First Day on Adderall XR | ADHD Information
Hmm, thanks for these responses Europa and Hemmie. I'll keep taking it then I guess. I was just about to give up on it. I've been on it almost a month now and I don't feel like it's doing anything positive. I don't really have the urge to do anything, eat, sleep, or go anywhere. It just kind of makes the time go by.
I have been taking 30 mg of AdderallXR for 7 months now.
I had quite a few strange symptoms the first 2 months. These symptoms ranged from mild euphoria to highly emotional and nervous - exactly like you described. I also had some temporary but very frustrating and annoying sexual side effects. And of course, I experienced loss of appetite and had a VERY difficult time sleeping.
Because Adderall is an amphetamine, I experienced some immediate benefits in concentration and ability to function, as well as some "up's and down's" physically . But I have to say that I didn't get the full benefit until I had been taking it for about 40 days. Like many other medications, Adderall has a cumulative effect and you won't see the ongoing benefits until the Adderall in your body reaches that optimum level. The time from first dose to maximum benefit may be shorter or longer depending on the individual.
Virtually every negative side effect disappeared within 60 days. The emotional side effects went away during the first month as well as my sleeping problems, and the sexual side effects completely disappeared between 45 to 60 days.
A few lessons I learned the hard way:
1. Take consistently, every day (assuming that is what your Dr. prescribed) When I was taking it on and off, I was CONSTANTLY emotional and the side effects were like a roller coaster. This goes back to building up and maintaining a constant level in your body.
2. Exercise made a HUGE difference when dealing with the side effects. Not only was it easier to exercise, but the side effects were significantly less on those days.
3. AdderallXR can and will completely hide exhaustion and mask sickness when you are not feeling well. It was VERY easy to stay up late and get up early taking Adderall, but it eventually caught up to me and made me sick. When I had the Flu, I was able to keep going despite the fact that I had a 102 degree fever. This may sound like a good thing, but both were bad, not only physically, but mentally as well. Be aware of how much sleep you SHOULD Be getting. Do NOT rely on how you feel on Adderall to decide if you are getting enough rest. Bottom line: GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND REST.
4. Monitor your blood pressure. This is a good indicator of how the dose is affecting your body - for me at least.
Not getting enough sleep was a HUGE part of the very annoying sexual side effects.
Now, I have noticed that after 7 months my body has acclimated to the Adderall and the appetite has unfortunately come back to some degree. I don't have the "up's and down's" that I had the first few months, but I definitely feel "balanced" and I can definitely concentrate 1000% better and I am MUCH more motivated.
The bad news.... last month I picked up my prescription, and the doctor made a mistake and the pharmacy wouldn't refill it. I was completely out of Adderall and the doctor's office was closed for a long weekend and then closed again Monday. I went 5 days without Adderall and it was not pleasant. It felt like serious caffeine withdrawal. I was sick to my stomach, I had headaches, I was emotional and VERY hungry, all the time - and I couldn't think straight. The lesson here is that when I do go off of Adderall someday, I will have to wean off of it. My goal is to be able to feel and function this way without medication.
My advice: take it every day as prescribed, and give your mind and body 30 to 60 days to acclimate and find balance. It will come.
Adderall XR takes a little while to kick in.. trust me, i know... 20mg for severe ADHD seems a little low tho.
Are you saying you took the regular Adderall AND the XR at the same time, or that you tried both at different times? And, uhh...Font #7 is WAY too big! It's hard to read. Can you drop it down to maybe 2 or 3? :) Personally I think you should take the generic regular. I have talked to a lot of people that say the the XR makes them crazy. One thing you could do until he changes your prescription is open up the capsule and only take half. Put it in some applesauce. I think that may make a difference. I think you are taking too much. and if he gives you the generic ask him for 20's and you break it in half and only take the ten or even less than that and then take the other half about 4 hours later. I take it and only take quarters of the half of a 20 and that is enough for me. I end up taking a 10 all day and that is all. If I take more than that I get really sick to my stomach. More doesn't necessarily make you better, it sometimes has horrible effects. The object is not to get high, but to become more focused and still be your normal happy self.bro, i just took adderall xr 10 mg today for mild add and i had almost the exact same results. i was a little more anti-social as well if that makes any sense to you. I also took 10 mg of reg adderall and it kicked ass. f**k this XR sh*t get the regular stuff i left 10 msgs for my pshyc. im 17 though so this might be different. I did have the same stuff as you did with XR
Hello,
I have been prescribed Adderall XR 20mg 1 time a day by my Doctor. I've been diagnosed with severe ADHD...
Today was not a good day...I expected to be uplifted and alert...Did not happen!
