Here's my situation:

I've been on Adderall IR for almost two years now and it has helped me tremendously. This month, I started a new job and my schedule is pretty crazy. I asked my doctor if I could switch to XR because I figured it would be one less thing I would have to remember. Well, I don't know what is going on but all I did was yawn. I was miserable after 10 days so I just stopped taking it. I am aware that there is a 10mg difference but this was not an issue of it wearing off too soon. I was exhausted all morning and afternoon on the XR.

Previously: 1x20mg IR breakfast
1x20mg IR lunch
1x10mg IR around 3:00

Switched to: 2x 20mg XR in morning

1. Has anybody else had a similar experience?

2. Would I be wasting my time to call my doc and ask to switch back to my old xscription even though it hasn't been a month?

Thanks for your input. :)

It may have to do with peak plasma levels or speed of absorbtion.

I've noticed a similar thing.

XR seems to absorb more gradually, which I personally happen to prefer. I've found it to be more sedating, but also a lot better for cognitive effects and helping with impulsivity. I also like that it allows me to take a slightly higher dose with fewer side effects.

You should definitely talk with your doc...one possibility might be to boost the morning dose with a small IR dose, or even with a cup of coffee (presumably the coffee would wear off right as the Adderall took effect).

Like I said, I like the fact that Adderall XR is more sedating, but then again one of the things that I need in an ADHD medication is something to make me talk slower, enunciate, organize my thoughts, not go into long-winded pedantic lectures, and also to keep me calm and not get freaked out by tasks requiring lots of organization. Oh, and it's also the only effective sleep aid for me (as I found out when I recently had to go off it for a few weeks).

That being said, if I haven't had enough sleep, it can sometimes make me nearly narcoleptic, making me one of the few people in the world who cannot use Adderall to pull all-nighters, so I understand what you mean about yawning and feeling like you needed a nap.

But if it's not helping you, then it's not helping you. In the end, that's the important part. It's possible that your doc may ask you to keep taking it through the month just to give it a fair chance to see if it'll help, but if the IR was helping you better than the XR is, I can't see why he wouldn't be willing to switch you back.

The IR with XR combination is something I have done with Ritalin Adderall and Dexedrine and found it to be extremely effective at different times.. my major pref is short acting dexedrine.