Adderall XR for ADHD User Reviews (Page 3)

• brain...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 29, 2015

"Had the best results from Adderall XR. So smooth that I could concentrate and felt like the most normal person with absolutely no highs and lows. I could sit and concentrate for hours, go to sleep like normal people, and wake up like other adults. Insurance quit paying for it and had to switch to regular Adderall."

• Pleased...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 5, 2015

"My son had been on Adderall XR (25 mg) for well over 6 years, and it has really worked well for him. I would say the only side effect that was difficult to deal with was the lack of appetite. However, after hitting the teenage years, it has fallen back into normal teenage young man trying to eat everything, lol. On a very good note: my son finished his 8th grade year with A's and B's, as well as a 3.4 GPA, and is now looking forward to attending high school in the fall."

• Anony...
• February 6, 2020

"I was diagnosed with ADHD combined type and have tried Ritalin and Focalin. Both weren't that great for me, so my doctor prescribed me 10 mg of Adderall XR. Adderall has made me have better multitasking skills and helped me pay attention. It hasn't really helped with being hyper or being impulsive and has given me bad twitching eyes. It also has made my sleep schedule weird, so watch out for that."

• Holla...
• September 15, 2016

"I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in 3rd grade and went through just about every medication. I have anxiety, and some medications really made it worse. Now 18 and in college, I've been on Adderall 20 mg extended release for 3 years, and every once in a while, I take a 'tolerance break.' Taking a break from it really does help when you go back to using it. Take it early in the day, or else you will most likely be awake until late hours of the night."

• Elias...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 5, 2017

"My son is 13 years old and has been on Adderall for about 6 years now and was recently switched from Adderall XR 15 mg to Adderall XR 20 mg. Today is his first day on the 20 mg. So far he noticed a large difference in the effects. He said when he was on 15 mg XR for 2 years, he didn't even notice his attention span had dropped and his grades had also been affected. He said he felt no effect whatsoever from 15 mg. The 20 mg has a noticeably large increase in effectiveness. For the first time in months, he feels back to normal and refreshed. He said he never knew my body could grow a tolerance to a medication so quickly. I am curious if every dosage will get weak like the 15 mg. I don't want to keep elevating the strength for him as I'm worried it is bad for his health."

• KNW
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 2, 2016

"The first month I took this was perfect. Better focus, better moods, more productive, and was able to process info better. Then I got my refill, and things got bad. Those particular ones messed with my breathing, made my mind race, so focusing was even harder than before I ever took meds for focus, horrible anxiety, and paranoia. I know these two prescriptions were technically supposed to be the same, but they certainly were not the same! This stuff felt like either completely different medicine or it was made from some dirty, dirt cheap ingredients. They were both Actavis, but something just wasn't right with that refill. I didn't even go a full week taking those. I felt heartbroken because the first one worked so well."

• Jakob
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 26, 2018

"I am 18 years old, and I'm here to share my experience. Like many people say, this medication works miracles at first. I was now doing everything ADHD/mild depression and social anxiety stopped me from doing. Once I progressed towards the sixth month, problems slowly started coming up, and day by day, you fall back into where you started. If you keep going, you'll get even worse. The feelings of depression, anger, and anxiety are almost unreal, and it causes me to take the medication and do nothing but lay in bed instead of being energized, although it could be the 6 hours of sleep every night adding up. Tips for beginners: take weekends off, eat, drink, and sleep."

• nepeta
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 4, 2020

"My grades instantly went from the 60s and 70s to 90s and 100s and for once I felt like I had control over my life. The side effects were pretty bad and inconsistent though, so I had to go from 20 to 15 mg."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2013

"I started on 20 mg Adderall XR 1 month ago. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 13. I was first medicated on Ritalin, and I went off of it because it made me very uneasy on the insides. I managed to get through school with all applied courses because a goldfish had a higher attention span than me. If I could turn back time, I would have chosen the Adderall path. Just a few side effects that really weren't too bad, I lost a lot of weight because it suppressed my appetite. It was all weight that I could afford to lose, and I feel better about myself. I do, however, have to make a list of tasks before I begin my day, or I just get super hyper-focused on one thing for too long. I grind my teeth, and I have to take sleep aids, but it's worth it."

