Adderall My Opinion. Do you agree? | ADHD Information

Hi,

I am intrigued by your post because of the same experiences I have had.  I was diagnosed about two and a half years ago.  I started taking Adderal, 20 mg, then 30 mg. both time release. Then my doctor added another 10 mg. regular pill for me to take when I felt the other had worn off. 

I can tell that it is more than just the buzz that has worn off.  I don't really feel like it gave me a buzz at all.  It gave me more energy if that is what you mean.  That wore off pretty soon, like in a couple of days.  But the major effect I can see if it is working or not by looking at my desk and my house.  I am a teacher and I have a thousand things to organize.  If it is not working, piles begin to emerge. 

I switched to an herbal supplement during Christmas break to see if it would work and it helped quite a bit.  I could keep organized, etc.  But then THAT wore off too.  I noticed that around 6 months each thing has started to wear off. 

My theory is, and I am no doctor, that the drugs help for a while.  Then our bodies get used to it.  We go back to being distracted. 

Here is something to consider.  I read a book called Stopping ADHD that believes that ADHD and ADD symptoms are caused by a discomfort caused by a reflex in our bodies that never got matured.  It claims that we are in discomfort and we have been for so long that it seems normal to us.  That is why we have a hard time sitting still.  If you notice, a person with ADD or ADHD will stretch their arms or legs out, trying to get comfortable.  They also don't like to front crawl while swimming, but prefer the back stroke, or other strokes that don't involve the area of discomfort, (the upper back and neck area)  The authors of the book claim that if a child does not crawl long enough (6 months) or in the correct way (some kids crawl with a leg dragging, etc., that a relfex in the back, near the neck that urges you to spring forward will stay with you, causing you to be distracted with discomfort until it does get matured. 

I had casts on my legs during the crawling time as a baby, so it makes sense to me. 

This book in very interesting to me.  I am trying the exercises, but I forget to do them.  I am hoping that these will help to stop the symptoms.  If this book is right, then we all can benefit.  The exercises are right in the book.  It is not that expensive. 

I thought I would pass on this information because I am so frustrated with the results of medication.  I don't like the side effects but I know the feeling of being able to get things done and now that is frustrating to not have it anymore.  I would love it if someone else would try it and see if they get any results.

If anyone is interested in the book, you can look in the thread that is on books and articles.  I listed it there and there is a link in the thread to amazon. You can even read reviews on the book at amazon.

Sorry for a long post, thanks for sticking with me to the end of it - those that did!

 

To annidagostini ; I haven't heard about the reflex theory before , but I'll look into it if I remember while at the library. I'ts interesting to be because I can remember having strep throat with high fever and convulsions at 8y.o.  I had to remember how to walk after that and also remember not being very good at it for a while(can you say "face down on the floor). when I was at the hospital, the doctors had to uncurl me from a fetal position the fever locked me into .  It felt like they were pulling my arms and legs APART instead of strething them, knees, elbows, groin, armpits, felt like they'd had the nerves ripped out and dipped in alcohol before setting fire to them. So maybe some nerves (brain)was damaged. If you find anything definitive , please post it, or p.m. me.

daniel

     TO Benjamin, I have read that there are several neurotransmitters which can be activated or sedated by different medications, as these chemicals bind to the receptor sites between synapses causing a shift in the electrical impulses or permeability of the membrane of nerve cells.  The problem is that some synthetics can cause the impulses to be modified for too long. These chemicals include the hallucinogenics, opiates, barbituates, and amphetamines. Examples include cocaine, heroin, hashish, LSD, MDMA,etc.,.  Long term use of these type drugs can do serious damage to the nervous system,,,,but that is usually because of the amount taken at one time by an addict  saturates most every receptor in the brain preventing normal metabolizatiom of the chemical, synthetic or not! This is even true for alcoholic in the long term use, but one or two glasses of wine or beer can actually be good for you.

