Amphetamine (Adderall), bike riding, and heart issues

[fmradio516]

So about 3 months ago, I was evaluated, and was started on a prescription of Adderall. Things are going okay with it, but I was wondering if anyone could chime in about any irreversible health risks there are, in particular to the heart.

Depending on what brand(generic) my pharmacy is stocking, there are some that make my heartbeat really fast and make me jittery. Then, other brands(same dose) which should be EXACTLY the same, dont give me any kind of sensation at all. For instance, one brand 20mg extended release made me jittery all morning after taking it. Then a different brand 30mg INSTANT release does nothing to me. Both taken on empty stomachs first thing in the morning. But FWIW, only one of my scripts had the jittery brand. Not sure whats going on there, but thats a whole other story. My current refill doesnt do that.

The jittery ones had me thinking... I've been doing a lot of mtn biking this year and the New England trails definitely require some high intensity riding. Much higher, and more frequent than going on a road bike ride.

I know for a few years, people were all about high intensity training, but more recently, I have seen articles about this type of training causing long-term heart issues. Im not doing any HIIT purposely, but I do run up my heart rate frequently on the trails.

Could this be a bad combination? There is definitely risk of heart disease in my family, so id like to avoid anything that will put me at even more risk..

[rzthomas]

Talk to a doctor, not strangers on the internet.

[Steve in SLO]

The most important question to ask your physician is does Adderall or generic cause vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries? Amphetamines can cause this, and an increase in heart rate combined with constriction of your coronary arteries and resultant tissue hypoxia under load could be a bad thing.

[Drmojo]

Tom Simpson
Died on speed at the TDF
Amphetamines hugely over prescribed to adults and kids
for decades now
VERY irresponsible
mojo
cyclothymic shrink since 1990

[XXtwindad]

Exactly my thoughts. I'd be very careful with this.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

Could this be a bad combination? There is definitely risk of heart disease in my family, so id like to avoid anything that will put me at even more risk..

It could be, but none of us have your medical history.
Speak to the prescribing doctor first. If you are uncomfortable with her/his response, then find a doctor who has experience with endurance athletes. They will have a better idea of what works for athletes and what doesn't.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by tctyres

It could be, but none of us have your medical history.

Speak to the prescribing doctor first. If you are uncomfortable with her/his response, then find a doctor who has experience with endurance athletes. They will have a better idea of what works for athletes and what doesn't.

Solid advice here and from Steve. My partner has dealt with some difficult to diagnose heart issues and if anything it's taught me that seeking the advice of professionals in person is 100% necessary.

The Tom Simpson references are tangential at best...... So much more in play there.

[Mzilliox]

you need professional advice, and from more than one source.

dont know you or anything about you, but id be asking myself real hard like, "do i need this drug?"

Adderall seems (to me) to be prescribed all too often.

[fmradio516]

Yikes! Alright, this is all good info. I'll probably start to ween myself off, or maybe only take as needed for work instead of every day.

Thanks for the words, everyone!

[buddybikes]

Have you tried or discussed Atomoxetine with your doctor?

[glepore]

Also discuss Vivance. Much more effective and subtle than Adderal.

[daker13]

Take what everyone says on the internet with a grain of salt, sure, but that extends to the Tom Simpson references, too.

My two cents, there are a ton of athletes both amateur and professional on ADHD medications.

[weiwentg]

Originally Posted by Drmojo

Tom Simpson
Died on speed at the TDF
Amphetamines hugely over prescribed to adults and kids
for decades now
VERY irresponsible
mojo
cyclothymic shrink since 1990

Tom Simpson abused amphetamines. Probably on a lot higher than therapeutic doses. Amphetamines may be over-prescribed, but you and I have no knowledge if that's the case for the OP.

[joosttx]

I hear it only works only in cold weather as a PED for cycling. FWIW, if you are around 35-45 being prescribed with ADHD is another way of saying you are getting old and you cannot work as hard as you did when you were younger. Ask yourself if that is the case? Also, ask yourself how you are ever going to get off an additive drug once you start taking it and is it worth dealing with the withdrawals. I would say talk to your doctor but it is not like the medical profession can protect you from becoming addicted to their products.

[gasman]

Another med to ask about is Provigil if you are having difficulty with staying awake. It has supplanted amphetamines in some branches of the military for use when extended missions are critical but I’ve never seen its use for ADHD though have heard of it.
It works very differently than amphetamines so it will not give you a high heart rate.

Just a thought to bring up with your doctor.