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Compare all 62 medications used in the treatment of ADHD.
Reviews for Dexedrine to treat ADHD
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Review by Lizzi Tree (taken for 6 months to 1 year):
User Rating:
9.0
Got this for ADD and my chronic fatigue.
It changed me. Grades in school went from 60s-80s, I could actually focus long enough to plan my life and pay attention. Only problem I had was the tolerance, although my dosage was raised and now I can take it regularly without feeling it, it made it really hard to sleep if I took it to late, and if the dosage is too high, or you are just starting, you get a really unpleasant buzz. Even though that buzz makes you super motivated and lets you get stuff done, it makes it really hard to relax and makes you more prone to panic attacks.
Dexedrine, is simply a miracle. Ever since I was young I felt distant from everyone around me, and I felt as though I was always in my own world.
My grades at school really started to suffer once I reached high school which was because of my undiagnosed ADHD. Homework and projects deemed impossible because I could NOT concentrate.
Now, after being diagnosed with adult ADHD, I am on Dexedrine XL 15mg and Dexedrine SR 5mg. With this medication, I am doing very well in my university studies. My mind is clutter-free, and I can actually focus on the task at hand! Its simply GREAT!
Dexedrine also works great for giving me tons of energy, especially when I need it for work and night school.
Review by Gargamel49 (taken for 10 years or more):
User Rating:
7.0
I'm 38. Been taking Dexedrine now for my fourth time for a month. I was diagnosed at 21 in 1995. I tried Ritalin for a couple weeks and stopped. Went untreated for a few more years. Went to my doctor about my wild mood swings and EXTREME emotions and told him about Ritalin. He said I should try Dexedrine.
Instantly it did wonders. If a coworker said something that would have offended me and got me bent out of shape, it just rolled off my back. I felt great and inspired. It didn't affect my sex drive at all.
Review by crazychristina (taken for less than 1 month):
I'm a 32 yo girl who has been diagnosed with mood disorder spectrum, which includes: bi-polar II, generalized anxiety/panic disorders and social phobia disorder. I've been treated for them separately for 15 yrs with every psych medicine out there. I haven't been feeling right for awhile, I went off medicines during my 2 pregnancies in last 3yrs. Recently I saw a new Dr that told me about my mood disorder spectrum but he also said I had severe case of ADD which I had never been diagnosed with before. My insurance would only pay for Dexedrine. By my 2nd dose I felt like a new person! I was scared the stimulants would make my anxiety worse but it really makes me calmer and focused. My friends noticed after 1St day that I was feeling better. It's the best thing since Xanax!
Review by fancyfree286 (taken for 10 years or more):
User Rating:
10
I have been on Dexedrine XR 2 15mg in morning for 19 years and I don't know what I wound do without it. When I go a day with it I just can't seem to get my everyday living done I feel scatter brain my thoughts don't make sense some time and I feel like my brain cant keep up with itself and that is no way to live. I'm so thankful for this medicine because without I don't know where I would be in life.
Review by Anonymous (taken for less than 1 month):
User Rating:
8.0
My experience is limited since I have only been on this medication for a few days. I am a medical resident, diagnosed with ADHD at 32. Got sick and tired of my mediocre performance at work. Tried Straterra, Viibryd and Wellbutrin, nothing worked. Just started on Dexedrine 5mg 2-3 times a day. My first day on it, I studied all day until midnight. I was so motivated, I felt great, on top of the world, I was so driven. I noticed an immediate difference in my performance at work and it made me a nicer, less cynical. The bad thing was insomnia, teeth clenching, some nausea, decreased appetite and the drop in my mood once it wore off. I am worried about intolerance which is driving up my anxiety level.
I'm taking pharmacy technician courses right now and I don't know how I could do it without Dexedrine. The course is compressed and there is a tonne of information to take in a short time. I can often tell if I've missed a dose, or it's near time for my noon dose, because I will just plain zone out.
Docs tried me on Wellbutrin and Concerta, and those did nothing, so Dexedrine seems the way to go! Really depends on the individual though.
Review by closedloop (taken for 6 months to 1 year):
User Rating:
9.0
I have found that Dextroamphetamine ER cap (AKA Dexedrine spansules) are best for treating my ADHD. I have tried Ritalin and Adderall and both came with bad side effects. Ritalin made me a zombie and Adderall had sexual and hyper-tension side effects. The switch to Dextroamphetamine has increased my focus, alleviated my ADHD symptoms, and also increased my sex drive. I had to take 10mg x 4 Adderall but find that 10mg x 2 Dexedrine ER works for me. So I was able to decrease my intake of amphetamine while switching to Dexedrine. After 1/2 year, I have found no negative side effects whatsoever.
13 users found this comment helpful.
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I've taken many different medications for my ADHD over the years, Adderall, Ritalin, Strattera, Concerta and Vyvanse. Dexedrinne is the most effective with almost no side effects. I only experienced slight appetite suppression with it and it never effected my mood negatively nor did I ever feel "cracked-out" on it. I now take Vyvanse because the slow release works better with another medication I take; however, I would strongly recommend Dexedrine to anyone who is looking for an effective treatment for ADHD.
12 users found this comment helpful.
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Was on Dexedrine for 10 years. Loved it. Just stopped last month because I had tachycardia and an ectopic arrhythmia. Both started about 2 years ago, and I only recently had confirmed that both are non-existent when off of Dexedrine. Have been taking 30mg/day. Switching to Strattera tomorrow, hoping it can provide all the benefits of Dexedrine without the heart issues!
