Adderall for ADD | ADHD Information

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I am currently taking 25mg of the XR and like you think the drug is a god send! I love it and I can finally do the same sort of things as my peers without constant distraction. The only thing that I noticed inbetween my dosage increases was that the side effects seem to also increase. The headaches are no where near as bad as they were during the first weeks of my increase and had hade a huge loss of appetitie (Don't know if I would call that a side effect! LOL!!!!! :) ) Now that I have evened out and am use to the meds a lot more I don't really notice any of the side effects but I will tell you once it wears off for the day, I think I am worse than I was before the meds. Adderall has saved my life and my career....glad to hear its working for you as well! Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Alana

welcome bazcolin!

With adderall - stay on the dosage right up until it is obvious it isn't doing the job.  That could be days, weeks or even months!  The best thing is to keep the dosage as low as can still do the job and as high as will remain stable for you!

You can also try as I do - taking med vacations.  Every 2 months I stay off the med for a week - and try to avoid using it on the weekend unless I need more focus.  It helps keep the tolerance to the med in your system low.

Most likely someone else will tell you when the med isn't working as well.  I got from family members "gee - you seem cranky today!" - and it hit me at that point.

good luck!

Have been on adderall 5mg (gen)for about 3 weeks for add. SO far it has been a godsend increasing my energy levels, allowing me to focus and contribute in something as simple as a dinner conversation w friends in addition to elevating my mood. Im interested in hearing from anyone who has increased their dose and what changes I should expect to see before discussing it w my psych too.    I take 25 of xr as well. It is a little iffy. But I do ok. I think I need to maybe go to ritalin or maybe dexedrine.

 only time will tell.

 But adhdchick, and bazcolin,

 I am glad it works for you.

 glad to have you aboard.
My son is on Adderall XR 5 mg.  He is 7 and in grade 2.  I give it to him at 7:30 am and usually by 4-4:30 it starts to wear off.  He is alot more emotional now, but his sense of humor and his true self sure come out now.  He says that his head is not as cloudy and that when everyone in class is talking he is still able to focus on what he is doing.  It is a blessing for him and us.My boss noticed when I began Adderall.  Said I didn't speak as impulsively and didn't wander around the building as much.  If I forget  or take it late, she notices that too.  20 xr + wellbutrin is working for me now -  Things can always change.  Stay in touch with your professional.  

Adderall Rocks

I take have been on Adderall XR since late Oct. I increased 1x from 10 - 20. Like the others it is a complete change and an excellent impact in my job. I did notice the headaches after I increased and have decided to try the weekends off method next weekend.

 I went up when I had 3 days at work that were just crazy for me...just me....around week 3.  

It is great to see clearly isn't it! Oh, and the "high" you get may wear off as well and not be as "high". That was a bummer. Welcome!

To annidagostini:

Doesn't taking the 10 mg pill toward the end of the day make it hard for you to fall asleep at night?

 

I am up at night now as well. Before Adderall I was tired and out at 9:30 pm. Now I am up reading until 11:00 and still not really able to sleep. Before Adderall a could barely focus on a book and it was a sure way to put me out if I even attemtped. Oh, and I don't need an alarm clock anymore to get me up at 5:30, I just seem to wake up really early now.

So, I am also curious how others deal with it too. If I take my 20 mg after 10 am I am not sure I would ever be able to sleep

My 7 1/2 year old takes 10mg of Adderallxr.  He too has trouble falling asleep sometimes. I try to give it to him as soon as he wakes up so it has more time to wear off.  I think it did get better after a few months, but still he is sometimes in bed a long time before he is asleep.  He still does not eat a lot and at school, they just have lunch, so from 8 (breakfast) until 4 (home) he does not get much time to eat either.  I do worry about his wieght.  He is very tall, but very thin. 

Any parents have comments on this about their children.  I am glad to hear Adderall has help many adults too!!!

 

ive been up for 2 days, this sucks. I stopped taking my adderall 5mg (2xday) today so I can hopefully get some sleep tonight. Im trying to figure out whether taking a dose on the weekend when i hadnt before 'midday' had something to do w me lying wide awake sunday and monday nights until 3am. It is my third week on this stuff so, I am thinking one coffee before 10am and my second 5mg dose around 12:30, not 2. I guess everybody is different, but I think coffee and maybe excess protein has something to do with not being able to sleep.well i guess one cup of caffeinated is all you should drink in the morning on adderall. I got put on adderall xr (20mg) and tried it for one day, friday, (the slow release that lasts 11 hrs). I didnt like them at all. The meds seemed to kick in at diff times and made me very moody and even a lil tired and irritable. I am going to try to get back on the reg 5mg pills 2x day tuesday. This is starting to run into some $, but hopefully trial and error will lead to the right combo. I guess my question is with the dosage of reg adderall. Will the dosage I take have to increase over time so I will feel the same effect? My psych loves to pick up his prescription pad and pen, so Im trying to be as knowledgable as possible about this for myself.

