Why isn't my Adderall XR doing anything for me?

I too found adderall to be ineffective, though my doctor insisted it was almost identical to the amphetamine I had been taking. But he took my word for it, thankfully, and put me back on old-fashioned dexedrine, which to this day has been the only thing that makes me functional. I have tried many medications, and sometimes doctors appear shocked that I am 'still' on this 'old stuff', but you know, many medications are marketed / promoted and prescribed prematurely. You must trust your own symptoms and experience. That's what meds are for-- to get rid of those. So don't use the new stuff only because it's the new hot product out there and your doctor wants to try it on you. use what works. Insist on a change in medication until you are content with its effects.