Tawnhet Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Please note that I am under the care of a psychiatrist already- it just seems that he is unable to assist with the issues I am experiencing with my medications. I also apologize in advance for the length of this- I know that those with ADD/ADHD have a hard time focusing on paragraphs of information sometimes. I feel like I am a slave to Adderall. I was on Adderall XR 15mg twice a day in January along with Adderall IR 15mg also twice a day (60mg total Adderall). I was having difficulty with the Adderall XR- it would seem to work for about an hour and a half and then cause me to crash and have brain fog for a few hours... then it would mildly pick back up again. When I say that it "worked" means that I could feel a profound alertness, energy and ability to concentrate, and it helped me get my work done faster as well as communicate better with others (relieved my social anxiety and depressive symptoms). In February, decided to try Vyvanse. I was put on Vyvanse 50mg once per day and it was quite awful. It too would kick in about an hour after taking it, I would be a chatterbox for about an hour and then it would cause a crash I would never recover from the rest of the day. SEVERE brain fog. End of February I was put back on Adderall XR, this time 30mg twice a day, with no Adderall IR. Currently still on this dose. About 30 minutes after taking it, it again kicks in and lasts only about an hour, when I get brain fog, irritability, emotional numbness, I start isolating and I just want to take a nap. It will again kick in eventually in the afternoon, but its effects are less noticeable in the afternoon, hence the need for the second XR, which I usually take about 12:30-1pm. It kills my appetite. I drink half a gallon of water daily when I take it. I take it in the morning on an empty stomach. HOWEVER, some days the Adderall XR seems to be more potent- it will last longer and during the time I can feel it working, the effects are stronger. I am struggling with the inconsistency as well as the fact that it makes me want to take a nap. And, I have zero sex drive. I take it everyday. On weekends, I take less of it, but find that I am at the point I can barely function if I don't have it in my system. I just want to lay on the couch and I have depressive symptoms. I have read that it is best to take "breaks" from it but I find that when I try to do this, like I said, I am unable to function. On the flip side, I am still struggling to function at the 60mg per day dose I am on. I don't get it. Variables: I do not sleep well. In the past few weeks I have been waking up about every hour or so just to turn over in bed. I tend to be in bed around 9pm and some nights I have trouble even getting to sleep. In the mornings, I usually get out of bed about 30 minutes before I have to be at work because I am so unrested. Then, it seems the Adderall isn't even helping...it this correct? If I am already tired, is Adderall XR not going to be as effective? I stopped taking Benadryl because of the hangover effect the next day. I currently take melatonin. Blood sugar crash due to limited intake of food? Alcohol consumption? I have been drinking nearly every day since I have been on the stuff, usually wine. I have also stopped drinking soda (last week), after a decade's worth of multiple sodas per day (diet and regular). I am wondering if this is somehow affecting everything. I do take a caffeine pill or drink coffee, which I hate, so I have not stopped caffeine entirely. The only other meds I am on are birth control and supplements. I have a job where I sit at a desk and computer all day. Would exercise or L-Tyrosine help me to feel better? Edited March 17, 2015 by Tawnhet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherryxox Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Kick the caffeine because it doesn't do your body any good to be taking all of those stimulants, hence the "crash" you have. I just started Adderall and find I ca NOT drink coffee (caffeinated) with it because I literally get the shakes. And you should not be drinking on any meds, even birth control because it can hinder the effectiveness and why take something if you're going to stop it from working? Best of luck to you! Xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveyoursanity Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Treat the sleep. The amphetamine can't work if there's no extra juice in your system, and your sleep is so bad a problem I'm not surprised you're having this reaction at all, because that was my reaction to adderall at my previous level of sleep apnea. Why are you waking up? Have you had a sleep study? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_Rising Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I tried taking Adderall in two daily doses: morning and noon to counter the effects of all the sedating medication I'm taking. I found that I burned out around 2. Kept trying to increase the adderall, but it did no good. I then switched to Vyvanse, 70 mg am and 70 mg noon and it does the trick. I'm awake without being buzzed. I agree with SYS; you need to get your sleep figured out. A sleep study can root out anything that might be making it difficult for you to sleep. I, also, have sleep apnea and sleeping with a CPAP machine has been a miracle for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I'm taking adderall XR for a hormone issue. Without it I'm vegged out. Now they doc thinks we can solve the original problem so I asked when how I stop the adderall. She tells me stopping is a really rough deal and maybe we just keep taking it. Anyone around quit? How bad *What happens was it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 HOWEVER, some days the Adderall XR seems to be more potent- it will last longer and during the time I can feel it working, the effects are stronger. I am struggling with the inconsistency as well as the fact that it makes me want to take a nap. I'll say right up front that I don't have experience with Adderall, but I do have experience with Ritalin and Dexadrine (dexamphetamine). I find the above to be true for both of them. Some days it works really well while others it's like a sugar pill. I don't know why. I do skip days here and there to try to avoid developing a tolerance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 For now Doc#2 said maybe stay on it. Doc#1 said for sure we don't change two things at once. GDFI called to say I missed a premium and owe them $750 (Of which $500 is the non generic AdderallXR they insisted on) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaudeB Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hi,You might find this laughable but: are you drinking orange juice or other agrumes with your pills ?When I do, Adderall acts like you described. I switched to water and everything has been fine since.Mu 0.02$ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbuser845231 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Hi tawnhet, did you have any success figuring this out? Your description is nearly identical to my own experience and have had trouble finding the right corrections. (Soda, wine, supplements, everything but birth control - I am male). Insomnia and schedule of effectiveness, fogginess, all very similar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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