i am hoping someone here may have had a similar experience and may be able to comment.

i tried dex when i first was diagnosed with add and felt that it helped, but lasted only a very short time and left me very tired...the rollercoaster made me try ritalin after i reached the max dose we can have here per day...

so the ritalin short acting felt less of a "ride" but left me zombie like- not interested in anything and not being able to concentrate on anything except my computer...the effect worsened as the drug wore off..then lifted for a short while as the next dose kicked in..then back to unmotivated, very quiet and not interested.

so then we arrived at concerta- at my cost- expensive. this comes without the ritalin dosage dips but i am still a zombie.

i am considering going back to dex and perhaps taking it more regularly at much lower doses.

has anyone been through this and experienced the same?...im after a dosage that keeps me calm, but still allows me to actually want to do things.

maybe ive been confusing the short durations of "feeling good" after initial onset of the doses with their therapeutic actions?

will reducing my dose give me the results im after?...is dex a better choice based on what ive written?

man im very confused as when the ritalin wears off i can feel the motivation coming back but cant really go off them as i dont want the impulsivity and emotional lack of control to return...

Tim

I think its very normal if you use a stimulant to have extra energy while on the drug and as you come off it or if you do not re-dose the next day to feel extra tire the next day.

As for as whats the best treatment suggestion for your ADHD issues its hard to
say. You mention the need to calm your mind, I wonder if a different class of
medication or an adjunct to your stimulant use might be useful. Gunafacine
is a non-stimulant that might be useful though I think a common side effect is tiredness.