My psychiatrist wanted me to try out ritalin first, and dexedrine after that. I've been on dexedrine now for 10 days and I think it is gentler than ritalin, although ritalin was working really well too. I still have to see how dexedrine behaves at work, starting tomorrow :)

One thing that I noticed puzzled me though, all the more since I only read about sleep problems here. I think dexedrine is actually making me sleep better. I got up at 7 a couple of days ago, took my first 7.5 mg, took a shower, and then decided to go back to bed since I still was a bit sleepy and did not have anything special to do.
It was strange to be able to observe the dexedrine cutting in like that. I was trying to fall asleep again. I have this sort of guided-fantasy routine that my dad taught me as a little girl .. putting all my stray thoughts away in a basket and finding a safe and friendly place (he had ADD too).
I needn't do it this time. I felt my thoughts calming down all by themselves, the jumping-around stopped and I felt totally relaxed, snug and easy. I fell asleep and had a wonderfully quiet and deep sleep for 2 hrs before my alarm went off at 9.

Do any of you experience this sense of peacefulness on dex and / or ritalin as well? As if all worrying stops?

Do any of you experience this sense of peacefulness on dex and / or ritalin as well? As if all worrying stops?
Well, during the first 10 days, sure. I remember feeling things were a little better than they actually might have been.

Most refer to this as a "honeymoon" period, or various other terms which equate to how a drug feels before a person becomes "aquanted" to it, or develops a "tolerance" to it (jeeze I hate to use that term around here), or becomes "acustomed" to it.

In either case, once you get a "feel" for the medication, and for how it "effects" you, then you will be on your way to finding out the proper dose, and perhaps you may find out whether or not its actually the medication for you.

I look forward to hearing more about your experience, and I hope that you are able to keep us posted as to how everything unfolds on that end.

Peace,
Lars

Most refer to this as a "honeymoon" period, or various other terms which equate to how a drug feels before a person becomes "aquanted" to it, or develops a "tolerance" to it (jeeze I hate to use that term around here), or becomes "acustomed" to it.Is this specific to Dexedrine because it sure isn't the case with other meds prescribed for ADHD?

Is this specific to Dexedrine because it sure isn't the case with other meds prescribed for ADHD?

It's been my experience with each of the prescription stimulants.

That has been my experience on Dexedrine as well. Easy to get up, easy to fall asleep, no racing thoughts, no fidgeting, no need for guided imagery (mine is climbing down a sea wall to a warm soft white beach where the waves slowly reach up :)). However, once the Dex starts to wear off, watch out. Rebound. Sleep, and the need for sleep, becomes very elusive. It's an issue right now with my partner who keeps wondering why I wait until one or two in the morning to climb into bed.

Yeah, I noticed the rebound as well. Much more pronounced than with ritalin for me.

Most refer to this as a "honeymoon" period, or various other terms which equate to how a drug feels before a person becomes "aquanted" to it, or develops a "tolerance" to it (jeeze I hate to use that term around here), or becomes "acustomed" to it.

It's been my experience with each of the prescription stimulants.
I've only taken the stimulant Ritalin and even though it's been twelve years, I still remember what it was like the first few weeks and it wasn't like my honeymoon. Mind you, I've only ever been on one honeymoon so perhaps my frame of reference is severely limited? :D

Somewhere I have a detailed journal about my Ritalin beginnings and I remember writing about mild headaches, blurred vision, disorientation and sensitivity to noise - rebound symptoms that disappeared once I was on a regular dose through the day. My son's MD knew enough not to "ease" him onto the Ritalin and just told him to take one dose every four hours / three doses per day.

Everyone reacts differently to drugs and medication.

After taking Adderall XR for a while, I began to wake from sleep with a feeling of restlessness, perhaps akathisia or restless legs syndrome. Now, keep in mind my sleep throughout my life has been horribly restless and filled with lots of tossing and turning, movement, etc.

Well, after trying a variety of sedating drugs, movement, etc I found the solution was to... take more Adderall (or dexedrine, now). I can literally feel when the drug kicks in, because the restlessness dies down and it's very much a peaceful, relaxed feeling (enabling me to go back to sleep).

That rarely happens now, but yeah... I certainly felt something similar in a way. And I am ADD/I not ADHD. It also happened to some degree during the day when I first started taking methylphenidate/Ritalin. However, I do not notice it anymore.

Think getting a dopamine agonist at night would be more effective, Frangible?

The conceptual answer is clear -- you rebound at night, and dopamine is needed for relaxation, too. It just (usually) comes in a stimulating package with dextroamphetamine.

I bet at least mild RLS is really commonly found with ADD, more than we know. I didn't discover mine until I started putting myself in majorly relaxed states with massager/meditation ... and then I noticed my legs clenching up, and I bet this is one reason why my sleep quality has always, always sucked so long as I remember.

