I have been on Adderall for about 4 weeks now. Started off at 5mg; felt absolutely nothing! After trying for a week, I called the Dr. She said go ahead and take 2 (thus 10mg). I have been on that for about 2 weeks. Felt it might be helping a bit; felt a little bit more focused, alert but not energetic, a tad less prograstic(is that a word) and actually got a few things completed. However it seemed to fade off and be completely gone by around 1 (I took it around 8).

I ran out for two days (doc was out of town. I was told only she could write the script for more). This is when I realized that it was helping in the mornings, more than I expected. But felt about the same in the afternoon.

I feel awkward asking to up the dosage, but feel I need to. I am feeling very little effects, and the effects I do feel fade away quickly. Problem is I am even more tired "foggy" and get even less done in the evenings.

I know it takes time to get the titration right, but did anyone else feel strange asking for a higher dosage? And when you did get it right, how did you know?

Thanks for any responses!

I just stated taking 10mg. After what I read about this stuff I was thinking I was gonna be another person. My expectations of the drug are dissapointing to say the least. This is a controlled substance?? I've felt better putting an extra half teaspoon of coffee in my cup in the mornings. I read where some feel like their heads have cleared up and can focus and feel wonderful. For me, I can tell there is something working in the background but very minimal. I tried another 10mg a few hours later for a kicker and it feels like a very cheap speed at best. Does this mean I really don't need this medicine? Does it work differently on people? I see where some folks are taking up to 40mgs almost for starters and a 5 or 10 mg kicker in the afternoon. Oh yeah, I don't want to ask the Doc for more cause it seemes she was reluctant to give it to me to begin with. Now I'll feel like a druggy asking for more. Keep in mind I've never done something like this before and for 28 years of my working life, I've been subject to pee or hair testing, so it isn't like I'm trying to find a way to get a buzz.:D

Yes, I fell the same way on 10mg for a month now. When I go to a grocery store my attention is everywhere, and I must concentrate hard to pay attention to what I'm doing and while I'm concentrating, I am continually maintaing a focus as well of blocking out distractions in order to retain a focus which is directed by my will.
Does that make sense to anyone??

The meds at 10mg seem to help.Because of that reason, thats why I think I need a higher dose.

10 is pretty low to begin with.

Yeah, I'm not alone on this. I too want to ask for more, but am reluctant to ask for more; due to exactly what you stated...I don't want to seem like a druggie or something. I just thought it would help me regulate my mental energy. Which always seems to be too low and leaves me in a fog, or too high and unable to concentrate on anything thanks to my head racing after different thoughts. This is leaving me unable to finish many things at work, and beginning to cause relationship problems with my wife thanks to me starting many projects and finishing none! From what I have read this is suppose to help. So far the 10mg is doing very little. I did run out for a couple of days (doc was on vacation) and really felt like I was in a cloud worse than with the meds. But there is really little difference other than that.

For those experienced with this...what exactly did the meds do for you? What should those of us who are new to this, expect from them?

Im an inattentive, normally im tired, fatigued, bored easily and in a perpetual day dreaming state. The meds have helped me be more active and productive and brought me out of my day dream/fog. I take 40mg of adderall daily.

Thanks DB, yeah; that's pretty much me as well. Especially as it relates to my home life at school (my work) I'm very extreme! Either too energetic or too tired, fatiqued, day dreaming state. I will definetly talk to my pscy than if you're on 40mg...cuz the 10mg isn't doing much of anything for me. Do you take the 40mg all at once in the morning, or is it spread out over the day?

Two 20mg doses about 6 hours apart.

I use to take 60mg Adderall XR once a day! (However, I weigh 210 LBS)

Only 5-10 mgs of Adderall would have had about the same effect as a pot of coffee on me! Pretty much a waste of time!

I can't imagine any adult taking less than 20mgs! (Well, unless you only weigh 100 LBS or are very sensitive to medications!)

Good luck! :)

I take 20mg in the morning, and 10mg every 4 hours afterward (usually 3 times). I found that taking them at the same time every day (ie "6am" not "upon waking") played an important roll. I felt weird asking for an increase, but it was worth it.

Thanks for the support guys. I really feel strange asking for more, but since all of you are taking two, three, and even six times more than the 10mg I'm taking now. I don't feel as bad. Thanks!

