new here - lots of questions | ADHD Information

I found this board the other night and from what I read everyone on here seems experienced enough to answer my questions.  I am a fifth year college student and will be graduating in the spring.  I was diagnosed with ADD last winter and put on Adderall.  Currently I am on 20mg XR in the morning and 20mg XR or 20 mg IR in the afternoon (depending on what I have to do).  Here are my questions:

(1) My medication doesn't seem to be as effective as it used to be.  I used to be able to get up in the morning, alert and productive, but now its impossible.  I was going to ask my Dr. to up my dosage, but my mother (who is also a physican) said that I shouldn't bother because I am already at the maxium dose.  I want to play around and try to find the right dose on my own, but I'm not sure how to do that - I don't know how much is too much, etc.  Any advice?

(2) I read on here somewhere that Adderall can cause your skin to break out.  Recently I've started to look like a monster!  I am 22 yrs old and my skin looks worse than it ever did when I was a teenager.  Is there anything I can do about it?

(3) I have horrible insomnia, it has come and gone for the past two years or so.  I haven't really discussed this with my Dr. because I don't want him to lower my Adderall and my mother gives me samples of sleeping pills when she gets them (the perk of being a Drs child).  Everyone says that my insomnia is due to stimulants (caffine, adderall, cigarettes...) but I have noticed that the more adderall I take, the better I sleep (my mind isn't restless at night so I can fall asleep).  Does this happen to anyone else?  Everyone thinks I'm crazy but I swear its true!   

Hi Julia,

First of all, welcome!!  This is a great place to hang out and get questions answered.. I don't have much experience in the medication dept.. ( I've only been on meds for about 2 months.) BUT, there is one thing I do know is please PLEASE do not play with dosages of meds without your Dr's consent and knowledge.

Adderall is a powerful stimulant and should not be toyed with - but taken very seriously and respected as a drug that can be potentially abused.  From what I hear, Adderall is great for a lot of ADDer's out there, but if it doesnt seem to do the trick for you, there might be another alternative.

It's important to give your Dr. the whole picture so that he can know how to best treat you. That includes letting him know about the insomnia... he might not lower the dosage, but rather treat the side effect.  I have read of several ADDer's here that have to take melatonin or some other sleep aid to help them at night.

I personally had a bit of insomnia at first, but, for me that went away.. I'm one of the lucky ones that can sleep like a baby

I know that there are others on here that have more experience with this sort of thing than I...  I'm sure you will here from them soon!

Sherry

There is no way I could switch doctors.  I tried to get an appt. through the university for 10 weeks - never got one.  My dad got me into see the doctor I have now, and I was very pleased with him.  If I was to go through the university (who knows how long it would take) I would have to be in counseling in order to be treated and undergo "rigerous testing" in order to be diagnosed.  When I first saw my doctor I took a 10 question test, he talked to me and my mother for a few minutes and that was it.  When I am at a stable dose, I only have to see him every couple of months, and I pick up my perscriptions on the off months. 

I don't think my problem is my Dr., I think it is just the medical field in general.  So far, he listens to my mother (I think it is the Dr. - Dr. bond).  As for upping my dose, if I know what works and my mother says she notices its working, he will agree, but if I leave it up to him completely he will start small and work up to the solution - which I don't have time for. For example, when I first started medication, I noticed it was working but not as well as I thought it could.  His response was "I expected that....".  I know that he is just being cautious, but that was an extra month that I struggled in school and could have been avoided. 

As for the insomnia, right now its under control.  I was just wondering if anyone else noticed they slept better on higher doses or I am just a medical mystery.  My mother advised me not to say anything to my Dr. - she said that its not recommended to perscribe stimulants and sleeping pills unless it is absoutely necessary, which means trying everything else first.  Hopefully things will continue to go well, as least until after x-mas, when my life starts calming down! 

Sherry,

Thanks for your advice.  I know I should consult my Dr. on most of these issues, but I feel like he doesn't listen to me.  I mentioned the insomnia thing once, but he just started talking about how it might be due to stimulants...blah blah blah.  I don't have a medical degree, but I do have a strong medical background.  More importantly, I know my own body.  I think that if he would listen to me more, I would be more willing to talk to him about it.  I know I shouldn't self-diagnose or self-medicate, but at this point I don't feel I have much of a choice.  However, he did mention that I should try melatonin if I have trouble sleeping - does that really work?  I figured it wouldn't have any effect so I didn't bother (I have tried almost everything else under the sun!) I have been taking Sonata or Lunesta when I need help falling asleep, but I have a small and limited supply, so if it actually works I would definatly want to try it. 

If you feel the doc isnt listening, then I think its time to switch Doctors!

you need to be comfortable and confident in the person in whose care you are placing your health.. If you choose to do that, I would ask right off if he or she treats adults with ADD.  I have a wonderful one who listens to any concerns and will take the time to explain things to me.. the only problem with him is that sometimes he slips into "doctorease" and I have to remind him that I am a lay person and will need a translation

THe melatonin has worked for some, I believe from these boards, so it might be worth a try.. Also do a search for insomnia, the topic has come up before, so you might get a lot of info there.

Sherry

I've been taking Concerta for almost three months now and my doctor didn't have any problems with going up the highest dose. What I find interesting is that I don't even overtly notice when I take it or it kicks in. I take one around 9:30am and the other just a little later. This helps it last longer. What I do notice is that I can sit without bouncing my leg or I can sit through a training without needing to bolt out of the room. I wish it helped me focus better (not make silly mistakes) but I can't have everything. (Unless someone gives me a good suggestion.)

The point of all that blathering was that as I said, I don't notice big things when I'm on the concerta, including keeping me awake. So don't think of yourself as odd. I think that reduced stress during the day helps me sleep better at night and the medication certainly helps me with a bunch of little stresses during the day. Also, as someone mentioned above, melatonin is great. If I can't sleep, I take melatonin and I'm quite drowsy withing a half-an-hour.

Keep pushing for what you know your body needs. No one is going to advocate for you as well as you will.

Welcome  Julia,

I'm new to these boards altogether but I'm not knew to medications.  Medications can be a blessing but side effects at times the curse. Maybe another medication for ADD might be better.  Currently, I'm taking Ritalin which I'm very pleased with. It does have the "Down" side and I try to keep "Up" on this to reduce any unpleasant side effects.  I keep up by taking Ritalin throughout the day.

When I started taking Ritalin I noticed to my surprise and delight I no longer needed the tranquilizers that I had been on for nearly twenty years. I worked with the Doctor and have not needed Xanax or Ativan for over a year.  Not even for sleep.  Your last comment on sleeping better with Adderall works for me.  There's times I've  taken Ritalin and I could be out cold even in the day.  Everynight I have caffeine(MT DEW) and I sleep when I want to.

I've heard Melotonin works great for sleep as well as Chamomille Tea. Also, Valarian Root.  Valarian is strong so watch it with other med's. 

oh, ok Julia I misunderstood

Yes, you are correct , in the medical field is slow and steady when upping or making changes.. I didnt understand your frustration at first.

Well, hope it all works out and glad your are not suffering from the lack of sleep at the moment!

SHerry