chickenonaraft12 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I was on 15 mg of Adderall IR twice a day, but was getting really bad crashes in between dosages. I literally felt like a drug addict.... the only time I felt "normal" was when I had it in my system. So I talked with my pdoc and he switched me to 30 mg of Adderal XR once in the morning. Today was my first day on it (after having been off of the IR tablets for over 2 months now...). 1. On average, how long does it take for the meds to start working? I know the IR started working almost immediately (for me anyways). 2. How many hours of "alertness" should I be prepared for? Like, how late in the morning would be considered "too late" to take it? (I know sleep schedules vary, so that's why I figured I'd ask for an approximate amount of time I should prepare to be unable to sleep). I also am on a low dosage of Xanax just to calm down my brain enough to fall asleep at night (which works like a charm for me), so I don't know if that would help wind me down at the end of the day as well?3. Have any of you switched from IR pills to XR pills? I'm on the same dosage of the med, it's just a difference of how many pills I take during the day. Did any of you notice changes in how the medication helped with concentration? Other than my 'crashes' in between dosages, the drug REALLY helped improve my concentration. I was really amazed and how... "present" I actually was during conversations and lectures and such, so I don't want to lose those benefits. The reason I ask is because I'm starting a new job on Friday and I want to be prepared in case something funky goes on while my body is getting used to the meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveyoursanity Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 (edited) Yes, I've done this. My experience follows.1. On average, how long does it take for the meds to start working? I started noticing an effect personally an hour after I took it, but I know it took effect sooner because my morning routine takes much less time.2. How many hours of "alertness" should I be prepared for? I had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), so I got about 6 hours of alertness out of one XR med. I haven't taken it since my OSA was surgically resolved so I don't think that's relevant to someone with normal sleep, based on the fact that I now react totally differently to meds.3. Have any of you switched from IR pills to XR pills? Yes, & I honestly didn't notice a difference in "feel" aside from them lasting longer. Edited September 23, 2015 by saveyoursanity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 A slightly different experience (which is a good reminder that it reeally varies person by person1. On average, how long does it take for the meds to start working?30-60 minutes, but it's rarely obvious (it builds)2. How many hours of "alertness" should I be prepared for?Hard to say in terms of hours of alertness, but I've found that taking it after 11am is a bad idea because it risks messing up my sleep later on. 3. Have any of you switched from IR pills to XR pills?Yeah, Adderall didn't work very well for me. Shaky hands, irritability, etc. Concerta on the other hand has been a breeze (mostly, in comparison). Much smoother. However, I did end up being on a higher dose for Concerta for a while (mostly because I could tolerate it better). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenonaraft12 Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Thank you both for your answers! Still trying to figure out the timing aspect (i.e. how late can I take it without suffering sleep loss). But everything else has gone pretty smoothly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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