3 ms·

My doctor told me to redose in the evening if I'm going to a social gathering, and it changed my interactions completely. Instead of writing myself off with sh

My doctor told me to redose in the evening if I'm going to a social gathering, and it changed my interactions completely. Instead of writing myself off with shots until I can handle the social side, I am able to carry conversations, am not overwhelmed by the stimulus (imagine trying to have a conversation, while playing pinball and reading a book in a loud room). It was a huge factor in breaking a drinking problem, which was actually masking many of my ADHD symptoms. It's a highly personal anecdote, but does show the other side of the coin. (for the record, I don't generally drink anymore, never on my meds. when I do plan a night out, its usually with close friends so many of the issues just aren't there.)

rlt 10y ago
May I ask which meds you take now? You sound similar to me. I'd like to know what to ask my doctor about.
- shermanyo 10y ago
  I weigh just shy of 60kg, for reference. I take 2x5mg Dexamphetamine tablets in the morning (8am) and another 1x5mg around lunch (1pm). I started (switching from Concerta) on 2 and 2, but asked to drop the later dose as it seems to top me up enough to finish the work day and handle the bulk of my evening (cooking, etc...) The Dex works far better for me than Ritalin / Concerta, but I've heard good and bad for both. Keep your doctor in the loop for everything, and listen to what they say (eg. I brought up and planned my lower dosage, rather than just doing it), and bring up any issues as early as possible. Don't try to fix side effects with other medications, keep the chemical intake as simple as possible. I had to spend more time on diet and sleeping habbits than anything else, but it was worth the effort and discipline. If my diet and sleep are in check, I can manage a day without medication (relying on a detailed plan/schedule) here and there, or keep momentum up to make progress into the night. If I burn myself out for a couple days, no amount of medication could help. Hope that was some sort of help, good luck mastering your "mental skillness" :)
konradb 10y ago
Presumably if you re-dosed in the evening you would be up very late the next morning, or did it not affect you like that?
- shermanyo 10y ago
  For a couple of reasons, its not really an issue. My dosage is pretty low (see my other reply), and I'll usually only take another 1x5mg which seems to 'top up' the previous dose for around 6 hours. EDIT: I believe they are considered 'quick release', described as active for 4 hours, though I seem to wind down after 5. (then I get a bit fuzzy for an hour, cant hold a conversation easily, focus gets locked on tasks I'm working on, etc...) The general effect definitely makes me more alert, but doesn't keep me awake. On weekends, I'll often have a nap after my second dose, its like my mind clears enough to settle and without purposefully taking in new stimulus, it relaxes and I drift off. Some people describe the same with Caffeine. As a side note, I drink coffee if I want to wake up / stay up late. Caffeine seems to turn off the part of my brain that says "fall asleep", increases my heart rate a little, but thats about it. My dex on the other hand, seems to raise everything a lot more evenly. It doesn't affect any one thing more than the others. I'd describe Caffeine as a "dirty" feeling stimulant, and Dex as very "clean", as an anecdotal, personal comparison.

rlt 10y ago

May I ask which meds you take now? You sound similar to me. I'd like to know what to ask my doctor about.

shermanyo 10y ago
I weigh just shy of 60kg, for reference. I take 2x5mg Dexamphetamine tablets in the morning (8am) and another 1x5mg around lunch (1pm). I started (switching from Concerta) on 2 and 2, but asked to drop the later dose as it seems to top me up enough to finish the work day and handle the bulk of my evening (cooking, etc...) The Dex works far better for me than Ritalin / Concerta, but I've heard good and bad for both. Keep your doctor in the loop for everything, and listen to what they say (eg. I brought up and planned my lower dosage, rather than just doing it), and bring up any issues as early as possible. Don't try to fix side effects with other medications, keep the chemical intake as simple as possible. I had to spend more time on diet and sleeping habbits than anything else, but it was worth the effort and discipline. If my diet and sleep are in check, I can manage a day without medication (relying on a detailed plan/schedule) here and there, or keep momentum up to make progress into the night. If I burn myself out for a couple days, no amount of medication could help. Hope that was some sort of help, good luck mastering your "mental skillness" :)

konradb 10y ago

Presumably if you re-dosed in the evening you would be up very late the next morning, or did it not affect you like that?

shermanyo 10y ago
For a couple of reasons, its not really an issue. My dosage is pretty low (see my other reply), and I'll usually only take another 1x5mg which seems to 'top up' the previous dose for around 6 hours. EDIT: I believe they are considered 'quick release', described as active for 4 hours, though I seem to wind down after 5. (then I get a bit fuzzy for an hour, cant hold a conversation easily, focus gets locked on tasks I'm working on, etc...) The general effect definitely makes me more alert, but doesn't keep me awake. On weekends, I'll often have a nap after my second dose, its like my mind clears enough to settle and without purposefully taking in new stimulus, it relaxes and I drift off. Some people describe the same with Caffeine. As a side note, I drink coffee if I want to wake up / stay up late. Caffeine seems to turn off the part of my brain that says "fall asleep", increases my heart rate a little, but thats about it. My dex on the other hand, seems to raise everything a lot more evenly. It doesn't affect any one thing more than the others. I'd describe Caffeine as a "dirty" feeling stimulant, and Dex as very "clean", as an anecdotal, personal comparison.