Strattera(ADHD med) making me feel like crap

[John Spartan]

thanks poke. thanks for all these suggestions from everyone. i'll def talk to him and be assertive.

do you have any links to these online doctor services that can tell you a doctor's prescription philosophies?

[John Spartan]

Update: Got the prescription. Doc said that what was happening to me(painful urination and dizziness) just happens sometimes with Strattera and that we all had left to try as a result was stimulants.

He put me on 30 mg a day of Adderall XR to be taken in the mornings and he gave me 20 mg of dexedrine(more pure adderall is how he explained it) to be taken as a pick me up in the early evening hours. Well this combo pretty much makes it impossible to sleep and completely killed my appetite. Sounds like a good thing but not sure that it is. Upside is that I can concentrate like a [censored] madman on the most boring [censored] ever. I just read a page from a high school biology textbook and I could recite it word for word if necessary. That's how intense this stuff helps me concentrate.

[awval999]

What I don't understand is why he put you on the highest possible dose of Adderall XR there is. They make it in strengths from 5mg up to 30mg. Any reason he started you on the maximum? And then you add 20mg dextadrine in the evening, I can see why you can't sleep.

[John Spartan]

[ QUOTE ]
What I don't understand is why he put you on the highest possible dose of Adderall XR there is. They make it in strengths from 5mg up to 30mg. Any reason he started you on the maximum? And then you add 20mg dextadrine in the evening, I can see why you can't sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

well he told me that the minimum dose of adderall that they recommend for adults is 20 mg, and that since i'm an average sized guy 5'10" 170ish that he'd prob end up bumping me to 30 mg anyway. he said that dose was optimal

and he added the dexedrine because he said that the adderall xr would probably only last for about 9 hours(say 9 am-6 pm) for me and since I'll be needing to concentrate for probably 12-13 hours a day, he said that the dexedrine is perfect because it will take effect in 15-30 minutes and wear off in 4 hours, an hour or so before bed.

i guess it hasn't worked that way. and i still haven't eaten anything. it's not like i'm trying to starve myself, i am just not hungry.


i was actually wrong on the dexedrine dose. it's a 10 mg tablet that i take when the adderall xr wears off, not 20 mg. but the adderall never really wore off, not that i could tell, so i just took the dexedrine at the time he said, and here i find myself.

[Mr. Philosophy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What I don't understand is why he put you on the highest possible dose of Adderall XR there is. They make it in strengths from 5mg up to 30mg. Any reason he started you on the maximum? And then you add 20mg dextadrine in the evening, I can see why you can't sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

well he told me that the minimum dose of adderall that they recommend for adults is 20 mg, and that since i'm an average sized guy 5'10" 170ish that he'd prob end up bumping me to 30 mg anyway. he said that dose was optimal

and he added the dexedrine because he said that the adderall xr would probably only last for about 9 hours(say 9 am-6 pm) for me and since I'll be needing to concentrate for probably 12-13 hours a day, he said that the dexedrine is perfect because it will take effect in 15-30 minutes and wear off in 4 hours, an hour or so before bed.

i guess it hasn't worked that way. and i still haven't eaten anything. it's not like i'm trying to starve myself, i am just not hungry.


i was actually wrong on the dexedrine dose. it's a 10 mg tablet that i take when the adderall xr wears off, not 20 mg. but the adderall never really wore off, not that i could tell, so i just took the dexedrine at the time he said, and here i find myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just take the adderall for now and skip the dexedrine for a few days to see how you will react. If you find you can concentrate with just the adderall, there is no reason to take the dexedrine.

[John Spartan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What I don't understand is why he put you on the highest possible dose of Adderall XR there is. They make it in strengths from 5mg up to 30mg. Any reason he started you on the maximum? And then you add 20mg dextadrine in the evening, I can see why you can't sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

well he told me that the minimum dose of adderall that they recommend for adults is 20 mg, and that since i'm an average sized guy 5'10" 170ish that he'd prob end up bumping me to 30 mg anyway. he said that dose was optimal

and he added the dexedrine because he said that the adderall xr would probably only last for about 9 hours(say 9 am-6 pm) for me and since I'll be needing to concentrate for probably 12-13 hours a day, he said that the dexedrine is perfect because it will take effect in 15-30 minutes and wear off in 4 hours, an hour or so before bed.

i guess it hasn't worked that way. and i still haven't eaten anything. it's not like i'm trying to starve myself, i am just not hungry.


i was actually wrong on the dexedrine dose. it's a 10 mg tablet that i take when the adderall xr wears off, not 20 mg. but the adderall never really wore off, not that i could tell, so i just took the dexedrine at the time he said, and here i find myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just take the adderall for now and skip the dexedrine for a few days to see how you will react. If you find you can concentrate with just the adderall, there is no reason to take the dexedrine.

