How much Adderall are you taking?

September 24, 2007 1:18 AM

Hive mind Adderall filter: Those of you taking this med, exactly how much of it did you start off with and how much are you taking now?

I am taking 10 mg a morning for depressive disorder for about a week now with no effect. Should I ask my doc for more?

posted by Brandon1600 to health & fitness (7 comments total)

I'd suggest asking your doc. Asking him if you should take more, that is.
posted by lain at 4:05 AM on September 24, 2007

I take 20 to start and then 10 later. When I was doing smaller doses I couldn't notice the effect of anything less than 20 for a first dose. Go to addforums.com and you will find much discussion on this subject.
posted by BigSky at 4:13 AM on September 24, 2007

Are you on XR?
When I was on XR, I started at 10mg, followed by a 5mg non-XR booster for later.
Over 2 months, I moved to 30mg XR and 10mg booster. I was on that combo for 2+ years.

You're taking it for depressive disorder? When you say no effect, what effects do you expect?
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 8:50 AM on September 24, 2007

One week is too short of a time to judge the effects of any drug for depression or ADHD. I used to take Adderall XR and it was starting to work about 4 weeks in.

I abandoned it eventually because of side effects but it still is considered by many to be the best treatment for ADHD. It's hard to quantify but to me it was the "smoothest" of all the meds I tried. Most stimulants (which is what nearly all ADHD meds are) are rough - the stimulation is too sudden, or crashes too soon - Adderall just smoothly works throughout the day.
posted by Ber at 9:32 AM on September 24, 2007

I take 10mg of XR for mild ADHD. I started off taking 5mg and gradually moved up to 10. I don't know if the dosages are different for depressive disorders, though. I've only ever heard of it used to treat ADD/ADHD.
posted by number9dream at 10:30 AM on September 24, 2007

i am prescribed 20mg 3x a day. I used to take that much and more when I was a student. Functionally speaking, I now take 20mg in the am and then usually a 10mg kicker in the afternoon, sometimes nothing in the afternoon.
posted by Soulbee at 1:41 PM on September 24, 2007

Don't ask your doctor for more, but certainly call and ask him/her to schedule you in for a talk. You should really find out if your doctor has a titration schedule for you, or if he/she is just throwing meds at you.

Did your doc tell you to keep him/her updated as to your general perception of how the meds are working? I'd be leery of any medical professional who just prescribed a stimulant for you and never had you follow up in any way.
posted by cooker girl at 1:53 PM on September 27, 2007