Diagnosed on day four of figuring out the dose

[Baxter83]

i just started taking the medication. Amazing day one. Now as the days go on I’m finding that I am exhausted after 4 hours. I’m not as focused as day one either. I’m hesitant to take more medication even though it was explained that the dose will need to be adjusted to find the right dose and time of day to take it

[BlessedLady]

Call your doctor.

[Baxter83 in reply to BlessedLady]

Thank you.

[Lovelearn]

Hi. I've had the same result with Wellbutrin. Some people are more sensitive and as medication builds up side effects start. If I had to do it all over again I'd get the GeneSight test which can tell which medications might work better and cause fewer side effects.

[Baxter83 in reply to Lovelearn]

That’s great advice. I will look into this. Thank you

[BTV65]

You didn't mention the medication or the dose.

"I just started" - Doctors start you on a very low dose to begin with, just to see how it affects you and make sure you don't have any strong side effects. Don't assume the first prescription will be the right one. Baby steps. They are cautious until they get a feel for how your body handles it.

I remember starting at 5mg, then 10mg, then 15, 20 and finally 30mg which is where I am now. This all happened within the first couple months. Yes, when you first start it will be great, but then your body adjusts and it no longer works as well. They would have had to peel me off the ceiling if they started me on 30 for a first dose. However by the time I got to it, there was only a small difference between that and the lower dose I had been taking. Finding the right medication and dosage for you, can take a long time. Be patient and keep your Dr up to date on how it's working or not working for you.

For Adderall, I find that when I'm coming down from it later in the day (extended release) I can get very sleepy. These days I actually take a short nap around that time and it's like hitting the reset button and I'm good to go for the rest of the day. I can also just push through and the sleepyness will go away in an hour or so.

[Baxter83 in reply to BTV65]

I started with 10mg Adderall. I too was sleepy and foggy after about 4 hours. I now take 15mg at 6am & 11am I then take a 5mg at 3pm to get me through the day. Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps to know what others are experiencing and the personal remedies.

[BTV65 in reply to Baxter83]

You are using Adderall short term release. They say 6 hours, but it's really a curve with it ramping up quickly then slowly coming down. In reality, you only get about 4 useable hours, so that sounds right. Talk with your doctor about extended release capsules (XR). Again, they advertise them as 12 hours, but I find they only last about 8 hours. I think they drop off even more slowly than the short term ones. I get sleepy around 8 hours, but once I get past that my focus is still OK for a few more hours, though it slowly is degrading. A booster (short term) is helpful for extending that if I take one around 9-10 hour mark.

The irony of ADHD and meds, is that you need to be aware of how you are feeling and realize you need to take another dose. Of course, the more you are impacted by your ADHD, the less likely it is that you will be able to recognize that need and act on it. Which is why I recommend the XR rather than taking three doses/day.

[BTV65 in reply to BTV65]

On another note, I find my blood sugar impacts that sleepy feeling a lot. I crash bad from sugar, but too heavy a lunch can also make me very sleepy.

[Baxter83 in reply to BTV65]

Agreed. I’m trying to stabilize my intake. The medication reduces my appetite. I stay away from sugar completely. This seems to help.

[BTV65 in reply to Baxter83]

Yeah, I found the same thing. I actually complained to my physician after about 6 months because I kept losing weight. Eventually my bad eating habits made up the difference in the lack of appetite.