My Adderall XR log [Archive] - ADD Forums - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Support and Information Resources Community

goddessonahiway

11-16-08, 11:18 AM

I wrote this last night after my Adderall had worn off. It was my 1st day on the RX. Then I just couldn't post it. My usual fear or rejection reared it's ugly head and I just couldn't do it.

This is LONG. I will put in bold the important part for those unwilling or unable to read it. If no one wants to read it, that's fine... I think it's helpful to me anyways.

I started Adderall XR 20mg this morning. This is my 1st experience with this type of RX. It's taken a long time for me to be accepting that perhaps my personal coping skills, diet & activity will only get me just so far. That's another story though.

So I started it this morning. I ate my usual small bowl of Puffins with skim milk & banana. I had a glass of OJ to wash down the pill. Then I played Mr. Potato Head with my 2 year old and waited. I thought I'd get this sudden urge to go for a run or something. haha. Not hardly. I slowly slumped over more and more. Then at some point I fetched my down comforter. Finally I found myself becoming a part of my sofa buried in down fluffiness. Eeek. I realized this isn't what I want and I had to figure it out. I got my laptop and started doing some research about paradoxical reactions to Adderall. Apparently dopamine is the key. I HAD to make myself move. I had planned on doing an 4 mile hike so I told my hubby to pack up, we were heading out. It took a painfully loooooonnnnnggggg time to put on my hiking shoes as I was just intrigued by my shoelaces. Then I had a realization that sitting on the floor of my bathroom was wonderful. I felt like I could stay there, perfectly still, staring off into nothingness all morning. Double eek.

I don't even know how I did it but I made myself get up and slowly trudge to the car. As we drove to the trail head I continued to feel as if I were in slow motion. I felt so very, very relaxed and calm. I told my husband that I simply didn't feel like talking. That was a shocking revelation. Then he nudged me a few minutes later because I had been sitting perfectly still. He'd never seen that before.

Hiking was the right thing for me to do. I checked my pulse which never went about 95 (insane huh?), kept WELL hydrated and enjoyed my hike. I felt so amazing when I was done. It was a feeling I've never had before. I felt alive and calm at the same time. I wasn't moving in some nervous way or talking 90 to nothing. I explained to my husband that my brain had been filled with so much noise my entire life... like a carnival that doesn't end and now it was as if I could imagine my thoughts forming these wonderfully organized lines and waiting their turn. I WANTED to sit at a dinner with friends just so I could LISTEN and not feel like I needed to interrupt with my mindless drivel. I mean really, wouldn't THAT be cool?

Then I got in the car. After 20 minutes I wanted to sleep again. Around lunch I took a nap. I've just been accepting of staring at the walls for most of the afternoon/evening now. My energy level has slowly come back little by little all afternoon. Any time I made myself get up and be active, I would feel more alive. The more I moved the better I felt. I plan to test this more tomorrow.

A few notable things: I read an entire article in the paper. I wasn't even interested in it! I talked on the phone to my dad for about 30 minutes. At the end of the call I realized I had been sitting down the entire call, not pacing the floor as I always do. My breathing while hiking was better than normal. Even during a long uphill grade, I was able to keep my breathing steady. That goes to show how relaxed every part of me was. I never had any jittery feeling at ALL.. or anything else one would expect with such a medication.

Obviously this is the aftermath. My brain is going a bit wild recounting the day (still calmer than usual). I know it's typical to have a euphoric feeling for the first days or weeks. It isn't that it's some inaccurate eval of the situation... at least for me it's this incredible hope that I may actually one day finish a novel or a conversation. To have a conversation without agonizing about what they are REALLY thinking, the REAL meaning behind their words and what I'm going to say next. My plan is to enjoy the euphoria knowing it won't last. I really do feel that if today were the only day I'd feel such calm, I'm ok with that. It was amazing to get to know what that feels like at all.

Until tomorrow.

So far this morning (I took it and hour and a half ago) I am not feeling so tired. I feel relaxed but not drowsy. I plan on heading out for a MTB ride in just a bit. I'll post again tonight or in the morning. Cheers.

Oh- Has anyone else felt like this? The extreme tiredness right away and not feeling any boost in energy? I know it's too early to tell much but what would than mean if it continues?

