Im in my mid-late 20's and a very healthy male. Except I was diagosed with ADHD when I was 17. I was on Adderall (regular - not XR) from age 17-23. I stopped taking it because, like everybody else who stopped taking their ADD medicine- I felt I didnt need it anymore
Fast forward 4 years. Ive caught myself for the past...god knows..3-4 years saying things "out loud" and having HORRIFIC memory with no ability to think, this has severely affected numerous friendships/professional relationships. I actually thought I had something physically wrong with my brain because Ive completely lost my "inside voice" and my mind races from thought to thought constantly. I bought 4 cars. I cant finish projects. This has caused significant grief in my professional/social/personal life. My friends/co-workers always seem irriated because Im always interrupting or not paying attention to them, or saying something out of character. Conversation with me- forget about it! I catch myself doing it later and think of what an idiot I was. Its like I cant pay attention or focus no matter what. Not to mention Im extremely hyper (have been my whole life - I was a "no sugar" kid my whole life...lol)
So I did the right thing. I went back to my DR and told him that I wanted to be back on Adderall. He prescribed me Adderall XR 30mg 1x day and told me I should've never stopped taking it, like I did a few years ago. He felt the higher does was appropriate for me (6' 170lbs). I hope it is.
So my question is: Is adderall XR similar to regular adderall? I remember when I took regular adderall before it would come on sudden and fast and then the effect would slowly decline. I dont remember having trouble sleeping though or any of that kind of stuff. Can somebody who takes it give me support here, a few words of advice/encouragement? I havent filled the script yet and for some reason Im nervous about it
Last edited by Adidas0298; 09-11-2007 at 07:35 PM.
i HATED adderall XR! the coming off of it was way too harsh and caused some serious moodiness (mostly lots of ANGER). i'd stick with the regular adderall - just bring your script back to the doctor and ask him to change it. unless you want to try the XR and see how you do with it. if it doesn't work for you, definitely go to your doctor and tell him to change it! good luck....
You may respond like mcr or XR may be the product that does the job for you. No one will know until you try it.
What disturbs me is why would your doctor start you on such a high dose? How does he "know" that 10mg will not resolve your symptoms without the slam/crash effect that I too experience at HIGHER doses?
Adderall XR is the same medication as plain Adderall, but formulated to last longer. In theory, coming off of it should be easier than coming off of plain Adderall, but like mcr285, YMMV. You may love it or you may hate it.
The initial recommended starting dose is 20mg. If you were given 30mg capsules and you find it to be too high of a starting dose, the capsule can be safely opened and a portion of the contents sprinkled over applesauce. If using the sprinkle method, you must take it immediately (don't let it dissolve) and you must not chew, crush, or otherwise mutilate the tiny time pills.
Guys I filled my script and discovered it is only 20mg Adderall XR. So thats good, I was worried about taking 30mg right away.
I did just take my first pill about 10 minutes ago. I dont feel anything yet (that I know of) but I do remember the last time I was on Adderall I could feel a rush about an 1/2 hour after I took the pill. We'll see.
One thing I'd like to ad that I think should also be made a sticky in this forum is that alot of mania is misdiagnosed for ADHD from bipolar disorder. Having racing thoughts and not being able to sleep at night are huge signs of mania, and also... it develops more as you get older. So even as a teen it might not be so bad, but by the time your in your mid 20's your thinking what the hell is wrong with me ? I didn't have this all my life.
And having ADD then taking something like adderoll and ritalin and being overdosed or if you have mania already then take a stimulant (BAD COMBO) will give people fits of rage and anger problems, halucinations, dellusions, sexual arousal, forgetfullness, can't pay attention.
Initially I like the XR, it has a smoother start and finish. Regular adderall causes a little more of a harsh wear off. I am currently on regular adderall due to insurance reasons. It isnt so bad.
Everyone is different, so you have to see for yourself which is better.
I can totally relate...
Quote:
Ive caught myself for the past...god knows..3-4 years saying things "out loud" and having HORRIFIC memory with no ability to think, this has severely affected numerous friendships/professional relationships. I actually thought I had something physically wrong with my brain because Ive completely lost my "inside voice" and my mind races from thought to thought constantly. I bought 4 cars. I cant finish projects. This has caused significant grief in my professional/social/personal life. My friends/co-workers always seem irriated because Im always interrupting or not paying attention to them, or saying something out of character. Conversation with me- forget about it! I catch myself doing it later and think of what an idiot I was. Its like I cant pay attention or focus no matter what.
DITTO! DITTO! I am 35, I have few friends, I no longer work, but when I did, it was like you described for yourself. BUT I am working on myself. Medication has to be a part of that process.
