i started focalin xr 10mg about 2 weeks ago. the 1st couple of days i actually felt a little "sped up" when i took it (on an empty stomach), but after that, i started taking it w/food, & that went away.

but, the past week or so, i have felt REALLY tired a few hours after I take it, i want to actually fall asleep. can a stimulant medication actually cause drowsiness? i don't know if maybe this isn't the right med for me, or if this is normal. it doesn't really seem to be helping at all w/my add. i'm still having problems zoning out, & don't seem to be concentrating any better.

Did you start with the regular Focalin, or the XR? Are you hyper or just innattentive?

i'm on the focalin xr. i am fidgety, but not hyperactive. i was diagnosed inattentive.

I am very interested in Focalin XR as my next treatment option if Adderall XR keeps giving me issues. I think sometimes any of these meds can cause drowsiness depending on a couple of things. It may take a few more days for your body to adjust and the dosage may be incorrect for you (high or low). Either one could be the cause.

Keep us informed.

J

What issues are you having with adderall XR?

i will definitely keep you informed. i am hopeful that maybe it will just take some time, or maybe the dosage needs to be adjusted. i've heard promising things about focalin, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed :o.

i'm curious too, what problems do you have w/adderall? b/c if the focalin doesn't work, i'll probably have to try something else.

As for Adderall XR I"m up to 50mg a day. Way too iffy performance if I have any meals at all. It works great if I eat nothing (or close to it) but then again I only get 6 hours at most from each dose. My doc doesn't want to go any higher than 50mg so he said Concerta is the next step if I'm not getting decent coverage on Adderall XR.

When I first bumped up to 50mg I was getting some bad effects from increased agitation. Very hair trigger temper for the first week or so. That has no slowly subsided.

I've never tried a methylphenidate med so I really don't know if I will get better benefits or notice any differences (good or bad).
J

update: the focalin didn't really work for me. it didn't help my focus or concentration, it just kind of made me feel anxious, esp when i worked up to 20mg. my dr wants to switch me to provigil.

fyi: provigil is a medication that is primarily used for narcolepsy but is used for adhd as well. Provigil does have a website if you type provigil in google you will find it. This leads me to a suggestion box that Provigil should be a subsection in the AD/HD Medication subforums area... I hope all goes well for you...

Andy...

thanks andy :). unfortunately the provigil didn't really work for me either. my dr had a coupon for it so at least it didn't cost me anything. I haven't gotten around to talking to my him about what else to try. it's kind of discouraging, but I know there are a lot of other meds out there, so i'm hoping i'll find something that will work.

Wow. Keep us informed please. Sounds like the next step may be dexedrine or desoxyn.


J

i'm not very familiar w/dexedrine or desoxyn, but at this point, i'm willing to try just about anything. the following through on actually contacting my dr is another issue :o.

Dexadrine is a different form of Adderall I belive... Not sure...

yes and no to the dexedrine/adderall relationship. Dexedrine is pure, 100% d-amphetamine. Adderall is a mixture of 4 amphetamine salts in which 1/4 (or 1/2 can't remember?) is d-amphetamine. The d-amphetamine is the part that acts centrally on the brain for ADD stuff. The other amphetamines in Adderall (l-amphetamine) also works on the brain but have a greater (and sometimes more negative) effect on the body with issues like rapid heart beat, blood pressure.

For some people dexedrine works better and smoother than adderall. For others its the other way around.

Desoxyn is the other option but go for Dex first I'd say.

Lars is the real pro on this stuff though.

J