new vegan, having health problems, need your help!

[vegling]

hey everyone, i have a pretty unique situation as far as being a new vegan goes. here's the deal.

 

i take a few medications. most of them do not directly affect appetite blood pressure, but one of them does. i take between 15 and 30 milligrams of dexedrine (dextro-amphetamine) daily for adult ADHD. i know that this medication is probably looked down upon in the physical health community, but i ask that you please view this as a constant, rather than a variable.

 

i've been vegan for only about 3 weeks now, and i have done my best to do it right. i try to eat healthy foods and i take a vegan B-complex. i avoid partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. i eat a lot of whole grains, hummus, some brown rice here and there, i stay away from real starchy things like potatoes, i eat green veggies, drink soy milk, and drink a good amount of V8 fusion.

 

for the past two days, i have had some very unpleasant symptoms. i have been feeling like my body needs something and isn't getting it. if anyone has ever withdrawn from cigarrettes, caffeine, or any other drug, then you know what i'm talking about. thing is, i'm not withdrawing from any drugs. this happened when i first started, but was always remedied by a glass of V8 or a bowl of cereal. i'm guessing it was low blood sugar.

 

now, for those of you who don't know, dexedrine does several things to the brain and body, aside from helping my focus. it increases metabolism, increases energy, decreases appetite, and increases heart rate. it does other things as well, but those are the most pertinent to my situation IMO. i don't eat very much, and this was always fine until i started being a vegan. i thought this would be OK because before i went vegan i was eating a lot of fast food, and now i'm eating a lot healthier.

 

thanks in advance for your help, everyone.

 

EDIT: redundancy

[flanders77]

ADHD can be caused by many things – as you certainly already know (certain foods, toxins, etc.).

But since you you ask for nutritional advice:

I am quite sure that your diet is okay for a "normal" vegan diet. Since you come from a lot of fastfood you maybe already experience withdrawel symptoms.

Optimizing your nutrition would mean to eat less processed food and more raw food IMO.

Did you ever try to eat glutenfree?

If you really get rid of ADHD stop the medication, do a fast and a therapy.

As long as you take a drug that influences your appetite (and has more side-effects and toxifies your body) it will be very difficult to optimize your health.

[LizWorld]

ADHD was a big issue in Australia when I lived there almost a year ago. It had been proved that it could be caused by additives and preservatives like coloring, artificial flavouring, not to mention E211 as well as E202.

Mothers of children with this "disease" changed their diets, had them eat only organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables (as wells as fish and chicken) and other foods that were as natural as possible. They cut out everything that had any kind of preservative in it. After a few weeks, the childrens behavior approved, they managed to concentrate in school and the children themselves claimed to be a lot happier, calmer and did no longer have any trouble with their homework.

 

A new story like this was on a current affair or today/tonight every single day! One mom told about when her son got sick, and she gave him cough medicine, and it took a few hours then his ADHD behaviour was back and the child didn't understand what was going on. It turned out that medicine had colouring in it.

 

With this I'd like to say that it's a benefit for everyone, vegan as well as non vegan, to avoid all kinds of preservatives as well as processed foods - especially if they are known to be very sensitive. There are so many chemical substances out there that we get into us daily and the scientists doesn't yet know about the side effects. Remember DDT people...

 

I wish you all the best with your new vegan lifestyle. If you cut out processed foods, don't think of what you can't eat, but try to see all the new things you can eat instead. I hope you will conquer your ADHD!!

[Guest]

There is lots of energy in that fast food(although there are lots of terrible long term consequences) which is why you felt better. Its all refined energy and hits you quickly. Your body isn't supposed to have any of that and our naturally bodies are supposed to be filled with healthy fibrous foods that digest more slowly(hence the long intestines). You'll adjust to this as this is how you should have felt all along.

[Wobbly Lifter]

Given ow you feel(like you have low blood sugar) and the effects of the drugs(increased metabolism, decreased hungry) it sound like you need to eat more. Try high calorie and easier accessed food. Add oil when you cook and drink juice for easy calories. Eat stuff like tofu, nut, avacados, etc. to make sure you're getting enough energy. If you feeling bad eat.

[finbarrio]

I agree with the others in terms of eating more and continuing with what you're eating etc.. I would only add that you've only been vegan for 3 weeks - so your body is still going through some pretty serious adapting. I remember feeling "off" for about a month after going vegan. But then it got better. But, even now I still am constantly tweaking my diet to increase my energy and sustain an active lifestyle. I think I'll probably continue the tweaking forever.

It's good that you're listening to your body - now try to figure out what it's telling you and adjust accordingly.

[vegling]

ADHD was a big issue in Australia when I lived there almost a year ago. It had been proved that it could be caused by additives and preservatives like coloring, artificial flavouring, not to mention E211 as well as E202.

Mothers of children with this "disease" changed their diets, had them eat only organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables (as wells as fish and chicken) and other foods that were as natural as possible. They cut out everything that had any kind of preservative in it. After a few weeks, the childrens behavior approved, they managed to concentrate in school and the children themselves claimed to be a lot happier, calmer and did no longer have any trouble with their homework.

 

A new story like this was on a current affair or today/tonight every single day! One mom told about when her son got sick, and she gave him cough medicine, and it took a few hours then his ADHD behaviour was back and the child didn't understand what was going on. It turned out that medicine had colouring in it.

