Hey everyone, I started on Adderall XR 30mg recently after an increase of 10mg and 5mg IR supplementary pills to be taken as needed:

Anywhoo, here is the problem: The initial doses of the XR 30mg were fine (except after the first - really talkative, almost like a coke-cola overload!) I have been experiencing extreme lethargy. I cannot for the sake of anything, wake up! It is extremely difficult to start my day now. Before on the 10mg XR, I was waking up exactly at the time I needed to. Now not only is my internal clock ineffective, but my body seems to be extremely exhausted. I do not overload my body with tasks throughout the day. I do not abuse the Adderall in anyway. The funny thing is, even though I am experiencing this terrible exhaustion, during the second week of being on it, it was perfect. I feel that XR 30 is the dose that has the efficacy to aid me for the time I need it (The 10mg XR + 5mg IR was too little and wore off too fast).

Do I need to step down a dose? Maybe to 20mg XR? Please this is a huge cause for concern.

Thank you very much - and lastly I do know that this is a matter best discussed with my practitioner.

Sleepily yours, Jono

P.S. The following should be useful information!

-18 Year-Old Male
-I'm drinking plenty of water (I know this stuff dehyrdates you)
-I do try to eat regularly, although my diet does have junk food (i.e. Fast Foot places, sugary cereals, etc - my parents don't have the time to cook and my abilities are bad to say the least)
-I maintain a sendentiary lifestyle, so my primary sources of exercise is walking, and a little bit of push-ups.

~Medication History~

MAR 06 - Cylert 27.5mg DISCONTINUED
MAR 07-APR 07 - Adderall XR 10mg
MAY 07-JUL 07 - Adderall XR 10mg + 5mg IR (as needed)
AUG 07 - Addearll XR 30mg

Hey Jono, I can relate to what you describe very well. Adderall was the only stimulant medication to ever cause me to experience a feeling of sedation. In fact, it made me feel like I had been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

You're exactly right about discussing this matter with your practitioner.

All I can share really is what I did to correct this problem for me. I chose to try other medications with my Dr's approval.

I went from Adderall to Dexedrine, and I was shocked at how much differently it worked for me. It was like night and day compared to Adderall.

However, over the years I have chosen to try all of the other stimulants (except Vyvanse & Daytrana) in an effort to find the best drug for me. From my experience, there are 3 drugs that work better than the rest. Those drugs are Desoxyn, Dexedrine, and Focalin.

Desoxyn, and Dexedrine are usually used after a person has tried other options first, but Focalin is rapidly gaining its place as a first line approach by many Dr's out there.

Not only did Desoxyn, Dexedrine, and Focalin work better for me than the other stimulant drugs, but they also were the most therapeutic for me by offering the lowest incidence of side effects compared to the other prescription stimulants.

Each of us can and often do respond differently to these drugs, so what works best for one person may not work best for another. I hope you keep us posted on what you and your Dr decide to do next.

How much sleep do you get?

(I'm not talking about you specifically, but generally: ) If you're relying on Adderall to keep you awake, then when you crash you will feel lethargic. People use amphetamines to stay awake, which is okay for a day or two. But if you sleep 6 hours everynight and rely on Adderall to get you through the day then you need to get some sleep.

Adderall makes some people 'calm' when they take it; it slows everything down so they can focus. You may interpret this as 'lethargic'?

Another thing to think about - the 30mg may be too much. Stimulants....stimulate your body - keep you 'going', keep you awake. In other words - the Adderall may just be 'wearing you out'.

You may want to drop down to 20mg (which is the 'middle of the road' dose, and maybe take a supplemental dose later in the day (like 10mg)).

How much sleep do you get?

(I'm not talking about you specifically, but generally: ) If you're relying on Adderall to keep you awake, then when you crash you will feel lethargic. People use amphetamines to stay awake, which is okay for a day or two. But if you sleep 6 hours everynight and rely on Adderall to get you through the day then you need to get some sleep.

Adderall makes some people 'calm' when they take it; it slows everything down so they can focus. You may interpret this as 'lethargic'?

Another thing to think about - the 30mg may be too much. Stimulants....stimulate your body - keep you 'going', keep you awake. In other words - the Adderall may just be 'wearing you out'.

You may want to drop down to 20mg (which is the 'middle of the road' dose, and maybe take a supplemental dose later in the day (like 10mg)).I don't use Adderall to keep me up or to wake me up from lack of sleep. I've read a little bit of amphetamines, and am taking various prophylaxis' in order to reduce any long term effects of taking Adderall. I usually get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep, however with the lethargy it was getting close to 12-14+ hours I believe.

However, an update! The extreme lethargy has seem to subsided. Maybe it was just further adjustment to the higher dosage --although I don't like leaving things to chance.

I don't use Adderall to keep me up or to wake me up from lack of sleep. I've read a little bit of amphetamines, and am taking various prophylaxis' in order to reduce any long term effects of taking Adderall. I usually get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep, however with the lethargy it was getting close to 12-14+ hours I believe.

However, an update! The extreme lethargy has seem to subsided. Maybe it was just further adjustment to the higher dosage --although I don't like leaving things to chance.

Good to hear that it's over! I'm actually experiencing a lot of lethargy/tiredness myself and I can't figure out why..My doctor upped my dosage from 30 mg of adderall xr to 40 mg...and he said that if it gets the point where I feel tired then maybe the 40 mg is too much? So maybe if you take too high of a dosage it can casue you to become tired..

If you take to much your body is going to be going faster than you think it is and you are doing to be getting tired but with the adderall you wont be aible to notice it untill it wears off and then everything catches up to you. I would say slow down or reduce the meds.