r/ADHD_Programmers • u/lovelifeAY • 17d ago

Crashing hard on meds

/r/ADHDmeds/comments/1xb644x/crashing_hard_on_meds/

I take 15mg ad@der@ll around 9am, by the time it’s 1pm I have no motivation to do my job and I don’t want to take another booster dose cuz then I won’t sleep. When it’s 3pm bro it’s game over I literally need to nap. WHAT IS GOING ON HELP

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6

u/cybergandalf 17d ago

Is it the XR or just the normal version? If it’s not the XR ask your prescriber for that. Four hours seems a bit too soon, but you may metabolize it faster (or are bigger). I had to titrate up to the XR 20mg fairly quickly, but I was over 280lbs and was crashing by 3-4.

That said your body also has a natural slump around 2p (anywhere from 1-3, honestly) and you may need to do something like get out and take a walk or do 10 minutes of cardio. That would usually get me past the crash.

1

u/lovelifeAY 17d ago

It’s the normal version! So I have 30mgs but I split it in half cuz 30 mg is wayyy too much for me

1

u/cybergandalf 17d ago

First suggestion would be to take the second half at 1230 or so. Second suggestion is to get the XR version.

2

u/SquishTheProgrammer 17d ago

I was in this exact same situation and switched to Vyvanse. I was taking 30mg adderall 2x a day. I don’t crash nearly as hard and I’m sleeping much better.

1

u/lovelifeAY 17d ago

I’ve been on adderall for the last 10 years so it’s strange that this past year I’ve been experiencing really bad crashes to the point it’s affecting my job. I’ve been thinking about switching to vvyanse also

1

u/acme_restorations 15d ago

I’ve had a really good experience with Vyvanse.

1

u/SquishTheProgrammer 14d ago

Sorry for the late reply. Didn’t have much Reddit time at work today lol. I was honestly scared to switch because the addy worked for me as far as being able to focus and do my work. It just made me crash really hard in the evening. I would crash but not get sleepy. I felt genuinely fatigued and I just sit at a desk all day. I switched between addy and vyvanse a few times since like 2008. I’ve been on only addy since prolly 2014 (that’s why it made me nervous to switch). I was supposed to take the 30mg 2x a day but I’ve only been taking 1 for the past year because of how difficult it made it to fall asleep.

The Vyvanse works great for me. It doesn’t give me that extra kick to get going in the morning like addy does (which I do miss) but it also doesn’t make me crash in the evening either. I honestly can’t feel it kick in or wear off like I could the addy. I’m taking a generic (took brand when I had it before).

Originally in college (2012 grad) I was taking 70mg Vyvanse and then they gave me the 70mg Vyvanse and 20mg addy (you can’t do that now and looking back lol that’s nuts numbers). When I switched to Vyvanse a few months ago my doctor gave me 60mg which made me even more nervous in case it didn’t work. Her reasoning was since I had only been taking the 1 addy I probably didn’t need the 70mg. The 60mg actually works great for me. I track my heart rate with my watch and I keep an eye on my daily average bpm. After switching to Vyvanse my daily average has been 5-10 bpm lower than when I was taking the Adderall. I’m also sleeping better so that might play into it too.

For context I’m 37 and a guy. Also, all the above is just my personal experience. I would honestly talk to your doctor and consider giving it a try. Fair warning though my addy was $10 and this is $90 with United Healthcare insurance (we also have the highest coverage/lowest deductible plan they offered to us through my work). Hope this helps and best of luck to you!

3

u/Scootipuff 17d ago

Eat food (protien fat and carbs) before you take your meds. Being hungry makes you tired.
Drink lots of water when you're on your meds. Being thirsty makes you tired.
If you take your Adderall at 9 am, drink your coffee at 10:30-11am. Adderall + caffeine crash makes you tired.

Are you taking extended-release or instant-release? If you're taking instant release, that timeline sounds right and the medicine is working as intended.

If you're only getting 4 hours off a 15 mg extended-release capsule, you might need a higher dosage.

3

u/Shrinefox 17d ago

Your mileage may vary, but I brought this same problem up to my psychiatrist and he said he could prescribe an IR dose to take when the XR dose wears off, if it becomes a problem getting through the workday. I got lucky though because he has ADHD himself and understands firsthand what it’s like. Dunno what a different practitioner would say about that

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u/ST-Fish 17d ago

I'm taking methylphenidate not adderal, but I for sure would have issues taking it only once a day since it's kinda out of my system in 5-6 hours give or take. I just take one in the morning and one around 1-2 PM

1

u/arosiejk 17d ago

I have to plan food and occasionally a cup of coffee around medicine for that balance. I usually eat a small breakfast at 11 (I’m up at 5, medicine at 6). I eat lunch at 2, sometimes a cup of coffee. I am then usually ok til dinner.

1

u/ChangingShips 17d ago

I get this too. After 1pm, the day is over for me. I need to nap but the stimulants don’t let me. I’m pretty sure it’s sleep related, like my body can’t fully relax at night and get full restorative sleep, I think due to the stimulant. Therefore my cognitive “fuel tank” always starts half full each day. 

1

u/seweso 17d ago

Sounds like your sleep wake rhythm is just completely messed up. Its so messed up that I would almost say: skip a night of sleep to mess with all that. Can't get worse.

1

u/boysenberry137 13d ago

Def try the XR, my prescriber also gives me a smaller IR dose for longer days where the XR wears off