I posted this on another site, but thought I would post it here for a slightly quicker responce :)
even though the meds leave your system in a few hours, they do "alter" chemical properties in your body. Also, it can take your body a few days to adjust after taking adderall, even if it is gone. When I stopped the Adderall, it took a good week to feel better, and I had only been on it 4 days.
When taking Adderall be sure to, eat healthy, drink ALOT of water(adderall will dehydrate you) and get plenty of physical activity. Also, make sure to check your blood-pressure on a DAILY basis. Adderall has the potential to cause high blood pressure. It did on me. I went from a normal 125/74 to 150/110, and I am only 22.
Bottom line, if it isn't helping, don't take it! It could be a dosing problem, but it will take sometime on a regular schedule to know how it will work. Try 10mg 3x per day and see how that goes for a week. Then slowly up it!
I agree w/ dkearby.......
Drinks lots of water and exercise. Also, do you eat breakfast before taking your morning dose? Having something on your stomach is important. I currently take Adderall and don't ever feel sleepy or "ill" like you have been - Adderall may not be the stimulant for you.
Good luck!
Well im very much a health nut, but i uped it to 40mg today, and im feeling great, I think it must have been underdosing, its been 4 hours now and im doing fine, and my appitite is picking back up finaly.
I wanted to post even though you seemed to be happy with the results today with your meds. You may find yourself in the same position in a few days again. Thats pretty much my experience on adderall. It was always great at the beginning and then pooped out. looking back I can see it wasn't quite right with my body chemistry and the temptation was too strong to keep increasing the dose to get that inital good feeling. I switched to a medication that is a SNRI but its not Straterra. Its the new antidepressant Cymbalta. I found this to be great for my concentration and focus. I don't have the highs and lows I had on adderall. On adderall I had the energy and focus but no concentration so I could get locked into hyperfocusing. I would get things done but my impulsivity increased and my concentration decreased so what I wnated to do was kind of mindless things like computer surfing or exercising. I did get my housework done- another mindless activity :) My reading comprehension decreased as well on adderall and I love to read so that was hard for me. Its frustrating because there is no magic formula for everyone but I definity can say now that adderall and the SSRI antidepressant I was on was throwing things way off for me even though the initial impression was that it was working well.
Was your problem focus or could it be concentration? I look at that as two different things. I found it interesting norepinephrine's role in concentration. You might find it interesting too. I just did a search on google and came up with all kinds of things.
Good luck to you.
Well my main problem i would say would be concentration, thats an intresting point. Ill be sure to post if I start to feel off again, might have to go back to concerta after all, but time will tell. Thanks for the info.I have days like that as well. Sometimes I can take 20mg around 11am and last throughout the night. Then there are other days where I take 20mg same time and by 3pm I need more and then by 8 or 9pm Im the most worthless unproductive person alive unless I take more adderall. Ask your Doc how many you should at most take. Try it out for a day. Ive heard overdose reactions come from 30mg to as high as 400mg. But please dont take that many. Try driniking caffeine in the a.m. It helps. Good Luck. AnnaI have been taking adderall for about 6 weeks..started out on 5mgs 2x a day and i am at 15mg 2x-3x a day now...I have definately noticed a change for the better...but my results seem to be irratic...My doc wants me to try upping the meds in small increments to find the right dosage....and I really need to pay attention to my diet...It is a different experience every day.....I think it is a long process of trial and error to find the right combination of meds and diet for each person...For instance...when I first started taking the meds...I felt alot less compelled to talk...and now sometimes I get a euphoric feeling from my brain being so quiet...and communication is so easy...so I find myself blabbing to everyone again...The difference is...I can't figure it out...One thing that has been GREAT..is seeing a therapist once a week...I was lucky enough to find one that is a woman, and has add, and has two girls with add...so we relate on alot of levels..That is why this board is such a great tool .Hello, I have seen several patients and AdderallXR is my medication of choice. I usually start them on about 5mg and then eventually find the target dosage. The thing that most people have to realize about Adderall is that there really is no tolderance built to it (at least in what you all are thinking). The drug is mobilized by the kidney and in 12 hours it has completely left your system. Now you might not feel that initial "euphoric" feeling after long term usage, that's just becuase YOU, yourself are used to what the drug does to you. Kind of like you know what will happen to yourslef if you run 10 miles a day. Eventually you get used to it. This is a good thread. I have now been taking Adderall for about 2 weeks and have had my ups and downs. But overall the effect has been remarkable. I realize it's going to take some time to determine the optimal dose. I also have begun exercising and relaxation and have made major changes to my diet. I do have high blood pressure which I control with meds so I am of course concerned about that. I monitor my pressure throughout the day (I am able to do that because I work from home) and I have noticed some spikes about an hour after I take the Adderall. I am hoping that with aggressive exercise, relaxation with deep breathing, and a good diet that I can somehow counterbalance the effects that Adderall has on my blood pressure. I really want to continue taking this medication. Prior to my morning does my pressure ranges from 120/65 - 140/80. After my dose my pressure can rise to 150/85 (sometimes higher) but not always.
Oh, forgot to give an update...
Well ive been on 40mg for most of the week, and it seems to be having the desired effects. Focus has been great, but the drop off is much worse than with concerta. It also seems like it just comes to a compleate stop. Like at 1:22pm exactly if you know what i mean. So i take my second dose around 12:30-1:00 and it gets me to 7-8 just fine.
[QUOTE=lstuart]I agree w/ dkearby.......
Drinks lots of water and exercise. Also, do you eat breakfast before taking your morning dose? Having something on your stomach is important. I currently take Adderall and don't ever feel sleepy or "ill" like you have been - Adderall may not be the stimulant for you.
Good luck!
[/QUOTE]
Yeah... Try some 100% fruit juice if you feel like a tweaker, too. :)
Fly Away- Just wondering how you are doing on the Cymbalta? Sounds very interesting. I would really love to find something besides stimulants that would help. I have tried Adderall-the results seem to vary from day to day-normally the results are fairly good. Presently, I am taking Focalin-the results do not seem as good as the Adderall. My main problem with stimulants is the dry mouth. I have tried everything-lots of water, sugar free gum and mints but nothing seems to help! My teeth are going to pot-it is awful. Plus I am not having issues with my jaw! Don't know where to go from here-I am in the process of looking for a job (got laid off in September 2004)-I have no motivation-plus depression has set in. I also have 4 kids which take up a lot of my time looking for a job.
Anybody have any suggestions????? All are welcome!
Thanks,
Beth
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