It seems like the mainstays of stims are Adderall and Methyphenidate (Ritalin, SR, LA, Concerta). Do most docs even know that dexedrine is an option anymore? Maybe they do, but it seems to me it's wayy down on the list of there treatment options for ADHD.

I hated Adderall, Straterra was not impressive, Provigil just kept me from falling asleep, and Concerta is not causing any adverse effects, yet not very stimulating.

I think doctors and pharmacuetical(spelling) companies have each others backs. The doctor prescribes a medicine still under patent, pharmacuetical company makes more money, doctor gets kick backs from pharmacuetical company for doing so. everyone is happy making money except us the patient.

Sorry, don't mean to sound so negative.:)

Dexedrine simply has more of a stigma as a 'street drug'

IR Ritalin is more 'stimulating' but is up n down. Dextroamphetamine is commonly scripted in certain regional areas (downunder Western Australia), New Zealand-hardly ever. I was talking with a large hospital Pharmacist in New Zealands capital, recently, and in over 10 years she had NEVER dispensed it. Most Pharmacies don't even carry it, Ritalin 20, Dex 1-maybe--script.

Of course the US users over 90% of the worlds Ritalin, and Dex is commonly scripted. I guess like everything in medicine it follows fades and fashions with that drug, like all others depending on where and when you live.

If Concerta is not 'stimulating' you enought to your liking try IR Ritalin, very good for hyperactivity, and focus.

It is sad that it has that stigma, b/c it is one of the less VIOLENT stimulants, effect-wise. It is very smooth. I have never had a headrush or euphoria on it. (I think Adderall gave me some euphoria, initially. Ritalin gave me a painful headrush.)

I am still shocked that my doctor gave it to me, but Adult ADHD is about 30-40% of his work, so I think he knows his stuff.

He also knows there is no risk of diversion.

I must say, I do like the new time released medicines, less rebound, and fewer pills to take.:)

my old doctor told me he'd rather prescribe crack than dexedrine but the new one said if that was the 'med' for me than no reason to be on it. I know that most people with ADHD in our area are not able to get an Rx of dexedrine if they tried... they get Adderall... I have been on dex for years and had a rotten experience with Adderall Concerta etc

Dexedrine is known more as a "street drug"? Really? I'm a college student... the population known for selling their ADHD stimulants during exams/finals weeks or at parties (snorting along with alcohol). Yeah, sad these things happen, but true. Anyway, I've barely heard of dexedrine in terms of ADHD or drug-abuse/reactional purposes. When I hear the name I think "diet pill". Hmm...

I have to say this is all news to me. Dexedrine was the first drug I was put on, and the drug I saw immediate affects with. Although I haven't really compared drugs with other ADDers so I really wouldn't know how commonly it's perscribed anymore.

It's a shame that dexedrine has a stigma attached to it. Dexedrine is probably the most under used medicine for adhd. I'm sure for many individuals, dexedrine would benefit the most, with the least side effects. Unfortunately, many people will never get the chance to try it because of negative labels.:(

Dexedrine is the best for me and I've been on the newer version of the methamphetamine 5 mg tabs... (the older gradumet tabs were the best for me) and all of the rest. some people claim dexedrine is bad (the tight jaw)

It should be noted that desoxyn and dex are two differant drugs. Desoxyn (methamphetamine) is becoming completely unheard of and I fear for the people who truely need it. Dex is still present in adderall/generics (mixed amp. salts) in smaller amounts. I think dex is going out of style not only becuase of Shire's marketing machine but also because most people who respond to it also respond to adderall. I have also found it to be more expensive than generic adderall and also harder to find.

My doctor seems rather "old school". It was recomended to me (I was very surprised) because it was said to be "cheap" and I get too many side effects/low efficacy from methylphenidate. So I tried it hoping for good results and I can't see much differance between it and the generic adderall other than the sleep inducing effects. But than again I'm using the barr brands of both that are generaly reguarded as horible. I might try it again later with a differant brand.

Dex does have a very low side effect profile due to lower cartiovascular effects than adderall caused mainly by the levoamphetamine content. In theory one may lose more weight with adderall becuase of the levoamphetamine but in practice it seems most stimulant weight loss is from eating less rather than the stimulant itself.

Dex didn't feel euphoric to me at all really... but than again coffee feels more euphoric to me than most stims.

