[terrylee]

Long story, I went through hell and back and finally was diagnosed with Adult ADD... a few days ago I started Adderall, I am feeling better, the "fog" has lifted, but the energy is not there.... do you all think 5mg. 2x daily is a super dooper low dose? I want to feel like "my OLD self" energetic, happy and nutty, not depressed, never leaving the house and crying all the time....

whatcha think other adderall users? I am curious of the "average" dose.

Thank you!

Terrylee 

[StrungOutOnLife]

Assuming you mean the instant release version, this pdf from Shire says that 20 mg of Adderall XR is equal to 10 mg Adderall (immediate-release) taken twice a day. Which you're on the equivalent of 10 mg Adderall XR.

This same pdf also says that the maximum child dose of Adderall XR is 30 mg.

I myself take 20 mg Adderall XR.

So, yeah, I'm surprised you're getting any effect at all.

Edit: As of June 21, I've been taking 30 mg a day.

This post has been edited by StrungOutOnLife: 23 June 2005 - 07:43 AM

[ldo]

Well, I think it's not useful to think about an average dose, but 5mg is a low dose. You may want to spend some time, like a week or two, at the low dose before moving it up, unless you want to spend time bouncing off the ceiling. At least if you're like me. My ideal dose is somewhere between 10 and 15mg twice a day, I think, but I wouldn't have been able to handle that at first. I know someone who takes 60mg at a time who's about my size. Not sure if he takes XR or the regular stuff. There's a lot of variation. Not necessarily related strictly to body mass.

Those other symptoms say to me that you might also need an antidepressant. It's my understanding that the antidepressant effect of stimulants is temporary. The emotional and mental effects of the combination I'm on are impressive. Unfortunately, the side effects are impressive, too, although maybe not as seen from the outside. But worth it, and easier to deal with as time goes by.

[Sunshine]

ldo, on Jun 20 2005, 03:51 PM, said:

Those other symptoms say to me that you might also need an antidepressant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was thinking exactly the same thing as I was reading your post. If you have ADD, you've always had ADD. Maybe you've been able to cope with it better during various times of your life, but it's not something that comes and goes like depression can. So your "old self" wouldn't be much different than your current self (unmedicated, of course).

The comorbidy rates of depression and ADD seems to be very, very high. Not surprising as both conditions can be caused by premature depletion of some of the same neurotransmitters. Or maybe it's just that the everyday stress of living life with ADD is enough to make anyone depressed!

[cranky84]

I agree with the replies so far. I started on 5mg twice daily (generic) Adderall too. I might as well have swallowed a tic tac. 10mg - same story. Now I'm on 15mg twice a day, and if I take it on an empty stomach, with water and nothing to eat for an hour after I take it, I may actually be starting to see some improvement.  Does caffeine or sugar have any affect on you? - just curious.
Cranky

[SunshineOutside]

I take XR 20 mg per day.

Rhonda

[terrylee]

Thank you all for your replies!

I am not on the XR, and hopefully the Doc can up it after the "60 day trial"... (He post dated the 2nd prescription as it is NOT refillable) Do most of you have to drive in once a month for a darn script?

Also, I am on Effexor, which he says should give me more energy??? I take them at night as they actually make me tired....

I was on seroquel, he took that away when he gave me the adderalls....

And it's strange now that it's been a couple weeks, somedays they seem to work better than others! Same dosage... it's soooooooo tempting just to take a couple more to get more done but I don't want to get addicted or run out b4 time....

Thanks again, and you all have a stress free wonderful 4th of July! 

Terrylee

[terrylee]

P.S. Sorry, I screwed that up, I am NOT on XR, and I am taking TWO of the 5MG TWO times a day, so that is 10mg twice a day.

Is this a low dose? I barely feel it, could lay down and nap right now!  Yawn............

Thank you all!!!!

