First time taking adderall xr and having inconsistent results
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Tagged: medication advice
- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 7 months ago by InnatentiveMom.
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June 14, 2019 at 11:20 pm #119979AlliParticipant
I was recently diagnosed with ADD and my doctor prescribed me adderall xr 20mg. I’ve been taking it about a week. The first day I felt great. I was calm, focused, and had motivation to do all the mundane things I usually dreaded or was too mentally exhausted to do. I was able to focus better than I had in years!
However, by day three I noticed around eight hours after taking it I felt exhausted and unfocused, and had a headache as well. Today I felt this after three-ish hours, and again around the eight hour mark although some coffee did help make it a bit more bearable. I’m having a hard time falling and staying asleep as well.
I’m unsure if this means I should try different medication, or if I need to stick it out for longer than a week. When the medication is in effect I am focused and calm, but will the crash I feel lessen over time? I seem to be experiencing different side effects or symptoms each day on these meds so far. Is this normal or should I phone my doctor and make an appointment? -
June 15, 2019 at 1:08 am #119982donja.bunnellParticipant
Hi Alli,
I have found what can make a HUGE difference with my Adderall is the manufacturer. I take a generic by Teva and I do quite well with it. You will find if you look around the forums on here that the one to completely stay away from is Aurobindo. It is basically like taking a sugar pill. Actually, it feels worse than taking a sugar pill. Pharmacists, Dr’s, whoever can tell you that all generics are the same. That’s a load of crap. It makes me very angry when they say that because it has been proven over and over to be untrue. That’s all I know. Hope this helps somewhat.
Donja
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June 15, 2019 at 4:18 am #119983
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June 16, 2019 at 6:23 pm #120011broccolisaladParticipant
Teva is the only generic people should get- it for sure makes a difference. Not all pharmacies have it, I know Walgreens does. But I would also try the immediate release kind (still Teva) It is so much more flexible. Some days I need more than others, and others days I want to take them at different times, etc. The results have always been pretty consistent with me. Most side effects went away after a few weeks. So at least try a few weeks as a lot of the side effects can go away and the good effects stay. After a few months on the drug the only side effects I notice are dry mouth (but not that bad) and the occasional headache, not more than once a week and it goes away with Tylenol.
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June 16, 2019 at 11:36 pm #120017AlliParticipant
Thanks for the advice! I will stick it out for a couple weeks more and hopefully the side effects lessen! I’ve already found that cutting out coffee and caffeine drastically reduces side effects for me, but I’m now dealing with a migraine from caffeine withdrawl/lack of sleep combined with possibly the new meds. What a rollercoaster! At least I am really focused and calm during the day. Perhaps once I am better rested, I will also feel more focused and motivated in the evening after the pill wears off.
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July 6, 2019 at 11:59 am #121884InnatentiveMomParticipant
I’m recently starting with XR also and having similar experiences. I have noticed what I eat has impacted how I feel each day. I have little appetite and noticed what I did eat was crap (coffee, a couple bites of my kids leftovers, a random cookie lol). I have now been trying to have a healthy breakfast before taking pill and planning a couple small snacks through the day.
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