• Lee
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2018

"I have both ADD and ADHD and also narcolepsy. This medicine does control moods and also helps with depression I have noticed. I'm going to a psychiatrist for further notice, but I can say it helps me a lot. But when the pill gets out of the system, you feel somewhat down and frustrated. But once it kicks in, you're on your feet, not depressed and doing things around the house, etc. But the downside is the foods you intake. I feel like any vitamin C kills the drug. And it's bad that your body needs vitamin C, like apples, etc., but in the long run of 10/10, this is a great drug for people with ADHD and ADD also sleeping a lot."

• Loulo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2019

"I'm 19. I've tried a lot of ADHD medication (I'm from Canada, so I have fewer options than the US). Concerta, Biphentin, Vyvanse. With all these medications, I've experienced side effects, or, in the case of Vyvanse, I was not focused enough. And now I'm on Adderall XR, and I can tell you that it is the best ADHD medication I've tried. I feel like I can multi-task like Vyvanse but with more focus, and this focus makes all the difference. I don't feel a lot of side effects, and they are nothing if I compare with Concerta or Biphentin. And Adderall XR is one of the only ADHD medications with generic availability in Canada!"

• Bryan
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 7, 2024

"I've tried them all: Concerta, Vyvanse, etc. Adderall XR is the ultimate winner. Even with tolerance to all these medications, this one still seems to get the job done. It's been 6 years on ADHD meds. I've tried them all for reasons of tolerance. Vyvanse ideally would be the winner because it's a prodrug, but still falls short once you get tolerant to it. Adderall XR just seems to break through the tolerance again and again. There is a reason this one is higher rated. Good luck."

• Ana
• February 20, 2014

"Adderall XR has been amazing for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5 and was on and off stimulants since the original diagnosis. As a kid, I would go through bouts of taking it and bouts of pretending to take it. I tried to be unmedicated as an adult, but that only produced anxiety, likely due to my naturally occurring rapid thought processing and tendency to fail to complete projects (distracted by new thoughts). My quality of life is significantly better when I take Adderall, and I see no shame to be had in that. I experience dry mouth fairly often, but overall it is amazing and totally worth it. I am, however, nervous about facing pregnancy without it, as well as breastfeeding. This medicine really makes a difference in my life."

• Aelena
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2019

"I was on 10MG XR for 3 months and it worked amazingly. This is a very good medication if you have trouble functioning like a normal person, although be prepared for really dark thoughts if you decide to stop taking it. Withdrawal from this drug is no joke, it can make you want to die...but if you keep taking it or taper off slowly you should be fine."

• 3rdGen
• February 10, 2011

"I am a 57-year-old male who struggled through five years of college and finally gave up without getting a degree. At home, I would start projects and never finish them. In my early forties, I finally earned a BS degree out of sheer determination. My wife, who is a psychologist, gave me an IQ test and found that my IQ is rather high. I started asking myself, 'Why have I been an underachiever for most of my life?' My wife suggested that I might have ADD. I started taking Adderall XR 20 mg about 6 years ago, which changed my life for the better. I am now able to finish things that I start. Plus, I don't procrastinate nearly as much. I now read entire books, newspaper articles, etc., without quitting partway through."

• Anonymous
• July 5, 2008

"I am an adult, 54 years old, who was diagnosed with Adult ADD two years ago. Adderall XR has made a huge difference in my quality of life. I now have the ability to organize my day and focus on what I need to get done. I feel very calm and can filter out all unnecessary distractions. I don't procrastinate like I used to, which has eliminated the unnecessary anxiety in my life. I work closely with my doctor to make sure that I am on the right dosage. I wish I had known about this 45 years ago!"

• Amphe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2023

"I have struggled with ADHD throughout my entire life, and even simple tasks like cleaning my room have been challenging for me. I was initially prescribed Concerta in 1st grade, and I continued taking medication until I finished high school. However, I decided to take a break from medication during that time. Now that ADHD is affecting my adult life, I wanted to get back on medication. In 2021, I was prescribed Adderall IR, and it worked like a miracle. All of my problems seemed to be resolved, and every day felt like a blessing. However, my general doctor was no longer able to prescribe Adderall, so I had to find a psychiatrist who accepted my insurance. It took months to find one, but eventually, I got prescribed 20mg of Adderall XR. On the first day of taking it, I experienced its effects, but they only lasted for about 3 hours. I found this to be strange but didn't think much of it. In the following days, I noticed very little to no change in my symptoms. Instead, I started experiencing a rapid heart rate, stomach pains, and anxiety, which I had never felt before. During the two-month supply of Adderall prescribed by my general doctor, it seems that there may have been a substitution of ingredients. These new symptoms have left me concerned and uncertain about the medication's effectiveness. I believe it's important to discuss these issues with my psychiatrist and explore other options that may better suit my needs."

