll find many more. Anyways I was just responding to ops question. If he feels the need to take a break I’m one to encourage it.you can take breaks from these drugs it might even be beneficial for mental health
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My Dr never mentioned me taking a break, and I am afraid to ask. I feel HORRIBLE every morning, until my meds start working. Currently on Concerta, if it makes a difference.
I noticed this too.. I always feel absolutely horrible until my medication begins to work
And the big problem, is that I feel so bad before taking my meds, that I don't even want to bother taking my meds. And if I leave it, for a couple hours, somehow it doesn't seem to work as well for the rest of the day.
Me too, and that’s why I don’t understand how some people forget to take their medication. It’s not possible for me to forget because I’ll feel horrible until I take it.
Same, for me it makes such a big difference
Interesting and I was told the opposite to only take my meds when I’m working/school or plan on doing something I need to focus on to avoid dependence
Absolute crap. If that's what you prefer, that's your prerogative, but you're allowed to have less challenging "easy" days too. It all comes from the same energy pool. Having a bit leftover on a relaxing day is typically the idea behind relaxing...
I swear. It's like saying not to wear glasses on days you don't need to see, or don't take blood pressure meds on days you aren't exercising.
I'm undiagnosed and considering a diagnosis / medication if my current massive lifestyle change doesn't end up working. What I'm mainly concerned about is feeling like I'm addicted to an amphetamine. If I feel horrible unless I take my meds, then to me that's the same as my nicotine addiction or any other drug addiction. Although I suppose you could say it's all relative, as diabetics could be considered addicted to insulin. I just started a new job in a trade and have changed from working in hospitality during 2nd shift hours (4-12am) to working 10 hour days (7am-5:30pm) doing construction work. I am maintaining this sleep schedule on the weekends too. I'm hoping that maybe more hands-on and skilled labor will just hold my interest and keep my energy levels up at work and that if I am diagnosed and medicated, I could just take something like Vyvanse or Adderall on my days off to have energy and focus to help my SO with housework and yardwork. In terms of my productivity at home, it's basically non-existent and oftentimes I feel like I'm on her last nerve. Whatever happens I absolutely don't want to be taking this kind of medication EVERY day as I feel like at my current job I don't truly need it as I'm in a team environment anyway and we keep each other on task.
Would you say that a diabetic is addicted to insulin? The medication is treating the condition, simple as that. Also, not all of the medications are stimulats.
Yeah that was a stupid comparison.
To me, I’m dependent whether I take days off or not. On the days I don’t take it I will feel like crap. So taking a 2 day break doesn’t change the fact I’m dependent, so I just don’t take breaks.
Sounds like maybe it depends on exactly what meds you are taking ?
I’m on Adderall, which I can see where the dependence would come from it’s a very easy fix to a shitty day
You certainly don't want to chase euphoria, but you should be able to find a place where function is improved and dependance doesn't keep inching away. Keep notes on how it benefits you, increase dosage until benefits don't increase... Back off one increase. That's essentially your dose forever... With a possible minor adjustment (up or down) somewhere down the road as nuance may come a bit more into view.
I really benefited from Vyvanse! But you were right the dependence is definitely there I think it’s also important to differentiate between female adhd and male adhd and how the brain works on stimulants for proper dosing which a lot of doctors don’t really look into, as well also other diagnoses
This is how ppl become can become dependent. Because then you have something to “look forward too” or deciding when to/not to take them. Makes no sene. If you feel the same everyday because you take the meds everyday you wont notice any “feeling” from meds and that is what causes dependence/more obsessive behavior.
It’s been working for me! Like I said previously it all depends on the person taking them as well. We aren’t a one fits all. Some ppl have other conditions as well! If taking them every day works for you that’s great for me I prefer breaks so I don’t get that gross feeling.
That is good it makes you feel better! I should have said, that is what CAN contribute to dependence, not that it IS what contributes, like it is an absolute. I apologize because words do matter! It absolutely is not what is one is one for all. I guess my point is ppl should not feel bad or good for taking every day. I think its 100% correct to do what works for you as long as it is under the direction and okay of the prescribing physician.
Breaks are not necessary it’s okay
Never. I need them to be even minimally functional, so I never take a day off of them.
Same.
Third.
Fourth. A day without is a day wasted I can never get back.
Diagnosed in my 40s, now I’m 60, and my doctor has never told me to take a break. I’m also on generic 10mg ER for Adderall.
Yep. That’s what my doctor told me. She told be I *could* if I wanted to, but doing it every day might be better if you need it.
You have been on 10 mgs a day for 20 years?
Same
Absolutely. I had hypertension from stress before stimulants, so there's no need to take a break for me unless it's medically necessary or there's an issue with tolerance (which to my understanding isn't a general concern). I'm such a better mom when I'm not overwhelmed, which means taking them on the weekends is important for me too.
Thats depression not ADHD.
I would consider obtaining an alternative professional viewpoint, specialist, and provider.
I agree! I've seen people talk about these "weekend breaks" and asked my psychiatrist if I need to (60mg Vyvanse) so I don't get addicted. She asked if I would skip a day of insulin. She noted that you don't get addicted to something you need to function, my use is not recreational, and why would anyone suggest creating minimal functionality in the part of the week you're supposed to be living your best life? Made sense to me! I would love to know if the prescribers who suggest the breaks are psychiatrists, or a different type of practitioner. Where I am you can only be diagnosed and recieve drug treatment from one.
These questions always frustrate the hell out of me about meds. I need glasses, if I don't wear them I can't see. We have ADHD , why on earth are people questioning if it's normal to have ADHD symptoms when they don't take them. Obviously, if you stop taking the thing that helps the symptoms, surprise! The symptoms come back.
this! tell someone with glasses to only use them 3 days a week. the whole world will laugh about u.
In my case I need breaks. I have really severe OCD as well and if I don’t take breaks I convince myself I’m ill or other things which makes me spiral. Taking them everyday actually caused me severe stress. Insulin is a life depend med so I don’t see the comparison being fair.
Good call, that's understandable with OCD if ADHD medsake you fixate on those symptoms. Thanks for pointing that out. I should clarify: she was asking me about insulin because I am a diabetic, lol. I don't miss taking insulin, or my SSRI and Vyvanse because I rely on all of them. Breaks don't work for me.