     As for the amount of medication a knoledgeable Dr. would prescribe,as long as you don't have adverse effects from the meds, and you also (you obviously do) check for foods which may react to certain meds you use, you shouldn't have any problems (related to meds, any social, workplace, cleaning the garage, etc,,,still there,,,.

daniel

     Oh yeah.... I also have soundtracks,movie clips and entire music videos that can run for hours and even days, to the point that I can't even daydream about what i'm supposed to get done.  I thank god that i've worked my job long enough I really don't need a brain to do the routine.

daniel

I am in a similar situation.  I'm 32, a professional working in a large company.  I too have a desk job.  So I know EXACTLY what you're saying! 

I also was diagnosed just a few months ago.  But I was treated for Anxiety first.  My therapist recommends that I try Wellbutrin rather than the stimulants.  I'm going to talk to my regular doctor on Thursday about this.    But I don't know if he's used to treating Adults with ADD, so I might have to change doctors.  But I don't know how - how do you find out if doctors treat Adult ADD or not?  Ugh.

Anyway - your problem with the meds seems to be pretty normal.  I've seen alot of posts where people notice an initial reaction and within the first 3 months they don't feel that they're getting the same benefit anymore.  But the people around them still notice the improvement! 

So I don't know what the answer is but it's made me leary of trying stimulants because of the eventual letdown.

Autumnstar

Autumnstar: To your first question about whether your doctor treats ADD. I guess the best way to find out is ask. Then just be cautious. From what I have read it is just best to get a referall from your primary of a psychiatrist that can help. He should know of one that does. Lastly from my little experience and an attribute of my Highly Structured form of ADD is document how you feel on each med. It helps immensely to seperate out the days and when you write things down they just make things real and not just thoughts running through your head.

On to the subject. I have also heard of the same. People saying that after a few months the effects have "worn off". This is exactly what I am trying to point out. When they say "worn off" are they just talking about that buzz or are they actually talking about the primary effect Adderall has? An excellent point you made that says they are talking about the buzz wearing off is the fact that other people still notice the change even though they may not feel it any longer. Again the only way I think you can realize which is which is to document how you are feeling and to talk to ppl to see if you are making progress or if you have come to a halt. I don't think, even though it seems like a long time, three months is enough to determine if a certain med continues to help you. But again each person is different. Thanks for the feedback Autumnstar.newpotato38587.2861805556

Hey NewPotato!

I'm 48, recently diagonsed, and taking Ritalin LA after Strattera didn't work.

The first day I took the Ritalin, about 2 hours later, I had this incredible feeling of being AWAKE...like I had been sleeping for a looong time. Since then, I have not had that feeling. I take 20mg, and have struggled a bit with the peaks and valleys, and have tried timing the doses differently, taking with food and without, etc. At most, I feel sometimes like I've had a lot of coffee...stimulated physically, but not mentally, like the first day.

Did you have anything similar with the Ritalin? I am accustomed to taking antidepressants that build up in the system and have a steady, all-the-time action. I'm not sure I like this unpredicability.....Did your Doc consider Concerta? Or is there a formulation of Adderall that evens out the effect throughout the day?

Thanks for posting...and welcome!

Joyous56:

Thanks for the warm welcome. In the short time I was on Ritalin I had a similiar experience. The first couple of days I had the awake feeling as you described. It never returned after a month of taking it. I also didn't have any increased concentration. After a month and talking with my Dr. she took me off an put me on Adderall since it did not seem to have any effect.

So far I have only taken Ritalin and Adderall. Depending on how things go over the next couple of months will determine if I try something else. But so far I think I am going to stay with the Adderall. At least until I can gather some more data on the effects it has on me in the long term.

In regards to evening out the effect throughout the day. I take the XR formula with is Extended Release. It splits up the 30mg dose into (2)15mg doses. The first one releases within an hour of taking the pill and the other I think in 4-6 hours after taking the pill. Also helps so you don't have to remind yourself to take another pill at a certain time.

Hope that helps and thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

newpotato-I was on strattera 100 mg/day and adderall XR 40 mg/day and Now I am up to 60 mg/day.  I have discontinued strattera because I didn't perceive a benefit, and I have the same feelings regarding the adderall and the intial feeling/buzz.  I thought I might need an increased dose or different med.  It seems to be working though I am less impulsive, happier, and when I am not distracted I am pretty focused but still get fidgety and can be distracted easily.

