Adderall IR | ADHD Information

I'm about to switch from Adderall XR to IR. Anyone on IR? Good experiences, bad experiences? Thanks.....Good experience. I also switched due to the short benefit time of XR (6 hrs for me). IR is consistently provides a 4hr benefit time which helps me to better manage my med needs day-to-day.

MaxDad
John

Basically with IR it's consistently a 4 hr benefit so I can change the time I take it depending on the situation. For example I normally take a dose in the AM, early afternoon and late afternoon. However, if I have an important meeting late in the day I might delay the early afternoon dose so that I'm more attentive.

That's because I find that the first 2.5 hrs of a dose is when I receive the strongest benefit so I will modify dose times accordingly. For this particualr example it's critically important I'm really attentive during client meetings because in the past I have made a variety of inappropriate and impulsive comments in these situations.

As for your doctor ... that's the weirdest response I've ever heard from a doctor concerning ADD. The whole reason we need these meds is for our performance in school, work, social situations, etc. It's apparent that your doctor does not know the basics of ADD treatment. I strongly urge you to see another doctor (preferably a psych) who is experienced with ADD. A pysch will have vastly more experience with best practices concerning med treatment of ADD.

MaxDad
Just got switched from XR to IR and am happier with the IR.  I know when it's worn off and can control it better.  It seemed with the XR, I never could consistently know when it wore off.  So, this would cause some anxiety when I'd take my second daily dosage and still had some adderall in my system from my first dosage.

 

Maxdad, please explain a bit more how the IR allows you to better manage your meds. 

I ask because I too find that the xr effect only lasts 6 hours, so my prescription is for two a day: one at start of day and one in middle of day.  Some days I don't need 12 hours worth of stimulant, but I really only have two choices with current prescription: 6 or 12 hours.   When I asked my doctor for a prescription of IR to allow me to, as you say, "better manage my meds".   To which my doctor responded that he doesn't approve of "performance based management" of meds.  (which seems puzzling to me, since, after all, don't we take these meds because of their effect on our performance?)

 

Thanks MaxDad, I thought it was a weird statement to make too.  He's a psychiatrist, but deals mostly with depressed clients.  When I need to have that discussion about modification of the meds, if he remains unyielding, I will seek someone else.  I'm not at the point yet where it this is an essential issue.

John

By chance are you in college? The reason I ask is that it occured to me that the doctor may be reacting to the problem of student use of ADD meds for studying and test taking.

MaxDad

 

Maxdad, I'm impressed with your attention and follow-up...what service! (how I wish my psychiatrist were so engaged!)  

And, how I wish I was young again and back in college! (well, maybe not, I had a tough time in college).  But your question leads me to think that, perhaps since I'd only seen this doctor two time previously before, he pooh-poohed prescribing both a long acting and immediate release stimulant because he didn't really know me.