Posted by noa on February 6, 2004, at 10:43:43
In reply to Adderall versus Ritalin?, posted by Sugarpuss on February 6, 2004, at 6:49:58
Each of us has different experiences, so I can only tell you mine:
I started with regular ritalin. It helped to boost my antidepressant's power and helped with alertness, etc. But it only would last maybe 2 1/2 to 3 hours max. I took it in 3 doses. To be honest, I don't remember the exact dosage--probably 5 mg twice a day and .25 once a day? Or maybe it was 10 and 5, I don't remember now.
Then I went to ritalin sr. Same effects but lasted maybe 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I also don't remember the dosage. I think I took it twice a day and then one regular ritalin for the last dose of the day? Don't really remember.
With both the regular and sr of ritalin, I had significant rebound effects--ie when the med was wearing off, I would feel irritable and depressed.
Then I went to regular Adderall. It had a much better effect for me than ritalin. I felt really calm and focused. These positive effects were really apparent almost right from the start--it felt very different than the ritalin. The effect lasted about 4 to 5 hours, maybe 6 max, and it was much more even---there wasn't the rebound depression/irritability like there had been with ritalin. The only rebound type reaction was that at mid-day, if I was late in taking the second dose of the day, I would start to feel a little scattered and unfocused. This was especially the case if I also went too long before eating lunch, which hadn't been an issue for me before. There was like a synergy between the two---the dose wearing off made my ability to cope with the mid-day hunger worse. If I didn't get to the med or to lunch in time, I became rather an airhead! And of course, being someone with organizational issues, I would forget to take it on time, or forget to schedule in lunch, a lot, not to mention all the times the work situation interfered with keeping a regular schedule of meds and food. I took 10 mg twice a day and 5 mg once a day.
Then I switched to Adderall XR, which is what I take now. I take one 30 mg pill in the morning. It works very well--calm, focused, and the effect lasts the whole day for me. It is much more even than the regular adderall, and absolutely zero rebound at all. It is also just so much more convenient. Having to remember to take doses during the day had been hard for me. Also, although I try not to skip lunch because it can sometimes affect my working concentration somewhat, I can do it and still function fine, unlike when I was on regular adderall--so this gives me more flexibility if I can't eat at a certain time.
btw---If you search the archives, you will no doubt find many similar discussions about the various stimulants.
Good luck.
poster:noa
thread:310086
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040204/msgs/310133.html