ADHD-PI: Current Regimen

[tj1320]

I am new to the battle with ADHD and I think I may be going a bit overboard with medication and supplements. I feel fine other than having a little trouble sleeping, but I would like some opinions on what I'm currently taking and what I could add/delete/replace to increase effectiveness.

My main problem is with memory, focus/concentration, and processing speed. My daily regimen is as follows(all pill form):

Morning at roughly 8:20 AM:
20mg Adderall XR
450mg Algal-900 DHA
500mg Acetyl L-Carnitine
200mg Phosphatidyl Serine
120mg Gingko Biloba
1,040mg Panax Ginseng
225-450mg Bacopa Extract

Afternoon at roughly 2 PM:
30mg Adderall XR
10mg Adderall IR
1,040mg Panax Ginseng

At roughly 4 PM:
1,000mg Acetyl L-Carnitine
200mg Phosphatidyl Serine
120mg Gingko Biloba
450mg Algal-900 DHA

Night at roughly 11 PM:
450mg Bacopa Extract
10mg Melatonin Timed Release
50mg Equate Sleep Aid (off-brand Unisom)

[distracted247]

You say you feel fine-are you saying that the problems you describe (memory, focus etc) are managed with your current set up or do the problems persist?

[DanaDane]

Originally Posted by distracted247

You say you feel fine-are you saying that the problems you describe (memory, focus etc) are managed with your current set up or do the problems persist?

I think that if tj1320 can manage that extended list of meds. and herbalism the memory, focus ect. is doing excellent
I'm glad it works for you tj1320!

...I have problem take two lousy pills each morning

[tj1320]

Originally Posted by distracted247

You say you feel fine-are you saying that the problems you describe (memory, focus etc) are managed with your current set up or do the problems persist?

The problems still seem to persist, but I have only been on this regimen for about two weeks. Sometimes I feel like I have overdone it during the day when I am trying to study. By that, I mean that I feel overly energized, I feel some anxiety, and my heart rate is around 105 BPM or so. I am still experimenting with different dosages at different times. My goal is to feel energized, motivated, and focused. It seems as if I have gone from too little to too much and I need to find a common ground between the two extremes.

I really wish my body would return to the way it was when I started taking Adderall. I seemed to have the perfect combination of energy, motivation, and focus for the first 2-3 weeks on it. After that, I needed more and more to get the same effect. Now, it seems like I can't get that focus back no matter how much I take.

I started off at 10mg per day. Then I increased to 20-30mg per day before getting to a max of 70mg per day. I learned so much and remembered so much more during that first 2-3 weeks than I ever have before. Unfortunately, I seemed to have developed a tolerance to it and my ability to focus with 60-70mg per day is maybe 40% AT BEST of what it was when I was on 20-30mg when I was new to it.

I doubt that it is possible, but I would be willing to try almost anything at this point to get that combo of energy, motivation, and focus back.

[tj1320]

Originally Posted by DanaDane

I think that if tj1320 can manage that extended list of meds. and herbalism the memory, focus ect. is doing excellent
I'm glad it works for you tj1320!

...I have problem take two lousy pills each morning

LOL thanks. Now if I could only remember all of the stuff I need to remember for my classes. Hopefully I can figure something out soon.

[bof00]

Originally Posted by tj1320

The problems still seem to persist, but I have only been on this regimen for about two weeks. Sometimes I feel like I have overdone it during the day when I am trying to study. By that, I mean that I feel overly energized, I feel some anxiety, and my heart rate is around 105 BPM or so. I am still experimenting with different dosages at different times. My goal is to feel energized, motivated, and focused. It seems as if I have gone from too little to too much and I need to find a common ground between the two extremes.

I really wish my body would return to the way it was when I started taking Adderall. I seemed to have the perfect combination of energy, motivation, and focus for the first 2-3 weeks on it. After that, I needed more and more to get the same effect. Now, it seems like I can't get that focus back no matter how much I take.

I started off at 10mg per day. Then I increased to 20-30mg per day before getting to a max of 70mg per day. I learned so much and remembered so much more during that first 2-3 weeks than I ever have before. Unfortunately, I seemed to have developed a tolerance to it and my ability to focus with 60-70mg per day is maybe 40% AT BEST of what it was when I was on 20-30mg when I was new to it.

