What Should I Expect from Adderall?

[Nellisir]

Hi! I'm new to the boards, and hoping people could share some of their experience.

I'll try to be brief.
I've been on Adderall for 5 days. 10 mg, 2x/day (8am & 1-2pm).
Day 1: high energy, nice day long buzz.
Day 2: not so high energy, nice buzz...very good day.
Day 3/4/5: Feeling -less- coherent in the morning, flashes of irritability. Better recollection, perhaps, but less ability to deal with changing situations. Slightly better concentration in the afternoon, but a hefty crash between 5 and 6:30 (irritability, lethargy, fuzzy thoughts -- very much like too much cold medicine). Ends after 1-2 hours, after which I feel more or less like my old self. Better tempered, clearer (but less linear) thinking, and more awake.

No problems falling asleep, but waking up after about 6 hours.

Loss of appetite, but I just keep eating regular meals. I don't think skipping the snacks will hurt. ;-)

My follow-up appointment is in 9 days, and I plan to keep on without change at least that long.

I'm not worried about energy level, low appetite, or sleeplessness. I am somewhat concerned about the 5pm crash (which I understood to be less severe/frequent than with Ritalin) and the quasi-fuzziness in the AM.

How frequently do people have the "crash" effect? Does it subside given time and a regular dosage? If you change dosages, how long does it usually take for the effects to become regular?

Thanks for your help!
Nathan

[akiss4u]

" I'm not worried about energy level, low appetite, or sleeplessness. I am somewhat concerned about the 5pm crash (which I understood to be less severe/frequent than with Ritalin) and the quasi-fuzziness in the AM."


I think Ritalin is much harder of a crash but then again we are all different.

[Randy]

I was recently (3 weeks)diagnosed as ADHD. High in the area of Distractability and Hyper Activity, moderate in Organization and Attentiveness. I also have a slight tendency towards anxiety.

Dr. Prescribed Adderal XR 20mgs one capsule each morning. Been on meds. for a few 3 days

I'm 6'9 235

My problem is sleep. I would occasionally have problems sleeping before meds due the fact that I was unable to stop the activity in my brain. Since I have started taking ADDeral the problem seems to have increased. Up till 1:30am, lay there until 4am, sleep till 7 or 8am. Or bed at 11, awake till 3, sleep till 6.

Can I expect that to change in time?

Also a slight problem with appetite. 2 meals a day is all I desire?

Any suggestions?

[kimo]

I'm on 10 mg XR in the morning. No problems sleeping at all. I can stay awake if I want to (more so than before the Adderall), but yet if I want to go to sleep, I can.

I am eating decent meals. What is nice, though, is that the Adderall has taken away the desire for all the little snacks during the day. So basically I eat a small breakfast, small lunch but then a decent dinner. I've been on this for almost 2 weeks now.

I'm 5'8" and 142 pounds.

[paulbf]

Adderall & Ritalin did not interfere with my sleep. That's weird because I can't drink coffee after noon. Wellbutrin & Effexor have me waking up early and often. The appetite returned from Wellbutrin in a couple weeks.

[meadd823]

I have been on adderall for 7 years now, changed from ritalin. I agree with akiss4u the crashes from ritalin were worse than the adderall.

Some of the side effects from addreall wear off with time.I had mild shakeyness of my hands the first three weeks. I had decreased appetitie the first month to six week I took the adderall (discovered supplements like health shakes and Ensure), now it seems the adderall makes me hungerier. I think the adderall makes my brain aware that I am hungery!!

The sleep problems my not be dosage associated but time associated. Note what time you take the medications. Write down the time you take the medication and what time meds wear off. At the end of the day every day, say before you retire (after tooth brushing but before lights out) between follow up appointments.

Write down the medications effect for the day and weather or not you had problems sleeping(something to do if you can't sleep lol). I am not suggesting a LONG disertation but a few words on a pad (kept at bedside and NOT MOVED along with pen) This will help you see patters plus GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO TAKE TO FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS!!

The doctor will be able to adjust your medications much more effectively based on concerte documatation. Heck I am lucky to remember what I had for dinner last night never mind remember weather or not I had trouble sleeping last week. Make this log work for you, write words bigger when the symptoms are more severe, what ever as long as you have a record you can undersatnd and comminucate to your doctor.

Now for the hard part medication is a trial and error thing for you and your doctor. Yes doctors are educated and have an idea but scense each one of us is different it may take some time for you and your doctor to find what works best for you, which is why it is soooo important to find a MD that you can work with because that is what you are doing is working WITH your doctor.

The documentation sounds sooo non-ADD but is the most effective means of helping yourself. Besides how well and consistantly you document will also reveal how well the medication is working. Writing things like this is the start of treating your ADD in a non medication fashion. I write list for the store to keep me from getting one of every thing I write on calanders so I remember things like appointments and birthdays etc.

The crash effect can also be called a rebound effect. I have to get in bed before my medication wears off or I can't sleep!! Once the medication wears off I W..I..N..D...U..P.. and away I go off to hyper land.

Hope this helps.

Tammy

[mistaben]

hi, just from reading the first post i thought i would respond and give a little reassurance, (uh,oh, this forum is quickly becoming my new favorite ADD activity). i am on Adderall 10mb x2 day and after about 10 days the insomnia and most the appetite suppressant stuff pretty much quits, as long as you take your last one before 4pm. but try melatonin 3mg at a time to sleep. However, it took about a week before my male PMS stuff wore off, i got pretty heated after about hour #5, calm but mad.

right now from what i can see, protein shakes, a multivitamin, and coffee seem to help the adderall be more effective and last a little longer on 5 mg at time - i have been trying to taper off a little at night to use in the morning. but that is just what i have noticed personally.

[meadd823]

melatonin works well for me also (forgot need to add to grocery list thanks for the reminder) I tried vulterian another herbal supplement but I couldn't get over the smelly burps it gave me went back to the melatonin I take slightly higher dosage (6mg) I also like it because it helps me sleep but if something happens ( like a house fire) I can still wake up quickly. Also no groggyness in the am best part.

Tammy