Adderall and/or other stimulants | ADHD Information

My med cocktail is pretty close to right. Currently I am taking Provigil instead of a stimulant. It does a fablous job of waking me the hell up but it doesn't touch the focus and conentration. I have tried all stimulants before with various issues. Adderall worked the best but it made me meaner than I already am  . That was at a high dose. Has anyone found that they have less problems with a lower dose. Of course I still want it to work. Can't handle Focalin. Dexedrine makes it so I can't sleep. That leaves me with Ritalin in one of it's forms.

Guess I'd just like to hear any kind of info that you guys have on Adderall. Maybe a way to overcome the anger? I'm on a mood stabilizer now so maybe the anger wouldn't be so much of an issue?

There is a new drug being prescribed this month called Vyvanse.  It's made of the same compounds as Adderall, but is absorbed differently.  Possibly this could affect you differently and not make you as irritable.  Here's the press release.  It is available in 30, 50 and 70mg doses (FDA approved), but they are NOT the equivalent doses to Adderall.  I forgot how they explained (I went to a roundtable discussion sponsored by SHIRE) what an equivalent dose of Adderall would be for each given Vyvanse dose.  They are doing studies now on 20, 40 and 60 mg doses.  Can't hurt to talk to your doctor about it.

 

http://www.vyvanse.com/pressRelease.asp

Another option might be modafinil. It's a stimulant for narcolepsy but the off-label use is sometimes ADHD.

Have you tried strattera yet?

[QUOTE=MetisRebel]Another option might be modafinil. It's a stimulant for narcolepsy but the off-label use is sometimes ADHD.

Have you tried strattera yet?
[/QUOTE]

I am taking Provigil right now. It is really great for the wake me up part, but doesn't do anything for focus and concentration. Too bad there isn't an Adderall / Provigil combo!!  I have tried Strattera. My stomach couldn't take it. I stuck with it for 90 days but the nausea and vomiting never got any better.

Another option is tricyclic antidepressants. We have in the past used Nortryptiline, it does cause appetite increase leading to weight gain (which dd needed after all the stims) and can be sedating which is why we eventually came off it. She is hyper sensitive to meds though. We are now trying Desipramine, also a TCA without the appetite increase and sedating effects. So far NO side effects, but right now her ADHD symptoms are really not being relieved. This med has to be slowly increased and blood levels checked wich is why it is not more widely used. Our last blood level check she was VERY low so we doubled it one week ago and call him in one more week. I cant imagine we wont up her again. But I did see fairly good symptom relief at close to optimum dose with the Nortriptyline. Might be worth checking into if the stimulants and Straterra are just not working.

You wouldn't know until you tried it. My daughter could not handle Adderall either. She wasnt angry, but always seemd sad and down.

It may be worth trying the methylphediantes there are a lot of choices there.

Diane V39253.4950231481Focalin made me sad and down. Ritalin, in any form, has never really done a whole lot for the focus part...just made me feel "speedy" really.