I doubt that it is possible, but I would be willing to try almost anything at this point to get that combo of energy, motivation, and focus back.

The only things I know that prevent tolerance of amphetamine salts are memantine (an azheimer drug), magnesium (magnesium glycinate works the best) and l-tyrosine. And taurine should potentiate amps.

Why do you take DHA without EPA? The EPA in fish oil is what helps ADD. All the others should do you good.

Here's what I take:
Morning:
Multi-vitamin (extra B-complex and D3)
2.4g Piracetam
750mg Oxiracetam
300mg Alpha-GPC
500mg Acetyl L-Carnitine
Whey Protein for other amino acids

Evening:
1.6g Piracetam

Bedtime:
Adrenal support with schizandra, ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea, etc. which all act like bacopa

No ADHD med yet. Waiting on that and a 10:1 EPA/DHA fish oil.

[x6eze]

The only thing I don't like about your well thought out regimen is the sleep-aid at night. That diphenhydramine is addictive and can screw with your sleep, unless you have already talked to a doctor.

[bof00]

Originally Posted by x6eze

The only thing I don't like about your well thought out regimen is the sleep-aid at night. That diphenhydramine is addictive and can screw with your sleep, unless you have already talked to a doctor.

Yes, you might want to try one of the following:

• American ginseng helps people with insomnia that is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome
• Ashwagandha is a calming adaptogen traditionally used for insomnia and nervous conditions.
• Eleuthero improves sleep quality and prevents nighttime waking.
• Jiaogulan is a calming adaptogen appropriate for anxious or agitated people with unstable hypertension, stress headaches, and anxiety-induced insomnia.
• Rhodiola is used to regulate sleep disorders and improve sleep quality.
• Schizandra is reported to relieve insomnia and dream-disrupted sleep.

Another good one not in that reference is Kava, which gives you deeper sleep and easier wakefulness afterwards.

[x6eze]

I remember hearing something about kava though, that said it could cause liver damage.

Ahh, here it is: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/con...90500801907407

[bof00]

Originally Posted by x6eze

I remember hearing something about kava though, that said it could cause liver damage.

Ahh, here it is: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/con...90500801907407

Yes, and that's due to improper use, not by amount, but by the parts of the plant. Only the root should be used. Some european companies were grinding up the stems also - less cost to produce and they've been caught.

Pharmaceutical companies and herbal supplement companies extract kavalactones from the kava plant using solvents such as acetone and ethanol and produce pills standardized with between 30% and 90% kavalactones. Some kava herbal supplements have been accused of contributing to very rare but severe hepatotoxic reactions (see section on safety) such may have been due to the use of plant parts other than the root, such as stems or peelings that are known to have been exported to European manufacturers. A kava pill usually has anywhere from 60 mg to 150 mg of kavalactones. By comparison the typical bowl of traditionally prepared kava beverage has around 250 mg of kavalactones.

The legal intervention of several countries stimulated research, and hepatotoxic substances were found in the stems and leaves of the plant. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that an alkaloid called pipermethystine (formula 1), contained in stem peelings and leaves but not in the roots, had toxic effects on liver cells in vitro[40] and in vivo.[3] In rats fed with 10 mg/kg pipermethystine for two weeks, indications of hepatic toxicity were found. Comparable signs of toxicity were not detected with kava rhizome extracts (100 mg/kg, 2 weeks),[3] (73 mg/kg, 3 months).[4]

Hawaiian researchers learned from a trader in Fijian kava that European pharmaceutical companies eagerly bought up the stem and leaves peelings when demand for kava extract soared in Europe in 2000 and 2001. Before 2002, substantial amounts of aerial parts of the kava plant were being exported to North America and Europe and obviously used for the production of commercial pill extracts. For traditional use in the South Pacific, stem peelings and leaves are discarded, and only the rhizomes are used and extracted with water.

[x6eze]

Originally Posted by jlspartz

Yes, and that's due to improper use, not by amount, but by the parts of the plant. Only the root should be used.

Ahh, so its a problem with the Human, not the plant.

[tj1320]

Wow, thanks guys! I'll look into this stuff more.