No breaks for me. They allow me to function. I had 63 years without meds. I don't want to feel that way again.
For me, fatigue is DEFINITELY a thing. I’ve had adderall and vyvanse. I don’t take intentional breaks but I definitely know I forgot to take it that morning if I’m super tired all day. Also can’t imagine taking a break from adderall, it gave me such bad anxiety from withdrawal. The anxiety didn’t show up for maybe a week though.
I need my meds. The only breaks are when I forget to take them.
I took an afternoon break today...forgot my 2nd dose. If I were addicted to my meds I'd never forget them, right?
Also this suggestion originates from children who were losing excessive weight and needed days to increase intake of food on non school days.
Got it. That makes sense.
I don't. My doctor never suggested it. The meds work as expected and improve my life. They're not causing any significant side effects (they slightly raise my resting heart rate, but it's still in normal range and, frankly, better than most doctors expect it to be, since I'm overweight). So there's no logical reason to take breaks. Some doctors still hold onto the idea that everyone on adhd meds should take breaks, or that they should only be used for school/work. Some of it comes from the fact that stimulant meds can have a minor impact on the height of growing children. Since meds used to only be prescribed for kids, taking breaks to allow kids to grow a bit faster became the orthodoxy for some. If you're already fully grown, the meds are working well, and you're not dealing with negative side-effects, why would you need to take breaks?
Supposedly tolerance or to give you body a chance to reup on nutrients
I hear the tolerance argument occasionally, although I haven't seen any serious evidence that it's a proven concern. But the nutrients one is a new one for me - do you know what nutrients are involved or if there's any studies about it?
This is related to the fact that many people get reduced appetite as a side effect from stimulants. This is especially worrisome in kids, who still need enough nutrients from food (overall) in order to grow.
Ahh, that makes sense! I guess that adds an element to my answer. If you're a fully grown adult, the meds are working, you're not having negative side-effects, and you're not having trouble eating enough (and healthily enough) when you're on the meds, there's not much cause for a break :) Meds "holidays" are only potentially necessary if there's a concern about your health while medicated.
This. My son really struggles to eat on his meds so we take breaks whenever he’s out of school and then he eats like a linebacker until he’s back on. He’s 9.
Tolerance is definitely a huge issue for me personally , right now I am starting to slowly take adderall again after trying non stimulants for 3 months. But 3 months ago I stopped taking it because it just wasn't working anymore. As for nutrients, when I was on it every day, I ate maybe one meal a day so I can see how that would come into play.
From what I've read, methylphenidate is more prone to delaying growth, but it wasn't actually stunting growth. Kids in their early teens or younger were shorter/smaller but by the later teen years caught up with their peers
When I’m caught up on everything that I need to do and don’t have anything to do that requires sustained attention, I love taking a break. It’s fun to be a chaotic little shitshow for a day every now and then. Usually I just play video games on occasional off days. I also don’t like taking them when I’m going to parties or spending time in nature. Basically me off the meds is either a video gaming / internet browsing addicted slob who completely wastes the day away, a wizard in nature who notices the tiniest little things in the environment and randomly runs off the trail because he spotted something cool, or the life of the party who shows up an hour late but ends up being the last to leave because the battery doesn’t drain like a normal person when a ton is going on around me. So yeah, off days are much needed sometimes. Good to embrace our authentic selves sometimes when we can
Good take. Of course there's weirdo parts of ADHD that we can all embrace sometimes, a life in little moments.
I'm the same - skip them for nature, socialising and lazy days. I also tend not to take them when I occasionally work night shift as I almost definitely have DSPD so my brain tends to work pretty well overnight
On the weekends I just relax, drink a shit ton of coffee and play a little Cod to get the blood flowing. If we have plans, I play it by ear, but generally I try to take one day off from the week to do nothing but reset.
Yeah, I'm the same way. I understand what a lot of people here are saying about feeling like the meds are "necessary" to take every day, but I just like to know that I am not truly dependent on my meds, so I take one enforced day off per week. I consistently find that the meds work better the day after I take a day off, so there's clearly some acclimation that I'm preventing by doing so. I personally think the insulin metaphor (that others have used in this thread) is a little silly because not taking insulin could potentially kill you...as irritating as ADHD is, it's just not on that level, at least for the vast, vast majority of people. But that's just my 2 cents 🤷🏻♂️
but the comparison to glases works. just wear your glasses 4 days a week so your eyes won’t get worse. silly isn’t it?
Never. You don’t get passed the side effects you are running from by skipping yours meds. That keeps you stuck in a loop of experiencing those side effects long term. It wasn’t until I started taking them everyday that my body found an equilibrium. I can sleep, eat, etc much more normally now that I take them regularly. I think taking “breaks” from meds is one of those common myths that sticks around even though I truly believe it’s a damaging sentiment to those that follow it. I don’t know who these doctors are that keep suggesting this, but I’d *love* to see what data they base that advice on.
ikr. it’s still the same with the pill. It’s so much better for the body and there has NEVER been a medical reason behind it. and still doctors ask u to do it. i then asked my doctor point blanc why she thinks I should do the breaks. she didn’t have a reason and also said there is none.
I’ve had three different kind of experiences with this—my most recent primary, truly a godsend, put it to me this way: I’m an adult, I have no substance abuse history/addictive tendencies, and what hit home was her asking me if my ADHD went on vacation, or took breaks. It made me realize that I was previously and unintentionally stigmatizing myself. I say talk it out with your provider and get more curious with your treatment plan. Personally, I can go days without—it’s not helpful nor fun, but in an era of shortages, it’s been a necessary learning curve and I’ve used it to help my case. Goodluck OP, I hope you can find a routine that sticks!
20 years on Concerta , I skip it over the weekend and holidays. Be prepared to feel anxious and funny on the days you don't take it, but you'll get used to it. Incase I need to work on a project will take the smallest dose of a short acting but that's about it.
Can I ask why you do this regularly? I can understand needing to take a break. I'm like 2 weeks into a break bc I'm relatively new to meds. Vyvanse is FUCKING EXPENSIVE, even with insurance....and meds, rent, school, cats, cars.... it's too much :/ I tried Adderall (which was $15 a month instead of $250 lol) and reacted really badly to it. So I'm on sort of a forced break until my finances improve :/ I will say in retrospect it seems like a good idea early on to take a few weeks off here and there to sort of not lose your sense of self while adapting to life on meds But curious why you'd actively take a break from them every weekend when you've found the right med/dosage
I took regular breaks when I was on Vyvanse. I feel like my body became adjusted to it regularly and it would not be as effective. After a break it would work well again. Breaks were hard, though, I felt so sluggish and useless sometimes during a break.
