adderall rx for long schedules

[fbomb]

adhd medication history:
vyvanse 20mg: gave me crazy insomnia, rendered me completely useless
strattera 85mg: needed way more room for improvement, got fed up
concerta 54mg: lasted only a few hours, almost intolerable crash (sleepiness)
adderall xr (brand name) 25mg/twice a day: no serious side effects, but doesn't last long enough.

unfortunately the infamous adderall xr is the medication that works for me without side effects.

i need to stay focused for 16 hours on the week days. why? 9 1/2 hrs of work, and at least (or at most even!) 3 hrs of school work. i signed myself up for online school BEFORE i knew i was ADHD, fml! all the other hours are lunch, dinner, relaxing when i get home, getting ready for work etc etc... i can't just turn the adderall off like a light switch and save its effects for later unfortunately.

so, i just started taking the generic adderall xr 25mg/once a day starting today.

a friend of mine donated a good supply of brand name adderall xr 25mgs which works good. for a 21 year old 130lb 5'5" girl, you may think this is a high dose to start off on. i've taken adderall before this, but rarely. the first few times i took adderall long ago, it kept me up all night and was obviously too strong. for some reason, it was completely tolerable this time, but perhaps its because i've been taking the ****ty concerta and got used to stimulants. ANYHOW, one 25mg adderall xr lasts me about 6 hours, hardly making a dent in my schedule.


i confess this to my psychiatrist during our follow up for the concerta because i was sick and tired of taking adhd medications with CRAZY side effects that rendered me even more useless. i read a page worth of notes i wrote about my experiences with all of the drugs and how long i need them to be effective right in front of her.

she told me "i don't like prescribing adderall, so if you abuse it, i will stop giving it to you".

i asked her, "what would you consider abuse?"

to this she says "taking more than i tell you to".

what i felt like saying was if i wanted to abuse stimulants, i would have stuck with vyvanse or concerta since they give you the euphoric feeling at first JUST LIKE ADDERALL. alas, doctors are not pharmacists so more often than not, they don't know **** about ****.

the point is, she made me uncomfortable with the above response. i told her the adderall only lasts me 6 hours which doesn't even cover me for my entire time at work. she told me to just take one 25mg a day and come back in a week to make sure i'm doing good with adderall.

SO, my question to you guys is this, "have you ever been prescribed a dosage or a combo of adderall to last you [at some time in your life] CRAZY hours like my roughly 16 hour schedule?"


i've considered sacrificing adderall's aid for a few hours at work during the afternoon just to be able to focus on my school work at home as its the lesser controlled environment as well as at the end of the day.

[chartreuse]

Well, yes.

I take my first dose of IR between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. and my last between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. I take between 4 and 5 doses a day, 7.5 to 15 mg depending on the time of the month (the pills don't work as well during PMS).

I have a full-time day job at an office, and then a side gig I do out of my home evenings and weekends. Each dose lasts 3-4 hours (the time they last seems to shrink as the day goes by).

I like the IR because it provides me a lot of flexibility...if by chance I'm not working on my side thing and don't have anything else I need to do, I will sometimes skip the last dose so I can get to bed early. And just in general terms, it seems to me that about a zillion different factors go in to how well the drug works and how long it lasts at any given time, so the IR allows me to tailor dosages based on how I feel at the time. (This sounds like a hassle, but it's really not once you get used to it.)

In any case, I'm one of those people whose life basically wasn't working AT ALL, in any aspect, before I was diagnosed (at age 41). I couldn't do anything -not housework, not work AT work, not even enjoy leisure time. There was no way to point at only certain aspects of my life and say "THIS is when I need it."

Thankfully, my doctor "got" it. It might have been different if I needed a super-high dosage every few hours (say 25 mg or more), but the effective dosage for me is low enough that my overall daily dose is actually still on the lower end of what he tends to prescribe.

I'm sorry you're having trouble with your doctor. It sounds like she doesn't "get" it -at all. ADD can be made worse by certain things (lack of sleep, exercise, proper nutrition) but it is there ALL THE TIME. If someone has a mild form of it that only interfers with certain activities (for instance, studying), then fine, one six-hour dose makes sense. But if it's interfering with your life 15 hours a day, then you need 15 hours of dosing.

