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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bissie66 on October 20, 2005, at 13:21:28
hi. i was just yesterday prescribed adderall as an augmentation to effexor (which in my opinion does nothing for me - he might take me off it). i also take lithium and lamictal for bipolar disordar (mostly i have really bad depression, and it has become resistant to everything we've tried). i was on wellbutrin but he took me off that yesterday (wasn't doing anything either). i'm really glad my doc is trying this - i had planned to ask him, and did, only to learn he was going to suggest it too.
he gave me the dosing instruction but i'm confused. i took 5 mg late afternoon yesterday, then took another 5 mg an hour later. took 10 mg this morning. 4.5 hrs later i took 15 mg. (i am not on extended release, btw). he said to keep upping the dose until i feel good, and i would know i had gone too far if i got that too-much-caffeine feeling. i feel better but not great. what is an 'average' dose? should i really keep going up? should i take 20 mg next time? how much is too much? i'm a little worried bc i def have addictive tendencies. i really want to take more but i don't trust my motives. any and all feedback would be awesome.
Posted by med_empowered on October 20, 2005, at 14:36:39
In reply to Adderall dosage questions, posted by bissie66 on October 20, 2005, at 13:21:28
hey! first off, kudos to your doc for being willing to be flexible to help you feel better..you've really got a good doc. Now..adderall/dexedrine dosages vary wildly, but...the FDA recommends that you cap it @ 40mgs/day for ADHD, 60/mgs day for Narcolepsy. Since depression is "off-label," there's not specific recommendation..usually the goal is low-dose stimulant, with other meds added in, so I'd aim to keep it at or (better yet) a bit below 30mgs/day, total. If you're using the IR (instant-release) version, you should probably divvy it up into 2-3 doses, starting in the early AM, when you wake up. How you divide it is really up to you, but its pretty common to "front-load" stimulants--take the biggest chunk in the morning, a smaller dose in the afternoon, and then, if needed, an even smaller mid-afternoon (preferably before 3 PM) dose. When I took Adderall, I did it for ADHD, so the doses were pre-fixed and I just had to adjust to them, so you're dosing schedule sounds much, much cooler than mine was. If you get hyper-focused or drowsy, you've probably taken too much (some people get drowsy no matter what on amphetamines; if this happens, you'll need to talk to your doc about what can be done). Do try to avoid taking too much--my doc pushed my dose too high, and i started getting hyper-focused (almost OCD) for hours and picking at my face :-( . I think the best way to experiment would be kind of systematically--i.e, day 1 take Xmgs AM, Xmgs later, Xmgs PM and then see how you feel..adjust upwards or downwards, adjust the dosing times, etc. each day until you hit something that feels pretty good--you won't ever really hit a "perfect" dose/dosing schedule, but you will feel much better if you just spend a week or so experimenting a bit. Good luck!
Posted by bissie66 on October 20, 2005, at 14:50:25
In reply to Re: Adderall dosage questions, posted by med_empowered on October 20, 2005, at 14:36:39
thank you SO much! your comment about my doc made me smile bc i think he's awesome too. i'm grateful i found him after several lesser docs including one who told me i had 'drug-seeking behavior' bc i asked about stims. anyway, your knowledge and experience and advice helps SO much. thanks again!!!
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