Does Adderall 10mg work every time you take it?

Answer 1

Need to Take Adderall DailyI've been taking Adderall for several years in combination with an antidepressant and anti-anxiety meds. I'm on a rather high dosage too. After discussing it with my doctor, she agreed that I could "self-medicate" insofar as I remain within the guidelines she provided. On weekends I rarely take it all. During the week when I have more responsibilities, I take an average dose to negate the 'drowsiness' caused by my other meds. When I'm feeling especially overwhelmed, tired, or down - mainly in the fall and winter, or very overcast, gloomy days, I choose to take the maximum dosage my doctor allows.

Of course, meds effect everyone in different ways at different times. Some people absolutely need their Adderall everyday. I know some people who only need it along with anti-depressants, in the worst part of winter. Yet they don't need it at all when the weather is nice. Go figure.

However, if I stop taking my adderall for a length of time, I've been told to take a fraction of my full dosage at first and work back up to my usual dosage. Adderall is a stimulant so I guess - if you take high doses like I need - it could cause health problems to suddenly start taking high levels of it after a break.

The best thing to do, IMO, would be to call your doctor and ASK. If you are uncomfortable calling and asking your doctor a simple question like this, perhaps you should shop around for a physician you can be comfortable with.

Here is more from Wiki s Contributors:

• I have been taking Adderall for a while now, and I find that I can tell pretty easily how much I need on a given day -- from none to quite a bit. I try to not take it on the weekends or for a few days at a stretch sometimes if I think I can manage without it. I have found that when I am taking it continuously for a while, I become less sensitive to its effects. Taking a few days off seems to restore my body's sesitivity.

Be careful with other meds, though. The SSRI types of drugs should be taken every day. These are most of the antidepressants and Strattera. The stimulants (Ritalin, adderall, etc.) can be taken as needed. I took myself off of an antidepressant I was taking (gradually reduced the dosage over a couple of weeks) because I found it was interfering with my ability to become properly motivated by stressful situations.

• I used to think I didn't need my Adderall on the weekends. But I found that it seemed to work better, and worked better with the other meds I take if I took it everyday. So it's really a personal choice.

It all depends on what functions you want to perform on a given day. If you have ADHD and you need to be alert, focused, and able to concentrate, on a given day, then you need to take it. If your activities on a given day will not require these abilities then you can get by with either a reduced dose or no dose. However, if you opt for "no dose," then your body will begin the Adderall withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms depends on how high a dose you were taking before you opted for "no dose" on a given day or weekend.

Answer 2

Yes & no. If taken appropriately, or in moderation, it is a God-send. If significantly abused for a few weeks, your body will get immune and will take some readjusting to return to the previous level. I'm a case in point. I have other I was prescribed to take it 3 times a day (morning, lunch, afternoon) 20mg /20mg /10mg, but when I started law school, I started escalating upwards of 90-100 mg/day. Now after 4 month of that, it's like taking a flintstoen vitamin. Hopefully, after Christmas, I will be able to feel it again! --It really does depend on how it is used. I take 30mg Adderall XR per day, but sometimes limit myself to 15mg (the XR capsules can be divided in half pretty easily--open the capsule, sprinkle half of the granules on pudding or yogurt or apple sauce, put the other half back in the capsule) per day to ward off tolerance. Your body and your brain are supremely adaptable organisms that acclimate quickly to changes in your chemistry. That's one reason why the PI sheet suggests taking occasional "drug holidays" (days off the meds). This works well on Sundays, at least for me, because it lets me zone out all day and not feel the need to work on anything too demanding and catch up on sleep.

All in all, you are best off not taking more than the prescribed daily dose. If for some reason you need to, plan ahead and don't maintain that heightened dose. Return to your normal dose--or better yet, use less for a while. Otherwise, your body will adapt to the new dosage and you'll enter the upward-titration spiral. Not fun.

I have been on Adderall for a long time and based on my experience, Adderall does not work every time you take it. Instead, it can be very variable. Its effectiveness can vary throughout the day and also from day to day. On some days, for me, it doesn't work at all.

Answer 3

I have been taking Adderall XR 10mg for about one week, after which I will begin taking 20mg. I have taken 20mg a couple times before, and in my experience, 10mg DOES work each time, but not nearly as well as 20mg. The effects of 10mg are much more subtle, but still present (unless of course I am psychologically telling myself they are).

I usually do not experience insomnia with 10mg like I do with 20mg. My appetite, however, is still supressed with just 10mg. I feel a bit more alert and content.

F.Y.I: I am also taking Prozac for anxiety and bulimia...I have long been depressed and I am so thankful for this drug which allows me to feel alive again.

Answer 4

It reacts differently for everyone. It might not give you the feeling you're looking for at first, but in time that will probably change.