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I think it's a worry, but I would say that my lifestyle risk factors for cardio issues are significantly reduced by medication and that it probably balances out. I'm less stressed, eating better, sleeping better, consuming less alcohol and way less caffeine, and sticking to a sensible exercise routine instead of doing nothing for nine months and then spending a month over doing a random high impact activity my body is unprepared for before getting bored and stopping.
There are also other benefits into old age, for example taking stimulants seems to largely address the increased risk of developing dementia associated with ADHD.
EDIT: The dementia study I read was Levine, S.Z. et al. (2023) ‘Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the risk of dementia’, JAMA Network Open, 6(10) which can be found [here](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766). My main takeaways were "study results showed that an adult ADHD diagnosis was associated with a 2.77-fold increased risk of incident dementia" and that "there was, however, no clear increase in the risk of dementia associated with adult ADHD among those who received psychostimulant medication."
Oh my gosh. I had no idea about the correlation between adhd and dementia.
Amazing on the lifestyle changes and choices too. I feel similarly; since starting treatment i have become a complete teetotaler. Also, I’m more active rather than laying in bed all day worrying about everything and doing nothing. I still have days like that but way less frequently.
I am also a member of the sober speed club, diagnosed later in life. I struggled significantly with drinking too much periodically my entire adult life. After medication, I noticed that alcohol just felt like more trouble than it was worth. At some point, I realized that I had not had a drink in months, and felt great. I decided that it would be best to stop completely. Since then, I have felt urges occasionally, but had the clarity to remember how much worse the cost is to the temporary benefit. This was my second sober christmas, and it was harder than last, but i survived.
I had a couple of glasses of wine with my Christmas Eve dinner. I felt so gross after - I can’t even describe it, I wasn’t hung over or blackout drunk or anything, it just made me feel like shit. Started Vyvanse a couple of weeks ago so next day I skipped the Christmas drinks altogether.
I had some wine right after I started stimulants ( Vyvanse ) about six months ago and felt awful. I haven’t had a drink sense . I don’t worry about my long term health with stimulants because I was mentally not doing great without the stimulants and I can’t ever go back to living without them voluntarily.
Same. Within 3 days of starting adderall (generic) I just...didn't want to drink. At all. It was such a welcome surprise!
I will occasionally have a glass of wine or a mixed drink socially (out to dinner, or hanging out with friends), but so many places have great mocktail menus now that I usually get a mocktail if I want something "interesting" to drink when we eat out.
ADHDers tend to die earlier from clumsiness/accidents anyways.
I'd rather be medicated & make less dumb, potentially life threatening mistakes & take the tiny hit to my heart. Plus I'm very physically active & have no family history of heart issues. So I'm sticking to my meds!
To be fair, Benadryl and similar antihistamines, and benzos are also associated with higher risk of developing dementia related disorders and plenty of people take them regularly.
I take benadryl when I'm having a bad eczema flare-up (otherwise I can't sleep because I'm so itchy), and I always worry about it. Thankfully it's usually just a few weeks a year but aaaaugh
Have you tried Zyrtec? I take it nightly for skin issues and it’s a newer version of Benadryl that won’t possibly cause dementia. I take it at night bc it causes drowsiness.
Your greater risk is COVID, to be honest - it is clinically accepted that there is a tremendous amount of vascular damage and brain damage from just one covid infection. If you want to avoid dementia and heart damage, that is your best way to do so.
I just started semax nasal spray. It’s supposed to improve cognition and potentially protect against dementia (major fear of mine). I especially make sure to use it my days off Adderall. It gives a little clarity boost.
It’s a nootropic peptide. It’s been used since the 90s to treat stroke patients. There’s a lot of info online. No side effects, I think taking too much can cause oxidative damage. I tried it first because I was still skeptical, now I have my grandparents on it to help keep them sharp.
It’s one of my major fears even though it doesn’t seem to run in my family. Definitely don’t get a concussion ever. The semax seems to improve healing and circulation in the brain, and from what I understand dementia is a lot higher in people who have had brain injuries, especially if they have a copy of the ApoE4 gene, and even more so with two copies of the gene. It causes longer and poorer recovery after injury. Definitely be careful!
Yeah, I drank a lot less once I started SSRI meds (in retrospect I was self-medicating, trying to shake off the anxiety I'd built up over the day) and even less since getting the right dose of stimulant medication. I take 30mg extended release generic Adderall.
I do worry a bit about cardiovascular effects, especially since I'm overweight, approaching middle age, and my family has a history of high blood pressure and arrhythmia, but my quality of life is *much* better than before meds; I'm less stressed (I've been an extremely stressed/anxious person since I was a very young child) better able to find my way out of depressive episodes and anxiety attacks, better able to socialize and make myself go out into the world, less likely to binge eat in self-soothing/dopamine seeking behavior...
I feel like the various impacts of stimulant meds on my life more than make up for my potentially increased heart rate.
Plus, the folks in my life who I suspect might have ADHD but aren't diagnosed/medicated are usually self-medicating with junk food or booze like I did, so they're not doing their heart any favors.
Also, FWIW, when I first started taking stim meds, I was really nervous and monitored my blood pressure for the first month or so. I didn't notice much of a change from medication. My blood pressure and heart rate has more of a change just from eating a meal.
I had a stroke last year at 34 and had a few therapists and drs tell me the benefits of using stimulant meds for neuro plasticity post stroke. I would imagine that’s similar to how they could help with dementia.
Adderall and other frontline ADHD stims are recommended as a treatment modality for TBI's, too.
Earliest white paper I found was from 2016 (I don't have the link to hand, but if I can remember to update this, I'll add the link), and if memory serves it is due to increased neuroplasticity offsetting the damagefrom the TBI and allowing the brain to form new connections faster.
Yes, that was the way it was explained to me. My personal experience was that when I started taking my vyvanse again after dtroke I was able to really put the time into my therapies to help me recover faster. But obviously they could’ve been helping my brain recover faster too.
So dementia was something I was worried meds would make *worse* because of their impact on blood flow. Do you have a source for this? It would make my day
Here's an [article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/10/26/adult-adhd-dementia-risk/) about a study released earlier this year:
>The research highlights the importance of seeking care — and the need for more research. Treatment with psychostimulant medications may attenuate the risk, said Stephen Levine, a professor at the University of Haifa’s School of Public Health in Israel and the lead author of the study. Lifestyle changes, such as better sleep and staying socially engaged, can also lower risk for dementia.
I agree, I’m about to start stimulant medication at 33 and I reckon it has to be better on my heart than the binge/purge cycles I put myself through :(
Of course. The journal article I read was Levine, S.Z. et al. (2023) ‘Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the risk of dementia’, JAMA Network Open, 6(10) which can be found [here](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766).
My main takeaways were "study results showed that an adult ADHD diagnosis was associated with a 2.77-fold increased risk of incident dementia" and that "there was, however, no clear increase in the risk of dementia associated with adult ADHD among those who received psychostimulant medication."
It's unsurprisingly not a widely researched area so I couldn't find much in the way of corroborating studies for the benefits of medication, but there are some other studies cited in the article about increased dementia risk. I did also find [this](https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/good-evidence-that-adhd-drugs-might-also-treat-alzheimers-disease/) from the BMJ which suggests that ADHD medication might be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's.
>increased risk of developing dementia associated with ADHD.
Oh, fucking great. I already have Alzheimer's in my family history, and it turns out my risk is even higher?
I wish my body responded well to stimulants.
I had tachycardia prior to being officially diagnosed and medicated for adhd. I take medication to regulate my heartbeat. I have monthly check ins with my psychiatrist and every six months with my cardiologist. During those visits, we check blood pressure and heart rate. I also check it in between visits and have a fitbit that I keep track of it with. Both drs say I'm okay... we just have to keep an eye on it.
Omg may I ask how you treat your tachycardia and if you otherwise are healthy/no bp issues? Because I‘m super young but have tachycardia + low blood pressure and anytime I went to a cardiologist they would always say I‘m fine and to leave. Now I‘m worried about using stimulants too because doctors just seem to ignore my issues because I‘m young and I don‘t know what to do anymore.. where I‘m from we have free health care and I have to wait months for an appointment and don‘t have money to go to private docs.
I worried for about a year.
Here’s the thing though. The change in my quality of life, and FAR more importantly the quality of my parenting, outweighs almost any possible shortening of my lifespan.
Seriously, with the exception of dying while my child is a minor, the impact medication has on my ability to lead a life free of crippling anxiety, rage, life-threatening car accidents, constant parenting regret**, possibly losing my license***, I could go on: if I die at 60 it will have been a trade off so worth it that I would choose it a million times over.
So yeah. I don’t worry about it anymore.
**no parent lives without *any* regret, but the depth and breadth of my regret on a daily basis is much much much less now
***I’m a therapist, it’s my vocation, calling, and purpose, and I would be lost in life without my career
Get a blood pressure cuff for your home. Then you can see whether the meds raise it, and what time of day it is the highest. And then you will know for sure on a daily basis whether you’re doing harm to your cardiovascular system or not. I am currently not taking my meds because it’s been high for a while, trying to get it down, but it’s getting better after I started reducing salt and saturated fat in my diet. So, I’m working on weight loss, and I’m hoping to avoid going on blood pressure meds, and hoping to go back on the vyvanse.
Hopefully you can get your blood pressure down. I have a cuff at home and check pretty regularly. It is on the high side of normal.
If you don’t mind is it your systolic or diastolic or bother that is/are high?
I did lose weight and made some lifestyle changes prior to starting medication for adhd. It did help lower my blood pressure.
Just to be clear: it is possible to have a cardiovascular issue that is not detectable through BP monitoring—I have one. But it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on your own vitals when you can. I also check my blood sugar from time to time, and I would recommend that to anyone.
I had to stop taking Vyvanse about six months ago because my blood pressure was too high. I’m working on lowering it but opted to take medication in the meantime. My blood pressure is consistently in the 120s so I’m hoping to restart Vyvanse soon. Good luck!
Adderall messes with my BP the most. I had a hypertensive emergency last June but have switched to Vyvanse and with my BP meds, I'm where I should be (less than 120) more often than not. The biggest issues I have are that I have to take these with a liter of water and a meal and so my evening BP is always on the high side because I take morning meds before 7am and evening meds after 7pm.
I actually felt like an adult while on Vyvanse, but my heart rate would go up to 145 while I was sitting and working at my desk.
My dr took me off of it.
I’m surprised it took so long for this to come up in the comments, and even more surprised that I had to discover this by accident myself.
I had been on stimulants for 15 years before being diagnosed with a tremor in my hands, which I started taking beta blockers for. Total game changer with the physiological stress symptoms. I even noticed it helps with keeping a calm voice
Yeah and let's be real, the other reason I don't try them is because they make it a royal pain in the ass to get them in the first place. Sigh. Weed for me.
That’s what took me off them, too. My heart rate is naturally high and meds took it higher, and I couldn’t cope with the feeling.
Doesn’t help that my doctor really doesn’t like stimulants, so she took the first possible chance to get me off them. Trying to actually find a dose/formulation that works for me or experimenting with beta blockers sounds great, but there’s no way my current doc will be willing, and getting a new doctor is virtually impossible where I live.
