Hi,
I have been lurking and posting on these boards for a few weeks now. I thought I would throw my Adderall experience into the mix as I wonder if anyone else has had similar experiences and I wanted to document mine.
Me: Married Male, 38. 2 kids, one 16yr old boy diagnosed with ADD.
Dosage: I have been taking the regular (not XR) for a month now and the last 2 weeks has been a consistent dosage of 20mg twice a day. First dose is usually by 8am-9am and then again between 2pm-4pm. Occasionally I have taken it as late as 5pm-6pm, usually only when I know that I will be up anyway or need to work late.
My side effects: I get a dry mouth sometimes and I think it elevates my anxiety level a little bit. I have had a few nights where my sleeping has been poor or it took a while to get to sleep, but not too bad.
Length of effects: This seems to vary a little for me. Usually 5-6 hours. It is sometimes hard for me tell when the effects are gone but my co-workers and wife seem to be able to tell. I can usually tell when the dosage is taking effect because of the side effects above and because I start working on something without having to 'push through' a wall of resistance.
Positive effects: I have finally been able to focus at work for more than literally 5 minutes and my wife really appreciates the fact that I don't jump off track suddenly in our conversations. I am amazed that I can be functional all day. I spent 5-6 months this year staring at a computer screen without getting anything at all done except video games and surfing. I have gotten more accomplished in the last 2 weeks than I have all year! I wish I would have pursued the Adderall route sooner and not waited until I had dug such a deep hole in my life to climb out of.
Unknowns: I am trying to figure out why sometimes I get a dry mouth but not all of the time. I think it may be causing some dehydration and the more water I drink the less dry my mouth will be? Sometimes it ups my anxiety and other times not at all. It might be just daily mood or stress level but I am not sure yet.
Concerns: Mainly, I am concerned that I will become dependant on Adderall. I don't like taking medication and the last year or so has had me on much more than I have ever been. I am trying to put that aside for the time being and since things are working just focus on one day at a time and take advantage of the help I am getting from Adderall.
Thanks, Jason
The dry mouth is caused by the diuretic effects of adderall. Meaning, it draws the water out of your body, so I usually keep a bottle of water handy. It's great medicine to get work done, but if you go a day without it, your symptoms before getting medicated are only so much worse. You didn't mention anything about loss of appetite? 20mg 2x daily used to kill my appetite, but I've managed to force feed myself. A little anxiety is very likely, because the way the meds work is by speeding up the central nervous system. If you're considering extended release, I've tried Adderall XR 20mg, and it's not the same as the instant release. In fact, it's much more mild, because it's split over 12hrs, where instant release is worked out within 4-6hrs. Just make sure you get rest each night, and eat, otherwise you'll end up burning yourself out. I've been down that road way too many times.
Thanks for the advice. I haven't really lost my appetite, but it is harder to read it on the medicine. Hunger takes longer to feel and when I eat it seems a little harder to judge if I ate too much. I had anxiety prior to Adderall but I am taking other meds that really help keep it down. I could just tell that it notched up a little when I started the Adderall.
I can see how it would be easy to not get enough sleep. How long have you been taking it? Some times I only take one dose in a day but otherwise have been taking it regularly. I wanted to see if my wife and family noticed any differences. Boy did they. My wife is really encouraging me to keep taking it.
Adderall can increase anxiety so watch that. If it is being managed you will probably be fine, but my daughter had to stop it due to that. You should not become dependant on the Adderall providing you take as directed.
Good luck.