Newly diagnosed-Adderall XR questions | ADHD Information

Hi, I'm new to this board and was diagnosed this year at age 35. A little background-I have been diagnosed over the years as bipolar with what they called Hypomania, which is what they call a low-level manic state, ha ha. Of course, the meds never worked and in fact made me very depressed and hopeless because I always knew I wasn't bipolar, but accepted the diagnosis because I just wanted help so badly. I needed to give my problem a name. I never graduated from high school, or anything else for that matter and have never been able to keep a job, despite therapists giving me IQ tests that gave results ranging from 139 to 143, and then having these therapists always get angry and ask me variations of the following sentence, "I know how smart you are, why can't you get it together?". I couldn't answer that, so I guess I did think I was nuts. 

 Being accurately diagnosed and medicated has given me a new life, along with sadness that I had to wait so many years. 

 I am taking Adderall XR 20 mg, my dr just increased the dose to 40mg because my dose only lasts 6 hours.  I have taken 40mg for the last two days, it doesn't seem to last much longer, although I am a bit nervous to take such a high dose.  Why doesn't my XR last as long as they say it's supposed to? I was on 20mg for 2 months. Before Adderall, I tried Strattera and Ritalin, but discontinued because the side effects outweighed the positive aspects.

I find I am also having to deal with people who assume that I'm "using speed as a crutch", they have no idea what my life was like before I began taking ADD medication. Does anyone have any ideas or experience with XR not lasting?

 

Adderall xr only lasts 6 hours on me too. I have to take it a few times a day to be able to function. It all depends on your brains metabolism some people just burn through the meds faster then others. 

Adderalls website claims it lasts up to 12 hours. The up to is the key phrase there because it varies with every person. I've honestly never met anyone that it lasts 12 hours for so don't feel bad about the 6 hour thing.

In my experience a higher dose doesn't last any longer then a lower dose so 40mg will last just as long as 20mg it will just be stronger during that 6 hours. Sounds like you need 20mg 2x a day talk to your doctor about it and see what he says.

I think I have read in other posts too that some people take Adderall XR in the morning and then a 5 mg regular Adderall later in the day when the XR wears off.  Don't quote me on it but I think might have seen that in the Adult section.  Definitely talk to your Dr.