What dosage of Adderall is therapeutic?

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Madymom

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Hello, I was just prescribed Adderall XR for Adult ADD starting with 10mg.
I feel good in the morning, but by afternoon I seem to lose focus. I thought the XR was supposed to work all day? Could it be that I need a higher dosage? Also, is there a preference out there of the XR versus the regular version?
Thanks!
 
For treatment of ADHD, anywhere from 5 to 40mg/day is considered theraputic. This maximum dosage may be exceeded by your doctor based on your individual case, as doses up to 60mg are used for treatment of narcolepsy.

The XR is generally considered more desirable, as it does tend to last 8 hours or so, though it doesn't often last to the 12 hours advertised (this opinion based on personal experience and anecdotes of others, not actual science). Adderall IR will generally last about four hours.

It may be necessary to increase your dose if the effect isn't lasting into the evening, alternatively you may see if your doc will prescribe multiple doses, say 5mg at 8 am, 5mg at noon, if you're planning to stay on 10mg.

Myself, as an example, though I take Dexedrine rather than Adderall, take 3 doses, extended at 8am and noon, and an instant release booster at 4pm.
 
Incidently, Thu, I can no longer get generic Dex CR and brand is just too expensive. I'm back to Adderall. I retained the 40mg prescription for same reasons as Mariasuela but take between 20 and 30 mg per day in 10mg increments. I reserve the higher dose for long days.

In my opinion based on my experience and the anecdotal accounts of many on this board, Adderall's XR formula, while performing per specs, is flawed in that the medication is not delivered in the intervals needed. Its engineering is flawed. On the other hand, Dexedrine CR has got it spot on target.

I get no longer efficacy out of Adderall XR. My experience is same as yours, Madymom, good AM, dead PM. Beware. At higher doses per ingestion, I experience a horrific crash whether IR or XR. Again, so do many others on this board. I credit Mariasuela for indentifying the problem. Often a lower IR dose per ingestion works better because the crash, to a large degree, is avoided.

Thu, there is no difference in the timing of our three doses per day.

Bob
 
I'm sorry to hear about the change Bob. :( It's unfortunate that our ability to find a med that truly works for us is dictated by drug company politics.

As for the rest of your post, pure wisdom, as expected. I wish for my own sake that Adderall IR was available in Canada, as it sounRAB like a good option; unfortunately, the XR is all we get.
 
Thank you both for your responses. Being new to this is challenging, thank goodness for this site to communicate with others. Thanks!
 
xr is definantly better. i take 30mgs 2 times a day. much better than the ir. and i used to take dexedrine, too. i still get the spansules but i don't think they are as effective. nothing's perfect, right? lol
 
I take Adderall as well. I love it because it makes me get out of bed in the morning and get things done... but come mid afternoon the effects are gone. It's not a crash, per se, I just notice that it's gone.

I took Abilify for awhile... it helped really well in concentration, getting things done... much better than Adderall, but there's no generic for it so there goes that!
 
I have severe ADD...since I was little. And to me Adderall is a MIRACLE drug. I feel normal for the first time in my life. :)

I take Adderall XR....30mg in the morning and 30mg around 2pm.
No other does worked for me...I started at 20mg in the AM and by 12 in would be gone, my Dr. played around with some other corabination of doses and the one I take now works for me.

I have to be careful though..I cannot take the second to late or else I can't sleep.
 
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