Why do only high doses of adderall xr work for me?
Question by Denzel: Why do only high doses of adderall xr work for me?
I first started taking 36mg concerta, I did that for about a week. And it made me feel depressed, even my friends knoticed it.so then I tried taking 2 pills one day same thing not help made me feel sad not talk to any one ect… then my doctor put me on generic adderall xr 15mg, did not help but made me feel normal. So then I tried to take two and still did not help! At this point I was thinking I may be autistic. Because I know I have some kind of learningdissability. So then the next day I tred taking 3 and I was able to do something that I have never been able to do in my life! Pay attention to a teacher! And all wonderfull things happend after that. Stay focused get work done. So I have 2 questions. Why does it only work in high doses, and this week I have notcied that when I get home like around 9 hrs. Because I stay after school to do work. And when I would get home right around the meds wear off I feel exousded! Irratable, and crabby. I didn’t use to do that? Ethier I’ve been working to hard and I’m not used to doing all this work. But I don’t think its that’s cuase last week I didn’t feel like that its been getting worse and worse every day, and I have head aches. And I try to do home work when its worn off and I can’t do shitt and it looks like it and the grammer is shit to. And I think I’m doing good…. btw 16 years old boy.
Best answer:
Answer by JF
15mg isn’t that big. don’t worry too much about it. just don’t go over 80mg a day. and don’t take any after 2 because you won’t be able to sleep.
Good luck!
-J
Answer by Mathieu
Believe it or not but you are not on a particularly high or unusual dose. Drugs effect people differently (pharmacogenetics and pharmacometabonomics)- some may need 5 mg of Adderall a day and some need 90 mg or more/day but most typically take about 30 mg/day. Your dose is above normal and the official maximum dose of Adderall is 45 mg/day for ADHD although for narcolepsy (a rare sleeping disorder) the official maximum daily dose is 60 mg. Doctors may also prescribe larger doses than the official maximum or may prescribe medication for reasons that have not been approved- this is known as prescribing “off-label” and it is common since people are unique and not everyone fits nicely into the normal minimum to maximum dose range.
You might also talk to your doctor about other more potent medications and may be better options. The amphetamine stimulants Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Dexedrine Spansules (dextroamphetamine extended-release), and Desoxyn (methamphetamine) are approved for ADHD and they are more potent and typically have fewer side effects than Adderall.
75% of Adderall is dextroamphetamine (d-amphetamine) and 25% is levoamphetamine (l-amphetamine). Nearly all of the BENEFICIAL effects of Adderall are from the dextroamphetamine, the l-amphetamine has few BENEFICIAL effects since it primary effects the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
Dextroamphetamine and methamphetamine have stronger effects on the central nervous system (CNS) and fewer effects on the SNS compared to levoamphetamine. Dexedrine Spansules is a great option since it is an extended-release medication however it does not last as long as Adderall XR. Since taking Adderall XR ONCE is not lasting long enough for you it might be better to take Adderall or potentially Dexedrine TWICE daily so it lasts during school and during the afternoon/evening so you can concentrate on your homework better.
It is also very common for people on Adderall or other stimulants, especially in larger doses, to experience agitation, irritability, and anxiety when the medication starts to wear off. You are also likely experiencing rebound tiredness when the medication wears off. Amphetamines, in addition to helping with ADHD, are effective at reducing sleepiness and when they wear off people can experience strong tiredness even if they don’t have a sleeping disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Headaches are also common side effects from Adderall.
Everything you describe is perfectly normal. I would certainly ask your doctor about changing your Adderall dosing schedule or switching to Dexedrine or Desoxyn. Many doctors don’t use Desoxyn because it is methamphetamine (“meth”) which has such a strong yet unfounded stigma attached to it despite the fact Desoxyn has the fewest side effects of all amphetamines. The official maximum daily dose of Dexedrine is 40 mg for ADHD and 60 mg/day for narcolepsy. For Desoxyn the official maximum dose for ADHD is 25 mg/day. Side effects will likely dissipate over time.
Give yourself and your doctor some time to find the right medication, the right dose, and the right dosage schedule. Things rarely get perfectly better instantly. It is great you are finally able to pay attention to your teachers and focus on your work so you are doing better and with some tweaking and some time I bet you will be doing very well.
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