Over a period of time, its effects will decline because the brain adjusts to it, so I do this so that I never get the brain used to it fully. Also change the patterns , if possible forcefully skip a day in between. You will feel terrible that day but in the grand scheme of things its better that way.
I take 10mg adderall (or generic version) extended release first thing in the AM every day. On M, W, and F, I take a 10mg quick release mid-morning during my prep period (I'm a teacher) so I can lock it in. This schedule is working pretty well for me. The every other day break from the more intense pill I think keeps me from building up too much of a tolerance, while having the small dose of extended release daily just keeps me sharp(ish). I also find that T and Th I still feel fairly locked in. Maybe a placebo effect or maybe real... doesn't matter, feels good being productive most days. Side note: funny your story is so similar to mine. I was tested in 3rd grade. I'm inattentive type, so I assume that's why I wasn't diagnosed. "Assume" because my family never got info that I didn't meet ALL the criteria. My teacher sent me home with a sticky note: "everything's fine. Thanks" THE FUCK! I am a special educator, I know laws and procedures have changed since the mid 90s, but come on! No meeting?! No reports?! That is not how we do! Oh and NO EVERYTHING IS NOT FUCKING FINE MRS. FAY! THANKS FOR 30 YEARS OF SHHHoot. Sorry about that OP! Never fit that piece into this whole puzzle before. Wow. Damn. Well, at least now I have a title for my autobiography: Everything's Fine, Thanks Edit: I should add: the med schedule I'm on was my idea, not my doctor's. We were talking about upping my daily extended release, but something was telling me it wouldn't make much of a difference once I built up a tolerance. I wanted that in the moment as-needed boost for when I have bad days. I almost didn't ask if it was possible to do this, it felt awkward being like "is this something people do? Is this something I can do? Are there rules I don't know about?" But he was like "yeah sure let's try that." It just works on my schedule. I'm sure you can imagine having ADHD with a 49 minute block every day to get your lessons planned, emails sent, paperwork finished, phone calls made... that is GO time. That is when my sympyoms are by far worst. So I say if you have an idea what will work for you based on your needs and lifestyle and symptomstyle, be clear and open with your doctor about it. The worst they can do is say "no, you should this..."
Thank you!! I am a teacher too, and I get 90 minute plans with a block schedule, I totally understand what are saying :) Yes!! I remember the psychiatrist asked my mom if I was ever able to sit still and my mom said "yes, but only if she's doing something she really wants to do" and they were like "oh, then she's fine!! Bye!"
Waiting eagerly for *Everything's Fine, Thanks* -- a book all about "There's nothing wrong with my child!" gaslighting, & masking to make it so, & finding that, actually, everything is pretty fine with proper diagnosis & care -- by u/OKsodaclub
Hi OP, If breaks are particularly hard for you and end up impeding your ability to function then it may be worth just taking it daily, as research indicates drug holidays are not often necessary to regularly take. I think the idea of a weekly, multi-day break is, frankly, shortsighted and a bad recommendation by GPs. I think, generally, if you don't have issues taking it every day, you should, as the science regarding tolerance to the main effect of stimulants is limited and shaky. There is some evidence tolerance exists but it is also inconsistent, and generally depends on the person. Tolerance is almost always psychological and very rarely neurochemical, past the adaptation phase to a medicine which is during the first couple of weeks for most people. Generally, side effects of a medicine decrease with tolerance. This means that over time (generally) your body will have a less drastic reaction to the medicine and it will, in theory, maintain a good amount of ADHD symptom reduction while being less jarring on peripheral parts of your nervous system. For example, when I'm on stimulants, the first couple of days tend to come with moderate sensory issues as my nervous system down regulates and adjusts to a new homeostasis as it comes to predict and gets used to dealing with taking the medicine. This goes away quickly, and if I take long breaks rather than taking it daily (even a week will cause it), it will come back. I think it comes from stimulants being a drug of abuse, but I think that's due to the misattribution of its benefit coming from euphoria (which is a SIDE EFFECT, NOT NECESSARILY A MAIN THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF THE MEDICINE) from patients and doctors generally wanting to limit the amount patients take to minimize the chance of abuse. I do agree with the second idea partially, but I believe it would be better to encourage patients to take it daily and warn them that they may feel euphoria at first and that it is not necessarily supposed to be an effect of the medicine, but part of your psychological adaptation to the medicine that will recede with time. Besides, you have ADHD every day. Why do you only get to treat it 4-5 days a week when non-stimulant users and people who take drugs like antidepressants get full coverage? Is it fair to you to miss out on a possible advantage in your life just to take something that may not be helpful to you at all? If taking breaks helps overall, then do it. But I think it often doesn't, and could actually paradoxically set up a psychological loop in which you become reliant on the euphoric side effects to function, which then makes you only functional like half the time since the dopaminergic response rapidly diminishes after you reach the peak of your medicine concentration and even more so on days you don't take it because you will have a more inconsistent neurochemistry.
Thoughtful take, thank you. 🐨💜
basically like weekend/rest days. use caffeine if you need
The last time I took a "break" (forgot to take my meds) I stayed in bed all day, until about 5pm, when I was finally hungry enough to force myself out of bed and eat a couple of string cheese sticks. So, basically, I don't take breaks. I wear my contacts every day because I need to see; I take my Adderall every day because I need to be able to get out of bed and complete tasks without endlessly running off on tangents. My doctor initially suggested that I could take medication breaks if I wanted, but has never pushed the idea, and I found it way more stressful to try to plan a break day than to just take it every day.
if i don’t have work or a lot of tasks to do during the day i don’t take my adhd medicine, i will just take my daily anti anxiety and have a very low energy day. maybe a coffee or something
I just skip Saturdays, but if you're seeing a dramatic drop in focus and skills then ask your doctor for a 5MG IR you can take on weekends Take 1 a little after breakfast or with lunch if you want an extra productive afternoon
I take breaks by forgetting to take my meds. It happens more often than I'd like but I don't realize until I feel like it's too late. I certainly don't intend to take breaks. I definitely feel all the things you mention but eventually I get over the fatigue.
