I started on 30mgs of Adderall XR 5 days ago – a fairly high starting dose based upon what I've read on the forums. I don't know why it was started so high, but that's what my doctor prescribed. And, sure enough, the first dose was pretty potent – although I felt more high than focused. Not to mention, coming down from it was a bit grim. I wondered what was up with such an apparently high starting dose. I also noticed that I was looking forward to the next pill – though I never would have said so out loud.

After that first pill, however, the experience of euphoria dropped off surprisingly fast. By day 4, the drug's "kicking in" was virtually imperceptible, and since it no longer felt like I was going up, there was no unpleasant down waiting for me in the evening. That was a good thing.

At this point, however, I began to wonder what exactly Adderall was doing for me besides providing an ever diminishing buzz. I was watching myself pretty closely, observing my actions, and seeing how I felt. I was also scrounging through these forums to see what other people had to say about their experiences. I was a bit concerned because I didn't seem to be feeling much of anything. I hadn't experienced any "switch turning on" moment, nor did I somehow feel calmed (I don't have any hyperactivity to calm - I'm a low-energy, low-activity, inattentive type.)

At day 4, Adderall seemed pretty much like a placebo. With virtually no "going up" remaining for me to enjoy, there also seemed to be nothing left to indicate that it was actually doing something. Nor did there appear to be any unpleasant side effects to keep me occupied. Disappointment was growing because I couldn't honestly claim to notice anything by the way of benefit. My overall feeling towards it on day 4 was pretty much that of indifference - "Um... so Mr. Adderall, what's your next trick? You're looking pretty lame right now."

Today, day 5, was interesting. For the first time, I noticed the drug producing positive results. It was intriguing to me that the delicious but distracting euphoric effect had to disappear completely for me to actually notice Adderall working as advertised.

I think that one reason why I had been finding myself so indifferent towards Adderall was because I was expecting to somehow feel different. My previous experience with a psyche med was an MAOI antidepressant, and it was a very potent mover of feelings. When it worked, I knew it without a doubt, because my feelings radically shifted up and out of despair.

The trouble with applying a similar expectation to Adderall was - the benefits I noticed it producing are not feeling based. They aren't made of emotion. If I can tackle a job the whole way through without becoming mentally fatigued or meandering onto something else, it doesn't feel like happy or sad or anxious. It's just seeing my job through - a good thing, but it's an action, not a feeling.

And this is what I noticed today. I was working on a project and found myself thinking - gee... usually I'd be wanting to take a nap right about now, or else I'd feel restless and want to go do anything but what I'm working on. Weird... hmmmm... this has to be the Adderall. Interesting.

In contrast to what you often hear about stimulants, after a few days they appear to become one of the dullest, most uninteresting drugs I've ever taken - except maybe aspirin. It doesn't really feel like anything - but that's not the point.

I reread the portion of Driven to Distraction where Hallowell describes a patient with inattentive ADD and came across this:
"After this woman was treated for ADD, her life changed. "It was amazing" she says. "I didn't really feel any different, but I started getting all my work done."Anyway, that was my little insight today, for whatever it's worth.

I'm sure that what I posted is old news to a lot of folks on this website. But in taking a stimulant for the first time I wasn't sure what to expect.

The initial euphoria effect seems like a misleading introduction.

Hello spoonbits,

It's good you are trying to get insight into ADD meds as that is your post title. If you are interested I can explain you what I know from ADD meds, althought I have never tried adderall before. The only med I tried is ritalin (methylphenidate). After 3 years of experience this is what I have to write:

First of all, I find your title to be strange. Why? Because for me it was not "getting insight into ADD meds". It was "getting insight into ADD". Meds are almost nothing for me in comparison to the disorder ADD, which is what mastered my life. The meds relieved ADD just a littlebit.

For me, living with ADD is living with total brain fog. If there is anything that can make the brain fog disappear a bit, then it's meds. I can shake my head one thousands of times and it won't make a difference. Or I can bash my head and the fog won't disappear. But meds may actually remove that brain fog a littlebit.

Before I used any meds I didn't even knew I lived in total fog. I knew I was very daydreamy and I did the dishes, but after one hour I wasn't done with a few dishes. Or I would just daydream while doing the dishes. I always knew I was different, but I didn't understood.

