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Dhadhu

Updated 1y ago

Starting Adderall IR - Looking for Experiences

I was started on Adderall IR 10mg today. I was told take one in the morning and another around 4hrs afterwards or when I feel like the first dose has lost its effectiveness. How does it work for you guys? I mean I'm a nurse and I know the science behind it and how it should work but what it is your experience? How do I know it is working? What do you feel?

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Bridge_Id

2y

I take vyvanse, which is extremely similar to adderall. I also take adderall when I have a smaller work load for the day. I generally feel my heart beat going faster, yet my mind goes a little more calm. I suddenly get the urge to get sh*t done, it starts to bother me when I remember my unfinished tasks. It’s a strange sense of put-togetherness that really helps me be productive. Just remember that if you feel negative side effects, it’s okay to not take it again and just meet with your prescriber and notify them.
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Dhadhu

2y

@bridge_id I have a slight headache right when I take it and I feel....idk...I guess a slight calm...it's weird I guess...but that's it. Not the wanting to get stuff done or anything and no heart racing..its slightly elevated but nothing really noticeable...maybe because it's a small dose or maybe because I just started it today? I'm kinda told to test it for two weeks before my next appointment.
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PinkPantalones

2y

I’m on 15mg of Adderall and it just makes me feel more relaxed but also more motivated to work. It also allows me to focus on one thing at a time by slowing my thoughts down.
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Dhadhu

2y

@pinkpantalones do you take xr or the immediate release one? I take the immediate release one. I just stated today. I took two doses today. Usually I sit on the couch all day after the gym and today I did but I felt uncomfortable sitting all day and ended up moving around and stuff. I haven't tried doing any work today. I kinda had to go to the store today and the doctors and so none of my actual tasks got done. I guess I'll see how next week goes and if it doesn't do anything I'll ask my doctor about it. We shall see.
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PinkPantalones

2y

I’m on the immediate release. Yea, it sounds like you are on to something with that little flash of motivation you got. I’m telling you, Adderall really made a difference in my ability to function at work. I hope it works out for you.
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Dhadhu

2y

@pinkpantalones I hope so. I may need a little higher dose to get the full effect. But it's doing something for me. I used to pick at my skin all the time and I just realized I haven't done it really today. I've tried everything I could before meds to manage it because my previous doctor refused to treat adhd so...I'm really betting all my cards on this.
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PinkPantalones

2y

That’s frickin awesome that you haven’t felt like picking!
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SAMHAIN

2y

It was revolutionary in my general mental health and wellness progress when a close friend with 20 yrs on the ED battlefield linked my DTM to a binge-purge cycle & as an obsessive-compulsion. That never clicked before. Then it did. The less i get done, the higher my anxiety. The higher my anxiety, the more self-critical i am and the louder the voices of post abuse resonate in my monologue. Breaking that "why can't i get anything done" self-criticism, and gaining motivation to do so through the dope/nore boost i cant make myself bc I have the T/T homozygous MTHFR broken genotype and can't convert folic acid → Folate if my life depended on it (which it does) was Mon-u-mental. ⚠️ All of you: read this asap https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201901/the-folate-factor Then ask your provider for the GeneSight™ test (Medicaid-covered). If you confirm it, you may be able to finesse a methylfolate supplement from your insurance or GoodRx since it is definitively & clinically causative of your ADHD symptoms, and likely depression. ♡
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SAMHAIN

2y

Vyvanse stopped my mirror dissociation. Solving the neurotransmitter issue fixed all sorts of things i never expected or even really heard about in the MH community. All doses before titration to 60mg felt like an energy boost and slight heart flutters and slight "ohsh*t what was i just doing/sposta do?!" anxiety probe. The omnipresent bruxism for me disappeared, and every 4 hours or so I'd feel another energy push and slight heart rate increase. At night, around 9pm, the slight energy bumps would feel less and less intense which led to sleepiness and return of an actual expected sleep schedule for the first time in 20 yrs. After titration to 60mg, it feels like an entirely different drug—as in: it doesn't feel like anything. I just get up, take my pill and go about my day. I don't notice anything, all day, and I can nap if I'm tired. I have my life back. Don't be afraid to increase. It's like electricity, "It's the amps not the volts that get ya" ⚡
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WendyGoLucky