GL3NE

11-16-08, 03:07 PM

According to your side effects of laziness, "zoning out" and being perfectly content with sitting still, it sounds like your dosage might be a little high. I had the same effect at 30mg. I noticed it when I was on a car ride and swear I didn't change how I was sitting for a solid twenty minutes - something I was never capable of when I was off medication.

Give it a week or so and see how things are panning out. I had the EXACT same effects that you said when I was at 30mg. I felt like my movements were so controlled and relaxed, almost robotic.

The euphoria lasts for about a week. It's a bit unnerving when coming down from the medication. I know I'm coming down from Adderall when music begins to play in my head.

- Glen

goddessonahiway

11-16-08, 04:17 PM

I noticed it when I was on a car ride and swear I didn't change how I was sitting for a solid twenty minutes - something I was never capable of when I was off medication.

*whew* thank heavens someone else has felt this!

Today is much better. I'd say the lethargic feeling has been cut in say.... 1/3. I think I'll see how the rest of the day pans out before I call that my official "log entry" for today but it is going better.

Thanks again for reading and for posting a reply. :)

goddessonahiway

11-17-08, 07:08 PM

Ok.. I didn't post last night. I was really tired and didn't feel much like typing.

Yesterday was better than Saturday. I wasn't nearly as tired. I did try to stay even more active. I am usually quite active anyways and wanted to stick with my usual or perhaps a little more. I rode my MTB 15 miles and felt really great. There is something to my activity level..... I feel very clear headed and alive if I'm moving. I'm not speaking of some frantic pace, just a normal walk around the block or something is enough.

I did have some aches in my legs and knees which could have been from riding my bike BUT I rode at my normal pace for a normal distance and NORMALLY don't have the aches. So I figured I was slightly dehydrated. Obviously I started downing the water and either time or the hydration prevailed and I felt better.

I felt very creative yesterday.I started thinking about my next painting. The thing is, I was thinking about how to plan it... and exactly how I wanted to go about it. Normally I just start slinging paint at a canvas. lol

I could think of a ton to say but I'll leave it at that.It was overall a positive day.

I'll add my experience for today in a bit.

I do have one question: How do you feel as the Adderall starts to wear off in the evening? About what time does it wear off for you?

bobC

11-17-08, 11:03 PM

I found the cognitive stimulation effects of adderall wore off about 2-3 hours before the physical effects. I personally found the rebound (wearing off) intolerable. Similar to inflamtion, but across my entire body.

BobC

GL3NE

11-18-08, 04:28 AM

I do have one question: How do you feel as the Adderall starts to wear off in the evening? About what time does it wear off for you?

Adderall wears off after about 10 hours for me, and the way I feel depends on many factors. However, most users will experience a "crash" of varying intensity. I had a panic attack the first time I came down from Adderall, but here's why (correct me if I am wrong, but this is how I like to make sense of it...):

Adderall, being a stimulant, is a diuretic. If paired with another stimulant such as caffeine (which most of us drink copius amounts of), it will accelerate the functions of the kidneys, bladder, and overall metabolism. BUT, it does have a tendency to reduce potassium levels, which are essential for muscle function. Potassium levels tend to drop when the nutrient cannot be extracted by the digestive system before it reaches the bladder, so it tends to leave in urine in higher amounts.

So, the water that you drink will actually more likely pass right through your system without sodium to retain it. Sodium will allow the body to absorb potassium and prevent it from leaving the body, in urine. I'm pretty sure that potassium and magnesium deficiencies as a result of Adderall contributes to twitches and tics, aches, muscle spasms, chest tightness, heart palpitations and panic attacks.

When I was brought to the ER, my potassium levels were extremely low, although I drank plenty of water. This caused a constriction in my chest, as well as heart palpitations that forced me into a state of anxiety. Before I left, I was given a potassium supplement.

Much thanks goes to the most recent response in my own Adderall thread for much helpful information and suggestions. You should check it out, too.

You seem to be a very active and healthy person, though. But make sure you don't push yourself too hard!