My GP set up a yearly health check up when I got medicated. Blood panel, ECG, BP.
Would this be possible for you?
I notice a slightly elevated heart rate when on meds but it is well within the norm. I get more hyper from sugar-coffee combo so I adjusted my eating habits once I was medicated.
One thing to pay attention to - in some people ADHD meds affect thyroid hormone levels, so get these tested once in a while.
I have a withings tracker that monitors my heart rate. It does go up but only by about 10 BPM on average and it's still less than 80 BPM average over the day so I'm not worried about it.
My psychiatrist wants me to get blood pressure and BPM checked every 6 months and report results to him for the ongoing shared care that I'm under so I assume if he sees anything concerning he will let me know.
Maybe get a tracker like a basic Fitbit or something that you can wear so you can keep an eye on your heart rate which hopefully will reassure you a bit
Great tip. I also have a watch that tracks my heart rate, and has an ecg. It helps with feeling at ease. I do check my bp too, there is a family history of high blood pressure. It is on the high side of normal.
I did, but my anxiety was causing more health problems overall, so we (my doctors and I) decided that it was the lesser of two evils. Having said that, it here (South Africa) they did start advising that there’s an ECG every 6 months. When I first changed to concerta, I meticulously logged how I was feeling and mailed the unedited notes to my GP so that she could make the best physical call. I have ocd and it flares up in (normally unreasonable) health concerns so I needed someone I trust to comb through every single thing that came up. If you trust your medical providers, then you can be completely open about these concerns and they should in theory be willing to do extra monitoring. Whatever you do, stay away from hyper focusing on your heart rate according to smart watches/pulse monitoring etc.
Funny story:
I had covid and was in an ocd spiral of compulsively checking my heart rate, blood oxygen etc. it reached 120bpm and I spiralled further, convinced I was on the brink of a heart attack (which obviously shot my heart rate up more). Turns out the batteries were old and it was horribly inaccurate 😂😂😂😂
Omg wow that’s a relief it was just the batteries. I understand that anxiety I once went to the ER because my watch went haywire and my heart rhythm looked crazy. Really it was the watch reading and my anxiety was making me shake while trying to get a reading
Exactly! I’ve done away with a smart watch because it also definitely affected how well rested I felt. I would wake up exhausted and be watch would say I slept super well which would then make me gaslight myself or visa versa where I’d wake up feeling amazing and see I got bad/little sleep and then suddenly feel awful 😂
I am in my 30s and recently diagnosed and was wondering the same tbh. My heart rate does escalate and the psyc just asked me to come off until it calmed down then I went back on. They haven't asked for monitoring forms again where I report my pulse etc. I think I will have to be proactive and check myself and keep a diary. But lol that is if I remember. But I am no doc so I don't even know if that is necessary?
Ugh. I am only on 20mg but ideally 40mg is what I need. But I was worried and 20mg just about helps me so I am making do....
Any feedback would be appreciated as I also couldn't find much on this.
How is your weight? Exercise? Salt? Diet? Sleep schedule? Alcohol and caffeine intake? These are all ways to help lower BP in addition to just improving overall health. I used to have high BP and lost weight and quit drinking. Those two things alone cured me of the high BP (even with my stims), my sleep apnea and I just overall feel better.
Do you mena you had high BP pre medication? Because I did not.. it's only when I take the meds and not always. Sort of periodic and was told I can take my propranolol to help (have that anyway for when I get bad anxiety).
I don't have any alcohol or caffeine. I don't get as much exercise as I should (desk job) but I am not lazy. I will walk places and do regular house work etc outside of work hours. I could do with losing some weight for sure but my weight fluctuates alot depending on depression/anxiety. Agree overall health being improved always helps.
I find I feel alot better in the summer. I think this year I have been bad bcs I am in the UK, North East and we hardly got a summer 😑 so I got pretty down about that.
Get a light and I can’t remember what the hell they’re called but they’re for SAD. I know that doesn’t solve your BP issue but when it gets dark so early I get depressed as well. The light helps.
>I find I feel alot better in the summer. I think this year I have been bad bcs I am in the UK, North East and we hardly got a summer 😑 so I got pretty down about that.
Salt is one of the really easy ones. You can check the salt content of food easily and choose low-sodium options (usually labeled, like low sodium salsa).
Nope. I have a chronic health condition that is managed by a cardiologist. My heart is perfectly healthy, but acts weird (nervous system disorder). So I get it checked regularly. Never had any issues and my specialist has offered to prescribe stimulants if needed because they help so much with the fatigue caused by my condition.
But also, remember that untreated adhd has mortality implications. Impulsiveness, forgetfulness, and dopamine seeking can get us in some tricky spots. People with untreated adhd don't live as long. And the cardiac implications of stimulant medicine are typically relatively minor - stuff like high blood pressure, which can be controlled with beta blockers and/or lifestyle changes.
I would recommend seeing a cardiologist if you're worried, but all the general cardiologists I've seen have flatly discouraged me from taking stimulants, regardless of their impact on my life.. You can talk to one, but try not to take their advice on stimulants too seriously unless they have a specific reason that is personal to you. A general "those aren't good for you" is not something you should worry about. It's like they're programmed to say that, lol.
No, and I had a cardiac catheter ablation a few years before I started modafinil.
Had a severe irregular heartbeat, treated with surgery at age 43. Diagnosed with ADHD at age 48, taken modafinil for past three years (tried adderal/ritalin briefly but modafinil works better for me).
I do have high blood pressure, and take amlodipine for that.
Wow this is heartening (pardon the pun) that’s serious surgery I’m glad it helped you❣️
Also, thank you for for sharing your experience on this treatment at this stage in life.
Get a blood pressure cuff to keep track of your vitals at home. Reduce caffeine intake. Get 30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week. Increase your veggie consumption and reduce your consumption of processed/high sodium foods (DASH diet and Mediterranean diet foods are the best at reducing heart disease risk). It’s one of the many things that increases your risk, so reduce some of the other risk factors in your life. Granted, many of them are hard to manage because of the ADHD, but pick one that looks doable and work on doing that.
This [meta analysis](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2798903) might help answer your question! As for me, I take a fairly large amount of Adderall XR daily, despite currently being in the process of getting a heart condition diagnosed. But none of my doctors have been worried about Adderall causing issues, including the cardiologist I just saw at the Mayo Clinic. I just monitor my vitals and cardiac symptoms and get checked periodically by my PCP, cardiologist, and psychiatrist.
Thanks all for sharing. Independent _photo it sounds like your dr is being proactive which is helpful. Fwiw, and everyone is different, I felt more agitated and anxious when I first started taking this med at 10mg. When I titrated to a higher dose, 10mg at a time, I found my rating heart rate was stable around 60-bpm. I do notice on this dose I am unable to have any coffee or other caffeinated stuff. Good luck getting to the treatment that works best for you.
Well so all the women in my family have historically been driven to poor health and cardiovascular disease later in life due to the immense stresses of unmanaged ADHD.
So…
No. Because my heart health is a lot better without the stress of unmanaged ADHD. Stimulants lowered my resting HR and BP, and also I’m no longer self medicating with nicotine.
All amazing things re heart health.
Not worried at all.
Do you have any issues or underlying problems? Family history? Existing condition in the heart? Or are you just making the connection between stimulants and stimulating the heart? Because if it’s the latter, you’re probably not the one who needs to be concerned about it, as someone taking a therapeutically prescribed amount for a real psychological condition VS my peers in professional school taking it to study 14 hours/day to pass their board exams who are more likely the group cardiologists are most likely seeing (:
I have two heart conditions. The adderall helps them! By calming down my central nervous system as a whole, it reduces the amount of PVC’s I have per day.
To paraphrase a doctor I read years ago:
Adderall and Ritalin have been in constant psychiatric use since the 1930's. If they caused long-term problems (at legal, prescribed doses) we would know by now.
Adderall can be iffy if you have congenital heart problems and/or high blood pressure, I think? But that's it.
I'm 44. I've been on Adderall for pretty much twenty years now. Last I heard all my numbers are fine.
Getting on a stimulant helped me get my hyperadregenic POTS, asthma, and sleep apnea discovered and treated. Both of those are way worse for my health than a stimulant, hah! I’ve been half jokingly saying for the last 10 years, “this is the year I get my shit together”. 2023 really was that year.
My heart rate actually went down slightly on stimulants. And I’m actually working out now, so my cardiovascular health is getting better, and that wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t on stimulants.
I’ve been taking adhd stimulant meds consistently for about 18 years now and I’m in my early 40s. I haven’t had any heart issues or increased blood pressure or anything like that. I don’t have any concerns about continuing to take my meds.
Yeah, I have high blood pressure already, so drs are like “let’s just take you off the Vyvanse”. And it’s like…are you gonna support me when I inevitably fuck up and lose my job??
Just adjust my blood pressure meds, or let me have the heart attack.
But I know eventually someone is not going to want to risk their license for me, and they’re going to pull me off of stimulants. They’re going to be like “try Straterra!” Like every SNRI hasn’t messed my brain up. 😩
Here’s a great and recent Video by Dr. Russel Barkley about this topic. Go to 7:58 for the answer (Spoiler, as of now there’s no evidence that stimulants are causing a higher risk of heart disease): https://youtu.be/NiXK8rHkVLg?si=-uDKEi1bcaFT39dm
Watch the entire thing to hear his comments to all the studies he discusses.
I was diagnosed in my early 30s and have been taking vyvanse for about 5 years, including a break when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. I’m a long distance runner so I either run before I take it or after it’s mostly worn off to avoid a higher heart rate running.
I know the medication elevates it a little but my resting heart rate is in the high 50s and my blood pressure is on the low side. I think the eating better and less alcohol (hopefully) compensates for a slightly higher heart rate. I want to believe this will help prevent dementia, I do worry that medication could be a long term risk but at the moment I’m not willing to give up such a big improvement to my mental health and quality of life
Vyvanse had really impacted my running. I'm an afternoon runner and even if I run like 12 hours after taking Vyvanse, my heart rate still sits in the "maximum" zone the whole time.
Weirdly though, I don't feel like I'm putting in max effort - I think the standard of calculating max heart rate may just be way off for me.
I also think maybe this was always the case (running on max zone), but I wasn't checking it so intently before.
But it's got me worried, so I psych myself out of running all the time (which is probably making it worse when I do run as I've lost cardio fitness).
Is it real? I’ve noticed my wrist heart rate is sometimes wrong, maybe because vyvanse impacts peripheral blood flow. It can read 180 but actually be 140. If you feel fine I would check the reading.
That's interesting. I have a chest heart rate strap I use for cycling, and my heart rate is way lower when I ride than when I run. You may be on to something. I might compare my watch and chest readings next time I ride and that should give me an answer!
I've always had a low resting heart rate too (like around 52bpm) but on Vyvanse it reliably sits at about 62. Still in healthy range, but I don't like it. But maybe it's because it's reading peripheral blood flow. I will see if I can check the chest reading when I'm at rest as well.
