took concerta,now dexedrine, what next? | ADHD Information

blonde - have you been offered the extended version of dexedrine (spansules)??  I was put on them right away and it really worked.  Went from 10mg to 20 mg and well over a year later it still works.  I don't feel that phrenetic urge to be moving all the time and my emotions are typically stable.

Just a thought as they are not that expensive and last 4 to 6 hours.  I have never had to take more than 2 doses for a 12 hour active day so they should be good for most people.

 

Are you on the long acting dex or the short acting dex?

I was on the short acting Adderall for awhile and hated it. It lasted 3 hours at best for me. Everytime I turned around I needed another pill and I only noticed I missed one after it had complete worn off and I was miserable and useless.

I've never tried dexedrine but Ritalin, Concerta, Straterra all did nothing for me not even for a short period of time. Obviously everybody is different so different meds work for different people.

Dex and Adderall are extremely similar though so I don't know how much of a difference you'd see.

Why are you taking the short acting dexedrine anyway? Seems like you don't respond well to the short acting versions of these meds. Would think the doctor should have noticed that and given you the time released version of whatever med he tried next. Switching to short acting Adderall will not solve the problem of forgetting to take your meds.

 

[quote]i really would rather not have to take anything because i tend to like all the crazy thoughts that run through my head all the time and my spontaneity which can tend to get me in trouble at times, but i have to do whats in my best interest for the time being. [/quote]

I used to experience all of those crazy thoughts too. It was amazing how I could drift and daydream regardless of what was going on around me. Since I've been treated and am on Adderall, the daydreaming rarely occurs. On the other hand, because I am not constantly daydreaming and being impulsive, I'm actually consistently completing tasks and achieving my goals.

As for meds, before you try a different one, you may want to discuss incremental dosing with your doctor. I know that best practices with Adderall treatment involve individualizing dosage to meet a patients theraputic need and response. It may be that you need to try incremental dosing to see if a benefit kicks in and stays, or validate that the med is not going to work for you. Then you could move on to something else. It's normal to have to cycle through different meds to find the one that helps.

Best of luck to you.

i was recently diagnosed and started medicine not too long ago. i first
started off with ritalin, then was switched to concerta because i didnt like
the ups and downs the normal ritalin had between taking it and i missed
doses frequently. i started off with 36 mg, then it was doubled, then a 10
mg ritalin was added in the morning for my classes. at first it seemed to
be working and then i just saw myself reverting back to my normal ways
(not able to get my work done, fooling around in class, and
procrastinating worse than ever) and i even noticed that it seemed to
make me tired(why exactly did that happen?). additionally, im normally a
very happy person and as time went on, i dont think it made me
depressed, but the best way to describe my moods would be to say that
my days weren't really sunny or raining, they were just there, kind of
grey. so, i was changed to dexedrine, which i thought seemed ok at first,
better than concerta, but it seems not to last very long at all and im
missing doses because its not time release and im obviously forgetfull. i
would like to know what the difference between adderall and dexedrine is
and if it would be better for me. i really don't like taking meds in general
and changing all the time is frustrating because i just want to find
something that works best for me. i really would rather not have to take
anything because i tend to like all the crazy thoughts that run through my
head all the time and my spontaneity which can tend to get me in trouble
at times, but i have to do whats in my best interest for the time being.
so any feedback would be appreciated because i really just want some
answers as to whats going on and what i can do.i got the same effect from concerta/ritalin...  what someone told me on this forum is that the meds make you tired because that's the part that combats the hyperactive part of adhd.  i'm pretty new to this too, so i can't give you too much advice.  i can just say that i've learned that there are so many different medications, you just have to be patient (which is HARD) and find the right drug and dosage for YOU.  as for me, i'm going to talk to my doc about trying adderall.  we'll see...

Why are you taking Concerta and a dose of Ritalin? Why doesn't your doctor up the Concerta dosage?