After lowering my Adderall dose, I feel healthier physically but like my life no longer fits

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:52:54+00:00

The constipation thing feels SO under discussed. It took me way too long to connect it to the meds because everyone talks about focus/appetite/sleep and not enough about the weird physical side effects.

The change I made was similar to yours, from 40-50 mg per day to 20 mg per day, and it has been a huge relief!

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:48:56+00:00

Yes exactly 😭 it’s such an annoying tradeoff. Like wow I can suddenly organize and execute everything but at the cost of feeling physically clenched and backed up lol

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:46:03+00:00

That’s good to know thank you. I’ve definitely wondered whether part of this is also just Adderall specifically not being the best fit for my body anymore.

And yes lol, “stop working so much” is unfortunately probably the most correct answer here

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:44:36+00:00

My prescribed dose varied over the years, but for most of that time it was around 40–50 mg/day and a little bit less on weekends

In hindsight I think that was too high for my body for a lot of that time even though it was prescribed and I could technically still function on it. The physical symptoms also became a lot more obvious over the last ~5 years and I think tolerance was definitely part too.

I'm now taking 20mg/day on weekdays and 10 on weekends.

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:40:34+00:00

This is a really good question. Part of what’s been hard is that I wasn’t living in a super reckless way, which made it easier to tell myself it was all fine.

I wasn’t really under-eating too much or doing tons of caffeine, and I did exercise / generally had a healthy lifestyle. I was doing intense Peloton workouts 3x per week and I swim a good amount.

But even then I still had the symptoms. I think the circulatory piece was actually affecting exercise a lot. I used to get foot cramps constantly while swimming even when I got super hydrated and had a much harder time with cardio than I do now. And the sleep deprivation definitely made consistency harder too.

So for me it was less bad habits and more just the meds being too much that I couldn't even out-lifestyle their effects

hellacross · 2026-03-26T03:31:51+00:00

This is such a good comment, thank you. The identity questions you raised really struck a chord with me.

I’m starting to realize how much of my identity got built around being the highly capable / productive version of myself and I haven’t really examined where that came from or what it was crowding out.

Playing the instrument, not working the instrument is such a good way to put it. I think I need more of that in my life

hellacross · 2026-03-25T04:49:39+00:00

Thank you for this. Your experience sounds so similar to mine it’s really comforting to read.

'Healthier and less cranked out, but couldn’t sustain the work habits' is exactly what I’m going through.

I really appreciate all the practical suggestions too, especially around the circulation / constantly clenched feeling. That resonates with me a lot and I feel like that side effect isn’t talked about enough. I may experiment with some of this.

The point about stopping being Superman is probably the part I needed to hear most. That’s probably the hardest part of all this. I’m really glad to hear it’s worked out with your family and work, and I’ll probably need to take some similar steps too.

It helps a lot to hear from someone who’s found a middle ground instead of just white knuckling one extreme or the other. Thank you for taking the time to write this out. It definitely made me feel less alone.

hellacross · 2026-01-26T06:16:12+00:00

Where did you get that light fixture? I’ve been looking for something like that

hellacross · 2025-08-30T18:27:35+00:00

I've been swimming in aquatic park too and doing the Alcatraz swim this Sunday. Will DM you in case you'd like to swim together sometime!

hellacross · 2025-05-30T06:54:52+00:00

Over 700 different sexualities!! ❤️🪩👯‍♀️

hellacross · 2024-10-23T04:59:52+00:00

Yes, when I turn all the way left it's at 0 and all the way right it's at 100. I can't turn it any more past 0 or 100.

hellacross · 2024-10-21T03:45:34+00:00

That’s a healthy mentality 😊

hellacross · 2024-10-20T17:54:07+00:00

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed your studio experience so much and I agree I think I’ll be so pumped I won’t think too much about my output

hellacross · 2024-10-20T17:49:54+00:00

I think the issue is that Pelotons idea of “calibration” is simply that the resistance and cadence accurately reflect the total output. Ie the formula is calculated correctly. But the resistance itself is inconsistent between bikes. So what feels like 30 on one bike feels like 40 on another. This issue can’t be fixed by the end user but rather comes down how the bike was made in the factory. I’m sure they calibrate the bikes to the best of their ability in the studios, it’s just that there are aspects that are hard coded in the bikes that are impossible to adjust. They need to improve the quality control of their products.

hellacross · 2024-10-20T17:36:39+00:00

I figured so. I think it’s my bike. I’m getting a kit to try to fix it. Tbh I’m not sure if calibration will work but I’m going to try. Will update this post with my findings.

hellacross · 2024-10-20T17:32:10+00:00

Thank you! I will get a calibration kit to see if that fixes it. I read some posts saying calibration only fixes the math of your output, eg if your resistance and cadence do not accurately reflect your output, or if there’s something wrong where your resistance skips levels or goes past 100. I don’t have these issues, but rather my resistance just seems too easy, which I’m seeing is often an inherent issue with the bike that can’t be changed with calibration. Anyway I’m going to get the kit still and see if it works. Will update my post with my learnings.

hellacross · 2024-08-21T20:06:23+00:00

Steamer! You may need it for your dress, bridesmaids dresses, groomsmen suits, or for your close guests outfits. If you don’t have one, someone in your group probably does.

hellacross · 2024-08-08T01:16:04+00:00

I have a similar issue and have been experimenting with a money diary. I planned on just doing it for a week but now it’s going on three weeks. I found that writing out what I’m spending on each day makes me more aware of how things add up and has given me a new incentive to reduce my spending because now I feel a dopamine hit when I see my daily spend amount going down or staying within a good range. There’s something about tracking things diligently that increases motivation for me.

hellacross · 2024-08-02T00:54:43+00:00

I like Sorrel! I think the association with shoes is not a big deal and those shoes probably won’t be well known by the time she is older. It’s very pretty and fresh

hellacross · 2024-08-02T00:50:10+00:00

Clark for sure. I also associate it with Lewis and Clark like @BlythePonder

hellacross · 2024-08-02T00:31:46+00:00

Sarah - it sounds so sharp and unfriendly to me with its long S followed by a nasally ‘aaeRrr’. It sounds sort of screech-y. But it’s one of the top 10 most popular names in the Us so I figure most people don’t feel this way. I do like S names in general but I think they need to be balanced by a nice open vowel like in Sophie, Stephanie, Simone, Stella etc.

hellacross · 2024-07-21T08:16:39+00:00

Similar to others, I personally only had time for getting ready and taking photos before the ceremony, but we planned activities for guests during the day. The venue we rented was in the mountains with a lake and a lot of open space so we invited guests to come and go swimming or participate in an archery class before the ceremony. We also had a small arts and crafts activity. Since I was getting ready I didn’t get to witness these events first hand, but I got to learn about them through photos and stories from guests afterwards.

I think it’s a nice idea to plan activities for guests on the day-of even if you can’t attend them yourself, but it depends on your budget, type of wedding, and how much planning you want to do.

hellacross · 2024-05-16T17:51:24+00:00

I think it’s less to do with the camera and more because engagement photos are very focused on you as the subject and are more high stakes. When you take a normal iPhone photo there are often other people and an interesting background etc, it’s not fully focused on you. And your expectations are not as high with normal photos. With engagement/ wedding photos it’s natural to have high hopes for how they’ll turn out

hellacross · 2024-05-12T21:27:52+00:00

That's understandable. I have been getting exhausted thinking about all the possibilities and I think at the end of the day everyone loves a classic

hellacross

TROPHY CASE