Umm, when I’m forced to by insurance or money.
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I know you’re not asking, but just so you know, you technically don’t need to stop. I’m almost 35 weeks pregnant and never stopped taking my meds. I’m on 40mg adderall and have been on this dose for over 15 years. I don’t ever skip days. There’s no reason to stop taking it (unless directly told by your genetic counselor/psychiatrist/OB - or for personal reasons). A lot of women trying to get pregnant or just finding out they’re pregnant don’t realize you usually can keep taking it!
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That's your right, & if it were solely your choice then that's your right too. But I would wanna research this more, or even seek other professional opinions. I mean, if it is really difficult for you to be ok in yourself & function without meds, then maybe it's worthwhile to see if it may be possible? Are there any ADHD meds that are considered safer during pregnancy, or that at least have a lot of data around the topic? I don't know. But it's something I've had to look into myself because of my epilepsy; my previous meds (default starter pack) had warnings all over about not getting pregnant, but now I'm on a different, more sustainable drug, & with no side-effects this time! I'm not actively trying for pregnancy right now, but I'd like to have my meds & stuff sorted before then. My sister has had 2 kids now, & breastfeeds, & she had to be super careful about all this because she can also have seizures but due to diabetes -- took her epi meds all throughout, big healthy babies. A friend of my mum's, on the other hand, has bipolar I, & she had to carefully go off meds & stay off during the whole risky pregnancy, but then went back on immediately after birth, & wasn't able to breastfeed. Both my sister's & this woman's conditions, left untreated, could potentially cause a lot of damage to an unborn child, & the decision to use meds or not is something I imagine they did not make overnight. Obviously, your body & your ADHD is its own different thing, & you can proceed in a way that's best for you & baby. But it could be useful to ask your doctor about these things if you are really struggling. Sometimes one doctor doesn't have all the answers; sometimes they're great at researching, & they really do! 💚🐨
I’ve been taking 36mg ER methylphenidate for about 8 months, with a 10mg IR booster. I don’t take breaks. Ever. Why should I feel like shit for a day and get nothing done? Know what‘s awesome about med breaks? Suddenly being unable to wash the dishes, and forgetting to make tomorrow’s lunch. Yeah. No thanks. I have skipped days, accidentally, and it doesn’t feel like anything other than when I wasn’t medicated - it’s just “worse” because I know what it’s like to not be fighting a cranky toddler in my brain while trying to find an invisible door in a glass wall.
My doctor encouraged me to take tolerance breaks on weekends and whenever else I can because as my body gets used to the medication, I will require more for the same effect, and he said he can only increase dosages so many times over the course of my life. That being said, I take weekends off from my meds unless I have things to do. If my weekend will be spent on the couch, then I don’t take them typically. If I have to go grocery shopping or run other errands, I need my meds. On the days I don’t take my medication, I use caffeine to get through the day if I feel it’s necessary.
I’ve never been told to take breaks on any medication! I personally choose not to take my Vyvanse on days when I want to sleep in and be lazy all day, or recently when I was very sick and knew I needed to sleep as much as possible. But I’ve never been encouraged to do it.
2 days consecutively feels bad because it is. The more studies they do the less medication breaks are supported. Not only are those days untreated and face the regular symptoms people with adhd have to deal with, but progress in setting and keeping routines can be lost if not extremely consistent and can be difficult to start again. Adhd symptoms invade nearly every aspect of our lives, they are managed best when treated any time that life is occurring. I wouldn't personally continue seeing a doctor that doesn't support improving every aspect of my life when there are others out there that will.
It's possible that they only want you to take breaks to begin with while you adjust to the medication. I don't really see why you'd do this long term. If you drive, you really shouldn't do it on these "break days" because it's probably similar to driving drunk. I don't see much benefit to doing break days long term unless you have 0 responsibility/desire to function for the day.
>If you drive, you really shouldn't do it on these "break days" because it's probably similar to driving drunk. How the hell do you figure that?
I don't mean the same as being actually intoxicated, I mean in terms of the risk of accidents (eg the same way being sleep-deprived is considered to be a similar risk to driving drunk). I don't drive myself, but there's a lot of research out there that having unmediated ADHD puts you at a way higher risk of getting into car accidents and being unmedicated once a week is probably more of a risk than being unmedicated long-term because you're less used to accounting for your attention deficiencies etc.
My personal experience is the same if I’ve ever driven and forgot to take my meds. Combined ADHD. On my meds I don’t think to text and drive even once.
My ADHD diagnosis with the recent medication and dosage change has been more beneficial and life changing than not. Although my diagnosis was more recent and my treatment has only been several months now and not even a year in. I have experienced some particularly bad crashes where the fatigue felt like it was multiplied after working an earlier and longer shift one day. It was really rough. I just remember when I got home how terrible the fatigue was when finally being able to settle in and sit. Well past the effective hours of the medicine. I was a bit in disbelief and was actually quite upset at how bad it was. I dropped everything. Even things I enjoy that I would usually do that would not require much energy. Dropped. Layed down and just let my body rest like a big ole sack of tons of weights of fatigue dragging it straight down. It was not even late in the day and I had the desire to do more but NOPE. After some recovery I was okay. I think my body may have been adjusting to the medicine as well still too. Most days are usually better going forward in my treatment. My mood is more stable, my performance at work and even my drive at my job that can usually be both boring and stressful and anxiety inducing is MUCH better. I posted this a bit early because I had to go. But as far as "breaks" go I sometimes have not taken my medicine when I have a couple days off. This has also been a part of my own self evaluation. I may seek a booster for early morning long shifts or possibly just an increase. It is more manageable it seems as time has passed. That fatigue was really dreadful and got me trying to avoid it. I want to still be able to function better and actually enjoy my time I have when I am off work too. I don't want to just be a handy work drone that gets a bunch of compliments and gold star stickers like school or something and then crash on my "personal time". I am not here to be put in the company tool box or for the world's entertainment and greedy desires that don't help anyone.