Last edited by ADDrienne; 09-13-2007 at 04:30 PM.
Reason: incomplete
Thanks for the replies. I am finishing up my first day on Adderall XR 20mg. I feel so much better today than I have in years. And I bet this is just the beginning. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
I did notice a few heart palpitations , but Ive read that the first few days of starting a stimulant drug such as, but not limited to Adderall, that this may happen. It is a little disconcerting seeing that they banned Adderall XR in Canada due to having too many "sudden deaths" due to heart failure . But Ive been on regular Adderall before for years, and I know that I can tolerate it. I think I was on 15mg before.
I was thinking about that, Im glad you mentioned it I did only drink Propel today a 2 bottled water. My mouth was (and still is) dry and I feel parched, but I know thats a side effect of Adderall.
Im very glad that we all have healthboards to come to. Before I made the app't, I came on here first. That says a lot for this board!
I live in a area where heavy snow is common in winter. And every winter I read reports of several people that drop dead from heart attacks shoveling snow. Shoveling heavy snow is risky behaviour if you have an underlying heart problem.
Palpitations may be benign or may be signaling serious undetected heart problems. Call your doctor if the palpitations persist.
RE: Canada banning Adderall. They'd save more lives banning snow.
... alot of mania is misdiagnosed for ADHD from bipolar disorder. ...
So true. Now let's really throw a couple of heavy monkey wrenches into the delicate watch gears. BP, mania, depression, autism, epilepsy, etc. etc. often are comorbid with ADHD. A low level bug will throw errors up the stack screwing up many higher level functions.
just a thought, and i'm sorry it didn't come to me earlier (lots of recent stress... my dad died of cancer after fighting it for 10 months, haven't been able to properly grieve because i've been 24/7 helping my mom the past month, very sleep deprived, have two kids - ages almost 4 and almost 2 - my husband seems to think i should be over it by now.... oh sorry, venting now.... wrong board for that! ANYWAY...)....
have you ever tried any other form of ADD medication? i've heard that if you feel a rush with adderall, or get palpitations, or get those "coming off it" feelings, that adderall is the wrong medication for you. i've been on basically the same dose of adderall (fluxtuating between 20-40 mgs a day) for more than 10 years and (after the typical dry mouth, insomnia, and no appetite side effects wore off - took about a month), the only thing it adderall has ever done for me is help me focus on my day. NEVER got the "rush" feeling or the "coming off it" feeling, or palpitations, or anything like that (except with XR). i did have to lower my dose after being on it awhile - from 40 to 30 to eventually 20 mgs - which is another thing i have heard about adderall being wrong for a person. if after awhile you feel like you are "used to it" and need a higher dose, it's probably not the right medication for you.
ADD medication is supposed to teach your brain to learn how to function properly. i don't know if it can really accomplish this or not, but i do know that after being on adderall for so long, i have had to lower my dose so that i don't "hyperfocus" and get OCD about things (i get bad OCD when i have too much adderall). i have fluxtuated with my dose because i've quit taking it for pregnancies and nursing. i'm back down to 30 mgs again (from getting back on after my 2nd child) and this is in the midst of all the stress i mentioned previously, so my brain must be VERY slowly learning something!
ANYWAY.... i am rambling, sorry! point of ALL that is that adderall just might not be the right medication for you. have you considered trying something different? maybe a non-stimulant? i don't know anything about all the medications, but i have heard that there are plenty of new ones out there. might be something to look into?
Im on day 2. I took my Adderall at 10:30-ish and around 12 noon to about 1 I had some pounding, or maybe rapidly beating heartbeat for about an hour. No chest pain or anything but my heart was beating pretty strongly and my pulse was around 120. I havent had anything to drink today except bottled water. Yesterday I had 1 Diet Coke and it made my mouth even more dry.
Either way I feel about the same as I did yesterday. Actually I got home from work yesterday and went through a huge pile of medical bills (I had emergency gall bladder surgery in June), called them all today and set up[ payment arrangements! Then I got all of my credit card bills together and called them to get lower interest rates and play the "balance shuffle game" I think I definately have more focus now, even though it is a little preliminary.
is pounding heart beat and rapid pulse considered a "normal" or "serious" side effect??? every drug i have ever taken that lists pounding or rapid heart rate as a side effect has them listed in the "serious" side effects category. i don't remember about adderall (i've been taking it so long, haven't looked at the drug information in years!), but make sure it's okay before you take anymore!
My condolences on the loss of your dad. And I want to commend you for helping your mom.
Your post has some very insightful points that I want to underscore.
For the past several months I have been discerning a reduced need for stimulant meds to function adequately. I suspected that the stimulants actually have been training my brain, as you put it, but having never heard of such a thing, I was very reluctant to accept what was becoming more and more obvious. And, yes, it is a very slow process. But what a break through. The truth may be that stimulant meds can CURE ADHD. It could also explain why some children/adolescents "grow out" of their ADHD. WOW. We are talking "the world ain't flat afterall" level discovery.
Another point that you made that I wanted to make several times but could not articulate it is that I don't feel a whole lot different on meds or off. I can, however, much more easily stay on task, resist distractions, manage frustration, make decisions and shift course mid-stream when necessary.
Adidas,
I got to tell you, man, I am fearing for you. When I started stimulants both my heart rate and blood presure dropped. That is a paradoxical reaction easily explained. I felt in control of my life again hence the drop in stress levels offset the small boast in pulse rate and blood pressure to be expected with a stimulant. I never experienced palpitations. If your pulse of 120 was at rest and you are having palpitations be very concerned about an undetected heart problem that the Adderall is "warning" you about.
Dude, be careful. I know where you are at. My shrink was worried about my heart and too much Adderall. I told him "I don't care about my freaking heart. I can't take this ADHD [expletive] anymore." He believed me. But said, "once we get you stabilized you be glad that I didn't kill you with the cure." Smart pdoc, my pdoc is.
Know what I'm saying. I hope so.
Bob
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcr285
just a thought, and i'm sorry it didn't come to me earlier (lots of recent stress... my dad died of cancer after fighting it for 10 months, haven't been able to properly grieve because i've been 24/7 helping my mom the past month, very sleep deprived, have two kids - ages almost 4 and almost 2 - my husband seems to think i should be over it by now.... oh sorry, venting now.... wrong board for that! ANYWAY...)....
have you ever tried any other form of ADD medication? i've heard that if you feel a rush with adderall, or get palpitations, or get those "coming off it" feelings, that adderall is the wrong medication for you. i've been on basically the same dose of adderall (fluxtuating between 20-40 mgs a day) for more than 10 years and (after the typical dry mouth, insomnia, and no appetite side effects wore off - took about a month), the only thing it adderall has ever done for me is help me focus on my day. NEVER got the "rush" feeling or the "coming off it" feeling, or palpitations, or anything like that (except with XR). i did have to lower my dose after being on it awhile - from 40 to 30 to eventually 20 mgs - which is another thing i have heard about adderall being wrong for a person. if after awhile you feel like you are "used to it" and need a higher dose, it's probably not the right medication for you.
ADD medication is supposed to teach your brain to learn how to function properly. i don't know if it can really accomplish this or not, but i do know that after being on adderall for so long, i have had to lower my dose so that i don't "hyperfocus" and get OCD about things (i get bad OCD when i have too much adderall). i have fluxtuated with my dose because i've quit taking it for pregnancies and nursing. i'm back down to 30 mgs again (from getting back on after my 2nd child) and this is in the midst of all the stress i mentioned previously, so my brain must be VERY slowly learning something!
ANYWAY.... i am rambling, sorry! point of ALL that is that adderall just might not be the right medication for you. have you considered trying something different? maybe a non-stimulant? i don't know anything about all the medications, but i have heard that there are plenty of new ones out there. might be something to look into?
Just to throw my two cents in. I was on Vyvanse but it wasn't working for me (newly diagnosed ADD), it helped a little at first but after a couple weeks it wasn't doing anything. So my doc started me on Adderall XR 20 mg. She said to take one for a few days and if that didn't help to try two 20mgs. Whether I took one (which didn't help enough) or two (first day today, taking two) I have had a rapid heartbeat like my chest is pounding. I have just assumed it was normal considering this is a stimulant I am taking and my body isn't used to it yet. If it continues then I'll contact my dr. But the 2 seems to be helping today. I'm able to focus and get my work done!
An increase in heart rate by about 10 bpm (beats per minute) is probably not something to be concerned about. A heart rate of 120 bpm is something to call your doctor about.
In addition, the feeling of your heart pounding most likely indicates a significant increase in your blood pressure. Need I describe the risks associated with high blood pressure?
You do what you want. If it were me, though, and I had a pounding heart beat at a rate of 120 per minute, I WOULD NOT take it without talking to my doc!
There are known cardiac risks with the stimulants. While the risk isn't as high as some alarmists would have us believe, the risk is there and shouldn't be ignored.
You may love it or you may hate it. 
Re: Adult ADHD.. alittle embarrassed.... 
Re: Adult ADHD.. alittle embarrassed.... 
I did only drink Propel today a 2 bottled water. My mouth was (and still is) dry and I feel parched, but I know thats a side effect of Adderall. 
