I’ve been trying to figure out dosage and medication over the past month and wanted some insight from people who may have more experience with diff doses. I started with 5mg Adderall for 2 weeks but it stopped being effective around the 4-5th day. I switched to 10 mg for a week and it was good but a bit up and down, so switched to Vyvanse 30 mg for a week, which was too strong. I’m now on 15 mg Adderall, but it feels like I can’t concentrate and I’m scattered. Question in comments:

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

I do a mix of extended release and instant release of adderall which helps me balance out the right dose. So I do 10mg extended release and then a 5 instant release later morning and another 5 instant in the late afternoon

like

I also found this worked best for me. My dosages are much higher but the mix of XR and IR has really helped even me out.

I’d track hourly how much water I had and also on the hour I’d stop for 10 seconds to record my mood. The latter was clutch on the fine tuning. Additionally, you shouldn’t consume anything with citric acid simultaneously or right after your meds (soda, citrus, energy drinks) as it hampers absorption of your meds.

like

Write it down. What dosage you take and what time, what you eat and when. How you feel hour by hour.

Then you have a body of data to assess and analyze. You can start tinkering with individual variables. How much sleep did you get, what did you eat, when did you eat, how much water are you drinking, how much caffeine and what type- all of that affects your meds.

like

Thanks helpful. I’ve been recording daily but not hourly. I’ll give that a shot. My food intake has been up and down mid-day because of the appetite suppression so that may be affecting it.

I agree with all of these suggestions as well as remember these medications take time to adjust to your body for at least 2-3 weeks if not longer.

like

Thanks good point. I also have had a few days where I’m taking them but have little to do and have a hard time focusing. That may be due to the fact that I don’t have anything to focus on.

It sounds like you may not be giving yourself long enough to really tell what is working for you or not. It usually takes at least a couple weeks to get adjusted when taking a new medication, so you may need to pick a dosage and stick with it for a couple weeks. While also following the advice above to track your water, moods, food, etc. It's tricky figuring it out, but once you do it will be super helpful!

like

Tracking your water and food intake is a good idea. Also pay attention to your sleep. I take Adderall (IR) and it messes with my sleep if I take it too late in the morning or too high of a dose, which then makes it less effective the next day.

I tend to fluctuate my dose a little (5-7.5 mg) depending on how tired I feel and what work I need to get done that day. I also don’t always take it all 5 days in a row but try to skip one workday if I can so it helps it be more effective the other days without having to increase the dose more. My body is pretty sensitive so I prefer to keep my dose at the lower range and did not do well with Vyvanse or other meds I tried. Sleep, diet, water intake, and exercise make a big difference - which is all easier said than done.

I agree with A2 though, these are conversations to have with your prescriber. It took me over a year of trying different meds and doses to figure out one that (mostly) works for me.

like

Is the inability to concentrate on the 15 mg due to the dose being too high? Has anyone experienced that? Would it best to go back to 10 mg for a month and see how it goes?

I do have slight nausea on the 15 mg (I had quite a bit on the 30 mg VyVanse).

Have you tried any other medications? Maybe Adderall just isn't a good fit for you?

How would you describe symptoms on Vyvanse being too strong? I recently learned Vyvanse dosing works in mysterious ways. 50mg made a bit jittery, but 60mg makes me feel perfectly "normal"

It's completely dependent on your physical and chemical makeup. I'd be careful taking dosage advice on the internet. What I will say is give it a month on one dosage, one week is too soon to tell. gl

Related Posts

Bowl to discuss investment strategies, how and where to invest

Q1: How are your agencies handling returning to the office? Curious about both good and bad approaches. Specifically if any employers/leadership have addressed the employee question of “what’s in it for me?”

Q2: If your company were to give you a one week notice that you’d have to return to office 2x per week on mandatory days would you feel like that’s reasonable or uncalled for?

like

Google wants me to relocate to Chicago for a job. How is the relocation package? I was told I would receive the details after signing an offer.

like

SOFI or who else?

Hi Recruiters,
Let’s talk cover letters.
What do you think makes a good one? Length? Content? What should definitely be in there and definitely be left out?
What’s the biggest mistake you see people make?
Who is actually reading them? You? The department heads?
Bonus points if you can give insight into the way this works with the Creative Department. (I’m a Copywriter.)

Thanks in advance!

like

Please can anyone from Disney assist with a referral

like

Is there any requirement for Senior Software Engineer?
I am looking for a job change.

like

Would anyone in the employee experience, L&D, or events space be willing to take a look at my SOs resume?

He is looking looking to transition from non profit engagement to corporate/tech and is not getting much with his current resume

like

Does anyone know any good mentors for someone trying to pivot into UXR?

like

Is employee PF managed by exempted trust? Does it generate same or higher return than EPFO managed PF?

like

I'm a recent grad with about $5k to my name, decently little college debt (thankfully). What financial advice would you give me aka your past self?
Some great tips I've seen already: make savings an automated pull from your checking, make goals, start on retirement asap.

likehelpful

I know I’m not the only one who goes to another floor to use the bathroom at the office so none of my coworkers I sit next to hear me go to the bathroom! You all better fess up!

likefunnysmart

Hi Fishes, I got a call from Infosys HR stating that I'm selected and I would receive offer in 10 days. It's been around 12 days now, yet to receive the offer. HR's not picking the calls too. Any ideas, has anyone undergone the same situation. Please help. Infosys Infosys Limited Infosys Consulting

like

I recently got laid off and it’s been so hard to find a recruiting/sourcing role that’s not for a staffing agency. Anyone know who’s hiring or any slack channels that might be helpful?

like

Anyone interested in mentioned opportunities at Capgemini, let me know.

