Hi everyone, this is my first post and I am so happy to have found this place.

I was diagnosed at 9, parents wouldnt medicate until I turned 14 and was about to enroll in a school for the severly learning disabled (although my i.q. is 142) I was put on ritalin, hated it, never saw much benifit and had terrible headaches so I took myself off about 6 months later. As an adult, I started to hear about a.d.h.d. for the first time, mostly negative stuff like "in only exists in America" or "It is a label for kids who are to smart and creative for this lousy school system" all that...

I really waffled around around in my 20's, wouldnt go to college because I had such a terrible track record with school, got fired from every job I have ever had...the whole bit. I would often take myself to therapists to try and work on emotional issues (which I had) but what really bothered me was this "thing" this part of myself that didnt work...I always thougt once *this* happens or once I like myself better or try harder IT will go away.

It might seem odd that I never put it together but you see, this was before the internet was in everyones living room. I though ad*H*d was what I supposedly had as a kid but I certainly didnt have *H* anymore and anyway I had never heard of adult add.

After many years of really working on myself, examining my issues and doing a lot of self improvement, I came to a realization that I definatly was NOT depressed, I didnt dislike myself to the point of self sabatoge, so WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME??? I took myself to another therapist, told her exactly what the problem was and she said "Were you ever diagnosed with adhd"? A-HA Im sure many of you could imagine what I felt like at that moment....

I did NOT want to go on stimulant medication...I remembered how much I hated the ritalin. I was given strattera which I was very hopeful about but after 6 weeks I still had side effects and saw NO improvement so I stopped. While I was deciding what to do next I became pregnant. I was sad to put my add issue on the shelf, but so excited to be a mom. I knew I would be breastfeeding for a while so I just forgot about it for 2 1/2 years.

I recently stopped breastfeeding and knew I HAD to get on meds. Now I have a responsability to my child and I dont want him to live in my chaos.
I tried strattera one more time, gave it 2 weeks and broke down...I would try stimulants again. My Dr first had me try focalin, the "new" "improved" methalphenidate with less side effects. I experienced NOTHING but a headache. The headache would start soon after taking it and last until it wore off. I started at a VERY low dose and ended at a low dose and the only diffrence was more or less of a headache. It was less of a headache I used to get on ritalin, but still, I saw NO benifit. I mean...I really dont get it...people ABUSE this stuff..? So I called my Dr and she switched me to adderall.

I will admit it...once I decided I was going to try stimulants I was excited about addreall. I really did not want to be "high" all the time, but I have read/heard so many stories about the miracle of adderall. Euphoria, extreme cognative enhancement...sure! Ill try it.

My instructions were to take one 10mgXR the first day and I could up it to 3. The first day I could see how it would be helpfull but I could definatly tell I had not taken enough. Next day was pretty great, I didnt have euphoria, I wasnt reading Joyce, but I got off the couch and did what I needed to that day. I felt some discomfort, anxiousness and sleepiness and headache when it was wearing off but once it wore off I felt fine. Like it was just out of my body. Next day less side effects but less effect as well. And now here I am, 6 days into this and I DONT FEEL ANYTHING!!!!

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??? How can I be taking so called *speed*, this drug that is supposedly so in demand, and NOT FEELING IT? To clarify I am on 3 10mg XR taken all at once. I can feel the drug in my body, but I dont feel any of the positive effects. By that I mean motivation, concentration...NOT euphoria. I have just been doing nothing all day...just like before.

And the thing is...for the first few days I was REALLY excited. I could see and feel what it could do for me. I was so relived that I had actually made the decision to try meds, stuck with it and I felt like I was getting a second chance at life.

Of course I should tell this to my Dr but I dont want to call her after just one week and say it isnt working...especially since I only gave the focalin a week. I havent even made it to my original follow up appointment!

I am so worried. Worried that either I am some sort of freak who this kind of medication wont work for OR that I somehow metabolize or develop a tolerance so quickly that no matter what the dose it just wont work long term.

Is there such a thing as a non-responder? I am so afraid....

Well if you made it this far I THANK YOU and I am anxious to hear anyones thoughts about this! (please excuse spelling errors)

Do you take the full dosage in the morning? Or do you take one in morning and a second at lunch? Are you taking it with citrus (which can lessen it's effectiveness)? ....

