I recently switched from 20mg Dexedrine to 18MG Concerta.
I am mostly innattentive type ADD. Unfocused, unmotivated, bad short-term memory, useless basically.
Dexedrine worked fairly well for me but it left me with lots of aggitation and anxiety when the drug wore off :mad: and I didn't sleep well comming off of it.

I've only been on 18mg Concerta for a week and it is a sedating drug to me. Not stimmulating or motivating, platau's my emotions and can leave me zombie like at times. :confused:Probibly bad for my creativity but it's hard to test that. BUT no anxiety or aggitation in the evenings. Even pleasent when it wears off.

So now I'm wondering if I were to continue the low dose of Concerta and add small amounts of Dexedrine for the moments when I really need my *** kicked into action and some serious focus. The thought being that Concerta's gentle and steady action might counteract the anxiety that comes with Dex.

Anyone else tried this combo? Or would like to make a recommendation? I could double the Concerta dose to see if it helps motivational/organizational focus I'm missing. Or I could switch to Focalin, as I've heard that it has some of the same effects as Dex.

Thanks!
GL GL

I'm supprised no one has experiences with this.

I've upped my Concerta dose to 2x18MGs. Not motivating like Dex but no agitation or aggression when the pills wear off. Don't know if thats just a trait of Methlphenidate or if it's Concerta's slow release system which seems to work well.

Some have said their experience on Focalin was more like Dextroamphetemine than Methlphenidate.
Opinions please people! Is Focalin more "motivating"?

To the combo: I wouldn't combine any amphetamine with methylphenidate ( concerta ), cause the mph decreases the dopamine-releasing action of amph when taken in moderate doses. ( because amphetamine has to occupy the dopamine transporters for action; if they are more than 50 per cent blocked with mph, amph doesnt work very well )



- Focalin is only an isomer of methylphenidate. I highly doubt it would have very different actions than mph racemic ( ritalin )
But Focalin should be cleaner than ritalin, so it's worth to give it a try.

I myself took Concerta with Dexedrine "boosters" and that combination worked very well. I have opposite responses, however: I find dex to be sedating and MPH to be activating. I took 81 mgs Concerta AM and then took up to two 10 mg Dex boosters.

This is a combo that I also want to try! But like Crazy~Feet I have the opposite experience. Dex is very calming and focusing and can help me to sleep. Whereas methylphenidate helps me to get stuff done.

Unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover Concerta (it only covers ritalin IR, dex IR and then spansules). So...I am going to ask my doctor if I can try a combo of ritalin IR plus dex. I hope he will go for it.

GL GL, how is it going with the meds? If you do try both please let us know how it goes!

I did try taking both at the same time, ONCE. I added 2.5mg dex and I felt like I was going to die. An unpleasant rush that felt like if I didn't get up and move around I was going to get a heart attack. I won't try it again.

It seems like a reasonable idea since what I want is something between Dextroamphetemine than Methlphenidate. But mixing them won't give you that. Dex will release dopamine and Methlphenidate will prevent it's reuptake. While methlphenidate doesn't feel like a stimmulant to me, adding dex pretty much shows that it is, because the stummulating feeling is more than double what dex alone felt like.

If Dex came in a great time release pill like Concerta then maybe Dex would be great for me. As I understand it Vyvanse is promising something similar to this.

Thanks guys!

BTW, Spirit, I am opposite of you. Dex will make me clap my hands and start getting things done. I will jump all over projects that have been waiting to be done for years. I have friends who are like this normally but trust me, this is like a superhuman feat for me. On Methylphenidate I will be able to focus and learn, but I won't get anything done if I'm not directed to do so. I can also space out on Methylphenidate and forget names or words at inopportune times. The people I work with are probably left constantly wondering, "wtf? Is this guy a genious or is he half-retarded?"
Of coarse those with ADHD know the answer, "yes!"