Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Friday, August 06, 2010 bgray1219 asks

Q: Diagnosed with adhd a week ago, generic adderall ir 10mg 2x a day not working at all anymore?!! HELP

About a week ago I went to a doctor to see what was wrong with me, he said i have adult adhd, so he prescribed me the generic Adderall Ir 10mg twice a day, for the first few days i was completely fine and normal for once in my life, now after a week and a few days, i feel like it doesn't work throughout the day, it doesn't last long at all, and i have tried taking 30mg a day and it didn't seem to make a difference, it also has made me very angry and upset later in the day and anti social and everything, i have been looking a lot and reading about the adderall xr, i'm not sure how to ask my doctor about it or ask him if he thinks it will help me better throughout the day since it might be smoother throughout my day and not make me so bipolar and just angry, i also have been reading a lot about people having issues with the generics, do i simply just tell my doctor that i would rather not be prescribed generic or how do i approach this, this is all new to me so i'm reaching out for much needed help, also, do you think i need a higher dosage? i don't understand how i would build a high tolerance to the medicine so quickly, does anyone feel that the adderall xr will help me more throughout the day as opposed to the instant release? PLEASE PLEASE HELP!

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Answers (3)
Eileen Bailey, Health Guide
8/ 8/10 7:46am

Thanks for your question and welcome to ADHDCentral.com.

 

I am not a medical professional and would not be able to give you medical advice, however, I can tell you some things that I have learned from both raising a child with ADHD and speaking to others with ADHD and other medical professionals.

 

Each person reacts differently to medication. What works for one person may not work for another, so there is no "better" medication. It is often a matter of trial and error to find the medication that works best for you. I would suggest keeping a log, write down what time you took the medication, what you ate both before and after (about an hour before and an hour after), and how you felt throughout the day. This will give you specific information to use when you speak with your doctor.

 

Remember, you and your doctor are a team, you are working together to find out what works best for you. Don't be afraid of talking to him about your concerns or asking questions. I would go over how you are feeling and ask if he would consider prescribing the XR to see if it works differently for you.

 

You also say in your question something about acting bipolar. Do you also have bipolar disorder? Some people with bipolar find stimulant medications make them more agitated.

 

Certain foods also change the way Adderall works. Are you drinking citrus juice when you take your medication? This can interfere with the way the medication is working, which would explain why the medication seemed to work some days and not others.

 

There is some information on the site that might help you:

 

 

How Do You Know if a Treatment is Working?

 

Can Certain Foods Impact ADHD Medication?


Side Effects of Commonly Prescribed Medications for ADHD

 

Creating a Treatment Plan

 

10 Tips for People Newly Diagnosed with ADHD

 

I hope this information helps

 

Eileen

 

 

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8/13/10 4:33pm

so i went to the doctor and explained to him my issues on how the generic adderall ir 10mg 2x a day was not lasting more than 2 hours and everything i asked him about adderall xr and if my dose should be increased since after week one on the medication i noticed a difference daily as everything started coming back, i was extremely tired even though i slept the right amount of hours of sleep, couldn't focus, started watching tv more and more and more each day, stayed in my pajamas all day like i was before because i had no motivation to do anything and couldn't do any simple daily tasks, i became more forgetful like i was before and i couldn't sit down and read like i was able the first week, and everything....he said he didn't want to increase my dosage because he said it's not suppose to last throughout the day, then why the hell would he give it to me?? if i'm having issues with all of this and have for years all day long , don't you think that i would need a higher dose or something?? it's frustrating because i thought i found something that made me feel normal and be the person that i always thought i could be, he prescribed me the generic adderall xr which is made by teva 20mg, i don't really feel a difference and i don't want to go back to him right away again and say it's not working throughout the day or it's not as effective anymore, should i wait it out? does it take time for the extended release to work? i'm frustrated and concerned, does generic really honestly make a difference?? i've been staying away from everything i'm not suppose to drink or eat and i don't take any headache medicine and i only drink water , i'm not sure what the issue is here, is it normal to build a tolerance to something quickly? i just feel helpless about all of this..

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Eileen Bailey, Health Guide
8/13/10 5:58pm

I am sorry you are having such a difficult time with your doctor. It sounds as if there isn't real effective communication, between you and him. He is correct, though, that Adderall is not meant to last all day, buth it does usually last for 4-6 hours. The extended release, XR, is supposed to last longer.

 

It doesn't make sense to me that you would build up a tolerance so quickly, but again, everyone is different, maybe this just isn't the right medication for you.

 

Generic medications have the same active ingredients than the brand names, so it shouldn't be less effective, but I have heard some people say they had a different reaction to the generic forms of medications. Again, everyone is different.

 

If you are not happy with your doctor, you should be entitled to a second opinion. Before you do that, however, check with your insurance company to find out if this would be paid for and if so, how would you go about going to a second doctor.

 

Because treatment of ADHD is a team effort, not just handing medication to someone, but listening to symptoms, finding out what symptoms are causing the most impairment, etc, it is so important that you have a good rapport with your doctor.

 

Keep working on the log, keeping track of how you feel, symptoms, etc. to share with your doctor. You should, however, go back if you do  not feel your medication is working correctly.

 

Eileen

Reply
11/ 3/10 5:12pm

as far as i know the adderall IR stands for immediate relief where the adderall XR stands for extended relief might want to ask your Doc if this could be the problem...

 

 

 

Julz

Reply
3/ 4/11 7:36pm

Adderall worked great for me in beginning, BUT the same happened to me 10mg twice a day went up to 20mg twice a day... Well, than I kept having to increase and noticed getting addicted.... They are soo addictive it's not even funny, take them in beginning but try to stay away from taking them for long time!!!! The withdrawals were horrible for me!!! I couldn't get out of bed for a week, wit migraines....

 

They say it's like taking crystal meth??? Look up any information you can about the drug thats what I did!

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By bgray1219— Last Modified: 03/15/11, First Published: 08/06/10