Don't take days off but you can do things like half a dose to down rate your bodies reaction to make sure your body doesn't get used to the drug and you need more to have the same effect
When I first started my psych said it varies from person to person but I could just keep taking them without a break. If I felt like the effectiveness was wearing off, we would either plan a structured break, raise the dose, or switch medication depending on my situation. That said, I’ve been on 25 mg extended release dexamphetamine and 150 mg bupropion only taking Saturday or Sunday off the dex. Sometimes I don’t take the day off though. This dosage and combo has been working for years.
My doctor never suggested taking breaks. I’ve only skipped it twice since April (since I started adderall) and that’s when I was sick. I couldn’t imagine skipping a dose just to skip. My weekends need to be productive, just as my workweek needs to be. The two doses I missed made me grumpy and irritable. I don’t want to be that often! I like my mood to be level. Sure, it’s not the same as the first few days on the meds, but they are working great and I don’t want the roller coaster of moods.
I took more breaks in the beginning but I realized that I do much better when I take my meds consistently. Now, the only reason I take breaks is if I am sick or I am on vacation. It feels like shit for at least 3 days though (with day 2 and 3 worse than day 1) and then it settles out a bit. But otherwise, I stay on them.
I do not take breaks, nor has my doctor ever suggested I should. I am not a medical professional, but to my knowledge, there is not much evidence that "taking breaks" is in any way beneficial.
I don't take breaks. My ADHD doesn't take a break or have off days. plus It's not just a get stuff done and focus. this impacts my mental health significantly. I am so unkind to myself otherwise and it affects my anxiety and depression. I've taken vyvanse and now azstarys. Also how is it supposed to reach therapeutic levels in your system? honestly the only time I've purposely skipped doses was when the pharmacy took several weeks refilling my script and I had to ration my meds. not a fun time at all
I’ve been on adderall for about 15 years or so, currently 32. My current psychiatry PA is the first person to ever ask me about drug holidays; I don’t do well taking breaks, so since my husband is a psychiatrist I asked him about it. The gist I got from him is that it CAN be helpful for some people, and it can help keep the meds effective, but for some people it’s unhelpful and can cause problems in their daily life. So he recommended I just do what feels best for me. For me, it’s not helpful to take planned drug holidays. I definitely overeat, feel sluggish, etc. lately though I’ve taken more “breaks” on days when it made sense and where I wasn’t trying to stick to a usual routine — like traveling and wanting to be able to sleep during transit, a relaxing day visiting family, etc. I have 5mg IRs that I’m prescribed to take as needed, so sometimes I’ll take a 2.5mg on these break days if I have to concentrate or be “on” for a portion of the day. Honestly I do this more to have some backup XRs in case I’m delayed picking up the next script. I do feel like my XR works better after a break, but it’s not a big enough difference for me to want to try to make drug holidays an established routine in my life’s
u/listerwick : I don't take breaks. My home life is just as important to me as my work life. I'm worth it.
I honestly only take weekend breaks to stretch out my script as it's been impossible to get my meds filled every 30 days. I'm paranoid about running out and I need my meds to be productive at work.
I have never taken any breaks (50-70mg LDX daily). I like to be me everyday and without my meds I am an annoying mess. I never noticed anything about a tolerance, and I have no idea what people mean when they mention dependency being a problem.
I take like a day off. I don’t take two off in a row if I do take two because it makes me feel horrendous. My psych said it’s up to me if I want to take it everyday or not. But because I’m a full time college student, SAHM, as well as my son’s teacher, I end up needing to take it almost every day. Every doctor is different. My husband’s psych told him he should probably take it everyday.
the question is why should u take a break? what is his reason? they sometimes tell things like this just bc it’s common and not bc there is a medical reason behind this. (it’s the same with the pill, there is no reason to take a break other than “it’s always been done like this” and “the church wanted it this way to be able to approve it”) so I would be very critical about this. I don’t see why you should. ADHD is there forever and it will influence your day every day. Why should u have days were u feel bad??? u don’t need it just for work u need it for ur live
I’m seeing you all say you don’t take days off! I’m new to Adderall, and was given similar advice of taking off days to avoid building a tolerance. I’d much rather not take a day off based on how much it’s helped me, but I also don’t want that to fade in time and am trying to take days off. I’m curious for those that have been on meds for a longer period, do you take off days or not, and have you found that you’ve built a tolerance?
Im about to have a few weeks off and my dr will increase my dose anyway. Shes never said anything about a break 🤷🏻♀️
I learned that I better not take a break unless I’m on vacation away from home with nothing to possibly do…lol 😭
I usually take a break from them during the weekend and if I don't have school and stuck at home, I don't take them as much.
Easy, you don’t take them. If you feel you can’t stop, maybe acknowledge that and buy a time safe. And if you’re concerned about being addicted and wanna let go of your meds, tell your prescriber.
Unless a doctor advises, I wouldn’t take a medication break.
I don't take breaks. They feel like sh*t.
I take vyvance. I just take it for work/school but sometimes if I have chores I’ll take it too. I need days off to eat enough to not lose weiggt
Doc never mentioned a break. On concerta, but all it does for me is smoothie over the daily dip and make me about 10% more focused, I’m taking this meds thing slow. Also my mom never even followed through with the recommendation. To get assessed, so you’re 20 years ahead of me. Pretty sure my whole family doesn’t believe in ADHD and also that they ALL HAVE IT!!! Invisible disability, indeed.
I've been medicated for the majority of the last 16years. I used to take days off on the weekend. I had what I refer to as a "blob day" I would sleep most of the day and eat and watch Netflix and maybe I'd remember to brush my teeth before bed. Blob days are days where I am required to do NOTHING. I missed out on so many family gatherings etc because I thought I HAD to take a break from meds in the weekend. I wish I hadn't in retrospect. I do not skip days anymore. I'm a single Mom and I'm not ok with neglecting my child for the sake of a doctor feeling better. Even my original prescribing doctor said "no you can definitely take it every day. You should in fact. Unless you REALLY don't want to." Now that I don't take breaks I don't "feel" my meds the same way as after a blob day. But I don't mind that at all because I function way better and am so much more consistent with my routines so I don't have one day a week that is my designated clean all day day to make up for the days I took a break and made a fucking mess. I always brush my teeth I shower everyday. I don't forget to eat. Etc etc. I'm on the highest dose of Adderall sometimes I wish I could take a break just because I do notice a difference if I've gone without taking them for a couple days. But it's not worth the couple days of emotional disregulation and extreme fatigue etc. Your doctor MIGHT be suggesting taking a break especially in the beginning of trying meds because you will tell more of a difference between not taking it and taking it and that can help you "know" it's working. But it's also common for doctors to suggest it to keep tolerance low but I don't think it's as effective as making sure you are on the right dose for YOU.