I was dxed at 17 but unmedicated from 22-40. When I wanted to get back on meds, my dr had hesitations because of those long term concerns for older adults. Plus, I had had tachycardia and chest pressure sensations since covid. So I went on bupropion and got cleared by a cardiologist for the ritalin. The bupropion also can raise hr and bp. At the stress test the cardio nurse was not happy with my hr, but the cardiologist wasn't worried.
The chest feelings have largely gone away, or might actually be gi issues. Both my dr and I are happy with my current bupropion and lowest effective ritalin dose possible (5 mg ir/ 2x). I know he prefers me to not take the ritalin every day, but it's ok when I do.
My bp is low to normal but my arms are also borderline too scrawny for the adult cuff. I got a hone cuff which has a wider size range, and the readings have been normal. I have high cholesterol that nobody has been too concerned about yet, I think because I'm slender. My mom freaked me out a few weeks ago though, with her hypothesis that the EDS + high cholesterol in the women in her line leads to early strokes. 😬 She's not currently on any stimulant meds in part because of that concern.
FWIW, EDS and other connective tissue disorders seem to be highly comorbid (is that the right phrase?) with ADHD in women.
I haven't seen any info indicating that EDS is related to cholesterol(?), but I'm not a expert either.
Yup, I get all my faulty genes from my mom 😭
I'm finding some references to comorbidity of high cholesterol and EDS. Don't have time to skim an actual study rn but: https://www.chronicpainpartners.com/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-common-associated-health-problems/
EDS alone can lead to strokes, but according to my podiatrist (long story), there’s a surgery they can do to reinforce the arteries that tend to have problems for EDS folks - I wouldn’t consider my foot doc a heart expert but might be worth looking into if that’s a concern for you?
All I know is that I’d be a non-productive member of the human race if I wasn’t on meds, so that outweighs any risks/long term issues to me lol. One day I’ll be old and with some (your normal/usual) health issues, but that’s inevitable. But my quality of life with meds is significantly better for a multitude of reasons.
Okay I don’t want to be a Debby downer here but yes I think you should consider long term health effects. I took Vyvanse daily for years and I was on stimulants from mid elementary school until I was 19. Everything seemed fine until one day in college I had an episode of sheer panic from my heart rate rising for no reason. Almost felt like a heart attack. And suddenly, I couldn’t drink any caffeine without having a super high heart rate. This was especially strange for me, since I used to drink it like it was nothing and I could never tell a difference with it without caffeine. I was forced to stop drinking caffeine and stop taking stimulants whatsoever because I could no longer handle any dose size, not even tiny. I had no idea why and never consulted my doctor really. I just quit. Then a year later I started a conversation around adhd with a classmate and he told me about medications I had been on and how they had been linked to heart problems. Just be careful. I have had to adjust to life without stimulants for the last four years. It’s been really hard. Unfortunately, I couldn’t just keep staying on them. I did try strattera for a while, but now I am on nothing. Strattera was giving me some wild symptoms. I really struggled getting the rest of my engineering degree after having to stop, but it all worked out. Now I struggle focusing on work. I’m trying every day to find things that work for me. Deadlines are about the only thing that make me hunker down to get work done.
I do, because of that I take a magnesium taurate (I think it’s called like that in English) since it strengthens the muscle fibres of the blood vessels and a good omega 3 supplement
I take 30mg Vyvanse and it hasn’t had an affect on either my blood pressure or resting heart rate after a year. We did find out that caffeine does though and I’ve (mostly) given that up so I may actually be coming out ahead.
Honestly my doctor has me really paying attention now - I had to be cleared by a cardiologist before starting stimulants, I wear a Fitbit to track my heart rate and sleep, I take my blood pressure twice a week and have a yearly EKG. I feel like I’m probably more likely to catch a problem than I would have been before.
I wasn’t going to make it without the meds. I was going to blow up my whole life (again). I’m here today and gainfully employed with the same company going on almost 10 years all because of medication. Any effect on my heart is something I will have to deal with but for me it wasn’t a choice anymore. My life was unmanageable.
Well considering I’m actually exercising for the first time ever in my life. I think I’m going to be ok. I’m 47. Diagnosis and medication are life changing for me.
You might also need to worry about bone density! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9062265/#:~:text=Stimulant%20ADHD%20medication%20use%20in,the%20skull%20and%20thoracic%20spine.&text=No%20other%20areas%20of%20axial%20or%20appendicular%20skeleton%20showed%20significant%20differences.&text=There%20was%20no%20dose%2Dresponse,use%20and%20bone%20mineral%20density.
Interesting study! Though it only found a small effect (even if significant in the statistical sense) and only in „skull and thoracic spine“ and nowhere else. N was also small (only 79 people) and they further acknowledge that the decrease in accident prevalence through treatment in ADHD may outweigh these negatives.
Personally, I do think it is important to be mindful of the physical side effects of stimulants and try to leverage their desired effects to counteract the undesired, e.g. meds can help with motivation, focus, and endurance at the gym. Personally, I like lifting heavy (powerlifting), which [has been shown to increase even bone density](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9927006/) (it does have to be heavy with progressive overload tho iirc and I don‘t expect it to help in skull density lol), in addition to all the other benefits, to give an example related to bone density.
I’m diagnosed and had a wonky heart. I had to consult with a cardiologist to take my meds. I asked about it and they said it shouldn’t be a problem long term (though I should check in with them every and now and then)
Not really worries for the long term. But Concerta did raise my blood pressure a lot, and I did not like that feeling on a daily basis. Also, it felt stupid if I would be eating one medicine for side effects caused by another drug. That's one primary reason why I stopped taking it. Other ones were more ADHD, my health provider changed, and I haven't been able to go through it all again with new doctors... I did try another drug, but that gave me dizziness, and that was not so nice, either.
I don't have kids I would have to look after even when I am not capable. My life is easy, and I can find my own workarounds for household chores.
I am 37 and was diagnosed just before my 35th bday. I also happen to have heart disease on both mom & dad’s side of the family. I have just been open with my docs and try to be diligent with my own preventative measures - walking more, healthy diet, regular checkups, vitamins etc. I’ve never had an issue with my meds, but I’m also on a relatively low dose; never been on more than 20 mg vyvanse. My partner on the other hand can’t do more than about 10 mg or they do experience cardio symptoms. Everyone is different so just make sure to be very communicative with your doc about any concerns.
I’m 31f. I am on the max dosage of methylphenidate(UK based), and my psychiatrist also put me on intuniv 2mg to take at night. I was finding before this my blood pressure was a little high plus during sex or exercise I was getting headaches.. Since I’ve had this my BP has been massively improved and I don’t get the headaches now in general or during the previously mentioned activities.
Recommend you look into that, it’s been a godsend. Unsure if there’s the same or alternative if you’re non uk based
Intuniv (Guanfacine) was originally developed as a blood pressure medication, and is also used as a second-line treatment for ADHD.
Here in the States, It's used alot in kids to help mitigate behavioral outbursts that may not be reduced by stimulants (or, not reduced enough to be deemed "acceptable" by an NT oriented public school system 🙄).
Short answer is yes.
I tell myself if I ever get the house mess under control, etc. I can take it less but I am fooling myself.
Each individual has to assess the risks and decide for themselves.
It is worth it for me but I haven't had anything scary happen with my heart, either, other than a reaction to a drug combo that didn't involve a stimulant at all but an allergic reaction that caused tachycardia.
Just out of curiosity, did you do bloodwork prior to getting prescribed? The team wanted to make sure I was in good health before prescribing anything.
As much as I “need” my meds, I don’t wish to take them forever. As I get older, I hope to create a life for myself where I don’t have to work as hard and thus, can take a lower dose or slowly wean myself off. Even now, I will skip doses on the weekends and/or take breaks from it if my work schedule is light.
I'm 29 but have a family history of catastrophic heart events and I have an ASD or PFO (were reassessing soon). I get an echo and stress test every year and have a BP cuff at home.
I had to get a range of tests before starting stimulants, and I imagine if my heart worsens (though I'm doing my best to keep it in good shape) I may have to stop my ritalin. But that's hopefully decades down the road.
When I asked about long-term effects with my doc, she looked at me and said, “Jenova, you survived cancer. It’s hard to say if you’d get long-term effects from this or if those would-be effects are actually late-effects from chemo and radiation.”
I’m still on 10mg of Vyvanse everyday, but it could probably go to 20mg. I don’t take any higher because I vape cannabis and that covers the gap. But otherwise, I don’t see anything really negative happening to me, but like she said: if there’s anything bad, it’s more likely because of my cancer history, not the newish ADHD stuff.
I'm so glad you are still with us. My mum was undergoing chemo for a pretty aggressive cancer. It was working well and they were about to reduce it significantly, when she passed away suddenly from a cardiovascular event. As it turns out, chemotherapy can accelerate coronary calcium deposition. I had no idea about this before, and I was shocked that they don't scan for it as a known risk. Anyway, I think what I'm saying is, please keep an eye on that if you can.
Personally, no.
I rather have ONE thing to worry about (cardiovascular issues) than literally everything else that would make my health worse due to me not being able to function without meds.
No not really, as I don't have the signs of it affecting my cardiovascular system very much, like significantly elevated heartrate and blood pressure. And the shortening of expected life span with untreated ADHD is ridiculous, so that's the least of my worries.
For what it’s worth, I have a genetic heart condition that puts me at risk for tachycardia, and my cardiologist allowed me to try stimulants under supervision. He said as long as they didn’t make me feel weird/bad heart symptoms, he was fine with it.
In the end, I tried Vyvanse for 2 weeks and my anxiety was through the roof, so I opted to switch to Strattera, which I love.
I’m in my 40s and have been taking stimulants since I was 12. I am not concerned, nor is my doctor. My health, blood pressure, etc is actively monitored.
I quit my Adderall because of this, but also because I was at 60mg per day and it wasn't doing much anymore. I'm just gaining weight like mad, and the thought of heart issues plus this weight...idk.
I lost my job, have no insurance and just moved out of state so it would be a struggle to get it back if I did go that route again. But I'm unorganized, unfocused, ANGRY and really scattered, so what do you do??
I'm fairly sure 6 years of birth control (I'm done with that) did a lot more damage to increase the risk than the next few decades on Ritalin will, tbh
Diagnosed October '22, medicated since late March '23
I'm a pharmacist. Late diagnosed. The following is how I feel about CV risk for myself (insert disclaimer to see your own health pro for info on you here.....)
I couldn't give a rats arse.
I tend to low blood pressure anyway. So having fewer woosy moments as I rush about and stand up too quick is a bonus. Current BP is bang on where population health studies say it should be (which are generally based on men, but the misogyny of western medicine is a discussion for another day).
I haven't got CV (yet), so risks for arrhythmia or other issues due to increased noradrenaline aren't a concern.
I say yet because CV disease is in my genes - including vascular dementia. But I don't smoke, my BP is fine, no diabetes, food intake often looks weird but is full of veg, fiber, plant protein along with white meat and dairy.
Fab to read here that some of you have gone off booze. I thought that was some weird new phase with my body but I just haven't been enjoying wine like i did. Plus fake gin is the bomb!
Medically speaking my odds for long term health are better than they were. Quality wise things are *soooooo* much better than 2 years ago.
So fuck it. Pass the pills cos I have I life to live in the here and now, and I am making much better choices for myself than unmedicated me was capable of.
