Adderall wears off too fast

[RaquelMonique]

I’m on 30mg of Adderall Extended relief. I feel like it works great for about 5 hours, but towards the late afternoon, wears off. This is a high does and I don’t want to go any higher. I tried taking adderall fast acting 10mg in the afternoons but I didn’t like the way that made me feel. Does anyone take an afternoon medication that works well? I want to look into options.

[UhNonImus]

This is tricky depending on your weight, tolerance, energy usage, amount of sleep the night before & of course food water intake.

You’ll get a more intense burst of it if you take it on an empty stomach with 2 bottles of water, but it will wear off faster.

If you eat a meal like 10-20 minutes prior to taking it, it will be a more subtle result but will last longer.

In my experience, and with 30mg tablets

[wtfadhd in reply to UhNonImus]

UhNonlmus- unlike some medications, factors such as height, weight, etc are irrelevant when it comes to treating ADHD with stimulants.

also, i am not sure if the amount of physical or mental energy someone uses per day has any relevance on proper dosage either.

lack of sleep, and caffeine can have an impact for some people tho

[Hidden in reply to wtfadhd]

Totally agree with you and you are correct. It takes time and sometimes some experimenting to find the right med that treats symptoms the best. I am prescribed both an extended release and instant release in the AM and a 30 mg boost in the afternoon. Just started on this one today, but I can already feel a difference.

[wtfadhd in reply to Hidden]

im so happy you are seeing the difference n getting positive results!! its a win for all of us ADHD’ers when someone from the ADHD tribe is advocating for themselves n kickin butt!!!

[Hidden in reply to wtfadhd]

Thanks. It’s been a very long journey but worth it. I often wonder if I had been diagnosed before I started college if it would have taken me 11 years to finish. The time I’m taking for myself right now is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

[wtfadhd in reply to Hidden]

likely you would have. its hard not to lament on stuff like that when we get late diagnosed. i struggled with being angry about it for years. i wasnt diagnosed until age 38. horrible. so wondering “ what if, n if only” is a very typical part of the late diagnosed grieving process that alot of us go thru.

[Hidden in reply to wtfadhd]

You’re so right. The past is the past and we don’t get a do over. It’s only. Normal to as “what if” as I learn more, but it really doesn’t matter. Now I’m focusing on me and have learned to recognize some of my behaviors that cause problems with work performance. I have to put my mobile phone in my desk so it won’t distract me. If I’m working on a big project, I’ll sometimes work from home to minimize interruptions. Starting and stopping, handling immediate needs, switching gears every few minutes, and then trying to get back to the project causes errors and sub par work. That only makes me more frustrated. Then add in emotional regulation issues makes it worse because with me I take things personal for days and mis tread signals, that only cause more frustration.

It’s been tough being diagnosed so late in life. Looking back with what I know now, I’ve always had it but developed a routine that worked until 5-6 years ago. Memory and executive functioning have been affected the worst. I hope you find out what’s going on and can find the right help. All the best.

[Hidden]

I take 30 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. Ask your doctor if you can do two a day like I do.

[RaquelMonique in reply to Hidden]

Are they both extended release?

[Hidden in reply to RaquelMonique]

Yes

[wtfadhd]

This article is from ADDitude magazine and might be useful for you. i just attached the screenshot vs the whole article.

screenshot

[jilllewis84]

I’m like you and have a weird reaction to doubling up on stimulants throughout the day. I’ve had luck switching to an ssri that gives me 24-hr coverage of my worst symptoms (activation and impulsivity) and then take a stimulant in the mornings sometimes to help with focus. I figured this out using resources that help to break down my biggest issue symptoms and then find the medications that treat those symptoms. The book ADHD & Zombies is good for this but there are other resources online.

Another thing I’ve had to do — and this is a lot tougher — is to make peace with the fact that I will just not be as focused in the afternoon. This can be especially hard with a job puts pressure on you to perform at 110% for 9 hours a day, even though that’s not a realistic expectation for humans (neurotypical or other). Changing the layout of my day so that I’m doing the things that need the most focus in the morning and coasting cognitively in the afternoon helps a lot. Plus, just practicing a lot of grace with my sloppier afternoon self. I can’t say enough good things about the book Rest by Alex Soojung Kim Pang — it’s so super helpful for finding personal systems that support our brains rather than exploit them. Plus, since it’s not adhd specific, it’s helpful for having perspective on how neurotypicals also fall into the trap of unrealistic performance expectations

[Jozlynn]

Hello RaquelMonique! I was originally prescribed 30 mg extended release, which I take in the morning, but had the same result in the afternoon. I work a full-time job, plus I'm starting a virtual assistant business - which I do in the evenings, so having my meds wear off around 3:00 was just not an option. The doctor prescribed a 5 mg instant release for the mid-afternoon and it's just enough the help me plow through the rest of my afternoon and evening. 10 mg instant release might just be too much. Maybe try breaking it in half and trying that for a day to see if it's any better?

