Adderall XR post heart attack

[Nomad40]

I’m a 54 y/o male, and had a heart attack last Saturday while out of town. Had a major blockage and two stents were put in; fortunately I was near a premier facility and got in quickly and as a result here is no major damage to the heart. Went to my family Dr today to brief her on my situation. She said she would no longer prescribe Adderall unless the cardiologist put it in writing it would be ok. I told her that this news was worse than the heart attack. She said yes the Adderall has been a miracle drug for me and she was sorry that she couldn’t prescribe unless the cardiologist agrees. When I was in the hospital the cardiologist and 5 hospital residents were discussing my case and Adderall did come up. Ultimately they flagged one drug I currently take but did not flag Adderall. SO maybe when I have my follow up with the cardiologist in a month he will give the go ahead.

I was very positive about recovery because I already run regularly. It’s my diet thats bad but I was really hopeful that I could focus on this and eat right and be disciplined with the help of Mr. Adderall XR. Now its a little up in the air. I guess I’ll start reading up on alternate meds just in case it goes south.

Has anyone gone thru this? Any thoughts?

REPORT ABUSE

[dithl]

Just wondering if you can find out more info sooner. A month is a loooong time to wait without that part of your ADHD treatment – and it does have its own risks as well. Can you call the cardiologist’s office and explain the situation? Ask them to FAX your doctor’s office, either with their okay for Adderall or a list of suggested alternatives? If it’s the appropriate word here, congratulations on successful surgery and your positive attitude for recovery!

REPORT ABUSE

[Nomad40]

I just emailed the cardiologist with the all the info, good suggestion. Hopefully it will all work out. If not I’ll be exploring other meds. And thanks for the encouragement dithl. Just went for my first walk on the comeback trail- feels good.

REPORT ABUSE

[Scattybird]

Hi Nomad40 – sorry to hear of your heart attack, but it’s fantastic that you’re well on the road to recovery. Stay positive!

I know my psych was very concerned about me proving that my heart and BP were both ‘normal’ before she would prescribe methylphenidate (MPH) and I don’t think the physical side effects are as strong with MPH as they are with Adderall….but I might be wrong.

Either way, they take heart problems very seriously. I don’t think I’d dare take stimulants if I had had a heart attack.

Have you thought about exploring the possibility of taking Straterra? (Is that how it’s spelt?) It’s a non-stimulant so should be safe for you to take? At least suggest it to your cardiologist if Adderall is refused. I think it takes a while to kick in, but at least it shouldn’t raise your BP.

I would be pretty upset if I couldn’t take my MPH but I’d give Straterra a shot in case it worked OK.

Good luck. Do keep us updated about what your cardiologist says.

REPORT ABUSE

[Nomad40]

Scattybird thanks for the suggestion and encouragement- my first ADHD med in 2006 was straterra and unfortunately it did not do much for me other than make me tired. I did get an email from my cardiologist this morning and he will be sending my primary Dr. a letter stating that I can remain in Adderall.

Although not specified in his email, I suspect that since my heart attack was due to a blockage rather than a heart arrhythmia, Adderall is not contraindicated.
This is a big relief because I’m going to need that laser focus on my new way of eating and sticking to it.

Nomad

REPORT ABUSE

[Scattybird]

Hi Nomad – that’s great news. Obviously a blockage is bad, but if it hasn’t damaged your heart and  you can take Adderall that’s great.

Good luck with your new eating regime.  It won’t be easy, but at 54 you are too young to become an invalid or worse, so it will be worth it!

 

 

 

REPORT ABUSE

[dithl]

Yahoo!!

REPORT ABUSE

[30withastory]

I am 30 years old, run 4 miles,  3-5 times a week, and I weigh 158lbs…    I am not overweight and have no one in my family that has ever had heart disease and have never even had chest pain.  I did take 20-30mg of Sandoz generic a day and have been taking adderall for about 8 years.

I had an acute MI in my LAD last August and I have not been back on adderral since.  Alhough i would really like to get back on it, I feel like this was a major cause of my heart attack which doesnt seem to be sold to the doctors, but I dont think they are willing to put me back on.  Will adderall not mess your BP, heart rate ect?  Why would doctors let you get on any stimulants given a heart attack?  I am just curious because i want to explore any safe options the doctors advise.  I am trying to avoid going 6 ft under since I was really close…

Ironically, this was the month i switched to Sandoz generic from XR…   havent touched it again…

 

 

REPORT ABUSE

[30withastory]

delete

REPORT ABUSE

[blackdog]

Hi @30withastory

Like with anything, you have to weigh the risks against the benefits. And individual results may vary.

As a general rule, stimulants are a no no if you have had a heart attack. However, it depends a lot on your overall health. If your BP is high, if you have an arrhythmia, or heart disease, or if you suffered any damage to your heart, then I think the doctors would most likely not prescribe stimulants for you. If, on the other hand, your MI was due to a blockage, like the previous poster, and you are otherwise healthy, there may be less concern with the use of stimulants.

Also, not all stimulants are alike. And not all people will respond the same way to all stimulants. And it depends on the dosage as well, and your tolerance for stimulants, and your metabolism, how you respond to the medications……and probably a few other things I have not thought of.

For example, I started taking Vyvanse a little while ago and I have been monitoring my BP and heart rate. And my BP has been consistently low, lower than normal. (Except when my doctor checked it but that was because he pissed me off)

So….My advice would be to talk it over with your doctor, your cardiologist, and your pharmacist. There are non-stimulant options that you may want to try if it is a concern. It’s up to you, what you feel safe with, and how important it is to you to have medication as part of your ADHD treatment.

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts