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.

Dr. Barker

David-

Since the dosing at the same increaments didn't work (i.e. 10mg twice a day wasn't enough. 20x 2 made me feel weird, and 30 x2 gave me a horrible rebound effect) you may want to try a step down dose.  My 13 year old son takes 45 mg. generic adderall @ 7:15 am, 30 mg. @ 12:15 pm and 22.5 mg. @ 4:15 pm (he takes 15 mg. tabs).  This works great for him-he has been on Adderall since he was 6. 

Beth

Hello,

Sorry about not replying sooner. My advice is to try AdderallXR. It is formulated to give a less "rebound effect". Unlike other medications, you can wake up one day and decide not to take Adderall and should be fine. Then again, different people have different experiences. One of my major inhibitions is the return of worse ADD symptoms. If you ever decided to stop taking the medications you as a person might be at a loss as to what to do when the focus is required. Again, this is just naturally how your body was before taking the medication and one of the consequences of treating AdultADD.

As for your rebound effect: it might be the case where your body just might reject the medication. The best way to get started on this medication (especially after the age of 20) is to start at 5mg of the XR, increase your dose weekly, and finally learn your personal target dosage. Also, before starting this medication, it is good to understand that an underdose is much more bareable than an overdoese.

Dr. B

Hi,

I'm no doctor, but I am a university student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and am afflicted-yes that is the correct term in my case- with the combined type of AD/HD.  I am not just a patient, but was a pre-med student for half of my college career, and I have done research papers on the medication and the disorders.  I've also been on every type of Ritalin and Adderall released, including XR, also Strattera, and currently, Concerta.  I am prescribed 54mg Concerta with 5mg tablet of Focalin in the afternoon, though I basically use the Concerta to keep me awake and attentive in class while I use the Focalin to actually get me to focus when doin homework.  I've experienced accidental overdoses, and a couple of times, succumbed to the temptation of not skipping doses but halfing the time period between dosages during exams.  I can tell you the difference in effects, how it feels, etc.

I've been medicated for 10 years now, and I feel confident that I can answer many questions any of you might have about how it will most likely affect you or your children, based on personal experience.  Feel free to ask about the "mood changes" or any other side effects, efficiency, doses, and most anything else, because I have a great deal to share.  I know that the kind Doctor Barker has been nice enough to answer questions, but I also know that sometimes, patients in this position don't tell everything, and doctors can only go on what they get from the patients (which often is very filtered) and what they know from articles or standard information. 

Hope I can help,

Myles

Congratulations on your success. It's good to hear about how much the medications can help somebody rather than the consistent stigma that is affiliated with it.

 Another thing to keep in mind folks is that if you build a history of taking AdderallXR Concerta, etc.. it will be much easier for your future doctors to prescribe them to you. Every month we get a report back from the DEA of how many prescriptions we wrote, and if there are any red flags (ie people obtaining meds from multiple docs etc), so go about it the right way and you'll be able to combat this reoccuring problem.

Best

Dr. B

Hello again,

I had another question asked to me mutilple times regarding who *can* prescrible stimulant medications. Just to clarify most of the family practioneers out there have gone through just as or on even more case more training than us mental-health specialists. Hence, they are just as capable of diagnosing a patient as well.

The main red flag is the fine line between prescribing to help people and not getting into legal trouble. If you find a good doctor, they will spend the time needed to properly diagnose you with the medication.

skipshark, what does it feel like when the adderall is working.  Do you feel hyperfocused?  Do you feel wound up?  Do you feel pressure to produce? My 7yr old is on it, and he can't describe what it feels like.  And what does it feel like when it wears off?  He gets irritable. 

Dr B,

 I am a 51 year old male. I realize now that I have had ADD all my life. Adderall XR has totally changed my life in the year and a half that I have been using it. I didn't even realize that I was depressed. My doctor is a Neurologist who deals with Sleep Disorders Medicine completely. I have been going to him for 14 years. He tried everythig in the world on me before the Adderall XR. I have been using a CPAP for ten years. It never made me have more energy or sleep better. I would still wake up all during the night worring about things. When I started taking the Adderall, all of this stopped. If I did wake up at night I was not worring and could go back to sleep. From the time I take a 20 mg XR untill it is gone is three hours. He has prescribed two 20 mg a day. I ran out last month and he would not refill it for a week and a half. the waking up and worring started back immediately. I have been taking it again for two weeks and now it seems to do nothing for me. I have told him that I need three a day but he will not prescribe more. Would he grt in trouble if he prescribed more? he said three a day is bordering on being toxic. All I know that if I don't take three 20mg a day I can't opperate and I don't understand why it does not work anymore after the week and a half off. Maybe it is a bad batch. I opened one up and it has nothing but little yellow balls in it. My wife has 10 mg's and they have little dark or black chunks mixed with something else but not yellow balls.