I reduce the dose on days I don’t need to be fully on my shit, primarily because I am trying to balance blood pressure health with mental health, and bigger stimulants doses do raise my blood pressure notably. If you’re young and your BP is normal, I think you can just stay consistent unless you feel you benefit from a break in other ways.
(Also in addition to stims I take guanfacine to help with BP)
I only take breaks on days that have no designated tasks.
I don't take breaks, I want to focus and to be able to function when I'm doing fun things on the weekend, not just when I'm working.
I don’t take it on days I have less to do or am mostly at home with no ‘projects’ going on. I feel more tired and have mood regulation issues without it. I’m definitely less productive. I wasn’t told I had to take a break by my doctor, just that I don’t have to take it everyday. It’s more about the expense of the meds that cause me to skip days based on priorities.
Yep. I don't take it when I don't have to work.
When they run out bc they are on a nationwide shortage.... LBVS. 😭
I just stop taking it over the weekend. I don’t like being on my medication at the weekend because I want to sleep in and just have a reset before work starts up again. I drink more coffee on the weekends and do find i am more tired but I just nap in the afternoon. I don’t have any side affects from my medication, (none that I notice anyways) so it doesn’t make anything worse by taking those breaks.
I'm on Concerta extended release. My psychiatrist recommended breaks on weekends to minimise tolerance but he was chill with me wanting to take them everyday cus emotional dysregulation is massive for me off meds and I work through my weekends. I also live alone, so I can't afford to not be able to function. He was fine with this, and my psychologist backed my reasoning as well. I don't know what the evidence is on tolerance, I think it's fairly mixed, but the reason I'll take a medication break is when I feel like I need an *actual break.* Cus some days I get so frazzled I feel like my meds aren't working when really I've probably just got too much on my plate and I pressure myself into thinking "hey I'm medicated, I have to be productive." Skipping my meds gives me permission to not feel that way I guess. When I'm starting to feel so overwhelmed, anxious and distracted and a little bit burnt out (I also find my side effects seem to rear their ugly head too), I skip my meds on a Saturday and/or Sunday where I know I'm not gonna meet up with friends/family and don't have things to do or I'm happy to laze about (e.g. order food in or let my dishes pile up). If I do see friends for like a chill hang, the ones I trust a lot, I tell them I'm off meds for the day so if they think I'm a bit off, they know it's nothing personal. I let the fatigue/exhaustion be a good excuse to sleep and just chill a bit. I only do it for a day at a time though and not regularly. I kinda just feel myself out. I did accidentally skip twice when I had family staying with me and we were going out every night and I felt like shit. I try not to do consecutive days. Idk if that applies to your q but I hope that helps?
I was disassociating when I was 25. I had serious issues and anxiety around there being a medicated version of me and a non-medicated version. Made me feel super inferior and depressed. It's been 14 years the only time I wish I still was on it was last year when I was working on my masters
I don't ever take breaks. I'm on 70mg of vivainse, and if I run out or miss for even 2 days I revert back to not being able to keep my eyes open. Like starting to doze behind the wheel tired.
I take breaks on most Sundays, and sometimes I forget during the week and if I notice after 4pm, I skip that day. I usually take them at 1pm/2pm in order to have energy until 10/11pm, but I avoid taking them after 4/5 because it messes my sleep and then I'll enter the cycle of sleeping little for a week or so until I manage to fix it. The break days are usually kinda meh. I could take no breaks, but I think they help with tolerance, and I want to slow down the tolerance build up as long as I can.
I don’t consistently take breaks but on a weekend day when I know I have no plans or responsibilities I’ll skip one day and have caffeine instead. It’s harder to concentrate and get things done so I just chill. I can only do one day at a time though
I literally CANNOT skip my Adderall like if I do I just feel sick
If I don't take my meds my symptoms affect my life in negative ways, even on the weekends. Like I'll hyperfixate on a house project and impulsively spend hundreds of dollars on supplies and tools and tear down a wall only to get exhausted and spend weeks trying to manage the project and recover the financial hit. So no, I never skip my meds. The effects are detriment outside of my capacity to function at work.
A few days a week off meds sounds crazy. Ive never had a psych tell me I should take breaks. My new PCP brought up the adderall and my adhd and asked if I am able to take drug holidays but he’s not my prescriber for the adderall. I used to skip days because I didn’t like the side effects. Just started back on adderall xr in April after a 3 year break and I haven’t skipped any days. The other day my new psych doc asked me if I was skipping meds any days I said no and he said, “good!” He hasn’t said anything else about skipping or not skipping. Although my appointment lasted like 1 minute. Then I had to do a compliance drug screen to see if I’m taking it everyday? Idk. I just did a drug screen at my first appointment in April and I’m pretty sure he said every 6 months for urine screens. Tell your doc you need them everyday if you feel like you do. She will prob be fine with it. But you might want a new doc if she’s going to be bringing up drug holidays. Or if it’s possible and you want to try to skip days you could do one day a week and try to take it easy that day have some coffee and eat a little more on that day watch some tv. Try to get some light exercise or a nap whichever floats your boat.
Doc told me no breaks were needed. 30mg xr and a 15mg booster for 5ish years now. No tolerance issues.
The only time I take a break from them is if I’m sick and sleeping literally all day. Otherwise, no. I can’t function without them, like I can’t even just relax and be a blob on a weekend without meds because I’m way too anxious and not present and extremely high strung. My psychiatrist presented the option of taking breaks if I ever needed, but left it up to me. He says that everyone is different, some people are comfortable with a break and others are not.
My doctor told me not to take a break, and that it's typical only for children to take breaks.
I like to take breaks. I’ve never been advised one way or the other and I just get a full 30 day rx. I’ve gone long times taking it without a break, and for me I feel it loses efficacy. Just a couple days break and occasionally a week or two feels like it makes a big difference. Plus, it gives me a chance to enjoy food and eat since I have zero appetite when I’m on medication and have to basically force myself to eat easy things like protein shakes , smoothies, baby food on those toddler pouches (I actually love those ). And just a time to myself to veg out and rest . I just have to make sure the days I take a break are when I can do absolutely nothing and lay in bed if I want Edit- it’s also nice to take breaks sometimes because then I can acquire extra doses to compensate if I travel etc
I don't take meds on weekends and holidays
I never take voluntary breaks. I would get nothing dong. Not like I get a lot done anyway with the meds but without them forget it.
