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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 41. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 11:32:03
I've had my scrip filled for a week now and am full of anxiety about taking my first dose of Concerta!! I keep thinking, maybe Adderall XR would be better, but I know I won't know until I try.
What is a fair trial for a stimulant, a few days? If I have some initial anxiety with my first dose, I don't want to jump the gun and scrap it, so would a few days be enough for your body to adjust to a stimulant?
I have a bad habit of taken one med (Concerta) and wondering if another med (Adderall XR) would be giving me better results. It's so hard for me to stick with a med because I'm always thinking "maybe something else would be better." By the way, what would this symptom fall under, it's not only with meds, but relationships and jobs also.
Posted by Ritch on April 10, 2005, at 14:47:42
In reply to Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 11:32:03
> I've had my scrip filled for a week now and am full of anxiety about taking my first dose of Concerta!! I keep thinking, maybe Adderall XR would be better, but I know I won't know until I try.
>
> What is a fair trial for a stimulant, a few days? If I have some initial anxiety with my first dose, I don't want to jump the gun and scrap it, so would a few days be enough for your body to adjust to a stimulant?
>
> I have a bad habit of taken one med (Concerta) and wondering if another med (Adderall XR) would be giving me better results. It's so hard for me to stick with a med because I'm always thinking "maybe something else would be better." By the way, what would this symptom fall under, it's not only with meds, but relationships and jobs also.
>
>It's a perfectionistic trait of OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). I've got that to some degree as well. As far as the stims go, they are actually a lot easier to make determinations about what's *best* than most other medications. They tend to work immediately, if you get any sides from them, they tend *not* to go away, and probably more importantly you will find out whether the methylphenidate family works for you or not. People that need stims for ADHD tend to respond a lot better to one kind of another (amps or mph). Concerta's the smoothest form of methylphenidate, so you aren't wasting time *not* liking the potential crashing that would go along with the other versions. In short it should either work really well for you or not, and you will find out relatively quickly whether it does or not. And it it doesn't.. then you can try dexedrine. If that clearly works much better and you don't like it's crashing tendencies then you can go to Adderall..
Posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 16:59:04
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » theo, posted by Ritch on April 10, 2005, at 14:47:42
Oh theo, I do the same thing with medication. I am always terrified to take the first pill- then I sit and wait for it to give me all the side effects listed.
Then after on it a few days, I think it's not working so I should be on something else.
Maybe that is OCD.. I just thought it was anxiety or me being strange. LOL
It's nice to know I'm not alone! Come join my club.. it's free and so far, I'm the only member. ha ha.
Posted by Phillipa on April 10, 2005, at 17:12:45
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by Spriggy on April 10, 2005, at 16:59:04
Oh no you're not! I've done the exact same thing for years and years. I'm med phobic! That's why I only trust the valium and won't go up on any AD's I feel they don't work. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 17:40:10
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » theo, posted by Ritch on April 10, 2005, at 14:47:42
> It's a perfectionistic trait of OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). I've got that to some degree as well. As far as the stims go, they are actually a lot easier to make determinations about what's *best* than most other medications. They tend to work immediately, if you get any sides from them, they tend *not* to go away, and probably more importantly you will find out whether the methylphenidate family works for you or not. People that need stims for ADHD tend to respond a lot better to one kind of another (amps or mph). Concerta's the smoothest form of methylphenidate, so you aren't wasting time *not* liking the potential crashing that would go along with the other versions. In short it should either work really well for you or not, and you will find out relatively quickly whether it does or not. And it it doesn't.. then you can try dexedrine. If that clearly works much better and you don't like it's crashing tendencies then you can go to Adderall..
>What's frustrating is whenever I try an OCD med, my symptoms of ADD get much worse. Now that I've been off SSRI's for the first time in years, my general OCD like checking behavior or getting pissed if my girlfriends kids touch my things, has diminished! So basically, a bunch of my agitation and OCD was a side effect of SSRI's, mainly Zoloft, Lexapro. Maybe I need a combo of a stim and Luvox or something for OCD? I guess if the stim makes my OCD worse I'll know soon enough.
I did use to drink alot (sober 2 years now), never popped pills though so my doc is very trusting in letting me try stims or benzos. What's interesting is that one of Dr. Amens books says children of alcoholic families usually need a med for OCD and ADD.
I'm glad I'm on no other meds now so I can give the stim class a true read. Tomorrow is a slow day for me so I think I'm going to drop the Concerta about 6:30am and hope for the best.
