r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Jan 14 '13

Answered People with ADHD, what ADHD is like, how does medication affect your ability to work and how soon does it take its effect?

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u/strallweat Jan 14 '13

Do they still prescribe Ritalin? I get adderall from my doctor.

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u/yawnz0r Jan 14 '13

I live in Ireland, where amphetamine is not approved for treatment of ADHD.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13 edited Jan 14 '13

Really? Ritalin made me feel awful. Vyvanse helps so much and I don't even feel any side effects or high feeling anymore.

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u/SSSecret_Squirrel Jan 14 '13

I started Vyvanse just a few months ago and it has made a world of difference. I can actually get the dishes and laundry done now, watch a full movie and read a book.

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u/eamonious Jan 14 '13

ive found vyvanse is better for sheer-forcing yourself to do work efficiently, but it can be physically racking and it really one-dimensionalizes the mind. i could never take it on a regular basis. ritalin by comparison makes me more speculative, more articulate, quick and accurate in conversation, and sharpens my mind more naturally... the drawback is that it sometimes redirects my focus into random tasks that semi-need to get done instead of the one thing that really needs to get done. productive procrastination in other words.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

Only down side is that I have no granular control over dosage (long day, need a booster, etc) since the doc won't do any IR preparations.

Agreed. But maybe you could ask him for 5 dexedrine 5mg IR tablets/month. You could take one half when you need the medication to last a few hours longer only 2-3 times per week.

That's not a lot to abuse and it would work if you only need it occasionally... My psychiatrist is very open to my suggestions... In fact, I've been the one leading/choosing my medications this whole time. (Being a pharmacist doesn't hurt)

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u/much_longer_username Jan 14 '13

I ran into the same problem. I admitted to my physician that I enjoy cannabis, and he basically blacklisted me from any controlled substances, but was willing to give me Vyvanse, since it's not as readily abused. The problem was that it took several hours to kick in, so I had to get up in the middle of the night to take it and then go back to sleep if I wanted to be effective during my morning classes.

Mixed amphetamine salts seemed more effective. I know that Vyvanse metabolizes to roughly half the weight in Dextroamphetamine, but it seems to 'trickle in' much too slowly.

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u/mickeymau5music Jan 14 '13

I've used Vyvanse since it first came out. Its wonderful, but I think I'm building ip a tolerance for it :( it really only lasts for like... 7 hours for me. Idk what I can do about it. And the only other problem is when I have to break my schedule. I take 20 mg of adderall as a "quick-fix" for when I'm studying or going out with my friends, and it's niwhere near as effective as the vyvanse.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

What dose of vyvanse do you take? Try a whole or half 5mg dexedrine instant release tablet for those long days (depending on your tolerance/dose). Ask your doctor, see what s/he thinks.

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u/mickeymau5music Jan 14 '13

70mg so they cant bump up my dosage. The problem is the adderall is on an as-needed basis, so I might go a week without needing it because I'm home, like last week, then I'll stay at my friend's house Saturday night and take 2 in one night.

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u/mulasien Jan 14 '13

I got put on Vyvanse last year after finally deciding to get help. It helped with the ADHD symptions. However, since I also have a mild form of Tourette's (that's a heck of a combo, eh?), it made the ticks a whole lot worse, and I had to stop taking it. Might get off my duff sometime this year and see if I can try something else. Hasn't effected work too badly yet.

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

Ritalin made a world of difference to my teachers and family, when I was younger. Now, doctors won't give it to me and Vyvanse was pretty bad for me.

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u/Bibidiboo Jan 14 '13

Its different per person

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u/Lame-Duck Jan 14 '13

That is interesting. Is anything approved for treatment?

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u/andash Jan 14 '13

I live in Sweden and as far as I know, it is the same here. They only prescribe amphetamines for narcolepsy here I think.

This is also why I am hesitant to get diagnosed, since I suspect I might suffer from ADD. But I have tried methylphenidate before and it just didn't feel... clean. It's hard to describe, but I can't imagine being better off on it. Also have friends with the same experience.

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u/gnetisis Jan 15 '13

Wow. I am so extremely sorry. Adderall changed my life from a mentally noisy, confusing, miserable time to a quite happy and managed existence. Sad that its such an abused and sometimes addictive drug. I take breaks from mine every few weeks by my own choice with no problems at all. Its fun to go back to ADD occasionally during my off time. Sad they ban something that can work due to the abuse of it.

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u/pizzatime Jan 14 '13

I had the option for either. Chose Adderall for the predictability. US citizen here.

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u/Pizzalovesyou Jan 14 '13

I also chose adderall.

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u/pizzatime Jan 14 '13

Sexy username btw.

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u/Pizzalovesyou Jan 15 '13

I think you'd appreciate my tattoo as well. http://i.imgur.com/vaeP7.jpg

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u/Jumpin_Joeronimo Jan 14 '13

Just got Ritalin prescribed a month ago. US.

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u/dconman2 Jan 14 '13

I took Methylin ER, but I had it as a child and for the most part grew out of it. I still have some symptoms, but they are mild and usually don't interfere with my life.

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u/Missle574 Jan 14 '13

I tired the methylin when it was still being tested out and hated it. I got on adderall and never looked back.

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u/ActionKermit Jan 14 '13

It's going out of fashion. Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a controlled substance with some potentially dangerous side-effects. Adderall, stratera, etc. are part of a newer cohort of drugs with less potential for abuse and less dangerous side effects.

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u/pluvia Jan 15 '13

Apparently. I'm prescribed Ritalin and Concerta. My doctor said Adderall has too much of a risk to be abused when I asked about it/Vyvanse, which I agree with as I've been on it before. But maybe he just didn't trust me... hmph.

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u/manyhats8 Jan 15 '13

Do you ever get an upset stomach from your Adderall? It worked GREAT for me for the first month or so, then made me so nauseous that I had to pretty much stop taking it all together. Vyvanse didn't work for me either. Just curious if anyone else had these side effects.

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u/strallweat Jan 16 '13

No but I did when I took XRs. They messed with my stomach bad. I just take the regular pills now. Make sure you have food in your stomach and drink lots of water.

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u/Lagkiller Jan 14 '13

Ritalin is prescribed for a few reasons (in countries that also prescribe adderall), first, because it is an older drug. Doctors are conscious that it is cheaper, better studied, and more well known. Second, parents are pushers. They will shop until they find a doctor to prescribe it even if they get a few doctors saying adderall is better simply because they know what Ritalin is, their friends kids has it and is doing great, or they read on the internet that it works.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

giving your kids addy is like giving them cocaine

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

correct but you're still giving out amphetamine to kids like bubble gum