As far as any headache... make sure you're keeping hydrated.

For your other question.. yes, it's possible never to find the right med.. many have spent ages trying to do so. But it's definitely worth it in the long run to keep trying, if you can find the right med.

Give it a while longer... keep a journal... write down anything and everything you can. That helps the doctor to hopefully know which direction to try next.

For your other question.. yes, it's possible never to find the right med.. many have spent ages trying to do so.


Mary,

You just broke my heart. :(

Mary,

You just broke my heart. :(

Not intentionally... the Adderall could still work.. are you taking it with water, or citrus.??? Many people don't realize that citrus can knock the effectiveness out completely.

You said you've tried Ritalin, Focalin, Strattera and Adderall? Have you tried different dosages.. sometimes... you have to tweak.. higher in a.m...with a smaller dose later in the day.

This is exactly what is happening to me, I have been through all the stimulant medications and nothing seems to work, not only that but it seems that the drug doesn't even effect me, like I get some of the negative effects but none of the positive effects that everyone else gets! The ritalin worked a little bit but the side effects were to strong and after 4 days my tolerance made it stop working completely...

Private message me on this forum and we can help each other improve whatever is wrong with us! :/, you sound A LOT LIKE ME, msg me and we will talk.

Thanks,

Trichr0me

Glad to hear Im not just crazy T.

I take the 30mg extended release at once in the morning. And I did hear about the vitamin c issue so I have stayed away from my usual supplement. (I take vit c daily...or I did)

I realize that 30mg ER is equal to 15 and 15 right? (I think the adderall XR dissolves in 2 does right?) I guess that isnt a very high dose, is it? I want to be optimistic and think if it DID work at first, there shouldnt be a reason why it CANT work, so maybe it is a dose thing? I am afraid of high doses because there is only so high you can go. Raise the dose now and then do what when that stops working?

I really am getting a little freaked out and depressed about this...it has been a long journey and I feel like I had glimpse of what life COULD be like...I'm really feeling quite sorry for myself

awww Tara.. hugssssss I'm sorry you're worried and frustrated. But you've come to the right place. There are many people...and we care what happens. Someone is always here to listen when we need a shoulder to cry on.

Maybe 30 mg XR in the morning.. and 5 of the regular.. later in the day. Like I said, keeping a journal helps.. not only you, but your doctor, too.

Everyone has the right to feel sorry for themselves... but we also have to pick ourselves up and carry on.. because noone else can do it ..for us! (hugs)

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??? How can I be taking so called *speed*, this drug that is supposedly so in demand, and NOT FEELING IT? To clarify I am on 3 10mg XR taken all at once. I can feel the drug in my body, but I dont feel any of the positive effects. By that I mean motivation, concentration...NOT euphoria. I have just been doing nothing all day...just like before.

While Adderall is "speed", it's given at much lower than "recreational" doses (100's of mg or more). The oral route also much slower at delivery than the methods abusers use; even at similar doses, slow absorption reduces the effects that abuses typically seek.

The lack of euphoria is a good thing.

Glad to hear Im not just crazy T.

I take the 30mg extended release at once in the morning. And I did hear about the vitamin c issue so I have stayed away from my usual supplement. (I take vit c daily...or I did)

All citrus fruits/juices and many drinks like Crystal Light (mostly citric acid) and sodas (citric and phosphoric acid) tend to be acidic. Coca-Cola is actually more acidic than orange juice. I try to drink only water or milk within an hour or two of taking Adderall (or within five hours of the XR).

Right, no euphoria a good thing, thats why I didnt want to take stimulaants and tried strattera TWICE! argh. I didnt want to be "high" or feel like not myself everyday (plus I remembered ritalin. ouch) I just mean, I dont understand how this could be recreational at all. *because I dont feel anything* except some general "there is drugs in my body" kind of feeling. I could still sit here all day, probably take a nap. Like I said I got a glimpse of how it could be helpful, and those three days were great except for the side effects.

I was curious about it, the *magic* I heard about...and thats why I am so absoluetly floored that I'm not really feeling...anything.

There can be genetic reasons for being a non-responder.

I don't know about it in stimulant usage.

I do know that some drugs (a family of blood pressure pills) do not work in certain genetic (racial) groups. This is due to their HLA (haplotype antigen) status.

