Switching from Nuvigil to Adderall, need to know what to expect?
- Posted:
- 26 Nov 2011 by LaurieShay
- Topics:
- adderall, nuvigil, depression, bipolar disorder, narcolepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), drowsiness, chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs), insurance
Details:
My insurance company has decided after paying for the Nuvigil for the past year that they will no longer cover it. I can't afford to pay out of pocket. It is quite expensive at $17.00 a pill and I take two a day. Anyway, the doctor appealed the insurance company's decision twice , but to no avail. So we are going to try Adderall for my problem with hypersomnia. I'm very nervous about switching to an amphetamine. We tried to get the insurance to switch me to Provigil, but that is still pending. In the meantime, I start 30mgs Adderall ER tomorrow and am wondering what to expect.
Thank you DC friends and family. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Laurie
26 Nov 2011
OH WOW!!
I am on the suboxene program and i heard that adderal is like the cheap mans cocaine-thats what some girl was saying.she said she used to buy adderal off the street and loves them.i have never took them but only know what that girl said.
26 Nov 2011
Hey Laurie, Best I can do is read up and see whats this and whats that in as much your question.and not just from DC, but other sites that I use for info. Try not and worry, (I know you've heard that before). and easier said than done. I'll post again, when I have something concrete, a more helpfull answer. Goodnight, take care friend,
27 Nov 2011
Hello Laurie, I hope all goes well for you tommororw, two weeks ago my doctor put me on 20mgs of Vyvanse, he told me It would help me through the busy parts of my day, but all I wanted to do is sleep, and I didn't feel like eating at all. I read up on It and alot of people said it worked wonders for them. It might be cheaper for your insurence company if adderalll and Provigil doesn't help. Let me know how things go. Best of luck. cdn160
27 Nov 2011
Laurie, I too took Nuvigil for 1 month only. I had a voucher for a 30 day free trial. Loved it. My pain dr. put me on it for extreme daytime drowsiness due to Fibromyalgia and the medications I have to take for it, and pain medicine for my chronic back and neck conditions. Once I was out, found out insurance didn't cover it, did the doctor deal, didn't work. I have always taken medication for ADHD, including Adderall. It's a little different from Nuvigil... due to the wearing off sooner than Nuvigil for me. This is just my opinion, but I take an ADHD medication called Vyvance. It has an all day long affect, which makes me like it more than Adderral. I had to take Adderall 3 x a day. One tablet in the morning with Vyvance. I am on the highest dose (70mg). I don't reccommend starting out that high, and your doctor probably wouldn't, but if you don't like the Adderall... ask your doctor about Vyvance. I like it as well as Nuvigil.
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Again..this is just my opinion, but it didn't make me as jittery as Adderall did. I wish you the best of luck. I really do. And you may love the Adderall. I will be praying for ya!! Your friend,
27 Nov 2011
Hi Laurie,
Everyone responds differently. The worst is feeling jittery and teeth grinding. But if he starts you slowly on the short acting pill and you feel uncomfortable you can try something else like Vyvance, Dexedrine, Concerta etc. People who use stimulants for legitimate purposes usually don't get "hooked" we're trying to feel normal not high.
Heather14
28 Nov 2011
I take Adderall 30mg twice a day for ADHD. The first day I was a little hyper focused, but that quickly went away. The only real problems I had when getting used to it were dry mouth, insomnia, and decreased appetite. The dry mouth got better after about a week, but it helps to drink more water too. The insomnia happened for the first three days, but I only get that now if I take it after 12 since I go to bed at 8pm. The decreased appetite wasn't a problem in my opinion, but I forgot to eat regularly the first few days. I have hypoglycemia so I got nasty migraines, and nausea from that. I set reminders for the first two weeks after that, and now I have a normal appetite. My thyroid disease also depresses my appetite later in the day so I have a strict eating schedule to ensure I don't emotional eat or miss meals.
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I hope it works out well for you. I have an addictive personality for sugar and caffeine so I understand where you're coming from. If I don't take my medicine I only notice because I'm not as focused so things take longer, and I get stressed out about it and want to pig out on candy and sodas.
30 Nov 2011
If you are in MD, I don't know about everywhere else, but all pharmacies are out of adderall until January. I have tried many ADHD meds and I am prescribed 30mg pills 2x daily and I'm on sub too. Adderall works best for me! Good luck
3 Dec 2011
If you feel that extended release leaves you in a haze or disconnected ask to try Instant release (if it wont interfere with other medications or condiitons) I absolutely hated how extended release made me feel and it sure didnt help when I had bouts of hypersomnia, but the instant did. Also if you were to choose instant stay away from corepharma generic version if possible and ask for barr or another as corepharma is one that will give you a negative view on the medication. Something about it makes it drastically different in side effectss and feeling than other drugs. I take my adderall IR when my first alarm goes off so that by the time my actual alarm goes off (usually 30 min to an hr depending on how early I needed to get up) it has kicked in so I can get up, function, and meet the day much better.
13 Dec 2011
Mine too has denied coverage because I don't fit the official diagnoses. Since both Nuvigil and Provigil have been denied my next option is also Adderall. I took Adderall for over a year back when I was taking Depakote and other meds that really made me numb. The weight loss was great. :) But I found that even the Extended Release wore off noticably and had a "drop" (not quite as bad as a crash). So every day I had a great productive, alert, focused span of time but I could FEEL the minute it wore off. It seemed silly to have one more "drop" in my rollercoaster caused by a med. I only need the Nuvigil for the winter months and so I'm most upset about the denial. I too will probably have to use the Adderall instead.
