I am currently on Ritalin. Up to 5x a day of 10mg. Depending on how long I need to study.

And thats the reason WHY I want to switch meds. I cant say clearly if the Ritalin is helping... but I am now somewhat successfully managing a 5 class course load ( I had to drop one) BUT last year (without meds) I was struggling and could ONLY handle 3 classes a semester.

So I guess, its a good thing.

But, I find I still need ten times the amount of hours to spend on studying or doing homework then most people in my class. Because of this I cant get a part time job if I wanted to, because, I would be too worried I wouldnt have ANY time to keep up with all the work.

Ritalin helps me get past the discouraged feelings, the procrastination, the boredom etc, of my studies... but it doesnt help me "be aware" of what I am learning , and it doesnt help me "learn faster" I still feel really slow.

I was considering mentioning Dexadrine to my doctor next time I see him, but, Im not sure if he will think I have a good enough reason to wanna switch, plus, I dont want him to think I am like eager or anything.

Would Dexadrine help with the studying? I still feel like there is a "fog" or something that is over my brain which is preventing me from being /learning as well as I know I can... like when I want to learn :p

Advice please and thanks?!

Im so glad I can ask these things on these forums... I dont what I would do without you guys! :D

Just ask your doctor. Remember your doctor works for you, not the other way around. I currently take Adderall XR 20mg but found that it wasn't lasting much longer than 6 hours which didn't help for the late afternoon and evening hours. My doctor simply asked how long do I need the coverage for and told him 12 hours would be ideal. He just said to take an additional 20mg tab in the afternoon.

I haven't tried Dexedrine (which is the 'cleaner' chemical cousin to Adderall) since Adderall has worked well for me. Another option is to maybe try Focalin XR (which is the cleaner version of Ritalin). You could even goto the focalin xr website and print out a free 1 month trial coupon.

I am personally waiting for the newer version of Adderall to hit the shelves. Supposed to last up to 16 hours (probably only 10-12 really) and it is in final phase approval with the FDA.

J

hey, thanks for the reply.

Focalin is a cleaner version of Ritalin? hmm.. I wonder, I dont even see a topic on focalin.

I wonder too, that I dont think Methylphenidate works that well for me. It seem to only help with getting my homwork started. I still take a long time to finish it, and I seem to take longer to understand things that I have to learn.

Is Focalin better for this? I heard medications that feel like they "clear the mind of all the fog" I still have alot of fog with Ritalin (maybe more at times) My main goal is just to clear the fog, so I can grasp things easier.

Would Focalin help with this? Or Dex?

Thanks again.

I have only ever tried Ritalin, so I have no exp with other drugs..

It's hard saying if one drug will work better or not. I've only ever tried Adderall XR but from reading the countless threads and posts on this forum and a few others one thing is certain is that everyone is different and nobody reacts the same way to any given medication.
Focalin is basically the same drug as Ritalin but in modified form. Ritalin has a "left and right" side chemical form that causes effects on the brain (good thing for ADD) and the nervous system (speedy heart beat, pulse, headaches, etc..). Focalin has only the good part of the chemical so it is supposed to effect only the brain (ADD issues) which is why the recommended dosage of Focalin is approximately half what a dosage of Ritalin should be.
Dexedrine is the 'cleaner' amphetamine. Adderall contains dexedrine but also the 'dirty' forms of amphetamine. Some people swear by Dexedrine others by Adderall.
One thing for certain is that there's no way I could handle your 5 pill a day dosage. I'd either forget to take them or get tired of it. I am considering asking my doctor about trying Focalin XR for a month just to see if it offers any improvements over the Adderall XR I'm currently on.

Good Luck and keep us informed about your choices.
J

From my experience both Focalin and Dexedrine helped clear the fog.

Both of these drugs represent the right side of their respective molecules. Focalin (dexmethylphenidate) is the right half of the methylphenidate molecule, and Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) is the right half of the amphetamine molecule.

Ritalin is similar to Adderall in the way that these drugs contain both sides of the methyphenidate and amphetamine molecules. For instance, Adderall contains both the dextroamphetamine (right side of amp molecule), and the levoamphetamine (left side of the amp molecule), along with two amphetamine salts (I think). In a similar fashion Ritalin contains both the right side, and the left side of the methylphenidate molecule.

The right hand side of each of these two molecules has significantly more CNS (central nervous system) effects than does the left hand side of the molecule. In contrast, the left side of the two molecules has significantly more PNS (peripheral nervous system) effects than the right side.

I am curently using a free trial of Focalin XR. I found the link to the coupon at their site. From my experience it's substantially better than any other form of methylphenidate, and has been the most therapeutic for me too.

We all respond differently to these drugs, so it is important to remember that this is just my experience.

well first i doubt your doc will say yes unles syouve tried one or two more things first but if she does just tell her the truth, plus make sure you are trustworthy thats what my doctor said and guess what i got a RX for dex (but then again it was the ONLY thing i had yet to try) right now i take (3) 15mg XR pills throughout the day (1) morning (1) lunch (1) evening, she was nice and said she knew the XR only lasted about 6 hrs so thats why i got so much. i think i will like this...