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Re: More Ritalin ?'s Am I complaining too much? » Libby

Posted by Sara T on July 15, 2000, at 12:27:50

In reply to More Ritalin ?'s Am I complaining too much?, posted by Libby on July 14, 2000, at 10:59:47

Hi Libby,
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.


> I have some other questions... if any of you more experienced ADD-er's could help me out, I'd appreciate it.
>
> 1. What I'm taking keeps me alert well into early evening, which gives me time to take care of things around the house as well as at work. I'm worried that if I change to a longer-acting drug, it will poop out by late afternoon. That would still allow me to function at work, but would make me pretty much worthless at home. I have a huge house & lawn, a teenage daughter, and a disabled mother & sister to care for, so I often need MORE horsepower at home as at work.
>

A longer acting Stimulant would keep you going longer, but you still might need it 2x/day. My son's neurologist said we could augment the Adderall he takes with Ritalin late in the afternoon so he can do his homework. But don't take it too late or it will interfere with sleep.

The Metadate that I take seems to keep me going into the evening (7 or 8 hours) if I take it in early afternoon.


> 2. My doc has already told me he'd like to try other stimulants. He seems to like prescribing Adderall. Can anyone tell me if the the extended release form of Ritalin and Adderall really last all day?
>

No, they don't. You usually have to take them 2x/day. I got about 4 hours out of the Ritalin SR and my son gets 5 hours out of his Adderall. They are much smoother though and twice is better than 3-4x/day.

> 3. Also, I've noticed that a dose of my current med lasts for about three hours. Since my doc has instructed me to dose every four hours, with NO adjustments, I spend a couple of hours a day crashing... but I haven't complained about that because two hours of crashing is way more tolerable than the eight hours of mental fog I'm used to. Is this pretty much typical of everyone who uses short-acting Ritalin or is it a dosing issue?
>

You have to overlap the doses not to crash. Typically Ritalin lasts about 2.5 -3 hours. Yes it is an issue for everyone taking Ritalin. I think the brand name lasts a little longer, IMHO. Your doc will need to write "medically necessary" on his script or the insurance co. may not pay for it.

> 4. My sleep has improved. My brain is working better. My moods are stable and good. My productivity and social activies are way up.
> My only complaints are the crashing and occasional headaches. This week, I went for a massage when the tension got unbearable and that kept me relaxed for days... so I guess I could
> just look for ways to relax and maybe I could learn to deal with the tension... Sara's suggestions about dosing late & being tired might help, too... I feel so much better than I ever have before that a part of me wonders if I should just keep my mouth shut and be happy... Have any of the rest of you felt this way and what did you finally do? I guess what I'm asking is whether it's likely I could do much better than I already am...
>

Yes, you can do better and don't be afraid to tell the pdoc what you need. You should be able to adjust your dosing to target your needs, and also the longer lasting stims are really better for adults who have a longer day. And you shouldn't have to have headaches every 3 hours!

Good luck,
Sara T.


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