[/ QUOTE ]

hi mr p,

the 10 mg of dexedrine seems to be more powerful for me than the 30 mg of adderall xr if that's possible? i mean it makes sense since dex is supposedly more pure version of adderall? like adderall contains levo-amphetamine as well which doesn't hit the frontal lobes like dex does.

i saw on google that they have long-lasting dexedrine too, called Dexedrine SR or Dexedrine spansules. they come in doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg. and since i think that dexedrine is being more powerful for me, do you think i should ask to switch to those instead? they say they last 6-8 hours compared to adderall xr's 10-12, so i could still supplement with the 10 mg dex tablet if necessary. plus from a cursory look at walgreen's website, they do have generics for both and it looks like it's a lot cheaper than the adderall xr, even with my insurance on both.

[Mr. Philosophy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What I don't understand is why he put you on the highest possible dose of Adderall XR there is. They make it in strengths from 5mg up to 30mg. Any reason he started you on the maximum? And then you add 20mg dextadrine in the evening, I can see why you can't sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

well he told me that the minimum dose of adderall that they recommend for adults is 20 mg, and that since i'm an average sized guy 5'10" 170ish that he'd prob end up bumping me to 30 mg anyway. he said that dose was optimal

and he added the dexedrine because he said that the adderall xr would probably only last for about 9 hours(say 9 am-6 pm) for me and since I'll be needing to concentrate for probably 12-13 hours a day, he said that the dexedrine is perfect because it will take effect in 15-30 minutes and wear off in 4 hours, an hour or so before bed.

i guess it hasn't worked that way. and i still haven't eaten anything. it's not like i'm trying to starve myself, i am just not hungry.


i was actually wrong on the dexedrine dose. it's a 10 mg tablet that i take when the adderall xr wears off, not 20 mg. but the adderall never really wore off, not that i could tell, so i just took the dexedrine at the time he said, and here i find myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just take the adderall for now and skip the dexedrine for a few days to see how you will react. If you find you can concentrate with just the adderall, there is no reason to take the dexedrine.

[/ QUOTE ]

hi mr p,

the 10 mg of dexedrine seems to be more powerful for me than the 30 mg of adderall xr if that's possible? i mean it makes sense since dex is supposedly more pure version of adderall? like adderall contains levo-amphetamine as well which doesn't hit the frontal lobes like dex does.

i saw on google that they have long-lasting dexedrine too, called Dexedrine SR or Dexedrine spansules. they come in doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg. and since i think that dexedrine is being more powerful for me, do you think i should ask to switch to those instead? they say they last 6-8 hours compared to adderall xr's 10-12, so i could still supplement with the 10 mg dex tablet if necessary. plus from a cursory look at walgreen's website, they do have generics for both and it looks like it's a lot cheaper than the adderall xr, even with my insurance on both.

[/ QUOTE ]

What it comes down to is how your body responds to the meds. Basically nobody knows your body better than yourself, so if you seem to be doing better with one medication over another then take that medication. Now you say that you have better results with the dexedrine so try sticking with it.

Personally when it comes to medication I try to take the least amount of medication possible to treat the problem. I like the idea of taking the dexedrine SR once a day and if you need it taking another 10mg dose later on. The reason why doctors love using adderal xr for ADD is it lasts longer compared to other ADD meds. But if you are getting better results with dexedrine then take that instead. But also know that you have taken dexedrine SR yet so you might experience different results compared to regular dexedrine.

[mbillie1]

I have health insurance again, please educate me on how to behave at the doctor's office so that I can obtain some of this ADD medication you speak of.

[Mr. Philosophy]

[ QUOTE ]
I have health insurance again, please educate me on how to behave at the doctor's office so that I can obtain some of this ADD medication you speak of.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just say you have trouble concentrating. The doctor will test your claim by running tests on you such as remember details of a story and whatnot. ADD is a subjective diagnosis and most doctors will not have a problem prescribing medication for it.

[John Spartan]

mbillie, this drug is not fun to be on long term. i've been on it for 3 days and already hate it. i'm sure it's great fun to use on an occasional basis to get high, but if you're taking it every day, the fun wears off real fast.

i still haven't gone to bed yet. i've stopped taking the dex and have just stuck to taking the adderall xr every morning.

i woke up friday morning, the 27th, at 7 am, and haven't slept since. even cutting out the dex i am just not tired. i've eaten breakfast once(my only meal) and drank a lot of diet coke since then.

my doc said the adderall xr would probably last me about 10 hours and i find that it helps me concentrate for about 14-16, but the appetite suppressant and sleep deprivation effects continue all the way until i take my dose at 9 am the following morning. could having a slow metabolism have something to do with the drug staying in my body longer than it should?

i'm not even sure if I have ADD any more. I know that this thing helps me stay awake a long time, kind of a speedy feeling, but I'm not hyper. I feel very relaxed but have huge amounts of energy also. I can choose whether or not to use them though. I could go out and run a lot right now but I just feel like sitting here for the moment.

Is it dangerous to be on this drug under the supervision of a doctor if it turns out that I don't have ADD, Mr P? I'd think no because the drug is supposedly very safe if not abused, and I never take more than the prescribed dose.

It def helps me focus and concentrate a ton bu the doc said it would do that for everyone, just people with ADD notice a bigger increase, to a normal level, while people with already normal levels just get a smaller, but still noticeable increase. Meh

I do love the calming effect though. nothing really irritates me anymore. maybe it's a sign that i do have add.