Well, you will probably not understand what this brain fog feels like. What's this "fog". Well, feeling bored often and doing stuff very slowly, while daydreaming an entire day is what this being foggy consists of. If I really want to live my life well, I must remove this fog.

I'm not fond of using meds every day, but what should I do? I just want to be clearheaded one day.

The problem is however, that the meds actually barely work. I find them to be weak. So to cope with my disorder, I had to change a great number of things. After 3 years my brain is still foggy, but it's better at least a bit.

When I first tried ritalin I felt about 20 seconds a littlebit euphoric and after that it was gone. Afterwards, I found out I could percieve a bit better. I liked that percieving a bit better very much. Later I found out I could do things easier. Suddenly I could make homework quicker and easier. But it wasn't that I suddenly became a "homework junky", spending hours and hours on homework, but because I could finally think clearly. I found out I could finally think clearly.

Then, later I found out I didn't need to do homework anymore. It became too easy. That's when I decided to attend university.

If I look back on med usage, I would say it had both positive and negative sides. For me, med usage did "save my life". I had very little adverse effects. I eat much more when I was on meds. Still I lost a few pounds.

hi Steven,

I titled it insight into ADD meds (stimulants anyway) because, while I was writing the post last night, I felt like I was having some kind of great big epiphany - I had this idea that I was supposed to feel something on these meds. It's implied in the name "stimulants" - like I'm supposed to feel stimulated or something when I take them.

Thing is, while it seems to be working, I can barely tell that I've taken anything (and virtually no side effects.) The only way I seemed to be able to notice it's effect yesterday was by observing my actions. It seemed as if I was working on things and sticking with it well beyond what is usual for me. (Now that I'm up and about again this morning, I'm actually wondering if I was just imagining that my day was more productive.)

Anyway, it struck me last night that taking stimulants is about as dull and uninteresting as taking aspirin - which is contrary to my recieved perceptions. Last night that seemed like great big news. This morning I feel a bit goofy for having written about it at such length, like I just discovered Inca treasure or something.

I'll have to be on this stuff for a longer period before I can say much more about it.

I titled it insight into ADD meds (stimulants anyway) because, while I was writing the post last night, I felt like I was having some kind of great big epiphany - I had this idea that I was supposed to feel something on these meds. It's implied in the name "stimulants" - like I'm supposed to feel stimulated or something when I take them. Indeed spoonbits. Everybody thinks that if one takes these meds they change into somebody or something else. Or at least feel something changing. But I never saw that happening. I don't think that could happen. We 'think', but the reality is different. The reason I think is that our brain is incredibily complex. You change something in your brain and your brain adjusts to it, leaving zero effect. And the next time these stimulants don't even work anymore.

I'll have to be on this stuff for a longer period before I can say much more about it.
I think you will even get more bored.

Thanks for passing that bit of info along. I just started taking adderall about a week ago, 10mg 3 times a day. The first dosage was like you said, intense, so I cut it down to 5mg 3 times a day, which my doctor said is a little stronger than tapwater. Im now taking the 10mg twice a day but havent noticed any difference. Tomorrow I go for the 30mg. Good luck to you.

I hope you end up having a similar experience to mine, because - no doubt about it, it's quite obviously working at this point. And it seems a bit bizzare - because, I swear, I'm feeling pretty close to nothing from taking it.

But... I very clearly notice myself doing things such as - I'll see something on my bedroom floor and think "That doesn't belong there. It should be on the shelf." Then I'll put it on the shelf. No big deal.

My usual m.o. is to very frequently ignore things like that because it somehow strikes me as a draining laborious effort to do it. On Adderall, doing it isn't fun or exciting - but it isn't the fatigue inducing task it used to seem like. I just do it. What the hell? There's no reason not to do it.

Adderall's advertisement campaign should use Nike's old slogan. Just do it.

