Just wanted some opinions on what the best course of action might be in regards to taking my FocalinXR 15mg. I'm only taking 1 a day, and I usually take it first thing in the morning.

The thing is, I just got a new part time job that requires me to be at work at 4 am, and then I get off at around 8 or 10. The rest of the day I like to devote to my other business, and I'm just wondering if I should take 1 before work, during or after? I haven't adjusted to the nocturnal hours yet, and taking it before work helps me to "wake up" better and organize better. However after work I feel tired, drained, and I went ahead and took a second pill today because I wanted to get some work done at the house, I hope I will still be able to sleep ok tonight.

I like the mg of the dose, because it's not too little and not too much. But since the adjustment of my working hours and my sleeping schedule, I don't know when a good time of the day would be to take it, because I'm so used to taking it in the morning, and not so extra early like I've recently begun to do.

Like so many other adults you need way more coverage than Focalin XR is going to provide. It's a 6-8 hour med. Ask your doctor on how to proceed. He/she may do something like:

add another 15mg dose later in the day
add a small IR dose as a booster
switch to a different, longer acting med (probably not good at this point if you are doing well with Focalin).
add Provigil to your daily meds. Provigil is a 'different' kind of stimulant. It only wakes you up but doesn't 'speed' you up. I take it and it works wonders. It is completely safe to take with methylphenidate and amphetamine meds, per the manufacturer website.

J