Post Photo
like

Hi everyone ! Happy Monday ! Can u please like so I can use the dm feature😄

Post Photo
likehelpful

Happy Gandhi Jayanti everyone! Let's take a moment to pay our sincere obeisances to the man because of whom we are able to hold our heads up with pride and freedom around the globe.

like

Hi Fishes,

What would be the normal CTC range for Senior Associate 2 at Bangalore?

like

Hi everyone,
Is fire engineering a good field to be in? Can someone tell me about the pay scale, growth opportunities and the future scope of fire/Safety engineering?
Asking for a friend who’s done mechanical engineering and is thinking of specializing in fire eng

Thank you

funny

Any thoughts on clear eyeglass frames for men? Stylish or too casual?

Additional Posts in Lawyers with ADHD

Took 30mg of vyvance and feel the same after three hours. Does it take a few days?

like

I’ve just been diagnosed with ADHD and I am wondering whether I should be on meds. I am a bit concerned that it would impact my personality. Any thoughts on it ?

like

Does anybody else read the shape of words and your brain guesses to fill it in, instead of reading the actual word?

like

How do you approach the initial conversation with your doctor? I have taken a variety of both anti anxiety and anti depressants. Nothing works. I’ve been reading online and in this bowl, and a lot of ADHD symptoms really resonate with me. They have for a long time, frankly, but I couldn’t get my former provider to take me seriously when I was in college/law school. I’m hoping the context of being out of school helps, but I just want to make sure I maximize my odds of getting help (cont)

like

I have read a lot about messiness and ADHD... my office is always a wreck but I know where everything is and I clean it occasionally because I know people can see it.... my house on the other hand is a permanent pigsty (which I regularly blame on being "a busy lawyer")... any one else? Also, any tips on how to stay clean and organized?

like

I’m so happy that this bowl exists. Any suggestions for an Attorney that can’t seem to stay in one place for up to a year? So far I have been a prosecutor, worked at a small firm, had a solo practice, done remote doc review, and now I’ve left the country for almost a year. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back……help

like

Having one of those "well well well, if it isn't the totally predictable consequences of my own inaction" days. Send help

like

Tired of my pharmacy. Every single month I have to call the pharmacy for my Adderall, they say they don’t have any prescriptions for me, they ask for additional information, they magically find it, and then I have to wait like 1 to 8 hours to have it filled. It’s a pointless phone call. Why do I have to repeat these shenanigans every month?! Is it just Rite Aid? Is CVS any better? So irritating.

like

Has anyone sought accommodations for your ADD?

like

How do you manage keeping track of and responding to teams chats and emails in a timely manner? I have a hard time addressing chats when I am focused on something else, because I know it will completely derail me. But then I forgot to circle back to the chat when I’m done and I’ve recently been told that my response time is unacceptable and needs to improve, but I’m truly unsure how to improve.

like

How did you get diagnosed? For example, did you go to a doc specifically about this or did it come out of a therapy session etc.? I ha feel like I may have something but other signs indicate otherwise.

like

I’ve got a 3 hour long callback interview via zoom coming up sometime in the next couple of weeks. How do I keep from becoming fidgety and zoning out?! Seriously worried

like

Are you worried about sudden death from ADHD meds? I know it’s rare, but are there early signs? Would doing regular EKGs help? Getting a little anxious about this lately.

like

What are the side effects of a small dosage of Adderall? I am thinking about getting tested, as this bowl has made me realize I may need to be. What has been keeping me from doing so for years was fear of being put on medication, but now I feel like although I’m almost 40, my career would vastly benefit from being diagnosed, or at least ruling it out.

likehelpful

Been struggling with my ADHD/depression more over the past few weeks than ever before. I am at a serious risk of losing my job for failure to meet billables and I can’t bring myself to fix the problem. I am normally an over achiever, but new to this job- so I don’t have a reputation to lean on here. I have not disclosed my conditions. Literally terrified and not sure how to pull myself out of this. Grateful for any advice or just to know others have made it through something similar.

like

My insurance company won’t cover Concerta anymore despite a doctor’s note. The generic is absolutely not the same. Any thoughts on alternatives? Adderall?

like

Does anyone else take a day off from stimulants to try to resist building up a tolerance? I have had one psychiatrist recommend doing this, and another recommend NOT doing this.

like

My significant other (who is not a medical professional) thinks I’m on too many stimulants. Says it’s out of a genuine concern for my longterm health. I’ve been on the same dose of the same meds since law school (high but not the max). Am I wrong to be upset at my S.O. for what feels like shaming me for a medical condition?

like

I have ADHD and it is affecting my family life. I forget commitments I make to my wife literally SECONDS after making them, and it is so defeating to be so consistently unreliable. At work I have enough systems set up to help me keep up with my deadlines etc, but struggle to find solutions for home life. Any tips? I am not medicated yet, but am not against starting. I just don’t know if it helps throughout the day or only for a few hours. TIA 😭

like

How do you stealthily ask for help? I see a lot of you mentioning that you ask your partners to give you deadline, have your assistant check in, etc. That sounds great, but I'm so nervous about looking like the odd one out or revealing my ADHD in the process. So I haven't brought myself to do it yet.

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal