This is my first post here. I was diagnosed a year ago with ADHD at 50 years old... by me. So I made an appointment with a shrink to go in and tell him. I made my case and he agreed. I brought my grade 1-6 report cards and 30+ years adult history. I knew just from reading about ADHD and then observing myself for a day. For years I thought maybe I had brain damage from smoking pot in my younger days, you know the walking into a room and not knowing why you are there, putting on my coat and heading out the door and all of a sudden not knowing where I might be going, Constantly passing the exit on the highway, melting the bottom of several pans on the stove because I didn't put any water in them. Unfortunately the list goes on forever. Anyway I have tried most of the stimulants without success. They all seem to make me very tired and unfocused.at small to larger dossages. Adderall XR 5mg..10mg..15mg each makes me tired the more I take the stronger the effect. Ritalin makes me feel awful at any dosage. Dexedrine at 5-10-15 made me feel like i had the flu. Now when I was 17-21 years old I had experimented with speed. I loved it. Meth effected me the way I thought it should. and a diet pill around back then called black beauties made me feel fantastic. From the research i did online it seems it was called biphetamine 20 mg 10 mg dexedrine 10 mg amphetamine what kind of amphetamine I don't know unless it was meth and they were time release . When I found out I had ADHD and the treatment was amphetamines I was excited..Well it hasn't worked out too well. The only thing I haven't tried yet is instant release Adderall. Any one else have similar stimulant experience to share. The other thing I haven't tried is larger doses like 15-20 mgs of dexedrine but I think it would leave me paralized in a chair for a day. My doctor is not much help.I wouldn't care about this stuff except I am self employed and can only function when I have deadlines, and for years have worked through the night to complete a job. I have also been saying for years I can't keep on this way..

Do us fellow ADDer's a favor. Break your post into short paragraphs so that people with short attentino spans and wandering eyes can read it without a monumental effort. You will get more responses that way.

It sounds like your dose is too strong. Some people are very sensitive to stimulants and can get by with as little as 0.5 mg of dexedrine (I read this a while back and still find it hard to believe)....

Try going to a small dose and stay with it for a while. Above all else, talk to your doctor!

If all else fails you can try welbutrin or perhaps Strattera..... they are not stimulants and work well for some people.

ME :D

I'm 48 and I've found I can no longer handle stimulants on their own. When I started with Ritalin I was already taking Paxil (the Ritalin was prescribed to keep me awake). It kept me awake but I also discovered I could focus and concentrate like never before. Without the Paxil I have failed with all stimulants. I've read that increasing your serotonin reduces your dopamine and vice versa. Perhaps keeping the two in balance is the key.