Alright, I just wanted to give an update on my ADD and the medication that I was given. I just want to begin saying that I myself am not 100% on the idea that I have ADD, but the doctor thinks so and I am giving the medication a shoot. I do not have any impulsive factors in my life, like I know allot of ADD people do. I am very compulsive, but not impulsive, but like the doctor was saying, that might help out with impulsions. My dad has been diagnosed with ADD about a year ago and is taking 30mg Adderall XR and has results. My brother also has ADD and I have never had any doubt about that, he is very impulsive, has always struggled through school because he wasn't able to stay focused. I was diagnosed with ADD a few months back because I started to realize that I have always had troubles focusing and storing information in my memory. I did alright in school, but always struggled because I couldn't focus on the material that I was learning/reading. For example, I could read a very short paragraph about 5 times in a row and turn around and do a basic quiz on the little material I had just read and I would say about 75% of it is lost and not stored.



Anyways, I was started off at 5mg of Adderall XR, well every three days I was increasing the dose to an additional 5mg. Well after time I got up to the maximum dose that the doctor wanted me to try which was 50mg and still felt no effect. I felt such side effects such as dry mouth which began at about 35mg up until I quite the 50mg, and would get dizzy if I stood up quickly when I was on 45-50mg, so we decided to try another medication. I was then prescribed to the extended release Ritalin. I started out doing 20mg and then every 3 days would increase it by 20mg increments until I reached 100mg or felt side effects. Well it did nothing for me other then again making me have a dry mouth. I got up to 80mg when it completely made my body feel like hell. My muscles where tense and sore and my body was completely drained and weak...was the same feeling as not eating for a whole day. I gave it a few days and it still resulted in the same side effects. I stopped taking it and called the doctor. Well now I am on Dexedrine (http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=31) and it is not the extended release. I am suppose to take two doses each day. Today I started taking 10mg X 2 daily, two days from now I am suppose to increase by 5mg X 2 daily, and then after that every three days I am suppose to increase it another 5mg X 2 daily until I reach side effects or change.

My question is, could it be that I have a very high tolerance to these medications?. I have quite a bit of stories on ADD medication and people always say that if you were to take it to late, there is no way in hell you are going to get sleep that night. Well I was taking 50mg of adderall XR at noon and would come home after work at 4pm and was able to take a nap if I wanted to without any troubles. Also are there other pills that maybe don't have the same chemical that most ADD medication is made with (sorry I can't remember the name)? Maybe I could be some what immune to it. I guess my main question is it common for people with ADD to not have any results at all like me with some medications, but then there might be other medications that work extremely well?

My doctor gave a good point a few weeks back and was saying if I am not feeling it kick in or wear off then it must be to low of a dose for me. I do have this correct when I say that a person with ADD or not, should see results when taking this medication right? I know there are college students that do not have ADD that are taking this medication so they can stay up at nights and also it keeps them focused. Sorry, just a little overwhelmed with taking this medication thinking it would cure my focusing problems and it has done nothing but take time and money and has given nothing back other then some side effects.

thanks,

That is a lot of Dexedrine. I only take 5 mg at a time. I find lower is better for me.

Medication hasn't been a "miracle' for me either, as it does not solve my Executive Function problems.

Really high doses of stimulants, will make you tired and cause tight muscles, as you say. You may also get short of breath, diarrhea, stomach cramps, headaches, etc.

It sounds like you are concerned that maybe you don't have ADHD?

You mention compulsions. That suggests an anxiety component to me.

Anxiety problems can cause attention/memory/learning issues in daily life that looks like ADHD.


(I think there is a lot of diagnostic overlap. Rigid DSM categories cause people to be overdiagnosed, or underdiagnosed with various 'labels', excluding other possibile 'labels' or 'shadow syndromes'.)

The concern with taking stimulants when there is an anxiety problem present is that stimulants can make anxiety problems worse via Sympathetic NS activation. (Stimulants activate the SNS.)

Noone with anxiety feelings likes a burst of adrenaline or other sympathetic hormones/neurotransmitters.)

I do have high anxiety, that I do not doubt, but I have had troubles paying attention and focusing it seems all my life, just ignored it most of my childhood. I do have a small doubt that it could be something on the lines of stress, but I have to start some where.

My theory is that I dont feel the medication kicking in or wearing off, even on a high dose. Having ADD or not, I always thought I heard that it will work for anyone. I know there are college students out there without ADD using it because it makes them more focused and also keeps them up at all times of the night. So they must feel some what of a rush to make it so they are not able to sleep, this is the most common symptom I have heard from most ADD users and I have never felt that way. I have been on 50mg Adderall XR and have taken it at noon, got off work 4 hours later and layed down and taken a nap without any problems.

Just wasn't sure if there were other medications out there that are made without amphetamine or Dextroamphetamine. I thought there might be a chance that one I have a high tolerance with one if not both of those or maybe I get no affect with either as well.

Thanks for the help.

Do you drink a lot of orange juice, grapefruit juice, iced tea and colas? Do you religiously take vitamin C in the morning? Acidic foods, esp. Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) nullify the effects (or absorbtion) of Adderall. Additionally, a high-fat diet slows down the absorbtion rate, which means you'd probably feel less with a higher dose compared to someone with a regular diet at the same dose.

Do you drink a lot of orange juice, grapefruit juice, iced tea and colas? Do you religiously take vitamin C in the morning? Acidic foods, esp. Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) nullify the effects (or absorbtion) of Adderall. Additionally, a high-fat diet slows down the absorbtion rate, which means you'd probably feel less with a higher dose compared to someone with a regular diet at the same dose.
Those are some interesting facts that i was not aware of, but I drink water about 90% of the time. Every once and while I drink an ice tea and one day on the weekend I will drink maybe 4-5 colas, since I only drink captain and coke, but that is only one day, all the rest of the 6 days of the week I drink water and once in a blue moon (maybe 1 time a week) I will drink a lemonade or ice tea.

I am 168lbs and am 5'9 which is about normal weight. I normally watch out what I eat and watch my calorie intake.