adderall-xr holiday side effects | ADHD Information

Strattera gave  or  seriously aggrevated existing acid reflux.  I ended up with such bad heartburn, I felt like I was on fire from my stomach to my mouth.  Naturally this also was a distraction from my day to day activities, but it also seemed like it stopped working or was working less around this time.  It's too bad, becuase I really liked feeling awake and focused first thing in the morning.  If you don't mind me asking you, how big of a dose did they start you on?  How long have you taken strattera?  I started at 40mg (which was probably way too high, but doc #1 seemed to think they didn't have smaller doses widely available) and was on it for about 6 weeks.  No problems going off it cold-turkey at that point.

I don't think there is a reason tht i have to take a holiday. My doc recommended trying it, potentially because she thinks I'm building tolerance too fast.  But in the same visit, she also indicated that my current dosage is still half that of kids' maximum dose.

I'm reluctant to have two prescriptions (adderall at two different strengths) only because my drug copay is per prescription.  My hubby is not a citizen and is unemployable while waitng for his work permit to be processed, so we've got another 1-2 months of living on just my income... is already a lot to us right now :) Is there any reason why you HAVE TO take that holiday?  Maybe take a lower dosage on the weekends???  I am on Strattera and it's no longer working.  If you don't mind my asking, why did you stop taking Strattera? I just started on Adderall-xr a few weeks ago (I was only diagnosed 2-3 months ago and had horrible problems with Strattera before trying adderall).

Spent 1 week at 10mg. No effects at all... (was still getting strattera out of my system so wasn't too spacey just yet).
Spent 2 weeks at 20 mg.  Was great for all but 3-4 days. I could think straight and concentrate well at work.  No probs.  Then it just pooped out.  Spoke to my psychatrist, she upped my next prescription to 30 mg (which I have not yet started), and recommended that I take a "holiday" this weekend.

I didn't take adderall yesterday and felt like total crap.  I was tired and achey all day, and fell asleep on the couch twice.  Once was during a football game, and my hubby was watching it on our big screen and in surround sound!  This is totally not normal behavior for me at all, with or without adderall.

This morning I woke up feeling the same way, and was so fed up with feeling bad that I took it around 1-1.30 ish.  I'm feeling less tired now, at 3.30, but I'm still all achey.

My questions:

1 - Is this what a holiday is supposed to feel like? From what I've picked up on here, most people just feel a little headachey and perhaps scattered and/or grumpy. I was exhausted. I haven't felt like that ever, except for when I've had the flu.

2 - I've only been taking it for 3 weeks, and my dosage is relatively low.  Should I be feeling this way when I take a holiday?

3 - I asked my shrink about what it means that I've already had to increase my dosage, and she said I just built tolerance.  It was sort of a blow-off answer, to be frank.  I know what tolerance is, but should I be worried about my dosage having to be increased so quickly?  I don't want to be addicted to adderall, but at the same time, I have to be able to focus in order to work and also have to be productive on the weekends (yesterday I couldn't even do laundry... no energy on top of not being able to think straight).

I just went to the Doc today and he changed me to Adderall XR.  It's pretty nice so far.  I'm pretty energetic and want to "get things done".  As far as your question with Strattera goes, he started me out on 40mg and then I went to 80mg.  Did you get the one month free of Adderall Xr?  My Doctor gave me a card that I had to activate first and then, I just handed it to the pharmacist and my prescription for this month was FREE!!  Maybe you can go online and get one, if you don't already have one.

By the way, I asked my Doc about taking a break on weekends and his response was, "Do you need to be productive on weekends too?" and I said, "yes" and he said, "well you should take it on weekends, then".  Also, he started me on 20 mg.  How are you doing on it at the dose you're at now?  (what is your dose?)

I've taken several breaks from Adderall XR, on and off, sometimes for 2 days, sometimes for a week.  My doc never recommended that I do so, but I like to make sure that I'm not building up a dependence (physical or mental), and I like to try mental exercises free from the effects of the meds (such as meditation) as well.

I notice the same side effects you describe - namely I get more tired, irritable, etc.  Adderall is supposed to leave your system fairly quickly, so the effects usually don't last more than a day or two.  I've also had insomnia when I stopped for several days, so go figure.

What I do notice is all my ADD behaviors that I exhibit when I'm not taking any meds.  I think the irritability has a lot to do with this.  Damn it's frustrating to always be starting things and never finishing.  Also, I have much less patience with my kids, so I try and be hyper aware during med breaks so I don't snap at them.

 

each person's top is their own goal and I can't say which yours is.  Mine was being able to function with people long enough to get friends and a new love.  Got them both so I say I am on top.  Not looking to run a fortune 500 company or any lofty top. Just want a normal life.

Group therapy sadly ends up translated as discount therapy unless you truly need hand holding and pats on the back.  I know the exercises can seem lame and embarassing but done one on one its not as hard to do.  Maybe do look into single person therapy as I know for one it's worked for me.

 

I shouldn't be allowed near a computer before my morning tea or meds kick in, hence the redundant line :)

Thanks for the pharmacy information.  Yes, I currently take 1 20mg tab each morning, and would/will be switching to one 30mg tab instead.  I had no idea things really worked that way, and that it would be easier to switch down than switch up.  I'm feeling very indecisive about switching doses, which I think is an indicator that the 20mg is not working as well as it could for me.