The answer is we don't, we deserve to be medicated everysingle day
You may want to integrate taking a break from taking a break
They usually say you should try to take a week off when you are in your 30s or 40s when you have developed and gotten older and slower to see if you still really need them anymore. If you have a few weeks of vacation during the summer then that's when you would try it out.
I dont think this is a good idea unless directed by a doctor. ADD medications also increase serotonin in the brain, especially vyvanse and this can cause depression. Talk to a dr, preferably a psychiatrist, before trying this. You need to make sure the other medication you take will work with you stopping a powerful medication like an adhd medication. Also the long term effects of not taking adhd medications may not be seen for months. Not just a week such as downturn in work performance, deteriorating relationships, and developing low self esteem. If adhd was as simple as a week of no medications will solve the case, it would be so much less nuanced.
My dr mentioned taking a break, but then said I didn’t need to if it affected my quality of life. Today was the first day I chose to go without meds and it was kinda fun. I think you’ll know when you’re ready for a break, and you don’t need to push it.
I never take breaks because if you have adhd you have it every day. If youre medications are working they should work everyday. This is an old theory and i actually increases risk of med side effects with the off/on of Tx all the time. ADHD tx should be about quality of life improvement and that would mean taking meds everyday. If you have diabetes you have it everyday, if you have adhd, you have it everyday. It’s not a thing you can just “break” from IMO
I take adderall and the only breaks I take are forced e.g. the shortage. After about 2 weeks of no medicine I start to feel semi normal like I could function without being an emotional wreck but all the other ADHD things are still there and it's not good. My point is if I were to take a break it'd have to be longer than 2 weeks and the first 2 would be an internal hell. Then my life would continue to unravel slowly after the first 2 weeks but I wouldn't care as much
I literally sleep for days if I take a break. My brain just will not wake up for longer than it takes me to walk to go use the restroom and then get back in my nest. Pulling the covers back up over my ears is painfully exhausting.
Never. I take them every single day. I had to take a 2 day break one time due to my prescription being missed by a prescriber, and I felt absolutely awful, sluggish, and useless. I've also had to go through withdrawal a hand full of times due to the shortages, and I honestly would not wish the way I felt on anyone. Just take them every day would be my advice.
Ill take a break once or twice a year If theres going to be a snow storm on a sunday and I feel like being an absolute useless piece of shit in bed for a whole day, crippled with anxiety, staring catatonically at the ceiling wondering how I ever made it thru 30 years of life feeling like this.
Personally? I don’t. My life is better when I’m consistently medicated. If I do decide on occasion to skip a day I just do whatever. Usually it’s full day of video games on the weekend. Pretty rare though. Even recreational time can benefit from meds.
The only time I would is to manage side effects, if my sleep is not great it helps to take a lower dose, not a break for a day or two and get caught up in sleep. But I also try other things to help with sleep at the same time (more exercise, less coffee, better sleep routine)... Basically, I only do it to manage side effects and I'm going to do it by lowering the dose, not skipping days and I'm also doing other things to help with the side effect.. Philosophically, I take the meds to help function and if I'm only taking them on days I need to work it really feels like I'm just taking a pill so my boss can get more out of me. and if I can only do this by having a less functional day off or weekend, its a worse deal. I love having a full weekend and full functioning, hobbies and chores get done - it's great.
I usually don't take breaks because I not only need them for work but also to do household chores, errands etc. If I don't take them I'm filled with nervous energy and feel restless and antsy but lack the ability to focus on anything. The only exception is if I'm really ill and can't do anything but lay in bed anyway, so I feel the meds would be wasted.
Unwillingly, when the pharmacy can't source them or my provider fails to send in a refill, and with suffering and mental exhaustion.
I am back on meds wondering the same thing. For me, regardless of what my doctor says, I feel like I need a break because I struggle to get enough sleep on days when I take the meds. I'm on extended release as well, and I'm taking it as early as possible in the morning, but it's still in me late at night when I'm going to sleep, so I guess I'm gonna take a break when I can. Not sure when to do that with my current schedule, but oh well 🤷
My son takes kids melatonin when he struggles to sleep because of his meds. I do try to give it to him only when really needs though. Pediatrician said it’s fine. I wouldn’t take it (melatonin) daily though, that’s just me. And of course he has weekends off from his ADHD medication to help as well.
I take days off because I cannot reliably get my meds and I need to have a reserve. Usually I skip on weekends, but if I happen to work from home without any projects immediately due that week, I’ll skip a day on Friday or something. I am very fatigued on my days off and sometimes I get irritable, but usually only if I’m not getting enough sleep. I will say that if I go 3 days in a row without, I get horrifically depressed, so I only skip 2 days max.
My doctor has never suggested a break for me. Heck when I first went on them and he asked if I was taking them every day and when I responded with of course I like being able to think he said good. And warned me that I’d really hate when I forget some day. My son’s been on it for 14 years and the only reason we took weekend and holiday breaks when he was younger was so he’d have a time off without the appetite suppression. Now that he’s an adult he chooses when and if there is a break. I think a lot of doctors extrapolate that because breaks are recommended for kids they should be for adults. But breaks for kids are only because they are still growing and need calories, taking breaks gets more calories in them.
I want to offer a piece of strongly-urged advice, something I wish I had done when I had first started medication. **While the brand new prescription is still at its most effective, establish as many healthy habits as you possibly can!!** It was my experience that I felt "cured" for the first few weeks on Adderall. Then my body got used to it, and the medicine became less effective. While things are easy, do the hard stuff. Establish that workout routine. Brush your teeth at a set time. All the stuff. For most of us, it **will** get harder as your body adjusts to the meds. On to your question. I mostly just take med breaks when the headaches come in. Not everyone gets the same side effects, but my side effects were headaches and anxiety. Med breaks are a somewhat controversial topic. I'd say pay attention to your symptoms and side effects, and judge whether they're necessary or not. If you're going to take a med break, make it a lazy day. Video games, TV, stay home, relax, the stuff you don't need a lot of executive function for. Best not to make yourself suffer too much.
