View Full Version : Optimal Dose?
babyj18777 01-29-09, 12:40 AM Hey guys,
I've been on Adderall for about a month now and I've got some questions.
How do you know when you've found your optimal dose? I feel pretty speedy, and I've been getting some strange looks from people (particularly girls) and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm twitchy from the Adderall and I don't even notice? And maybe I'm a bit paranoid... I also feel I focus too much on the future...
In terms of productivity I'm way up, I'm considerably more organized and I don't need to nap 7 times a day. So it's definitely good and bad.
Also I'm not horny 24/7 like I used to be.
Any ideas? Lower the dose?
The optimal dose is the dosage you feel most comfortable with. Typically you start on a low dose, work your way up to a higher dose and stop when you don't feel comfortable.
babyj18777 01-29-09, 01:42 AM <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJosh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsoht ml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Ok well I started on a 15mx XR daily and my doc upped me to a 30mg XR daily a week later.
My thoughts on the Adderall.
<o:p> </o:p>
The Good: Much more focused and organized. My school work is higher quality and it gets done sooner. I’m able to get up earlier, and stay going longer. The need to take naps mid-day is gone for the most part. Things that used to overwhelm me - i.e. spending the day at the mall – still make me tired but in a more “normal” way I guess, im no longer exhausted afterwards.
<o:p> </o:p>
I’m also much more confident when I’m arguing with people. Normally I would let things go that bothered me and I’d bottle it up. Now I express my feelings much easier. I even started wearing my glasses (which I hate) so I can see better.
<o:p> </o:p>
Also my athletic abilities have improved. I lift more weight with better form, and my kickboxing and jiu-jitsu are both better.
<o:p> </o:p>
The Bad: My heart rate is noticeably high. I went to check my blood pressure at shoppers which was 139/79 and my heart rate was at 107. I’m going to get it checked every couple of days to try and find an average.
It feels like my body is overstimulated if that makes sense. My fingers or arms or something needs to be moving at all times. Also I can’t swear to it but I might have some kind of mouth tic now? I’ve got some strange looks from a couple of people, women in particular.
<o:p> </o:p>
I also have back pain. It has improved my posture, but still my back hurts daily.
<o:p> </o:p>
The girl I was seeing also told me she noticed a personality change… I stopped seeing her before I could find out what she meant by that unfortunately.
Along with the sex-drive being down... I can still get aroused on command though.
More thoughts anyone?
babyj18777 01-29-09, 01:54 AM And one more thing,
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stillfightin 01-29-09, 02:15 AM Sounds about what a lot of people experience... There will always be the downside, the trick is to make sure the upside outweighs the downside :)
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It feels like my body is overstimulated if that makes sense. My fingers or arms or something needs to be moving at all times.
The girl I was seeing also told me she noticed a personality change…
More thoughts anyone?
The peripheral stimulation (the need to move extremities) and personality changes are tell tale signs that you're just beyond that dose of over-stimulation. Adderall's L-Amphetamine will do that to you, along with BP increase.
Have you ever considered taking dexedrine? It's 100% D-Amphetamine, and most people (myself included) get a "clear sharp mind" feeling, with little to no BP increase (decrease in BP for myself surprisingly...), and no "must move and fidget" feelings in the digits :). Ask your doctor about dexedrine or dextrostat, and see if he/she would let you try that out for a couple weeks or so. I have a feeling you'd really like it.
babyj18777 01-29-09, 05:50 AM Yeah I've read on the forum about Dex.
I'm gonna call my doc tomorrow and ask about it.
I like the boost the Adderall gives me, without a stimulant I'm EXTREMELY tired throughout the day, hahaha pots of coffee can't keep me awake.
Will Dex still give me that boost?
Either way, I'm gonna ask for a reduction to 15mg maybe, and ask about dexedrine.
Can anyone tell me anything about Vyvanse? I'm in Canada so it's not available to me just yet, but still I'd like to know about it.
Thanks for the input.
Will Dex still give me that boost?
Can anyone tell me anything about Vyvanse? I'm in Canada so it's not available to me just yet, but still I'd like to know about it.
Vyvanse in short is just dexedrine attached to an amino acid, and it seperates in your GI tract. Slow absorbtion, no rush, no abuse potential, since it doesn't seperate until it hits the GI tract (no insuflation). Think of it as a very expensive extended release dexedrine.
Dexedrine is the molecule that 75% of adderall is made of.
And yes, dex will still give you that boost.
hollywood 01-29-09, 12:27 PM ecu,
so you feel vyvanse is good? I trialed it once, I was on 100 but it felt like nothing , then I believe I went to 140 and I can't remember how steady that was in my system .
no abuse potential
XR meds are still abusable: you just take a big dose and feel euphoric for a long time.
XR meds are still abusable: you just take a big dose and feel euphoric for a long time.
Butt, butt, butttttt, the drug companies say it is impossible!!!! :cool:
apparantly about 2 70mg vyvanse pills produce euphoric effects equivalent to about 40mg instant release dextroamphetamine. Wish i could feel "euphoric" effects from 40mg d-amphetamine instant release, I must be doin' it wrong :p.
ecu,
so you feel vyvanse is good? I trialed it once, I was on 100 but it felt like nothing , then I believe I went to 140 and I can't remember how steady that was in my system .