Posted by Ritch on April 11, 2005, at 9:44:41
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » Ritch, posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 17:40:10
> What's frustrating is whenever I try an OCD med, my symptoms of ADD get much worse. Now that I've been off SSRI's for the first time in years, my general OCD like checking behavior or getting pissed if my girlfriends kids touch my things, has diminished! So basically, a bunch of my agitation and OCD was a side effect of SSRI's, mainly Zoloft, Lexapro. Maybe I need a combo of a stim and Luvox or something for OCD? I guess if the stim makes my OCD worse I'll know soon enough.
>
> I did use to drink alot (sober 2 years now), never popped pills though so my doc is very trusting in letting me try stims or benzos. What's interesting is that one of Dr. Amens books says children of alcoholic families usually need a med for OCD and ADD.
>
> I'm glad I'm on no other meds now so I can give the stim class a true read. Tomorrow is a slow day for me so I think I'm going to drop the Concerta about 6:30am and hope for the best.
>
>The trouble I've always had with SSRI's, is they reduce one kind of anxiety but they tend to amplify another. Things do some "good enough" and small stuff I can brush aside with "well whatever", which is helpful to reduce perfectionism.. BUT they *add* an agitating and activating dimension about them that worsen my bipolar symptoms-esp. anger and intolerance strangely enough-perhaps negative disinhibition. Being off of them makes my head a lot quieter. The primary thing I liked about SSRi's were their ability to facilitate task-switching. Watch out and see how you react to stims.. I had trouble with getting "stuck" and over-focused on some of them. It could be a serotonergic + stim might work really well.. the best combo I was on (in that category) was Effexor and Adderall (both very low dose)..
Posted by alohashirt on April 12, 2005, at 0:57:54
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » Ritch, posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 17:40:10
I was apprehensive about trying stimulants for my ADHD
because I am 7 years sober. I've found that it's not in my
best interest to overthink it, or to think in terms of "dropping"
my meds. Someone suggested to me that I dole out my med doses the night before. I now go to bed with my morning pill box next to my med and take my tablets when I wake and then forget about them entirely until its time for the afternoon dose.I find Copncerta / dexedrine and Adderall all affect me differently - and there is no ultimate "best med". It's worth
taking your time to find the right meds - for me its been two years of adjusting and readjusting dosage.Good luck!
Posted by paulbwell on April 12, 2005, at 20:34:58
In reply to Theo (Scared to take my first dose ..., posted by alohashirt on April 12, 2005, at 0:57:54
> I was apprehensive about trying stimulants for my ADHD
> because I am 7 years sober. I've found that it's not in my
> best interest to overthink it, or to think in terms of "dropping"
> my meds. Someone suggested to me that I dole out my med doses the night before. I now go to bed with my morning pill box next to my med and take my tablets when I wake and then forget about them entirely until its time for the afternoon dose.
>
> I find Copncerta / dexedrine and Adderall all affect me differently - and there is no ultimate "best med". It's worth
> taking your time to find the right meds - for me its been two years of adjusting and readjusting dosage.
>
> Good luck!Hi Ya
What differences did you find with the 3 stims you have mentioned?
-Anxiety wise?
-Attention wise
-Focas wise?Cheers
Posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 7:57:48
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » Ritch, posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 17:40:10
I just read your post's! Too funny! I fit right in with all of you because I just took my first dose of Concerta just now and an wondering if it will work, and.....if I should have asked for Adderall. I tried Strattera and it was too sedating for me, so my doctor thought concerta was worth a try. My daughter takes Adderall XR, and now I am wondering if she is taking the correct med.? What's wrong with me? Just shoot me! I must be reading way way to many posts! -L
Posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 9:09:18
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 7:57:48
> I just read your post's! Too funny! I fit right in with all of you because I just took my first dose of Concerta just now and an wondering if it will work, and.....if I should have asked for Adderall. I tried Strattera and it was too sedating for me, so my doctor thought concerta was worth a try. My daughter takes Adderall XR, and now I am wondering if she is taking the correct med.? What's wrong with me? Just shoot me! I must be reading way way to many posts! -L
So how was the first dose? Any anxiety or extremely uncomfortable side effects???
Posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 12:47:23
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » stresser, posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 9:09:18
I had to get on here to see if anyone saw my post! I should be mowing my yard! I think maybe I can tell I took it? It was only 18mg. I have energy, but that could be due to the fact that I didn't take the Adderall, and that was making me tired for the entire month I was on it. -L
Posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 14:34:33
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 12:47:23
> I had to get on here to see if anyone saw my post! I should be mowing my yard! I think maybe I can tell I took it? It was only 18mg. I have energy, but that could be due to the fact that I didn't take the Adderall, and that was making me tired for the entire month I was on it. -L
So, how is the 18mg making you feel? Is it pretty smooth? Any negative or weird feelings? I think I'm going to drop my first tomorrow. I've had unexpectd things come up at work to where I couldn't slip away if I have a weird reaction. Maybe I'm wasting a good worry and it will be a very positive experience.
Posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 19:20:16
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » stresser, posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 14:34:33
No weird reaction and it's 7:00 pm. I getting ready to go to the gym, and still feel really great. It does seem smooth, I did take one of my daughter's Adderall last week just to see how that felt, and this is almost the same. It may be a little cleaner, I think I will know more in a few days. Try taking your tomorrow and let me know how it goes! -L
Posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 22:25:59
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 19:20:16
> No weird reaction and it's 7:00 pm. I getting ready to go to the gym, and still feel really great. It does seem smooth, I did take one of my daughter's Adderall last week just to see how that felt, and this is almost the same. It may be a little cleaner, I think I will know more in a few days. Try taking your tomorrow and let me know how it goes! -L
So you have taken an Adderall before and can compare, that's great. I'm dropping my first 18mg barrel in the morning. I feel like I'm back in college trying a recreational drug or something! Keep me posted on your experience on day 2 and I will let you know what tomorrow brings.
Posted by Paulbwell on April 14, 2005, at 2:03:19
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by stresser on April 13, 2005, at 19:20:16
> No weird reaction and it's 7:00 pm. I getting ready to go to the gym, and still feel really great. It does seem smooth, I did take one of my daughter's Adderall last week just to see how that felt, and this is almost the same. It may be a little cleaner, I think I will know more in a few days. Try taking your tomorrow and let me know how it goes! -L
Hi Ya!
What dose Concerta vs Adderall did you take?
What doses of each did you fell the same effects with?
Cheers
Posted by theo on April 14, 2005, at 8:43:02
In reply to Re: Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!! » stresser, posted by theo on April 13, 2005, at 22:25:59
Okay, so I woke up about 6:50am and before I had a chance to think about it, I popped my first dose of Concerta 18mg. I'm about 1 1/2 hours into launch and feel a little physical stimulation but so far no lights coming on in the ole prefrontal cortex.
The good news is that there is nothing negative as far as side effects.
My next question is how long is fair for a stimulant trial, 5 days? Then there is the question do I move up in dose and on the Concerta or move on to a low dose of Adderall XR and try a different stim altogether?
I definitely want to give Concerta a fair trial but also have heard that with stims, you don't have to wait a month to see if it's going to work or not and I don't want to waste time.
Posted by bimini on April 14, 2005, at 16:45:35
In reply to Took the first dose of Concerta, need input, posted by theo on April 14, 2005, at 8:43:02
We are all responding different to meds and have diffent reasons to require these 'chemical enhancers'. I moved up swiftly to 54mg and still need additional stimulants in the afternoon. I am continually experimenting with dose and timing, no cookiecutter method works for me, I either forget, or have no sense of circadian rythm. I could use a regular kick in the butt.
Side effects were visual blurring, which went away after several weeks; dry mouth, excessive thirst and tachycardia which stayed. I have an increase of blank spots, moments I can't interact, but the positives still outweigh the negatives for me.
Give the med a fighting chance, good luck.
bimini
Posted by stresser on April 14, 2005, at 20:40:28
In reply to Concerta input, posted by bimini on April 14, 2005, at 16:45:35
Hi everyone!
My doctor did tell me that it may take a month or longer to get a fair idea about how the Concerta is going to work. When I tried the Adderall XR, the dosage was 20mg, and I did notice that I felt different than I do taking the Concerta. I am going to give this several more days, because I'm not quite sure that I like it all that well. It does make me thirsty, and very talkative. I think I could become quite annoying to people at times if I'm not careful. I liked the calm feeling that Strattera gave me, (loved it) but I can't have that without the sedation. I keep re-thinking the Stattera, and wondering if it was all that bad. Please make up my mind...........-L
Posted by Paulbwell on April 14, 2005, at 22:19:34
In reply to Re: Concerta input, posted by stresser on April 14, 2005, at 20:40:28
> Hi everyone!
