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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 18:10:38
Stimulants suck. So they work good for 2 weeks.
After stopping from a bout of anxiety, I took Adderall for 4 days in a row. By the 3rd day, they became ineffective and made me tired. So by the 5th day, I took FIVE 10 mg pills and just felt tired. Then when it wore off, I got asthma again.
So - dextroamphetamine might negate the asthma,
but then I'd still be left with a stimulant that sux. I mean, what are you supposed to do-keep taking more and more until you get up to 100,000 mg a day?Is it just me, or has anyone had luck with them long term; or-are they just overrated?
Posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 18:48:20
In reply to adderall, stimulants..., posted by Garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 18:10:38
I've taken Adderall now for going on five years. Does it still help? I don't really know. But I definitely feel it when I don't take it-- I'm sluggish and lethargic all day. I guess it also depends on what you're taking stimulants for. If you're taking them for ADHD, supposedly they're supposed to keep working effectively long-term. I'm not so sure about other uses...
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 19:39:19
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » Garnet71, posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 18:48:20
Well when you quit taking them, yeah, you'll feel sluggish and lethargic. I mean who doesn't have w/d affects from stims? But if you wait a couple days, its not as bad-just goes back to your normal ADD (as opposed to ADD - and - feeling like crap). So how many mg do you take now?
I was taking them for ADD, but also motivation & energy & concentration because I thought I had some kind of dopamine imbalance.
But I think I can handle ADD w/o them for the most part- just not right now - but If I choose a job accordingly when i graduate school. I cannot do boring tasks w/o screwing it up, if I can even get myself to do them. I guess everyone has a different definition for boring.
do you take it with other meds?
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 14, 2009, at 20:17:10
In reply to adderall, stimulants..., posted by Garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 18:10:38
I think...everyday (prescibed), at moderate-high doses, FDA recommended.
It loses it's effect, alot of times, the weekends, dont take it, let's the mind polerize back to normal. Nuerons, lose volume, etc...less "focus", effect.
I hate Adderall...sorrysome put
rj
Posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 20:27:20
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » CareBear04, posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 19:39:19
i take adderall xr, 20mg twice a day. i also take mood stabilizers for bipolar, and i just started luvox for ocd-type problems. i was diagnosed with adhd in first grade, but my parents disapproved of medications. as soon as i left for college, i started taking stimulants and was amazed at how much my scatteredness improved. but even though my concentration is much better, i have this horrible obsessiveness that really hinders my ability to get things done. back in college, zoloft really helped me be able to finish things and let them go so that, instead of being the last to turn in papers and exams, i was able to finish with plenty of time to spare and leave early. i want and need that ability again.
are you a student? i have the same thoughts about being able to manage inattention better in a job setting, but i think being in school makes ADD issues much more problematic.
cb
Posted by linkadge on April 14, 2009, at 21:12:31
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » garnet71, posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 20:27:20
What do you want them to do?
Linkadge
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 21:50:31
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » garnet71, posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 20:27:20
Yeah I go to school now. But really, jobs don't make the difference. It's the subject matter.
So did your grades change from h.s. to college from the meds? Yeah, my son was diagnosed with ADD when he was real young too, and I couldn't get myself to put him on meds with a growing brain and all, I just didn't want to take the chance. Not that I could afford it. But of course, like any parent, I question whether or not I did the right thing and feel some guilt. He's had self esteem problems. Did you feel your parents made a mistake not letting you go on meds?
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 21:51:24
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by linkadge on April 14, 2009, at 21:12:31
> What do you want them to do?
>
> Linkadgefocus and concentration; motivation to do things I hate to do.
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 21:58:13
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » garnet71, posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 20:27:20
Maybe my dose isn't high enough? I was prescribed 10 mg twice a day. But they said I could try more in one day, and I have lots leftover becaues I haven't taken it regularly, but I never took 20 g at once. I'd take 10, wait 3 hrs, take 10 mg more, etc. Sometimes again an hour later, but nothing. no change.
But it makes me wonder why I never get that extra talkativeness other people get. I've seen my son on Adderall-i don't know how much he took-but he gets real talkative and extra sociable too. He was close to mania one time. Some times i can tell right away when he takes it because he doesn't shut up. But other times I saw him with no personality just doing his homework quietly, and he seems kind of flat.
