Posted by Ame Sans Vie on April 25, 2004, at 12:01:02
In reply to adderall or dexedrine for adult adhd?, posted by benn dover on April 24, 2004, at 14:56:10
> I'm 31 years old and have been taking 40mg of ir adderall for about 1 year. The last dose of20mg is taken at noon. I still have some trouble getting to sleep. I also sweat more than when I wasn't on the adderall. Would dexedrine be more manageable because of the shorter duration and lack of the levo isomer that's in the adderall? Would my doctor have a problem changing medication? Also, are the dosages of adderall and dexedrine the same? Thanks
Hi there,
I'm 21 and have been on and off various stimulants since I was 13 for ADD. Tried Dexedrine, Dexedrine Spansules, DextroStat, Desoxyn, Adderall, Adderall XR, Ritalin, and Cylert (don't know if Provigil counts, but I tried it too). Currently I'm taking immediate-release Adderall, 30mg twice daily. I don't have any of the problems you mentioned; I certainly don't have insomnia from the amphetamines -- sometimes the Adderall lulls me into a nice nap! lol
A switch to pure dextroamphetamine sulfate sounds like a good move at this point. Adderall, because of the saccharate and aspartate monohydrate salts, tends to remain effective for about an hour or two longer than dexamphetamine. And you're likely correct in assuming that it's the levoratory amphetamine isomer that's causing the sweating and any other peripheral effects; the dextroratory isomer is about twice as active in the CNS.
Concerning dosage, as utopizen said, you and your doctor will of course have to work to find what works for you. But I can break it down like this:
Adderall 20mg: 5mg dextroamphetamine sulfate, 5mg dextroamphetamine saccharate, 5mg amphetamine sulfate, 5 mg d,l-amphetamine aspartate monohydrate
Dexedrine: 5mg dextroamphetamine sulfate
Dexedrine Spansule: 5, 10, or 15mg dextroamphetamine sulfate
DextroStat: 5 or 10mg dextroamphetamine sulfate
Thus, with Adderall, you have half dextroratory amphetamine and half racemic amphetamine. The racemic amphetamine is half dextroratory and half levoratory, so that leaves you with 75% (15mg) d-amphetamine salts and 25% (5mg) l-amphetamine salts. The levoamphetamine is by no means inactive in the CNS; it's just about half as potent as d-amp, as I mentioned earlier, with stronger peripheral effects. But to simplify things, you may want to discuss with your doctor starting at a dose of 15mg dextroamphetamine sulfate twice daily to see how that fares you. It may also be helpful to request permission from your doctor to toy around with the dose a bit should 15mg prove inadequate/overwhelming.
Hope this helps! :-)
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:339575
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040423/msgs/339852.html