80mg and a 5 mil dex at night if I need it for activity. 50 may be low for you, especially if it is working for emotional regulation. Also, "pills don't teach skills" you need a coach or a book to work on individual issues. G'nite its midnight.

I just posted this on another thread, then found this one, so I`ll cut and paste.

Finding the right med is hard enough (i've tried ritalin, dexedrine, wellbutrin, adderall, concerta, and am now on vyvanse); let alone finding the ideal dosing/timing, which can be just as hard. Trying a drug, esp. for the first time can be such an exciting, but also nerve-wracking time; everyone getting their hopes up that they are finally going to have the answer, just to find the drug is not effective, and sometimes even detrimental, depending on the presence of comorbid conditions or individual chemistry. That's when it's most important to not give up, and to google blogs about people's reactions to these drugs (its very reassuring when a drug makes you worse to read that others have experienced the same, and often they give great advice, such as giving it another week or two before switching). THEN when you finally get a good med or med combination, that's when you look down and notice the oars. At that point it's up to the patient to be proactive and start rowing; at least TRYING to row. That being said, when in a relationship with an adhder, you are both in the same boat (relationship impacted by adhd, and god knows what else either person brings to the relationship), and it's a hell of a lot easier, and more enjoyable with two people rowing, than just one. You get further, faster, and have more energy when you get to your campsite. Rowing together, to the same destination; that's the key.

Every drug works differently, and at different dosages for different people; for example my friend does great on dexedrine, where it made me completely over-charged, like non-stop turbo talk. Yet I am finding vyvanse to work a lot better. Chemically, this seems unlikely, as the two drugs are nearly identical, and the dosages I am taking is nearly the same as the dose of dexedrine (both are about 7.425mg dextroamphetamine base). Dextroamphetamine (dexedrine) is the active metabolite of vyvanse, so they should be identical, but for some reason they work different on me. Could be some kind of neuroplastic explanation, or due to one being metabolized in the G.I. tract, while the other is converted in the liver, but that`s irrelevant; the point is finding YOUR drug and dosage. Vyvanse is attractive to many parents, because it is a `pro-drug`, meaning it is inert (bound to lysine which renders it ineffective) until converted in the stomach, so it cannot be abused. 

Anecdotally, as a teacher I have observed that dexedrine often REALLY wires up the kids, as it did me, but that in no implies that that is a general truth across the board. Dexedrine, as with other stimulants was originally used for narcolepsy, and weightloss, so dont be surprised by some insomnia and lack of appetite!

After 4 years of experimenting, and working closely with my psychologist and psychiatrist, I have settled on

vyvanse (30 mg, once a day, but titrating up until I find the right balance of focus vs hypervigilance

wellbutrin (300mg before bed ) - for ME it kicks in right about the time I wake up and offsets the morning lethargy that otherwise would last until noon; also has increased my libido, lessened depression, and helped me quit smoking as it is the same drug as Zyban.

and in order to sleep, I use half of the smallest dose of zopiclone, and have recently switched to seroquel a couple hours before bed. Seroquel helps me `wind-down` so I can enjoy a relaxed evening, rather than the knock-out blow of zopiclone.

This regimen works for me; adderall xr (xr i think) was also good.

Give your body time to adapt to the meds; I would never quit a drug in under a month no matter what (well, within reason of course)

My only side effect is appetite (9pm and haven`t eaten yet), and EXTREME sweating; I have an appointment to have my sweat glands injected with botox which apparently works great.

Hope this helps; good luck in your quest, and DON`T GIVE UP!

I was diagnosed around 6.5 years ago after I quit drinking and was put on Strattera, a non-stimulant that worked immediately.  I have since taken Adderall due to health insurance not covering Strattera (expensive!!) but after years of never finding the right dose have stopped the stimulant med.  I have a stash of Strattera I take every other day because I don't have health insurance until June but plan on either going back on Strattera at a lower dose or trying Ritalin if the Strattera is too expensive.  I never felt Adderall did much other than make me ok for a minute or two and cause me to be even worse when it wore off.  I don't see many people who take non-stimulant Strattera, maybe because the stimulants are older and more well known but when it worked for me it really was like getting glasses and being able to see for the first time.  I was amazed that the relentless noise in my head wasn't normal or what everyone else dealt with and felt kind of pissed off that I had missed out for so many years when I just thought I was being a wuss.  I'm no doctor but I know what I feel like when my ADD is under control and what I feel like when it's out of control and so far Strattera is the only thing that was able to do that for me.  There were times I felt like it wasn't working anymore and there are side effects that are annoying but not worth giving it up like dry mouth, night sweats, difficulty urinating and low blood pressure that causes fainting and/or head rushes if you get up/stand up quickly but honestly it's worth it.  The best part, besides how well it works, is that it is long acting, once a day and no rebound or repeat doses.

I hope you find what works, once you do you will know, without question, that you've found it but until then the trial and error that goes with stimulant dosing can be royally frustrating, especially because you're ADD.  Best of luck, mention the non-stimulant to your doc (lots of doctors have samples that are free so even if it's expensive you can at least try it cheap) and see what happens!

mrsfields

Recently it has come to my attention that my 41 yr. old son has ADD.  I feel sad that I never knew this, however; moving forward I consulted a chiropractor who suggest the herb min-tran.  So far that has been quite helpful.