NB Are you on any other meds (cytochrome P450 interactions) that might be changing your metabolic enzymes? You know not to take your Adderall with acidic food/drinks (impairs absorption)?

Nope, not on any meds...I will be honost and say that today I took an antacid because I read on these boards that it would increase absorption.
Is 30mg in an extended release (15 and 15) a low dose? My body tells me that if I took more I would just have more of that yuk feeling if that makes sense.
And do I understand correctly that MPD and amp (or ritalin and adderall) are it as far as stimulants go.? There are different formulations but the same basic ingrediant right? What Im wondering is....what other hope do I have? Is dex diffrent? I am guessing it is about the same as adderall right?

So could it be a liver enzyme problem? I once had a test done years ago when I was in a valtrex study and the test indicated I had some low liver enzymes (slightly) but when I followed it up everything was O.K. (I cant remember any other specific details about it)

OMG
I just checked these nutritional drinks I bought because eating has been hard on the adderall and it has 50% daily requirement of VITAMIN C.
COULD THIS BE IT?? It does seem like my meds stopped working around the same time. I HOPE THIS IS IT!

This was a duplicate post.

Mary,

You just broke my heart. :(

I feel that it is very important to remember that what happens to other people concerning a given medication does not always hold true for each of us. Sometimes it might, but we each can and do often respond to these things in our own unique ways. Additionally, I have found that even though most of these stimulant medications act in a similar fashion, they do not all work exactly the same.

Some of the prescription stimulants have had the exact opposite effect for me than the other prescription stimulants. Why that is, I might never actually know. However, the important things is that I do know that to be true. If I had not kept on trying different ones, I would have never known how true that is.

I have yet to know anyone personally who was unable to find the right stimulant medication after trying all of the medications available.

Granted, I'm sure there are people out there in the world who never find the medication that they need. However, it has been my experience that most people who claim that the stimulant medications did not work for them either did not try them all, or they had an unhealthy response to the ones they tried, or perhaps they just did not live in a country where all of the stimulant medications are legally prescribed like they are in the USA.

It's important to keep in mind that when I refer to them all, I am referring to not only each the brand name prescription stimulants, but also to each of the generic versions of these brand name prescription stimulants too.

I found that with almost every single one of the prescription stimulant medications, that the generic versions of these drugs were often times quite different in the way in which they effected me.

Not only were some of the generics different in their effects for me, but I also found a difference between the different strength preperations from the same generic manufacturer.

For example, I found that taking two generic 5mg IR dextroamphetamine tablets made by company "X," to be considerably stronger in their effect than taking a single generic 10mg IR tablet from the same company "X." This was something I noticed with each of the generic IR dextroamphetamine tablets that I tried from different manufacturers. I also noticed this with generics for other drugs too.

It took me years to try as many of the different options available as Iwas able to, but it turned out to be such a very worthwhile thing to do. For if I had assumed early on in my therapy that my specific reaction to this drug or that drug was all there was for me to benefit from, then I would have completely "missed the boat" so to speak as it pertains to me finding the right medication for me.

My Dr always encouraged me to try my best to take a medication for at least a month (unless it felt unhealthy for me to do so) before I tried to assess how well it may or may not be helping me. I found this advice to be very worthwhile concerning how well I was then able to assess each of the medications I tried.

Based on my own experience with each of these prescription stimulants (dating back to February of 1992), I can honestly say that a one week assessment of anyone of these medications would have been something that would have been very "short sighted" for me, and would have also been something that would have prevented me from finding the medications that ended up improving my life so very much.

Please keep us posted on how everything unfolds for you, and I wish you the best on your journey to find the best therapy for you.

When I was first diagnosed my MD told me that medication does not work for about 20% of people with ADHD.

give the meds a proper try and if they do not work try a different one. There are a lot of different meds to try so don't give up. :)

Ive been reading the "adderall" pages for the last hour and all I can say is WOW, I am certainly not as unique as I thought. There seem to be many many people who have experienced this same problem. BUT NO ONE EVER CAME BACK TO TELL HOW IT ALL WORKED OUT. I promise I will finish this thread when I find the right med/dose. And I WILL, I have to be optimistic.

Lars, I will give it more time. Maybe even try lowering the dose again.