• Nickn...
• October 27, 2015

"Honestly, taking Adderall has helped me very much. I no longer fight with others, and I'm not overly sensitive anymore. Ever since I have been taking it, my grades have gone up. Just a month ago, I went from failing everything to passing all my classes. For me, I don't have any negative side effects except one. When I drive alone at night, sometimes I think I see something on my passenger floor move, and it freaks me out immensely, but that's rare. Overall, my symptoms leave and go."

• Tony...
• July 11, 2014

"I was prescribed Adderall XR for lack of focus and attention. After being on the medicine (10 mg) for 4 days, I felt very confused and had trouble talking. I was stumbling over my words and second-guessing myself. My appetite was altered (as expected), but I made sure I ate frequently. I also noticed I was very impulsive and short-tempered, more than usual. I just wasn't my normal self on this medicine. I'm glad it has worked for many people, but it did not agree with me."

• Billy...
• December 28, 2016

"Helped my life entirely. I'm a more productive and clinical learner now. Didn't realize how bad I wasn't able to stay focused until I took this and noticed the difference. Sleep and eat fine on it. After the first week, that is. But the lack of appetite, restlessness wasn't even that bad even then."

• Roamer
• February 12, 2009

"I am a 54-year-old male, just diagnosed. I have been a successful overachiever all my life. This drug has allowed me to stay on task and be much more focused. I no longer feel the need to do 10 things at once and get nothing done. I now have the benefit of good focus and concentration and don't feel I have lost any of the drive that has made me successful in the past. No side effects. Don't take it too late in the day, though."

• Chris...
• October 29, 2014

"My 10 y/o daughter used this medication for several months. Was not as effective as a previous medication (Vyvanse). Did not last that long (effect wore off mid-day) and caused her to have an increased heart rate daily. In addition, her entire mood changed. She became uninterested in even her favorite things, almost like a depression, and she also became extremely moody. Very irritable and easily agitated and upset."

• B Adu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2017

"Mine may be a somewhat rarer case of ADHD that is very severe, and my response to amphetamines is almost perfectly paradoxical for the best-known effects. I sleep better and longer with significant blood concentration (it's neutral for going to sleep but keeps me asleep longer), have a better appetite, cannot achieve euphoria or a 'high' from amphetamines, only a mild feeling of extra energy. For me, Adderall is far less effective than single ingredient D-isomer formulations. Best guess is that the L-isomer is what ruins it for my condition or perhaps the more exotic salts. Vyvanse, Desoxyn, Dexedrine are much more effective and without side effects for me. Didn't expect the difference, but Adderall doesn't work well with my brain chem."

• ggggg
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 11, 2015

"Worked perfectly for the first week (10 mg), my mind was completely clear, and I felt almost no anxiety whatsoever. Second week (20 mg), started feeling suicidal, worst I've ever felt in my entire life. Parents thought it was out of character, I couldn't stop crying-worst emotional pain I've ever felt (I've never felt like that before). Was convinced it wasn't the medication, but felt better as soon as I stopped taking it. If you're feeling this way while being on it, it's probably the medication... I was convinced that it wasn't until I started seeing that a couple of other people had similar reactions. 19/female"

• NBA
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2012

"My focus and energy increased immensely. I did a 4 to 6-page research final paper in 3 days. I finally can focus on tasks and not spend hours and hours on one task because I dozed off and daydreamed. I also did a 13-page AP English paper within 9 days. I'm glad I decided to take Adderall XR at the end of high school, and now I will be taking it while I'm in college. Is it a cognitive enhancer, which is said a lot? ABSOLUTELY NOT. It doesn't make you smarter, it doesn't improve your thinking, and it doesn't improve your memory. It just does what it's supposed to do and helps you focus. The bad thing is that it is hard to sleep."