How to fix numbness after stopping amphetamine use?

[insignia_]

Don't bother reading this if you don't have experience with these meds.

I know it's probably better to talk to a psychiatrist about this than ask a forum, but I really want to avoid going back if it's something I can fix on my own.

I was prescribed Vyvanse one year ago and used it for a few months at a time throughout the past year. I'd use it for a few months, stop, repeat. Highest I went to was 70mg, but 50mg is what felt the most stable and effective.

It worked incredibly well for the period I did use it, but I decided to fully stop taking it about a month ago because it left me numb and needing progressively stronger stimulus to care about anything. Often times it's really hard to even get out of bed or want to do anything, but I obviously push myself regardless. I don't want to keep wasting my days and watching time fly by just because I don't feel much or care about anything, and I want to find a solution. I just don't know if it's a matter of time for my receptors to resensitize and return to normal or if there's something I could be doing.

FYI - I did have off days where I wouldn't take it at all to let my brain rest.

Currently I'm already doing intense exercise (HIIT) a few times per week, keeping my diet high in protein and not underfeeding myself, and I'm sleeping quite a bit.

Is there anything else I should be doing, or should I just wait?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BR32]

I gotcha dude

 

[BR32]

What you're experiencing is very common after stopping long acting amphetamine stimulants especially after taking moderate-high doses like 50-70mg of Vyvanse.

The short answer is that this will normalize with time but one month is not enough for most people. What you're feeling is very consistent with dopamine down regulation / hedonic blunting, not permanent damage of any kind.

Vyvanse increases dopamine and norepinephrine signaling chronically and over time the brain adapts which reduces dopamine receptor sensitivity, reduces baseline dopamine release, and shifts your "reward threshold up"

When you stop: Baseline dopamine ton is temporarily low and normal activities can feel felt, effortless, or pointless

It takes 2-3 months for reward sensitivity to fully normalize again

You're covering all of big pillars well.

The best thing you can do is reduce overall stimulation and reward signaling.

 

[insignia_]

What you're experiencing is very common after stopping long acting amphetamine stimulants especially after taking moderate-high doses like 50-70mg of Vyvanse.

The short answer is that this will normalize with time but one month is not enough for most people. What you're feeling is very consistent with dopamine down regulation / hedonic blunting, not permanent damage of any kind.

Vyvanse increases dopamine and norepinephrine signaling chronically and over time the brain adapts which reduces dopamine receptor sensitivity, reduces baseline dopamine release, and shifts your "reward threshold up"

When you stop: Baseline dopamine ton is temporarily low and normal activities can feel felt, effortless, or pointless

It takes 2-3 months for reward sensitivity to fully normalize again

You're covering all of big pillars well.

The best thing you can do is reduce overall stimulation and reward signaling.

Thank you man

That’s all the confirmation I needed then, I’ll wait it out and keep doing the habits I’m currently doing. I appreciate it

 

[BR32]

Thank you man

That’s all the confirmation I needed then, I’ll wait it out and keep doing the habits I’m currently doing. I appreciate it

Keep up the good work twin

 

[insignia_]

What you're experiencing is very common after stopping long acting amphetamine stimulants especially after taking moderate-high doses like 50-70mg of Vyvanse.

The short answer is that this will normalize with time but one month is not enough for most people. What you're feeling is very consistent with dopamine down regulation / hedonic blunting, not permanent damage of any kind.

Vyvanse increases dopamine and norepinephrine signaling chronically and over time the brain adapts which reduces dopamine receptor sensitivity, reduces baseline dopamine release, and shifts your "reward threshold up"

When you stop: Baseline dopamine ton is temporarily low and normal activities can feel felt, effortless, or pointless

It takes 2-3 months for reward sensitivity to fully normalize again

You're covering all of big pillars well.

The best thing you can do is reduce overall stimulation and reward signaling.

I was surprised that, despite my testosterone increasing 60%, my reward sensitivity was still ass and I could barely feel anything. Just a matter of time for things to feel better then

 

[BR32]

I was surprised that, despite my testosterone increasing 60%, my reward sensitivity was still ass and I could barely feel anything. Just a matter of time for things to feel better then

Yeah it’ll happen with any type of real stimulant it’s the same principle for vyvanse or meth and the phychs just hand this stuff out like candy without warning people.

 

[PharmaPhaggot]

Honestly youre just pretty cooked at this point, you got raped by neural adaptation so youre just gonna have to wait for neurons to adapt to sobriety, youre gonna feel a lot better in a few months

 

[insignia_]

Yeah it’ll happen with any type of real stimulant it’s the same principle for vyvanse or meth and the phychs just hand this stuff out like candy without warning people.

