![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 13:07:28
When I first started taking Dex. it was a God send, now whenever I take as little as 5 mgs it puts me to sleep,I get the same reaction to Adderall. Anyone got any suggestions as to why this is happening, and are there any other alternatives(other than Ritalin)?
Posted by jd on March 3, 2000, at 17:16:43
In reply to Sound asleep on Dex, posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 13:07:28
Dave,
It depends on what you're taking the dexedrine for! ... If the idea is simply that you feel best on a dopamine-acting med, then low-dose seligiline (a MAO-B inhibitor) might be something to consider. If you're taking it specifically for ADHD, narcolepsy, or other such specific syndrome, then the decision will have to be carefully tailored to your situation. Why have you been taking dexedrine in the first place?
--jd> When I first started taking Dex. it was a God send, now whenever I take as little as 5 mgs it puts me to sleep,I get the same reaction to Adderall. Anyone got any suggestions as to why this is happening, and are there any other alternatives(other than Ritalin)?
Posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 18:52:04
In reply to Re: Sound asleep on Dex, posted by jd on March 3, 2000, at 17:16:43
I started taking Dex for both actually, Narcolepsy and ADHD. Id really appreciate any suggestions you have to offer.
Thanks
Posted by Janice on March 4, 2000, at 22:21:16
In reply to Re: Sound asleep on Dex, posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 18:52:04
Hi Dave,
I can share with you some of my experiences on Dexedrine.
Generally, dexedrine evens out my energy for the day, but it does this at 25mg. I don't have narcolepsy, but I am a bipolar rapid cycler, and on my down cycle (without Dexedrine and lithium), I would very often spend 3 straight days in bed usually asleep. So Dexedrine has not only helped my ADHD, but it has signficantly kept me going at a great steady pace on my 'depressed days'.
Sometimes it relaxes me and can put me to sleep. If my ADHD is really bad at night and I can't get to sleep, I'll take a 5mg Dexedrine to help 'straighten out' my brain and relax my body...and this will put me to sleep. I also take a small amount of Dexedrine for some anxiety attacks. Most people find this unusual, but it works for me.
At 5mg,unless someone was hypersensitive to it or had just started taking it, I believe most people would probably find it to be sedating (if they even noticed it). Now, if you're taking much more, and you still only want to sleep...then I'd be looking for a new medication.
By the way, I have heard of some people taking up to 100mg of Dexedrine a day. I started at 5mg a day, and after 1 year I am now taking 25mg a day. I occassionally worry about a tolerance developing. But from what I've heard, if you use it just to treat the symptoms of ADHD, most people don't become tolerant to it.
I hope I've helped you Dave, let me know;
If you have any questions, please ask, Janice
Dexedrine was like a miracle for me - it still is. But now I'm used to it and the benefits are not as great as they were the first few weeks I took it.
Posted by AndrewB on March 5, 2000, at 17:05:53
In reply to Sound asleep on Dex, posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 13:07:28
> When I first started taking Dex. it was a God send, now whenever I take as little as 5 mgs it puts me to sleep,I get the same reaction to Adderall. Anyone got any suggestions as to why this is happening, and are there any other alternatives(other than Ritalin)?
Andrew,
Do you get sleepy on just small doses or large doses too? Interestingly, small doses of dopamine agonists make one sleepy and amphetamines are, in part, dopamine receptor agonists.
Posted by jd on March 7, 2000, at 2:01:21
In reply to Re: Sound asleep on Dex, posted by Dave on March 3, 2000, at 18:52:04
Dave,
While less conventional than dexedrine, Adderall, and ritalin for narcolepsy/ADHD, you might well look into meds such as selegiline (a MAO-B inhibitor) and bupropion with your doctor. They're somewhat different from the meds you've tried, but they affect dopamine too and seem to have a pretty good track record with your type of problems. (At high doses, selegiline requires a MAOI diet, but not at lower ones.) See what your pdoc thinks, but you might have better luck than with the pure stimulants you've been trying so far.
best,
Jim
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.