I am not restless at all, at least not physically (I do have the fog of many thoughts, associations, jumps etc without meds). At the outside, I'm really slow and sluggish, and my sleep has never been really bad .. at least not after I learned the guided fantasy thing from my dad. But on dexedrine, it is even much better. I has a deep and peaceful quality that amazes me.

at least not after I learned the guided fantasy thing from my dad.
This sounds so intriguing that I have to ask about it. :o

Would that be a lucid dreaming technique?

This sounds so intriguing that I have to ask about it. :o

Would that be a lucid dreaming technique?

oh gosh no, much more down to earth .. I was maybe 5 at that point.
My dad had ADD as well so, although he did not know it by that name, he knew what my problem was. I just could not fall asleep so I would get out of bed complaining that I "could not stop thinking". At first he allowed me to fall asleep on his lap while he and my mother were talking .. that was so soothing, his deep voice buzzing through me. I can still summon that feeling. And then, after I fell asleep, they'd put me to bed. But apparently I liked that so much that he tried another approach.

It was two things: one was to imagine a basket in which to put all the thoughts that kept me from sleeping, so I would be sure to find them again in the morning.
The other thing was to imagine a safe place and a way to get there. I must have seen a movie or tv show playing in Switzerland because a mountain meadow with a stream was the ultimate peaceful place that I really wanted to go to .. and I made my bed into an airplane that took me there. I remember looking out from under the blanket to the landscape sliding past and usually I was fast asleep even before I arrived.
This gave my mind something to keep itself busy. Instead of the usual buzz it generated pleasant images and emotions, so that allowed me to fall asleep quite easily.
And it really worked. Well, it still does. I still do it.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss
:) oh gosh, I love Dr Seuss ... I'm from Europe and never read his books or seen the videos as a kid .. it is so funny and true at the same time, it makes me totally happy.

oh gosh no, much more down to earth .. I was maybe 5 at that point.
My dad had ADD as well so, although he did not know it by that name, he knew what my problem was. I just could not fall asleep so I would get out of bed complaining that I "could not stop thinking". At first he allowed me to fall asleep on his lap while he and my mother were talking .. that was so soothing, his deep voice buzzing through me. I can still summon that feeling. And then, after I fell asleep, they'd put me to bed. But apparently I liked that so much that he tried another approach.

It was two things: one was to imagine a basket in which to put all the thoughts that kept me from sleeping, so I would be sure to find them again in the morning.
The other thing was to imagine a safe place and a way to get there. I must have seen a movie or tv show playing in Switzerland because a mountain meadow with a stream was the ultimate peaceful place that I really wanted to go to .. and I made my bed into an airplane that took me there. I remember looking out from under the blanket to the landscape sliding past and usually I was fast asleep even before I arrived.
This gave my mind something to keep itself busy. Instead of the usual buzz it generated pleasant images and emotions, so that allowed me to fall asleep quite easily.
And it really worked. Well, it still does. I still do it. Thank you for explaining that to me. That sounds like such a subtle, and yet at the very same time profound technique. I look forward to sharing that with some close friends I know who happen to have a young daughter who is currently having the same problem falling asleep. I will let you know how it turns out. ;)




:) oh gosh, I love Dr Seuss ... I'm from Europe and never read his books or seen the videos as a kid .. it is so funny and true at the same time, it makes me totally happy. I could not agree more about him being so funny and true at the same time. I have always adored his work, and it has been one of the few things that has stuck with me all these years from my early childhood. In fact, I find that I enjoy some of his work much better the older I get. :o

One of my favorite works of his would have to be, "Oh, The Places You'll Go." I have found that to be a such a wonderful gift for anyone graduating from one thing (high school, college, medical school, etc), and then going on to something different. From what I have learned about it, that was one of only three books that he actually wrote for adults out of a total of over 40 children's books.

Concerta effed my sleep all up.
Adderall certainly didn't help with my insomnia at all. Had to be careful how late I took my last dose but that usually wasn't a problem since I tended to just take it for school. If I got going and did a lot of physical stuff on it like cleaning I'd sleep ok though.

With dex, yes I do feel it has actually helped my sleep cycle. I'm able to function better during the day (but without the restlessness of Adderall) and I get minimal if any rebound then I find that I'm actually ready to go to bed a good bit earlier than normal for me (I have pretty bad sleep issues). I also find it generally easier to get up in the morning. It doesn't give me extra energy or anything. Just eases me into the day better. And I think my quality of sleep has improved so I'm more recharged and ready to go. Also, I feel more capable of handling things and taking on the day so that helps a lot.

I do notice a difference on days I don't take it as well.

It doesn't stop all my worrying but I'm definitely more clearheaded and more able to put the worrying aside long enough to perform necessary tasks and concentrate on other things. I don't think anything will ever totally stop my worrying. For me, that is an unreasonable expectation. I'm working on it though. Working on learning to let things go and detatch from unhealthy things and people and not waste energy on things I have no control over. It's *******' HARD though. I'm a BIG worrier.
But I digress... :P

Thank you for explaining that to me. That sounds like such a subtle, and yet at the very same time profound technique. I look forward to sharing that with some close friends I know who happen to have a young daughter who is currently having the same problem falling asleep. I will let you know how it turns out. ;)

:) :) :) :) :)