Do you think I should take two of the 10mg pills I have thus making 20. Or should I tell my pediatrician about this forum and how even 20mg seems to make little difference and perhaps asking for even a higher dosage?

Well this is my second time around with adderall and I'll share what I know.

20mg was my starting dose the first time, and I began with it about 3 weeks ago again.

I would say that for me, 31 5'7" 170 lbs., anything lower than 20mg isn't effective for treating an Adult with ADD/ADHD; especially if it is in combination with feeling chronically fatigued (which is my situatation). Even with XR, taking a single dose at 20mg at 6:30am-7:00am will only last till around 11:00am or 12:00pm. If you feel good with the 20mg for the first part of the day, then I would recommend that you ask to increase to a second pill taken around mid-day at either 10mg or 15mg (can't remeber if XR's increments) and possibly even 20mg.

I can tell you that the first time I was on Adderall I eventually reached a dosage of 30mg per day (I believe 1 pill at 20mg in the morning, and a 10mg at mid-day as to not keep me up at night). After about 8 months in, I now believe my body got used to the Adderall and I felt that it might not be working anymore. I too was affraid to ask for a higher dosage, and I had changed doctors around the same time. This doctor eventually convinced me to ween off Adderall all together. He thought that anxiety and slight sleep apnea was the cause of my fatigue and concentration issues. Well I can tell you that after a year off Adderall, that doctor was wrong. And I feel I waisted a lot of time suffering again for no reason.

I am currently back on Adderall, and have started at 20mg. I can feel the effects begin to wear off at about mid-day. On my next appointment I will ask to have a second pill at 10mg - for now - to be taken at mid-day. I know that my body may begin to build up tollerance to Adderall again, and at that point I will ask to increase. When Adderall is used to also treat symptoms of chronic fatigue an narcolepsy it's not unheard of for people to be at or above 40mg per day. I think the max I have heard of is about 60mg per day. I don't ever plan on having to take that much, but I will never allow myself to be affraid to ask my new doctor for an increase, when I know how I am feeling.

This second time around, I am also going to take care of my body and physical health better than the first time. I realize now that Adderall isn't the all-in-one cure for my illness. So I will use the opportunity to exercise more, and eat healthier foods. I honestly believe from what I went through the first time - that without changing my lifestyle habits - Adderall itself may cease to work as well in the next 6 months.

Without Adderall, my life was a again a train wreck of unproductivity, tiredness, crankyness, depression like symptoms (I also take 50mg of Paxil per day), and ever increasing withdrawal from normal life. So I believe it is an important tool and medication, but I would also recommend that anyone who is on it, be sure to make the most out of feeling normal again and get exercising. While you may need to increase dosage (especially at low starting levels), it's important to not just rely on the medication alone; as your body may eventually build up tollerance to it.

Sorry so long. Good luck, and Hi to everyone here!

Thanks for the info. That makes complete sense to me. There is not such thing as a magic pill, which I completely understand. But I have also been on 300mg of wellbutirin and that has helped tremendously with my depression.

Well maybe the low dose is part of the problem. Like you SDspedTEACHER, I hate to go back in a few weeks and ask for more. Then you feel like a druggy. I've only done the 20mg, 10 about a couple hours apart and it really didn't do much. Talked with a Pharmasist(sp) and he told me don't ever tell your doc you tired more to see if it worked better. So I'm in a rock and a hard spot. I tell the Doc it doesn't seem to be working and I might be told "Well maybe you don't need it". Who knows. I hate to say I read the ADD boards, seems it is an insult to them when you bring up what you read.

I am currently on 20mg twice daily. Dr didn't say when to take second dose so I have been trying for the last month to find out when it did its best for me.

I take my first dose around 7 but it doesn't seem to last more than 4 to 5 hours. I tried taking the second dose around noon, but by the time the pm comes around I am very nervous and edgy. I adjusted the time for the second pill to help me get through the evening so I wouldn't bite anyone's head off so I took the second pill around 3 or 4. This seemed to help; however, it did make sleeping difficult. In between the time when I need to take the second pill, I feel very tired, but I make myself go since I know I'll be alright when I take the second pill. So I'm ready to ask for an increase as well. I would prefer to take one pill that last all day instead of taking so many different doses throughout the day. I thought being on xr would last longer.