I tried 20 mg of Adderal at first and it really helped.  Then I had to up the dose to 30 mg.  This was all rx the time release type.  Then we added a little 10 mg pill toward the end of the day, to keep me going until bed. 

The higher doses worked for a while, but they made my mouth really dry.  It was worth the trade, I decided. 

 

Thanks so much for the input all. Have a happy holiday[QUOTE=bazcolin]maybe u were hyperfocusing on your job and not paying attention to other areas of your life. It seems like I am goin through the same thing right now just starting meds. My job seems superboring. [/QUOTE]

Exactly what I had done.   balance is difficult to achieve.  still workin on it. 
maybe u were hyperfocusing on your job and not paying attention to other areas of your life. It seems like I am goin through the same thing right now just starting meds. My job seems superboring.

bazcolin -
You hit it right on the head. It was all work for me. I would easily get bored when not working or doing something. Now I find I can read and relax which is nice but the work is just not as interesting.  I want to focus more on life rather than work but I feel like I lost a part of me that was really working and driven. I will need to work at it and see what the doc says. Anyways, it's good to hear I am not the only one

Personally, I think cocaine is best to start the day. Why mess around with all these amphetamine derivatives? Cocaine works great to get going, and then a good shot of heroin at night will help you sleep.

Ok, I have been on adderall for a year now. Started out 10XR, 20 XR, and stayed on 30XR for about 8 Months. Someone i knew was taking the tabs when needed to study for college exams and test.. Ect... So I switched from 30 Xr to 20 mg(Regular Tab Release) in the Am and 20 In the PM.... NOPE was not working AND for about 2 months i was living in HELL!!! DO NOT DO THIS.

 First thing i did wrong was not go through my phychologist before getting it perscribed... second thing i did when the does wasnt working, i thought that maybe it wasnt enough, so i took an extra one. NO NO NO--- ANXIETY, TIRED, and even some social anxiety kicked in.

This being said.. I switched back to my 30mg XR and am doing GREAT! so, i feel that since  i started on the Xr which is a gradual release, I got used to this and when I only had short acting I had "dips" or "crashes" SO TAKE the LOWEST DOSE THAT IS EFFECTIVE!"

and that feeling of well being will wear off eventually but your med didnt stop working, Your body just got used to it, so dont think just because you rnt in a great mood, that your dose isnt high enough..

How long do they say it is safe to stay on adderall for?Read My concerta adderall post this boggles my mind

Good question sassee. 

I feel fine the first 2 or 3 days (if I haven't pushed my luck and gone too long without the break).  Then by the end I feel as you describe - tired and sleeping a lot.  I suffer through it - and when I get back on the meds it's like the first day I tried it - skipping and humming a happy tune.  It's worth the struggle that one 7 day span for the next 2 months of extra stability and not having to up my meds anymore.

Even just breaking off for the weekend when not needing the attention helps.  I have gotten involved in way too much lately and am torn between not taking my vacation or trying to postpone some events to make the time.  I guess normal people have this dilemma a lot - so why should I be different?

I got the idea of med vacations from watching postings and reading articles on ADHD meds from other sites.  It made sense - the body tends to become used to amphetamines - it's the sole reason it becomes hard to remain on one constant dose.  Most kids get to take the summer off - for us grownups that one week is rough.  I'm trying to set my vacations around my meds to take advantage.

Hope that helps!

I'm on Adderall XR 20 mg and no major side effects (ie. headaches or
lasting insomnia) so far. I'm doing great on it. My doctor is amazed at
how well this stuff works for me. I had few side effects when I first
started concerta, but it seems that with time, most except the appetite
suppressant just faded away. The switch from concerta to adderall XR
was pretty smooth after that. these days I have practically little to no
insomnia.

Glen- Just wondering, how do you feel during the week when you are on the Adderall vacation?   

I have been on Adderall regular 15 mg twice a day since 12/02 and I decided to take this past weekend off.  I was soooo tired.  All I did was sleep which was kind of nice....but I definitely don't want to get too used to this med because it seems to be helping me so much.  Did your Dr. recommend the med vacations, or is this something you worked out for yourself that helps you?  I don't want to mess up the effects of the Adderall but I like the idea of taking a break sometimes. 


betiotk- I heard somewhere where you start adderall, your temperal lobes (frontal lobes?)open up and you immediately begin dealing with problems your brain wasnt able to focus on before without the medication. Things that could of been repressed for years could be the cause of depression, or so Ive heard. Someone tell me if that doesnt sound right. [/QUOTE]

WOW.  Didn't know that, but that is exactly what happened to me.  Still working through stuff.  Think overall, it is a good thing - but somehow, good & bad seem all interwoven and mixed up together.  Guess thats life.

