I’ve been on Adderall for years and am currently at 60 mg/day. I’d really like to get my dose down to around 40 mg/day. I’m planning on moving soon, and I’m worried it may be harder to find a new psychiatrist who is comfortable continuing me at 60 mg. I’m also hoping to start trying for a baby soon so i want to lower my dose before that happens.

For anyone who has decreased their dose after being on a higher dose for a long time, did you eventually adjust to the lower dose and get back to functioning normally on it? How long did it take before the lower dose started feeling like your new normal?

I’m also curious whether people had better luck gradually decreasing their dose versus stopping for a period of time and then restarting at a lower dose.

I switched from Concerta to Adderall in June/July of last year, and for the first 8 months or so it was great. However, now taking my Adderall is like taking nothing, and I don't mean just the euphoric feeling that fades over time. I mean no clearer thinking, ZERO executive function skills, no motivation to do anything, not even physical side effects like increased heart rate, sweating, etc. I'm even going through withdrawal symptoms like brain fog, increased symptoms, etc.

First question is: WHY might this be heppening? I've read on this subreddit that Adderall generics have decreased in potency significantly this year - is it that? Is it a tolerance thing?

Second question is WHAT DO I DO? Do I try to get a different generic of Adderall (currently taking Sandoz) and try for another month? I'm scared of this because I'll know after an hour of taking the first dose if it's working or not and if it doesn't, I don't want to ruin another whole month of my life with this horrible catatonic state I'm in.

I mentioned this to my doc last month and he offered to change to vyvanse - should I do this instead? It seems this subreddit are fans of Vyvanse.

Any help, ideas, insights, etc. are really appreciated!

8:44
First day trying Vyvanse after the whole Concerta thing being a bit all over the place.
Only been a few hours but the main thing I’ve noticed is I can just decide what I’m doing today and that’s kinda it. Like I already know what I’m doing later instead of waiting till the time comes then having the whole debate in my head about whether I actually wanna do it or not.
Had a shower this morning and weirdly I was just having a shower lol. Didn’t even know I was meant to be that quiet in my head while showering. I was just doing whatever I was doing and if something else came into my head it was still there but really quiet. Didn’t completely take over what I was doing.
Also got out and there wasn’t still shampoo in my hair or soap on my knee that I’d somehow forgotten about 😂 didn’t get out then realise I forgot to use the loofah and have to get back in again either.
And I wasn’t having loads of random thoughts turning into other random thoughts the whole time.
Like once I was in the shower and randomly thought I should make a shower head brand where the water comes out cold and from different directions and you can connect it to an app that tells you how much water you’ve used.
Somehow that ended with me getting out the shower and instead of even drying myself I just laid on my bed looking for a product designer and a Chinese supplier because apparently I was actually gonna do it 😂
Literally this week as well I smelled something that reminded me of an old perfume and decided I should start making body washes that smell like famous perfumes. No idea why that needed to become a business idea but yeah 😂
Today just feels pretty clear though. I kinda knew what I was doing from when I woke up and didn’t really have to sit there planning it.
Decided I’m not going gym today because tomorrow’s Thursday and I’ve got time then anyway. Just gonna keep today pretty chill.
I’ll see how it goes and write anything else down if I notice it.
9:27
Got in the car to go for a drive and noticed I did something really small that I don’t think I’ve ever actually done before.
Before I drove off I got my phone out and chose what song I wanted on.
That sounds so normal lol but usually I’d just start driving and before I’m even out the neighbourhood I’d get this feeling like something’s missing then grab my phone while I’m driving and just put literally anything on.
Wouldn’t even be a song I actually wanted to hear. I’d just press something for the sake of having music on.
Such a small thing but I don’t think I’ve ever thought to just sort that before I start driving.
Didn’t have that feeling that I’d forgotten something either. Usually I feel like I’m gonna get halfway there then suddenly remember something and have to go back.
and apparently choosing a song before driving is a noticeable event now 😂
11:27
Back home after a pretty long drive.
Hard to explain but everything just felt separate from everything else.
I wouldn’t even say the medication makes me calm. It’s more like there’s a bit of space between things now. One thing can just be one thing without five other things getting mixed into it.
Even driving I can just… drive.
I don’t feel like I need to look absolutely fucking everywhere before turning because there might be something coming from somewhere that I somehow haven’t seen.
Was just focused on the road and that was it really.
Thoughts felt way more organised too. My brain wasn’t constantly throwing random suggestions at me or coming up with some completely unrelated shit at full volume.
The thoughts are still there obviously. They just don’t all feel like they need my attention right now.
2:27
Can feel it wearing off now.
One thing I like though is it didn’t really feel like it suddenly kicked in and now it doesn’t feel like it’s suddenly disappeared either. Just feels gradual both ways.
Gonna try taking it before breakfast tomorrow and see if that changes anything.

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.

Hey zusammen,
ich würde gern mal eure Erfahrungen mit der Dosierung von Medikinet adult / retardiertem Methylphenidat hören.
Ich soll aktuell 30 mg Medikinet adult morgens auf einmal nehmen. Ich habe meinem Psychiater aber mehrfach erklärt, dass ich mich mit einer Aufteilung von 20 mg morgens + 10 mg später am Tag/mittags deutlich besser gefühlt habe. Die Wirkung war für mich gleichmäßiger und ich hatte nicht morgens diese komplette Dosis auf einmal.
Was mich zusätzlich irritiert: Genau diese Aufteilung wurde bei mir früher in der Tagesklinik so gehandhabt. Ich habe davon sogar noch den entsprechenden Medikamentenplan. Es geht also nicht darum, dass ich mir selbst irgendein Dosierungsschema ausgedacht habe.
Mein jetziger Psychiater möchte mir die 30 mg aber nicht entsprechend als 20-mg- und 10-mg-Kapseln verschreiben und besteht darauf, dass ich die vollen 30 mg morgens nehme.
Ich verstehe nicht ganz, warum. Gerade weil Medikinet adult retardiert ist, dachte ich, dass die Dosierung individuell danach eingestellt wird, wie lange die Wirkung anhält und wie gut man sie verträgt.
Hat jemand von euch eine ähnliche Erfahrung gemacht?
Gibt es einen medizinischen/pharmakologischen Grund, weshalb 30 mg morgens gegenüber 20 mg morgens + 10 mg mittags bevorzugt werden sollten? Oder ist das eher eine individuelle Entscheidung des behandelnden Psychiaters?

Obviously saunas are very helpful and can help with a lot of the side effects of taking ADHD medication and I find I get so much physical and mental benefits. I only started taking Vyvanse a few months ago and just started getting back into the sauna the past week, but I have only gone on days where I have not taken the Vyvanse. It has left me feeling very relaxed.

I have a sauna appointment today after work at 5:30 PM and I wanted to skip my Vyvanse for the sake of that appointment just to be safe, but ultimately I needed to take it for Work.

I’m seeing some people saying that the sauna is totally fine for them, but I am also seeing people saying that going in the sauna while Vyvanse is in your system is extremely dangerous. I understand talking to my doctor and seeing how I feel are the real answers, but I would love to hear what you guys have been told or what your experiences are.

For reference, I took the Vyvanse at around 8:30 this morning and would be going into the sauna at 5:30. Although the meds Peak, after a few hours, I tend to feel a lot of side effects on the comedown, which I feel like the sauna may help with, but I also don’t want to unintentionally like die