I started Adderall XR on April 19th. Be careful in how fast you up the dose...you generally should only up the dose every 3-7 days, but most adults start out at 20mg. I started at 10mg to be safe, but felt zero on that.

I believe I found my optimal dose (without too much side effects) is probably between 40-60mg/day, but staggered so that I get a longer effect.

Avoid the citrus/VitC during day and don't try and concentrate it artificially when you are within like the first week or so. I'm a little ahead of you right now. I had my best focus day at 50mg.

There have been long-term studies that show Adderall is safe and effective in adults up to 60mg/day, but discuss with your doctor...go slow and watch out for anxiety or other side effects (I had a bit of an anxiety/panic attack at 60 mg and dropped it back down).

Here I just googled the link:
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2004/7/20046468.shtml


Theoretically up to 75mg is likely safe based on this new 16-hour version approval, but it isn't actually out yet (but some on here are already using higher levels I hear)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/55495.php

Also consider you might have depression as well. I am on Day 3 of Wellbutrin XL + Adderall XR...I dropped back my Adderall to be careful of the combo effects and I am back up to 40mg today (with 150mg Wellburtrin XL) and I can honestly say that I could have taken 100mg of Adderall and it wouldn't have done as much as with the Wellbutrin for my depression.

Either way...don't give up...I was/am impatient too.

While Adderall is "speed", it's given at much lower than "recreational" doses (100's of mg or more). The oral route also much slower at delivery than the methods abusers use; even at similar doses, slow absorption reduces the effects that abuses typically seek.

The lack of euphoria is a good thing.


That's right it's given at lower doses most the time and slowly increased.

As far as I know a 'recreational' dose would be 50mg of instant release most the time. However - users with tolerance need more to get that effect. This is from what I've read on a recreational message board anyway. ADDers seem to get different effects from stimulants so even though some people are on 50+mg of amphetamine, that doesn't mean they're getting the recreational effects.

I think all this has been mentioned but ill post anyway :P it might help I guess.

Start low go slow with dosage. Start on the smallest possible dose and increase weekly by a small amount. Do what your doctor says but maybe you could ask him about moving up the dose ladder more slowly.

Adderall doesn't work for everyone. There's still a good chance one of the other medications will work for you. Sometimes the XR just doesn't do the trick for some people...might need the instant release.

If you're not getting anything out of the Adderall you could suggest these other drugs to your doctor:

Ritalin (It's not just for little kids, lots of Adults are helped by this one too)

Dexamphetamine - (aka dexadrine, this is like Adderall but is more 'smooth' IME)

Non-stimulant - Wellbutrin, Strattera

It took me a while to find the right medication too :) hang in there

There have been long-term studies that show Adderall is safe and effective in adults up to 60mg/day, but discuss with your doctor...go slow and watch out for anxiety or other side effects (I had a bit of an anxiety/panic attack at 60 mg and dropped it back down).

It should be noted Adderall is "safe and effective" at those doses because that's the maximum dose at which it was tested and approved; the dosing information should be taken with a grain of salt (pardon the pun). The effective dose varies based on body mass; it's right there in the data sheet:

Systemic exposure to amphetamine was 20-30% higher in women (N=20) than in men (N=20) due to the higher dose administered to women on a mg/kg body weight basis. When the exposure parameters (Cmax and AUC) were normalized by dose (mg/kg), these differences diminished.

How much heavier are men than women in the US? 15-20%; given the small sample size (N=20 per sex), that's pretty close to 20-30% If it's safe to administer 60mg to a 100lb person, then what's the safe dose in a 300lb person?

Finally, upon reading the data sheet it seems that 60mg was set as the maximum dose because there was no measurable increase in efficacy above 60mg. Of course the study lasted four weeks. Now if one took those people who saw improvement up to 60mg and waited for tolerance to develop, I wonder if one could observe improvements above 60mg?

Note that I'm not giving any dosing advice; I'm just pointing out that drug data sheets and approvals are often a reflection of how the approval studies were designed.

As far as I know a 'recreational' dose would be 50mg of instant release most the time.