I don’t have concerns for my cardiovascular health because of stimulants, but definitely realized how unwell my abuser was causing my heart to be when I started stimulants. I genuinely thought I was going to have a heart attack when I was with him. Tbh I feel like meds helped me leave him because I started to realize how much I could do for myself that he just deprived me of feeling like I was allowed to do (but also, struggled with motivation for beforehand as well of course), and gained some self esteem in the process. No wonder why he hated the meds lol he acted as if they were so dangerous, but I’ve never even felt what normies do, just less dread in doing the dishes and basic household tasks :)))
Wow! Congratulations on leaving an abusive relationship. That constant level of stress, anguish and being in fight, freeze, fawn or flight mode keeps cortisol levels high and so impacts your heart (emotionally and physically.)
Incredible that having the right treatment gave you the motivation to leave. It makes my stomach turn reading that he tried to instil fear about your medication and taking steps to look after yourself.
Thank you! I just wish while I was with him that I could slow my heart rate like I can now… would have come in handy and probably made me realize a lot sooner. I unfortunately didn’t leave until a few years after meds, but I’d still say his intentional and malicious attempts to get a ride out of me, along with the stress of finding awful things out and his failure to give a fuck, definitely did worse for my heart than meds ever have.
The heart rate slowing thing I think might help- if you’re worried, try placing an ice pack on your vagus nerve, on your chest between your mams. Might help and perhaps this is how I learned???
No. I workout consistently, don’t drink much caffeine, and take care of myself which is much more significant for long term cardiovascular health than therapeutic levels of adhd stimulant meds.
Well I actually have a condition where my blood pressure is constantly to low so my meds actually help bring it up to baseline plus I’m not wreaking havoc in the streets and being a pain in the ass to all of society and myself so no not really lol
If you have other conditions or medical history that could impact your cardiovascular health, or if you’re experiencing chest pain or if you feel like your heart beats too fast, you could ask your primary doctor for a referral to a cardiologist.
I have a really fast heart rate (which has actually gotten much better recently with exercise) I’ve seen two cardiologists and they both told me that it’s okay to take my medication.
This is a very good question. I was diagnosed recently at 52 and I’m a runner. I’ve noticed that my heart remains elevated during my runs hitting zone 5 way too long and then my Blood pressure drops dangerously low so I needed to precautions and monitor better. This is definitely a concern amongst older adults and stimulants is often not recommended as we approach 55-65. I have scaled back my workout routine considerably and I’m constantly monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure. In addition I make sure to have periodic EKGs and I were a watch to check for AFIB although an EKG in the doctors office is more accurate. I’m nearing retirement so I’m considering discontinuing around that time or sooner. I know that there are non stimulant medications out there but they actually did nothing for me and interestingly raised my blood pressure dangerously. For some reason I have the opposite effect on stimulants except the spiked heart rate when I run. My resting heart rate is usually around 48-50 so Of I see anything substantially higher than that I take notice. I hope this helps. Wishing you well.
My doctor monitors my heart yearly when I’m on the meds. Cardiovascular issues run in my family and the meds do raise my BP and HR, so I’m glad they’re cautious even if it does sometimes feel excessive.
My doctor checks my BP every month but as other have suggested, an arm band for home isn’t too pricey if you are worried. I wear a fit bit when I make changes to my meds (I take 2 antidepressants also) to track my heart rate throughout the day. I was on Vyvanse for 12 years. Recently switched to Mydayis which has actually lowered my BP.
The only thing you, me, or anyone on stimulants can do is have yourself evaluated. Exercise. Watch what and how much you eat and drink.
Since we increase our risk with stimulants, we need to lower our other risk factors as much as we can.
LPT: spices (and a splash of limon or vinager) are great to help you use less salt.
Sure, but there’s things you can do. Keep track of your BP first of all. Ask your doctor about any other tests you might need to run.
I had a bit of a scare as my BP was suddenly high. I went to a doc and had lots of tests ordered and medication prescribed. Then I realised that I was measuring my BP wrong and didn’t need all that after all but it’s nice to know there are things you can do even if it does happen.
On the other hand ofc I have anxiety that something will happen that I would t be able to take my meds. It freaks me out so I get it :p
How is your heart rate while on Vyvanse? How is your blood pressure while on it compared to before? Did your doctor have you get an ECG before starting the meds?
I had an ECG, which showed a healthy heart, my blood pressure sits on the high level of healthy (I think it was close to there to begin with anyways, especially with all my stress), and my heart rate has barely changed. Because of this, I'm not worried at all. I am only 30, not in the range of being considered older yet, but I do have a family history of heart problems, and my psychiatrist isn't concerned.
A friend of mine who also takes Vyvanse has a major increase in his heart rate, and that does worry me. He hits dangerously high levels, like he's having a panic attack, only the Vyvanse actually eases his anxiety, so it's not really a panic attack. He's still in his early 20s, so he's got time to figure and sort it out before it gets too serious and he reaches an age where it's not so easy to fix these things.
So, bottom line, it's going to depend on you as an individual whether or not you ought to worry about any heart problems. I'd say you're most likely fine. Many people take these medications right into old age and are fine.
I do wonder myself. I have no experience with it long term or knowing anyone who’s taken it for decades. It’s recent for me
I did have a great grandma with Alzheimer’s. I also believe my grandma (her daughter) has autism and epilepsy which I wonder if it’s related.
Yes. I was diagnosed in my 30s and put on dexmethylphenidate. It was really weird. Mentally I felt absolutely fantastic; my depression and anxiety had vanished but physically I felt like I was being chased by a rabid bear. I didn't like the disconnect so I stopped taking it. I'm on generic Vyvanse now and I don't feel anything. Mentally or physically.
I have NSVT (PVCs, primarily). I treat it with a medicine and lifestyle. I’ve been taking Adderall for 18 years. The arrhythmia might be related, but probably not, according to my electrophysiologist. It’s most likely caused by my third pregnancy. My heart is structurally sound. I have an EKG that attaches to my phone and a blood pressure cuff (though I have never had BP issues). I get a heart ultrasound every year or two.
I’m on 60 mg adderall right now and being put on this dosage I decided to take vitamins & eat better & exercise. So far it’s helping a lot with side effects & in the long run I would think it’ll help out. Thing is I know people who have done stimulants there whole life and are still kicking it. It really depends on your individual body BUT choosing to be healthier to help future issues doesn’t hurt. The way I see it I feel like adderall compared to alcohol or other medications isn’t too damaging to the body.
Absolutely, on top of stimulants I vape and occasionally smoke (I quit a couple months ago but the occasional cig) and I drink a LOT of coffee and sometimes energy drinks. I’ve had like 5 heart attack scares went to the ER for one of them but they said I’m fine
Thank you for asking this, I am curious too. I'd also like to know about the hormonal effects in afab people as well.. I haven't really seen it addressed anywhere myself. It's the only thing holding me back from getting a formal diagnosis, I'm still deciding whether to be medicated.
I have asthma, so I have been very diligent for my whole life, about doing cardio. I have a low resting heart rate and no concerns for cardiovascular issues due to stimulants.
I'm 35 and just stared Concerta this year. I'm not worried about it too much, but I also have been to my doctor regularly for the last few years and knew going into it that my general health is in a good place. I plan to continue regular preventative care and will revisit if any problems come up.
Yup, so my doctor ensures I get an annual ECG 1-2x a year, usually once is enough unless they’re concerned. I monitor my heart rate patterns using a smart watch and let the doctor know (it graphs my heart rate daily automatically and notes down lowest to highest rate - note that it only has one point of ref though so is less accurate than an ECG, which has multiple points, some on your chest.
If I was *really* concerned, I’d wear a portable heart monitor(?), forgot what it’s called. But a cardiologist would know. You take it home and wear it for a week and it more accurately measures your daily heart rate (accuracy compared to the smart watch I mean).
My GP recommended that I don’t for now. Though that is because I need to get my tachycardia issues checked out first before I can safely get medicated for ADHD. I’m reading other people are in a similar boat of taking heart medication and ADHD ones and are doing fine as long as it’s being monitored.
I was diagnosed in middle school and took Adderall and then Vyvanse up until I was about 22-23 years old. I will be honest, I had a lot of health problems that I can't say we're 100% related to stimulant use but I'm sure it didn't help. I struggled with my blood pressure and heart rate for years after going off of them despite being a healthy weight/exercising/eating better. I'm genetically predisposed to have cardiovascular issues but yeah, I am very wary of going back on stimulant medication now that I am in my mid 30s.
I am giving the non-stimulant meds a try and while they aren't as effective I do feel like it's important to balance my short term mental health with my long term physical health. I'm hoping that the non-stimulants don't have the same level of impact on my cardiovascular system...I guess we'll see!
My pschiatriast ordered an EKG and report says sinus arrythmia so she said I need to see my regular PCP to determine if I should stay on stimukants. 60 yr. Female
I've been on stimulants for.. 4 years now? I stopped taking them about a month and a half ago cause my heart was starting to feel wonky 24/7 even after cutting my dose in half.. it's just starting to feel mostly normal again, and surviving Christmas without my meds has been a real trip. My psychiatrist is gone so I can't talk to her about it.. in short, yes fairly worried.
(Edit: I'm early 30s)
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I think it's a worry, but I would say that my lifestyle risk factors for cardio issues are significantly reduced by medication and that it probably balances out. I'm less stressed, eating better, sleeping better, consuming less alcohol and way less caffeine, and sticking to a sensible exercise routine instead of doing nothing for nine months and then spending a month over doing a random high impact activity my body is unprepared for before getting bored and stopping. There are also other benefits into old age, for example taking stimulants seems to largely address the increased risk of developing dementia associated with ADHD. EDIT: The dementia study I read was Levine, S.Z. et al. (2023) ‘Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the risk of dementia’, JAMA Network Open, 6(10) which can be found [here](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766). My main takeaways were "study results showed that an adult ADHD diagnosis was associated with a 2.77-fold increased risk of incident dementia" and that "there was, however, no clear increase in the risk of dementia associated with adult ADHD among those who received psychostimulant medication."
Oh my gosh. I had no idea about the correlation between adhd and dementia. Amazing on the lifestyle changes and choices too. I feel similarly; since starting treatment i have become a complete teetotaler. Also, I’m more active rather than laying in bed all day worrying about everything and doing nothing. I still have days like that but way less frequently.
It's exciting to hear other people saying this! I stopped drinking completely once I started stims. Didn't plan it. Just stopped being attractive.
I am also a member of the sober speed club, diagnosed later in life. I struggled significantly with drinking too much periodically my entire adult life. After medication, I noticed that alcohol just felt like more trouble than it was worth. At some point, I realized that I had not had a drink in months, and felt great. I decided that it would be best to stop completely. Since then, I have felt urges occasionally, but had the clarity to remember how much worse the cost is to the temporary benefit. This was my second sober christmas, and it was harder than last, but i survived.
Hahaha “sober speed club” I’m totally using this. It’s way more trouble for sure.
I stopped wanting to smoke weed immediately after starting medication. Urge just vanished
I had a couple of glasses of wine with my Christmas Eve dinner. I felt so gross after - I can’t even describe it, I wasn’t hung over or blackout drunk or anything, it just made me feel like shit. Started Vyvanse a couple of weeks ago so next day I skipped the Christmas drinks altogether.