Please let me know what you think,   

Thanks skipshark!  I have been on adderall xr30mg for over a year. I do believe I'm better off taking it than not.  I've done better in school, and I can pay-attention better.  I get insomnia..and have mood swings still.  Sometimes I feel really up-beat..then within a minute I feel down in the dumps!.  I also have ice cold feet and hands most of the time..unless I'm exerting myself or doing something active.  I Also take accupril for BP and Lipitor.  I'm concerned about becoming addicted to adderal..but I know I need a stimulant drug to function well with work, school, home..kids??? 

Any help would be great!  Thanks

skipshark, what does it feel like when the
adderall is working.  Do you feel hyperfocused?  Do you feel
wound up?  Do you feel pressure to produce? My 7yr old is on
it, and he can't describe what it feels like.  And what does it feel
like when it wears off?  He gets irritable. 

Thanks skipshark!  I have been on
adderall xr30mg for over a year. I do believe I'm better off taking
it than not.  I've done better in school, and I can pay-attention
better.  I get insomnia..and have mood swings still.  Sometimes
I feel really up-beat..then within a minute I feel down in the
dumps!.  I also have ice cold feet and hands most of the
time..unless I'm exerting myself or doing something active.  I
Also take accupril for BP and Lipitor.  I'm concerned about
becoming addicted to adderal..but I know I need a stimulant
drug to function well with work, school, home..kids??? 

Any help would be great!  Thanks

First, Everyone, sorry I've not replied, but I was pre-occupied with other things and also was not notified by email (which it's hard enough for me to check regularly) that there were any replies to my messages.

Sochro, thanks for helpin these people out.  As for the speeding, that's pretty interesting.

Jmom, yes, when medicated, I do feel some of those things, except for the hyperfocused part, because I feel focused, but not too much.  I'm not so bad about my rebounds anymore, but I used to be very irritable and disagreeable when they wore off. Pretty much the same stuff that sochro said, especially about the really getting into whatever you're doing.   

Hotwingy, I get that cold feeling too a lot.  I think Sochro did a better job of answerin your questions than i can. 

Chip, I was on 60mgXR a day- it's NOT fun.  I'll leave it at that. 

Hi, it was great to read your mesasge. I am a university student in the final year of my Ph.D. and have been medicated for about a year now with dexedrine, and adderal, depending on the periods.

I have been running almost every day for years now; i started doing that so that I could burn what appeared to be excessive energy. I eat well, etc. My driving seemed to improve for a while, and then recently deteriorated. I have been impatient. to be fair, I have not been medicating at steady doses every day. My doctor told me I could control the dosages depending on various factors.

Last Monday I completely wrecked my car by driving into someone who wasn't even moving, and somehow lived through it. Luckily, his daughter wasn't in the car at the time, or she would have been hurt or worse.

I have to ask myself whether there are driving-related issues I should be aware of. At 31, my driving record had previously been immaculate.

Hi,

I'm no doctor, but I am a university student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and am afflicted-yes that is the correct term in my case- with the combined type of AD/HD.  I am not just a patient, but was a pre-med student for half of my college career, and I have done research papers on the medication and the disorders.  I've also been on every type of Ritalin and Adderall released, including XR, also Strattera, and currently, Concerta.  I am prescribed 54mg Concerta with 5mg tablet of Focalin in the afternoon, though I basically use the Concerta to keep me awake and attentive in class while I use the Focalin to actually get me to focus when doin homework.  I've experienced accidental overdoses, and a couple of times, succumbed to the temptation of not skipping doses but halfing the time period between dosages during exams.  I can tell you the difference in effects, how it feels, etc.

I've been medicated for 10 years now, and I feel confident that I can answer many questions any of you might have about how it will most likely affect you or your children, based on personal experience.  Feel free to ask about the "mood changes" or any other side effects, efficiency, doses, and most anything else, because I have a great deal to share.  I know that the kind Doctor Barker has been nice enough to answer questions, but I also know that sometimes, patients in this position don't tell everything, and doctors can only go on what they get from the patients (which often is very filtered) and what they know from articles or standard information. 

Hope I can help,

Myles