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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 17:56:05
Last month my pharmacist told me Dextrostat had been discontinued by SHIRE and she would have to fill my RX with generic dextroamphetamine.
It really sucks. It's not just that it seems weaker, and the difference could be made up with a higher dose. It feels qualitatively different, and very inferior.
So my hope is that the Dexedrine brand from GlaxoSmithKline will be as good as the SHIRE Dextrostat.
But to me, it seems like the name "Dexedrine" has unpleasant connotations of a drug of abuse. I hope this does not make my pdoc less inclined to write for it.
Has anyone here taken or still taking Dexedrine?
Has there been any problem with the dr writing or the pharmacist filling?
Is it's quality equal or superior to Dextrostat?
Posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 19:06:58
In reply to Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 17:56:05
I take Dexadrine, and I think it's fine. I took Dextrostat for about 2 months, a couple of years ago, and I don't recall any big differences.
Is there a reason people prefer Dextrostat?
Posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 19:58:14
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine » fachad, posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 19:06:58
Do you take the 5mg immediate release tablets or the time release spansules?
> Is there a reason people prefer Dextrostat?
Well, my half-sarcastic, half-serious answer to that question is that with Dextrostat you do not have to say the word "Dexedrine" or the word "amphetamine", both of which have negative connotations.
But the real reason I took Dextrostat was because it was considered a "generic" for Dexedrine, so my insurance liked it.
But when I tried the Barr generic dextroamphetamine, I found it vastly inferior to the Dextrostat (which was a generic for Dexedrine).
Posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 21:01:53
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 19:58:14
I take IR, as the spansules make me feel very tense, and uncomfortable.
Posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 21:33:00
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine » fachad, posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 21:01:53
> I take IR, as the spansules make me feel very tense, and uncomfortable.
What is your total daily dosage?
Just curious, because I take 40mg/day and since they only make 5mg IR tablets, I'll need 240 tablets per month, which seems like a lot.
Posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 22:13:55
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 21:33:00
I take between 5 and 15 mg a day. I find that the more I take (and I can easily increase the dosage, over time), the more I need the medicine (which I hate). And the worse I eventually feel.
So I try to keep it low, for this reason. I take the dose in the morning (before I rise), and a second dose around noon.
Recently, I have tried lowering the dose from about 15 mg/day, and I find I have this anoying (and possibly a bad PR appearance) tic-like quality. My right eye keeps trying to focus, and blink, as though I simply can't my neurons to fire. This worries me. As in, I do worry about rare TD effects with dopamine agents, even though stims are rarely implicated.
Do you experience any adverse effects from the dex?
I do not take anything other med, just the dex.
Posted by the blue professor on June 3, 2003, at 1:10:47
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine » fachad, posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 22:13:55
I started dexadrine about three months ago. I take the 15mg spansule, one per day.
I can't tell that it does anything at all, except possibly make me a little drowsier.
Posted by Ritch on June 3, 2003, at 9:55:56
In reply to Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 17:56:05
> Last month my pharmacist told me Dextrostat had been discontinued by SHIRE and she would have to fill my RX with generic dextroamphetamine.
>
> It really sucks. It's not just that it seems weaker, and the difference could be made up with a higher dose. It feels qualitatively different, and very inferior.
>
> So my hope is that the Dexedrine brand from GlaxoSmithKline will be as good as the SHIRE Dextrostat.
>
> But to me, it seems like the name "Dexedrine" has unpleasant connotations of a drug of abuse. I hope this does not make my pdoc less inclined to write for it.
>
> Has anyone here taken or still taking Dexedrine?
>
> Has there been any problem with the dr writing or the pharmacist filling?
>
> Is it's quality equal or superior to Dextrostat?
>
I've taken Dexedrine (SmithKline) before, but not Dextrostat. Stims are stims no matter what you call them, docs and pharmacists just have to follow special rules because they are Schedule-II meds. The rules they follow are more of an everyday focus for them rather than who is taking what for what. Whenever I tried Focalin, the pharmacy I used had to special order it because they had none in stock. My script was written for a short trial and I had to wait. The pharmacist was curious about whether I really wanted to try it in the first place (because he wouldn't have to order the stuff), or whether it would be likely that I would get further scripts for it (so he could get rid of the minimum amount he would have to order).
Posted by Squiggles on June 3, 2003, at 11:04:50
In reply to Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 17:56:05
Maybe things have changes dramatically,
but i recall a student selling the pills
for exam cramming in college; and they
were illegal because they were known
as the poor man's speed. I'm surprised
they are prescribed.Squiggles
Posted by fachad on June 3, 2003, at 17:52:19
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine » fachad, posted by Zenclearer on June 2, 2003, at 22:13:55
> Do you experience any adverse effects from the dex?
I get dry throat (feels different from dry mouth) and sometimes mouth sores. There was a thread here a few weeks back on others that get mouth sores from dex.
Sometimes I feel like my heart is beating too fast.
Also, much worse with the generic dex is the harsh unpleasent wear off - I did not really get that with Dextrostat.
Posted by fachad on June 3, 2003, at 18:01:15
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by Ritch on June 3, 2003, at 9:55:56
>Stims are stims no matter what you call them, docs and pharmacists just have to follow special rules because they are Schedule-II meds. The rules they follow are more of an everyday focus for them rather than who is taking what for what.