I do agree that it is perhaps underused and I recomend it for people who find adderall too "speedy". It seems to have a self reinforcing stigma attached to it becuase it's not perscribed often.... for no good reason other than the fact that adderall is perscribed more and thus doctors feel more comfortable scriping it... but then don't get me started on the politics surrounding drug laws. I wish I knew how stimulants felt to non-add people... I simply can't relate to their experiences at all.

methylphenidate can be rather harsh(rebound) when it wears off. I don't know if it's because of the half life or the medicine. Does d-amphetamine have the same rebound? What about Adderall?:confused:

In my experience you crash hard on dex... BUT supplamenting with DL-phenylalanine and B complex took care of it almost completely. It was weird. It would feel like my brain felt fuzzy under my skull. The barr adderall seems to have alot less "crash" than brand. Oh and I should also note that I have only tried barr dex. By the way I recommend DL-phenylalanine for stimulant users as it's used as a dopamine precursor in the body. It's certainly unconventional however but seems to work great for me.

What do you mean by "crashing hard?" If I don't take my dex, I just get really sleepy and I have the attention span of a two year old.

Yha... that would be the crash... brain turns to mush.

i'd say that in the afternoon if i forget to take dexedrine i get really tired. i have a job that requires extremely steady hands, concentration and split second decision-making, so i can tell. but on days when i don't work, i honestly can't tell any difference from 'normal' life. it's a tool that helps me do my job and assess situations accurately. when i don't need it, i don't take it. there are no adverse phenomena. i don't take any other medications to assist with 'side effects'. the last dose is at 4 p.m. even, unusually, if i take a dose at past 6 p.m. i have no trouble sleeping. in fact, when i accidentally took dexedrine at bedtime, i actually slept better than usual. focus on sleep? LOL

dexedrine, imho is an effective medication with minimal side effects. no increase in blood pressure, for example. i'd say that my mouth is drier, i need to urinate more urgently in the a.m., and for a long time my feet sweat a lot but they don't anymore.

The treatment of choice here in Australia seems to be dex first..it's the cheapest too..then ritalin if the dex doesn't work..and then slow release if you can afford it..that's not cheap at all...

Yes I hear it's perscribed alot more in countries other than USA Inc. Oddly enough Adderall is very uncommon if not unheard of outside the states... but then again big phama. practicaly runs our food and drug administration and it's quite the cash cow.

Dexedrine was abused a lot during the 1950's and 1960's. Elvis, Judy Garland, Hugh Hefner, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Jack Kerouac, James Bond (although fictional), and dozens of other famous people (along with millions of normal folks) were addicted to Dexedrine, Benzedrine, and Dexamyl (Dexedrine+Amobarbital). This is why it is considered to be "dangerous", whereas Adderall is new (reintroduced in 1996) and its marketing began with a clean slate. Dexedrine, on the other hand, has been around since 1944 and therefore more stigma attached to it.

Sorry about the rant. Basically, it boils down to marketing and misconceptions. IMO, after taking Adderall and Dexedrine for years, Adderall is only effective because it contains d-amphetamine. The l-amphetamine is basically pointless, causing too many side-effects, but the amphetamine mixed salts had the benefit of good marketing. Most people, if they had the chance to try it, would probably prefer Dexedrine to Adderall due to less side-effects. It's also interesting to note that these large-dose pills only appeared with Adderall. Before that, 5mg, 10mg, and 15mg pills were the only thing available. 30mg pills never existed before 1996.

"Adderall is new (reintroduced in 1996) and its marketing began with a clean slate."---

Not exactly. The four amphetamine salts in Adderall were 'reintroduced and repackaged' in 1996 by Shire to cash in on an ever growing ADD/HD adult market diging up an old 1960's diet pill called Obetrol-which was EXACTLY the same as Adderall-even down to colour:

<TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Brand Name</TD><TD>Generic Ingredients</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>OBETROL</TD><TD>AMPHETAMINE/DEXTROAMPHETAMINE</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<HR><!-- Copyright 1995 - 2006, Healthwise, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1989, Boise, ID 83701. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --><TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>http://www.luhs.org/health/kbase/media/medical/mdx-drugimage/t105301f.jpg</TD><TD><TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Color</TD><TD>Orange</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Shape</TD><TD>Circle</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Imprint</TD><TD>33</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- Copyright 1995 - 2006, Healthwise, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1989, Boise, ID 83701. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --><TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>http://www.luhs.org/health/kbase/media/medical/mdx-drugimage/t105304f.jpg</TD><TD><TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Color</TD><TD>Blue</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Shape</TD><TD>Circle</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Imprint</TD><TD>32</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Dexedrine, an extremely effective med when used correctly, does indeed have the stigma of the above posters comments. It was abused by thoes mentioned and gained a reputation as a 'street drug', which remains somewhat today, althought not as bad as Methamphetamine (Desoxyn)

"Basically, it boils down to marketing and misconceptions. IMO, after taking Adderall and Dexedrine for years, Adderall is only effective because it contains d-amphetamine."

