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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by john Henry on July 31, 2003, at 8:05:52
What are the main differences between ritalin,Dexedrine and adderall??
1-Which one tends to cause a more euphoric feeling?
2-Which is the most potent as far as giving energy and what does 1 = to another in potency?
3-Which is the lesser one to build tolerance?
4-Basically what are the main differences between them based on the users experience?Basically can someone comment on all 3?
Thanks
Posted by JonW on July 31, 2003, at 8:35:28
In reply to Stimulant help...., posted by john Henry on July 31, 2003, at 8:05:52
> What are the main differences between ritalin,Dexedrine and adderall??
> 1-Which one tends to cause a more euphoric feeling?
> 2-Which is the most potent as far as giving energy and what does 1 = to another in potency?
> 3-Which is the lesser one to build tolerance?
> 4-Basically what are the main differences between them based on the users experience?
>
> Basically can someone comment on all 3?
> ThanksI can't answer some of your more specific question for lack of knowledge, but I can give you my subjective experience with all three of these drugs.
Ritalin didn't really have much effect on my mood, but made me more wired than anything else. I just felt like I had a lot of coffee or something. Dexadrine was the most euphoric for me and really caused me to focus, but with the harshest crash. The crash was so bad it was a deal breaker. The spansules are much better, but not quite the same and not without their own crash at the end. The spansules look really cool too :) As far as energy goes, I think adderall is the winner. Adderall also has the smoothest exit, and I like it best for that reason. After experimenting with these three, I decided none were for me.
Jon
Posted by yesac on July 31, 2003, at 9:34:50
In reply to Re: Stimulant help.... » john Henry, posted by JonW on July 31, 2003, at 8:35:28
> After experimenting with these three, I decided none were for me.
I'm wonder a few things.... one is were you taking them for ADD? Also, if you decided none of those 3 were for you, are you on any stimulant now - have you found one that IS for you?
Posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 10:27:21
In reply to curious... » JonW, posted by yesac on July 31, 2003, at 9:34:50
Do any of these stimulant meds help anyone with social phobia, ie make conversation flow more smooth, increase confidence, etc?
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 31, 2003, at 11:08:31
In reply to Stimulant help...., posted by john Henry on July 31, 2003, at 8:05:52
> What are the main differences between ritalin,Dexedrine and adderall??
> 1-Which one tends to cause a more euphoric feeling?Definitely Dexedrine in my experience as well, though you didn't mention Desoxyn, and it caused more euphoria than any of these three. I never had a bad crash from any of the stims... got lucky I guess.
> 2-Which is the most potent as far as giving energy and what does 1 = to another in potency?
I'd say Ritalin gives you the most *physical* energy, as it has the most peripheral effect of all the stimulants. Like JonW said, it's very similar to drinking too much caffeine or taking too much ephedra. *Very* uncomfortable feeling for me.
Adderall gave me the most mental energy, in the form of a focused concentration. The XR didn't work nearly as well as the IR form though.
In my experience, 10mg Ritalin ~ 20mg Dexedrine ~ 30mg Adderall ~ 10mg Desoxyn
> 3-Which is the lesser one to build tolerance?
This is interesting, because I was perusing some old medical books in the library the other day and found that they considered amphetamines to be non-addictive and non-tolerance-building at a time. Of course, the issue about them being non-habit-forming is now defunct. But I'd have to agree that they are much less likely than Ritalin to cause tolerance.
> 4-Basically what are the main differences between them based on the users experience?
>
> Basically can someone comment on all 3?Ritalin -- May as well just chug eight cups of coffee... probably costs less. If you want to try a form of methylphenidate though, I'd recommend Concerta.
Adderall -- IR form much better than XR form; most mentally energizing; very smooth come-down; duration 4-6 hours
Dexedrine -- Slightly more mentally energizing than Ritalin; very few peripheral effects; duration 3-6 hours
Desoxyn -- Most likely to cause euphoria; only slightly less effective than Adderall at treating ADHD symptoms (in my experience); best all-round stimulant--few peripheral effects, great uplift in mood, least likely to cause anxiety, very mentally energizing; duration 10-12 hours
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 31, 2003, at 11:10:23
In reply to stim. for social phobia, posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 10:27:21
Many people consider stims to be a great help, especially combined with benzodiazepines, for social phobia. The amphetamines seem to be far superior to Ritalin for this purpose. For me personally, a combination of Desoxyn and Klonopin caused an increase in self-confidence and assertion.
Posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 15:24:37
In reply to Re: stim. for social phobia » matthhhh, posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 31, 2003, at 11:10:23
Ok, for those of your who are taking stimulant medications are u taking them for add or for social phobia or both?
Also I looovvvee ephedrine, but i dont take it a lot because i know it is bad for you. Do these stim drugs give the same effects of ephedrine?
Again im kind of confused because im sure i have ocd and social phobia but my symptoms are completely gone when i take ephedrine. Why then are stim drugs only prescribed for ADD if they have beneficial effects for ocd and social phobia? I dont think doctors know what their taking about!
