My doctor gave me Adderall XR for my ADHD..?!
Question: My doctor gave me Adderall XR for my ADHD...?
I'm 21 years old and I was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) when I was younger. When I was a child my doctor prescribed me Adderall and I remember doing so well at school, so now that I'm starting college I decided to get back on it. My doctor prescribed me with the orange 20 mg capsule. I have a few questions (that i don't remember or were unanswered). Do I have to eat something when I take the pill.? I heard it will make me lose weight, is that true.? And will the fact that I'm older now change how the outcome of the pill, rather than how it worked when I was younger.? I have seen similar questions asked on here but the answers were quiet vague. I don't want to hear an answer like, "Please don't take it, it's not good for you". I'm not using it as a diet pill or anything like that. I'm using it solely for my ADHD and to help me to concentrate a little bit more in school. I was satisfied with the results when I was in junior high/high school, so I'm going to give it another go. Any USEFUL answers will be very appreciated! Thank You!
(By the way, I did post this question more than once, but in a different topic section, because I was not exactly sure where to place it. Sorry in advance if you see it more than once!)Health Question & Answer
(By the way, I did post this question more than once, but in a different topic section, because I was not exactly sure where to place it. Sorry in advance if you see it more than once!)Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Adderall XR is not a medication that has to be taken with food though some people do prefer to do so because they don't like to have pills on an empty stomach. also, it can cause people to feel less hungry and for that reason, people often advocate eating something before you take it because you might not be hungry until much later in the day. Not everyone has the problems with appetite suppression though its a very common side effect.
In children, we typically dose stimulants by weight. For Concerta or a ritalin product thats usually 0.5-2 mg/kg. Adderall is generally considered to be twice as potent so half as much will usually do the trick. That having been said, some people just seem to do better of Ritalin products and others on Adderall products. I favor the Ritalin/Concerta family because I have seen some cases where people have become excessively agitated on Adderall but thats not something that is exclusive to Adderall by any means. Going back to your question of efficacy and my original point about weight-the same dosing strategies don't necessarily apply for adults. I would expect your doctor would start you off on a lower dose. Its possible that over time it may not work quite as well and the dose may have to be titrated up a little. This is actually quite common as we cannot start people on the dose that they may ultimately need right away due to side effects from the body being unused to the medication. Overall though, assuming that you only have ADHD and the concentration problems are not currently caused or worsened by another problem like anxiety or depression, the Adderall should work just as well.
Adderall is a perfectly good drug though again, I tend to prefer Concerta. Part of this has to do with the delivery system and the fact that I have seen more people need twice daily dosing of Adderall XR than I have of Concerta. For you though, since you know Adderall has worked in the past it makes most sense for you to start with that now. There is a new medication out there called Vyvanse that is a prodrug of Adderall (digestion in the body turns it into Adderall) that I have heard is very effective and much smoother and consistent in its delivery because it is dependent on how fast the body can convert the prodrug to the active form. There are other non-stimulant options like Straterra and Wellbutrin that may be helpful though my experience is that they are not as reliable in their effect as the stimulants.Health Question & Answer
In children, we typically dose stimulants by weight. For Concerta or a ritalin product thats usually 0.5-2 mg/kg. Adderall is generally considered to be twice as potent so half as much will usually do the trick. That having been said, some people just seem to do better of Ritalin products and others on Adderall products. I favor the Ritalin/Concerta family because I have seen some cases where people have become excessively agitated on Adderall but thats not something that is exclusive to Adderall by any means. Going back to your question of efficacy and my original point about weight-the same dosing strategies don't necessarily apply for adults. I would expect your doctor would start you off on a lower dose. Its possible that over time it may not work quite as well and the dose may have to be titrated up a little. This is actually quite common as we cannot start people on the dose that they may ultimately need right away due to side effects from the body being unused to the medication. Overall though, assuming that you only have ADHD and the concentration problems are not currently caused or worsened by another problem like anxiety or depression, the Adderall should work just as well.
