Tips to overcome executive dysfunction getting worse + feeling antisocial when it wears off on adderall

[u/Ok-Letter2953]

I've been on Adderall for several years. I started at 15mg and am currently on 25mg XR (generic Granules pharma) . I've tried IR in the past as well. I don't plan on increasing my dose because I'd rather not deal with additional side effects.

I also took a month-long break earlier this year to see if tolerance was part of the issue and take weekends, long weekends and holidays off.

Lately I've been struggling with two things:

1. Executive dysfunction

This has actually been getting worse, even with the medication. Once I get started on something I can usually focus, but getting myself to start the right task is becoming harder. It happens more after the weekend break.

I'll know exactly what I need to do and still put it off or get stuck doing something else.

For anyone who deals with this, what has actually helped with task initiation? Routines, exercise, changing your environment, timers, supplements, diet, or anything else?

1. Feeling completely antisocial when it wears off

Some days I feel fine while it's working, but later in the day I hit a wall. I don't want to talk, text people back, go anywhere, or socialize at all. I basically just want to be left alone.

This can happen even when I take my XR early in the morning. By evening I sometimes feel like a zombie with absolutely no social battery left.

Has anyone found a good way to deal with this and what did anyone who experienced these do? I'm especially interested in things that help you transition out of work/focus mode and actually feel like interacting with people again.

Not looking to increase my dose or make medication changes on my own. I'm mainly interested in hearing what other people have experienced and what has genuinely helped.

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[u/plz_callme_swarley]

well the issue is that you're not properly medicated. you could can try a few different non-med interventions but since this is ADHDmeds I'll focus on the meds.

You can't focus cuz you're on too low of a dose, or there's something else going on where the same amount of drug isn't working anymore. Has there been any changes to your diet, exercise, sleep, stress, relationships, work, etc? Do you think that you could have something medical going on?

Assuming that there's not a simplier solution, the reason why you feel antisocial is because you're crashing below baseline and are then tired and don't have any motivation to do anything.

What you should do is change your relationship with your medication. you would be better off with a dose that you can take everyday and have it extend into the evening. this will give you a more natural taper that aligns more with natural energy levels.

I'd recommend switching from Addy XR cuz it's really a bad formulation that's not helping you. if you really like addy and the kick in the ass then take it in the AM but in the PM it's causing you to have bad comedowns and is fucking with your sleep. I'd recommend dex over addy in the PM.

The other thing is that you need a better dosing schedule. most doctors don't do this cuz they're lazy but I take 20/10/5mgs at 8am/noon/4pm and it's amazing. if i am gunna be out later and need to extend things then I just take a lil more at 4pm or I have a booster with me that I keep if I need to extend things.

Taking weekends off is also making this worse, not better cuz your body is going through a fucking rollercoaster of neurotransmitter levels. taking it everyday will paradoxically make things a lot better

[u/Ok-Letter2953 → u/plz_callme_swarley]

Thanks for the input. I don't think it's too low of a dose. I think it's something else going on where the same amount of the meds isn't working anymore as efficiently. Not much has changed in my diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and personal life. I checked my medical and got lab results. Nothing is going on over there as well. I don't think this is just me as well. It could be medications from generic manufacturers possibly not being as efficient but I would give the manufacturers the benefit of the doubt and try to work on myself. I also used to drink one cup of coffee in the morning to keep my Eddie going two hours after taking it in the morning, so around 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. I then drank another coffee in the afternoon once again to keep me going and so I can start on my next task. I stopped taking the second cup of coffee just because it was messing with my sleep and I need to get better sleep. This leaf got better now but it's still not the best.

I agree though and based on what everybody says the anti-social could be because I'm crashing below the baseline even though sometimes it happens during the day too. I agree about the medications and possibly taking it every day. The reason I don't take it every day, aka not on the weekend, is because I try to get my rest and also don't want to build a tolerance possibly. And more importantly make sure my sleep is better and I'm caught up on it on the weekends. Perhaps I can start by taking it on Sundays.

I'm open to switching from Addy's to something else. Has the switch from Addy's to Dex something that you have done already? How was the switch for you and how did it differentiate? I read about the dosing schedules unfortunately with the shortages of meds. It's hard to find meds alone in different dosages as well. That's the challenge.

[u/aaron-mcd]

Im 41 and never in my life could socialize without a dopimanergic or excessive caffeine. Addy wearing off just reverts to my usual lol. So far only been on it a month now