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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Bob on April 21, 2004, at 12:13:31
In reply to dexedrine or addrall, posted by Clint on April 20, 2004, at 14:46:35
> Hello I have ADD I am a college student and just moved away from my home. I have been diagnosed and I was taking Addrall at first and then my doctor moved me to dexedrine after that did not work as well.. I need help.. School is tough and I need to be able to focus a lot better in my classes.. Can anyone help..
>
> clint
Posted by smokeymadison on April 22, 2004, at 16:24:47
In reply to dexedrine or addrall « Clint, posted by Dr. Bob on April 21, 2004, at 12:13:31
school is tough. i don't know that much about the meds you are on, but i do know how hard it is to concentrate in class. lately my ocd has been really bad. i would suggest getting a tutor and/or talking with the prof about things you missed in the discussions. most profs are happy to fill in gaps in your understanding. most schools will offer some sort of tutoring program. also, if you can get a note from your dr saying that you have ADD you most likely can get extended time on tests and special testing areas that are quiet and peaceful. i would check with something like "office of disability resources" or something like that at your school. take advantage of whatever help you can get!
Posted by karen_kay on April 22, 2004, at 20:29:16
In reply to dexedrine or addrall « Clint, posted by Dr. Bob on April 21, 2004, at 12:13:31
hiya clint...
if adderal helped more, could you talk to your doctor about switching back? is there a reason that your doctor switched you to the other?
i know that it is very tough to concentrate. and i think the suggestion to talk to your professor is a very good one indeed. another idea to consider is to talk to the omnibudsperson at your university. they are usually well equipped to help in situations such as this, if you find that you are far behind in classes. i'm not sure if this is your case or not, but if it is you may want to make an appointment with this person.
another suggestion is to get in contact with the person in charge of the disability (pardon me, i'm having a dumb moment.. i had a large paper due,, it will come to me, if it doesn't you should be able to find the appropriate temrinology in your student directory, or call information for the campus) .. oh, the head of students' with disabilities.. is that it??? you can easily be put on the list, if this causes you problems such that you find it hard to turn in your assignments on time. if you are associated with this particular organization, you can easily get extensions (i believe is the case) for homework assignments, etc. i think you only need documentation from your pdoc (or gp if you don't see a pdoc)... make an appointment with someone from the students with disabilities office if you are interested in being affiliated with the organization. i'm not exactly sure how much disstress this is causing you.
i hope you can find a workable solution soon. college is tough. i hope the rewards are like everyone claims, you know? i have people skills though. personally, i think that's better than any piece of paper. i just go to class because i like to listen to the lectures. i could do without the assignments. oh, and i guess i also go to class to talk to the wonderful professors. oh, how i love those older men, with their wonderful stories.
Posted by utopizen on April 23, 2004, at 19:10:07
In reply to Re: dexedrine or addrall » Dr. Bob, posted by karen_kay on April 22, 2004, at 20:29:16
There's different kinds of Dexedrine. If it's 5mg and says "IR", it's immediate release and comes in a tablet.
If it's a capsule, it's a Dexedrine Spansule. These are often less helpful than immediate release. But switching in-between school is un-wise... the summer is the best time to trial a new ADD med, according to an Adderall ad I read once. =)
Adderall's good. Often some try to find others because they are trying to find something with less anxiety. If it works, I would suggest trying to simply add something to the Adderall until you have the summer time.
I had brought up Dexedrine tablets to my pdoc once a long time ago, and he scripted me them, after having been on Ritalin for awhile. But without asking, he also scripted me my regular dose of Ritalin "just in case the Dexedrine doesn't work out." I wish all docs were this sympathetic to the fact that a month is basically 1/3 of a semester to a college student, and often can account for even a greater part of his or her grade in certain classes.
But in the interim, try calling your doc, simply explaining that it's not working out. DON'T ASK FOR A DIFFERENT DRUG. Just plainly and simply tell him what's going on with the drug's effect on you. If you have any side effects, report those too. He'll feel like it's his idea if he is to change your med before the supply runs out if you don't ask to switch.
Just because these are C-II's, don't think you have to endure anything until the supply runs out. You're not getting this as part of a methadone rehab program-- you're already trusted to take this responsibly, or else you wouldn't receive it at all. So don't be afraid of calling your doc, I've been afraid, but did it anyway, and you'd be surprised how accomodating a good doc can be.
Posted by gdbysky on June 3, 2004, at 1:35:31
In reply to Re: dexedrine or addrall, posted by utopizen on April 23, 2004, at 19:10:07
> Just because these are C-II's, don't think you have to endure anything until the supply runs out. You're not getting this as part of a methadone rehab program-- you're already trusted to take this responsibly, or else you wouldn't receive it at all. So don't be afraid of calling your doc, I've been afraid, but did it anyway, and you'd be surprised how accomodating a good doc can be.
My current psychiatrist has done a bunch of work with a leading ADHD research center, at a university in my city, and he's incredibly cool about meds. When I started on Adderall, he gave me additional scripts to try XR (turns out I prefer the tabs). Then, after about six months on Adderall, I asked about other stimulants, just out of curiosity. He wrote me scripts for Focalin and Ritalin LA on the spot! That was several months ago. Ritalin and Focalin were totally useless for me -- they did improve my applied focus, but made me a nervous wreck and weren't motivational or energizing. The anxiety may have been a dosage issue, but based on what I've heard about Dexedrine (that it carries fewer side effects than the other stims), I think I'm just going to ask to try that.
The first pdoc I saw wouldn't prescribe Adderall because of its abuse potential. Luckily, I found an informed professional whose concern is my mental health.
Somewhat tangential moral of story being, if your psychiatrist doesn't trust you with your medication, FIND A NEW PSYCHIATRIST.
This is the end of the thread.
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