i took my first dose of adderall xr yesterday around 7:30 a.m. and around 2:30 i felt this dark cloud descend upon me and my mood turned icky.
i got this horrible headache that lasted all evening, did not sleep sound, well i slept sound but woke up so groggy and disoriented feeling from weird dreams.
now i am feeling better again but am anticipating this re-bound again this afternoon and do not want it to come!
how can i avoid this? i thought xr meant it was suppose to be lonnnng acting??? it stays in your system for 24 hours but wears off after 8 hours? i don't get it and if someone can explain it that would be great!
Shire (the company that makes adderall) claims that Adderall XR is designed to last for 12 hours. I've yet to meet anyone that it actually lasts that long in though. For most it lasts about 8 hours so many have added a regular (short acting) Adderall in the afternoon to make it through the day [for me Adderall XR lasts 7 hours regular Adderall lasts 3].
When I only took the Adderall XR in the morning the rebound in the afternoon was horrible. I think one reason was besides the fact that the pill wore off I still had at least another hour or two of work to struggle through. Remember adhd symptoms are usually worse under stress. You are able to focus and function for the beginning of the day but to have all of that stop suddenly can be very stressful.
I still get a bit cranky when the second dose wears off at night but it's not as bad as when it used to wear off in the middle of my day.
The headaches are just a side effect that should goe away once your body gets used to the drug. Every once in awhile I get one at night so I drink something with caffiene in it and it goes away. Maybe that will help you too.
Oh I forgot to add that Adderall side effects usually last about the first two weeks while your body gets used to the medicine. After that they usually disappear. So it's very possible that your headaches and rebound will go away after the adjustment period.
The only ADHD medication that works for 24 hours is straterra, of course that comes with it's own problems but if Adderall or stimulants aren't right for you that might be an option.