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Originally Posted by sunrise Vyvanse -- no bad side effects whatsoever. Very smooth, no sense of coming on or off of the drug. Is supposed to last up to 14 hours.

Dexedrine XR is supposed to last up to 8-10 hrs (some publications I read said up to 6 hrs), but I really don't think the drug manufacturers can support their claims. There is no way to measure the timeframe the beneficial effects last (not the withdrawal when the drugs wear off or the side effects), as everyone's response to stimulants is trial and error, making the responses quite variable. Since the response is variable (and that fact is well known), how is it they came up with this magical timeframe?

Stimulants are also used for treatment of Narcolepsy. ADHD and Narcolepsy are markedly different disorders; that being the case, are the drug manufacturers saying that the timeframe the drug will work on both ADHD --and Narcolepsy is still 8-10 (or however many) hours, even though they recommend different dosages for Narcolepsy and ADHD? How is this knowledge possible? Secondly, in ADHD the drug hasn't been studied for responsiveness to ADHD in adults to the same degree it has been studied for responsiveness in children. Children and adults metabolize quite differently from each other.

This only really bothered me when I had to deal with changing the dosages of the drug I take (Dexedrine XR), which was a challenge. The manufacturer can't tell the doctor how much to prescribe, but they can recommend dosages---which are usually followed. This is quite a hinderance when you are an adult and taking medication that is more than likely prescribed at dosages and strengths etc. that are not really designed for you, but for a child (only in the last 10 years has ADHD in adults began to be scientifically studied and recognized as being different in adults--or even existing at all).

Because stimulants are a controlled substance (like Xanax etc. are) on the Schedule II drug list, doctors are very careful to not prescribe anything different than what the manufacturer recommends. Dextroamphetamine is the active ingredient in Dexedrine. Different manufacturers make generics of Dexedrine, and all have different medicine guides to it. I've also noticed that different pharmacies also have their own guide, which they give you alongside the manufacturers drug guide. All different! Who are we supposed to believe.

I hope I didn't make anyone's head spin on this tangent of mine. /rant

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It is so smooth I find myself unable to time its effects.

Do you ever notice a return of ADHD symptoms, or are you unable to tell a difference (other than the increased wakefulness related to the narcolepsy issue)?

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A great side effect is it keeps me from falling asleep during the day. Sometimes I would fall asleep at driving (while at stop lights). I would use the pause in driving to catch some winks. Oddly, I also dream during these brief nod-offs. My PNP says I may have a form of narcolepsy (minus the cataplexy) and stimulants are a treatment for that, so that is great.

Oh crap that's scary!! Your PNP should have prescribed something for the narcolepsy related disorder a long time ago!! Your lucky you haven't fallen asleep while actually in motion.!!!!!

Have you discussed it with your T? Self-help books about ADHD actually don't help me implement the strategies, but I find that the actual learning about the disorder on an academic level is very helpful.

My T has a dedication to ADHD treatment (in adults), and takes a lot of patients with this particular problem (be it comorbid to something else, or uncomplicated) as a specialty. He's studied ADHD and how therapy applies to it for quite some time now. He enjoys it, and it is also a personal interest (he actually has a son with ADHD who is around my age). Therapy is only successful for people with ADHD if the therapist is able to modify their approach to get through to the ADHD dx'd person, as having ADHD makes therapy more complicated.

Let's face it--we don't think like other people do (I don't think that's a bad thing either). It's extremely difficult to have a coherent, topic oriented discussion with us at times, and that can affect therapy. I find I have a difficult time describing problems with clarity, so sometimes items don't come up in therapy for quite some time. My T knows how to deal with my ADHD way of relating to others and the world, and he is better equipped to help me because he understands ADHD in a deeper, meaningful way that a lot of T's can't. Fortunately, more and more T's are being trained and learning more about adults and ADHD. Most T's can't even keep up with us!!!