It may be that your doctor has that mental block (part paranoia, part puritanism) that so many do when it comes to prescribing stimulants, or it may be that she just honestly doesn't understand (perhaps she is not that experienced with adult ADD?). The best I can suggest is to just logically walk her through it, try to get her to understand why you need all-day coverage.

If that doesn't work, you need a new doctor. I know that's at best a pain (and is sometimes nearly impossible), but really, it's not acceptable for a doctor to withhold the meds/dosages you need (and have told her work for you) for a documented condition, especially when those meds are known to be the most effective for that condition, with the least side effects, and the overall dosage you're asking for isn't outrageous.

[meadd823]

Yeah like 40mg for a 16 hour day - I changed doctors - I am now on 80mg of adderall IR daily - with a 20mg daily lee-way for PMS . .. in other wards if I ask for a script a coupe of days early he doesn't automatically assume I am abusing the medications - I have been on this dosage for a decade with no problems

I travel 300 miles one way every three months to see my doc Some say this is crazy but to me it is better than the hassle many others here have to put up with because they are stuck working with clueless physicians.

I say get a new doc that knows some thing about adult ADD

[fbomb]

thanks so much for your responses!

reading your experiences and how you are medicated has been a comfort.

chartreuse, i would agree with you that as you take another dose a day, it doesn't stay as long. i once took a second 25mg xr and it didn't last nearly as long.

though you guys are both using ir, are you using generic or brand? i've had the brand and generic of xr, but i don't really notice a difference even though i think my current 25mg xr (even as a first dose) is a bit too low for me.

[fbomb]

UPDATE: i had my follow up appointment with my psychiatrist on tuesday. i think its necessary to write this in the event that someone reads this thread who has a psychiatrist that says that kind of things like my did in the initial post.

got there, waited over 40 minutes (usual thing for her) after the appointment time. explained to her that its hard to guage how long the medicine lasts since i don't feel it starting or stopping until i'm trying to focus on something, but roughly 4-6 hours. she asked me if that was enough, i said no (i already layed out my schedule for her the appointment before). i explained to her that i noticed i was having a hard time receiving verbal instructions from my guitar teacher when i took an adderall a few hours before. she didn't respond to this. she asked me on a scale of 1-10 how well was i able to focus. i struggled to answer because it varies i.e. verbal instructions vs. written instructions and i don't know what to expect, so i told her 6? then she wrote a new prescription and told me to take 2 a day and ended the session. all this happened in less than 5 minutes.

the whiplash of the lack of answers, time, and questions had me leaving thinking hard about our appointment. so much so that i forgot all of the questions i wanted to ask and almost ran a red light.

if you have a psychiatrist that says things like that to you, just find a new one.

[nolagirl70]

Originally Posted by fbomb

i need to stay focused for 16 hours on the week days. why? 9 1/2 hrs of work, and at least (or at most even!) 3 hrs of school work.
.........
she told me "i don't like prescribing adderall, so if you abuse it, i will stop giving it to you".

i asked her, "what would you consider abuse?"

to this she says "taking more than i tell you to".
****.
i told her the adderall only lasts me 6 hours which doesn't even cover me for my entire time at work.
............
i've considered sacrificing adderall's aid for a few hours at work during the afternoon just to be able to focus on my school work at home as its the lesser controlled environment as well as at the end of the day.

um....i DOES come across as if the OP is abusing adderall....i'm not saying the OP is....BUT.....NO ONE can stay focused on work/school at the level adderall takes you for 16 hours/day. not ppl with ADHD and not ppl without.

[Canuck223]

It's a very fine line between finding a dosage schedule that works, and abuse. I know at times I've pushed the line.

Having a 9-5 existance makes things simple. When you lead a 5-9 life, it's a bit harder.

I did fine with my schedule for months. Then work/home demands meant I was still getting up at 4:45am, but wasn't leaving work until 9pm. Trying to balance being mentally alert with being physically active far later in the day was a huge challenge.

I tried delaying my XR, pushing the boosters until later, and tried a second XR later in the afternoon. I never did find a balance that worked, but the second XR came closest. It was also the one option I'd be very reluctant to discuss with my doctor, as it smacks of abuse.

[trishcan]

My schedule is so insane, I can't even elaborate at this point. But my doctor didn't need to be convinced of that. She knows I'm in school, working two jobs, and trying to take over the world in my spare time.