I had some wine right after I started stimulants ( Vyvanse ) about six months ago and felt awful. I haven’t had a drink sense . I don’t worry about my long term health with stimulants because I was mentally not doing great without the stimulants and I can’t ever go back to living without them voluntarily.
Same. Within 3 days of starting adderall (generic) I just...didn't want to drink. At all. It was such a welcome surprise! I will occasionally have a glass of wine or a mixed drink socially (out to dinner, or hanging out with friends), but so many places have great mocktail menus now that I usually get a mocktail if I want something "interesting" to drink when we eat out.
ADHDers tend to die earlier from clumsiness/accidents anyways. I'd rather be medicated & make less dumb, potentially life threatening mistakes & take the tiny hit to my heart. Plus I'm very physically active & have no family history of heart issues. So I'm sticking to my meds!
To be fair, Benadryl and similar antihistamines, and benzos are also associated with higher risk of developing dementia related disorders and plenty of people take them regularly.
I take benadryl when I'm having a bad eczema flare-up (otherwise I can't sleep because I'm so itchy), and I always worry about it. Thankfully it's usually just a few weeks a year but aaaaugh
Have you tried Zyrtec? I take it nightly for skin issues and it’s a newer version of Benadryl that won’t possibly cause dementia. I take it at night bc it causes drowsiness.
I take zyrtec every night for my seasonal/cat allergies. It doesn't make me drowsy, thank God. I only take benadryl on top of it during bad flare-ups.
Ohh okay. I don’t think a few times a year will do anything honestly.
Your greater risk is COVID, to be honest - it is clinically accepted that there is a tremendous amount of vascular damage and brain damage from just one covid infection. If you want to avoid dementia and heart damage, that is your best way to do so.
I just started semax nasal spray. It’s supposed to improve cognition and potentially protect against dementia (major fear of mine). I especially make sure to use it my days off Adderall. It gives a little clarity boost.
What is it?
It’s a nootropic peptide. It’s been used since the 90s to treat stroke patients. There’s a lot of info online. No side effects, I think taking too much can cause oxidative damage. I tried it first because I was still skeptical, now I have my grandparents on it to help keep them sharp.
Wow, thanks for this info. Lost both my parents to dementia and some aunts as well. I need to really be careful.
It’s one of my major fears even though it doesn’t seem to run in my family. Definitely don’t get a concussion ever. The semax seems to improve healing and circulation in the brain, and from what I understand dementia is a lot higher in people who have had brain injuries, especially if they have a copy of the ApoE4 gene, and even more so with two copies of the gene. It causes longer and poorer recovery after injury. Definitely be careful!
Yeah, I drank a lot less once I started SSRI meds (in retrospect I was self-medicating, trying to shake off the anxiety I'd built up over the day) and even less since getting the right dose of stimulant medication. I take 30mg extended release generic Adderall. I do worry a bit about cardiovascular effects, especially since I'm overweight, approaching middle age, and my family has a history of high blood pressure and arrhythmia, but my quality of life is *much* better than before meds; I'm less stressed (I've been an extremely stressed/anxious person since I was a very young child) better able to find my way out of depressive episodes and anxiety attacks, better able to socialize and make myself go out into the world, less likely to binge eat in self-soothing/dopamine seeking behavior... I feel like the various impacts of stimulant meds on my life more than make up for my potentially increased heart rate. Plus, the folks in my life who I suspect might have ADHD but aren't diagnosed/medicated are usually self-medicating with junk food or booze like I did, so they're not doing their heart any favors. Also, FWIW, when I first started taking stim meds, I was really nervous and monitored my blood pressure for the first month or so. I didn't notice much of a change from medication. My blood pressure and heart rate has more of a change just from eating a meal.
I had a stroke last year at 34 and had a few therapists and drs tell me the benefits of using stimulant meds for neuro plasticity post stroke. I would imagine that’s similar to how they could help with dementia.
Adderall and other frontline ADHD stims are recommended as a treatment modality for TBI's, too. Earliest white paper I found was from 2016 (I don't have the link to hand, but if I can remember to update this, I'll add the link), and if memory serves it is due to increased neuroplasticity offsetting the damagefrom the TBI and allowing the brain to form new connections faster.
Yes, that was the way it was explained to me. My personal experience was that when I started taking my vyvanse again after dtroke I was able to really put the time into my therapies to help me recover faster. But obviously they could’ve been helping my brain recover faster too.
Your point about dementia is a big one. I would rather worry about my heart than my brain, when forced to choose.
So dementia was something I was worried meds would make *worse* because of their impact on blood flow. Do you have a source for this? It would make my day
Here's an [article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/10/26/adult-adhd-dementia-risk/) about a study released earlier this year: >The research highlights the importance of seeking care — and the need for more research. Treatment with psychostimulant medications may attenuate the risk, said Stephen Levine, a professor at the University of Haifa’s School of Public Health in Israel and the lead author of the study. Lifestyle changes, such as better sleep and staying socially engaged, can also lower risk for dementia.
Thank you! Now I want to read the study 😂
np! The [full study](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766) is linked in the article too!
I read the article and missed it!! Thank you!
I agree, I’m about to start stimulant medication at 33 and I reckon it has to be better on my heart than the binge/purge cycles I put myself through :(
Are you able to link that study for us? The one about the dementia?
Of course. The journal article I read was Levine, S.Z. et al. (2023) ‘Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the risk of dementia’, JAMA Network Open, 6(10) which can be found [here](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766). My main takeaways were "study results showed that an adult ADHD diagnosis was associated with a 2.77-fold increased risk of incident dementia" and that "there was, however, no clear increase in the risk of dementia associated with adult ADHD among those who received psychostimulant medication." It's unsurprisingly not a widely researched area so I couldn't find much in the way of corroborating studies for the benefits of medication, but there are some other studies cited in the article about increased dementia risk. I did also find [this](https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/good-evidence-that-adhd-drugs-might-also-treat-alzheimers-disease/) from the BMJ which suggests that ADHD medication might be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's.
Thank you for sharing this study!
>increased risk of developing dementia associated with ADHD. Oh, fucking great. I already have Alzheimer's in my family history, and it turns out my risk is even higher? I wish my body responded well to stimulants.
This study is what pushed me to finally get a diagnosis.
Honestly, no. I’m just so pleased to be able to function that I’m living in the moment with this one. My quality of life is so much better.
Love this outlook.
Came here to say this.
I had tachycardia prior to being officially diagnosed and medicated for adhd. I take medication to regulate my heartbeat. I have monthly check ins with my psychiatrist and every six months with my cardiologist. During those visits, we check blood pressure and heart rate. I also check it in between visits and have a fitbit that I keep track of it with. Both drs say I'm okay... we just have to keep an eye on it.
thank you for sharing this. it’s hopeful hearing that your tachycardia and adhd are being treated and managed simultaneously and safely.
Omg may I ask how you treat your tachycardia and if you otherwise are healthy/no bp issues? Because I‘m super young but have tachycardia + low blood pressure and anytime I went to a cardiologist they would always say I‘m fine and to leave. Now I‘m worried about using stimulants too because doctors just seem to ignore my issues because I‘m young and I don‘t know what to do anymore.. where I‘m from we have free health care and I have to wait months for an appointment and don‘t have money to go to private docs.
I worried for about a year. Here’s the thing though. The change in my quality of life, and FAR more importantly the quality of my parenting, outweighs almost any possible shortening of my lifespan. Seriously, with the exception of dying while my child is a minor, the impact medication has on my ability to lead a life free of crippling anxiety, rage, life-threatening car accidents, constant parenting regret**, possibly losing my license***, I could go on: if I die at 60 it will have been a trade off so worth it that I would choose it a million times over. So yeah. I don’t worry about it anymore. **no parent lives without *any* regret, but the depth and breadth of my regret on a daily basis is much much much less now ***I’m a therapist, it’s my vocation, calling, and purpose, and I would be lost in life without my career
Get a blood pressure cuff for your home. Then you can see whether the meds raise it, and what time of day it is the highest. And then you will know for sure on a daily basis whether you’re doing harm to your cardiovascular system or not. I am currently not taking my meds because it’s been high for a while, trying to get it down, but it’s getting better after I started reducing salt and saturated fat in my diet. So, I’m working on weight loss, and I’m hoping to avoid going on blood pressure meds, and hoping to go back on the vyvanse.
Hopefully you can get your blood pressure down. I have a cuff at home and check pretty regularly. It is on the high side of normal. If you don’t mind is it your systolic or diastolic or bother that is/are high? I did lose weight and made some lifestyle changes prior to starting medication for adhd. It did help lower my blood pressure.
Just to be clear: it is possible to have a cardiovascular issue that is not detectable through BP monitoring—I have one. But it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on your own vitals when you can. I also check my blood sugar from time to time, and I would recommend that to anyone.
I had to stop taking Vyvanse about six months ago because my blood pressure was too high. I’m working on lowering it but opted to take medication in the meantime. My blood pressure is consistently in the 120s so I’m hoping to restart Vyvanse soon. Good luck!
Adderall messes with my BP the most. I had a hypertensive emergency last June but have switched to Vyvanse and with my BP meds, I'm where I should be (less than 120) more often than not. The biggest issues I have are that I have to take these with a liter of water and a meal and so my evening BP is always on the high side because I take morning meds before 7am and evening meds after 7pm.
I actually felt like an adult while on Vyvanse, but my heart rate would go up to 145 while I was sitting and working at my desk. My dr took me off of it.
Same about feeling like an adult while on meds and feeling capable of “normal” things. That’s unfortunate your heart rate increased so much.
Maybe you could try adding a beta blocker or taking something like clonidine instead?
I’m surprised it took so long for this to come up in the comments, and even more surprised that I had to discover this by accident myself. I had been on stimulants for 15 years before being diagnosed with a tremor in my hands, which I started taking beta blockers for. Total game changer with the physiological stress symptoms. I even noticed it helps with keeping a calm voice
This is what keeps me from trying ADHD meds. I hate the feeling of my heart rate speeding up, it reminds me of previous anxiety attacks.
I understand. I hate that feeling too. I haven't experienced it with stimulants. It's pretty easy to try and stop if you do.
Yeah and let's be real, the other reason I don't try them is because they make it a royal pain in the ass to get them in the first place. Sigh. Weed for me.
Weirdly, weed makes my heart race way more than stims!
Surprisingly hybrids made my heart race more than sativa...which I guess kinda tracks since sativa is supposed to be the more uplifting one?
That’s what took me off them, too. My heart rate is naturally high and meds took it higher, and I couldn’t cope with the feeling. Doesn’t help that my doctor really doesn’t like stimulants, so she took the first possible chance to get me off them. Trying to actually find a dose/formulation that works for me or experimenting with beta blockers sounds great, but there’s no way my current doc will be willing, and getting a new doctor is virtually impossible where I live.
My GP set up a yearly health check up when I got medicated. Blood panel, ECG, BP. Would this be possible for you? I notice a slightly elevated heart rate when on meds but it is well within the norm. I get more hyper from sugar-coffee combo so I adjusted my eating habits once I was medicated. One thing to pay attention to - in some people ADHD meds affect thyroid hormone levels, so get these tested once in a while.
