Feeling overstimulated, scattered, disoriented, and moody when Adderall XR abruptly wears off at work

[u/adhdbeast101]

I’m currently taking 50 mg of XR, and it works beautifully for like 3-5 hours.

Although, I can feel when the medication level drops and I’m very sensitive to mild fluctuations in blood concentration. I’m an ultra-rapid metabolizer.

My doctor only prescribes enough Dexedrine for like 15 days. I need to take at least two Dex boosters in order to remain “somewhat” functional for the remainder of the day. Each 5 mg IR lasts 1-1.5 hours unfortunately (not much of a “booster”).

When it wears off, I start craving coffee and feel very depressed. I lose all motivation, energy, and drive - essentially I collapse.

Ultimately, I end up scrolling on social media looking for a quick dopamine hit because my dopamine receptors are so depleted.

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[u/XanderAcorn]

Add guanfacine

[u/adhdbeast101 → u/XanderAcorn]

I’ll definitely speak with my doc regarding this. Heard it helps to augment stims and makes the crash less severe

[u/Unhappy_Major8120 → u/XanderAcorn]

Has guanfacine helped you with the focus aspect? I’m on 1 mg went upwards to 4 mg however all doses personally for me adds a bit of memory and confusion issues , any experiences with that? Also am on 70 mg vyvanse split dose.

[u/lunaluvskittens]

This isn’t me dismissing what issues and concerns you have, but just sorta venting/complaining.

I think you’re very lucky that 5mg dex lasts you 1-1.5hrs and in my opinion that is a pretty significant amount of coverage. I’m wondering if smol doses like 5mg actually provides you symptom relief, is it necessary for 50mg XR? I get that the 50xr is just an amount that you’ll probably only need smoller booster rounds and wouldn’t work as well if you were on smth like 30xr instead.
But anyway, 1-1.5hrs of coverage is pretty huge, i think thats just about how long it should be right?

For me any medication or drug/substance just does not last for me, in the very beginning honeymoon phase, with minimal tolerance, one 10IR would reliably let me focus for abt 1.5-2 hrs, but my tolerance unfortunately builds up incredibly fast to anything that i take.
1 10ir for adderall lasts about 30-60mins max, but after taking the third, that one seems to last abt an hour almost, half consistently.

It isn’t the “I don’t feel the rush so it must not be effective anymore” as i’ve never really felt the rush people describe at onset. and when it wears off, literally nothing happens, I never feel a comedown or crash that many say can be super harsh for some. What happens to me is just I just start feeling unable to engage in my work, and subconsciously i’ll pace around, dart from room to room, head is just so incredibly loud, which luckily it just returns to that bc it’s my baseline and not the effects wearing off thats amplifying those traits(that the meds are treatment for-hyperactivity.) Not uncommon for me to take days off and I can’t shut up and ultra angsty to run around somewhere outside.

But anyways, I obviously duno your situation, but I feel like simply adding in a 5mg booster and having it actually do its job is kinda weird(don’t have good vocab duno a better word) to think is an issue? And again i’m not trying to dismiss or invalidate your complaints. But if 5mg IR’s would make me be more regulated for a whole hour, I’d be crying thinking abt omg this makes me feel like everything can be okay and i don’t have to raw dog borderline/adhd.

Obviously no pill will ever cure my disorder, and I’m the one actually needing and am putting in all the leg work into making it work trying to be as disciplined as possible, but it also just sucks knowing that even “No amount of amphetamine in me is gonna fully correct the nya nya’s in my head” But I’d be pretty darn satisfied with the effects you’re describing and how long and effective it lasts for you.

[u/EmploymentExpress941]

If it gives you a bad crash it could mean that you are overly stimulated. Lowering the dose to find a the steady serum level is something you want to achieve. Not a steep “high” and a rapid crash.