Before putting pen to paper to write my prescription, she asked me, "how long is your day?" When I told her 16 hours, she prescribed me 20mg Adderall IR 3x/day. I only take 10mg 3x/day. This gets me about 12-13 good hours, and I do my best to get the boring, tedious, overwhelming, enormous, or time-sensitive things knocked out early in the day, leaving the basic stuff for the winding down, unmedicated period of my day.

Really, I'd love an extra hour of coverage, but I don't think I can get that without tacking on another 3 hours to that one. So it's not perfect, and I deal with it.

But I wouldn't settle for six hours, no. I commend you for being honest with your doctor, but she's probably not entirely at ease prescribing Adderall to someone who admitted to taking it without a prescription. I'm not saying that isn't common, but it does place your doctor in an awkward position of trying to accommodate your needs without fueling an addiction or condoning drug-sharing.

If I were you, I'd stick it out with her for the timebeing and report back to share how things are going. The good and the bad. If you try and find a new doctor immediately, I think the timing would pretty much set you apart as drug-seeking, even if that's not your intention.

[nolagirl70]

Originally Posted by trishcan

Before putting pen to paper to write my prescription, she asked me, "how long is your day?" When I told her 16 hours, she prescribed me 20mg Adderall IR 3x/day.

wow. my doc seems to think one will do the trick.....when i said it wore off by 3p if i took it at 6a she suggested i take it later.

[SpazKat]

I take Adderall IR, and most days are pretty long for me. I somewhat disagree with the other poster about abuse - many people without ADHD, although they may get tired, do not seem to lose their focus during their daily routines, even if their days are super long. For me, I work from home, juggle 2 small kids, and everything else in-between. My day generally starts at 6 am, and I try to end it at 10 pm. My husband is gone most days, so it's primarily left up to me to do ALL the housework, handle everything with the kids, and still try to work at my job. Since I work earlier in the morning before the kids wake up, and then try to squeeze in work when they take a nap and then after hours when they go to sleep at night, I HAVE to maintain my focus through the day. I do not take this medication to abuse it - I take it at a bare minimum level so as to get through my day like a "normal" person and to actually complete my tasks to have some semblance of a quality of life. Pre-medication, I was a mess and struggled sooooo hard with even small tasks, like doing the dishes. I would struggle not only with getting started, but completing ANYthing was darn near impossible. I was this way my entire life, regardless of schedule or stress level. Now that I am at a therapeutic dose, I am able to be a little more "normal".

Personally, I think Adderall IR is the best bet for longer schedules. I take 25-30 mg IR each day, but break it up into small doses. I metabolize my medication faster than what XR could keep up with, so I have to dose every 2.5-3.5 hours or so to maintain any therapeutic affect (otherwise I crash and burn and won't recover the remainder of the day). I take my biggest dose of the day first thing in the morning (7.5 mg or 10 mg, depending on how I am feeling), and then take 5 mg every few hours. If I have a super long day, I will break up my last dose(s) up further into 2.5 mg and dose even more frequently, but I try to stay within the 25-30 mg total range. If my day is not so tough, I'll skip evening doses. I also try to take medication holidays when I can, so that my tolerance won't build up too quickly over time.

[sarahsweets]

Originally Posted by nolagirl70

um....i DOES come across as if the OP is abusing adderall....i'm not saying the OP is....BUT.....NO ONE can stay focused on work/school at the level adderall takes you for 16 hours/day. not ppl with ADHD and not ppl without.

I kind of agree for a few reasons. First vyvance and concerta are the least abusable medications. Euphoria should be short lived at best. Your friend gave you a supply of adderall? Thats illegal and you are not the doctor. If you dont think the doctor knows as much as the pharmacist then by all means ask the pharmacist how to maximize adderall given to you by a friend and see where that gets you. Doctors aren't always easy or even willing to understand the ins and outs of stimulant therapy but if you don't like your doctor or you know more than your doctor then find one who is more willing to let you decide how much medication you need. I would love to meet the person nt or adhd that can maintain focus and drive for 16hours

[rob925]

Most people take 10-40mg x2 day which should cover 8-10 hrs. The doctor probably doesn't believe that you need 16 hrs of alertness/focus as opposed having high energy to get through all the work/chores/cooking/baby sitting. It sounds that lifestyle changes may help you also.

[SeanC]

Like you at first XR was very strong and I thought it wasn't for me.. however after a few days it really levels out and becomes real smooth with barley any side effects.