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 31, 2003, at 16:11:48
In reply to Re: stim. for social phobia, posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 15:24:37
> Ok, for those of your who are taking stimulant medications are u taking them for add or for social phobia or both?
I just recently stopped taking Desoxyn, which I was taking for ADHD, though it also helped my social phobia. Looking for a substitute now.
> Also I looovvvee ephedrine, but i dont take it a lot because i know it is bad for you. Do these stim drugs give the same effects of ephedrine?
Ritalin is the most ephedrine-like of the prescription stimulants. The others are much more mental in their actions.
> Again im kind of confused because im sure i have ocd and social phobia but my symptoms are completely gone when i take ephedrine. Why then are stim drugs only prescribed for ADD if they have beneficial effects for ocd and social phobia? I dont think doctors know what their taking about!
Well, short answer--they *don't* know what they're talking about. Psychiatry, as we know it today, is a field that's only about 50 years old. They're learning new things all the time.
Posted by noa on August 1, 2003, at 9:42:35
In reply to Stimulant help...., posted by john Henry on July 31, 2003, at 8:05:52
I can comment on my experience with 2 of them--Ritalin (and Ritalin SR) and Aderall (and Adderall XR). I currenlty take Aderall XR.
First of all, NONE of these has caused me to feel anything close to euphoria.
Ritalin helped by boosting my antidepressant's efficacy (Effexor) and by increasing alertness (I had alertness problems due to sleep apnea, and hypothyroidism). But it was too short acting and this caused rebound depressed mood and was quite inconvenient.
Ritalin SR had the same effects, but lasted a bit longer than regular Ritalin, but not much longer.
Within a day or so of taking Adderall, I noticed that I felt calmer and more focused and that the effect of each pill lasted about twice as long as the ritalin sr had. But it still required 3 dosings each day, so it was inconvenient and if I wasn't more or less on time with the mid-day dose, I would start to feel scattered and edgy.
Adderall XR has been a good medication for me. I feel calm and focused, and I do not notice it wearing off at all at the end of the day. It is obviously more convenient with one morning dose.
Withdrawal similarites: with the ritalins and the adderalls, if I miss a day or more, I do have a hard time. One day missed of Adderall xr won't cause depression, but it will cause me to feel low energy and difficulty focusing. I have only had one instance of being without the adderall xr for a few days, but when I did, I became depressed.
Posted by noa on August 1, 2003, at 9:47:03
In reply to stim. for social phobia, posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 10:27:21
Doubtful, I think, but I've learned here that meds can affect different people differently, so who knows?
But the reason I think it is doubtful is that the stimulants can increase anxiety and are behaviorally *inhibiting* (one of the reasons they are used for ADHD). With social phobia, usually you'd be looking for a med to cause some *DISinhibition*, which is why the SSRIs are often used for social phobia.
Posted by noa on August 1, 2003, at 9:49:17
In reply to Re: stim. for social phobia, posted by matthhhh on July 31, 2003, at 15:24:37
matt--I take adderall for augmentation of antidepressants, and it also helps with some ADD-like side effects of my other meds.
Posted by Viridis on August 2, 2003, at 1:45:06
In reply to Re: stim. for social phobia » matthhhh, posted by noa on August 1, 2003, at 9:49:17
I haven't tried the full range of stimulants, but I do quite well with Adderall for ADD -- makes me feel calm and focused, no "crash", and has strong antidepressant effects. I take it with Klonopin (and now Strattera as well), and this combo is good for me for ADD, anxiety, and depression.
I tried dexedrine years ago and got a similar, calm/focused effect at low doses (I wasn't taking any other meds). I have serious anxiety problems, but amphetamines make me calmer (this could be an ADD thing, though). On the other hand, ephedrine makes me feel "wired" and very uncomfortable, and even too much caffeine can have this effect for me. So, there's a lot of variation in response to stimulants, not only among individuals, but even within individuals.
Posted by Iansf on August 2, 2003, at 13:26:52
In reply to Re: stim. for social phobia » matthhhh, posted by noa on August 1, 2003, at 9:47:03
One of the reasons people use speed illegally is because it makes them less inhibited and more outgoing. Disinhibition due to use of crystal meth is a major factor in the increasing rates of HIV infection in San Francisco's gay community after many years of decline. And I know of many guys who will approach someone they never would have dared approach if they weren't on speed. I don't know that Adderall has the same effect, but I don't see why it wouldn't -- though the low dosage would presumably make any behavioral changes far less extreme.
> Doubtful, I think, but I've learned here that meds can affect different people differently, so who knows?
>
> But the reason I think it is doubtful is that the stimulants can increase anxiety and are behaviorally *inhibiting* (one of the reasons they are used for ADHD). With social phobia, usually you'd be looking for a med to cause some *DISinhibition*, which is why the SSRIs are often used for social phobia.
This is the end of the thread.
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