Marketing is what it's about, and why Adderall is promoted so heavily in many different IR and SR doses and colours.

Theres a reason Dextroamphetamine is still widely used (less so now thou-CSA 1970) since it's inception in 1927 by Gordon Alles, is that it's a wonder drug, 5-15mgs banishes fatigue and lifts the spirits of the depressed. It fills the voids of the mind, and brings ones brain to efficency/functionality-when dosed correctly.

That's why I said "reintroduced"...it wasn't that popular before, when Dexedrine and Benzedrine were (hence less stigma). Same goes for Biphetamine, which doesn't exist anymore. It was very close to, but better, than Adderall. My point is that Dexedrine is the second amphetamine pill ever produced, after Benzedrine. Period. This means there is more information on its effectiveness ;also something that stays on the market that long does so for a reason.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

ManinBlack-so your a Johnny Cash fan?, he loved his Dex alright, abused it from 1958-67, was caught smuggling 1000 of em in 65'. He would take 40mgs and go into the desert and the demons would speak to him, they'd say "go on take another 20mgs you'll be ok". He abused large doses of Dexedrine, Biphetamine, Dexamyl-when he had to-the downer in it-but left Obetrol alone.

"Same goes for Biphetamine, which doesn't exist anymore. It was very close to, but better, than Adderall"

Biphetamine (Black Beauties) was a hardened resin matrix of equal D and DL Amphetamine which lasted a full 10 hours, discontinued~1984 due to widespread, media hysteria, non medical use, some say it is the same as Adderall, but old timers who took it say otherwise.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."--no worries:)<!-- / message -->

Dex has been the best med for me so far. I started on Adderall (IR, then XR, then both), that was OK for a bit until I had nasty irritable rebounds + neck/shoulder/body aches.

Tried Focalin XR next, high hopes there.. well thats just what I got.. high. THey made me jittery and jazzed up while trying to focus on something. No thanks.

Landed with Dexedrine 10mg Spansules with the occasional 2.5mg IR suppliment in the afternoon. Nice slow release, (none of this 2 pulsed release) no morning rush, no evening crash most times. (Unless I have a bad day and have to suppliment in the early afternoon with a breakthrough dose of say 2.5mg IR Dex). Yet the gain is I still feel productive at work, getting more work done and wasting much much less time. Still working on getting a little better organized though. Other than these effects, I wouldn't even know I was taking them. They certainly arent 'stimulating.' Now my light box for 20min in the AM, THAT is stimulating..

There tends to be a standard of less pills being the best solution and that is the case in some people (i.e. the leading "Adult ADD" medication is Once Daily Adderall XR) I have a history of taking dexedrine for years and being 'stablilized' for years and that was the only way it was considered legitimate for me. I take 60-90 mg of immediate release dexedrine per day and it is the most 'therapeutic' of any medication I have taken. I need different levels of it in different situations and so short acting gives me the flexibility that the XR meds don't.

at least in the US, it certainly doesn't seem to be a "first line defense" for ADHD. i don't understand why adderall is more popular... it made me too jittery and sick feeling like caffeine. some people report the opposite though, so who knows.

i think adderall only has l-amphetamine in it b/c it was a diet pill and that would help more with weight loss. they prob just were like "hey this has a good amount of dextroamphetamine in it so lets patent it as some new drug for adhd." seeeeriously how much can the levo isomer really work.... levo-METHampetamine is still sold by vicks as a nasal inhaler! no joke. they call it levometafetamine (sp?) though, which is just a sneaky name for meth.

I was diagnosed yesterday for the first time, I'm 32 yrs old and my doc gave me Dexedrine Spansules 10mg/day to start for week one, then move it up to 2 capsules, 1 AM 1 early afternoon. It was his first choice for me because I already have sleep issues and cannot sleep any less than I already do. He said these should be out of my system before 8pm which is great...I need this during the day when I run this brokerage=not at night when I'm home watching tv or walking the dogs.

My doc also told me that he is no longer scripting Strattera b/c of the terrible side effects that the dozen or so patients he's placed on it and had to take off it a month later. He says it's BIPHENTIN, CONCERTA, DEX or WELLBUTRIN

Is it commonly prescribed?

I would say no.

It is not a first line drug. (Although I believe it should be; esp b4 rxing stuff like Adderall.)

It is not a first line drug. (Although I believe it should be; esp b4 rxing stuff like Adderall.)
I agree 100%

I feel that it's a shame that the first line drugs, and last line drugs are more often than not given out in reverse order as it pertains to treating this condition.