That's awfully close to the therapeutic doses. Do you have a source for this?

http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000166/CH162.htm

It should be noted Adderall is "safe and effective" at those doses because that's the maximum dose at which it was tested and approved; the dosing information should be taken with a grain of salt (pardon the pun). The effective dose varies based on body mass; it's right there in the data sheet:

Systemic exposure to amphetamine was 20-30% higher in women (N=20) than in men (N=20) due to the higher dose administered to women on a mg/kg body weight basis. When the exposure parameters (Cmax and AUC) were normalized by dose (mg/kg), these differences diminished.

How much heavier are men than women in the US? 15-20%; given the small sample size (N=20 per sex), that's pretty close to 20-30% If it's safe to administer 60mg to a 100lb person, then what's the safe dose in a 300lb person?


I agree that body mass should be considered, so does metabolism, and biochemistry that can't be measured as easily. If they follow a sane up-titration schedule to determine the proper therapeutic dose with their doctor's guidance...there is no reason to believe that won't be determined properly anyways...you can even go up by 5mg steps if you like.



Finally, upon reading the data sheet it seems that 60mg was set as the maximum dose because there was no measurable increase in efficacy above 60mg. Of course the study lasted four weeks. Now if one took those people who saw improvement up to 60mg and waited for tolerance to develop, I wonder if one could observe improvements above 60mg?

Note that I'm not giving any dosing advice; I'm just pointing out that drug data sheets and approvals are often a reflection of how the approval studies were designed.

Finally upon reading your posts I realized I am on an ADHD site or you might have noticed these quotes from my link:

"After completion of the initial 4-week study, during which patients had significant improvements in ADHD symptoms within the first week, patients could opt to enroll in the long-term, 24-month, open-label extension study."

and

"Once optimized to the most effective dose of ADDERALL XR, few patients required dose adjustments for the duration of the long-term study. At six months, 14 percent of patients received 20 mg/d, 43 percent received 40 mg/d and 44 percent received 60 mg/d. At 18 months, slightly more patients received 60 mg/d (47 percent), and slightly fewer were receiving 40 mg/d (37 percent)."

Again this is XR, which means the maximum possible actual does at 60mg is really 30mg with another 30mg 4-hours later.

Since the FDA has already approved their 75mg 16-hour (probably more like 12-hour) also linked...implies that you can have more per day safely over a longer period meaning I would bet that the blood levels are pretty much at the same peak levels or less than their 12-hour XR's

But I'm no doctor...nor do I play one on television, but people can check the links I provided and then Google the same info to death to their hearts content.

Finally upon reading your posts I realized I am on an ADHD site or you might have noticed these quotes from my link:

"After completion of the initial 4-week study, during which patients had significant improvements in ADHD symptoms within the first week, patients could opt to enroll in the long-term, 24-month, open-label extension study."

and

"Once optimized to the most effective dose of ADDERALL XR, few patients required dose adjustments for the duration of the long-term study. At six months, 14 percent of patients received 20 mg/d, 43 percent received 40 mg/d and 44 percent received 60 mg/d. At 18 months, slightly more patients received 60 mg/d (47 percent), and slightly fewer were receiving 40 mg/d (37 percent)."

Again this is XR, which means the maximum possible actual does at 60mg is really 30mg with another 30mg 4-hours later.

The study was limited to 60mg: "Then patients and physicians determined the optimal dose of ADDERALL XR (either 20, 40, 60 mg/day)", so it doesn't say anything about doses above 60mg, nor does it say that people for whom 60mg was initially sufficient would not see benefit from increased doses after 18 months of use.

Isn't it funny that after 18 months in that study some people that started at 20mg/day or 40mg/day ended up with higher doses, but nobody increased from 60mg? The study was limited to 60mg/day, so one cannot draw conclusions about the effectiveness of dose increases above 60mg/day at 18 months. Logic would indicate that some people at 60mg would have benefited from increases.

I agree that body mass should be considered, so does metabolism, and biochemistry that can't be measured as easily. If they follow a sane up-titration schedule to determine the proper therapeutic dose with their doctor's guidance...there is no reason to believe that won't be determined properly anyways...you can even go up by 5mg steps if you like.

I've always been skeptical of slow initial dose increase titrations; they seem to be designed for you not to notice side effects, since the change from one dose to the next is small, sometimes even lower than the day-to-day variability in the aborption of the medication in question.

