Do Adderall and Other Stimulants Work to Treat Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread dull aching, fatigue, and thinking impairment.

While on the whole, fibromyalgia is poorly understood, doctors know that genetics, certain infections, and physical or emotional trauma can cause the condition to trigger or worsen. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but lifestyle changes and some medications can help with symptoms. ^{(Learn More)}

There is some evidence that stimulants may be able to help with fibromyalgia symptoms. It is known that stimulants can lessen pain, and they are already widely used for fatigue. They are not a perfect solution, and they would likely be used with other treatments, but research into the validity of their use for fibromyalgia is warranted. ^{(Learn More)}

Fibromyalgia often co-occurs with ADHD. Stimulants are already frequently used to treat ADHD, meaning a statistically significant number of those with fibromyalgia are already on stimulants. This is noteworthy, and this pool of users should be studied further to see the effect of their ADHD medications on fibromyalgia symptoms. ^{(Learn More)}

Stimulants are not without downsides and risks. They can be taxing on the heart and trigger seizures in those already at risk. Many have some abuse risk, and they can be dangerous if taken with certain other drugs.

If you are taking a stimulant, familiarize yourself with their side effects and risks. Never take any drug to treat your fibromyalgia without first talking to a doctor. ^{(Learn More)}

Current research does not suggest stimulants are a perfect solution to fibromyalgia, but there is enough evidence that it could be helpful that more research should be done. As it stands, never taken a stimulant to treat fibromyalgia without first discussing it with your doctor, even if it becomes a more widely accepted treatment at a later date. ^{(Learn More)}

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disorder categorized by widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties. It can often be quite debilitating and has no cure, but there are a number of ways to gain better control over one’s symptoms and live a more fulfilling life with the condition.

Doctors do not yet fully understand fibromyalgia. A few factors are believed to work together to cause it, including:

Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, meaning it is likely that there is heritable risk factor.
Some illnesses are associated with triggering fibromyalgia or making the condition worse.
Physical or emotional trauma. Serious physical trauma (such as from a car accident) or emotional trauma (such as a history of abuse) can trigger fibromyalgia.
People who are genetically XX are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than those who are XY. There is not enough data to make conclusions on those with rarer chromosomal conditions.

There are a few ways to control the symptoms of fibromyalgia. A lifestyle of exercise, relaxation, and reduced stress should be your goal if you have fibromyalgia. Additionally, a number of medications can be used to better control the symptoms.

One class of medications more recently being looked at to treat fibromyalgia are stimulants, like Adderall. While important research still needs to be done, there are a number of promising factors about this class of medications.

This said, never take a medication except as prescribed by a doctor. If you’re curious about whether stimulants will help you, ask a professional.

Using Stimulants to Treat Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition with a number of symptoms, but perhaps its most detrimental is the chronic pain it causes. This is relevant because a growing body of evidence suggests stimulants may be a good choice for many patients when it comes to treating severe pain.

Stimulants may additionally be able to help with fatigue, another symptom associated with fibromyalgia. The drugs can help someone stay aware, focus, and maintain their energy when used properly.

This does not mean stimulants are a perfect solution for all patients (discussed later), nor that they certainly are a good fit for fibromyalgia. More research is indeed needed but what information is available is admittedly promising.

Co-Occurrence of Fibromyalgia and ADHD

People with fibromyalgia seem to have a higher chance of developing ADHD than those without the condition. Although more research is needed, it may in some way be connected to fibromyalgia’s symptom of cognitive problems, also called dyscognition.

Some of the primary treatments for ADHD are stimulants (although not exclusively, as there are also several nonstimulant medications that are sometimes used). This means there is already a fairly large pool of fibromyalgia patients on stimulants like Adderall for their ADHD.

Downsides of Adderall and Other Stimulants

Stimulants are not without downsides. Adderall specifically can have the following side effects:

Slowed growth in children
Seizures in those already at risk
Vision problems
Heart problems
Trouble sleeping

Many stimulants, Adderall included, also have the potential to be abused and get a user high. They should only be taken as prescribed, and never with other drugs (whether legally or illegally obtained) without first mentioning it to a doctor.

Again, many people who have both ADHD and fibromyalgia take stimulants already. Many of these people still struggle with pain, so it is reasonable to assume that stimulants will never be a singular solution to treating fibromyalgia. Instead, the use of stimulants alongside lifestyle changes and other medications as appropriate is the most likely path researchers will focus on.

Promising Research

References

ADHD Medications and Side Effects. (March 25, 2019). WebMD.

Wellbutrin vs. Adderall. (February 12, 2019). RxList.

Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine (Oral Route). (March 1, 2019). Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

Fibromyalgia: Overview. (August 11, 2017). Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

Fibromyalgia: Diagnosis and Treatment. (August 11, 2017). Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

Screening for Adult ADHD in Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome. (November 1, 2017). Pain Medicine.

Status Report on Role of Stimulants in Chronic Pain Management. (August 11, 2015). Practical Pain Management.