- Glen

ikgbixcal

11-18-08, 08:13 AM

90mg of xr and 400mg of provigil last me well over 24 hours

goddessonahiway

11-18-08, 09:42 AM

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I will go read your log, Glen. I have been trying to keep up with it. I did drink some sports drinks yesterday but I think I was too late before I started them. I'm going to see what I can do to ensure I don't have the muscle aches tonight. THANKS AGAIN! :)

Typed my log entry in Word before logging on here in case my modem crashed again, so this is it:

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMisty%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsoh tmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMisty%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsoh tmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMisty%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsoh tmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> My cable modem appears to be on its last “leg”. I finally got it working last night, came on here, typed out my log entry and hit send. Then found I no longer had a connection so I lost all I’d typed. I tend to type something then edit it to death so it really ticked me off to lose the post. Oh well. This morning I have finally gotten online but don’t know how long it’ll last…. So I’ll make this short and unedited. EEK!

Yesterday was great. The only side effects I had all day were the aches in my legs in the evening. I only did my usual 30 minutes of working out in the morning and no other REAL physical activity to speak of all day so that had no bearing. I didn’t have any ill effects as the Adderall wore off in the evening (I had on Sunday). I continued to feel pretty steady in mood, thought & energy. I have yet to have any increase in energy level or any jittery feelings. Yesterday I wasn’t tired at all for the 1<sup>st</sup> time. I just felt err….. dare I say… “normal” all day. That is in regards to energy. My mood was not at any euphoric level but was steady and content. I worked on a few art projects and managed to take my time with them. I did the usual mundane tasks and completed every one I started. Pretty cool. I did notice some of the other behaviors I had coming back… like my pacing while I think or talk on the phone, saying random thoughts, etc. All of them are things I can live with though!

The cool thing so far: I’ve always been afraid to take any RX for my ADHD. I was afraid it would silence the things about me I like the most. Irony has it that only until after I finally relented and started taking Adderall did I realize NOT TREATING it had caused the ADHD to shut me down in many ways. I feel like the real me, the good stuff I used to really like about myself is waking back up. It’s something that’s hard to explain… I just hope it lasts. Only time will tell.

Cheers.

goddessonahiway

11-18-08, 11:53 AM

One more thing: I have what I call a "sugar addiction". I haven't done much research on it (that's odd for me) but it suddenly makes sense. It also makes sense that the ONLY way I can avoid ingesting insane amounts of sugar via food & drink is to move. Physical activity is my savior. I can't even kinda workout indoors. I just think of a million things I need to do or want to do and can't handle it for more than a few minutes. Hiking, mtn biking, dirt bike & sportbike riding have all been my form of natural treatment up until this point. I do fairly well so long as I can make myself get up and go. If I stop, I spiral. I start with the sugar, then the mild depression, anxiety, etc.. Of course, for me, this "natural treatment" only takes me just so far plus, I've fallen off the ol' horse a decent bit here and there. The motivation just isn't something I can always muster... I really hope that keeping with my physical activity, trying to stay off sugar along with Adderall will be a great combo. I don't want to rely on one thing since all things have their own pitfalls. Now hopefully the Adderall will help me stay motivated. Yet again, we'll see.

OH and when I can make myself do it, Kundalini Yoga is wonderful for making my brain slow down and stretch my muscles for a peaceful night's sleep.

I bet a lot of us struggle with sugar cravings that go beyond anything that could be considered "normal". Do you?

Now I see that there's a sub-forum for exercise and a place for natural treatments. I wasn't meaning to make any statement about either really... just how I hope they will mix WITH my Adderall to make a great formula for treatment. ;)

ADHDNEWB

11-18-08, 12:12 PM

At the end of the call I realized I had been sitting down the entire call, not pacing the floor as I always do.

To have a conversation without agonizing about what they are REALLY thinking, the REAL meaning behind their words and what I'm going to say next.

I too feel like this. It's really a godsend that Adderall can fix this.

goddessonahiway

11-18-08, 12:39 PM

Thanks. I can never hear enough that I'm not alone. :)

I'm also happy that I'm NOT just typing all this for my own amusement!

ADHDNEWB

11-18-08, 12:46 PM

Thanks. I can never hear enough that I'm not alone. :)

I'm also happy that I'm NOT just typing all this for my own amusement!

