Question/Comment:

Both my twin daughters have been taking Adderall XR since the end of 3rd grade. They are in the 8th grade now. One twin is on 25 mg and the other is on 30 mg. It took a bit of different dosing to get the right dosage for each. One of the twins has heart problems so that has been a concern, but they are both HIGH END ADD and ADHD, and the benefits have far outweighed the side effects and possible risks. I was extremely AGAINST medicating my children for their ADD/ADHD for a long time. They were targeted by daycare, then kindergarten and the school, and their doctors as having high end ADD/ADHD since they were very young so I tried many different ways which mostly included behavior modification by me and their teachers, IEP's at their schools with modified homework, etc., and went to working part-time around school hours so I took them to school and picked them up from school at which time I would have to turn in their assigments for them and walk them to their classes in the mornings, and often find them wandering around the school after school... at the end of 3rd grade, one of their teachers whom I would see daily (for all 4 years they had been at the school as she had been on twin's kindergarten teacher, the other's first grade teacher, and one of their 3rd grade teachers.. so we knew eachother and my girls very well)- she told me that with them going into the 4th grade, most likely one of two scenario's would happen- 1)- they will pass without learning anything as their attention span was about 2 minutes long at best or 2)- they will not pass the 4th grade as the teacher/student ratio went from 20/1 up to 32/1 and I really needed to consider other possibilities such as meds or special schools... So.. I finally gave in and tried meds- WOW- what a difference.. I was never a believer in ADHD meds and felt that too many parents didn't try other things enough first and yadda, yadda, yadda.. but after actually being the parent of two children with very severe ADD/ADHD, I am now a true believer that the meds can be a miracle for children that truly need them... now, 5 years later, one of the girls no longer is in IEP and no longer has "special" classes, the other one has multiple health problems including heart problems, a rare blood disorder that caused her to need chemotherapy and other harsh drugs at a young age, she has other learning disabilities so she still needs the "extra" help for all areas.. but I would just like to tell parents who are dealing with this to trust in your doctor's, go with your instincts, and work with your children's teachers.. because medications, behavior modifications, or whatever are not going to just "cure" your child- if your child has ADD/ADHD, all these things in conjunction, along with the help of teachers and family/friends- they all will contribute to the success of your child.. Thanks for hearing my story!

Question/Comment:

I just want to warn people if you have issues with your body being slow to metabolize drugs that you may not want to use the extended release adderal. I have gastroparisis (my stomach does not empty normally) and have always had issues with the way my body metabolizes medications. It was very apparent that this was an issue to me when I took the Adderal ER, which always resulted in horrible heart palpatations, etc. So, I am just sticking with the regular release which works fine for me.

I only take Adderal when I feel the need to focus, as it has a cummulative affect on your body, specifically your blood pressure. I always let my doctor know that I don't take it as prescribed twice a day, because as with every medication, a medical professional should know when you stop taking your medications or if you are taking them differently than prescribed. Most days I just take 1 30mg pills in the morning and skip the afternoon dose. And whenever I am on vacation I try not to take it at all to give my body a rest (again, I always let my doc know). The only terrible "withdrawl" symptom I have when I stop taking it for more than a few days is extreme sleepyness - which I can deal with on vacation.

I do have to say that if I did NOT take it I would never get anything done. It was very hard for me to defer to a medication after treating my ADD with behavior modification for over 13 years. I found when I adopted my son that I was no longer able to manage my ADD that way due to too much uncontrolable stimulation. But, I have to say that it has really helped me out, so I am glad I tried it out and that it has been helping me over the past 7 years.

Question/Comment:

My grandson is on this drug. He is 11 years old and was diagnosed with A.D.D however he is suffering with horrible anxiety attacks. He literally feels like he's is dying. He feels like his throat is closing and he can't breath. Will the medication help him with this or will it make it more pronounced? I feel so helpless with him this way, he calls me and cries and I can't do anything but assure him that he is going to be okay and that he needs to tell himself that there is nothing wrong. Any suggestions??

Question/Comment:

I am a 50 year old. and have been taking adderall for over 10 years. i started out on a low dose now my doctor has me up to 60mg. a day. There are days that it really works well and days that it does not. it is good but you do get very addictive to it. i do know that it is the only way that i can function.

Question/Comment:

I have been taking Adderal XR for almost 4 months. I am very pleased with the results. It has improved my quality of life. I am presently taking 25 mg. It has not been a magic pill to cure my ADHD craziness. It has calmed me down and relieved the great deal aniexty that I did not know I had. It is wonderfull to be free of that turmoil and the constant fear that was always with me. I am able to think more clearly, to concentrate and follow through with most things.
I never knew I was ADHD until my son was diagnosed 7 years ago. My only regret has been it took so long for me to seek treatment. I think my life would have turned differently had I sought treatment 20-30 years ago.