2y

The first time I took it I felt SUPER HYPER FOCUSED!! I managed to accomplish 8hrs of work in like 2hrs! After that, I knew when it has kicked in b/c I was less distracted, I was more productive, and I was more attentive to my work. I knew when it was wearing off b/c I could feel the wind down. My energy would start to go down a little, I’d have moments where I zoned out a little, and I could say dream with more ease than when I was on the 10mg IR. Also, the internal monologue was silent when I was on IR. When it wore off entirely, it would switch back on. Now, I’m on 5mg ER and it’s so DIFFERENT!!!
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Dhadhu

2y

@wendygolucky that would be wonderful...I mean not the wearing off effects but that's fine. I don't need to super productive either all day at the moment.....I mean obviously I don't need it work like that for 8hrs work in 2hrs even that sounds awesome and I kinda wish I could do that but...just a normal person productive day would be nice. I might need a higher dose then...maybe....I mean I'll see tomorrow when I have my own stuff to do and i have work and not go to the store unnecessarily just to walk around for 1.5hrs looking at things on clearance and end up buying only milk like I did today 🤣.
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Dhadhu

2y

@wendygolucky though my internal monologue wasn't as active as normal and I usually daydream alot (mainly bc I hate how my life is going so I dream of what I wish my life was like) but I didn't daydream much.....maybe this is kinda working. I'm just really skeptical that it's a placebo effect and things will be like before the next day.
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Dhadhu

2y

@samhain yeah ...I have bruxism too.....and yeah I mean after talking to all of you I realize it is working and I just probably look back on my day. It's not 100% better yet and I probably do need a dosage increase but usually I blast music in earbuds because my thoughts are too loud and I can't do anything because of it and I usually go to the gym in the morning...well I force myself and then on the couch all day everyday and never realized where the time went. Daily habits never worked out well even though I tried to make it work. I picked my skin so much that my face looks terrible and etc etc....you guys know how it is.........there alot of slight but yet major differences with the meds....it's nice....I just can't wait to get the right dose for me to just be...I guess normal.....I hate that word but it's what I want..
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catnapper69

2y

I take 10 mg in the morning and another 5 at noon. I can really tell when it’s not working. When it’s working I can mostly focus on what I choose to
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Dunceface

2y

My adderal wears off around 4-6 hours I feel like I honestly depends if I’m having a stressful/ hard day when I notice to take my second dose but some of the things I notice are brain fog and I literally stare at walls or I don’t pay attention to any conversation
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CalmPinetree

2y

I take adderall xr 10mg - one in the morning when I wake up because my body literally can’t move without it and one around (2:30pm-3) How do you guys manage to stay focused when on adderall? For me I want to do one thing for hours even though it feels like a few minutes.. I’m not sure if this is because of something else but I think it’s the adderall I’ve tried other meds like modafinil before and definitely find that I’m best on adderall
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Dhadhu

2y

@calmpinetree I take the immediate release one around 8am and then the second one 4hrs after. They only gave me enough for twice a day. And told me to take it around 4hrs after the first one or when I feel the effect is wearing off....I do need one right when I wake up but then my timing would be off and I wouldn't have enough tablets....it's a trial period for two weeks for me....but the focusing..I feel that way without meds.....maybe a dosage adjustment???? Or do you know your at your stable dose??
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SAMHAIN

2y

FWIW for yall to kinda see behind how some if this may be interacting with your experience... Notable results from my GeneSight™ test: ★ Pharmacodynamic Genes ★ ------------------------------------------ ADRA2A — Moderately Reduced Response HLA-A*3101 - Lower Risk HLA-B*1502 - Lower Risk C/C The patient is homozygous for the C allele of the -1281G>C polymorphism in the andrenergic alpha-2A receptor gene. This genotype suggests a moderately reduced response to certain ADHD medications. Which, for me, related elsewhere in the report as follows: ((___STIMULANTS ___)) [ Moderate Gene-drug Interaction ] • dexmethylphenidate (Focalin®) *4 • methylphenidate (Ritalin®, Concerta®) *4 [ No Proven Genetic Markers ] • amphetamine salts (Adderall®) *10 • dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®) *10 • lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse®) *10 ((___ NON-STIMULANTS ___)) [ Use as Directed ] • atomoxetine (Strattera®) • guanfacine (Intuniv®) [ No Proven Genetic Markers ] • clonidine (Kapvay®) *10 ((__ Clinical Considerations __)) *4: Genotype may impact drug mechanism of action and result in moderately reduced efficacy. *10: While this medication does not have clinically proven genetic markers that allow it to be categorized, it may be an effective choice based on other clinical factors.
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SAMHAIN