I was reading in a book Healing ADD by Dr. Amen that people who don't exercise (which I don't) may need larger than normal doses than a person who is active. So I am going to bring that up with my doctor today.

Funny thing is my wife has noticed a change since coming off the strattera, that I have become more negative, but she said it is not worth paying /month for strattera and its side effects.

A little background first. I am 30 yrs old. A professional working in a large company. I have pretty much a desk job that has a pretty defined structure. You can imagine what I, and lots of others, have to deal with while having ADD in a workplace like this. To build on this I was diagnosed professionally a little over two months ago. I tried Ritalin which did not help. I then moved to Adderall XR 20mg and now to 30mg XR. I've been keeping a journal which I write in every couple of days so that I can track my progress. On to my opinion.

First off when I started Adderall I thought it was a wonder drug. I felt this intensity and concentration I have never felt before. I was taking the med M-F for work and took my drug holidays on Sat and Sun. I started to notice after the first week or so that when Thursday or Friday came along the intensity diminished. This was when I was on the 20mg XR. I explained this to the doctor after taking the 20mg XR for a month and she said that the effects should not wear off. That was when she moved me to the 30mg. For the pass two weeks I have been taking the 30mg. The first Monday that I took it I felt that intense focus again. Same thing for Tues-Thurs. Friday came and I noticed it diminished. But I can say that on Fridays I still felt focused and had an ability to sit still, concentrate, and not jump from one thing to another. The second week was pretty much the same thing.

So now to my conclusion / opinion. I think it might be possible that people like Adderall initially for the intense buzz that it gives you. In turn this buzz gives you ability to HYPER focus consistently. Which I feel is also the cause of any possible addictions. This buzz, in my opinion, is not necessarily the primary effect the drug is supposed to have on you. I feel it is a side effect. The actual effect is what I am feeling on my Thursdays and Fridays. A feeling of concentration and an ability to sit still and focus without the intense buzz.   I still feel a slight buzz but nothing compared to when I started taking it. I am going to continue documenting how I feel as each day progresses and try to see whether the pattern I describe above is true.

I understand that each person's reaction to each med is different. So the possibilities are really endless when it comes to things like this. I just thought I would post my opinion to possibly help someone who thinks the Adderall is not working. I know how frustrating it can be taking these meds and dealing with the side effects. I have had some issues with the side effects. Seeing that I am starting to deal with them by changing some of my eating habits, sleep habits, etc I really don't want to change meds, and have to start all over again. Especially if it is helping.

So I will conclude this extremely long post. Again, I wanted to post this first to possibly help anyone that may be experiencing the same situation. Secondly I am looking for affirmation and of course constructive criticism that may help me or anyone else. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Benjamin:

Awesome reply. You gave some great input and I appreciate it. I've heard that before when I looking into a different health issue. So I think you are correct in your statement. As I go through my own personal data collection on how I react to the Adderall I am going to incorporate your idea of on pretty much all days take my 30mg and then if I need it or just to test take 50 or 60mg (still have a few 20mg leftover from previous script) and document the difference. I am hoping I won't need meds that long but just in case I do or if someone else does, maybe this thread will help them out. Great stuff and thanks again for your insight. And if you can stop back everyone once in a while to document how you are doing that would be great. Thanks again.

NewPotato,

One of the things that I've been wondering is whether to try meds or not.  I read a post where the person tried meds, had great results for some time, then nothing helped.  The person felt worse because when they worked, they knew what it was like to accomplish everything they wanted to do and since then, they've just been depressed.

Ok, for one, I don't want to wind up in THAT situation.  I struggle, I forget, I get anxious and snappy.  But I did marry a great person who does the finances, he helps keep me on track, the house looks great.  We're missing fewer birthdays. 

But I do still have problems with racing thoughts, starting things and not finishing them or taking years to finish things.  It's these things that trouble me and I wonder if knowing that I have ADD, can I make necessary changes without meds?