> My doctor did tell me that it may take a month or longer to get a fair idea about how the Concerta is going to work. When I tried the Adderall XR, the dosage was 20mg, and I did notice that I felt different than I do taking the Concerta. I am going to give this several more days, because I'm not quite sure that I like it all that well. It does make me thirsty, and very talkative. I think I could become quite annoying to people at times if I'm not careful. I liked the calm feeling that Strattera gave me, (loved it) but I can't have that without the sedation. I keep re-thinking the Stattera, and wondering if it was all that bad. Please make up my mind...........-LHi Ya
How would you compare the differences of different doses of:
-Your daughters Adderall you mentioned taking
-The Concerta- dose differences between them-their different effects?Thanks
Posted by theo on April 14, 2005, at 22:38:55
In reply to Re: Concerta input, posted by stresser on April 14, 2005, at 20:40:28
> Hi everyone!
> My doctor did tell me that it may take a month or longer to get a fair idea about how the Concerta is going to work. When I tried the Adderall XR, the dosage was 20mg, and I did notice that I felt different than I do taking the Concerta. I am going to give this several more days, because I'm not quite sure that I like it all that well. It does make me thirsty, and very talkative. I think I could become quite annoying to people at times if I'm not careful. I liked the calm feeling that Strattera gave me, (loved it) but I can't have that without the sedation. I keep re-thinking the Stattera, and wondering if it was all that bad. Please make up my mind...........-L
You said you felt different when you took 20mg Adderall XR versus taking Concerta. Different how?
Posted by Paulbwell on April 14, 2005, at 23:25:08
In reply to Re: Concerta input » stresser, posted by theo on April 14, 2005, at 22:38:55
>
> You said you felt different when you took 20mg Adderall XR versus taking Concerta. Different how?
>Compare the differences?
-Explaine the different reactions?
-dosages of each and how they compare?
Posted by alohashirt on April 15, 2005, at 0:43:33
In reply to Aloha, posted by paulbwell on April 12, 2005, at 20:34:58
This is just my own experience with stimulants and the
"atypical meds" that have mild stim effectno anxiety with any stim
no direct weight loss but indirectly more gym time means
smaller belly
no racing thoughts, racing heart, paranoiaConcerta:
really helps with attention
at times / high dose (72mg or above) get excessive hyperfocus
smooth easy as it wears off
feels "normal"
reliableAdderal XR (30mg):
less effective with attention
better quality of focus
sent my bloodpressure sky high
less smooth as it wears off
interferes with sleep
makes me talk too much
effectiveness is inconsistent
makes me sweatyDexedrine XR:
same as Adderall but smoother
clearer, smarter concentration
makes me sad/tired if I use when I am tired/sad
less of a BP effectFocalin/Ritalin
grouchy/bad tempered
felt like I was "taking drugs"Metadate CD
faster acting than Concerta
noticeable two peak concentration effectAdrafinil
stops afternoon sleepiness
no effect on concentration/focus
hives if I take each dayWellbutrin
increases optimism
increased libido
mild effect on focus
sometimes felt dumb
makes me sweatyCurrently taking dexedrine and Concerta
Posted by theo on April 16, 2005, at 9:25:43
In reply to Concerta vs Adderall vs Dexedrine vs ...., posted by alohashirt on April 15, 2005, at 0:43:33
Before I try Adderall, I was thinking about trying 36mg but don't want to have to get another prescription.
I have 18mg pills and was wondering if anyone has taken two in one dose?
Posted by bimini on April 16, 2005, at 9:55:05
In reply to Will two 18mg Concerta release as one 36mg?, posted by theo on April 16, 2005, at 9:25:43
Upping from 54mg was a double 36mg prescription, this works. Haven't tried spacing and because arrythmia backed down with Concerta and upped Provigil. Call your doc and ask for a trial prescription, there is another dose between 18 and 34 I think. Take care and let your doc know, you are his/her responsibility taking this med.
bimini
Posted by bimini on April 16, 2005, at 10:25:44
In reply to Scared to take my first dose of Concerta!!!!, posted by theo on April 10, 2005, at 11:32:03
"I have a bad habit of taken one med (Concerta) and wondering if another med (Adderall XR) would be giving me better results. It's so hard for me to stick with a med because I'm always thinking "maybe something else would be better." By the way, what would this symptom fall under, it's not only with meds, but relationships and jobs also."
When you cultivate your grass well it will become greener still than the other side. How to cultivate this grass you'll know from learning of all the grass on the other side.
I have left my homeland to find greener pastures, went off in my teens to see if and where these greener pastures existed. And it was good to feed the hunger for adventure, the greed for experience and the quest for realizing potential. Also in jobs, it was of benefit to understand angles from opposite sides and contributed to growth. In relationships I was wild until tamed by an Adonis who found me on top of a mountain.Go to the top of mountains and down the valleys, out to sea and in the desert. Don't worry, the syndrome is LIFE and it is calling. Listen until you hear comfort. That is what makes your grass the greenest.
bimini
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