I have found that no matter what you will never get a full days coverage with one morning dose of XR. For some it works, but not most. Like you I say the med works best for the first 6 hours, then the last 2 are "ehhh".. and then after 8 hours the benefits have mostly subsided and I'm just left alert feeling.

I would talk to your doctor. All doctors can prescribe two doses of XR a day for adults. Most adults I read online here take about 40mg XR a day in two separate doses.

16 Hours of coverage imo is asking for too much, and the mention of it, especially since your young, will throw up red flags with pdocs and create a foreshadowing of potential abuse in their minds. I would shoot for a 10-12 hour duration and go from there.

Remember, you DO need some wind down time for a few hours each day to let the amphetamine get out of your system. I've learned you really need to respect what adderall can and can't do. At first it seems like a wonderdrug and you just want to start finding the perfect dose so you can feel great all day. If you think like this its just going to turn on you in the end. Work with the medication a little bit. Try to make things work without going up to higher doses so quick as then you will have no where else to go.

But, def. get two separate smaller XR doses and spread them out a bit. But shooting for 16 hours of coverage is a bit much. I mean, that leaves only 8 hours for winding down AND sleeping? I think your asking a bit much.

[Steffi252]

I am prescribed 30mg 3 times a day for a total of 90 mg's a day total because of my long schedule and jam packed life.
All i had to do was tell my doctor the truth and she tweaked my rx for fit my lifestyle.

[wmjetski]

Originally Posted by fbomb

adhd medication history:
vyvanse 20mg: gave me crazy insomnia, rendered me completely useless
strattera 85mg: needed way more room for improvement, got fed up
concerta 54mg: lasted only a few hours, almost intolerable crash (sleepiness)
adderall xr (brand name) 25mg/twice a day: no serious side effects, but doesn't last long enough.

unfortunately the infamous adderall xr is the medication that works for me without side effects.

i need to stay focused for 16 hours on the week days. why? 9 1/2 hrs of work, and at least (or at most even!) 3 hrs of school work. i signed myself up for online school BEFORE i knew i was ADHD, fml! all the other hours are lunch, dinner, relaxing when i get home, getting ready for work etc etc... i can't just turn the adderall off like a light switch and save its effects for later unfortunately.

so, i just started taking the generic adderall xr 25mg/once a day starting today.

a friend of mine donated a good supply of brand name adderall xr 25mgs which works good. for a 21 year old 130lb 5'5" girl, you may think this is a high dose to start off on. i've taken adderall before this, but rarely. the first few times i took adderall long ago, it kept me up all night and was obviously too strong. for some reason, it was completely tolerable this time, but perhaps its because i've been taking the ****ty concerta and got used to stimulants. ANYHOW, one 25mg adderall xr lasts me about 6 hours, hardly making a dent in my schedule.


i confess this to my psychiatrist during our follow up for the concerta because i was sick and tired of taking adhd medications with CRAZY side effects that rendered me even more useless. i read a page worth of notes i wrote about my experiences with all of the drugs and how long i need them to be effective right in front of her.

she told me "i don't like prescribing adderall, so if you abuse it, i will stop giving it to you".

i asked her, "what would you consider abuse?"

to this she says "taking more than i tell you to".

what i felt like saying was if i wanted to abuse stimulants, i would have stuck with vyvanse or concerta since they give you the euphoric feeling at first JUST LIKE ADDERALL. alas, doctors are not pharmacists so more often than not, they don't know **** about ****.

the point is, she made me uncomfortable with the above response. i told her the adderall only lasts me 6 hours which doesn't even cover me for my entire time at work. she told me to just take one 25mg a day and come back in a week to make sure i'm doing good with adderall.

SO, my question to you guys is this, "have you ever been prescribed a dosage or a combo of adderall to last you [at some time in your life] CRAZY hours like my roughly 16 hour schedule?"


i've considered sacrificing adderall's aid for a few hours at work during the afternoon just to be able to focus on my school work at home as its the lesser controlled environment as well as at the end of the day.

I'm new to Adderall. 5days ago I was given 1 25mg XR and 1 15mg IR for a bump in the evening. The 1st 2 days the XR was quickly wearing off in 5hrs for me also. From the 3rd day till now, the XR is lasting 8 to 10hrs. Perhaps it builds up in my system over time??

Have others experienced been similar to this?