We all seem to have the same concerns about being a druggy. It's hard for to accept the fact that we need this med and feel ashamed of having to take it.

Stimulants are new to me. I have always gone by what I feel and did the patience thing to see what was happening. In the past with meds if they were not working or making me feel worse, I would always be on the phone to the doc telling him what was going on. Sometimes they would say stick at it, other times they would say ok go up a bit or down a bit depending on the situation.
If have found this way at least I am being honest and upront with the doc and if he shows signs of mistrust in me, then I drop him. I have found after much experience (not with stimulants of course) that only I know what is really working and thedocs go buy certain standards, averages and criterea.

I picked up my new script recently for dex and the starting dose is 30mg a day.This is what he recommened. Even I thought that was a lot from what I have read. 30mgs all at once first thing in the morning with food.Bit scared at first.
The pharmicist said to me when I picked up the script.." You probably should take 3 first up and then 3 at lunch" with a kinda woah dude ,thats a pretty liberal script type of attitude...

I have had no experience with stimulants, so did not know what to expect but on good doctors orders took the 30mgs as directed. I think that for me he was right. Its only day 5 so... time will tell...

Also my new pshyciatrist is a very renowned and respected specialist in this fieldd so I have to give hime the benefit of the doubt ...right??

I thought I'd jump in on this one:).

SDSped...,

I'm going through almost exactly the same thing. I'm taking 5 mg three times a day. (15 mg mixed amph salts total each day)

The first 2 to 3 days I felt more alert and motivated, but not now.

This morning (about 1 hour after I took my first dose) I felt like someone had slipped me a muscle relaxant. I can't say that the feeling was bad (I was completely relaxed), but I had no mental edge. I was spaced out, "slow", and really inattentive (which is what I'm trying to cure). It took 3 cups of coffee to just feel semi-normally awake.

I'm about 6 ft and weigh 230 lbs---I'm not a small guy:rolleyes:.

My doctor also made me feel guilty about asking to try the adderall, and I feel strange asking for more. So.....I just keep taking the dose and augmenting it with a fair amount of coffee????


Lunar.....

I am feeling the same way as you are SDTeach! I am on 5 mg 2x a day and I still don't feel like it's helping so much anymore. I take 10 mg right when I get up in the morning and then I feel like poop when I hit about 4 pm. I just know that I can't even feel a difference when I just take 5. I need like 30 mg a day would be my guess. I too don't want to ask the doctor for more because I feel like a druggie asking for more. Even though I am small, 5'5 120lbs, I don't feel that the dose is theraputic enough. I go back Oct. 5th, so I will tell him that it's not working anymore and I need a higher dose. It just feels funny to ask. But I guess if I tell him it's not working, that's not really asking, right?

I'm going to talk to the pscyh tomorrow and go ahead and ask. I do feel awkward asking for more, but at this rate it's pointless to keep taking the 10mg XR in the morning; it does nothing at all for me. The coffee thing doesn't really work for me because, while it certainly helps at the moment, the "crash" is terrible (my headaches are tremendously painful).

Yeah it does suck I am going to do the same. Just say you are still the same and don't notice any inprovement. That is when my doc usually raises the dose. Good luck!

Here's my feelings about doctors:

I only had one doctor that made me feel awkward about me asking him to increase the med. And that was because he was my family doctor from when I was a kid and I could see he wasn't up to date on the latest medications and he wanted no part it managing meds for depression and ADD. He actually came out and said exactly that. So I changed doctors, and for a while I saw a seperate doctor specializing in adult ADD for my medications.

I have no reservations about asking for what I think is right. I've spent too long not feeling well to be concerned about what the doctor might think I am doing. I don't abuse my medication, and so there is no reason for me to suspect that my doctor may think I am. It if it ever came out like that, I would address it; and if it were still an issue I would change doctors.

For years I suffered with this, talking to my regular doctor with no answers or results. I pretty much diagnosed myself with ADD and then sought out a specialist and my instincts and own understanding of the condition were validated.

I think that we all need to stop worrying so much about what we assume doctors may be thinking. If you aren't trying to abuse the medication and you are feeling that you may need to increase slowly, then it should be something that you can comfortably discuss with your physician. If you aren't comfortable than either you need to change your own thought process on this, or change your doctor if the relationship isn't working.