Yea, a friend of mine - that also has ADHD - and I were talking about the "what other people think" thing and we both feel the same way. It's like a social anxiety thing. I can't go somewhere or be with anyone without worrying about what they are thinking about me - eats me alive sometimes.

You aren't alone...

goddessonahiway

11-19-08, 12:49 AM

Thanks again ADHDNEWB. :)

Today was different.

I started off all wrong. My hubby had gotten doughnuts for the kids Sunday morning. I'd avoided them all day Sunday and yesterday. Then this morning.... I decided it'd be faster (and of course tastier) if I just had half a doughnut before taking my Adderall instead of my all natural, good-for-you, little bowl of cereal. So I did that. (BTW, it wasn't worth it.. it was all dried up by the time I gave in to eating one.)

Next, I broke my own personal rule (from before Adderall) of picking up my laptop before taking care of all the morning business (getting kids dressed, me dressed, working out, etc).. I HAD to post my log entry from last night. It was still bothering me that I had lost my connection and not been able to post it..... anyways... I started to hyperfocus. I managed to take my daughter to the park and got a little walking in.... but mainly played with my toddler. Aside from that, I managed to waste large portions of my day hyperfocusing on unimportant things the main one being the internet. *sigh*.

I was very upset with myself about it when my mother-in-law called and seemed to be in a bad mood about something... That made my mood worse. When my husband came home he was upset that I'd unintentionally spilled my daughter's juice on the camera while calming a temper tantrum at the park. It wasn't working now. :( I spiraled from there since I was already "crashing". My chest started to feel tight and I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack. After some time locked in my room and healthy reflection... I get it.

It wasn't the Adderall.. it was all about my choices. I shouldn't have eaten such a craptastic excuse for breakfast as I know by now that has a domino effect on my day. Not to mention now I've found that Adderall and dietary fats don't mix well (per this post: http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=329167&postcount=8). Especially when eaten only moments before taking the dose. I should have broken my attention. I do have power over my hyperfocus... I just have to choose to put something down. Then the mother-in-law.... this just isn't the time to answer calls from some people. lol... My husband... he had a right to be upset.. it just happened to be the icing on the cake and he got a front row seat to my pity party.

Ahh, it was a bad day. They happen. I'm going to try my best to have a better tomorrow. I'm not 100% certain that I'm not on too high of a dose though. If I have this happen again tomorrow and Thursday even with my best attempts to keep my day positive, I'm planning to request a smaller dose on Friday.

goddessonahiway

11-19-08, 12:54 AM

Oh! One happy note though. Through all my time on the internet and thanks to the incredibly false, Adderall induced self-esteem & sudden lack of social phobias.... I've planned a dinner with friends, 2 "girls' night out" and a New Year's eve daytime get together today. ..... Wow. the descriptions for those events make me sound OLD. I couldn't think of any other way to word it though lol. I'm tired and I'm done with today. G'night!

GL3NE

11-19-08, 02:15 AM

I like how you set the rule "no computer before anything else." It's all about keeping yourself away from it and letting it be the last thing you do on a set of tasks. I know that when I hit the computer, like right now, I'm a goner; I should be going to bed.

Don't feel that you'll regret setting up plans with friends. In the long run, it will pay off. I've learned in my own experience that doing anything social in place of solitary activities can have drastic effects on your mood and overall well being, even if you don't feel directly starved of socialization.

Maybe I'm saying this because I'm by myself alot. But don't tell them that you were euphoric on Adderall when you made the plans. :o

But FIRMLY acknowledge all of the effects that Adderall has. Don't forget the peak and the trough of your mood throughout the day due to the medication.

Sounds like everything's going well. You and I are having very similar experiences.

- Glen

Gnarmouse

11-19-08, 03:59 AM

This is great!I can relate completely to the feeling of not being able to talk to anyone.Most of the time my thoughts are scattered and I'm too nervous to talk to people.Today I started my 20mg of Adderall XR and for the most part it was good!I even started a conversation with a couple of girls and they didn't make me paranoid at all!

