use a high dose of stimulant or combo with strattera?

[bryton_b]

Who here is on a high dose of ADD meds, i.e. more than is 'recommended'? or combines a stimulant with strattera?

I'm on 72 mg of Concerta right now, and I think my doctor is going to up the dose.

What dose do you take?

I'm just wondering what sort of levels are out there and have worked for people.

Thanks everybody

[ScottInCA]

40mg Adderall XR twice a day (that's 80mg/day total). Age 33, diagnosed two months ago, but now recognize severe symptoms back to childhood. I'm type predominately inattentive (with very minor hyperactivity)

I did computer testing to find the right dosage. It was essentially an old DOS type program that would flash one of two different images on the screen about once every 2 seconds for 21 minutes straight. You push a button if it's a certain image and, presumably it measures your reaction time, accuracy, etc. Sounds simple, but probably quite complex as far as giving a measurement taking into account all sorts of things (patterns, trends, time before your accuracy starts falling off, etc.). Insurance didn't cover it ($150/test = $750 total), but I think it was very beneficial as I found my "correct" dosage in 4 days, where it seems that others can take weeks or months to come to the same conclusion with trial and error.

No Adderall XR - Baseline test
5mg - could barely feel anything, but very very slight improvement on tests
15mg - Could feel it, calmed me down, no more/reduced leg shaking
20mg - (with very little sleep the night before) felt "zombified", didn't take a test that day
25mg - Best way to describe the feeling was "We're definitely on the right track, but not quite there yet", test results improved significantly
35mg - Test results on par with a normal person. Life-changing.

Dr. gave me 30mg + 5mg prescription, told me to experiment between 35mg and 40mg doses. I didn't find a tremendous difference between 35mg and 40mg, and opted for 40mg (2 pills @ 20mg, twice per day = $30/month for 120 pills) instead of 35mg (1@30mg + 1@5mg, twice per day = $60/month for 120 pills) - with insurance of course.

[peripatetic]

hi bryton,

are you concerned about exceeding the recommended maximum for some reason? do you trust your doctor? many people take higher doses and/or multiple medications so you wouldn't be unusual in either respect.

or, are you just curious? nothing wrong with that, just curious myself

i'm not feeling especially exhibitionistic today, so i'm reluctant to post all of my details on a public thread i can assure you, though, that 72 mg of concerta isn't unheard of and quite likely not as high as you may think. i will share that i take two stimulant medications simultaneously and one is more than double the 'maximum'.

i'll message you details if you like, but it's unlikely that you'll end up on the same programme. while taking more than the 'maximum' is not new to me (i've been on stimulants for nearly 20 years), you may well avoid the errors that have brought me to this point.

best of luck with your treatment!!

[bryton_b]

my current dose didn't come close to cutting it. i've heard hints that people have been prescribed much higher doses, but finding such info has been difficult (perhaps not surprising, since stims are controlled substance). i'm just trying to get a sense of what to expect as i keep trying to find a functional dose for me.


thanks !

[Fima]

I was presrcribed a 32 mg concerta, and used 96 mg,
don't try that, in most of the world the treatment in ADD is very responsible, in my country ADD treatment meant to shut up reables and hyperactive people, not help them concetrate...
now I am prescribed 30 mg LA, and I am going to use it and then after 6 hours(if the effect is not too strong) take another one

[elvis1]

Originally Posted by ScottInCA

40mg Adderall XR twice a day (that's 80mg/day total). Age 33, diagnosed two months ago, but now recognize severe symptoms back to childhood. I'm type predominately inattentive (with very minor hyperactivity)

I did computer testing to find the right dosage. It was essentially an old DOS type program that would flash one of two different images on the screen about once every 2 seconds for 21 minutes straight. You push a button if it's a certain image and, presumably it measures your reaction time, accuracy, etc. Sounds simple, but probably quite complex as far as giving a measurement taking into account all sorts of things (patterns, trends, time before your accuracy starts falling off, etc.). Insurance didn't cover it ($150/test = $750 total), but I think it was very beneficial as I found my "correct" dosage in 4 days, where it seems that others can take weeks or months to come to the same conclusion with trial and error.

No Adderall XR - Baseline test
5mg - could barely feel anything, but very very slight improvement on tests
15mg - Could feel it, calmed me down, no more/reduced leg shaking
20mg - (with very little sleep the night before) felt "zombified", didn't take a test that day
25mg - Best way to describe the feeling was "We're definitely on the right track, but not quite there yet", test results improved significantly
35mg - Test results on par with a normal person. Life-changing.

Dr. gave me 30mg + 5mg prescription, told me to experiment between 35mg and 40mg doses. I didn't find a tremendous difference between 35mg and 40mg, and opted for 40mg (2 pills @ 20mg, twice per day = $30/month for 120 pills) instead of 35mg (1@30mg + 1@5mg, twice per day = $60/month for 120 pills) - with insurance of course.

stroop test?

shoot stratter made me puke . I got stomach ache, nausea, feel very very depressive , did not want to eat.. how much does the 40 mg of atomoxetine cost? the one from lilly elly?