I've been taking Concerta since December (27 mg) and seemed to focus better on that. However, the dr. prescribed Adderall this week, with the idea that this second drug also has antidepressant and energizing qualities (I also have major depression). I took 10 mg of Adderall XR this morning, and I've felt kind of groggy today, and it's now 8:30 p.m. and I have a dull ache in my forehead area - i.e. a headache. Does Adderall stay in the system long enough for this to be causing my headache? How long should I stay on this trial of Adderall to see if will actually provide more benefits than Concerta (I'm going to see the dr. Tuesday to check in with this qst., but wondered about other people's experience). Part of me just wants to toss out all the drugs (I'm also on Prozac) and just go back to relying on exercise. I managed to overcome bulimia/anorexia without pharmaceuticals, so I wonder if some things just run their course. Guess I'm feeling a little frustrated...

According to the medicine info inserts provided by my pharmacist about Adderall, it can cause headaches/migraines, as I had experienced, on this, my first day of taking the medication. If you're on Adderall XR, it lasts 10-12 hours, so it's possible that a headache may develop later on. I took my dose today at about 11:00am and didn't have a migraine until about 4:00pm.

I'd give it another few days before talking to your doctor about other forms of treatment. However, I think it all depends on how you feel about the medication; your gut instinct.

If the concerta was working for you, go with what works. Also, are you sure that the Prozac you're taking is helpful to your depression? I had a horrible experience with Prozac and have found Wellbutrin to be a lifesaver.

I have depression and anxiety and add so I'm kind of in the same boat as you with some symptoms.. My doctor started me on adderall 10mg xr first, they gave me headaches and like you said made me groggy, then he gave me which I believe was adderall 20mg xr (I say I believe he gave me, because it was so long ago I forget the dosage) my headaches went away but I was still groggy and ansy.. Finally he prescribed be xr 30 mg which did the trick. They kept me feeling good all day long, I lost pretty much all my anxiety, add, and depression.. So maybe you need an increase.

- he also have me ativan for when I get anxiety which brings me out of the hole.

- I used to take cymbalta for depression by itself and it worked great .. when that and adderall were combined down the road they did not mix and made me groggy and angry all day. My doctor said they shouldn't interfere but they did and he stopped the cymbalta for me. I started lexapro soon after same result so I got off of antidepressants and I feel great. So maybe what you take doesn't mix right with the addrall especially since adderall helps with depression.

Keep in mind also cause these affected me a lot like they do with others.

- don't drink Pepsi, coke or caffeine of any kind. Drinking Those and other caffeine drinks with the adderall seem to give me me depression symptoms again and make me all tired, groggy etc.. Which I could make go away by drinking a few glasses of water.

-water is your friend. The more water you drink the better it will work.. As soon as I may start to feel tired I drink water and it seems to make the adderall kick back in for me....( I know others say that caffeine can help boost the adderalls strength back, but for me it doesn't so I'm going to guess its depression related. Then again I'm not a doctor, just tryin to relate) I'm not lying when I say I probably go through 3 gallons of water a day.

- watch your sugar, IV noticed for me if I eat a candy bar I start to feel tired and groggy again, so limit the intake .

- take multivitamins before you sleep. Adderall takes a lot out of you so take them when you sleep to put them back in lol

That's from my own experience having some of your symptoms. Hope it helps you cause addrall is amazing

Thanks for adding your thoughts...I went back to the Concerta on the advice of my dr. and think I'll stay with that for the timebeing. He's also suggesting we look at a change in the antidepressant - suggested that I might try a mood stabilizer like lamictal (sp?). I've never been on those and don't know much about it - sounds more heavy duty than the SSRIs...or are they just different? He mentioned that possibility because of my family history of bipolar disorder, though that's not a condition I have - no mania, just deep plummets of mood - but this has been a particularly stressful period with resigning from my job and other shocks.