hi all!

i started using adderall 20mg XR last week and have been feeling side effects im not sure i want to deal with. dont get me wrong--while the med is working, i am so attentive and driven now! but...the side effects.. i am pretty much ready to go to my doc and talk about other options. without knowing anthing about adderall, she just gave it to me. now im doing all sorts of research about it, including other meds.

these are the side effects i been having on adderall for one week:
hangover on the rebound
headache
anxiety--had an anxiety attack while not on it yesterday
upset stomach
sores in mouth? on tongue? sore throat--despite drinking at least a gallon of h2o a day.
INSMONIA!!!

of all the side effects, i would say the anxiety is the worse. of course the hangover and insomnia sucks too...

next time i go back to my doctor, i want o be given some options of meds to take, so now i ask...

in your people's opinion, what are the differences between adderall and focalin? i have heard that focalin is easier on the body--is that true? at least for anxiety.

is there a potency difference between the two? does one normally keep you more attentive than the other at the same dose?

when i google all the meds, they all say the same side effects, but i want to know if one med is known for less side effects than others.

thx!

I think you should follow your instincts about going and talking to your Dr.

Most people experience some type of side effect or another from these drugs more often than not, but what you are describing sounds to me like something your Dr needs to know about for sure. Your Dr would want to know if what he/she prescribed for you was not working out as well as you both had hoped it would, especially if it's your first use of a prescription stimulant.

Please follow through on your feeling about talking to your Dr. I hope that you can keep us posted on how this unfolds for you.

I feel alot of similiar side effects....especially the anxiety touches home with me....was expecting a more relaxed euphoric feeling. Its almost like I needed a Xanax. Maybe I can get back on clonopin to help with the anxiety.

adderall contains 75% of the effective (dextro) isomers of amphetamine, while focalin is dextro-methylphenidate (only the right-handed, or active molecule of Ritalin). "Worst Pills/Best Pills" lists Focalin as:

dexmethylphenidate (FOCALIN, FOCALIN XR) (https://www.worstpills.org/member/drugprofile.cfm?m_id=34)
We list this drug as a Do Not Use drug because it has no advantage over similar drugs with longer safety records (generic Ritalin, methylphenidate)

Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine salts, 3-1 effective to non-effective levo (or left-handed molecules). DextroAmphetamine contains only the effective stereoisomer of amphetamine, and has fewer side effects.

To correctly establish the diagnosis of ADHD requires the use not only of medical but also of special psychological, educational, and social resources. Many children diagnosed with ADHD actually have problems that are primarily caused or worsened by inadequate teachers, unsuitable educational settings, or by problems with their parents. Similarly, many adults diagnosed with ADHD may have interpersonal problems that need to be dealt with by psychotherapy.

adderall contains 75% of the effective (dextro) isomers of amphetamine, while focalin is dextro-methylphenidate (only the right-handed, or active molecule of Ritalin). "Worst Pills/Best Pills" lists Focalin as:

dexmethylphenidate (FOCALIN, FOCALIN XR) (https://www.worstpills.org/member/drugprofile.cfm?m_id=34)
We list this drug as a Do Not Use drug because it has no advantage over similar drugs with longer safety records (generic Ritalin, methylphenidate)

Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine salts, 3-1 effective to non-effective levo (or left-handed molecules). DextroAmphetamine contains only the effective stereoisomer of amphetamine, and has fewer side effects.

To correctly establish the diagnosis of ADHD requires the use not only of medical but also of special psychological, educational, and social resources. Many children diagnosed with ADHD actually have problems that are primarily caused or worsened by inadequate teachers, unsuitable educational settings, or by problems with their parents. Similarly, many adults diagnosed with ADHD may have interpersonal problems that need to be dealt with by psychotherapy.

Worst Pills/Best Pills is a pile of bullsh*t, btw.



OP - Different meds work for different people. That's what makes this whole med thing so dang hard - what helps one person can make the other a miserable mess.

I can tell you that, in regards to Adderall/amphetamines vs. Focalin/methylphenidate, methylphenidate tends to stimulate the peripheral nervous system more than the amphetamines. Basically meaning that there's a higher chance of physical side effects with Focalin/Ritalin/Concerta etc.

Personally, I've tried Adderall XR, Vyvanse, Focalin/Focalin XR. Focalin is by far the most effective for me. Adderall and Vyvanse put me straight to sleep.

But the only way to know what will work best for you, is to try the med. Your doctor will try and prescribe the med he/she feels is more likely to help you than the next one.

focalin works well. I take ritalin ir , was on concerta ... too much drama , dumbed it down and back to normal

I noticed blurry vision when I took it, but I don't sleep well so attributed it to that. My head-shrinker also told me that drinking coffee with it is probably not a good idea because of potential jitters, and I am already a little anxious normally so she doesn't want me bouncing from the ceiling when I am supposed to be getting some serious work done. I am a little disturbed reading that it has not been tested for use longer than 6 weeks, what am I supposed to do after that?

Focalin and Adderall work in very different ways. One may work for someone and not another. Try both to see what helps you. There's a reason why they have different kinds of meds that work different ways. Talk to you doc and try the other med.