The only thing that sucked was I barely ate and had a really bad stomach ache for most of the evening when it started to wear off.I'd like to got a higher dose when I go back to see the doctor for my check-up.I want that feeling of confidence to last all day!

ADHDNEWB

11-19-08, 11:07 AM

Next, I broke my own personal rule (from before Adderall) of picking up my laptop before taking care of all the morning business (getting kids dressed, me dressed, working out, etc).. I HAD to post my log entry from last night. It was still bothering me that I had lost my connection and not been able to post it..... anyways... I started to hyperfocus. I managed to take my daughter to the park and got a little walking in.... but mainly played with my toddler. Aside from that, I managed to waste large portions of my day hyperfocusing on unimportant things the main one being the internet. *sigh*.Yes! I know what you mean. If I get side tracked or start doing something other then what I'm SUPPOSE to be doing, it will NEVER get done. If I take my Adderall, I have to get my projects started, then after I'm done I can "play" - LOL! I try and remember that Adderall is just another tool in my toolbox. I still have to try and put forth the effort to get things started and stay on task - the Adderall just helps me move along easier.

:)

goddessonahiway

11-20-08, 12:14 AM

Thanks to all of you for your replies!! It is really helpful to read that others "get it"! Like I said before it's also good to know someone is reading this thing that I post each day. lol

So today.... I tried very hard to put to use all my lessons learned. I ate a very small bowl of Puffins with a bit of skim milk. I laid off the coffee and downed my pill with simple water. As I started to feel the Adderall take effect, I was amazed that for the first time it was energizing me. I decided to make a small pot of decaf coffee and got ready for my day.

I set a timer in the next room (so I'd HAVE to go turn it off) for 5 minutes before picking up my laptop. That worked well. I sped through what I needed to do and didn't allow myself to get wrapped up in something online. Seriously, I was proud of myself for that one. haha.

I went for a brisk walk with my toddler in her stroller... I did prolly a little over 2 miles. It was enough to get my mood up and to help jump start my day. The energy from the Adderall didn't seem to last long at all. At that point it was up to me... Once I was back home I decided to clean my backyard and let my daughter play outside for a while. That gave me some more fresh air and kept my energy up.

As soon as I was done with all that and came inside.... the energy started to fade and I wanted to sleep SOO badly. I fought this off and on until about 3pm or so. When I'd start to feel like I couldn't stay awake, I'd get my daughter to dance with me or something to get my blood going again.

I did call my Dr. as I was starting to worry that my dosage may be too high. I have yet to have my blood pressure increase at all, or my pulse. I've had not a single jittery moment. Aside from a 20 minute increase in energy this morning and a less than usual appetite (except for today, btw) I haven't felt anything I expected to with this type of medication. She (the Dr.) finally called me back and said to give it another week. I stated that I was concerned I was on a dosage that was too high based on my odd reactions. She replied that if anything she thinks I need an increase and that we'd re-evaluate in a week. Ok.

The only other important thing is that I did NOT crash this evening. It was obvious to me when it was wearing off. It happens kinda early, I think. I start to feel it wearing off at about 3pm or so? Would that be right? I take it b/t 6:30 and 7 am. If so, could I take it a little while after I get up?

I started an art project with my daughters as I started to feel it wearing off. It gave me something uplifting to focus on and before I knew it, an hour and a half had flown by. I simply continued to avoid sitting still or being unoccupied for the next hour or so until the period of possible crashing had long past. Not bad... Glad to know I can steer clear of it. I only had a small ache in my neck this evening. I think it may have been unrelated. I ate halves of banana through out the day, had some Powerade Zero and water. It seemed to have worked.

Somewhat unrelated: I'm going with my 7 year old daughter in the morning for the 2nd part of her eval with her therapist. Her testing isn't until 1/8 though. Should be interesting!

goddessonahiway

11-21-08, 10:03 AM

So yesterday I had a lot of important things to do. Situations I needed to perform mentally in. Quite simply, I felt impaired. For an hour or so after taking the Adderall I felt clear then it wore off into a drained, exhausted, fog. I fought through it all day.

As I was beginning to be really frustrated at the increased effort it was taking me each day to focus at all and to stay awake I decided to take inventory.