Maybe it's the dosage. maybe I have no clue. I do wonder why I don't ever get anything near hympomania on it when I hear that others do. Not that I need that, but it just makes me wonder why I'm affected differently.
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 22:02:57
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 14, 2009, at 20:17:10
"It loses it's effect, alot of times, the weekends, dont take it, let's the mind polerize back to normal. Nuerons, lose volume, etc...less "focus", effect.
I hate Adderall...sorry"WEll I didn't ask for only GOOD opinions now, did I???
Posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 22:16:39
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » garnet71, posted by CareBear04 on April 14, 2009, at 20:27:20
"i have the same thoughts about being able to manage inattention better in a job setting, but i think being in school makes ADD issues much more problematic"
I have to think ADD manifests differently in different people. It doesn't make sense sometimes; still, does anyone know the cause? Not that I know of.
Anytime I worked w/multitasking and high stress, i was most effective. i could turn absolute chaos into an operation like I'd get these hyperfocused superpowers and could somehow absorb all the variables and chaos and mentally classify and prioritize it, make quick decisions, handle crises/emergencies with confidence, and fixed stuff before things went wrong, like I could sense patterns subconsciously and if something was off, I would catch it and prevent an operational slip up. And I did everything so fast. it was weird. But when I'd work somewhere where I'd sit in front of a computer all day, i'd make mistakes, couldn't focus, and was miserable and had no energy. I'd write emails half the day becaues I had no motivation to do the work.
So I've heard people say ADDers are great multitaskers, but now, I don't think I could handle working in that kind of stressful environment anymore. I wonder what happened to my brain.
I do think w/ADD you really have to think about what kind of career you're getting into, or make adjustments accordingly. (Coming from someone who's had like 3 dozen-I lost count)
Posted by desolationrower on April 15, 2009, at 0:52:54
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » CareBear04, posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 22:16:39
have you tried ritalin?
-d/r
Posted by CareBear04 on April 15, 2009, at 1:16:13
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » CareBear04, posted by garnet71 on April 14, 2009, at 21:50:31
yeah, i did much better in college on the meds. in high school, i skipped the maximum amount of classes i could without losing credit but was always frustrated because i knew i could do better than i did. i didn't always make it to classes in college, but when i did, at least i could pay attention.
honestly, i don't know whether i think my parents made a mistake in not letting me take stimulants growing up. i had some serious self-esteem issues, too, especially since i had an older sister who was brilliant, and i felt like i had a lot to live up to and couldn't. the meds, plus going away 3000 miles to college helped me start to feel better about myself. but you're right to be concerned about giving hardcore drugs to a child. as it is, i wonder what shape my brain will be in 10, 20, 50 years from now...
cb
Posted by CareBear04 on April 15, 2009, at 1:18:15
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by desolationrower on April 15, 2009, at 0:52:54
d/r: i haven't tried regular release ritalin, but i have tried concerta. i liked it okay. it was really smooth-- it started working gradually and wore off gradually. in that sense, it is more subtle than adderall. but i like a little kick; it helps me to know that the meds are doing something.
cb
Posted by desolationrower on April 15, 2009, at 2:21:38
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » desolationrower, posted by CareBear04 on April 15, 2009, at 1:18:15
> d/r: i haven't tried regular release ritalin, but i have tried concerta. i liked it okay. it was really smooth-- it started working gradually and wore off gradually. in that sense, it is more subtle than adderall. but i like a little kick; it helps me to know that the meds are doing something.
> cb
oops. i actually was asking garnet.cb, did you still skip/slack off when you were taking stimulants? did they help at all with that? i did that a lot, because studying always seemed futile, but by now its probably so ingrained a habit its going to be hard to change. i agree about having a kick though lots of times i can't tell if a med is doing anything.
d-/'r
Posted by CareBear04 on April 15, 2009, at 12:59:04
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » CareBear04, posted by desolationrower on April 15, 2009, at 2:21:38
yes, i can't say that the stims made me a model student in terms of attending every class, but i was much better about being motivated to go, and when i did, i was able to absorb the material presented much better than before. one big reason i skipped so much class in high school was that our class schedule was such that classes were 105 minutes, three times a week. there was no way my attention span would hold for that long, so i would be restless and unfocused and would regret even being there. i also justified my skipping by reasoning that i am almost entirely a visual learner, so i get much more out of reading the textbook than listening to lectures. adderall helped motivate me to do reading and other homework because it gave me more confidence that i would be able to concentrate and understand the information.
does that help?
cb
Posted by garnet71 on April 15, 2009, at 12:59:50
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by desolationrower on April 15, 2009, at 0:52:54
I tried Ritalin - I didn't think it was that effective at all; well, maybe for the first few days at the normal dosage.
