Can ADHD pills have positive lasting effects?

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I'm 19 and in fair health. I've always had impulse eating issues, though, as well as long-term depression (kind of abusive childhood), social issues and what seems to be bouts of trauma-related flashbacks. All of which led to a few years of bulimia which I'm in remission of now. My doctors don't know about these things, I'll be seeking therapy in due time but not right now. I'm doing quite well and being at college has changed things for me hugely (moved away from the stress and triggers of my home).

But I recently was evaluated for ADHD after realizing just how seriously my inability to focus, organize, and motivate myself has affected me academically all my life (and after realizing that my sister's similar problems were made sense of after she was diagnosed). Turns out I fit ADD quite strongly, with hyperactive elements.

Anyway, I'm on a low dosage of Concerta now, and am thrilled at how I've changed. I feel like an adult. I do things that I need to do. I don't have food cravings (but track food to make sure I'm still hitting 1200 calories a day. I'm a runner now, and know how vital nutrition is) so my eating is so well controlled. I'm relatively organized, which I never dreamed of. I'm even taking a big chance and changing majors, because I feel more confident in my ability to handle school and career now. In fact, after years of wondering if I may have Asperger's, it seems many of the symptoms I experience are tied to ADHD.

I don't want to be on pills all my life, though. Do these things have any positive lasting results, for when I eventually try to get off them?

I really don't know, you might eventually grow a bit tolerant to them. I am on Vyvanse so I do not know exactly how your medication behaves. I have emotional issues, which the Vyvanse definitely messes with, so even without it I probably need to be on a mood stabilizer or something. My emotional issues can be made worse with it. Sort of like I have a high where I can cope and deal with my issues and then have a low in the evening. I am actually fine when I get up in the morning before I take my pill. Sleep helps clear my mind more than anything. I have learned to lie down and take a nap during the worst of my emotional episodes and let them burn themselves out.

For you, diet and exercise and good nutrition is supposed to have a positive effect on ADHD, so you might eventually reach a point where the pills are not necessary. There probably would be a nice crash from coming off of them, so it might take a week or two for you to adjust. Might be something to try, though I would definitely talk with a psychiatrist first. Also SSRIs such as prozac can be very stimulating and could be an alternative to an ADHD med.

I've been using Equasym for quite a few years now and it has had a positive affect on my life. I can definitely tell the difference when I don't use it.

I am on 30 mg of Vyvanse and I am also experiencing the evening lows. As I write this I feel so hopeless and lonely. I have isolated myself lately because I used to party a lot but once I stopped I realized those people were not real friends at all. I go to the gym everyday to try and replace old bad habits (drinking/substance use/binge eating) with something good and I remember when I used to feel good and energized afterwards... now I just feel my mood plummet and horrible with the vyvanse wearing off and the exhaustion of physical exertion.

I too feel fine when I wake up and motivated while the medication is working but the isolation is really getting to me. Also, i'm not sure if it is the vyvanse but I have been getting really paranoid, especially if I don't sleep enough. 30 mg is such a small dose I don't know how it can affect my mood so negatively when it wears off, like all i can do is focus on negative and paranoid thoughts (thinking the friends I do have left don't care about me, not knowing what to do with myself, wanting to cry and never stop but my expressionless face doesn't allow it)

This is only day 3 so perhaps my body will adjust, I really hope it does because when it is working I actually focus in and get things done that would normally take weeks. The appetite supressing side effect is a big bonus as I was spiralling downwards I had gained 25 pounds in less than 2 months before I started the V. I really hope they can come up with a better fix for this because when i'm not on the vyvanese I can't pay attention to anything long enough to actually complete something..

So frustrated and reaching out to this forum to feel less alone.

See the thing is, aside from my past eating issues I'm very health-conscious. I run and workout almost daily, and eat healthily. I started correcting my diet almost four years ago and now I sort of eating like a personal trainer. The only thing is my little sweet addiction, but of course the meds are actually turning that off.

My sibling said they experience the same evening low on adderall, but not concerta. For me, the low dose also seems to last a really long time, I have to take it around 16 hours before I plan to go to bed. Of course, I just started it and am extremely small as a person, so there's that. I would like to take breaks from it once I complete my first trial period, in hopes of lessening inevitable tolerance over time.

for me, it's really helped my moods. i was starting to struggle with ragey meltdowns again, and had been impulsively injuring myself more and more. never really aggressive to other people these days, just towards myself. hello head banging concussions. but i've been more calm lately, it's nice. also i seem a little more thick skin to things that used to send me into very blue states. my years-long depression seems to have lifted in the spring, and hopefully the more stable moods will keep it a away for a bit...

Their appetite suppressing affects seem to wear off, at least for me. I lost a scary amount of weight but luckily put it back on after a few months. Still, I'm probably too thin for my good.