What were the benefits to taking this medication? What was the downside? Then I decided to look at the downside and throw out all the things that could possibly, maybe "go away" if I just stick with it and give it more time. Even then it was obvious I was finding far too few benefits. The things that excited me about it the 1st few days were no longer there. I was now feeling worse WITH the meds than I was WITHOUT them. So. I'm done with Adderall. At least for now.

I've stated it elsewhere but I don't think ever in this thread. I was diagnosed with ADHD by my family Dr as a kid. Never treated... just diagnosed. I did take IQ tests and all that that determined me to be gifted so I was able to do all that wonderful stuff... but I don't know what all went into determining the DX of ADHD. It sure seemed accurate though.

I've been focused on getting my daughter help since she seems to be going through all the same things as I did now. Through the experience of taking to her Ped then her therapist, I decided I couldn't have my daughter treated unless I was willing to be treated myself. I went to my GP. I didn't SAY "I am ADHD".. I said I was as a kid... I don't know what's going on now. We eliminated all possible medical conditions through tests, etc. Then she said, "yes, you have ADHD, take this.". I did.

I decided only 2 days into taking the Adderall I wanted a full eval by someone that KNOWS what they are doing. I have it set up on Dec. 22nd. I've gone untreated for 31 years now, a few more weeks won't do me in. Plus, I'm not even taking any classes this semester. I'd rather know for certain I'm on the correct path even if it takes longer.

So that's that... nothing more to say about Adderall unless it's the outcome of my eval in Dec.

Thanks to anyone that did read and double thanks to those of you that offered support. :)

TheNSWPB

11-24-08, 08:58 PM

goddessonahiway

11-26-08, 05:02 PM

I'm sorry that I'm just now seeing your reply.

I don't know if this is normal or not. It obviously isn't what I experienced and sadly, that's all I have to go on. Perhaps you have a better GP than I do... if so, I would think it merits a call in to him/her. If it doesn't feel right to you, then make sure.

Also, I know it wasn't the reason for your post but... I am very sorry you went through such hell with your dad. I'm certain that has left you with some emotional scarring... it would for anyone. Please make sure you heal from that as best you can. I'm sure you'd rather ignore it as much as possible but you deserve to work through and past feelings you may be holding onto there. It could lead to anxiety & depression in itself. Meds help but they can't heal all wounds. Best of luck to you.

zwyt

11-27-08, 03:12 AM

Hey Goddess - good to hear of another's experience with Adderall XR. It seems we have COMPLETELY different first days, and has left us both with some questions.

Here it is:

My first Day on Adderall
<hr style="color: rgb(209, 209, 225);" size="1">   Went in to see the doctor this morning, as he had previously proscribed me effexor 2 weeks earlier. Told him straight up - I have no attention span, concentration, highly impulsive, lack ability to read social cues, failign school etc etc.

He asked what I would like to try - I replied that Ritalin worked, but it was intense and then a big crash (I was 12 the last time I took ADHD meds)

Doc proscribed 20mg Adderall xr, once a day for 1 month as a test run.

WELL THEN. At 10 am I took my first pill. Within 45 minutes, I was energetic, had mental clarity, concentration and motivation. All the multiple thought processes/noise shut up, and I was able to actually control what was going on in my brain.

Walked around, talked to people, and grinned like a Cheshire cat.Had a brief dip (but no negative effects) then another rolling high.

Around the 3rd dip, the next "high" continued with the mental clarity, but my body became restless. This is 5 hours in (3pm). Quickly it went downhill, as suddenly I was getting hot/cold flashes, sweats, and jitteryness. Between 5-6 hours in (3-4pm) my body suddenly went into (what I woudl best describe) a panic attack.

The best way to explain this divulges personal information - a general BODY (not mental/thoughts) feeling of DREAD. My father was abusive as hell, and beat the **** out of me on a regular basis as a child. The last time I felt like this was when I got expelled from school, and was waiting alone in my room for my father to come home......the door opened and he started walking upstairsto my room. Pure terror.

After that was a light sadness, combined with a feeling of emptyness/drained energy.

Ate around 2500 calories throughout the day, am 5'10 134 lbs. Dranks a ****load of water, as I was getting constantly dehydrated.

