Shown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rainbowlight on June 21, 2002, at 19:46:49
I got the pdoc to prescribe me a stimulant. She gave me Adderall. They gave me the generic version, 5 mgs. I am to take 1/2 tablet in the morning and 1/2 tablet at 2:00 pm. I started with a quarter tablet, pretty much figured I would be bouncing off the walls from it. It actually made me kind of sleep of all things. I feel calm, doesn't feel at all like I thought it would feel (like WAY too much caffeine). How do I know if it's working, is there any tell tale signs? So far so good!
Posted by katekite on June 21, 2002, at 21:17:41
In reply to Mitch - Katekite, posted by rainbowlight on June 21, 2002, at 19:46:49
Welcome to the world of not responding "normally" to stimulants! Most people with ADD report that stimulants are calming, not energizing. Most people who do not have ADD find stimulants are energizing. With such a small dose as a quarter of a pill there is always a chance that you just got some effect from seeing that it didn't make you anxious, ie sort of a placebo sleepiness.... but I know you've said in the past you are really sensitive to drugs so it may well be the real thing. Tomorrow will tell -- are you going to take 2.5 mg tomorrow?
This is premature to say, but if you find that you are sedated on a normal dose of adderall(5 mg or more), after a week or so, you may want to talk to your doc about figuring out what of your other sedating meds could be decreased (you are on remeron and zoloft and risperdal right?).
If you have been diagnosed with childhood onset ADD, and if the stimulants turn out to help it a lot, it is likely that some of your issues are secondary to ADD and the frustration of life itself.
Also you mentioned ocd once: I find great improvement to my hair pulling (like gone!) with ritalin and a way easier time changing tasks (like getting off the computer when I said I would, LOL). One of the features of ADD is poor impulse control and this can come out in a lot of ways -- so it's possible you could see improvement with ocd type things too.
It's great you didn't get anxious! Has anxiety been a problem in the past? Let us know what happens tomorrow.
Can I ask whether you feel like ADD type symptoms were more a problem as a child or now? Just curious -- for me it seems much more problematic now, not sure why.
Take care RBL. I'm sure Mitch will have some great input -- he's been at this ADD thing longer than me.
Kate
Posted by rainbowlight on June 21, 2002, at 22:44:34
In reply to Re: Mitch - Katekite, posted by katekite on June 21, 2002, at 21:17:41
Hi Kate. Yes, I am going to take the 2.5 tomorrow morning. I am so excited that it is not making me anxious. I expected to feel pretty bad so this is a pleasant surprise (so far). I "thought" I had major anxiety, but after talking to my pdoc today she thinks it is all ADD related (unable to sit still, not focusing). I hope so, because I am soooo tired of living this way. It would be nice to be able to sit down and relax, lol! I think the OCD issues I have (compulsive house cleaning/arranging) may just be related to the hyperactivity. My therapist says I need to redirect that energy into a hobby or exercise (wish it were that easy!). What do you think of Adderall? How is it different than the other stimulants? Thanks for responding. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow, wish me luck!
p.s. Want to know something strange, after taking the stimulant it has REALLY improved my typing speed and accuracy! My fingers are flying! Strange!
Posted by Ritch on June 21, 2002, at 23:53:20
In reply to Mitch - Katekite, posted by rainbowlight on June 21, 2002, at 19:46:49
> I got the pdoc to prescribe me a stimulant. She gave me Adderall. They gave me the generic version, 5 mgs. I am to take 1/2 tablet in the morning and 1/2 tablet at 2:00 pm. I started with a quarter tablet, pretty much figured I would be bouncing off the walls from it. It actually made me kind of sleep of all things. I feel calm, doesn't feel at all like I thought it would feel (like WAY too much caffeine). How do I know if it's working, is there any tell tale signs? So far so good!
Hi,
Adderall made me sort of sleepy groggy the first couple of hours and then I got a big energy boost about 4-8 hrs postdosing. I have tried dexedrine by itself and it made me drowsy, groggy. So, I think the l-amphetamine (amphetamine sulfate-benzedrine, etc.) is what actually made me vigilant and awake. When I tried methylphenidate it did the same. I seem to respond to noradrenergic meds more than dopaminergic meds for attentional symptoms.
Mitch
Posted by katekite on June 22, 2002, at 8:45:11
In reply to Re: Mitch - Katekite, posted by rainbowlight on June 21, 2002, at 22:44:34
I like and dislike adderall. I'm having some cortisol hormone problems at the moment so that may account for it.
On the days where it worked (4 days in a row), I took 2.5mg twice a day. I liked how long it lasted, long enough to get used to feeling 'normal' and not so long that I couldn't go to sleep at night. I found it mellowing but not tiring and it helped with focus and impulse control. Then there were a few days where bizarrely I didn't get the good effect and it increased my anxiety and so I quit it because I couldn't deal with the anxiety days on it. I find ritalin to be more reliable in that regard, but I doubt you will have this problem of it working some days and not (I seem to have episodes of hormone overproduction). Adderall improved exercise for me: suddenly more tennis balls went over the net with the same amount of running, and more basketballs went through the hoop, and yes I could type better too.
Now ritalin is very short acting and the rebound is pretty obvious and for some hard to tolerate (esp. for my hubby). But ritalin for me is even more calming. I found on ritalin I could talk on the phone and actually do something else well too at the same time, which normally would never happen. I found I was getting really into complicated books instead of trash novels. Like I really wanted to know how glucose metabolism worked and actually followed through to the point of reading about it and thinking it was cool. Normally I would never get that far after having an idea about something.
Dexedrine spansules I found energizing and they lasted too long for me so that it was hard to sleep. If I took it one day the next day I was just really tired from being up and going the whole previous day. It felt nice at the time of the energy but not really 'me'.
I find ritalin sometimes helpful to get to sleep.
Until I get my cortisol stuff figured out I can't take more stimulants, have to wait, impatiently.
House cleaning was part of how I got made bp II, for the few months that I was.... my shrink asked me if I had energy sprees and I said, well I did clean my house all night last night. He said, hmmm. (I was exagerrating about the all night thing but I always assume people know what I mean, oops. When I get the urge to clean I know I better follow it or the piles and mess will stay for so many weeks longer).
Let us know what happens today.
kate
Posted by krazy kat on June 22, 2002, at 9:37:20
In reply to Re: Mitch - Katekite, posted by katekite on June 21, 2002, at 21:17:41
just butting in here...
glad, rbl, that you got your pdoc to prescribe this. i think i also shows a good relationship between you two, because some pdocs are reluctant.
one of katekite's comments hit me:
"Also you mentioned ocd once: I find great improvement to my hair pulling (like gone!) with ritalin and a way easier time changing tasks (like getting off the computer when I said I would, LOL). One of the features of ADD is poor impulse control and this can come out in a lot of ways -- so it's possible you could see improvement with ocd type things too."
this is true for me on concerta (extended ritalin), though i did not have child add - it seems to be a med side effect. i do have ocd, big time at times. both the depakote and the ritalin, two very different meds have helped with that. go figure.
good luck!
- kk
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