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Just be smart with the medication. Don't ever take more than prescribed (the temptation is there when you get exhausted or really depressed). I used to give them to my husband after I fill my pill case each week; just to avoid that potential for addiction.
If you've never tried the Adderall. I'd say its worth a try. I just, personally, think the Nuvigul gives a more constant, less likely to induce mania type of sustained alertness. The Adderall works but feels a bit more extreme.
12 Aug 2012
Wow, well I am narcoleptic so I may not be the best to ask but nuvigil was awful for me it made me tired even the pharmacist said that for narcolepsy it didn't work. Adderall is an amphetamine you know it is speed. Everyones symptoms are different and all tolerate it differently. My suggestion would be to make sure and take on a day that you aren't working or doing anything super important in case you have an adverse reaction. But really you just have to try and see, I would give it a week or so to judge bc some reactions will go away. If you dont have a sleep aid I would suggest asking youre dr for one if it makes you not tired. I take clonidine, its actually a blood pressure med bc it raises my bp and it also helps me sleep. Hope it works ok, but it also is abused so keep it under lock. And keep an eye on yourself as well, they dont warn people against addiction to it for no reason, it can be addicting. Doesnt make anyone a bad person, its very common just be aware.
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Oh great, lol, just what this addictive personality needs. I'm in for the ride of my life. WEEEEEEE!!! I'm trying to laugh, but it ain't easy.
hi laurie, im danielle... i am actually on both suboxone AND adderall XR, and am also a very strong addictive type of person... i waited until i was on suboxone for a year before i was diagnosed with ADHD (hyperactive/inattentive), and have been slowly tapering off of suboxone...
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now, about adderall... i started taking it a few months ago... i was started on the IR tablets (immediate release version, most people are started off on low dosages of this version)... i am kind of curious as to why u are being started on the 30 mg XR version, but i have never taken provigil and I am assuming it's a controlled-release med just like adderall XR is... im sure your doctor knows what she or he is doing... i don't think i agree that adderall is the cheap mans cocaine... i had a very strong cocaine addiction until 6 years ago, and i do not find the 2 to be anything alike... be careful what u choose to listen to about adderall from people who have either not taken it, or took it for recreational purposes... adderall can definitely have a "speed" type effect on people who take it/abuse it, but do not actually need it to control ADHD symptoms.
i was very nervous to start taking it, as i am an addictive personality and have worked out to stay clean... it u take it correctly, it's helpful and u will find the benefits outweigh the desire to abuse it... lots of reasons NOT to abuse it... u will run out too soon and also quickly build up a tolerance to it which will mess up any chance of getting the best effect from it. i say this because i belong to a group where i've learned a lot of great information, whereas on this site, i tend to run into a fair share of active addict/jackass talk... not everybody is here for the same reasons... i have read plenty from people who abused the meds at one time or another, and the outcomes were never good...
u have already been on meds for ADHD for a year or more now, and i do not know what the active ingredient in Provigil (sorry if i am not saying or spelling this correctly, lol), but u probably are already used to taking something at least somewhat similar, and starting on the XR version of adderall should be a really good and smooth transition for u : ) i have been on XR for a couple of months now... i take 40 mg in the morning... it works well for me... i do also take an IR booster in the afternoon, which is common for people who are taking the XR version... they say it's supposed to last 8-10 hours, but it really does vary based on how quickly u metabolize it, and diet is a factor as well... i have a very high metabolism and do not get the full 10 hours, so i take 20 mg IR in the afternoon... this is something u may or may not feel like u need, u will probably have an idea within a couple of weeks or less of being on the adderall... if u decide u need to extend it, asking your doctor about adding an IR booster is totally within reason and they should not be surprised if u ask about it... so don't be afraid... if u like your doctor and have a decent relationship with them, it shouldn't be a big deal to ask about it...
one more thing... i am taking the brand name adderall XR (Shire makes it)... i have never taken the generic XR, i think Teva makes it, so i can't speak for how the generic may or may not work, but can tell u i have read many good things about it and hear there is no real difference between the generic and brand name... if your insurance covers it, it's in your best interest to get the brand name if u can... but that is just my opinion...
good luck and i hope the adderall works great for u! i'll be curious to hear how you are doing with it : )
danielle
oh geez, im sorry, i just read your post again and see that u were taking Nuvigil, not Provigil... everything i said still applies though, lol : )
Thanks Danielle, You have made me feel more comfortable about starting the Adderall. I liked the Nuvigil because it kept me awake without the "speedy" effect, it elevated my mood too. Do you think the Adderall will do this? Guess I'll know in a few short days. I'll stay in touch, thanks again!!
Hi Laure, iam sorry i have no comments about those medications. My daugther living in Michigan take alderral and she mentioned thats is a good meds. for her which helped her in a better concentration. She is full time employee and has been on it for severals years. I hope you will be good in this new journey,dont be afraid. Good luck.
hi again laurie... to answer your question, yes, the adderall will definitely keep u awake during the day... i always had trouble staying awake in the afternoon at work, and i have not had that problem at all since being on the adderall.
Yipes, Laurie! Get busy & write a letter of appeal yourself. I am in the proscess of doing that on evey level to our insurance. Once for was for my beloved Lyrica, but after receving th 284 pills they approved, after a week of weaning am off of them completely! I had to write my own letter of appeal as the doctor put in the wrong diagnosois. Check out that letter first before sending it for your approval too. Just a thought...