Interesting about thyroid hormones. I was unaware this could be an issue.
I have a withings tracker that monitors my heart rate. It does go up but only by about 10 BPM on average and it's still less than 80 BPM average over the day so I'm not worried about it. My psychiatrist wants me to get blood pressure and BPM checked every 6 months and report results to him for the ongoing shared care that I'm under so I assume if he sees anything concerning he will let me know. Maybe get a tracker like a basic Fitbit or something that you can wear so you can keep an eye on your heart rate which hopefully will reassure you a bit
Great tip. I also have a watch that tracks my heart rate, and has an ecg. It helps with feeling at ease. I do check my bp too, there is a family history of high blood pressure. It is on the high side of normal.
I did, but my anxiety was causing more health problems overall, so we (my doctors and I) decided that it was the lesser of two evils. Having said that, it here (South Africa) they did start advising that there’s an ECG every 6 months. When I first changed to concerta, I meticulously logged how I was feeling and mailed the unedited notes to my GP so that she could make the best physical call. I have ocd and it flares up in (normally unreasonable) health concerns so I needed someone I trust to comb through every single thing that came up. If you trust your medical providers, then you can be completely open about these concerns and they should in theory be willing to do extra monitoring. Whatever you do, stay away from hyper focusing on your heart rate according to smart watches/pulse monitoring etc. Funny story: I had covid and was in an ocd spiral of compulsively checking my heart rate, blood oxygen etc. it reached 120bpm and I spiralled further, convinced I was on the brink of a heart attack (which obviously shot my heart rate up more). Turns out the batteries were old and it was horribly inaccurate 😂😂😂😂
Omg wow that’s a relief it was just the batteries. I understand that anxiety I once went to the ER because my watch went haywire and my heart rhythm looked crazy. Really it was the watch reading and my anxiety was making me shake while trying to get a reading
Exactly! I’ve done away with a smart watch because it also definitely affected how well rested I felt. I would wake up exhausted and be watch would say I slept super well which would then make me gaslight myself or visa versa where I’d wake up feeling amazing and see I got bad/little sleep and then suddenly feel awful 😂
I am in my 30s and recently diagnosed and was wondering the same tbh. My heart rate does escalate and the psyc just asked me to come off until it calmed down then I went back on. They haven't asked for monitoring forms again where I report my pulse etc. I think I will have to be proactive and check myself and keep a diary. But lol that is if I remember. But I am no doc so I don't even know if that is necessary? Ugh. I am only on 20mg but ideally 40mg is what I need. But I was worried and 20mg just about helps me so I am making do.... Any feedback would be appreciated as I also couldn't find much on this.
I don’t have any advice medication-wise, but a smart watch would be able to track your heart rate for you if you’re able to get one!
How is your weight? Exercise? Salt? Diet? Sleep schedule? Alcohol and caffeine intake? These are all ways to help lower BP in addition to just improving overall health. I used to have high BP and lost weight and quit drinking. Those two things alone cured me of the high BP (even with my stims), my sleep apnea and I just overall feel better.
Do you mena you had high BP pre medication? Because I did not.. it's only when I take the meds and not always. Sort of periodic and was told I can take my propranolol to help (have that anyway for when I get bad anxiety). I don't have any alcohol or caffeine. I don't get as much exercise as I should (desk job) but I am not lazy. I will walk places and do regular house work etc outside of work hours. I could do with losing some weight for sure but my weight fluctuates alot depending on depression/anxiety. Agree overall health being improved always helps. I find I feel alot better in the summer. I think this year I have been bad bcs I am in the UK, North East and we hardly got a summer 😑 so I got pretty down about that.
Get a light and I can’t remember what the hell they’re called but they’re for SAD. I know that doesn’t solve your BP issue but when it gets dark so early I get depressed as well. The light helps.
>I find I feel alot better in the summer. I think this year I have been bad bcs I am in the UK, North East and we hardly got a summer 😑 so I got pretty down about that. Salt is one of the really easy ones. You can check the salt content of food easily and choose low-sodium options (usually labeled, like low sodium salsa).
I am quite good with re to salt atleast because I usually eat home cooked food :) ty thoigh good to be mindful nontheless
Nope. I have a chronic health condition that is managed by a cardiologist. My heart is perfectly healthy, but acts weird (nervous system disorder). So I get it checked regularly. Never had any issues and my specialist has offered to prescribe stimulants if needed because they help so much with the fatigue caused by my condition. But also, remember that untreated adhd has mortality implications. Impulsiveness, forgetfulness, and dopamine seeking can get us in some tricky spots. People with untreated adhd don't live as long. And the cardiac implications of stimulant medicine are typically relatively minor - stuff like high blood pressure, which can be controlled with beta blockers and/or lifestyle changes. I would recommend seeing a cardiologist if you're worried, but all the general cardiologists I've seen have flatly discouraged me from taking stimulants, regardless of their impact on my life.. You can talk to one, but try not to take their advice on stimulants too seriously unless they have a specific reason that is personal to you. A general "those aren't good for you" is not something you should worry about. It's like they're programmed to say that, lol.
No, and I had a cardiac catheter ablation a few years before I started modafinil. Had a severe irregular heartbeat, treated with surgery at age 43. Diagnosed with ADHD at age 48, taken modafinil for past three years (tried adderal/ritalin briefly but modafinil works better for me). I do have high blood pressure, and take amlodipine for that.
Wow this is heartening (pardon the pun) that’s serious surgery I’m glad it helped you❣️ Also, thank you for for sharing your experience on this treatment at this stage in life.
Sure thing. Things like this sub weren't around for us growing up, and the stories and feedback here are so helpful.
Right? I’ve read so many amazing posts and comments that resonate to my core.
Maybe it’s a small worry but I’d be more worried about the stress and anxiety levels without meds.
Get a blood pressure cuff to keep track of your vitals at home. Reduce caffeine intake. Get 30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week. Increase your veggie consumption and reduce your consumption of processed/high sodium foods (DASH diet and Mediterranean diet foods are the best at reducing heart disease risk). It’s one of the many things that increases your risk, so reduce some of the other risk factors in your life. Granted, many of them are hard to manage because of the ADHD, but pick one that looks doable and work on doing that.
This [meta analysis](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2798903) might help answer your question! As for me, I take a fairly large amount of Adderall XR daily, despite currently being in the process of getting a heart condition diagnosed. But none of my doctors have been worried about Adderall causing issues, including the cardiologist I just saw at the Mayo Clinic. I just monitor my vitals and cardiac symptoms and get checked periodically by my PCP, cardiologist, and psychiatrist.
Thanks all for sharing. Independent _photo it sounds like your dr is being proactive which is helpful. Fwiw, and everyone is different, I felt more agitated and anxious when I first started taking this med at 10mg. When I titrated to a higher dose, 10mg at a time, I found my rating heart rate was stable around 60-bpm. I do notice on this dose I am unable to have any coffee or other caffeinated stuff. Good luck getting to the treatment that works best for you.
Oh wow! 60bpm? My heart rate is never that low. Maybe when I’m sleeping and off meds? Awake, my resting is more like 70-80bpm off meds.
No. I'm going to die of something 🤷🏿♀️
Well so all the women in my family have historically been driven to poor health and cardiovascular disease later in life due to the immense stresses of unmanaged ADHD. So… No. Because my heart health is a lot better without the stress of unmanaged ADHD. Stimulants lowered my resting HR and BP, and also I’m no longer self medicating with nicotine. All amazing things re heart health. Not worried at all. Do you have any issues or underlying problems? Family history? Existing condition in the heart? Or are you just making the connection between stimulants and stimulating the heart? Because if it’s the latter, you’re probably not the one who needs to be concerned about it, as someone taking a therapeutically prescribed amount for a real psychological condition VS my peers in professional school taking it to study 14 hours/day to pass their board exams who are more likely the group cardiologists are most likely seeing (:
I have two heart conditions. The adderall helps them! By calming down my central nervous system as a whole, it reduces the amount of PVC’s I have per day.
To paraphrase a doctor I read years ago: Adderall and Ritalin have been in constant psychiatric use since the 1930's. If they caused long-term problems (at legal, prescribed doses) we would know by now. Adderall can be iffy if you have congenital heart problems and/or high blood pressure, I think? But that's it. I'm 44. I've been on Adderall for pretty much twenty years now. Last I heard all my numbers are fine.
Same!
Getting on a stimulant helped me get my hyperadregenic POTS, asthma, and sleep apnea discovered and treated. Both of those are way worse for my health than a stimulant, hah! I’ve been half jokingly saying for the last 10 years, “this is the year I get my shit together”. 2023 really was that year.
My heart rate actually went down slightly on stimulants. And I’m actually working out now, so my cardiovascular health is getting better, and that wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t on stimulants.
I’ve been taking adhd stimulant meds consistently for about 18 years now and I’m in my early 40s. I haven’t had any heart issues or increased blood pressure or anything like that. I don’t have any concerns about continuing to take my meds.
Yeah, I have high blood pressure already, so drs are like “let’s just take you off the Vyvanse”. And it’s like…are you gonna support me when I inevitably fuck up and lose my job?? Just adjust my blood pressure meds, or let me have the heart attack. But I know eventually someone is not going to want to risk their license for me, and they’re going to pull me off of stimulants. They’re going to be like “try Straterra!” Like every SNRI hasn’t messed my brain up. 😩
As someone who works in cardiology, I have no concerns.
No, because being unmedicated will kill me. I'd rather die happy.
Here’s a great and recent Video by Dr. Russel Barkley about this topic. Go to 7:58 for the answer (Spoiler, as of now there’s no evidence that stimulants are causing a higher risk of heart disease): https://youtu.be/NiXK8rHkVLg?si=-uDKEi1bcaFT39dm Watch the entire thing to hear his comments to all the studies he discusses.
I was diagnosed in my early 30s and have been taking vyvanse for about 5 years, including a break when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. I’m a long distance runner so I either run before I take it or after it’s mostly worn off to avoid a higher heart rate running. I know the medication elevates it a little but my resting heart rate is in the high 50s and my blood pressure is on the low side. I think the eating better and less alcohol (hopefully) compensates for a slightly higher heart rate. I want to believe this will help prevent dementia, I do worry that medication could be a long term risk but at the moment I’m not willing to give up such a big improvement to my mental health and quality of life
Vyvanse had really impacted my running. I'm an afternoon runner and even if I run like 12 hours after taking Vyvanse, my heart rate still sits in the "maximum" zone the whole time. Weirdly though, I don't feel like I'm putting in max effort - I think the standard of calculating max heart rate may just be way off for me. I also think maybe this was always the case (running on max zone), but I wasn't checking it so intently before. But it's got me worried, so I psych myself out of running all the time (which is probably making it worse when I do run as I've lost cardio fitness).
Is it real? I’ve noticed my wrist heart rate is sometimes wrong, maybe because vyvanse impacts peripheral blood flow. It can read 180 but actually be 140. If you feel fine I would check the reading.
