ADHD & Adderall

[MarylouD]

Has anyone heard of 3 weeks on Adderall, 1 week off?

[DefinitionReclaimed]

Intentionally? Not just because you accidentally misplaced your pill bottle last week? 😉 (JK)

[BlueDaydreamer]

No, that sounds like a strange prescription. Adderall only works when you take it, so that would not be helpful. I had to take Adderall XR so it would last all day. Why would they give it to you like that?

[skeetr37]

I'm my experience, taking small breaks from Adderall is a wonderful idea. I don't know if going with 3 on 1 off specifically is what I would shoot for, since there would be numerous factors to consider when planning a temporary vacation from Adderall. You'd have to take into consideration how severe your ADHD is when you're unmedicated for one and also how long you've currently been taking the medication. Then you'd want to take into account the dosage you've been taking each day and what your dosing schedule is, especially if you've been taking the XR, since it sits around in your body for a longer period of time and takes longer to process out. There's probably more factors to consider but I'm tired of typing so I'll just say. I've taken breaks from it and I believe it helps immensely. I took them when I didn't have important things to do and no more than 2 days. For me, it makes it more affective and I'm giving my brain time to regenerate everything that's being depleted. That said, talk to your doctor cause I'm not one and while you're at it, ask about vitamins that could be help your body recover easier, depending on your situation. Thanks for listening.

[Gem1n1]

I’ve been on Adderall (works best for me, just not long enough in the day), and I would not recommend doing this. I have read that some take it during the week (when working a job), then don’t take it during the weekend. If I were to do this, I would just self-medicate on the “off” weekend days with alcohol. My ADHD is severe, so it requires treatment everyday, or my symptoms become unmanageable.

I would recommend diving into why you, personally, are thinking of doing this - the reasons/root cause behind it. Sometimes potential solutions can be wrong dosage (too high, too low), wrong medication, etc, depending on root cause.

Good luck in your journey!

[artist17]

So I'm new to this, and I have had some issues with making myself put stuff down and sleep. I'm working on taking mine at the same time each day instead of when I remember...My Psych mentioned that you can cycle it - like sometimes people don't take it when going on vacation for a few days. Or you only take half a pill in the afternoon (if you're a 2 dose like me) and see if it helps with any side effects. Since each person is effected so differently, it makes sense to try taking less one day if you're having trouble, or taking a "vacation" day from it once in a while. I don't think I'd go a whole week tho.