[Slmndrs]

Can your doctor gave you try a lower (or even same) dose extended release in the afternoons?

[RaquelMonique in reply to Slmndrs]

I think I’m going to ask for this next. I didn’t like the fast acting afternoon pill, but maybe taking 15mg Xr at 7am and another 15mg XR around 9-10am may help the effect last but not to the point where I can’t sleep.

[Neurolancer]

Hi there! Just a comment on your statement that 30 mg is a high dose. In fact, Extended Adderall comes in a dose up to 70 mg. I also agree with the idea of trying 5 mg short acting Adderall. And give it some time — the feeling you don’t like may dissipate as your body adjusts.

[billcantu in reply to Neurolancer]

30mg is the highest strength of Adderall extended and immediate release.

[Neurolancer]

Pardon me! I was thinking about Vyvanse, which is prescribed up to 70 mg. Thanks for clarifying.

[Hidden]

Hi Monique. I was diagnosed 3 years ago at 52. It can take some time to find the right stimulant and potential combination that’s your sweet spot. I started on Ritalin, that worked at first, but gave me gut trouble. Switched to Adderall IR and that worked much better, but having to dose 2-3 times per day I felt like I was on a roller coaster all day, up and down, Adderall, repeat.

My psychiatrist started me on a new regiment today. She put me on 30 mg long acting and 30 mg instant release in the morning, which is when I need it most. Then in the afternoon I can take another 30 mg IR so I don’t look like a babbling idiot at the end of the day. I’m taking leave right now to work on myself. Between work and home I’m often overwhelmed. Learning how to balance that and still leave some time for myself too. Talk to your doc about a dosage change and the symptoms you’re still sufferering from, an adjustment is probably due. Also consider therapy or an ADD coach. That helps fill in what the meds don’t.

All the best. Be patient and don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re on the right track.

[FindingTheAnswers]

Hi. I take generic Adderall as listed below (Insurance company is a pain about name brand).Regular Adderall lasts 3-4 hours. XR lasts 5-6 hours.

I used to take 2 XR. 1 in AM, the 2nd in PM. This was at 20mg, which worked ok.

Now I take (2) 30mg IR. I break them in half. Sometimes I need all of it, sometimes not. When my wears off, there's like a small spark in my head that continualy gets bigger. Usually by the time I notice, it's way past the time for the next dose. This may sound unusual, but Adderall acts an Anti-Axiety, AND an Anti-Depressant. So usually by the time I realize I need my next dose, I'm miserable. I was not diagnosed (by accident) till age 47. Adderall has been a life changer. But I still have 47 years of bad programming in my head. Also, after I started reading up on ADHD, I believe it's the root cause of much of my family's disfunction. Unfortunately, for the family that are still living, they don't want to change. They won't even look into it. No matter how much info I show or give them. Also, most Mental Health Pro's that I've seen (since I was 24) aren't good at diagnosing it.

I hope you figure out what works best for you.

NEVER GIVE UP. Peace to you. CW

[lieutenant_sheep]

I'm on 25 mg XR with 10mg IR in the afternoon to try to mitigate the notorious adderall crash at the end of the day. I'm kind of just dealing with it for now, but it's not ideal. I find myself napping most afternoons after work, so I lose time during the day. My psychiatrist also recommended some complex carbs to help give a little boost of energy during the day but that only does so much. I'm thinking I need to see a nutritionist to learn a bit about how to eat better for my adhd and how to feed myself wo being told to meal plan, because that isn't happening. Basically, I'm in the same boat. Sorry I can't help. 🙃

[HCStymie]

Really just sounds like your body has adjusted to the medication and now the dosage is too low. You need to reach a certain threshold for it to work. Sounds like you are only above that threshold for a short time being 5 hours when Adderall XR should be about 12.

Taking more is risky in that your body could adjust to that as well, or it could be the right balance for you. Hard to tell.

One thing I had previously done was take Strattera (non-stimulant) at the same time as Adderall. It may allow you to stay at the same level of Adderall or decrease how much Adderall you need. For me, Strattera has mostly the opposite side effects as Adderall. But that may be different for others.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep. That has always been one of my biggest issues and one reason why I have to keep taking higher and higher doses. Less sleep, need more stimulants in the day, which makes it harder to sleep. I am extremely sensitive to stimulants at night as compared to in the day. 1 can of soda after 6 pm, can't fall asleep till 3am. 60 mg of Adderall in the day, ready for a nap. Adderall XR, not strong enough in the day, keep me up most of the night.

Avoid carbonated beverages and anything that is acidic. Will reduce your Adderall reabsorption. Certain types of fats help for reabsorption. Can look into that.

Lavazza helps make Adderall a little more effective. Not a huge amount but noticeable. It is concentrated fish oil (Omega-3). Which is good for the brain by itself. But the fatty acids help your body reabsorb Adderall. Can take a couple at night and a couple earlier in the day. It's a prescription so would need a doctor to prescribe.