I don't think that's really true. If you think "stims are stims" just try asking your pdoc to write for methamphetamine (Dexoxyn) and see how well that goes over.
Some words have stronger negative connotations even though their meanings are the same. That's the basis of the whole "Politically Correct" thing.
Xanax is another one that often elicits scornful looks, alprazolam sounds a little nicer, but most docs would rather write for Ativan or no benzos at all, especially if you opened the topic by asking for Xanax by name.
Posted by Zenclearer on June 3, 2003, at 18:57:50
In reply to Stims are Stims??, posted by fachad on June 3, 2003, at 18:01:15
http://nytimes.com/2003/06/03/health/psychology/03BEHA.html
See discussion of the effects of cocaine on brain. He points out that coke causes dopamine flood to lower brain's potential to release further dope, resulting in a state of boredom, or aka, reduced neuron firing.
I wonder how this is different from the effects of stimulants. Certainly, coke (or abuse) causes elevated drug levels in a short time span, which serve to deplete transmitter stores. But still, this sounds very similar to normal-use stim brain fatigue.
Thoughts?
Posted by Ritch on June 3, 2003, at 23:36:35
In reply to Stims are Stims??, posted by fachad on June 3, 2003, at 18:01:15
> >Stims are stims no matter what you call them, docs and pharmacists just have to follow special rules because they are Schedule-II meds. The rules they follow are more of an everyday focus for them rather than who is taking what for what.
>
> I don't think that's really true. If you think "stims are stims" just try asking your pdoc to write for methamphetamine (Dexoxyn) and see how well that goes over.
>
> Some words have stronger negative connotations even though their meanings are the same. That's the basis of the whole "Politically Correct" thing.
>
> Xanax is another one that often elicits scornful looks, alprazolam sounds a little nicer, but most docs would rather write for Ativan or no benzos at all, especially if you opened the topic by asking for Xanax by name.Asking your *doc* for a more "notorious" stimulant could elicit the *psychological* response you mention, however, I was generally responding to the pharmacist's side of things (getting the script filled) from a pragmatic/legal/procedural standpoint. The pharmacist doesn't have any different "rules" to follow (that I am aware of) whether your doctor writes for Dexedrine, Focalin, Desoxyn, Adderall, or Ritalin. They are just running a business or working for one, and your script requires processing in the same manner in accordance with any other Schedule-II medication. If the pharmacist raises his/her eyebrows or makes a remark based on a specific medication-it doesn't matter-they have no choice but to fill it as prescribed-that's their job.
Posted by Festus on June 4, 2003, at 20:08:08
In reply to Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by fachad on June 2, 2003, at 17:56:05
I take the 10mg IR tablets(yes,they do make them)and I go between 20mg,2-3 times a day.I don,t like to be on them for a long period of time so I go 3 weeks on,1 week off.It keeps me from getting too tolerant and gives my body a break.Festus
Posted by Zenclearer on June 4, 2003, at 22:16:18
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by Festus on June 4, 2003, at 20:08:08
Sometimes, dex makes me feel exactly as one would ask of it: astute and clear-headed.
Other times, for no appareent reason, it makes me feel very logey (dizzy-like), foggy, sleepy, and slow-witted; also, makes it hard to negotiate wide-open spaces.
In other words, the effects are unpreditable and inconsistent, even though I take the same amount, the same time of day.
Do others experience this with dex?
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 6, 2003, at 13:35:20
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by Festus on June 4, 2003, at 20:08:08
is this the same drug that was used for weight loss in the 60's?
Posted by Zenclearer on June 6, 2003, at 17:42:52
In reply to Dexedrine: Blurred vision spaciness?, posted by Zenclearer on June 4, 2003, at 22:16:18
Well, I guess I'm the only one.
> Sometimes, dex makes me feel exactly as one would ask of it: astute and clear-headed.
>
> Other times, for no appareent reason, it makes me feel very logey (dizzy-like), foggy, sleepy, and slow-witted; also, makes it hard to negotiate wide-open spaces.
>
> In other words, the effects are unpreditable and inconsistent, even though I take the same amount, the same time of day.
>
> Do others experience this with dex?
Posted by methinks on June 9, 2003, at 0:13:53
In reply to Re: Has Anyone Taken Dexedrine, posted by Ritch on June 3, 2003, at 9:55:56
Was prescribed 10 mg dexedrine tablets several weeks ago. The pharmacist told me the 10 mg tablets were not available and that I had to go back to my pdoc and get another script for 5 mg tablets, as the law prevents the doctor from changing the script by telephone. So I made the 40 mile roundtrip to the doctor's office for a new script and was then told by the pharmacist that it would take 3 days to order the 5 mg tablets.
(None of the other six pharmacies in town had any in stock either.) When I finally received the med it was 5 mg destrostat.Took the drug, 5-10 mg twice a day, for about a week with great results: improved focus and concentration, improved memory and motivation, increased confidence, more sociable and a much more positive mood (best anti-depressant I've ever taken).
Sadly, I developed severe, uncontrollable heartburn as a side effect and have had to quit taking dextrostat. Was wondering if anyone else has experienced this side effect? Can anyone suggest another stimulant to try, preferably an inexpensive one?
This is the end of the thread.
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