 

With this I'd like to say that it's a benefit for everyone, vegan as well as non vegan, to avoid all kinds of preservatives as well as processed foods - especially if they are known to be very sensitive. There are so many chemical substances out there that we get into us daily and the scientists doesn't yet know about the side effects. Remember DDT people...

 

I wish you all the best with your new vegan lifestyle. If you cut out processed foods, don't think of what you can't eat, but try to see all the new things you can eat instead. I hope you will conquer your ADHD!!

thank you. i'm glad some people can beat ADHD by changing their diet. unfortunately, this does not work for me. also, i'm an adult and suffer from adult ADHD. it's a completely different beast, not to mention the severity of it in my case. it is impossible for preservatives or unhealthy foods to cause dopamine and norepiniphrine imbalances this huge in magnitude, in this (my) case. interesting information though, and surely something to consider when i have kids of my own someday!

[vegling]

thanks everyone for the friendly advice. i sacrificed my ability to focus in a linear fashion today, skipped my dexedrine, and ate a little more than i usually do. as soon as i did, i felt SO much better. i think my problem is that my metabolism is fast and my food intake is relatively low, so maybe i just need a "drug holiday" every now and then. when i woke up this morning i just was NOT feeling like taking any kind of stimulant. i'm fine with abstaining from dexedrine every now and then if that's what it takes to remain vegan.

[Richard]

Let us know how you get on in the next few weeks

[flanders77]

i'm glad some people can beat ADHD by changing their diet. unfortunately, this does not work for me. also, i'm an adult and suffer from adult ADHD. it's a completely different beast, not to mention the severity of it in my case.

Why are you so sure that this is the case?

 

it is impossible for preservatives or unhealthy foods to cause dopamine and norepiniphrine imbalances this huge in magnitude, in this (my) case. interesting information though, and surely something to consider when i have kids of my own someday!

Considering the info you provided until now I think you did not really try to cut out all irritants out of your diet. Before taking drugs that you need a holiday from every now, you stop listening what MDs usually say and change your life. If it does not work, the drug-option is still there.

 

Although it is about an authistic child maybethis article gives you an idea of how severe the symptoms are that a wrong diet can do and how much improvement a change of the diet can make.

 

All the best for you!

[pelicanAndrew]

thanks everyone for the friendly advice. i sacrificed my ability to focus in a linear fashion today, skipped my dexedrine, and ate a little more than i usually do. as soon as i did, i felt SO much better. i think my problem is that my metabolism is fast and my food intake is relatively low, so maybe i just need a "drug holiday" every now and then. when i woke up this morning i just was NOT feeling like taking any kind of stimulant. i'm fine with abstaining from dexedrine every now and then if that's what it takes to remain vegan.

 

That's really awesome! I'm always extremely proud of people who can kick drug habits, even prescribed ones.

 

I always feel that drugs are wayyyy over prescribed. They(idiot doctors) tried to give my brother steroids when he had mono. Mono is an immune system efficiency disease(known as the kissing disease by some) and they tried to give him something that would further deplete his immune system. Good thing my mom called them on their bullshit and just had my brother gargle with salt water to get rid of his sore throat. Worked like a charm!

[vegling]

Considering the info you provided until now I think you did not really try to cut out all irritants out of your diet. Before taking drugs that you need a holiday from every now, you stop listening what MDs usually say and change your life. If it does not work, the drug-option is still there.

 

Although it is about an authistic child maybethis article gives you an idea of how severe the symptoms are that a wrong diet can do and how much improvement a change of the diet can make.

 

All the best for you!

you might be right. i am big on keeping an open mind on everything, even on things that i pretty much have already formed an opinion on. right now is a big transitional point in my life though (finally going to college), so, for now, i'm going to stick to changing one variable at a time. right now my focus is on staying healthy and staying vegan.

[vegling]

thanks everyone for the friendly advice. i sacrificed my ability to focus in a linear fashion today, skipped my dexedrine, and ate a little more than i usually do. as soon as i did, i felt SO much better. i think my problem is that my metabolism is fast and my food intake is relatively low, so maybe i just need a "drug holiday" every now and then. when i woke up this morning i just was NOT feeling like taking any kind of stimulant. i'm fine with abstaining from dexedrine every now and then if that's what it takes to remain vegan.

 

That's really awesome! I'm always extremely proud of people who can kick drug habits, even prescribed ones.

 

I always feel that drugs are wayyyy over prescribed. They(idiot doctors) tried to give my brother steroids when he had mono. Mono is an immune system efficiency disease(known as the kissing disease by some) and they tried to give him something that would further deplete his immune system. Good thing my mom called them on their bullshit and just had my brother gargle with salt water to get rid of his sore throat. Worked like a charm!

i'm a bit of a pharmacy geek, so i couldn't help but look up mononucleosis and its respective treatments. from what i've read, corticosteroids are not a good idea to use on a routine basis, but can sometimes be useful if there is a risk of airway obstruction, severe thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count), or hemolytic anemia (abnormal breakdown of red blood cells). i don't know if either of these were applicable in your brother's case, but it sounds like good old fashioned salt water was certainly the best, least invasive option.