Autumnstar

Autumnstar

I can understand your hesitation. I on the other hand took the approach of identifying the problem i.e professional diagnosis, medication, and working on other areas to help. I am still working the medication part of it and I can say that it is helping. In my opinion I think the medication is not the solution by a long shot. Though it helps a lot I will admit. I think, and hope, that one day I will not feel any need for any ADD med. To do that I am trying my best to understand ADD, what type of ADD I have, where I have problems, and utilize other tools (organizers, voice recorders, changing habits, friends/family support, etc). I will eventually come to a point were I don't need meds. As with anything in this world you have to work hard to achieve great things and you have to move slowly and purposefully. So my long term goal is the same as yours.

Again I am on the same path as you but the positive for me that came out of taking a med was that I could see what life was like without that "driving in the rain, at night, with bad windshield wipers" feeling. It really energized me to look for opportunities to find other alternatives to meds. Hope that helps.

I guess I hijacked my own thread. I'd still like to hear more feedback on the Adderall issue. 

Newpotato,

Today I was diagnosed with ADD, somewhere in the middle of moderate and severe.  The therapist wants to do some more tests to obtain more specifics.  My primary doc gave me Adderall, which I like because of the amazing clarity that it gives.  Now that I have this legally I will keep in mind the possible buzz that diminishes and keep you posted. I don't mind the racing thoughts, but I hate the feeling of helplessness & immobility. What I plan on doing is using this opportunity while using adderall to get my nutrition and physical health back in place and clear out my clutter.  Also keep in touch with people to monitor how I am doing.  I see meds as a vehicle to jump start the process of knowing ADD.  I want to lessen the negative and exploit the positive traits. 

 

I'll keep you posted over the next several weeks. 

 

As I was laying in bed I realized that I have the answer to this thread. 

Don't piss on me if you think differently

Yes, the buzz will go away after a period of time but the effect should stay the same.  The reason is biochemistry (my major in college).

Before taking adderall on has more receptors than actual molecuels to bind to the receptors.  This is in the front area of the brain that does not play a roll in ADD.  The saturation of molecules will cause a buzz until hormones are triggered to produce more receptors.  The increase in receptors decreases the buzz side effect. 

 

    

 

Part 2 for those who have short attention spans 

Let say you are taking 60mg of adderall and the buzz has worn off and you are wondering if the drug is still working.  I would have to think so, at least for a longer period of time than the person taking it might think.  However, if you like the feeling of the "buzz"  then maybe try this...(any input will be great)...Use what you think might be enough to get you through your day (ie. 30 mg)...I do not know anyone who can concentrate on Friday, so of course adderall might not seem like it is working on Fridays.  Then on the week that you know you need to be on your game adjust back up to 60mg .  This will allow the receptors to be saturated thereby giving you the feeling that it must be working. Then back down on less important weeks to decrease the amount of receptors. 

Part 3 of 3 for those who like parts.  I even added color!

 

I won't doubt that there might be a time where the meds are ineffective and one must change to something new.  But theses are meds to jump start us not to be used for that speed high.  Be careful of the speed high because ADDers are prone to addiction (from what I have read). 

Okay, Now you can respond as I go back to bed to think about thinking while music plays in the background of my head and images of the past and dreams pop in every 15 seconds. 

Just thought I would post an update. Today, for a Monday, hasn't been anywhere close to as it has in the past. I didn't take a 30mg pill all weekend and usually on Mondays when I do take a pill I get that speed buzz. Not so much today. I have noticed the "noise" in my head has slowed. When I say noise I mean random thoughts coming in and out. I usually take a coffee break mid way through the morning and just sit and relax thinking about what I am going to work on the rest of the day. Along with a lot of personal, financial, family, friends, etc thoughts. Today was different. I don't know if things are slow with me but I almost had to force thoughts. Odd. But seems so far my theory is right. I was thinking though that there are probably so many things that can cause an "ADD Day". Therefore to be able to say that I am feeling the effects of the Adderall I think are pretty inconclusive. But a good indicator or my theory. I'll keep you posted but any thoughts are welcome.