Adderall dosing question | ADHD Information

Hi Everyone - I posted another question on a similar topic but also wanted to ask those of you who take Adderall XR, how many days per week you take the medication? My doctor recommended I should take it everyday at the same time (which I have been doing for the most part), but could also take days off depending on my situation (ie; workdays vs weekends). I feel as if it may be a good idea to give my body a break a few days a week when I dont really need the medication (weekend time). Any thoughts or experiences with this?

Thanks - Hbone

Kathy--

Your post gives me a bit of insight that I was hoping you could help me
on. I've been taking 20 mg XR for about a week, and I think I'm starting
to build up a tolerance because it's not doing what it initially did for me. I
am also noticing that I'm a bit moody, overwhelmed, confused, etc.
Should I up the dosage some, or just give myself a few days off of this
drug? How many days did you have to stop taking it in order for your
body to still react to it when you started it back up?

If anyone else can help too, I'd really appreciate it!Hi. I do this sometimes, however, when I miss a dose, I feel extremely tired. My body knows it's missing something. But I like to anyway, because I've noticed that over a period of about 2 - 3 weeks, my body builds up a tolerance to the medication and I have to keep mildly upping the dose. This concerns me because I don't want to go too high up, but the lower doses are ineffective after a while. This, unfortunately, is a side effect of Adderall, for some... those are my thoughts. Hope it helps. It's a personal choice. It is not recommended to take days off of your medication.  You will feel tired and disphoric.  I am a 200 pound male and i get by with 5-10mg of Adderall XR.  Maybe your dose is too high.  When I looked at the Adderall studies, I found that the proper dosage was about 13 mg for me or (0.065mg/pound of bodyweight).  At doses too high you can lose the positive effects and gain negative ones.  When starting this medicine you should begin with the lowest dose possible and increase only after 3 weeks to allow your body to adjust.   In the beginning of the 3rd week @ 5mg I noticed a noticeable improvment that wasn't yet present in the first 2 weeks.  Also, with this medication I would sometimes forget to eat or drink enough water.  This was my confusion.  And with a low blood sugar level from missed meals or dehydration from lack of water, you will have severe symptoms of being moody, confused, and overwhelmed.  If you decide that your dose isn't too high, you may also try to add in some zoloft (an SSRI) to deal with stress, anxiety, and mood.  I take 50mg zoloft every night before bed.  It works wonders:)