Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Peter on September 5, 2003, at 21:10:55
I've been taking adderall on and off for years. I prefer adderall IR to adderall XR, but I'm sick of taking multiple doses throughout the day; also, I'm sick of the in-between dose mood lability and the 'crash.'
I'm switching over to Concerta tomorrow. I've heard the advanced Osmosis pulse-release system releases ritalin more evenly throughout the day than the simple 2-dose release of adderall XR. I'm hoping it will be smoother on my mood, and I won't have to worry about when to take what dose, as I do with immediate release stims.
However, I've always found that the key to maintaining a level-mood on stims is to have it working through until bedtime (I hate suddenly having a drop in mood, functioning, and sociability during the late afternoon.
But, I've heard that, while concerta might be smoother-acting than adderall XR, it only lasts the same amount of time - about 8 hours.
I've heard of many people taking a ritalin IR dose after concerta wears off to stay even-mooded and focused until bed-time.
However, I don't have any ritalin IR tabs; the only immediate-release stim I have is adderall IR.
My question is: Can I take an adderall IR after the concerta wears off to help 'cover' me until bedtime, or is it dangerous to mix two types of stims like that?
Thanks,
Peter
Posted by utopizen on September 6, 2003, at 0:23:14
In reply to adderall dose after concerta wears off?, posted by Peter on September 5, 2003, at 21:10:55
You can ask your doc to adjust your concerta dose to a higher one, split the concerta up so you take most in the AM and then a bit in the noontime, or you can try immediate release ritalin or desoxyn for use in the early evening, which should last 'til bedtime.
It's difficult, but you want to try to get the dose high enough and long enough not to drop off your mood, yet lowering enough near bedtime so that you can sleep and your sleep waves aren't too affected...
as for adderall after 4 pm or so, I'd discourage that-- the affects adderall will give you on your mood and concentration will only last so long, but there's 75% of the stuff that mostly lasts all day, yet it tends to really just give side effects-- blood pressure increase, palpations, etc., even after your good effects aren't there.
In fact, I'm switching back from Adderall IR to Desoxyn 'cause I'm so sick of having to dose before like 6 just to go to sleep by midnight. Desoxyn is out in 3-4 hours, great stuff.
And you can always have an immediate release made into a time-release by a compounding pharmacy, you don't need to wait 8 years until some company feels like it. That's silly!
I wouldn't suggest a Concerta-like release on the Adderall XR-- you wouldn't want it that way, the side effects would persist too long.
Posted by HenryO on September 6, 2003, at 4:50:32
In reply to Re: adderall dose after concerta wears off?, posted by utopizen on September 6, 2003, at 0:23:14
I think you'll find that even though the Concerta may wear off, it won't crash on you as hard as a short acting pill. I found Concerta to be very good.
Posted by Peter on September 6, 2003, at 5:27:44
In reply to Re: adderall dose after concerta wears off?, posted by utopizen on September 6, 2003, at 0:23:14
> You can ask your doc to adjust your concerta dose to a higher one, split the concerta up so you take most in the AM and then a bit in the noontime, or you can try immediate release ritalin or desoxyn for use in the early evening, which should last 'til bedtime.
> I'm curious about the first option - increasing the concerta dose. I thought that adderall was more likely to last longer when you increase it's dose, but that ritalin really lasts a fixed amount of time no matter what its dose it. Is this not correct? I thought that this would especially be the case with the very specific time-release nature of the advanced osmosis release in the Concerta - that it would last the same amount of time regardless of dose.
I'f I'm mistaken, and the concerta will last longer with a higher dose, that would be the easiest option for me, as I wouldn't have to get another script - my pdoc wants me to begin concerta at 18mg and then start taking 2 caps anyway (probably after a few days). So it would be great if that higher dose would in fact elongate the perceived effects.
> It's difficult, but you want to try to get the dose high enough and long enough not to drop off your mood, yet lowering enough near bedtime so that you can sleep and your sleep waves aren't too affected...
>
> as for adderall after 4 pm or so, I'd discourage that-- the affects adderall will give you on your mood and concentration will only last so long, but there's 75% of the stuff that mostly lasts all day, yet it tends to really just give side effects-- blood pressure increase, palpations, etc., even after your good effects aren't there.
> Wow! That's really interesting. When taking adderall IR tid, I'd always take my 3rd dose around 6 or 7 p.m, because by then I FELT like a zombie, and thus thought the 2nd dose wore off. But that must have just been the benefits (concentration+mood) wearing off, while the med was still in my system probably far into the night. I wouldn't know if it would have interfered with my sleep, since I take 2mg klonopin + 15mg temazepam at night (insomnia has always been a problem for me). But after hearing this, it sounds like the adderall probably has in one way or another negatively affected my sleep architecture, since I laways took the 3rd dose that late.
> In fact, I'm switching back from Adderall IR to Desoxyn 'cause I'm so sick of having to dose before like 6 just to go to sleep by midnight. Desoxyn is out in 3-4 hours, great stuff.
> I've heard only great things about desoxyn, but I really doubt my pdoc would prescribe it; I even doubt my pharmacy carries it!
> And you can always have an immediate release made into a time-release by a compounding pharmacy, you don't need to wait 8 years until some company feels like it. That's silly!
> didn't know that either.
> I wouldn't suggest a Concerta-like release on the Adderall XR-- you wouldn't want it that way, the side effects would persist too long.
thanks,
Peter
Posted by Peter on September 6, 2003, at 5:32:35
In reply to Re: adderall dose after concerta wears off?, posted by HenryO on September 6, 2003, at 4:50:32
> I think you'll find that even though the Concerta may wear off, it won't crash on you as hard as a short acting pill. I found Concerta to be very good.
>>I'm glad to hear that. Maybe that's why I felt I needed to be 'covered' up until bedtime by a stimulant - because I'm so used to the rapid downward slope of immediate release stims. I bet the crash actually pushes the DP and NE to SUB-normal levels, so you really feel like you need another dose to function. I'm hoping that the wearing off of the Concerta won't be as noticeable and that maybe my evening mood will be ok, so I wouldn't even have to worry about prolonging the effects.
>Well, today is day 1 on concerta 18mg, so I'll see what happens!
thanks,
Peter
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