Adderall Night and Nuvigil Day

Do you know the difference between night and day? I do. It’s my husband on Adderall and my husband on Nuvigil.

My husband is so much closer to normal – our version of it anyway. He isn’t keyed up and agitated, his appetite has returned, and he is able to sleep somewhat. 

Things could still be better, though. Nuvigil is not the perfect solution; if he doesn’t eat when taking it, he gets headaches and he still doesn’t get enough sleep. He also still has mild anxiety attacks every now and then. We’re working on that part.

But for now, I’m delighted with the difference.

I Hate Adderall... and It Hates Me

So last night I finally told my husband how much I hate his medication.

Adderall.

If you could hear the loathing in my voice when I spit out that word...

My husband has narcolepsy. That means he is often sleepy, tired, or mentally drained. The solution to that would simply be to wake him up, right?

Wrong.

The solution actually does not currently exist as narcolepsy is incurable (for now). But there are several treatment options available, including a variety of medications that can help alleviate or lessen symptoms. Unfortunately, I don't believe Adderall to be one of those for him. Although it does keep my husband awake sometimes, the side effects are so extreme that the moments when he is lucid aren't even worth it.

Here are some of the benefits of Adderall:

• Improved concentration
• Mental alertness
• Appetite suppression (some may consider that a benefit)

That's the effect I can see it has on my husband. Here are the side effects:

• Irritability
• Inability to sleep
• Teeth grinding
• Loss of appetite
• Agitation
• Mood swings
• Depressed moods
• General anxiety
• Increased desire for nicotine (in ex-smokers)

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

See the difference? I'd rather have my un-medicated, sleepy husband who is at least normal to a certain extent than the alert but antsy, unpredictable guy Adderall makes him. Last night when I told him exactly what I thought of his medication, I felt like I was confessing to hating one of his close friends or something. His reaction was similar. He sighed, admitting that he knew it wasn't the best for him, and he was already considering letting it go. Like telling the friend who isn't good association, "Sorry, man. We can't hang out anymore."

So now as he weans himself off of this drug, we're going t figure out what to do next. Until then, good riddance.