I was once bitten in the proverbial, umm, rear end, by this kind of thing. As per doctor and prescribing sheet recommendations, I had slowly increased my dose of Topamax (migraine prophylaxis) over several months. I never noticed the "Dopamax" effect, since the it was hard to notice each small decrease in memory performance. Then I stopped it and realized that I had been living in a fog for a year.

That's awfully close to the therapeutic doses. Do you have a source for this?

http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000166/CH162.htm

Sure. I'll edit this post in a minute with my source.

URL EDITED by mods (prior to approval) amphetamine+faq
(it's not a study, just a FAQ someone made)

Keep in mind this is a little old. It mentions the highest doses used for ADD is typically 40mg and rarely exceeds that, in Australia this is true. You can get prescribed more than 40mg but it's uncommon.


8. WHAT IS THE REGULAR DOSE?
Short Answer:
Beginners should take less than 50mg intranasally or orally.

Long Answer:
.....
So what is a good dose for a beginner? Well the first thing to keep in mind when trying something new is you can always have more but you cant have less, so start small and wait a while, if you don't feel the effects then you can have a bit more.He mentions it's for a beginner BTW. I'm sure some experienced speed users could take much more.

I'm not trying to compare recreational use to valid therapeutic needs (like treating ADD) by the way. Just don't want to start any large debates in this guys thread. Different doses for different people :) I don't judge people who need higher doses than usual and I don't think they are getting the same effects a rec. user would.

disclaimer: I do not support the links I put up in this post.

Gee wizzies what was the bloomin topic any way -meadd823 scrolls to the top


OMG
I just checked these nutritional drinks I bought because eating has been hard on the adderall and it has 50% daily requirement of VITAMIN C.
COULD THIS BE IT?? It does seem like my meds stopped working around the same time. I HOPE THIS IS IT!


Yes - this is a possibility - try taking the medications minus the drinks.


As some one who has a citric acid sensitivity a lot of drinks have citric acid in them - milk doesn't neither does water except those flavored waters most if not all of them do


Don't go on feelings go on the ability to function - can you foreground and back ground stimuli - can you make yourself do the dishes - feeling are fleeting but the effects of medication not only can occur absent of any "feeling" after a period of time they do - take any medication long enough and you will no longer feel it - even morphine works that way.

Look at it like this -

Say a man has never shaved his face {or a lady her legs} then at 25 the first contact with a razor occurs - when a man or woman shave for the first time they will feel it - some would describe it as pleasant others will find the feeling less than pleasant - however there will be a different feel and the intensity will vary from person to person

Now after our man {or women} has shaven for a period of time they will get used to the feeling - the person will no longer "feel" the clean shaven face {or leg} does this mean the razor has quit working?

Same principle applies to ADD medication - I haven't felt my Adderall in years but it hasn't quit working - I simply have grown used to the chemical changes it causes - frankly I haven't a clue feeling wise when it begin to work or when it quits - I know it is working because I am able function - some duties require me to "make" myself do them but amazingly I can complete task even those I find less than stimulating {pun intended}


While Adderall is "speed", it's given at much lower than "recreational" doses (100's of mg or more). The oral route also much slower at delivery than the methods abusers use; even at similar doses, slow absorption reduces the effects that abuses typically seek.

The lack of euphoria is a good thing.

The most accurate thing said regarding the difference between recreational use and treatment usage. . .


Those who think only high doses can be abused need to read the drug abusers hand book - actually this is inaccurate - some can abuse doses as low as 10-20mg . . .

Drug addicts are like every one else - they have varying degrees of tolerances - and the longer one abuses a drug the more it does take to get high - yep you go that part right now lets close in on the real difference between drug abuse and medication use I side swiped it already

Drug abusers take drugs to get high - duh right

Okay medication usage and judgment of effectiveness should be based solely upon ability to function - ability engage your selective attention span Can you filter or or back ground some stimuli in order to focus on what you need to - inattentive can you decide not to zone out -


mg/kg may be how they do it some places however medication dosages are not that cut and dry for most - the amount of medication necessary to allow relief of ADD symptoms is also determined by things like metabolism - I have a very fast metabolism but I also have other absorption issues so that long acting medications do not have a regular dependable effect- severity of ADD symptoms is another issue - some who who weights 100 pound and has real sever ADD may require 80mg of Adderall to find relief while a 300 pound person with mild ADD may find relief with 20mg of Adderall.