Is this normal?

I would think your dose might be a bit to high especially since you have had no ADD meds for several years. I think they make an Adderall XR 15 mg you might want to try that or just give the 20 a little more time and see if you adjust to it better. I had more negative effects when I first started out than I do now as well. Part of it for me is that I am coming to know what to expect from the med so I get less of a negative placebo effect based on my own anxiety over a new unfamiliar medication. Another part is that at the beginning Adderall raised my BP more than it does now. I think there are a couple of factors at work there. The medication is helping me lose some weight that I have needed to get rid of for years and I am capitalizing on that side effect as much as I can, that is probably helping the BP issues some and I am adjusting to the medication more of course in fact I may be looking to increase the dose from 10 mg IR 2 x day to 15 mg IR 2x per day. Perhaps one day I will try the XR after the patent is out next year and it becomes generic (or possibly before). I think a part of my problem at the outset was that I was a kid in the 60s and 70s born in 65 and before 1972 I think there were over the counter amphetamines or at least amphetamines that were not controlled substances because if I recall correctly the controlled substances act wasn't passed until 1972. Can you imagine being able to get drugs over the counter that are as powerful as amphetamines? Wow, but it was the case in the past.

Ok so I was a kid in this era, and I remember seeing Dr. TV shows, Markus Welby MD was popular then, and then the Fire and Rescue show "Emergency" and another show called "Emergency Center" I think was on and they dealt with issues relevent to the day, and amphetamine abuse was one of those issues. I remembered the TV shows showing raging people being brought into emergency rooms and the like that were in amphetamine psychosis due to oding on amphetamines. This sent the message to my young brain that "amphetamines are bad" and because of that I had always been a little scared of them. Years passed and I educated myself and found that amphetamines had some legitimit medical uses so by the time I was diagnosed with ADD at age 43 I was open to trying them. However some of that "amphetamines are bad" thinking was still lingering just beneath the surface even though I knew intelectually at the right doses they could be good. Sometimes it takes a while for your emotions to catch up with what your mind knows to be true. Fast forward a couple of months which is about how long I have been taking an amphetamine for ADD (did have one bad experience with really racing heart rate Vyvanse but it turned off fairly quickly with metoprolol and clonidine, the bad experience... not the heart. ;) ) I switched to Adderall 10 mg 2x per day after an unsuccessful attempt with Welbutrin so I could have a bit more control over the dose and could even blow off the afternoon dose if I felt like it would be to much and I am starting to become familiar with the med and know what I can do with it and can't do with it and as long as I respect the drug, and use it like I am supposed to I believe that my experience will be good but under the hood of that little blue pill is a powerful substance and I can imagine that oding on it might not be very fun at all. I no longer fear it but I do treat it with respect and any change in meds or dosage I research carefully on my own as well as talking with my doc and pharmacist. This stuff is going into my body and I want to be as informed as I can be.

Charles

goddessonahiway

12-22-08, 11:16 PM

So I FINALLY had my appt today! YAY!!! I finally have a more detailed diagnosis, which is good to know. My new psychiatrist is a little concerned by my family history of suicide and bipolar disorder along with ADHD. He's not sure if he sees signs in me (of bipolar) BUT it does seem certain meds may bring this out in me, such as the Adderall and Wellbutrin. He doesn't want me to take any stims until we exhaust other choices. So I started Strattera at about 6 pm this evening. It's the same thing my dad has been taking for the last six months so I'm hopeful. :) If I start having mood swings.... then we'll talk about some bipolar meds. I'm starting at 10mg for 7 days, then 18mg for 7 days then 25 mg for 14 days. Then I have an appt for follow up.

I'll put my full DX in my sig line now that I know it. ;) I won't be doing a Strattera log but I obviously don't need to use this one anymore either. Thanks to those of you that read this and espeically those of you that posted replies.

Undiestainz

12-23-08, 03:21 PM

goddess, what a great write-up...almost romantic in the way you explained the initial effects. I can truly relate to this, since this stuff shuts me up big time, which is great,...my family loves it, my work loves it, heck everybody is like, WTF? heheh,...anyway, thnx...

goddessonahiway

12-23-08, 10:21 PM