Hi, i am a college student and i was diagnosed with adhd early this year.  When i was young i was looked at for adhd but they said i did not have it because i could sit and watch tv (only reason for not being diagnosed when i was little) now a days they know that people can hyperfocus during particular activities.  I have always been extremely hyperactive i shake, fidgit, hard time concentrating when peopel talk to me, and much more.  I have been on adderall XR 20 mg a day and have been on it now for 7 months.  I have have having troubles lately with my dosage.  It still works like it use  to( except some shaking has returned and it is harder to concetrate that it was a few months ago) but it does not last as long as it use to, which is a problem especially for me being in school needing to function well into the evening.  Anyway, i have always been paranoid as well and the medicine has helped deal with that problem also, but now that the medicine is not lasting as long some paranoia has returned and i am scared to tell my doctor that the medicine is not working as well anymore, because i am scared she will think that i am abusing the medicine which i am not.  I think i need my dosage increased but i am so scared she will think i am abusing the medicine and i want to know if anyone else has had this problem???  Also, is it wierd that my tolerance is going up for the medicine or is this something that just happens???

Any response would be really appreciated, thanks

                                                               John

johnny - what do you have to loose with your dr.  If you are experiencing these severe problems and your life is being affected the best approach would be to try and swallow your fears of what your doctor thinks of you and express your concerns.

Tell Dr everything openly and honestly.  And if you get a bad reaction or one you are not happy with - get a second opinion. 

Dr's dont know everything, and the person that knows you best is you and you alone has the power to change your course.  Empower yourself and search out the results you feel you require to get through this.

Let us know how it goes for you and know that we are here with you along the way.

John

My ten year old son has been taking 10mg adderall xr for over a month now and I noticed that the meds seem to wear off around 3:00 in the afternoon.  I expressed my concern to his doctor and she increased his dose; well, the dose was to high so we went back to the 10mg and she now has him taking 5mg of reg. adderall once a day around 4:00 ( I give it to him when he gets home from school.)  I think we found the right combo for him because his moods have improved in the evening and he is able to focus on his homework.  The afternoon dose really has not effected  his sleep, he seems to be able to fall asleep o.k. around 9:30 ish.  I would not worry about what the doctor thinks (I'm sure she won't think you are abusing your meds) the important thing is that you find the right dose so you can be the best that you can be.  Bekah

John,  First to answer your question yes you can build a tolerance to Adderall.  Please don't be afraid to speak to your doctor.  Their job is to help you but they can't do this effectively if you don't share all the information.  If this doctor treats others with ADHD she will have had other patients with the same problem.

I have read and experienced several ways people deal with this problem.  You can take a drug holiday to give your body a rest from the med (probably not practical in your college student situation).  You can increase the dose as long as you don't suffer from side effects.  You can go from the XR (extended release) to the regular Adderall which then requires 3 doses a day about 4 hours apart.  You can switch monthly between Adderall and Concerta so you don't build up a tolerance.  And, you can do as Bekah suggested and add a dose of Adderall regular release sometime around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.  This is what I do myself when I need that extra on some days.  One other option which worked for my son was to take Adderall XR and Strattera in combination.

Good luck to you.  -Gettingagrip- 

John,  First to answer your question yes you can build a tolerance to Adderall.  [/QUOTE]

You know, I agree with you, but both my son's therapist & pedeatrican say no, go figure!

Hi all,

I am new to the forum here, but thought I would share where I currently am in my treatment. I had been taking 7.5 mg of the generic Adderall 3-4 times daily and much my ADHD improved dramatically. I recently switched to a trial of Adderall XR of 15 mg twice daily. I have not yet made a decision about how I like the XR. It is definitely different than the IR, but I think I am still adjusting. I also think there is probably a difference between the generic IR and the Adderall XR.

I agree that the XR does not last 12 hours. I take my first dose at 7AM and the second around 4 or 4:30. (depends on if I had an afternnon coffee). Thus far, I have not had any trouble sleeping. Is anyone else on XR twice daily? I also may try the XR in the AM and then a &.5 booster in the evening rather than the XR or reverse it to the IR in AM then the XR later.

Any feedback would be welcomed!

Thanks,Lori