I am 19 years old and just recently have been diagnosed with adhd, since fifth grade they have know that i have a learning disability and they suggest i look into adhd but i refused. Anyway just recently(five days ago) I accepted the idea and began taking 18 then 36mg of Concerta in the morning and 10 mg of Ritalin in the evening, however I have notice no difference in my concentration level and it just sort of made me tired even while it was supposed to be working(It made me a usually energetic person sort of just bore with everything and not really want to do things that I usually enjoy). So I was thinking that next time I went to see my doctor I would tell him that it isn't going to work and I am just going to stop taking the stuff in general. Though it is weird to me because a few times before I realized that my adhd was as bad as they said I had tried both Aderall xr and Ritalin La and they worked great(i had plenty of energy and was able to focus with only the side effect of dry mouth and loss of appetite which I don't mind.), though nothing below 20 mg of Adderall worked. So I was just wonder what other peoples experience with concerta, adderall and time released Ritalin. Personally although I have only been prescribed concerta and Ritalin i vastly prefer adderall and realize that in order for things to work even though I haven't been on them long I need bigger doses then most people(I have taken a large dose of Ritalin before 40 mg it worked but it made my throat sore instead of just dry like the adderall and was slightly less effective then the adderall.) One final note is before I was actually prescribed anything when I tried them I thought the medications were great as I liked the way that I was able to deal with my impulses better and I was able to do work so much faster then I had ever before, know i'm starting to think that I don't like them and will not take them all the time like the doctor suggested. So let me know also what is a good course of action for me to take. I apologize for the length and the all overness of this it took me a while to write and I didn't do it all at the same time.

I'm curious on a few things.

Why did your prescription increase, *double*, in a matter of five days instead of finding out if the initial dose worked?

Why are you willing to give up and quit taking anything if you've taken something you felt worked in the past.

(I'll overlook the fact you took medication that wasn't yours because I'm positive you've realized that was WRONG and a big fat no no and if you try to explain that situation to your doctor and expect him to hand a 19 year old a stimulant you've taken illegally in the past... good luck.)

Frankly, from what you've posted, I'm concerned about your stimulant relationship. I don't know. It's only one paragraph and short on detail, but if you passed any of that info onto a doctor, he'd laugh you right out of there.

If you're genuinely concerned about treating your ADHD, then giving up after 5 days isn't a good start. Finding the right med the first time is rare.

Also, what sort of reaction are you getting from your larger dose that assures you need a larger dose than other people? How are you defining "it worked"? A 19 year olds version of a stimulant working might be different than a 30 year olds.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not saying you have a problem with stimulants. However, taking stimulants that weren't prescribed to you and saying you need a larger dose than other people just sounds bad.

I hope that makes sense and if you could offer a bit more insight (preferably in multiple paragraphs) we can offer better advice.

first off I can say I don't have a problem considering they suggested them to me when I was little I just refused thinking they would just turn me into a zombie and they wouldn't work.(It was quite easy for me to get the medication and would have been because I have and have had a documented history of adhd symptoms that have effected my life) They didn't explain to me that they weren't all bad and the day you stop taking them the effect would go away. But anyway it does make sense for him to increase the dosage so quickly, you know right away if it is working stimulant work right away they aren't like antidepressant or things that need to get into your body(also just sort of wondering its not my expertise but what would make you question a Psychiatrist who went to medical school and deals with people with Adhd and prescribes medicine all the time).
My point with saying I had tried it before is that I have experienced them doing there job of making me more normal and allowing me to focus an d I know that he said everybody need a different amount and I would like it to start working right away because things are getting worse(not the symptoms but the way that they are affecting my life negatively). So i guess I didn't mean to say other people I was just saying I notice no difference in focus or impulses while on 36 mg of concerta.
It terms of more information I really don't know what you want the concerta and Ritalin are doing they are literally doing nothing and I'm not about to increase the doses without my doctor telling me, but I don't feel like wasting money as my insurance doesn't cover it so I don't feel like taking to little because there is no point in pay for the medication if it isn't working. Also I am wondering why you would question a medical doctor

I personally would not hesitate to question a medical doctor for several reasons. First I'M the one ingesting what they are giving me. Not all doctors are superheroes only working for the better of mankind. Many doctors are quite guilty of pushing a particular drug simply because of the incentives he receives from pharmaceutical companies. Many doctors are not always aware of newer technologies and advances in medicines.

Just because they have M.D. after their name does not mean they know everything and are perfect.

If you need the meds to work right away, "things are getting worse", why then would you feel your solution is to stop taking meds all together? (as you noted in your first post)

If you've tried something in the past that worked, why don't you ask your doctor to change your prescription to something that worked? Since you're convinced he's an expert, (wondering how I could question him) why aren't you asking him these questions? None of us here on this board (that I'm aware of) are psychiatrists.

Perhaps I'm confused about what exactly it is you're seeking advisement on here? If the concerta/ritalin combo isn't working for you, then tell him they aren't working and ask your doctor to prescribe something that worked for you in the past. Giving up meds all together simply because the ones you're currently taking aren't working doesn't seem a reasonable solution since you've said "things are getting worse". :confused:

as a side note: just because you have a documented history of ADHD does not make it ok to take someone elses prescription.

I'd get tested for that mystery LD the school mentioned you may have in Grade 5.

Why?

There is a high probability that you will continue to have life (school/work/career/social) issue arising from your LD, until you identify it and learn how to compensate for it, with increasing self-knowledge. (IME)

It is a terrible thing to go thru life frustrated and underachieving and not know 'why' (or 'what').

thanks for the advice and with regards to my Ld I know what it is I was tested and have a full report with all the test and suc