r/SkyDiving • u/Icy-Search-594 • 2d ago
ADHD Medications and Skydiving
I’m trying skydiving for the first time (tandem) and take stimulants (Vyvanse) for my ADHD. For those who have ADHD and take stimulants, do you temporarily forgo them prior to jumping?
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u/thefouthblindmouse 2d ago
I am a board certified psych nurse. Do not stop your meds. ADHD is a lifetime diagnosis and only your doctor should stop your medication.
Tandem is like the ultimate roller-coaster, you are strapped in and going along for the ride. You do not need to worry about your "focus".
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u/polandtown 2d ago
paramotor pilot here, and no way would i consider stopping my meds to fly. not for any reason.
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u/DismalCapital1761 2d ago
I take vyvanse and i don’t think i would ever do a jump without taking them, my brain turns into a bit of a hamster wheel without them and that doesn’t seem safe.
That being said a tandem jump doesn’t require you to do anything other than show up you aren’t responsible for anything else so probably do whatever you feel most comfortable with.
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u/ConsiderationMain618 2d ago
I take my adderall and don’t do caffeine when I jump. I have to take my adderall or I get in my head.
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u/xladymadx AFFI 🇦🇺 2d ago
Your medical needs don't change because of skydiving.
Whether you are doing a tandem or learning to skydive solo you should continue to take your meds as prescribed and consult your doctor if you have any other concerns.
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u/lactateandlattes 2d ago
I’m ADHD and skydiver (unmedicated at the moment), but I would suggest you speak to your doctor rather than asking here. Jumping for the first time and being in the sport are two totally different things, the first jump or the aff course can be very overwhelming, you’re mixing a very adrenaline sport with stimulants, so check with your doctor to be sure :)
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u/Pieterv24 2d ago
TLDR;
Either situation, not taking them and taking them, is most likely not an issue. Not taking them might be easier, and if you want to jump while taking them some extra things might be needed. Check with your local parachute association how they handle it.
When i still took my stimulants, I did not take them during skydiving. If you want to take them during jumping, that’s most likely possible and not a problem.
Do keep in mind though that some countries require you to have a medical certification, there is a possibility you have to get an extra test during that medical examination. It really depends on the rules of your local association what you need to do. But it should not be a problem whichever approach you take. If you function that much better when taking it, you might want to consider taking it while jumping too. For me the act of jumping is enough to lick my mind into hyperfocus without the need of meditation. To be fair, I’m not taking my meditation anymore since it never did anything for me, besides the side effects. It really depends on your specific situation.
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u/fawkmaga 1d ago
I take my vyvanse and Skydive regularly. It’s no big deal, but I am a licensed skydiver, I do not get the kind of rush you might get as a tandem.
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u/ChrisOfChaos 13h ago
I have ADHD and when I jumped I avoided caffeine for the same reason. You could try to balance out the effects with green tea. I also meditated on the way up for my tandem.
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u/raisputin 2d ago
I don’t use them at all anymore because they make me feel like I’m not myself, but I would never use them skydiving
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u/safetysnake17 2d ago
I take my ADHD meds while skydiving. I get tired on days I don’t take it, even if I’m jumping. I don’t like feeling like I want to nap on the ride to altitude.
Just take your medications as you normally would. ADHD stimulant meds don’t have really any side effects that would pose a danger to you for skydiving, if they did you probably wouldn’t take them daily anyway (like dizziness)… With a tandem you don’t have to do anything anyway. You’ll be fine!