Yep, just more likely for amphetamines tbh. Might consider bupropion once I fully recover, just because I suspect I have some sort of dopamine dysregulation. The symptoms I’ve had have been present since I was 5yo. We’ll see, hopefully I can max things out naturally before getting on any meds again

 

[insignia_]

Honestly youre just pretty cooked at this point, you got raped by neural adaptation so youre just gonna have to wait for neurons to adapt to sobriety, youre gonna feel a lot better in a few months

Appreciate your response

And yeah, I really hope so because I’m doing everything to not turn into a lazy hippie during this period

Vyvanse was great and got me through my senior year of HS, but it’s just unsustainable unless every single habit is perfectly aligned to support your brain while you use it

Also trying to retrain my reward system to function without any type of stimulant

 

[BR32]

Yep, just more likely for amphetamines tbh. Might consider bupropion once I fully recover, just because I suspect I have some sort of dopamine dysregulation. The symptoms I’ve had have been present since I was 5yo. We’ll see, hopefully I can max things out naturally before getting on any meds again

My dad is on bupropion and it’s certainly helped him.

Keep an eye out for bupropion rage tho

 

[insignia_]

My dad is on bupropion and it’s certainly helped him.

Keep an eye out for bupropion rage tho

I’ll watch out for that then

Has it affected his sleep? I’d imagine the norepinephrine increase can affect sleep, happened to me when I used atomoxetine. Crazy insomnia on atomoxetine

 

[PharmaPhaggot]

I’ll watch out for that then

Has it affected his sleep? I’d imagine the norepinephrine increase can affect sleep, happened to me when I used atomoxetine. Crazy insomnia on atomoxetine

I use buprupione and i sleep great on it, with irritability ive only experienced it a little bit but its more noticable if i for some reason have more adrenaline like if i drink caffeine during the day, so i aboid stimulants, its also really noticable if i sleep to little so if i sleep my 7-8h and dont seink coffee i feel amazing

 

[insignia_]

I use buprupione and i sleep great on it, with irritability ive only experienced it a little bit but its more noticable if i for some reason have more adrenaline like if i drink caffeine during the day, so i aboid stimulants, its also really noticable if i sleep to little so if i sleep my 7-8h and dont seink coffee i feel amazing

Really? Rate bupropion out of 10 for mood and motivation benefits

Just a lil more confirmation and I’ll use it it seems really good

 

[BR32]

I’ll watch out for that then

Has it affected his sleep? I’d imagine the norepinephrine increase can affect sleep, happened to me when I used atomoxetine. Crazy insomnia on atomoxetine

Hard to say if it’s affected his sleep as he had insomnia before getting on lol.

In general he said it helped him a lot tho. Sorry if that’s not very helpful.

 

[insignia_]

Hard to say if it’s affected his sleep as he had insomnia before getting on lol.

In general he said it helped him a lot tho. Sorry if that’s not very helpful.

No no that does help. Thanks man

 

[Eltrē]

Both the people who answered already are just fearmongering, your brain recovers very easily from not so hardcore stimulant abuse.

You should be feeling 100% within a month and that's only if you have subhuman tier recovery genes, if you still feel like shit then it's not because of the stimulant.

 

[luuk]

Don't bother reading this if you don't have experience with these meds.

I know it's probably better to talk to a psychiatrist about this than ask a forum, but I really want to avoid going back if it's something I can fix on my own.

I was prescribed Vyvanse one year ago and used it for a few months at a time throughout the past year. I'd use it for a few months, stop, repeat. Highest I went to was 70mg, but 50mg is what felt the most stable and effective.

It worked incredibly well for the period I did use it, but I decided to fully stop taking it about a month ago because it left me numb and needing progressively stronger stimulus to care about anything. Often times it's really hard to even get out of bed or want to do anything, but I obviously push myself regardless. I don't want to keep wasting my days and watching time fly by just because I don't feel much or care about anything, and I want to find a solution. I just don't know if it's a matter of time for my receptors to resensitize and return to normal or if there's something I could be doing.

FYI - I did have off days where I wouldn't take it at all to let my brain rest.

Currently I'm already doing intense exercise (HIIT) a few times per week, keeping my diet high in protein and not underfeeding myself, and I'm sleeping quite a bit.

Is there anything else I should be doing, or should I just wait?

Thanks in advance.