I am so glad to hear this about focus and depression. I am the same way with my adderall. I was not sure if it was the meds or me just seeing life for the first time clearly and being depressed...  But honestly, I feel a real lack in motivation. I use to be charged up about things particularly my job and now I could care less most of the time. I was not sure if it was the job itself or the meds. I am going to bring it up to my doc on the 28th. Is that what others are feeling?Im up to 15 mg now (adderall gen)and feeling better. 1 in the morning and will see how much around 1 or so (prob 10mg).
betiotk- I heard somewhere where you start adderall, your temperal lobes (frontal lobes?)open up and you immediately begin dealing with problems your brain wasnt able to focus on before without the medication. Things that could of been repressed for years could be the cause of depression, or so Ive heard. Someone tell me if that doesnt sound right.

Thanks Glen!  That was quick! and very helpful.  I don't really want to be so sleepy when I take the breaks but I guess that's what caffeine is for .  It makes sense to me, too, to take breaks.  I can see how hard it will be to do sometimes, though.  But thanks again.  I'm glad I saw your post.  You seem like you have a lot of knowledge about this stuff. 

Glad to be of help.  I had experience with the vacation question when I first started doing it months ago - so I know much about it through research and first-hand knowledge. 

Just know many here have mentioned that it didn't work and left them feeling ripped off for having the lapse of help during that week.  So be warned - give it a week to see and if no good don't try again.  But for me it keeps my dose at a nice even 20 to 30 mg once or twice a day.  I didn't want to hit 60mg so that was an incentive.

Thanks-good to know.   I think I will try weekends for now and see if I can maintain in that way...

 

I am a little late posting on this, but wanted to mention that I have been taking 2 benadryl before bed for over a year and it helps me settle down and fall asleep. I have discussed this with my Doctors, and they don't seem to have a problem with it.

Maybe that will help those of you having trouble with insomnia.

I was waking up every two hours or so, and always woke up at 5:30 a.m. whether i wanted to or not, and since I started taking AdderallXR, i actually sleep better.  Wierd huh?

 

There may be a subtle change or perhaps something more altering - but you'll know fairly fast.  It's hard to say but you should see more attention and more interest in other than his own interests within a week or so.  He may need to adjust the dosage as he goes - he'll have to stay in close contact with his MD/psych during this time - it's essential.

I trust his caregiver was smart enough to get your partner on therapy at the same time.  This is very important as the meds give some control but he'll have to learn new ways to replace the old or you'll just see the same old ADHD symptoms keep popping up.  It's the biggest change maker and the most permanent for adults with  ADHD.

Good luck!

Hi there,

MY partner was just diagnosed with mild ADD - he's 40 - and was prescribed 20mg Adderall XR to start out with...what should I look out for or expect...I want to be understanding and give him space to work this out...cuz I know nothing is a wonder drug and there will be an adjustment period.

 

His psych actually recommended him to the ADD doctor -- and I've read that it's very important for him to work on "his ways" -- like we now have a white board in the kitchen...

 

I"m out for now...but we'll see how the weekend goes....i'll check in later.

 

thanks!

[QUOTE=David0rnado] Personally, I think cocaine is best to start the day. Why mess around with all these amphetamine derivatives? Cocaine works great to get going, and then a good shot of heroin at night will help you sleep.[/QUOTE]
             

That is very scary, David, hope your joking dude.But all joking aside. A help for a good sleep for me is usually a 12 pack and a 5th of JD.

CG is totally right.  This one is a newbie - one of our hated trolls I'd reckon.  Only 3 posts.  That's dirty pool troll - shall not be forgotten.

 

Hey Bob - That's not Dave.  It is an imposter.  He has a big 0 in the middle - which is about right.  (not o)

I'm about to email my dr., and ask about building a tollerence to xr, can this really happen? I'm currently taking 40mg of the xr every morning, although working up to 40 there were some side effects that have subsided, I've been on the 40 dose for a few weeks now and I was doing a lot better and feeling much happier.

Ever since I got back from my family holiday over thanksgiving, I've been moody/depressed at times and not really motivated, also felt a little overwhelmed w/ school etc... as well as irritable. Anyone have any ideas or had similar experiences?

Bump

 

Tomorrow I will be starting on 10mg of adderral and I am soooo hoping "adderral rocks!!" I guess my question is similar to bazcolin, what should i initially expect ???



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pumpkin-

My sleep schedule has improved since I started taking meds for AD/HD as well. It makes sense to me, though. Before, I was constantly stressed, always behind and worrying about stuff that I had to get done. If/when I tried to sleep, my mind would just race. The lack of sleep just added to my inability to cope with "life," creating a vicious cycle.