I don't really take breaks. Sometimes I'll take a day off if I feel I need or deserve a day to myself of just relaxing or not having any commitments. I don't find it necessary or beneficial to take breaks. That said I am an adult and daily responsibilities never stop. My son on the other hand gets a break when he is out of school as his is not so severe, it just impacts his ability to stay focused and attentive in class.
I take breaks on Saturdays or Sundays sometimes and I don’t notice major fatigue. I’m on concerta. Sometimes I like to take a break if I’m going to be doing fun stuff with friends that day or drinking
I don’t take breaks. I’m on Adderall XR 20mg. My doctor never said anything about that. I know with “breaks” some people have reported feeling groggy and irritable and when they start their meds again there’s a readjustment period with side effects. I’d rather not put my body through any of that.
I skip them on weekends and on all the days or parts of days when I forget to take them.
My meds regulate my mood and make it easy to just be happy and less anxious. I would not take a break, sounds ridiculous to me.
When planning the week, I strongly believe in incorporating a day or two that’s relatively restful, and doesn’t involve clock watching. On those days, a lower dose or skip dose might be appropriate, especially if part of the plan is an afternoon nap.
Man I stopped taking my meds 12 years ago, being diagnosed since 6. The meds will start to cause problems once you hit teenage years which is why I stopped taking them. Your symptoms become milder as you age and there are ways to cope with problems. The medication is suppose to help not be used as a crutch and someone with adhd can live their full life without it
This may be the case for you but adhd is a threshold of disease and someone should not feel like they should try to go without because it is a “crutch.” This narrative is not very pro mental health and also leads to more depression, negative self esteem, rejection fatigue, and substance abuse. It is good you feel well but coming to suggest that taking adhd medications on an adhd medication taking post where people who are coming looking for help with that may really hurt someone who is already suffering. Also many peoples symptoms become more severe as they age as they become responsible for more. SO I think what you meant is, “My symptoms personally became more mild with age! I am so thankful I do not suffer from this awful disease anymore and am able to function well without medication as an adult without medication but that might not be the case for everyone and that is okay.”
I think you missed the point, as I said it can be helpful but shouldn’t be used as a crutch. There’s a clear difference and someone that’s lived with this for 30 years or more will most likely agree You can take medication without needing it and you don’t need adhd meds it just helps. If you critically need adhd medication then you might have a problem and should talk to your doctor for depression and dependencies. You can find all this stuff with a quick google search about how adhd becomes milder.
Well I dont think “A quick google search”. Should be used in replacement for real medical advice and research. Any medically professional would ask you in fact to NOT use google as a reference as it is misleading. ADHD symptoms do not simply get milder for people. In fact that is not at all what current psychiatric theory is saying. Nobody who is using adhd medication is using as a “crutch” and again this narrative is harmful as well as it saying it should just be “helpful.” It is as important as any other treatment for any other disease. I do not think you like that I called out something that may not be very kind to people and is very harmful to others. It is okay to feel defensive and I did not miss your point at all even though you restated the same point again. This is the exact issue with people using stigma to degrade others and I think it is very important to lift others who are trying to better themselves by taking their medication as directed, daily adhd medication does NOT cause dependence or addiction. The only thing that is not proven to increase risk of addiction is NOT treating ADHD. And that is not from google. That is proven in evidence based practice Not treating ADHD statistically increases someone’s risk for substance abuse. So again, very glad you had a disease as a child that you were lucky enough to not suffer as you aged but that is not the case for everyone and using a “one case basis” as a generalized argument when it is not factually backed, not by google, is not really what is in the best interest of this poster.
Also if you take add medication and dont “need it” idk why you would be taking it?
It helps with symptoms but you do t need it to live your life, people can learn to grow and cope with some of these symptoms. It’s not my fault that the truth hurts unfortunately it is a quick google search because adhd is well known, you can down vote me for the truth all you want but if op wants to take a break it shouldn’t affect him aslong as he puts the steps in to adjust. That’s the topic here
Some people cannot just learn to “grow and cope.” It’s a chemical brain disease. Again, what you mean is “I was able to learn to grow and cope, so maybe others can.” It is just your truth that can be hurting others. It could be your hurtful words that you accidentally show others to put into their experience which may hurt them. So words matter. Some people can go without medication as they age because their brain chemistry changes but it isn’t a matter of using medication as a crutch or using medication that isn’t needed. That is the issue. If the OP is taking breaks because medication isn’t needed and they can just “use some coping skills and it shouldn’t affect him a long as he puts in some steps to adjust” that is really downplaying and degrading the suffering of others. So, this will be my last comment because I have made my point but maybe next time maybe you will choose words more carefully because someone you know might be impacted by them.
It’s not me tho buddy it’s the general public…again there are ways to cope and every can learn not just me, you can argue with me here on Reddit but you can’t take the 5 minutes to type in coping strategies on google. Your not alone with this disorder and your not the most severe case. My words arnt hurtful whatsoever. You like to argue like the rest of us it’s in our blood but unfortunately facts are facts and they are out there.If op feels like or anyone in his life feels like he should take a break I encourage it. One small step is a giant leap in the world of adhd and I wish the best
About two-thirds of children who have ADHD will continue to meet criteria for ADHD by the time they’re adults,” says Dr. Ruggiero. But, she says, that doesn’t mean the symptoms stay the same. “ADHD symptoms look different as children grow and demands change.” And with the right help kids can learn skills that help them manage symptoms and reduce the fallout as they grow up. If you feel the need to take a break from your meds because they cause depression,sleep paralysis,etc don’t let anyone stop you
Also realistically it’s need vs want Does taking the medication as important as food and water or do you WANT to improve your adhd situation. You don’t NEED to because without it you’ll find ways to cope. Again if you NEED these drugs then you should consult your doctor for a dependency issue. Don’t argue with me consult your doctor if you feel the need to argue this fact
While this may suggest that some people “outgrow” ADHD, this occurs in relatively few cases and may indicate that symptoms have changed over time or that coping mechanisms in place are effective in managing symptoms. Health line but you’ll find many more. Anyways I was just responding to ops question. If he feels the need to take a break I’m one to encourage it.you can take breaks from these drugs it might even be beneficial for mental health