For the most part, just giving your neurochemistry time to adjust tbh
I've heard of people using things like cerebrolysin and low doses of shrooms to recover from frying their brains through amphetamine and MDMA overuse but can't verify their efficacy myself

 

[insignia_]

Both the people who answered already are just fearmongering, your brain recovers very easily from not so hardcore stimulant abuse.

You should be feeling 100% within a month and that's only if you have subhuman tier recovery genes, if you still feel like shit then it's not because of the stimulant.

I still feel like shit. Ambition or desire to do anything isn’t back online yet ngl. Used to have spikes of interest in stuff but I’m in a low mood consistently now. Not sure what it is because, last time I stopped, I began feeling way better within 3-4 weeks

 

[Eltrē]

I still feel like shit. Ambition or desire to do anything isn’t back online yet ngl. Used to have spikes of interest in stuff but I’m in a low mood consistently now. Not sure what it is because, last time I stopped, I began feeling way better within 3-4 weeks

I seriously doubt it's the stims then unless you have some genuine soy ass dopamine genes.
What you wrote isn't even considered abuse, you legit just used your prescription normally JFL.

How long have you been abstaining for now?

 

[PharmaPhaggot]

Really? Rate bupropion out of 10 for mood and motivation benefits

Just a lil more confirmation and I’ll use it it seems really good

7,5 For mood 8,5 for motivation, i will continue to use it

 

[insignia_]

I seriously doubt it's the stims then unless you have some genuine soy ass dopamine genes.
What you wrote isn't even considered abuse, you legit just used your prescription normally JFL.

How long have you been abstaining for now?

I know, that’s what confuses me. I used my prescription normally, slept more than enough, took frequent breaks… doesn’t make sense

I made the mistake of not writing down the exact day I stopped. It was when my last bottle ran out. Probably about 3 weeks ago, that’s my guess

What’s the chance DSPD is a contributor here?

I’m getting a proper light therapy lamp soon to retrain my circadian rhythm and wake up earlier because I don’t have time or a way to get sunlight into my eyes after waking up and I can’t be waking up as late as I am. I know light therapy lamps genuinely do work for correcting DSPD, so it should help my mood in general

 

[Eltrē]

I know, that’s what confuses me. I used my prescription normally, slept more than enough, took frequent breaks… doesn’t make sense

I made the mistake of not writing down the exact day I stopped. It was when my last bottle ran out. Probably about 3 weeks ago, that’s my guess

Have you taken / are you taking anything else?

If not, then it really isn't the stimulants.
Maybe you just are depressed and they masked it and now you're feeling sobriety JFL.

 

[insignia_]

Have you taken / are you taking anything else?

If not, then it really isn't the stimulants.
Maybe you just are depressed and they masked it and now you're feeling sobriety JFL.

I’m starting to suspect depression but I’d rather blow myself up than get on SSRIs

It it matters, always felt symptoms of anhedonia since I was a little kid and never stuck with any hobbies or cared enough to do anything. Not sure if this is depression or just some shit related to dopamine, bc vyvanse really did mask it well if thats the case

My psych once prescribed vortioxetine 7 months ago but I didn’t want to use it because I was afraid of using antidepressants + I didn’t know why she even prescribed it at the time

Even if it was, idk there has to be some way to feel better and correct this than taking meds

 

[insignia_]

Have you taken / are you taking anything else?

Nope, nothing at all rn

No atomoxetine, no vyvanse, nothing

 

[Eltrē]

I’m starting to suspect depression but I’d rather blow myself up than get on SSRIs

It it matters, always felt symptoms of anhedonia since I was a little kid and never stuck with any hobbies or cared enough to do anything. Not sure if this is depression or just some shit related to dopamine, bc vyvanse really did mask it well if thats the case

My psych once prescribed vortioxetine 7 months ago but I didn’t want to use it because I was afraid of using antidepressants + I didn’t know why she even prescribed it at the time

Even if it was, idk there has to be some way to feel better and correct this than taking meds

I mean you literally answered your own question here.

"I have anhedonia, when I come off stimulants I also have anhedonia, why is this?"

 

[insignia_]

I mean you literally answered your own question here.

"I have anhedonia, when I come off stimulants I also have anhedonia, why is this?"

Ik nigga and that’s the issue. I could be uneducated here but aren’t antidepressants bad for you? I dont wanna make a mistake that i’ll regret long term.

 

[Eltrē]

Ik nigga and that’s the issue. I could be uneducated here but aren’t antidepressants bad for you? I dont wanna make a mistake that i’ll regret long term.

It's mostly broscience, if they help you live life then they're worth every (minor) side effect.