Adderall is a perfectly good drug though again, I tend to prefer Concerta. Part of this has to do with the delivery system and the fact that I have seen more people need twice daily dosing of Adderall XR than I have of Concerta. For you though, since you know Adderall has worked in the past it makes most sense for you to start with that now. There is a new medication out there called Vyvanse that is a prodrug of Adderall (digestion in the body turns it into Adderall) that I have heard is very effective and much smoother and consistent in its delivery because it is dependent on how fast the body can convert the prodrug to the active form. There are other non-stimulant options like Straterra and Wellbutrin that may be helpful though my experience is that they are not as reliable in their effect as the stimulants.Health Question & Answer
I am much older than you and was diagnosed with ADD when I decided to go back to school and just couldn't concentrate. When I was young they labeled kids like myself just "bad" kids, didn't want to learn, etc. They didn't know anything about ADD or ADHD. My son was diagnosed with ADD in the first grade, he was put on medicine and after trying a couple of different ones did great and now takes Physics in the eleventh grade with straight A's. He no longer has to take his medicine, which is the basic point of getting diagnosed when you are young. With help from the medication his brain was trained to release the amount of seratonin needed at specific times/intervals. I will never be off my medication because I was diagnosed at an older age. The medicine I take is also Adderall (40mgs a day) and it does effect me differently than it did my son. It does not "hype" me up as much as it did him, it did make me lose weight at first but then it leveled out and it doesn't affect my eating habits at all. I am not addicted to it, I don't even take it on the weekends most of the time. But as far as the results go, I went from going back to school 10 years after graduation and being completely overwhelmed to holding down a full time job, having two kids and a husband, and maintaining a full time student status with a 3.94 grade point average. It made a world of difference. The basic guideline is if you take it and don't notice a change in your concentration/retention level and it just "hypes" you up then you most likely do not need it. If the opposite occurs, as it did with me, then you definitely need it. I hope my experience helps you a little bit. I say anything that helps you obtain a higher education has to be worth it! Good luck!Health Question & Answer
Well the negative responses you've heard about Adderall are more than likely from people who have heard of people abusing the drug. Like taking more of it to stay awake to cram for an exam which is not healthy and should not be done. However, I have taken adderall for 2 years and did not get the prescription until I started college. Before I took concerta and stratera. I remember how poorly I did in high school and I just wish I was taking it then. My grades have improved a lot since being on adderall and the warning on my bottle says it needs to be taken with a full glass of water and make sure you take it in the morning as soon as you wake up because it can make you stay awake longer if taken later in the day which in 2 years of taking it so far is my only negative thing to say about it. As far as weight loss goes yes at first like probably the first 6 months you will lose weight because it controls your appetite but once your body gets use to it you will stop losing weight and basically be able to maintain a weight like I said I've been on it for 2 years when I started taking it I was 19 5'3", and weighted 135 (I was chubby) and now I'm 21 and I've weighed 115 for a year and a half. So, I love adderall but if you abuse it then you will start seeing negative side effects. But, using it as directed you should see nothing but improvement from it. Best of Luck!!! =)Health Question & Answer
I am currently on 25mg of Adderall XR to help with my ADHD.
People may tell you that its a "gateway" drug or that you'll become dependent on it, but what i do is i only take it on school days and dont take it on the weekends, therefore i KNOW that i am not dependent on it.
You dont need to eat anything when you take it but you SHOULD because it does make you lose your appetite COMPLETELY for approx. 12 hours after you take it.
It also will make you lose weight, but you can help control that.
I lost 50 lbs within 6 months. But i was very overweight to begin with. So i let it take over my appetite. You can surely try to make yourself eat 3 healthy meals a day, but that's about all you'll WANT to eat.
Your age shouldnt affect anything except maybe the dosage. If 20mg isnt doing much for you, then just ask to be increased to 25mg.
My doctors started me on 10mg and gradually moved me up to 25mg and it works perfectly for me now.
Hope i helped and i hope everything works out for you! :)Health Question & Answer
People may tell you that its a "gateway" drug or that you'll become dependent on it, but what i do is i only take it on school days and dont take it on the weekends, therefore i KNOW that i am not dependent on it.
You dont need to eat anything when you take it but you SHOULD because it does make you lose your appetite COMPLETELY for approx. 12 hours after you take it.
It also will make you lose weight, but you can help control that.
I lost 50 lbs within 6 months. But i was very overweight to begin with. So i let it take over my appetite. You can surely try to make yourself eat 3 healthy meals a day, but that's about all you'll WANT to eat.
Your age shouldnt affect anything except maybe the dosage. If 20mg isnt doing much for you, then just ask to be increased to 25mg.
My doctors started me on 10mg and gradually moved me up to 25mg and it works perfectly for me now.
Hope i helped and i hope everything works out for you! :)Health Question & Answer