Posted by tancu on September 29, 2002, at 1:47:26
In reply to Dexedrine vs Ritalin for Adult ADD, posted by Dime on January 10, 2002, at 17:19:56
For nearly two yrs I've mainly been taking adderall--to combat the fatigue from idiopathic parkinson's disease. Actually, my neurologist started me on ritalin, then let me try adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) to see which one I prefer. The adderall seems to work best, but I take it for different reasons than someone with ADDH would take it. One month I did switch back to ritalin in order to take a break from the adderall--which seemed to be loosing some of it's effectiveness. Doing so did make me appreciate the adderall even more. I find that ritalin is more subtle, more cerebral, whereas the amphetamine lasts longer and is more peripherial--it has more of a "physical" boost compared to the more "mental" boost of ritalin. Of course, the more "cerebral" effect of ritalin may be exactly what you need, but then, none of us react to these meds in exactly the same way. I believe that a good doctor would be very willing to allow you to switch, on occasion, for the very reason that you have mentioned--to "counteract" or diminish your level of tolerance. You obviously can't periodically increase your dose indefinitely. With your doc's approval and guidance you may even consider taking no stimulants at all for a short period of time. This "drug-holiday" is not exactly an uncommon practise for various med treatments, although I don't know if it would apply to your situation. Speak to your doc about your concerns in the same fashion that you have addressed them here.
poster:tancu
thread:89625
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020922/msgs/121474.html