Maybe I don't really have ADD and that's why I don't like stimulants? I don't understand why they only work for a couple weeks, then after that, don't really have much of nn effect at all.
Posted by garnet71 on April 15, 2009, at 13:03:21
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » desolationrower, posted by CareBear04 on April 15, 2009, at 12:59:04
"i also justified my skipping by reasoning that i am almost entirely a visual learner, so i get much more out of reading the textbook than listening to lectures. "
My son always said the same thing! he'd miss class and tell me he could teach himself better than the teacher anyway.
I was a class skipper too. Went to high school for only about 2 years.
Posted by elanor roosevelt on April 19, 2009, at 20:19:46
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants... » CareBear04, posted by garnet71 on April 15, 2009, at 13:03:21
I don't think that adderall gives a more talkative kind of boost
and when it makes you tired i think it's a sign that you do have ADD or whatever
i've been off it for a few days and before that i was taking it after noon time
my focus was very good in the afternoons
i take 22mg of addearall for each dose but it varies from day to day how many times i dose myself
brain chemistry is not consistent
i was hoping addearall would help bring back my outgoing nature but i found a small stash of tianeptine and have been taking a half dose when i have to interact with people but really want to go back to bed and put the covers over my head
however, i am finding that the addearall keeps me on the edge of the depression--just step ahead
for now i am settling for that cause i'm AD burnouti've also switched from ambien to sonata
and i am dreaming a bit more and waking during the night which is normal for me
the ambien used to knock me out for 5 hrs but combined with the adderall it was longerwaking up periodically during the night is familiar and comfortable for me
Posted by tim-dc on April 20, 2009, at 11:07:58
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by elanor roosevelt on April 19, 2009, at 20:19:46
I'm in my late 40s and have been on Concerta for about 5 years, since shortly after my ADD diagnosis. The diagnosis explained so much about my life history (errors here, lack of follow-through there). Then the medication opened my eyes to what I'd been missing for decades ... it was like I'd been living in a small hotel room for years and then somebody opened up the door to the rest of the larger suite that I never new was there.
Initially, I tried lower doses -- 27 mg. I got more effective results from going up to 36 and then 54. After several years at 54 mg, I am down to 36 mg, in an effort to tease out whether I really needed the higher level (and figuring that less is better, all else equal). At the lower 36 level, I've been somewhat less focused, and no less anxious (perhaps a bit more). The jury is still out after a few months -- I may go back to 54, but I'm going to stick out the 36 mg experiment for a while longer.
Key point I think: Everyone is different, and it is important to have an individualized plan. Make sure that the mixture of meds, talk therapy, life coaching, or whatever are a good match for your particular situation. I find myself getting quite anxious at lower levels of medication. I tried several anxiety meds along with the concerta, but none seemed effective at much of anything (except to make me need more stimulant to stay awake at all).
It's also important to remember that the meds aren't going to do the laundry for you. It is perfectly common to have the meds (ritalin, concerta, adderall) help you focus on something entirely irrelevant. You need to work WITH the pharmaceuticals -- remember you are taking them because you have attention issues, forgive yourself for having them in the first place, and then make the effort to act affirmatively to do what you need/want to do.
You are taking drugs for a reason; remember that reason as your are making those little bitty choices that can divert your day for the better or else for the worse. Try to be mindful. It's harder for us ADD types, yes, but try to honor your commitment to your body by helping the drugs that you take do their work.
Posted by mjrtude on April 20, 2009, at 22:04:52
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by tim-dc on April 20, 2009, at 11:07:58
Is there a good way to wean off of Add? Taking 15 mg twice a day
Can you just quit cold turkey?
Posted by desolationrower on April 24, 2009, at 15:11:48
In reply to Re: adderall, stimulants..., posted by mjrtude on April 20, 2009, at 22:04:52
> Is there a good way to wean off of Add? Taking 15 mg twice a day
>
> Can you just quit cold turkey?it sort of depends on why
you can just quit, you'll feel kind of depressed and your add will be worse for a week or so, possibly a few weeks there will be some residual effect. some of the reverse tolerance effects will persist longer, though
0d/r
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