Also biochemical reactivity - this meaning how much medication does it take for you bod to react - some people will be more sensitive to ADD medications meaning their bodies will me more sensitive and respond to lower doses while other people may have chemistry that is more resistant - in other wards it may take a high does and a two by four - Please do always check with your doctor before changing medication doses or trying other approaches - I am basing this off my experience as a fellow ADDer - I am in no way qualified to offer any one medical advice -

Please do remember medications non-responders do occur but are in the minority - some do well with antidepressants like wellbutrin - while others benefit form natural non-pharmaceutical approaches such as elimination diets , herbal supplements - we have several members who found non-pharmacological approaches to be a better treatment for them.

In essence ADD treatment requires non- drug approaches - see the medications do not make me want to do dishes, go to work or pay pills but they allow me to back ground un-necessary stimuli so I can focus dishes, actually adhere to the morning routine of going to work - wearing shoes that match - and be aware of the changing of months so I know to pay bills before the lights get turned off - but my treatment is a combination approach where medication is only a portion - simply systems routines. life style changes and behavior modifications along with diet regular sleep and exercise make up the bulk of my ADD treatment. . .

Those who think only high doses can be abused need to read the drug abusers hand book - actually this is inaccurate - some can abuse doses as low as 10-20mg . . .

It's all in the definition of "abuse". If someone steals one of my 20mg Adderall pills, or if I were to give it to someone, (which I have not done and will not do) and that person consumed the pill, it would be "abuse". Any dose, other than zero, of Adderall, or any other prescription drug, can be abused.

SHe mentions it's for a beginner BTW. I'm sure some experienced speed users could take much more.

I'm not trying to compare recreational use to valid therapeutic needs (like treating ADD) by the way. Just don't want to start any large debates in this guys thread.

The problem with quoting unrealistically low numbers for "recreational" use (like 50mg) is that people taking it legitimately might get scared away from a helpful medication.

mead823,

I appreciate your thoughtful post but really feel like I need to clarify----
I am not feeling anything that could be considered helpful. In fact, this is finals week for me so I have lots of opportunity to really examine it. I am still constantly reading and rereading the same sentance over and over; as an example from one area where add effects me, and the other, possibly more devestating area, motivation~or~sitting on the couch all day, is not effected either.

Those 2 days where I had a glimpse...I got what you meant. I realized I was going to have to work on prioritizing, oragnization etc and while the med would give the motivation I would have to direct it. But the meds ARE suppose to help with motivation right? I'm 36 years old, I need help and I shouldn't have to scrutinize myself to know if it is working. ARGH

ANYWAY, Today was more of the same nothing-but-a-headache. I did call my Dr. She has not gotten back to me. I will continue to take them as prescribed until otherwise instructed. I am slightly less panicked after realizing just how many similar posts there about this. Once something changes, new med, new dose, I will definatly post a follow up. I think I just didnt realize what a challenge finding the right med would be, but I guess it isnt uncommon.

It's all in the definition of "abuse". If someone steals one of my 20mg Adderall pills, or if I were to give it to someone, (which I have not done and will not do) and that person consumed the pill, it would be "abuse". Any dose, other than zero, of Adderall, or any other prescription drug, can be abused.


Okay I am more confused than normal - I said doses as low as 10-20mg can be abused - Adderall IR which is what I take comes in 10mg and 20mg. . . .


abuse has many definitions but I believe the one being used here would refer to recreational use and again even low doses can be abused -

greentara-- I posted this question in another section, but I'm wondering...did your ADD improve while you were pregnant? You and I are soooo much alike. I have an I.Q. of 145, so I was totally overlooked in school. I've had a very hard time being a 'grown up' with all the responsibilities that come with it (budget, paying bills, cleaning house, etc.) I had the same hope after taking Adderall (4 EXCELLENT days!) and the same issues 3 or 4 days into it. I also got pregnant, and now, about 3 years later I'm trying again. Vyvanse was a nightmare. I'm trying Dexedrine now, and I can say it's better, but not great. (my husband can tell a difference, but the focus and motivation are still missing).. I will be getting another version of the generic Dex next month, in hopes that my issues on this are because of the maker and not the drug itself. Feel free to PM me anytime... we can compare notes. With any luck, maybe what works for you will work for me too. :)