<s>[INST] Hi, I have a question. I was recently diagnosed with adult ADD but I do not think I really have it. Long story short: I mentioned to my doctor that I am forgetful & have trouble concentrating & asked what herbal remedy I could take for it. He referred me to a clinical psychologist. The psychologist decided I have ADD without much to go on. I couldn t believe that he came to that conclusion. I have a B.Ed & used to teach kids with ADHD as well as a Masters in Counseling Pyschology. My mother-in-law has adult ADD & so does my brother-in-law. So, I am very experienced with it. I have also taken several online ADD questionnaires with negative results. After receiving the report, my regular doctor prescribed Adderall 20mg XR. After reading what it does & researching for hours (and obviously still researching), I found a lot of off label uses for it...weight loss, Depression, Social Anxiety, even Chronic Fatigue. It s so hard to decipher from the internet what is fact & what is fiction. I have Chron s Disease & have had a bowel resection in the past. I am always B12 & iron deficient. I get regular B12 shots. I am always tired & I do not have a lot of energy. Getting up in the morning is extremely hard to do whether I ve had 3 hours of sleep or 10 hours. I am seeing a sleep specialist & he said I have Delayed Sleep Phase & tried me on several sleep medications to try to adjust my phase. I did not see any improvement & the specialist is going to schedule a day sleep study to assess my daytime fatigue (already did the night clinic) to decide if he is going to prescribe something to help with the daytime sleepiness. I have a very patient husband who usually takes the kids to school in the morning so I don t have to. We ve kind of settled into the roles of me being the creative, game board mother & him being the active, outdoors dad because I don t have the energy for it. My Chron s Disease is under control & I stopped taking Imuran in October 2011. However, I still have abdominal pain related to it. I have just learned to live with it. When I read about Adderall after my doctor prescribed it, I decided to try it. I may not have ADD but I have a lot of other ailments that might benefit. So, I started taking the 20mg capsule. What a difference! I only started it last week but my energy level has increased, I get out of bed before the alarm... without hitting snooze literally for a 1/2 hour. I wake my kids up instead of them trying to wake me up. I get tasks completed & cross a lot of things off my to-do list. I have not noticed any abdominal discomfort. My husband is in Afghanistan for this month & I have had no problem getting the kids to school on time or doing activities with them that require energy. I feel like such a better mom. I have started going to the gym & doing cardio & weight-lifting which I am supposed to do for my Osteopenia.There s no high associated with it, just increased energy. I think that 20 mg is too high, though & I am going to ask to drop to 5mg, 10mg or 15mg. I just want to take the lowest possible amount that will increase my energy level, give me a higher tolerance for pain & solve my sleep problem. I have not had a problem falling asleep on Adderall, either. I take the pill early in the morning. So, I fall asleep at a normal time & get up at a normal time. Wow! I m almost 40 & have never done that! Sometimes I feel like I am just keeping my head above water because of my energy level. Adderall has genuinely helped me to function & accomplish daily tasks. Ok, that was the loooong history. I am getting to my question, I promise! I am worried about the long term side effects of Adderall. I am un upbeat person who has never suffered from depression but my mother, sister and brother have. Apparently that puts me at risk for depression and/or anxiety with Adderall use. Even with all my health issues & lack of energy, I m still an optomist & I do love life. My dad died at 43 of colon cancer when I was 16 so I learned at a young age to love every day. Adderall is an addictive drug but I have been on many addictive pain killers in the past, including morphine taken every morning with percocet for break through pain for 6 months before my bowel resection. I ve also taken drugs such a lortab over the years for flare-ups. These medications have always been prescribed by a doctor & I have never abused any of them. I have come off all without any addiction issues. I read that Adderall causes appetite suppression & weight loss. I am very conscious of that & I have made sure to eat regularly & I bought some Ensure shakes for back up. I do not want to lose weight & possibly cause trouble with my Chron s. I have had an increased heart rate at times but have measured my pulse but it has not gone over 92/minute. I have minor headache and anxiety as the drug is wearing off. Do you think I should continue to use Adderall? What dosage? What are the long term effects for patients taking Adderall without ADD? [/INST] Hello,Thanks for choosing "Health Care Magic" for posting your query.I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through.Generally patients with ADHD need to continue treatment for long. There are no significant side-effects of long term Adderal and it may be taken regularly. Hope I am able to answer your concerns.If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you in future.     Wish you good health! </s>