I was sluggish, Tired and unmotivated, actually worse than before I took it.
I took the pill at 7am and actually felt a little nervous around 330pm. Is this typical?
I did try regular adderal that was prescribed to a friend a few times and felt so much differrent.(I know this is not smart but I found that I was ambitious, motivated and had so much more energy, Clear headed, and HAPPY!) Her dose was I believe 10 mgs 3 times a day.
I thought the XR would be a better and more efficient way to take this Medication....
Should I call my Doctor right away and have him switch me to the regular Adderall...or Should I continue longer with the 20mg XR?
Thanks for any and all suggestions and similar experiences you may have!
Oh Yeah,
Also I am or was severelly hungery on the XR.
i'M ALSO 44 YEARS OLD (IF THAT MATTERS).
cAN SOME ONE PLEASE MAKE SUGGESTIONS OR SHARE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE SO I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE?
Or am I!?
[QUOTE=Invisiblemonki]For the record, Shire is kind of a dodgey company and the generic might be safer...
[/QUOTE]
What do you mean by "dodgey"? Other than the negative Canadian study, is there anything else we should know about Shire??
My input: First few days were weird, getting used to the XR. Next few my brain kind of turned off in the afternoon.What I found out: Had to TOTALLY quit caffeine. They had a very unbalancing reaction. Force yourself to eat regularly. Even if you just munch a tiger milk bar or something.
It did take a few days for me. I'm still open to trying the regular over the XR. My friends use it to study and say it's wonderful. I havn't had the same reaction with the XR. I feel more motivated but not necessarily more focused. Have no idea what they are talking about. Your reaction is actually swaying me to trying the regular.
For the record, Shire is kind of a dodgey company and the generic might be safer...
2nd day over..!
I will not take XR anymore!
Took it at 6am...groggy feeling until 2pm when a small burst of alertness set in. It lasted approximately 30 minutes, very nervous also, Then a fast as it set in, it went away with a very negative affect on me....I am washed out, I ate like a hog, Lost all energy, and am very angry & irratable...Not to mention EXHAUSTED!
I'm going to bed now at 7pm....
The doctor never called back!
I will call him again tomorrow morning, But I am leary of telling him about using my friends Generic Adderall...Thats illegal....not that that bothers me, But I don't want him to deny me, he may then fear I will Share also.
[quote] I do know though I felt GREAT almost immediataly when I took my friends 10mg Generic adderall! [/quote]I'd tell him you tried your friend's generic stuff. If he has a problem with it, find a new doctor. I'd say you feeling better is more important than what your doctor says about trying someone else's medication. If you feel better on the generic adderall, then you should be on it, right?
On a side note I don't feel any different since I took my first XR pill this morning. I guess it takes longer to work for some people.
[QUOTE=djmpdj]
addbec:
You have given me even more hope, Do you use adderall or the generic? What mg.?
[/QUOTE]
I use the generic, 10 mg, twice a day. That reminds me, I better go take the 2nd one! Good luck.
I JUST took my first pill about 10 minutes ago. I got my prescription yesterday. 30 days of 20 MG per day. I really hope it works since it was 5.00.
I don't want to go back to Strattera because it made me so irritable
and gave me bad stomach pains. I can't take the regular Adderall
because it has milk in it(used as a bonding agent), and I'm allergic to
it.Todd38484.2677430556
My doc is same way, and always asks for at least a few weeks on a new med. Adderall is not like other medications that require a few weeks/months to really take effect, but I think I'd give it at least a week. To give up on the very first day seems premature, although I could understand it if it obviously made you feel so awful physically that you'd want to stop now.
Good luck.
Thanks for the responses so far.I called my doctor today and he wants me to stay on the 20 mg XR until he sees me in 2 weeks...
I think He's afraid to prescribe another script so soon...
I told him we would be wasting time because I may not continue with the XR.
Todd:
I hope the XR works for you, Maybe I just need a higher Dose.
I do know though I felt GREAT almost immediataly when I took my friends 10mg Generic adderall!
How do I tell my doctor That!?
He'll never give me a script if he knows I tried someone elses....
I know there is a pot of gold at the end of this road...But I don't want to wait...I've waited long enough....44 years to be exact. I'm ready to be happy and clear minded...
addbec:
You have given me even more hope, Do you use adderall or the generic? What mg.?
Tell your doctor that your friend had positive results with the regular adderall and that you would like to give it a try. For some reason Doctors are really into prescribing XR right now--so stick to your guns! My son takes XR in the morning and regular around 4:00, when he gets home from school. And I would have to say, the regular(generic brand) seems to have better results. It really is a experimental game--great luck to you. unconditionaluv38484.4700231481