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How to get prescribed Adderall online? Is it possible? The short answer is yes – but not in every state. Telemedicine has made it possible for patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to get diagnosed from their own homes and even issued with Adderall prescriptions to online or local pharmacy digitally. ^{(Learn More)} But getting medication like Adderall, and most other ADHD stimulant class prescriptions online, is subject to local laws. ^{(Learn More)}

Federal laws on prescribing controlled substances have loosened somewhat due to the COVID pandemic, but it might not be possible to get an Adderall prescription online in some states. ^{(Learn More)}

-Update September, 2022- The Wall Street Journal notes that ADHD specialists are warning general practitioners against over-prescribing ADHD stimulant treatments; particularly online. Save.Health advises potential ADHD sufferers to speak with specialists when considering ADHD treatments to ensure proper care. (Please see our article: “Alternatives to Adderall” for information on other ADHD treatments, including non-stimulant options that may be effective and are more widely available over-the-counter.)-

Telemedicine and ADHD

Every telemedicine evaluation for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is different, but most tend to follow the same pattern. A patient uses their smartphone app or online portal to make an appointment, and then has a one-on-one video or phone call with the doctor. Patients are encouraged to treat the conversation as they would any doctor’s visit.

While each doctor is different, the majority of online doctor visits follow the same basic process. First, the patient will make an appointment, often after creating an account. The medium allows the patient to talk to their doctor about their ADHD symptoms, ask questions, provide answers of their own, and interact in other ways that are very similar to actually being in the doctor’s office. The benefit with an online appointment is that it can be over in as little as 15 minutes, with no travel or wait time.

When the session is over, the doctor can diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and give the patient a personalized treatment plan. This will often include a prescription for Adderall.

If this is the case, the doctor will send the prescription digitally to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice, where they can pick it up on their own or have it shipped to them. Some jurisdictions might require the doctor to send a handwritten prescription to the pharmacy.

Diagnosing ADHD Online

In order to ensure that the patient’s safety is given priority during a telemedicine session, a doctor will:

Evaluate all the patient’s current medical conditions, including their drug history and their current prescriptions, as well as any over-the-counter medications they may be taking.
Determine what their current condition is and what’s causing it. They will conduct a full examination through the patient app or portal.
Make sure that the condition warrants prescription medication. For example, a confirmed diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will often be treated with a course of Adderall, but it’s not the only treatment method available.
Eliminate any contraindications (a situation where the medication might harm the patient, either due to their personal health or interactions with other medications). Online prescription systems do this by requiring patients to log their past and current medications as well as their allergies. This step reduces the possibility of human error by ensuring that the doctor cannot prescribe any potentially harmful or contraindicated medications.

How To Get Prescribed Adderall Online for ADHD Treatment

When a doctor diagnoses a patient with ADHD, collecting an Adderall prescription is the next step. If the doctor or patient lives in a jurisdiction where Adderall cannot be prescribed online, the patient will have to either request a handwritten prescription or be seen by a doctor in person.

While an in-person appointment could obviously result in a handwritten prescription, a digital prescription is immediately (and securely) transmitted to a pharmacy — either a retail location, a mail-order facility, or a pharmacy located inside the doctor’s office or hospital.

When the chosen pharmacy receives the prescription, they will see if the Adderall prescribed by the doctor is covered by the patient’s insurance plan or if the patient wants to pay out of pocket.

Depending on what the answer to that question is, the patient, the pharmacist, and/or the patient’s health insurance company have a few options to make sure the patient receives their Adderall and they can pay for it:

The patient may make a copayment as put forward by their health insurance plan. The copayment is a fixed amount that is paid by the patient for a medication — for example, $5 for generic dextroamphetamine or $20 for Adderall.

The patient may pay a coinsurance amount, a percentage of the total cost of the Adderall. If the patient’s coinsurance rate is 20 percent, and the Adderall costs $100, the patient will have to pay $20.

Defocused shot of a group of medical practitioners working in a hospital

Generics and Insurance

Some states allow the pharmacist to provide the patient with a generic drug (dextroamphetamine, in this case) instead of the Adderall that the doctor prescribed. The patient will still make the decision whether to get the generic or brand-name drug. In areas where Adderall cannot legally be prescribed online, this might be the only option open to a patient who wants to make use of telemedicine services.

Once the patient makes their decision on how to receive their Adderall, the pharmacist will calculate how much is to be paid. This is determined by the doctor’s recommendation, costs, and personal factors of the patient’s case. In many cases, pharmacists will not know how much the patient is required to pay until they actually ring the patient up at the register. The amount is only revealed when the prescription is processed through the patient’s insurance provider.

And as always, Save.Health offers ADHD savings and Adderall discounts to prescribed patients. Please explore your potential savings both here at Save.Health and when speaking with your Doctor.

Is It Possible to Get Adderall Online?

For a long time, concerns about misuse of a controlled substance like Adderall meant that it could only be prescribed after an in-person exam. Now, many states do allow for online prescriptions of medications that have been scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and federal laws are catching up with the wide-ranging benefits of telemedicine.

However, there are still regulatory controls about who can prescribe them, how much can be prescribed, and how often the medications can be prescribed. Since Adderall is a Schedule II drug, it is subject to some of the tightest restrictions in the country.

For this reason, it is possible that a doctor may not be able (or willing) to prescribe Adderall to a patient without an in-person exam.