But like, why would you even go there if you already have a prescription for a medicine that already works for you?
Just hop back on the stims, it's not like they're going to fry your brain.

 

[insignia_]

It's mostly broscience, if they help you live life then they're worth every (minor) side effect.

But like, why would you even go there if you already have a prescription for a medicine that already works for you?
Just hop back on the stims, it's not like they're going to fry your brain.

I began feeling worst anhedonia even on vyvanse. As in, I stopped during the summer, got back on in august and it worked until october. Then, even while they were in my system at the peak of its effects, I felt numb. FYI at the time I was studying on my own for 10-12ish hrs a day. At some point, it was taking me 5 min to read a sentence in my math book and I was sleeping for 11hrs lol. Thats part of why I quit a month ago

Anyway, not sure if I missed a habit to stabilize things at the time, and if so i’d like to know what that could be. Otherwise id get back on it in a heartbeat

 

[insignia_]

@Eltrē damn this nigga laughing at me

 

[Eltrē]

I began feeling worst anhedonia even on vyvanse. As in, I stopped during the summer, got back on in august and it worked until october. Then, even while they were in my system at the peak of its effects, I felt numb. FYI at the time I was studying on my own for 10-12ish hrs a day. At some point, it was taking me 5 min to read a sentence in my math book and I was sleeping for 11hrs lol. Thats part of why I quit a month ago

Anyway, not sure if I missed a habit to stabilize things at the time, and if so i’d like to know what that could be. Otherwise id get back on it in a heartbeat

You're studying for 12 hours a day and wondering why you're dead inside, the forums average IQ drops every passing day.

Maybe go live a little and you'll feel a bit more alive, hmm?

 

[insignia_]

You're studying for 12 hours a day and wondering why you're dead inside, the forums average IQ drops every passing day.

Maybe go live a little and you'll feel a bit more alive, hmm?

I guess so. I was too focused on everything I was working on that I forgot I have to do other things lol

Part of the issue is that I’m on a gap year (that I didn’t choose to do, had to defer my admission to uni to next year bc of last minute issues before going), and the majority the people I know and used to spend time with left the country.

That’s why I was looking for ways to feel better without relying on socializing

 

[Eltrē]

I guess so. I was too focused on everything I was working on that I forgot I have to do other things lol

Part of the issue is that I’m on a gap year (that I didn’t choose to do, had to defer my admission to uni to next year bc of last minute issues before going), and the majority the people I know and used to spend time with left the country.

That’s why I was looking for ways to feel better without relying on socializing

Well, you're still human at the end of the day.

The only drug that can realistically help with you being fine being alone are opioids but I don't think you want to go there.
Sober-wise you just have to meet your basic needs and that involves socializing.

Just go outside buddy, the stims aren't ruining your life, you are.

 

[insignia_]

Well, you're still human at the end of the day.

The only drug that can realistically help with you being fine being alone are opioids but I don't think you want to go there.
Sober-wise you just have to meet your basic needs and that involves socializing.

Just go outside buddy, the stims aren't ruining your life, you are.

You’re right man, I’ll try to find people to plan hangouts with

Thank you for your advice

You genuinely forget you’re a human with basic needs when you take stims got you feeling like you can just tank being alone for months

Would you say I should keep doing things and maxing out how I feel naturally, or should I consider getting back on Vyvanse in the future?

 

[Eltrē]

You’re right man, I’ll try to find people to plan hangouts with

Thank you for your advice

You genuinely forget you’re a human with basic needs when you take stims got you feeling like you can just tank being alone for months

Would you say I should keep doing things and maxing out how I feel naturally, or should I consider getting back on Vyvanse in the future?

It's up to you, it'd be best to be fine without it but if that's not possible then there's no actual reason not to hop back on it besides some retarded form of elitism.

 

[insignia_]

It's up to you, it'd be best to be fine without it but if that's not possible then there's no actual reason not to hop back on it besides some retarded form of elitism.

Well, I guess you were right lol. I started taking them again because they truly do help. I’m also getting things in order so I can see friends and socialize more often. Also implementing habits to fix my sleep-wake phases issue that’s causing me to sleep so late & get shit sleep, and im doing intense exercise a few days per week bc of the mental benefits it has

I also remember I never encountered any of these numbness symptoms when I was taking vyvanse for months during my senior year. My mistake was taking vyvanse and having it be my only source of dopamine / stimulation these past few months.

Appreciate your advice brotha

I will probably still consider bupropion in the future for more stability bc amphetamines arent the most sustainable meds to take lol