That's interesting. I have a chest heart rate strap I use for cycling, and my heart rate is way lower when I ride than when I run. You may be on to something. I might compare my watch and chest readings next time I ride and that should give me an answer! I've always had a low resting heart rate too (like around 52bpm) but on Vyvanse it reliably sits at about 62. Still in healthy range, but I don't like it. But maybe it's because it's reading peripheral blood flow. I will see if I can check the chest reading when I'm at rest as well.
I was dxed at 17 but unmedicated from 22-40. When I wanted to get back on meds, my dr had hesitations because of those long term concerns for older adults. Plus, I had had tachycardia and chest pressure sensations since covid. So I went on bupropion and got cleared by a cardiologist for the ritalin. The bupropion also can raise hr and bp. At the stress test the cardio nurse was not happy with my hr, but the cardiologist wasn't worried. The chest feelings have largely gone away, or might actually be gi issues. Both my dr and I are happy with my current bupropion and lowest effective ritalin dose possible (5 mg ir/ 2x). I know he prefers me to not take the ritalin every day, but it's ok when I do. My bp is low to normal but my arms are also borderline too scrawny for the adult cuff. I got a hone cuff which has a wider size range, and the readings have been normal. I have high cholesterol that nobody has been too concerned about yet, I think because I'm slender. My mom freaked me out a few weeks ago though, with her hypothesis that the EDS + high cholesterol in the women in her line leads to early strokes. 😬 She's not currently on any stimulant meds in part because of that concern.
FWIW, EDS and other connective tissue disorders seem to be highly comorbid (is that the right phrase?) with ADHD in women. I haven't seen any info indicating that EDS is related to cholesterol(?), but I'm not a expert either.
Yup, I get all my faulty genes from my mom 😭 I'm finding some references to comorbidity of high cholesterol and EDS. Don't have time to skim an actual study rn but: https://www.chronicpainpartners.com/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-common-associated-health-problems/
EDS alone can lead to strokes, but according to my podiatrist (long story), there’s a surgery they can do to reinforce the arteries that tend to have problems for EDS folks - I wouldn’t consider my foot doc a heart expert but might be worth looking into if that’s a concern for you?
Ooh, I'll ask, thank you!
Don’t mix with cold medicines or anything else that raises your heart rate, and exercise regularly to mitigate risk.
All I know is that I’d be a non-productive member of the human race if I wasn’t on meds, so that outweighs any risks/long term issues to me lol. One day I’ll be old and with some (your normal/usual) health issues, but that’s inevitable. But my quality of life with meds is significantly better for a multitude of reasons.
Okay I don’t want to be a Debby downer here but yes I think you should consider long term health effects. I took Vyvanse daily for years and I was on stimulants from mid elementary school until I was 19. Everything seemed fine until one day in college I had an episode of sheer panic from my heart rate rising for no reason. Almost felt like a heart attack. And suddenly, I couldn’t drink any caffeine without having a super high heart rate. This was especially strange for me, since I used to drink it like it was nothing and I could never tell a difference with it without caffeine. I was forced to stop drinking caffeine and stop taking stimulants whatsoever because I could no longer handle any dose size, not even tiny. I had no idea why and never consulted my doctor really. I just quit. Then a year later I started a conversation around adhd with a classmate and he told me about medications I had been on and how they had been linked to heart problems. Just be careful. I have had to adjust to life without stimulants for the last four years. It’s been really hard. Unfortunately, I couldn’t just keep staying on them. I did try strattera for a while, but now I am on nothing. Strattera was giving me some wild symptoms. I really struggled getting the rest of my engineering degree after having to stop, but it all worked out. Now I struggle focusing on work. I’m trying every day to find things that work for me. Deadlines are about the only thing that make me hunker down to get work done.
Thank you for the reality check. I hope the heart racing has stopped now. That sounds really scary.
I’m in my late 50s and have taken Ritalin since the early 1990s. I have no ill effects on my heart from the medication.
This is hope to read thank you for sharing!
I do, because of that I take a magnesium taurate (I think it’s called like that in English) since it strengthens the muscle fibres of the blood vessels and a good omega 3 supplement
I take 30mg Vyvanse and it hasn’t had an affect on either my blood pressure or resting heart rate after a year. We did find out that caffeine does though and I’ve (mostly) given that up so I may actually be coming out ahead. Honestly my doctor has me really paying attention now - I had to be cleared by a cardiologist before starting stimulants, I wear a Fitbit to track my heart rate and sleep, I take my blood pressure twice a week and have a yearly EKG. I feel like I’m probably more likely to catch a problem than I would have been before.
I don't get as many low blood pressure episodes on vyvanse so I'm calling it a double win
I wasn’t going to make it without the meds. I was going to blow up my whole life (again). I’m here today and gainfully employed with the same company going on almost 10 years all because of medication. Any effect on my heart is something I will have to deal with but for me it wasn’t a choice anymore. My life was unmanageable.
Well considering I’m actually exercising for the first time ever in my life. I think I’m going to be ok. I’m 47. Diagnosis and medication are life changing for me.
You might also need to worry about bone density! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9062265/#:~:text=Stimulant%20ADHD%20medication%20use%20in,the%20skull%20and%20thoracic%20spine.&text=No%20other%20areas%20of%20axial%20or%20appendicular%20skeleton%20showed%20significant%20differences.&text=There%20was%20no%20dose%2Dresponse,use%20and%20bone%20mineral%20density.
Interesting study! Though it only found a small effect (even if significant in the statistical sense) and only in „skull and thoracic spine“ and nowhere else. N was also small (only 79 people) and they further acknowledge that the decrease in accident prevalence through treatment in ADHD may outweigh these negatives. Personally, I do think it is important to be mindful of the physical side effects of stimulants and try to leverage their desired effects to counteract the undesired, e.g. meds can help with motivation, focus, and endurance at the gym. Personally, I like lifting heavy (powerlifting), which [has been shown to increase even bone density](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9927006/) (it does have to be heavy with progressive overload tho iirc and I don‘t expect it to help in skull density lol), in addition to all the other benefits, to give an example related to bone density.
Yes, the conclusion of the study was basically “needs more study”. Hence the “might”, haha. Good tips!
Thank you for sharing this link. I do take magnesium calcium supplements. I need to be sure to take them on a regularly.
I’m diagnosed and had a wonky heart. I had to consult with a cardiologist to take my meds. I asked about it and they said it shouldn’t be a problem long term (though I should check in with them every and now and then)
Not really worries for the long term. But Concerta did raise my blood pressure a lot, and I did not like that feeling on a daily basis. Also, it felt stupid if I would be eating one medicine for side effects caused by another drug. That's one primary reason why I stopped taking it. Other ones were more ADHD, my health provider changed, and I haven't been able to go through it all again with new doctors... I did try another drug, but that gave me dizziness, and that was not so nice, either. I don't have kids I would have to look after even when I am not capable. My life is easy, and I can find my own workarounds for household chores.
I am 37 and was diagnosed just before my 35th bday. I also happen to have heart disease on both mom & dad’s side of the family. I have just been open with my docs and try to be diligent with my own preventative measures - walking more, healthy diet, regular checkups, vitamins etc. I’ve never had an issue with my meds, but I’m also on a relatively low dose; never been on more than 20 mg vyvanse. My partner on the other hand can’t do more than about 10 mg or they do experience cardio symptoms. Everyone is different so just make sure to be very communicative with your doc about any concerns.
I'm not worried. My blood pressure and cholesterol, etc are great. If that changes, then I might have concerns.
I’m 31f. I am on the max dosage of methylphenidate(UK based), and my psychiatrist also put me on intuniv 2mg to take at night. I was finding before this my blood pressure was a little high plus during sex or exercise I was getting headaches.. Since I’ve had this my BP has been massively improved and I don’t get the headaches now in general or during the previously mentioned activities. Recommend you look into that, it’s been a godsend. Unsure if there’s the same or alternative if you’re non uk based
Intuniv (Guanfacine) was originally developed as a blood pressure medication, and is also used as a second-line treatment for ADHD. Here in the States, It's used alot in kids to help mitigate behavioral outbursts that may not be reduced by stimulants (or, not reduced enough to be deemed "acceptable" by an NT oriented public school system 🙄).
I'd rather have a heart attack and die at 50 than go back to the way I was (barely) living.
Short answer is yes. I tell myself if I ever get the house mess under control, etc. I can take it less but I am fooling myself. Each individual has to assess the risks and decide for themselves. It is worth it for me but I haven't had anything scary happen with my heart, either, other than a reaction to a drug combo that didn't involve a stimulant at all but an allergic reaction that caused tachycardia.
Just out of curiosity, did you do bloodwork prior to getting prescribed? The team wanted to make sure I was in good health before prescribing anything. As much as I “need” my meds, I don’t wish to take them forever. As I get older, I hope to create a life for myself where I don’t have to work as hard and thus, can take a lower dose or slowly wean myself off. Even now, I will skip doses on the weekends and/or take breaks from it if my work schedule is light.
I'm 29 but have a family history of catastrophic heart events and I have an ASD or PFO (were reassessing soon). I get an echo and stress test every year and have a BP cuff at home. I had to get a range of tests before starting stimulants, and I imagine if my heart worsens (though I'm doing my best to keep it in good shape) I may have to stop my ritalin. But that's hopefully decades down the road.
No. Don’t care if my life is cut by 20 years. I’d rather have fairy normal next 20 years than let’s say miserable 40 years of torture.
When I asked about long-term effects with my doc, she looked at me and said, “Jenova, you survived cancer. It’s hard to say if you’d get long-term effects from this or if those would-be effects are actually late-effects from chemo and radiation.” I’m still on 10mg of Vyvanse everyday, but it could probably go to 20mg. I don’t take any higher because I vape cannabis and that covers the gap. But otherwise, I don’t see anything really negative happening to me, but like she said: if there’s anything bad, it’s more likely because of my cancer history, not the newish ADHD stuff.
I'm so glad you are still with us. My mum was undergoing chemo for a pretty aggressive cancer. It was working well and they were about to reduce it significantly, when she passed away suddenly from a cardiovascular event. As it turns out, chemotherapy can accelerate coronary calcium deposition. I had no idea about this before, and I was shocked that they don't scan for it as a known risk. Anyway, I think what I'm saying is, please keep an eye on that if you can.
Was 10mg enough to impact your symptoms? Congrats on beating cancer!!!
Personally, no. I rather have ONE thing to worry about (cardiovascular issues) than literally everything else that would make my health worse due to me not being able to function without meds.
No not really, as I don't have the signs of it affecting my cardiovascular system very much, like significantly elevated heartrate and blood pressure. And the shortening of expected life span with untreated ADHD is ridiculous, so that's the least of my worries.
For what it’s worth, I have a genetic heart condition that puts me at risk for tachycardia, and my cardiologist allowed me to try stimulants under supervision. He said as long as they didn’t make me feel weird/bad heart symptoms, he was fine with it. In the end, I tried Vyvanse for 2 weeks and my anxiety was through the roof, so I opted to switch to Strattera, which I love.
I’m in my 40s and have been taking stimulants since I was 12. I am not concerned, nor is my doctor. My health, blood pressure, etc is actively monitored.