I have never tried vyvanse, so i'm not sure if it's good. I'm thinking about asking my doctor to try it in 2 months, because I already have my scripts for the next 2 months written out. I wonder if pharmacies would prescribe like 4 pills just for trial, given it's written on a script by my doc. :p "only 4 for the month??" me: "yeah i know i'm going a little heavy this month with 4" :-P
The ADHD Fan 01-30-09, 02:35 AM Here are a few good articles on the subject of dosing, I've been reading a lot from this author lately:
1. The analogy of dosing as a "window" (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Overview-Tips-For-Stimulant-Dosage-With-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1654459)
2. On inadequate dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-to-Find-the-Most-Challenging-Pattern-of-Inadequate-Dosage&id=1685104)
3. Timing the dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD---ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-on-Finding-the-Challenging-Sides-of-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1650524).
4. Dealing with immediate release (IR) medication dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-to-Solve-Immediate-Release-Confusion&id=1739408).
5. Signs and warnings of overdosing on stimulant ADHD medications (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Treatment---7-Tips-on-Finding-the-Elusive-Top-of-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1257427).
hollywood 01-30-09, 11:29 AM I've taken vyvanse 140mg , somebody said thats like taking dexedrine ir regarding the feeling. Here's some food for thought, I don't look for any type of feeling and quite honestly euphoria does nothing for me , I'd rather be able to follow people in conversation and think clearly and think about what's currently right in front of me instead of going back and forth between daydreams and current work .
I've taken vyvanse 140mg , somebody said thats like taking dexedrine ir regarding the feeling. Here's some food for thought, I don't look for any type of feeling and quite honestly euphoria does nothing for me , I'd rather be able to follow people in conversation and think clearly and think about what's currently right in front of me instead of going back and forth between daydreams and current work .
That's why I like dexedrine in the evenings. It's so smooth I don't feel the difference until i'm actually really thinking about what i've done during the dose covered timeframe...
babyj18777 01-30-09, 04:10 PM Well I talked to my doc,
He suggested cutting the dosage to 25mg... Not the answering I was looking for.
So, until I can convince him that I either need a drastic reduction in medication, or another type of med, I'm just gonna take my 30mg adderall, dump the beads out, and re-cap it into 2.
Maybe it's time to find a new doctor?
Well I talked to my doc,
He suggested cutting the dosage to 25mg... Not the answering I was looking for.
So, until I can convince him that I either need a drastic reduction in medication, or another type of med, I'm just gonna take my 30mg adderall, dump the beads out, and re-cap it into 2.
Maybe it's time to find a new doctor?
I wouldn't do that if i were you, there's no way to tell which beads are the extended release or instant.
ozchris 01-31-09, 03:28 AM Here are a few good articles on the subject of dosing, I've been reading a lot from this author lately:
1. The analogy of dosing as a "window" (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Overview-Tips-For-Stimulant-Dosage-With-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1654459)
2. On inadequate dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-to-Find-the-Most-Challenging-Pattern-of-Inadequate-Dosage&id=1685104)
3. Timing the dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD---ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-on-Finding-the-Challenging-Sides-of-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1650524).
4. Dealing with immediate release (IR) medication dosing (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Medication-Treatment---7-Tips-to-Solve-Immediate-Release-Confusion&id=1739408).
5. Signs and warnings of overdosing on stimulant ADHD medications (http://ezinearticles.com/?ADD-ADHD-Treatment---7-Tips-on-Finding-the-Elusive-Top-of-the-Therapeutic-Window&id=1257427).
that's probably the most accurate thing I've read regarding dosage and my own experiences. the whole too much med. looking like too little is so true.
babyj18777 01-31-09, 04:10 AM I wouldn't do that if i were you, there's no way to tell which beads are the extended release or instant.
Seeing as how it's a 50/50 split, it's a reasonable assumption that if I pour the Adderall out and split the pile in half I'll get roughly the same ratio.
Seeing as how it's a 50/50 split, it's a reasonable assumption that if I pour the Adderall out and split the pile in half I'll get roughly the same ratio.
All things being equal yes, but I suspect the granules are not even in size, weight, texture, or frequency.
Seeing as how it's a 50/50 split, it's a reasonable assumption that if I pour the Adderall out and split the pile in half I'll get roughly the same ratio.
then go right ahead, you seem to know exactly how microtrol technology works ;).
For all other persons less knowledgeable in regards to adderall XR reading this post- please do NOT split your XR pills to "save money" or "reduce" your dose. I can't put it in any better words, so here is a response from a user on the drug.org forum:
The capsule is formulated for extended release by containing the drug as a group of beads that have different coatings of different thickness. As you may expect, beads with thinner coating will dissolve earlier to release the drug for absorption than those with thicker coating.
What is important is that not all beads are the same. And you cannot tell which beads have thick coating and which ones have thin one when you separate the dose. Therefore, if you have include the thin coated beads into a dose, the drug will be released and absorbed quickly, which may lead to excessively high plasma drug concentration. However, if you include the thick coated beads into a dose, it takes very long for drug release & absorption, and you can't get the therapeutic benefits within a reasonable time period.
Therefore, it is dangerous to separate the dose into three. If you really wanna try on this drug, you may ask the doctor to put you on a lower dose since the capsule comes in a number of strengths lower than 30mg.
Hope this can help.
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