2y

Some of* this jfc
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Dhadhu

2y

@samhain yeah I do know about this would love to do gene testing but my insurance doesn't cover genetic testing at all....or genetic counseling either actually....it kinda sucks...
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SAMHAIN

2y

It's Medicaid-covered. Get new insurance, you have the option. If your work's barely-subsidized insurance is between "Open Enrollment" periods, download Doordash and then you're a 1099 worker and Open Enrollment is every month. Where there's a capitalistic wall, there's a way to climb it. Or go through it. Or dig under it. Walls are constructs, really.
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Dhadhu

2y

I have medicaid at the moment and no mine is not covered. I already checked🤷‍♀️. None of the medicaid options in my state cover genetic testing.
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NikkiNiks8

2y

I’m on two different meds for my ADHD, but i’ve noticed that they make me feel like a zombie, i don’t take my meds anymore. Ive found a few ways that work for me without meds, but i still have some bad days. sometimes i have a really bad time and my ADHD becomes too much for the people around me. I even become Mentally exhausted because my brain never slows down.
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SAMHAIN

2y

Yes, it is. I just did it. Please avoid using objective language for a subjective situation. Medicaid works with different insurance providers within each state (E.g.: there are 3 in NE); you have the option to change providers if your current one doesn't suit your needs. This does not mean "leave Medicaid." Figuring out the basis of your health structure—your biological structure—is definitely a "need" in this age where it's readily available. Allow me to quote language from my GeneSight report's follow-up letter: "In 30 to 45 days, you should receive an explanation of benefits from your insurance company, detailing the amounts allowed and paid by your insurance plan. The EOB is not a bill. See the attached EOB example or learn more about EOBs on genesight.com/cost. Some insurance companies mail payment for laboratory tests directly to the patient with their EOB. If payment for your GeneSight test is mailed to you, please endorse the check to Myriad Neuroscience and forward it to us at the address below. If your insurance company denies or partially pays the claim, we may appeal on your behalf. GENESIGHT PROMISE: insurance can be complicated, and we want you to feel comfortable knowing what you will owe. We promise if your patient responsibility could be more than $330, will call you before we process the test. If you have any questions regarding your insurance explanation of benefits or your bill, please contact: 888.496.2391 or visit us online at GeneSight.com/cost" They are dedicated to getting this out there and making insurance feel obligated to pay as much as possible. The cost of it to you very well may be cheaper than a monthly car payment, but its value—I personally feel—is far higher. When any updates are made to the test panel of results, they will mail you new swabs and update your test for free, since you paid for the service originally. I just can't help but feel that your responses carry the tone of somebody who looks for excuses for things instead of digging tooth and nail for solutions. This is out there and it's available and it's widely covered, but you are painting it as though it is absolutely impossible to take, even if made cheaper for you by a different provider. Please reconsider and try not to discourage others who may be reading the thread. 🙏
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SAMHAIN

2y

All that beside the point, I was providing my results to show that some medications literally won't work for some people based on genetic expression and nothing else. Not your situation, you're stress level, the dosage, or anything. It's an alternate perspective expanding on the topic at hand. 🙏
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SAMHAIN

2y

Your*🙄
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Dhadhu

2y

In my state we have (IL) there are 4 provider in medicaid. I had a different one last year but because of lack of availability of doctors accepting the insurance in my area..I had to change. The 4 in my state don't approve genetic testing. It's written in there manual. And I checked mine when you mentioned it as well just in case. Maybe others in other states do. Mine doesn't. When my insurance doesn't cover it and I appeal it...it usually goes nowhere and I pay out of pocket....I did check the genesight website and saw all the details as well. It's not that I don't want to do it. I can't. I can't change my insurance provider because it's the most practical for me where I live and practically every doctor near me accepts it....I'm not making excuses and I don't like you assuming I am. Maybe in the future I can do it when I get my new job in a different state in the next few months and have a better insurance through work that I do know approves genetic testing. If someone wants to do it then go ahead. I want to...maybe when I get a new job. I didn't say anything to discourage anyone. It's my situation 🤷‍♀️. I said in my post. I'm a nurse and worked as one in the psychiatry dept. I'm aware of the benefits and understand the science of it as well. I would never tell someone who is able to do gene testing not to. I would recommend it very much.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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