If I were prescribing this stuff to someone I'd tell them - o.k., you're going to feel a bit of euphoria when you first start taking it. Don't feel guilty if you enjoy it, but... ignore it. You don't want that. And for god's sake don't try to chase it when it leaves, because it's just a rinky dink little side show. But don't worry, the show's over very quickly. Then guess what? It's boring. I'm sorry. There's nothing entertaining or jazzy about it. It's dull - like antacid tablets. But that's when it starts working. To find out whether or not it's working, notice your actions and behavior and see if certain things have changed. See if you can stay on task longer than you usually do. See if a little household chore finds you thinking - "here's a little something that needs to be done" - then you go ahead and do it.

At least that's what my experience has been like. Adderall isn't exciting. Cleaning my room isn't exciting. But - at least for now - it doesn't seem painful. Just, like, whatever. Ho hum.

This morning I feel a bit goofy for having written about it at such length, like I just discovered Inca treasure or something.
Spoonbits,
I'm glad you wrote at length about this. I completely understand the title of the thead. So often, I miss what's happening because I'm expecting it to be different than it is.

I think that one reason why I had been finding myself so indifferent towards Adderall was because I was expecting to somehow feel different.
I appreciate your sharing your experience and insights as to how it was working for you--because I can relate.

I started adderall about almost a month ago. But at such a low--5mg.-- low dose that it was like I took nothing. When I went up to 10mg. (IR by the way 2x/day) still nothing. No help in focusing, concentrating, or staying with a task. No experience of euphoria, no crashing as the med wore off, nothing.

And this is what I noticed today. I was working on a project and found myself thinking - gee... usually I'd be wanting to take a nap right about now, or else I'd feel restless and want to go do anything but what I'm working on. Weird... hmmmm... this has to be the Adderall. Interesting.
Finally, I'm up to 15-20mg. 2x/day. And, like you described, I kind of "caught" myself focusing on just one thing for quite a while. I really didn't realize it was working until then. Then I was a bit impressed that I'd been getting done what I needed to--not necessarily what I wanted to but that's okay.

I'm still not sure if 20mg. is an optimal dose for me or not. We'll see. I have to remember to be patient. It takes time to find the right dose of the right med. At least it doesn't take as long as it has with my antidepressants.

Anyway, I'm glad you posted this. It reassures me about my experience with adderall so far. Thank you.
I hope it keeps getting better--or that you keep "not" noticing it working (even though it is). ;)
tkj

I appreciate your sharing your experience and insights as to how it was working for you--because I can relate.

Good to hear. I hope you have good luck with it too. It is kind of a cool thing to notice. And I really do notice it now. Yesterday I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it or what.

And, um... yeah, I'm pretty much just sorta blabbin' here. I'm still kind of "trippin" (so to speak) over what seems pretty much like nothing much.

Day 6 here and it's very apparent to me that it's working - even though it's difficult to percieve any other effect from it. I truely had been getting worried that it was totally crapping out. I guess not.

I've found myself doing small tasks around the house today that are such obvious no brainers. And, my god, it almost cracks me up. "Put it away? Wow... who ever would have thought of that?"

And somehow it doesn't really feel like I'm even trying all that hard to do these things - though I haven't started tackling more complex cleaning and organizational tasks yet. I'm very curious to see how things will go when I attempt to make a list, prioritize, figure out better methods, etc.

For the moment, I'm pretty content with just doing things as I come across them and not being all that obsessive about it. My place doesn't have to be rearranged by tomorrow, and man, I sure don't need to be perfect. A little better will do fine.

If I keep blabbing about Adderall like this, I swear I'm going to jinx myself. Because I can only barely feel it in my system, it somehow seems a bit ephemeral - ready to vanish at any moment.

Oh, yeah. I must say that it's nice to have access to these forums.

I spent a good amount of time on days 3 and 4 plowing through old Adderall posts trying to figure out exactly what it was I was supposed to be experiencing by reading what others had written.

It's also nice to be able to relate what's going on because that way I don't feel like I'm wanding into some weird new woods alone. I mean, it's not like I know a dozen people in my neighborhood who have experience with Adderall.

Day 7. Another good day.

And I was thinking...

I doesn't seem that I have more motivation so much as the things I'm doing don't seem to require nearly as much effort as they used to.

For example: Doing a bit of cleaning in the kitchen. I've always had an interest in keeping things up, and on Adderall I have pretty much the same level of interest. Only now it seems like a simple chore that will only take a few minutes and just a little effort. So I just go ahead and do it.