Well this medication has worked VERY well for my ADHD! It helps me concentrate and makes my mood overall more lifted! I Notice energy and a desire to do work and complete tasks instead of being a lazy couch potato like before. Side effects: Anxiety, Depersonlization and Derealization on this medication sometimes makes you feel like a robot! And heart rate goes up also! But it worked much better than Adderall. Adderall gave me bad anxiety and higher heart rate! Much stronger and more positive mood from Dexedrine.
15 users found this comment helpful.
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For me Dexedrine helped get tasks done. I currently 22 year old male. I can focus tremendously in university. Also have a huge increase in libido with my girlfriend so overall can say it's working for me.
11 users found this comment helpful.
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I have ADHD and Bulimia. I read through everyone's comments and I couldn't agree more. I am a 21 year old model living in New York City and suffered from chronic ADHD/ADD and Bulimia. Ritalin would make me so jittery I couldn't even try to do anything. 1 hour of euphoria that led no WHERE. (Focalin *is new* did the same thing just paid more!) So they tried everything in every batch: Daytrana, Focalin and Ritalin.. then Vyvanse with Adderall IR or AddXR with ADD IR
Anyways I looked up online and saw how Dexedrine is what makes up half of Adderall. I asked my doctor he was like "ehh" but he went for it. I've been on it ever since. I think it is the most under credited ADHD/Stimulant medicine on the market. I have no anxiety, clean concentration!
24 users found this comment helpful.
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I have ADHD and mild-to-moderate anxiety. Dexedrine 20 mg (2 x 10 mg) taken in the morning allows me to focus for about 8 hours, but I experience negative side effects including increased anxiety, raised blood pressure and difficulty sleeping. I used to experience moderate-to-severe depression at the end of the day when it would wear off, but I've been able to avoid this using buspirone 5 mg (taken once-an-hour for 4 hours starting 7.5 hours after I take the Dexedrine). Also, I take trazodone 12.5 mg before bed to help me sleep. Due to the side effects, I only take Dexedrine once or twice a week, when I need to get lots of work done. Adderall made me more anxious, and methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin) didn't help me.
My extended release pill, 30mg Vyvanse, only lasts for about 5 hours for me. My doctor prescribed a short acting pill, which was Dexedrine for doing my homework at night. Took 5mg and felt literally nothing after waiting an hour. Then took another 5mg (as my doctor said I might need). I did feel a lot less hyperactive, but almost to the point of sluggish. My concentration improved the tiniest bit, but not nearly as well compared to Vyvanse. This pill seems to work better at combating ADHD symptoms, but not really ADD symptoms. I would advise trying Vyvanse.
I have currently been taking Dexedrine spansules for 16 years. 90 mg a day. ADHD had ruined my life up until I was 36 years old. Now all the standard symptoms are under control and have been since I started the medication. I would personally check with a good doctor if you are suffering with this disorder.
26 users found this comment helpful.
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By far the best medication I have tried for ADHD. It is great for someone who also social anxiety or anxiety in general. With Ritalin I had many negative side effects one of which is anxiety. Dexedrine is great. I do not even need to take my clonazepam (Klonopin) during the day because Dexedrine is so smooth.
29 users found this comment helpful.
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Works well for my ADD but DON'T ever mix with alcohol! I am an alcoholic who comes from a alcoholic background handed down several generations of my family tree. I take my Dex. as prescribed (5 mg 3x daily, a small dose by choice compared to 45 mg 3x daily when I was younger and not in charge of my own health needs) But when I binge drank I would always mix the alcohol with Dex. up to 50 mg a night so I could keep drinking. Lost many friends, wife, and the the respect of too many due to my actions, aggressions, combativeness stances and so on. Alcoholics beware. I'm sober now and take it one day at a time. I still take my Dex. but ONLY as prescribed. I am 35 and have taken it since age 12.
25 users found this comment helpful.
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I used Ritalin for many years before realizing it had little or no effect on me. I think the placebo effect applied not only to me, but also to my parents and teachers. Upon finding out that it's quite common for some patients to have their medication switched 2-3 times before finding one that works, I decided to try Adderall (which worked amazingly, but gave me insomnia), Concerta (which didn't work on me, since it's basically the same as Ritalin), and finally settled on Dexedrine, which I don't know how I ever lived without. Of all the ADD medications I tried, it was head and shoulders above the rest as far as effectiveness AND had the fewest side effects (which were barely noticeable and disappeared after a couple weeks).
49 users found this comment helpful.
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I was on Adderal at 9, it worked okay. Then I was taken off treatment until the age of 19. I've been on it for a couple of weeks. I can tell that my focus is starting to get better and I notice that when I do certain chores around the house I do them to such depths and extremes.
27 users found this comment helpful.
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I found this to be more effective than other drugs offered. I can't understand why it is not used more for the treatment of ADHD compared to other drugs, which have many side effects.
47 users found this comment helpful.
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This is an excellent medication for true ADHD. I've been on Dexedrine for over 10 years, and it continues to consistently work as much today as it did when I first started it.
79 users found this comment helpful.
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My daughter is now nine and has been on Dexedrine for about four and a half years. I know about the med from my little brother and it worked for him. My daughters doctors wanted to try all the new stuff, not one worked so once again i said put her on dexedrine. Finaily after about a year they put her on it and she is doing great and on a low dose. So if you have tried the others go old school and use dexedrine it works:)
59 users found this comment helpful.
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tried adderall, ritalin, etc. since I have co-morbid anxiety they made me "tweek". Very anxiety provoking. Dexadrine, however, proved to be the exception. It's feel is more relaxed and focused. I take less of my Klonipan and Xanax because of the feeling of control and the ablitly to finish tasks. I am glad I researched and suggested it to my doctor, who by the way now is a believer in dexedrine for patients who do not respond to adderall and ritalin.
119 users found this comment helpful.
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