Hi Emily,
I know what you're going through. I'm an undergrad and I was diagnosed with ADHD one year ago. Since then I've tried strattera which was absolutely horrible for me. It made me so tired and irritable.
Today is my first day on Adderall XR and I'm on the same 20 mg twice daily dosage. It is my understanding that you should give adderall a little bit of time to allow the complete effect. If you haven't given adderall a few weeks, then give it some more time. Also, make sure you communicate your experiences to your doctor, you may need a larger dose. Good luck!
eafiii
How long have you been on adderall? I'm on day 4 now. The first day I took, I noticed a huge difference, I was motivated to complete tasks, I was focused and ready to take on the world. However as the days passed I noticed that the effects became weaker and weaker. Now only a few days later, I barely notice a change at all, I'd say I'm back to the way I was when I wasn't medicated.
From what I've read on this forum, some believe that i'm having these problems because my body is adjusting to the initial dose of the adderall and my daily dose might need to be increased.
I'm on day 11. I just went from 10 mg twice a day to 20 mgs twice a day.
I know what you mean about the first few days. The feeling was really noticeable and sharp. I felt alert, like I could think and act more nimbly and effectively.
Now that the euphoric feeling is not there, I still feel effects, they are just more subtle, but still very meaningful effects. I don't get as frustrated by little things anymore. I'm able to do household chores quickly and treat them mentally like the minor issues they are rather than dwell and stew and boil over something as stupid as installing a faucet.
Now I just install the damn thing and move on!!!
I don't feel the "High"...but that's not what I'm really looking for. I'm a 40 year old recovering drunk, so I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and done my time in hell.
I'm just looking for something that will take the fuzzy layer off of my brain and my thoughts and allow me to organize thoughts in a way that leads to productive action.
If I can do that, (and the Adderall has definitely helped so far), then my new life begins at 40. Maybe I can tap into all the "potential" my teachers seem to think I squandered.
Deang:
What types of food or drinks would have ascorbic acid?
"ADHD is Boring":
I just switched from Straterra to Adderall also. I would say that it takes a few weeks to know if the Strattera works and a few days or less to feel if the Adderall works. That was my experience, but as I'm learning here, it seems two otherwise similar people with similar symptoms can react completely differentlt to various drugs.
Don't know why that is, but I guess it would make it hard to be a doctor!!
BTW, The Adderall is having a noticeable positive effect on my demeanor and focus. I suffered 40 yrs undiagnosed....so I feel like I have a new lease on life. Trying not to get too optimistic or pie-in-the-sky. I've come to expect failure in the long term so often, that its hard not to be skeptical of myself.
Emily:
Good luck Emily! I would give anything to go back in time and have another chance at college, just to see what I could really do. Getting through undergrad without being able to study effectively was the hardest, most stressful thing I'd ever done. If you can get it under control at your age, it'll be a blessing. Good luck.
Hi all. I, too, am in college and have been taking adderall and adderall xr for a few years now.
One thing to note is ascorbic acid inhibits the absorption of adderall, so be sure to avoid it as much as possible while taking meds (and avoid it for about an hour before you take meds as well). Also, getting plenty of sleep, exercise, and lots of good food help too. If you have any questions or what not, feel free to post them or pm me if ya want.
I tried XR for free on their Adderall XR promotional card, one month at one dose and a second month at a higher dose. I didn't consider its effect to be as good as regular Adderall. Mainly because I forget to take followup doses and remember hours late, then it's a question of take it or not ...
Anyway, on the third month the doctor asked if I wanted to stick with XR, try a higher dose, or go back to regular. I asked at the pharmacy what XR would cost, and it was going to be ~00 per year. Forget that!
My generic 90x30 Adderall (Barr Labs) costs only per month at Sam's Club Rx. I can swing that.
eafiii - Actually, a lot of foods and drinks have ascorbic acid in them. Basically, anything with Vitamin C will interfere with the absorption.