New To Adderall, not sure if working | ADHD Information

I was diagnosed a little over two weeks ago.

My Dr. put me on 20mg 2x a day. I am taking the Generic since I have to pay for my own prescriptions.

I have a new job working at home and I knew that I need some help with all of my symptoms..

I have been taking the Adderall for 2 weeks now. The first week I know that I was adjusting to the Med. It seemed to be working pretty well. I would take the first dose at 7:30-8 am and I would start work around 9. I lost most of my appetite and I would constantly have to force myself to eat a sandwich for lunch.

I got a few headaches in the evening for the first several days. I know that is a side effect and I also stopped drinking as much Caffeine. I am sure that contributed.

I could definitely feel a difference in my body and the way I felt. I was concentrating more on my work and did pretty good.  I was still having the problem of getting sidetracked from my work and I would get involved in things that I enjoyed better than work. Mainly INTERNET things like reading about music and sports and other things. But I noticed that I would get on one topic and stay on it for a few hours at a time.   I have also been sleeping a lot less.

 

The second week, I started noticing that the meds seem to be effecting me less.. It seems like I don't feel any effects from the meds until around  1 1/2 hours after I take them. I have lost most of the headaches that I was getting last week. I still stay up late. But I don't feel that they are working as good as I would have hoped. I have gotten less work done this week than I should.

 

Anyone have any thoughts or opinions about my situation?

Oceangrace2438561.5733796296I've taken both generic Adderall vs. brand name Adderal XR - and let me tell you, there's a WORLD of difference.

Not only do you have to take less pills with the XR (I need to be productive more than 4 hours a day, thanks), the way generics are made vs. brand name medications is often the difference between night and day. Most people claim they're all the same, but from personal experience with many medications, that is patently not true.

Having some familiarity with pharmacology and chemistry, I know that manufacturing methods as well as ratios of isomers can make one version of a drug work and another not at all.

Brand name Adderall XR works for me. The Barr generic (blue scored 10 mg pill) absolutely does not. I have no side effects from the brand name Adderall XR. The Barr mixed amphetamine salts raise my heartbeat and make me feel like scum when they wear off. And they also make me feel tired and listless - more than usual - the next day.

My advice would be to try switching to the brand name and experience the difference for yourself. Everyone is different. But I would rather go through my normal difficulties than make them worse by taking a bad generic.

BTW, 50mg of Adderall XR is the only thing that seems to work for me. All doses under that did absolutely nothing. I increased my dose from 20mg/day to 50mg/day and found that it worked for me.I have been on Addreal XR (10 mg a day) so far for a week.. don't think it helps much because I get sidetracked later on...I'm a big guy. 'Pose I'll wait for the next appointment for higher dosage?   The funny thing with Adderall ( In my opinon)  is the first few days you feel it. Then it fads, and if you chase it, then you best stop while your ahead. But I thankfully never had the urge, my dosage still works, and even being an addict but not the stimulant type, though doesnt matter in some cases,  when i first took adderall, and that feeling went away, I thought oh no its going to go and go till its like nothing, but its seems to be working nicely behind the scenes. If you get my drift, and a good thing, because esp. one with ADD, and a good case of it, adderall stimulant type "euphoric feeling" may turn into another addiction for many, but, I guess you have to just try it and be honest with the doctor , and go from there. Im thankfull after 15 plus meds  Adderall worked. neuroresearcher - I think you are absolutely correct. I was on cloud nine two weeks ago, and then I stopped "feeling" the immediate effects. However, I do notice that it is working, it's just that I am used to the feeling. I can still go all day at work and beyond, it's just that I don't feel that initial rush anymore.

the problem that I have is that I have to pay for the Prescriptions because of my Health Care Plan. I have an HSA, so I pay for all of my own medications. 

Thats why the Doctor put me on the regular adderall instead of the XR. They XR is too new to have a generic version out yet.

What is the cost difference between the Regular Name Brand Addrall and the Name Brand Adderall XR??  I know the Generic adderall regular 20mg, which is what I take twice a day, is not cheap!! :-)