I'm in a support group at this same clinic but I'm not finding it very useful so far. My form is definitely the inattentive type with very limited impulsivity and no hyperactivity.  The docs I've spoken to have indicated that the meds will be the most helpful in my situation over other options, and thus far I have to agree.   Practicing social skills isn't going to take me far when my primary problem is staying on task while writing or being able to think straight long enough to make an important decision (like whether my current med dose is really working).  I actually find some of the exercises insulting to my intelligence, which makes it harder to give the group a chance.  Maybe individual therapy or another group would be better in my situation for various reasons (i.e., time of day, group composition). 

How do you define "coming out on top?"  Just being able to get everything on your task list done each day, regardless of those complications that come with normal life?

Okay, I will wait a while longer before even thinking about another holiday.  The good news is that I saw a digestive specialist yesterday and he told me that there's a good chance I can try strattera again in the future, because the problem causing the acid reflux might be unrelated and treatable :)

Yeah, my psych doc is a resident so I think some of the finer details are still a little lost on her (which I can appreciate myself, as a postdoctoral researcher in non-clinical psychology...).  I don't have a lot of choice for doctors on my health plan that fit with my life.  It's hard to drive in my city and I've been going to the plan's big clinic within walking distance.  It's hard to drive in my city and I've been going to the plan's big clinic within walking distance.  I don't like it, though, because it's always a zoo inside, and there's the constant danger of running into people I know professionally (happened yesterday, in fact). This is actually the third doctor I've seen in 4 visits to the same outpatient clinic -- at least now they have me seeing an adult specialist instead of a child one!  I just wish she were in this office more than 1 day per week.

Ok, so now the question is, if it's really a good idea to stay at 20mg for a while longer, what do I do about the 30mg prescription I've already filled?  When I saw my doc last week, I'd had a bad few days in a row on the 20mg and she upped it to 30.  But now I've had a couple of better (albeit not great) days.  Does this suggest NOT increasing my dosage? It's not like I can just take it back to the pharmacy... I don't want to pay for another script if I can help it.  Plus, given that Adderall is a controlled and often abused substance, I don't know if/how my doc or the pharmacy would even be willing to work with me on this.  Sorry to be so lame, but I'm really new to this.... thoughts?  

If I read properly (I had to shake my head you repeated a sentence and I was in a loop I thought lol) you have 30mg pills/caps?  If you have 3 x 10 then just save the additional ones in case you don't get in to refill.

Most clinics will approve a change down rather than up with no hassle.  Many pharmacists will as well as there is no abuse there.  Rather the opposite I would think.  Firstly I'd call the office and ask if you can keep the original dose.  The pharmacist will take the pills back and switch if you can arrange it and probably over the phone.  What they will most likely do is just exchange the unused portion and instead of cash back give you a credit on the next dosage.  Most pharmacies are pretty flexible.

Expect bad days with the good.  That's life in the normal lane pills or no pills.  It's actually a good thing as you really need to be challenged from time to time in order to know if you are living life or avoiding it.  The proof things are working is when you can take what life throws at you and come out on top.

The best way to take meds is to find the lowest dose that continues to work properly and not raise it often.  When you find that sweet spot you won't get so much tolerance and you will still be able to resist the urges and keep the fog clear.

Have you been able to get therapy?   I find it keeps things moving forward in conjunction with the meds.  Without therapy you pretty much are just not backsliding.

I hope you can get the right people on the phone to get your med changed.  Perhaps get a lower dose single pill so if they do raise it but you don't find the need to go that way you can simply keep the remainder in the bottle.

 

kristin - med holidays shouldn't be taken so early into beginning the meds.  It's recommended by my psych and other medical sources I've talked to that at least 3 months initially should be taken for any of the meds to allow the body and mind to become accustomed to the appropriate level and to find out what that level is.  Most likely you haven't had the time to acclimate and your body is showing a problem with your metabolism adjusting to such a quick change. 

Lethargy and feeling tired like you are is normal in varying levels.  You become used to the upping of energy and without the meds your body will have to do it on its own so that's an obvious side effect.

A normal adjustment in the first 3 months is that you take a dose, your body adjusts and you either level out or you no longer feel the benefit.  The psych/MD will then either change the dose or the med, or possibly add a second med to help.

Give it a little time.  If in 3 months you no longer feel that it works for you either change meds or change doctors.

Then when you find what works you can try the 2 months on/1 week off and see if that's good for you.  Taking vitamin C while off and a couple of caffeinated drinks help the adjustment.

 

 

 

I've been on Adderall for three months.  Started on IR, now I'm taking 20mg XR twice a day.  I stopped for 5 days in July (on a camping vacation) and also laid off meds for a couple of weekends this summer.  Had none of the sleepiness or  you mentioned.  I too have a slight headache get real grumpy when the stuff is wearing off (say 7-8 hours after taking an XR capsule),  but over an extended number of days, I'm not as grumpy as during that rebound period.... biggest thing I notice when off the meds is the inattentiveness, impatience, etc... what a difference when I come back on using them!