[Bryan]

Yes, those Schedule II controlled substances (including Adderall) are a pain.  My former pdoc required that I actually schedule a visit with him each time he prescribed the Adderall.

Now I take Concerta, which is also Schedule II controlled substance.  My g.p. prescribes it, and although I do not have to visit him, I still have to call his voice mail once per month and physically go to the clinic to pick up the written prescription.

5 mg of Adderall twice a day is a low dose.  Of course, different people respond to different dosages.

The average dose?  Well, there is no average dose.  Probably as low as 15 mg per day to as high as 20 mg twice per day is typically effective.

[Kussmaul]

Bryan, on Jul 2 2005, 07:44 PM, said:

Yes, those Schedule II controlled substances (including Adderall) are a pain.  My former pdoc required that I actually schedule a visit with him each time he prescribed the Adderall.

Now I take Concerta, which is also Schedule II controlled substance.  My g.p. prescribes it, and although I do not have to visit him, I still have to call his voice mail once per month and physically go to the clinic to pick up the written prescription.

5 mg of Adderall twice a day is a low dose.  Of course, different people respond to different dosages.

The average dose?  Well, there is no average dose.  Probably as low as 15 mg per day to as high as 20 mg twice per day is typically effective.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow. My pdoc was very lax about that kind of stuff. He would give me about 3-4 months worth of adderall prescriptions so i didn't have to come in. Usally during the summer when the school didn't have pdoc hours or over winter break. Its amazing how some pdoc's are tightasses about stuff and others don't care and give stuff out like candy. Which can be bad.

[cranky84]

The monthly visit for scripts is true for me too....
And just for the record, I'm going from 30mg regular Adderall in the morning, and 30mg 5 hrs later, to 40mg at each dose.  I agree that sometimes the stuff seems to work, and sometimes it doesn't - with the same dose, taken at the same time of day, with water and nothing to eat an hour before or after the dose.
I may ask the pdoc to let me try the XR next time if 40mg doesn't work well. The effect of 30 mg didn't last very long when it worked.

[ldo]

Even when I KNOW the Adderall is working, sometimes I get sleepy at the same time. Or I've had the experience of wanting to either nap or do something useful, but definitely not wanting to just goof off!  I've noticed that the stuff doesn't always act the same on me. I've always thought that had to do with what was going on in my stomach, but maybe not. Sometimes I'll have it with a broken off piece of a Tums to give it more zip. Or a bigger piece if I've been drinking cola or OJ. But I don't want to do that a whole lot, I think. Don't know what it would do to my digestion if I did.

[sirwriter]

My story is pretty much the same.  I started with Concerta which didn't work well at all for me.  Then we started Adderall, 10 mg of the regular stuff.  I could see an improvement but it seemed to wear off after about 4 hours.  The pdoc switched to the XR, and over the course of time I ended up at 40mg of XR in the morning.  This works for me well all day and at night I have no trouble sleeping.  I wish all my other meds worked as well as this stuff does.  Like you, my pdoc is weird about the Rx's.  I have to physically be in her office and SEE her to get a prescription.  Makes it a pain in the ass.  My wife's doc gives her 4 post dated prescriptions at a time.  My pdoc looked at me in horror when I told her that.  So it's great stuff, but just a pain when it comes to the monthly refill.  As far as the average dose?  There may not be one.  Everyone is different.  A good friend of mine takes 80 mgs of XR daily.  My wife's friend takes 10 mg XR daily.  She has for a year now.  So just work your way to a point where it works for you.

Dan~

[Cheery]

Doses are VERY differeny for different folks, some take 5mgs IR 2x aday while i read of a narcoleptic recently who takes 2 30mg IR tabs 4x aday=240mg, and he still is tired!!-his Doc told him to not ask for more! althought he is probably tolerant to the Amphetamines. I know of a chap who takes 80mgs of Desoxyn (Methamphetamine Hcl) daily-the most potent of the Amphetamines.

Different strokes