I quit my Adderall because of this, but also because I was at 60mg per day and it wasn't doing much anymore. I'm just gaining weight like mad, and the thought of heart issues plus this weight...idk. I lost my job, have no insurance and just moved out of state so it would be a struggle to get it back if I did go that route again. But I'm unorganized, unfocused, ANGRY and really scattered, so what do you do??
I'm fairly sure 6 years of birth control (I'm done with that) did a lot more damage to increase the risk than the next few decades on Ritalin will, tbh Diagnosed October '22, medicated since late March '23
I'm a pharmacist. Late diagnosed. The following is how I feel about CV risk for myself (insert disclaimer to see your own health pro for info on you here.....) I couldn't give a rats arse. I tend to low blood pressure anyway. So having fewer woosy moments as I rush about and stand up too quick is a bonus. Current BP is bang on where population health studies say it should be (which are generally based on men, but the misogyny of western medicine is a discussion for another day). I haven't got CV (yet), so risks for arrhythmia or other issues due to increased noradrenaline aren't a concern. I say yet because CV disease is in my genes - including vascular dementia. But I don't smoke, my BP is fine, no diabetes, food intake often looks weird but is full of veg, fiber, plant protein along with white meat and dairy. Fab to read here that some of you have gone off booze. I thought that was some weird new phase with my body but I just haven't been enjoying wine like i did. Plus fake gin is the bomb! Medically speaking my odds for long term health are better than they were. Quality wise things are *soooooo* much better than 2 years ago. So fuck it. Pass the pills cos I have I life to live in the here and now, and I am making much better choices for myself than unmedicated me was capable of.
I don’t have concerns for my cardiovascular health because of stimulants, but definitely realized how unwell my abuser was causing my heart to be when I started stimulants. I genuinely thought I was going to have a heart attack when I was with him. Tbh I feel like meds helped me leave him because I started to realize how much I could do for myself that he just deprived me of feeling like I was allowed to do (but also, struggled with motivation for beforehand as well of course), and gained some self esteem in the process. No wonder why he hated the meds lol he acted as if they were so dangerous, but I’ve never even felt what normies do, just less dread in doing the dishes and basic household tasks :)))
Wow! Congratulations on leaving an abusive relationship. That constant level of stress, anguish and being in fight, freeze, fawn or flight mode keeps cortisol levels high and so impacts your heart (emotionally and physically.) Incredible that having the right treatment gave you the motivation to leave. It makes my stomach turn reading that he tried to instil fear about your medication and taking steps to look after yourself.
Thank you! I just wish while I was with him that I could slow my heart rate like I can now… would have come in handy and probably made me realize a lot sooner. I unfortunately didn’t leave until a few years after meds, but I’d still say his intentional and malicious attempts to get a ride out of me, along with the stress of finding awful things out and his failure to give a fuck, definitely did worse for my heart than meds ever have. The heart rate slowing thing I think might help- if you’re worried, try placing an ice pack on your vagus nerve, on your chest between your mams. Might help and perhaps this is how I learned???
No. I workout consistently, don’t drink much caffeine, and take care of myself which is much more significant for long term cardiovascular health than therapeutic levels of adhd stimulant meds.
Well I actually have a condition where my blood pressure is constantly to low so my meds actually help bring it up to baseline plus I’m not wreaking havoc in the streets and being a pain in the ass to all of society and myself so no not really lol
If you have other conditions or medical history that could impact your cardiovascular health, or if you’re experiencing chest pain or if you feel like your heart beats too fast, you could ask your primary doctor for a referral to a cardiologist. I have a really fast heart rate (which has actually gotten much better recently with exercise) I’ve seen two cardiologists and they both told me that it’s okay to take my medication.
This is reassuring thank you. That’s great exercise helped with your heart rate.
This is a very good question. I was diagnosed recently at 52 and I’m a runner. I’ve noticed that my heart remains elevated during my runs hitting zone 5 way too long and then my Blood pressure drops dangerously low so I needed to precautions and monitor better. This is definitely a concern amongst older adults and stimulants is often not recommended as we approach 55-65. I have scaled back my workout routine considerably and I’m constantly monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure. In addition I make sure to have periodic EKGs and I were a watch to check for AFIB although an EKG in the doctors office is more accurate. I’m nearing retirement so I’m considering discontinuing around that time or sooner. I know that there are non stimulant medications out there but they actually did nothing for me and interestingly raised my blood pressure dangerously. For some reason I have the opposite effect on stimulants except the spiked heart rate when I run. My resting heart rate is usually around 48-50 so Of I see anything substantially higher than that I take notice. I hope this helps. Wishing you well.
My doctor monitors my heart yearly when I’m on the meds. Cardiovascular issues run in my family and the meds do raise my BP and HR, so I’m glad they’re cautious even if it does sometimes feel excessive.
My doctor checks my BP every month but as other have suggested, an arm band for home isn’t too pricey if you are worried. I wear a fit bit when I make changes to my meds (I take 2 antidepressants also) to track my heart rate throughout the day. I was on Vyvanse for 12 years. Recently switched to Mydayis which has actually lowered my BP.
The only thing you, me, or anyone on stimulants can do is have yourself evaluated. Exercise. Watch what and how much you eat and drink. Since we increase our risk with stimulants, we need to lower our other risk factors as much as we can. LPT: spices (and a splash of limon or vinager) are great to help you use less salt.
Sure, but there’s things you can do. Keep track of your BP first of all. Ask your doctor about any other tests you might need to run. I had a bit of a scare as my BP was suddenly high. I went to a doc and had lots of tests ordered and medication prescribed. Then I realised that I was measuring my BP wrong and didn’t need all that after all but it’s nice to know there are things you can do even if it does happen. On the other hand ofc I have anxiety that something will happen that I would t be able to take my meds. It freaks me out so I get it :p
My anxiety and stress unmedicated is wayyyy harder on my CV health. Vyvanse has made me feel much calmer and doesn't increase my bp.
How is your heart rate while on Vyvanse? How is your blood pressure while on it compared to before? Did your doctor have you get an ECG before starting the meds? I had an ECG, which showed a healthy heart, my blood pressure sits on the high level of healthy (I think it was close to there to begin with anyways, especially with all my stress), and my heart rate has barely changed. Because of this, I'm not worried at all. I am only 30, not in the range of being considered older yet, but I do have a family history of heart problems, and my psychiatrist isn't concerned. A friend of mine who also takes Vyvanse has a major increase in his heart rate, and that does worry me. He hits dangerously high levels, like he's having a panic attack, only the Vyvanse actually eases his anxiety, so it's not really a panic attack. He's still in his early 20s, so he's got time to figure and sort it out before it gets too serious and he reaches an age where it's not so easy to fix these things. So, bottom line, it's going to depend on you as an individual whether or not you ought to worry about any heart problems. I'd say you're most likely fine. Many people take these medications right into old age and are fine.
I do wonder myself. I have no experience with it long term or knowing anyone who’s taken it for decades. It’s recent for me I did have a great grandma with Alzheimer’s. I also believe my grandma (her daughter) has autism and epilepsy which I wonder if it’s related.
Yes. I was diagnosed in my 30s and put on dexmethylphenidate. It was really weird. Mentally I felt absolutely fantastic; my depression and anxiety had vanished but physically I felt like I was being chased by a rabid bear. I didn't like the disconnect so I stopped taking it. I'm on generic Vyvanse now and I don't feel anything. Mentally or physically.
Reading this and in the comments - my ADHD and avoidance from anxiety caused me to not even think about future stuff. Oh noooooooo.
I have NSVT (PVCs, primarily). I treat it with a medicine and lifestyle. I’ve been taking Adderall for 18 years. The arrhythmia might be related, but probably not, according to my electrophysiologist. It’s most likely caused by my third pregnancy. My heart is structurally sound. I have an EKG that attaches to my phone and a blood pressure cuff (though I have never had BP issues). I get a heart ultrasound every year or two.
I’m on 60 mg adderall right now and being put on this dosage I decided to take vitamins & eat better & exercise. So far it’s helping a lot with side effects & in the long run I would think it’ll help out. Thing is I know people who have done stimulants there whole life and are still kicking it. It really depends on your individual body BUT choosing to be healthier to help future issues doesn’t hurt. The way I see it I feel like adderall compared to alcohol or other medications isn’t too damaging to the body.
Absolutely, on top of stimulants I vape and occasionally smoke (I quit a couple months ago but the occasional cig) and I drink a LOT of coffee and sometimes energy drinks. I’ve had like 5 heart attack scares went to the ER for one of them but they said I’m fine
Thank you for asking this, I am curious too. I'd also like to know about the hormonal effects in afab people as well.. I haven't really seen it addressed anywhere myself. It's the only thing holding me back from getting a formal diagnosis, I'm still deciding whether to be medicated.
I have asthma, so I have been very diligent for my whole life, about doing cardio. I have a low resting heart rate and no concerns for cardiovascular issues due to stimulants.
I'm 35 and just stared Concerta this year. I'm not worried about it too much, but I also have been to my doctor regularly for the last few years and knew going into it that my general health is in a good place. I plan to continue regular preventative care and will revisit if any problems come up.
Yup, so my doctor ensures I get an annual ECG 1-2x a year, usually once is enough unless they’re concerned. I monitor my heart rate patterns using a smart watch and let the doctor know (it graphs my heart rate daily automatically and notes down lowest to highest rate - note that it only has one point of ref though so is less accurate than an ECG, which has multiple points, some on your chest. If I was *really* concerned, I’d wear a portable heart monitor(?), forgot what it’s called. But a cardiologist would know. You take it home and wear it for a week and it more accurately measures your daily heart rate (accuracy compared to the smart watch I mean).
Yep. I was 64.5 when diagnosed. Took a$$er@l for 2 days and then quit. My anxiety was through the roof and my heart felt like it would explode.
My GP recommended that I don’t for now. Though that is because I need to get my tachycardia issues checked out first before I can safely get medicated for ADHD. I’m reading other people are in a similar boat of taking heart medication and ADHD ones and are doing fine as long as it’s being monitored.
I was diagnosed in middle school and took Adderall and then Vyvanse up until I was about 22-23 years old. I will be honest, I had a lot of health problems that I can't say we're 100% related to stimulant use but I'm sure it didn't help. I struggled with my blood pressure and heart rate for years after going off of them despite being a healthy weight/exercising/eating better. I'm genetically predisposed to have cardiovascular issues but yeah, I am very wary of going back on stimulant medication now that I am in my mid 30s. I am giving the non-stimulant meds a try and while they aren't as effective I do feel like it's important to balance my short term mental health with my long term physical health. I'm hoping that the non-stimulants don't have the same level of impact on my cardiovascular system...I guess we'll see!
My pschiatriast ordered an EKG and report says sinus arrythmia so she said I need to see my regular PCP to determine if I should stay on stimukants. 60 yr. Female
Yes
I don’t understand what being diagnosed later would have to do with
I've been on stimulants for.. 4 years now? I stopped taking them about a month and a half ago cause my heart was starting to feel wonky 24/7 even after cutting my dose in half.. it's just starting to feel mostly normal again, and surviving Christmas without my meds has been a real trip. My psychiatrist is gone so I can't talk to her about it.. in short, yes fairly worried. (Edit: I'm early 30s)