I was diagnosed with ADD a few years ago with a psychologist I was seeing and it was suggested to me that I should try medication. I wasn't ok with that idea because I knew most of the ADD medications were stimulants and I also am a recovering gambler. Naturally I try not to put myself in situations where I might become addicted to any substance. I don't even drink alcohol but once or twice a year.

I was having major problems in all my classes. I would come home and not even study and it wasn't that I was lazy. It was that I couldn't read anything. I would turn the pages of an entire chapter and follow the words with my eyes while thinking about a hundred other things. The frustration just made it worse and eventually I just gave up on any effort to succeed.

After being dismissed from my college and starting new at a nearby community college I decided to try the medication. I found a doctor that specialized in ADD and started seeing him to figure out my problem. At first he put me on Seroquel because he thought it might be anxiety related and it might help me concentrate. Stress free and much more calm, but my attention was still blurry. We decided on trying an ADD medication. He wanted to give me Strattera first but I told him I needed something more fast acting as half of my first quarter was already over and I am quickly losing ground.

He said he felt comfortable giving me Concerta because it is pretty abuse proof and he felt the slow release of medication would help the roller coaster ride that a 3 or 4 dose a day medication would cause. Essentially he wanted to make sure I wouldn't become a junkie, which I do respect.

My eyes have been opened. I felt great for the first month. Originally he gave me 18mg and said to bring it up to 36mg if it wasn't working to well. 36mg worked well but only lasted about 9 hours on average. Side effects were minimal. No lose of appetite (actually gained 2 pounds between doctors visit), no headaches, no problems sleeping. My only complaint was the short acting time of the medication.

My next visit he bumped me up to 54mg. This is working even better. I get a good 12 hour window of concentration. The "jitters" I initially had with the new dose have worn off and I am doing great in my classes. I got a 94% on a Spanish composition 3 weeks after starting the medication. My first two compositions were under 60%. My study time is great too. I study better and use things like flash cards that never worked in the past. I really feel its helping.

However there was one downside when he upped my dosage. I am starting to feel worn down. Tired is too strong a word to describe it. I get the sleep I need but I am not always full of the energy I had even BEFORE taking concerta. Ive done a little research I would like to share and get some answers if possible.

Concerta can over time slowly deplete your dopamine levels. While I have only been taking it for just under two months I feel like I already had a head start because Seroquel limits serotonin and dopamine levels. This is believed to stop "impulses" caused by sudden small increases of both chemicals. So I believe my levels were already lowered and I never got a few weeks to let it go back to normal.

So I went back on the internet to find a solution. L-Tyrosine has been talked about with concerta on a few sources. L-Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine. I have read that taking L-Tyrosine daily with concerta can help get ride of that worn down feeling.

I am now 2 days in on a daily 500mg L-Tyrosine supplement that I eat during my lunch. So far it has worked. I feel better. I wouldn't say my concentration levels raised much but part of feeling worn down distracted me to a certain degree.

I was wondering if anybody else had experienced the same feelings I had and if they have any supplements that work for them. Also is my dosage of L-Tyrosine too high or too low?

Concerta is a wonderful medication. I was very skeptical of taking a stimulant. I worried about sleeping and eating problems as well as worried alot about abuse. I am a impulsive person by nature and was scared that I might not be able to handle it. Since I started concerta my memory is starting to grow again, my impulses have been cut, and my concentration in classes and studying is amazing. I just wanna make sure I am doing the right things for my body.

Hey DP,

After my diagnosis, the first med I was put on was Concerta. I liked taking it in the morning and that was that. But, as these things go, even 54mg didn't really have much of an effect . . . indeed, it made me spacy and sleepy. I'm on Adderall now and it's much better.

I don't know anything about the supplement that you are taking, but I've read enough times that feeling "slowed down" is not uncommon for people taking stim meds . . . these have a sort of reverse effect for we of the ADD. You may have read similar here on this site.

I would urge you to speak with your doctor about this supplement.

Glad you're coming to the site.

Peace

Do you find the urge to Spend or Gamble on stimulants? I do not have a Spending problem normally, but found impulse spending (ebay, etc) started on stimulants.

(Other dopamine boosting drugs (Parkinson's drugs) have been implicated gambling and impulsive spending, I have read.

There is a lawsuit actually pending now about gambling and one Parkinson's drug...

I was sent to a treatment center for gambling 3 years ago, which is when I stopped. Since then I have learned alot about control and urges. Whenever I get an urge to gamble I force myself to remember the times when I did and how I was completely out of control.

I haven't noticed any real urges to spend or gamble more then any other time of my life since three years ago. Some days are worse then others, but I know how to keep it in check. For the most part it really doesn't affect me because even if urges increased a moderate amount I can handle it. Trust me when I say this: If you ever have to look into the disappointing eyes of a parent or loved one after a gambling bing you will never forget it. Every time I go into "action" I just close my eyes and picture it. "Action" is when I am thinking about gambling or excited about something gambling related.

So if your asking me if L-Tyrosine has increased my urges it's probably too early to tell. I will report back if I notice anything but unless it is a sudden extreme urge to do something I normally wouldn't I might not even notice it at all.